Time Management Tips

We often hear complaints from nearly everyone we know that we don't have time for this and that. In fact, some of my friends tell me that 24 hours a day are certainly not enough for the things that they have to do.

So, I've gathered some tips here to manage time effectively and I trust that this post will definitely benefit all readers.

What is the point of time management tips you may ask?  Changing time management habits takes time and effort, and it is always much easier when a person has a simple system of practical rules and hints that are easy to keep in  mind.  That is exactly what the tips below are for.

1) Know what you want from your time

The proven way to do it is to set goals and to set them intelligently. Listing them priority wise and categorizing them into short and long term goals according to the desired outcome is one of the basic and important exercise.

2) Learn to see the difference between urgent and important

The important tasks are those that lead you to your goals, and give you most of the long term progress and reward.  Those tasks are very often not urgent.  You'll be surprised to know that many 'urgent' tasks are not really important.

3) Know and respect your priorities

Aim to do the important things first. ALWAYS remember the 80:20 rule.  80% of reward comes from 20% of effort.  One of the aims of time management tips is to help refocus the mind to give more attention and time to those most important 20%.

4) Plan your actions for achieving your goals


Convert goals into a system of specifications to be done.  The first significant point of planning is the planning process itself.  It is a known fact that the planning process stimulates the brain to come up with new efficient solutions.  It programs the subconscious mind to search for shortcuts.  Besides, planning will help in identifying potential conflicts  and crises, minimizing the number of urgent tasks.


Planning can also significantly lower the time spent on routine maintenance tasks, leaving more time to focus on long term success.  Also remember that planning and related time management tips work best when the plans are reviewed regularly.  Just try this and see how it goes.  You'll be amazed at the results.

5) Schedule time for your tasks


Your concentration can be easily lost in the ocean of many boring or less important things waiting to be done.  Undone things circulating in your mind are also a big drain in your mental energy.  Most often, there is no way to get those things out of the mind except for either doing them or scheduling them in a productive system, convincing the mind that they will be done in due time.

6) Know how you spend your time


Keep a time log during some time interval, like a week and then analyze it to see where the time goes.  For example, what percentage of time spent on urgent and on important activities, what people occupied most of your time.  This will help in analyzing where most of your time is spent and whether the time is spent wisely.  This is also an effective way to get feedback on how well time management tips and techniques are working, and where adjustments are needed.


So here they are, 6 effective tips for time management.  My wish is for you to assimilate these tips and use them wisely in your career and your life.

I do agree that life does get in the way sometimes and one can never follow these tips stringently.  However, having said that,  it is always helpful to revert back to these tips when needed.


 As with all these time management tips, it's good to get a head start with these tips by using the tools for time management such as activity logs, filing and to do lists.  I will write another post especially on this topic soon. Good luck to all of you.  Remember that TIME IS GOLD!!

How To Be The Best That You Can Be

Everyone of us has virtually unlimited potential when we are born.  Unfortunately, many of us are never able to achieve our full potential.  There are indeed steps that you can take to be the best that you can be. But remember that potential alone is not enough to get you to be the best that you can be. In order to be the best that you can be, you have to pursue and develop your potential.  Here are some steps as to how you can do it.

Step 1
Evaluate Your Strengths and Weaknesses


Knowing about yourself is the starting point in being the best that you can be.  Firstly, you need to write down your strengths and weaknesses and ask your closest friends ( the people who really know you) to assess them too.  The feedback from your friends will help you see how realistic your self-assessment is. Don't be surprised to be surprised!!!  Your friends' assessment can perhaps aid in defining your potential in a number of areas.  Another way is you can also seek professional assistance to help you with these tasks either in school or from outside services.  The key point here is you MUST know where you are starting from.

Step 2
Establish Realistic Goals


You need to MAKE things happen.  Obviously things won't happen just like that!  Becoming the best that you can be isn't automatic.  A very important step is to establish realistic goals for key areas of life: education, career, income and so on.  Goals are actually a result desired or achieved in a definite time frame (finish paying your home loan 6 months in advance, for example).  Of course these are your goals and as such you can have some flexibility in achieving them but setting goals is a real boost to directed activities and motivation.  Write down your goals and revise them as necessary, but keep them VISIBLE to help you focus on where you need to go.

