the journey...

Success Involves More Than Hard Work

2010-09-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

If you want to be successful, then yes you have to work hard. But think about it. If hard work=success then why aren’t more people successful out there? Obviously something is missing in the equation. If you can figure out what the something is, and try to make sure that you include that along with hard work then definitely you can succeed. So what is this X factor which is an integral part of success?

Broadly speaking, success comes from a variety of quarters but if you track their origins you will find that it can generally be pin pointed to one person. You. So here’s a look at how you can craft a success out of your position at your workplace and what all it entails.

· Goals – What are your goals, short term and long term? Have you joined the company for a particular reason, to meet a particular goal? Do you want to buy a car or a house? Short term goals are good because they spur you on but long term goals are better. What do you want to make of your life? What do you see yourself doing five years from now? If you can answer these questions, well and good. Write them down and put them somewhere prominent so that you don’t lose sight of what exactly you want from your life.

· Attitude – What is your attitude towards your work? Do you think of it as drudgery or do you love it? Obviously if you’re into something for just the money, success will only be temporary. Get a job doing something that you really love and success will indeed follow your footsteps. Getting the right attitude is in fact paramount to success.

· Patience – You have to have loads of patience. No one became successful overnight and neither will you. You have to have patience and understand that success takes its own time to come to you. If you want to become successful then you have to allow it time to come. If you rush things, it will most definitely elude you.

· Constant learning – If you thought that your learning phase ended with school, you’re so wrong. Learning is a constant process and it has to keep happening throughout your life. You have to have the thirst for knowledge and to understand how things work. Become a guru at all things in your field. Just don’t show off about it. Read up all you can and try to understand the finer aspects so you know how things work.

· Don’t become indispensable – Don’t make the mistake of becoming indispensable at your workplace. That’s a surefire way of foregoing promotions and thereby success. If your boss will feel the pinch by moving you to a higher post and would rather keep you somewhere down and near him for his own comfort level, it’s obviously because you have made yourself indispensable to him.

There’s no real mantra for success. It only comes to those who combine it with hard work, the right attitude and a clear cut understanding of what they want from their lives.

Source: International Workplace Consulting Pte. Ltd.

Motivating Talented People

2010-09-11T01:44:00.000-07:00

If a talented employee performs well at a job, then the way to reward him or her would be with a monetary bonus, right? It may have been true a few years ago, but now with the recession and leaner times ahead, companies cannot afford to offer increments and bonuses like they used to. So how can they retain their talented employees? What is it that sets apart your organization from others so that employees will not feel tempted to leave?

If these questions have been running through your mind, then you have reached the right place. We aim not to answer just these questions but to show you that the recession has really changed the way we live and think. So the way you handle your employees is also affected. In this period of economic downturn, employers are now relying on other means to make sure that their talented employees don’t ditch them. What are these means? Read on to find out:

· Creating an emotional connect – Let your employees connect with your organization emotionally. The workplace should not just be a place where they come, work, take their pay and leave.

Help your employees understand that they are valuable contributors in the success of the company. Make them feel that they’re important and valued. Loyalty cannot be demanded but it is earned. Making the employees feel a part of the organization is one of the ways.

· Share news with them – Management principles might have taught you to filter the bad news to the employees and let them know only the good news. Successful organizations are now pooh poohing this concept because employees get to hear the bad news whether you tell them or not. The difference in their handling it comes from whether you have informed them or whether they have heard it through the grapevine. If they’re informed about the bad news by the management, it makes them also feel responsible to handle the crisis.

· Go beyond basics – If you think your employees are working with you to make money, you’re right. But that’s not the only reason they’re there. Every person has a deep seated ambition to make some sort of difference and if you can help your employee recognize this, then they will not feel the need to seek emotional involvement elsewhere.

· One on one – Identify your employees as people and not just persons who work for you. Delve into their strengths and their weaknesses and examine them. Call them personally and chart out a plan which will help them focus on their strengths in a way that is beneficial to them and the organization.

· Be an inspiration – It’s not easy to be a charismatic leader but keep trying! Get yourself involved with your employees and treat their concerns as your own. Be approachable while still retaining the aura of a CEO or manager so that employees become loyal to you and are not in awe of you.

The recession has changed how people view their employees. If you thought that talented people were available a dime a dozen, then you’re wrong especially now. Today, top talents are being choosy about where they work and you have to ensure that you create the right levels of motivation for them so they will stay with you.

Source: International Workplace Consulting Pte. Ltd.

Gossip: Does it Have a Place at Work?

2010-04-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Gossip in the workplace is something fairly inevitable, unfortunately. The question of whether or not you should engage in gossip is something else altogether, though. The answer really depends on what the gossip’s about and whether or not the gossip provides any valuable information for those hearing it.

