leadership and delegation

 

" When Delegating, Let Go of the How "  Delegation can improve your team's productivity and build skills.  But if you're prone to micromanaging, you may not reap the full benefits of passing on work to your direct reports.  It's important to realize that other people won't do things exactly the same way you would.  Focus less on how they should approach a task and more on the what and the why.  For example, explain why the project is important, the key problems they need to resolve, and with whom they might collaborate.  Don't hand over a project plan or specific instructions unless you're delegating to more inexperienced staff.

employee retention - 3 tips

 

MARCH 4, 2013 Monday 

Encourage Employees to Want to Stay

No employer likes to deal with turnover, especially when losing good people. But your employees need good reasons to stick around. Here are three things you can do to earn their commitment:

(1) Give them responsibility. 

This will show your employees you trust them. Encourage them to gain new skills. Hire from within wherever possible, and give generous promotions at appropriate times.

(2) Show respect. 

Employees want to know they are appreciated. Make it a priority to display admiration for them on a regular basis.

(3) Be generous with time off. 

Provide sufficient time for sick days, family vacations, new babies, etc. Expect and even demand high-quality performance, but don't assume employees can constantly work at maximum productivity nor pressure them to do so. Allow them the chance to breathe between projects.

from "Five Ways to Retain Employees Forever" by David K. Williams and Mary Michelle Scott.

: Employee Engagement Increases in China, but Still Very Low

MARCH 4, 2013 Monday 

Worker Engagement in China Lags Global Average

The proportion of workers in China who are emotionally engaged in their jobs has tripled in the past three years, but even so, the figure stands at just 6%, well behind the global average of 11%, a Gallup survey shows.

 Although China's economic growth in the past decade has been stellar, the nation's wellbeing has been mostly stagnant and has shown improvement only recently, Gallup says.

Source: Employee Engagement Increases in China, but Still Very Low

motivation of younger employees

 

Wed 25 Jan 2023

How to Motivate Your Gen Z Employees

Many Gen Z employees are struggling to be engaged at work. As a manager, how can you earn their engagement? It’s all about creating a team dynamic of collaboration, commitment, and sustained motivation. 

(1) First, establish transparent, consistent, two-way communication channels to alleviate their potential fear of uncertainty and help them feel a sense of control. Being out of the loop will make them feel deprioritized. 

(2) Next, show them paths to career progression. Everyone needs a direction in order to feel incentivized. It’s also critical to explain early and often how their individual contributions make an impact on the organization, regardless of how small they might seem. This will help them visualize how their efforts contribute to the greater good. Be sure to grant them autonomy over their work. Avoid micromanaging, but provide specific, constructive feedback when necessary to demonstrate that you’re invested in their success. 

(3) Finally, prioritize wellness, mental health, and a sense of psychological safety on your team to remind them that your relationship isn’t just transactional.

This tip is adapted from “Helping Gen Z Employees Find Their Place at Work,” by Jenny Fernandez et al.

“What Great Sponsors Do Differently,”

 26 Jan Thursday 

Become a Great Sponsor

Being an effective sponsor—someone who uses political capital and advocacy to advance a more junior employee’s career—requires a game plan. 

(1) Start by making a long-term commitment to show up for your “sponsee,” and make a continual effort to follow through. Chronic rescheduling sends a message, however unintended, that your relationship isn’t a priority. If you do need to reschedule a conversation every once in a while, send a personal note to explain why. 

(2) Next, be patient and withhold judgment, especially if your sponsee hasn’t yet established a long-term goal. Understand that the very conditions that make sponsorship programs necessary, such as the absence of a development culture or biases that keep members of underrepresented groups stagnant in roles, may partly explain why they lack a clear development plan. Your conversations and connection will help your sponsee forge their direction. Establishing psychological safety and trust will allow you to deliver the guidance they need to advance. You can do this by opening up about your own development story and getting to know them as a full person, not just as a professional.

(3)  Finally, do work outside of your conversations—whether that means introducing them to the right people, singing their praises in meetings, or offering them opportunities to do great work.

This tip is adapted from “What Great Sponsors Do Differently,” by Herminia Ibarra and Rachel Simmons

6 Ways Managers Can Help Their Team Focus,”

 Monday 30 Jan 2023

Help Your Team Focus ( 6 ways ) 

Recent research found that around 60% of employees rarely or never do even an hour or two of deep, focused work each day without being interrupted by a distraction. As a manager, how can you protect your team’s attention? Here are some strategies that can help.

(1) Inventory tasks and projects. 

Hold people accountable for keeping current to-do lists, and give them time each week to review these commitments so they can stay in control of their work and time.

(2) Clarify and curate communication channels.

 Most distractions are the result of internal back-and-forths on various communication platforms. Make clear what each one should be used for—as well as expectations around response times.

(3) Normalize “no.” 

Make it safe for employees to communicate that they’re at capacity. Don’t punish this kind of boundary-setting—express gratitude for it.

(4) Make meetings meaningful. 

If a meeting doesn’t have an express purpose or agenda, give your employees permission to decline the invite.

(5) Formalize focus. 

Establish a team norm of protected work time. For example, block out Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for meeting-free, deep-focus work, with looser expectations around response times.

(6) Respect boundaries. 

Don’t be the distraction. If someone you manage is in the middle of a project or task, hold off on pinging them or adding work to their plate.

This tip is adapted from “7 Ways Managers Can Help Their Team Focus,” by David Allen and Justin Hale

“Why Success Doesn’t Lead to Satisfaction,”

 Tue 31 Jan 2023

How to Feel Satisfied with Your Success

Why does career success so rarely lead to satisfaction? If you’re prone to dissatisfaction in moments when you expect to finally feel satisfied (after a raise, promotion, or award, for example), you can shift your mindset in three ways to achieve a more sustainable inner peace. 