Step 3
Develop and Implement Action Plans


So now you have your goals.  How are you going to achieve them?  This is where action plans are required to specify in some detail how you will achieve them.  Becoming an expert in developing and implementing action plans can really help you to be the best you can be.  Good plans provide additional energy , focus, direction and motivation.

Step 4
Develop and Maintain a Positive Outlook


In anything good that you undertake, you are bound to face challenges from every angle.  There are numerous distractions on the road to becoming the best that you can be.  It takes work but you can overcome discouraging events and negative influences.  Learn how to become and stay a POSITIVE person.  Now this is very important.  A positive attitude will help you better in dealing with disappointments and bad luck.

Step 5
Pursue Life-Long Learning


Education is the goose that keeps on laying golden eggs literally!  Make the most of your formal schooling at every level and when you have finished school, make a commitment to life-long learning.  To be the best you can be, you MUST become a learning machine throughout your life.  Be a sponge for knowledge.  Develop a voracious appetite for learning new things.  Learning is NEVER finished and you should know that 'KNOWLEDGE is POWER'.

Step 6
Develop your Character


Good character is one of the key ingredients in being the best that you can be and in having a good life.  You need to acquire prudence to make consistently good decisions in life.  You need to act justly so that you will be trusted and respected.  You need fortitude to persist with difficult chores like education.  You need temperance to avoid destructive evils like addiction to drugs, alcohol, food (gluttony) and sex (lust).  CHARACTER SHAPES YOUR DESTINY OR CORRUPTS IT.  You must work very hard to develop good character.

Step 7
Cultivate Good Habits


If you are a well functioning adult, you will realize how valuable good habits are.  To be the best yo can be, you must be alert to avoid or break bad habits and to cultivate good ones.  Good habits make so many things easier, like avoiding accidents, always being prepared for lessons or meetings, always keeping your commitments, always being on time, etc.  Fill yourself with good habits and you will find it a sure thing to be the best you can be.

I'll stress here that every one of us can be the best  we can be if we strive to improve what we have within us.  Obviously it cannot happen over night, but if you persist and follow these steps, I am confident that you are already on your way to being the best you can be in your life.  We all want the same thing, and that is to be happy.  You WILL be happy when you are the best you can be.

5 Ways To Be A Good Team Player At Work

What is a team player?  This basically means someone who can put the team goals and the team accountability ahead of their own individual situation.  Do you know that when it comes to choosing a candidate for a new job or promotion, employers consistently say that they want a 'team player?'

Now why do you think they are looking for a team player and how exactly do you go about showing that you are a team player?  Well, according to some experts, below are 5 solid ways that you can show your dedication to the team.

1) Meet Your Deadlines-

The most common reply when a survey was done on a few executives from large companies about what it meant to be a team player was 'meets deadlines'.  When you are doing one part of a larger project, as is often the case when you are in a team at work, you can hold up everyone else if you don't get your work on time.  A good team player is someone other team members KNOW they can depend on.

 

2) Be Candid-

Companies used to stereotype a team player as someone who worked hard and didn't ask questions. But we must realize that the world has changed. The idea of just supporting things is no longer a valued characteristic of a team player. A team player is expected to appreciate  suggestions and at the same time give constructive criticism. But please bear in mind that this doesn't mean that managers want to be undermined. A team player is now a more involved person in the whole work process. 


3) Adapt Quickly-

You may work with teams whose members are in different locations.  It's likely you'll be a member of several different teams at work too each focused on a different goal.

Today, advances in technology, increased globalization and more diversity in the workplace, team players need to be more complex, adaptive, creative and more flexible.  One way to demonstrate how adaptable you are is to offer to change the way you work if it seems like it would help your team mates.


"Your attitude determines your latitude."  How true this is.  Attitude is very important too. People used to assume that trust among team members had to be built over a long period. In today's fast paced business world, there may not be time for that.  So, successful team members begin by assuming that their co-workers are capable, dependable and of course engaged.


4) Appreciate Others' Work styles-

One person may be good at facilitating communication; another likes to challenge the group's assumptions.  The best teams will have a mix of these styles and members who appreciate each others' contributions.  The really good team player, regardless of style, is somebody who can understand and appreciate and work with people whose style is different from theirs.

5) Avoid Office Politics-

If there is one important point that I cannot stress enough that defines a good team player is that one who avoids politics at work.  This simply means that you don't let yourself get distracted by issues that aren't crucial to the team's mission.  Never get yourself involved in what (office politics) can otherwise jeopardize your contribution to your team.  Stay focused and sharp, this is all you have to do.