Before spreading any tasty rumors the first thing you should be asking yourself is:
how would I feel if someone said this about me? If the idea of such a thing happening is mortifying to you, then hold your tongue and remember that what goes around comes around.
 
However, there are some topics of conversation which can still be classified as gossip, but aren’t quite as controversial or potentially damaging. In fact, sometimes office gossip can actually be a good thing. 

Unfortunately, it’s often the case that employees are the last to find out important information from high up in their organizations. At least, they’re the last to “officially” find out important information. Information that’s spread through other channels can find its way into most ears quite effectively, at least when ears are kept open for any such interesting tidbits of information.

However, gossip can also contain a great deal of misinformation, and if you jump the gun based on something someone told you, you can make a fool of yourself (or worse) when it’s revealed that the information was completely false. This means that the first thing you should do when hearing any office gossip is to confirm whether or not it’s true. If you can’t get confirmation, take it with a grain of salt and don’t go off the deep end before you find out more information.

There’s also a big difference between listening out for useful gossip and actually spreading gossip yourself. While it may be tempting to pass on any tasty information you’ve heard (and this is something most of us can identify with), be very careful before doing so. If there’s any doubt as to the veracity of the information, either don’t mention it at all, or let trusted colleagues or coworkers know what you’ve heard, but ensure they know that it’s just gossip and you don’t know the truth of the matter yourself. Even so, you run the risk that if the gossip spreads further your name may become attached to it, and others may not be so careful as to attach a disclaimer to such information.

What’s the difference between appropriate gossip and inappropriate gossip? When it comes to office gossip anything that’s of a personal nature is generally inappropriate. If you hear a rumor that Sue’s husband is cheating on her with Betty, the desire to let others know this juicy secret may be overpowering, but this is precisely the sort of gossip you should not be spreading. To do so is unethical and unprofessional, and could be personally very damaging to any of the parties mentioned. There’s also a good chance it’s not true, but was spread by someone who wanted to hurt either or both parties mentioned.

Then there’s gossip about potential pay rises, company expansion, potential job losses, or other information which is company related and which probably isn’t generally discussed with the majority of employees. Again, though, there’s a difference between just listening to such gossip and spreading it further. If you hear that there will be job losses in the new year due to a downturn in the economy look further before you spread the information. If your employer or managers are appearing unusually stressed or seem distracted, it’s quite possible that there are some problems in the company. Take note also of who is spreading the information. Is this person likely to be privy to such information? If not, then ask where they heard the gossip and see if you can trace it back to a more reputable source.

If you believe that gossip you’ve heard is true (and is relevant to your workplace) you still need to be careful before spreading it further. If the information is confidential and you go blabbing it across the office, it could come back to bite you if your name becomes attached to the gossip. Obviously, for gossip to benefit you, you don’t want it attached to you in a negative way. If you believe there are a couple of people who could benefit from the gossip, and you do decide to let them know, be aware that you are doing so at your own risk.

There’s another sort of gossip which is beneficial, but which you have to be careful with, is gossip about yourself. If you (or you and a group of colleagues) have done a great job at a particular task, then don’t be afraid to let others know. This doesn’t mean you need to boast about it, but it’s the sort of information that could be great for your career if its heard by the right people. You do need to be a little careful about how you go about doing this, though!

Ultimately, before spreading gossip ask yourself why you’re doing so. Are you doing it just for the joy and entertainment value of spreading some juicy information? Or are you doing it because you believe the information could be useful to your colleagues or coworkers? If you’re ever in doubt about your motives, then hold your tongue and have a good long think about why you want to spread gossip that you’ve heard.

Source: International Workplace Consulting Pte. Ltd
image source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2134104_avoid-gossip-workplace.html

snow's fallin in the morning...

2010-02-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

It's a cold morning...and wondering why it's cold..
Looked at my hotel's window..and found out that....the snows' fallin...sooooo lovely...

It was my 1st experience having snows, with a quite rush shower, rush breakfast, and then step my feet to the road..touched the snows.... spent quite lots of time to feel the snows...and spent more time then usual to get office..

It was in Reading, Berkshire UK, 13 Jan 2010...
In which 2010, known as the worst winter in Europe...

but whatever the bad fact, the morning's snows was really beautiful..wish to feel the same experience again someday...

Bunderan HI 3Jan 2010

2010-01-02T15:58:00.001-08:00

It was my first time bicycling along Sudirman street.. In a sunny sunday morning, accompanied by my Mb Ima, paddled Ima's bike (not me -hehehehe), taken pictures around Bunderan HI, and on the way back..the Sudirman statue became the witness of the day...

What a really good day...