The old cliche that teams are only as strong as their weakest member holds true in today's work environment.  By defining goals, recognizing strengths, and helping others, you will give your team a better opportunity of having no weak members whatsoever.  So now you too can also be a good team player at work by learning and understanding these 5 points.  Take note of them and incorporate them when you work as a team.  All the best.

7 Tips on How to be a Good Manager

Who is a manager?  He is a very important person in any large organization. There's a power structure of management that keeps the whole operation running smoothly. It does not matter whether you are a senior manager, middle manager, assistant manager or supervisor, the deal here is you are responsible for guiding people so that your organization's goals are achieved.

There is this need now for  alot of managers in this economic driven world. However, the dire need for GOOD managers, people who can manage themselves and others in a highly stressed environment is on the increase.

Below are 7 tips on how to be a good manager.

1) Motivate your staffs

Make it a point to talk to your staffs on a regular basis and ask them if they are happy working in their present environment. Encourage them to be honest with you.  It helps to be a good listener.  Understand their problems.  If they have something important to do when it comes to family commitments and they need to attend to those urgently, then respect their time.  Your staffs' values keep them going in life and if you manage by respecting your team's values, believe me, they will give you their full cooperation in their work.

A good manager is someone who knows how to tap into the potential of his/her employees and enable them to be efficient employees.  Get to know your team members.  Find out their weaknesses and strong points when it comes to their work and focus on and cultivate their strong points.   Motivate them by giving them the confidence they need to handle their jobs.  Not only will they excel in what they do in the long run but you will definitely be held in high esteem by your subordinates.

2) Delegate your work

Delegating your work to your team does not mean that you are NOT doing your job.  On the contrary, you ARE doing your job. People expect you as a manager to be good at what you do but that doesn't mean that you are expected to do EVERYTHING.  It is impossible! Your job is to oversee everything around you.  You teach others what to do and once they understand what is needed of them, let them do their job. You must have confidence in your staffs' abilities. There is nothing worse for you then to assign tasks to your subordinates and then you end up giving them suggestions on what to do all the time for fear that they may not do a good job.  Please avoid the tendency to MICROMANAGE.  It'll make your life miserable and take up so much of your time.

3) Communicate

Be there for your employees!  Always tell your employees that if they need to clarify things with you, if there are any questions or concerns, you are ready to talk to them and listen to them.  Be genuine and don't give them the impression that they are 'inconveniencing' you with their questions or concerns.  Don't look at their grievances as a problem or crisis to manage.  Instead, show them that you care and how much you want this organization to be a great place to work for them.  Show them that their concerns and queries are never brushed aside or taken lightly or even denigrated. One thing to remember here is that ALWAYS make sure that you have answered their questions COMPLETELY.

It is also very important for your employees to know what is happening in the organization.  This is where the good manager shines.  You act as an informant who shares RELEVANT company information. Once your employees are well informed about what is going on around them in their organization, they will see how they fit into the bigger picture and this leads to promoting a solid working culture.  It's a two way process.  Just remember this, you are also responsible for what your team is doing to the rest of your organization.

4) Let your subordinates make mistakes

This is perhaps the most crucial tip that I want to stress over and over.  As a manager, you are obviously responsible for other people's actions.  It goes with your job.  So what do you do?  The last thing that you want to do is be accountable for someone else's mistakes. Therefore in an attempt to be proactive and prevent mistakes, you might go overboard and give careful instructions and create clear, strict standards as to how a job is to be done specifically.  But let me tell you, by doing this, don't you think that you are directly making your subordinates afraid of making mistakes?

When you are so into not wanting your employees to make mistakes, what happens is that they will always check with you about every little thing, even the very petty ones!!  They will be reluctant to make their own decisions because they might not do the job correctly. What happens next?  Your employees will end up being more dependent on you their manager.  This makes them less effective and thus this will unnecessarily drain a significant portion of your time that you could use to do your job.

Let me ask you something, where is it stated in the 'RULES OF EMPLOYMENT' that an employee is not allowed to make mistakes?  Making mistakes is an evolving process in human beings.  We all make mistakes but we learn from them and move on!  Yelling at your staffs and making them feel like they are the worst people in the world for making mistakes in their jobs is not feasible!  People learn so much from making mistakes.  Know what mistakes are and what blunders are first before you decide to strip your employees of their dignity. Mistakes increase your employees' experience and in the long run, experience decreases their mistakes. You learn from your mistakes.  It's a simple philosophy.  

In order for your subordinates to think for themselves, they need to learn and in order to learn, sometimes they make mistakes.  Their mistakes can always be rectified.  It is not a life or death matter. When you let them do their job, you show them that you  TRUST them, you are EMPOWERING them to make decisions about their work.  You build their confidence level. Building their trust, giving them the confidence they need and empowering them are key ingredients to making your employees very effective workers.  Go ahead and give them a fair margin of error. In the long run, it will benefit you and your organization tremendously.

5) Learn from your mistakes

This is where you as a manager have to be true to yourself.  It is not easy admitting your mistakes in the position you are in.  However, having said that, when things don't turn out the way you expected them to turn out as they sometimes do, know what you could have done to do things differently and ADMIT it to your employees.  You will gain their respect by admitting to your mistakes.  This shows your staffs that you make mistakes too, that you are not perfect and that you too are learning because learning is a lifelong process and as humans, we are all learning every day. You telling your staffs about your mistakes will show them how they should handle their mistakes.  Whenever you are doing something correctly after having done it incorrectly in the past, let whoever is watching know about it. You are a leader and therefore you lead by example.

6) Explain thoroughly

Your employees should always know what is expected of them.  Be thorough in explaining what  you want them to achieve. Set short term and mid-term goals for them.  Review their performance and discuss ways to improve their work.  Whenever your employees do a great job and show enthusiasm and take the initiative, reward and recognize them by congratulating them on a job well done.  Employees love recognition and it is the one core thing that makes them better workers in the long run. You'll be surprised to know that many employees do want to be good workers and they need some  sort of a road map for their personal success.  This is where the good manager comes in.  Allow for occasional one to one time.  When it comes to review time, there should be no surprises and your team should know where they stand.

7) Never show any favoritism

I feel that this is one of the most important tips that a manager should strictly practice.  Okay, in reality, most of us are not as egalitarian as we'd like to be. Whether we know it or not, favoritism does happen on a subconscious level many times. There is always a tendency to reward and recognize the people that we like and who like us rather than the people who truly make the biggest contributions to the organization.  Please remember that in the long run, it is the people in the latter group who will make the most progress in achieving the organization's goals. So please check your own behavior when it comes to treating your staffs equally. You must always be fair in your judgment of an employee's work and not  base it on his/her character and whether or not you like or dislike that person. Some people shy away from  positive feedback but appreciate it nonetheless.  So ABOVE ALL, a manager should be UNBIASED towards his/her subordinates.  This is the golden rule to uphold at all times.
 

So now you may think that it takes alot of hard work to be a good manager and you are afraid that perhaps you may not be able to be one.  Not everybody is naturally qualified to be a good manager, yet we can all work at it. Let me assure you that the essence of being a great manager is not necessarily something you can learn from a text book or possess over night.  It involves alot of public relations work, empathy and your gut instincts.  A good manager is likely to be decisive, strategic, organized and ideally a natural leader. Coaching can help you strengthen your natural abilities as a manager as well as develop new skills and habits.

What do you think makes a good manager?  Are you a good manager? Could you be one after reading all these tips?  I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

7 Reasons Why We Fail

Robert Schuller said, "Failure doesn't mean you are a failure...it just means you haven't succeeded yet."  How true this is.  For most of us, be it in our business, career, studies or social life, bad things do happen that we are not prepared for and because we do not persist, we give up and hence we fail.

I truly believe that the one thing you need to not fail is believing in yourself. You have to have faith in yourself and dare to dream in order to succeed.

Below are 7 reasons as to why we fail. I hope that you will benefit from reading them and improve your life.

7 Reasons Why We Fail

1) Lack of Persistence

People fail not because they lack knowledge or talent but because they quit.  The total secret of success lies in two words, PERSISTENCE and RESISTANCE.  Persist in what must be done and resist in what ought not to be done.

When problems seem insurmountable, quitting seems to be the easiest way out...Success only comes when we try different strategies to overcome problems and that needs continuous and focused effort.

2) Lack of Conviction

People who lack conviction take the middle of the road; and guess what happens in the middle of the road?  You get run over.  People without conviction do not take a stand.  They go along to get along because they lack confidence and courage.  They conform in order to get accepted even when they know what they are doing is wrong.  They behave like part of a herd.

3) Rationalizing

Winners may analyze but never rationalize.  That is a loser's game.  Losers always have a book full of excuses to tell you why they could not.  We hear excuses like...

• I'm unlucky
• I'm born under the wrong stars
• I'm not good looking
• I don't have contacts
• I don't have enough money
• The economy is bad
• If only I had the opportunity
• If only I didn't have a family.

4) Not Learning from Past Mistakes

Some people live and learn and some only live.  Wise people learn from their mistakes.  People who do not learn lessons from history are doomed.  Failure is a teacher if we have the right attitude.  FAILURE IS A DETOUR, NOT A DEAD END.  IT IS A DELAY, NOT A DEFEAT.  EXPERIENCE is a name we give to our mistakes.

5) Lack of Discipline

Anyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile had never done so without discipline.  Discipline takes self-control, sacrifice, and avoiding distractions and temptations.  It means staying focused.  Steam does not move the engine unless it is confined. Niagara Falls would not generate power unless it is harnessed.

6) Poor Self-Esteem

Poor self-esteem is a lack of self-respect and self-worth.  It leads to abuse of one's self and others.  People with low self-esteem are constantly looking for identity.  They are trying to find themselves.  One's self is not to be found but to be created.  Idleness and laziness are consequences of poor self-esteem and so is making excuses.  Idleness is like rust that eats into the most brilliant metal.

7) Fatalistic Attitude

 A fatalistic attitude prevents people from accepting responsibility for their position in life.  They attribute success and failure to luck.  They resign themselves to their fate.  They believe and accept the predestined future written in their horoscope or star, that regardless of their effort, what ever had to happen will happen.  Hence they never put in any effort and complacency becomes a way of life.  They wait for things to happen rather than make them happen.

Remember, continuous and sustained efforts combined with a variety of strategies are the difference between SUCCESS and FAILURE.

An Insight Into Decision Making

This story was sent to me today by my friend.  Sometimes, we have to make tough decisions for long term benefits.  It isn't easy but we have to do it.

A group of children were playing near the railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused.  Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange.  You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids.  However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed.  Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make...

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child.  You might think the same way I guess.  Exactly, to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was a rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.  But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.  This kind of dilemma happens around us every day.  In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are.  The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined, and in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that the track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens.  If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe.  It the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! So in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.

'Remember that what's right isn't always popular...and what's popular isn't always right.'

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.

The 5 Important Leadership Skills

It is a common notion that leaders are born and not made.  On the contrary, I think that leadership is a skill that can be learned and polished with time.  No one becomes a leader over night; in fact it is a process of trial and error, self education, training, experiencing success and failures and importantly, learning from these experiences.

The following are some leadership skills that can be practiced in your professional as well as your personal life so that you can become more efficient and successful.

a) Proactive

It is a common observation that most of us wait for things to happen for us, and then we react to situations.  A leader is someone who makes things happen after careful planning , considering all the risks and visualizing the outcome to give the maximum advantage and edge to the company.

b) Commitment

Leaders are committed towards the goal. For them, achieving the goal is more important as they believe that their achievement gives them the edge that they need towards their competitors.  Without commitment, leaders may not make difficult decisions that are required in a situation.

c) Creativity

Creativity and out of the box thinking are necessary ingredients for success.  Leaders do not necessarily have Einsteinium brain, but they use their imagination to get others to convince and act.  Joe Badaracco once said," When you put aside the handful of path-breaking geniuses the world has seen, most leaders are creative in an almost microscopic way".

d) Decision Making

The most important leadership skill is decision making and the implementation of it.  Everyone has to make decisions on situations that confront them in their daily lives.  Decision making is to choose the best between given alternatives in daily situations and requiring all the above mentioned skills in the process.  Leaders have to choose several alternatives and categorize them so that they can move on to other plans if one plan fails.  Leaders do not rely on one plan for a simple reason as best described by Shakespeare that "Error is humane", that if the plan fails or does not meet their expectations, then they can initiate an alternative plan.

e) Implementation

Every decision requires action to achieve the goal for which a decision is made.  The implementation process is decided in the decision making phase while choosing the best alternatives.  It also requires follow up of process after some time to make sure of the validation of the process in different times and situations and make necessary adjustments whenever needed.

I am concluding this post with the words of Warren Benns and Burt Nanus, "Recognizing strengths and compensating for weaknesses represent the first step in achieving positive self regard."