(1) Start by shifting from comparison to compassion. Rather than chiding yourself for what you haven’t achieved, show yourself kindness for the progress you’re making on your own journey. And instead of resenting someone for what they’ve achieved, acknowledge that their success doesn’t come at the expense of yours—they’re on their own journey, and being happy for them won’t cost you anything. 

(2) Next, stop counting what you’ve accrued (money, awards, followers, etc.) and start measuring what you’ve contributed (Whose life have you positively impacted? What ideas have you generated?). Lasting joy comes from giving, not taking. Finally, shift from contempt to connection. Growing insatiably ambitious, no matter how much money or power you earn along the way, will lead to bitterness and loneliness.

(3)  Remember to appreciate the relationships in your life—especially the ones that have nothing to do with your career success.

This tip is adapted from “Why Success Doesn’t Lead to Satisfaction,” by Ron Carucci

Emotional Catharsis leads to better cognitive functoins

 MARCH 5, 2013 Tuesday 

To Improve Your Math-Test Score, Write About Your Emotions First ! 

Female research participants who were instructed to write about their current emotions for five minutes subsequently got an average of 15% more math problems right than other women, say Kathleen C. Burns of the University of Wisconsin and Stacy L. Friedman of the University of Massachusetts. The finding is in accord with past research showing that emotional expression has broad positive effects. It's unclear whether simply talking about feelings—as opposed to writing about them—before taking a test could also improve performance, the researchers say.

Source: The benefits of emotional expression for math performance

How the world survived the 20 th century population bomb

 MARCH 6, 2013 Wednesday ! 

Whew! How We Dodged the Bullet on Global Starvation ! 

How did the world survive the 20th-century population explosion, which many had expected to lead to mass starvation? 

(a ) Agricultural innovation contributed to a 10% rise in per-capita food production from 1961 to 1980, 

(b) and greater global trade and 

(c) a population shift to cities helped the world absorb billions more people, David Lam of the University of Michigan writes in Demography. 

The population boom was triggered by rapidly falling death rates, but the subsequent global decline in birth rates means that the world's population, now at 7.5 billion, may soon stabilize and may never reach as high as 12 billion, Lam says.

Source: How the World Survived the Population Bomb: Lessons From 50 Years of Extraordinary Demographic Historyv

3 clear writing tips - business communication

 Thu 07 March 2013

How to Write Clearly
-----------------------------
Whenever you write an email, proposal, or report, it is up to you not the reader to make sure your point is understood.
Here are three ways to ensure your ideas aren't misinterpreted:

(1)    Adopt the reader's perspective.
Put yourself in the reader's shoes to assess your clarity. Better yet, ask a colleague to summarize the main points of your draft from a quick read-through.
 (2)   Keep your language simple.
Strive to use short words and sentences. Aim for an average of 20 words or less in each sentence. With every one, ask yourself whether you can say it more briefly.
 (3)   Show, don't tell.
Be specific enough that readers draw their own conclusions (that match yours, of course), as opposed to expressing your opinions without support and hoping people will agree.

Lies and Damned Lies on Resumes & Recruiters' Laziness

MARCH 7, 2013 Friday 

If You Lie on Your CV, Many Employers Won't Check ! 

46% of résumés include discrepancies in job candidates' employment and educational histories, according to a study cited by Jon D. Bible of Texas State University-San Marcos. Another study shows that 40% of executives lie about their education and 35% lie about accomplishments or job missions. But employers leave the door wide open for résumé fraud: Just 68% check job histories and only 42% check educational backgrounds, according to a third study.

Source: Lies and Damned Lies: Some Legal Implications of Resume Fraud and Advice for Preventing It

career moves

 " Don't Make a Career Move You'll Regret"

No matter what industry you work in, what role you fill, or how successful you are, chances are you've made a bad career decision. Here are two of the most common ones and how to avoid them:

(1)     Taking the job for the money.
Many people opt into high-paying, but ultimately dissatisfying, careers. And once they get there, they often feel trapped. If you're considering taking a job for the salary alone, take a step back and think about how the job might be meaningful (or not) aside from compensation.

   (2) Not quitting sooner.
People who finally leave a job to pursue a passion often look back and think, "Why didn't I get out of there sooner?" You won't get those years back. If you're yearning to do what you really care about but biding your time, save yourself the future disappointment and quit sooner rather than later.

Saturday 09 March 2013

Think small, for culture change

MARCH 11, 2013 Monday 

Change Small Things, Not Your Entire Culture

When people don't achieve company goals, senior managers often declare that it's time to change the culture. But sweeping, large-scale culture change efforts rarely cure what ails a company. Managers get better results when they start with a few smaller successes. Start with one problem, for example a performance challenge. Get some people to run a couple of modest experiments that might solve the issue. Pay careful attention to what works and how. Incorporate the successful ideas into subsequent steps. Keep advancing an increasing number of performance improvements based on those early wins — and continue to learn from each subsequent experiment. Eventually you'll have changed the culture by taking it one problem at a time.

 adapted from "To Change the Culture, Stop Trying to "Change the Culture"" by Robert H. Schaffer.

Leisure management is required too

 MARCH 12, 2013 Tuesday

Make the Most of Your Downtime

It's hard to carve out time to relax in a 24/7 world. But just as it's healthy to focus at work — ignoring Facebook and personal email — you must occasionally leave work behind. Here's how:

(1) Clearly schedule your time.

 Treat downtime like a work meeting: Schedule it. Book evenings off, one to two days a week free of work, and weeklong chunks of vacation every year on your calendar, and stick to them.

(2) Shut off your devices. 

Leave your laptop at the office when you can. Carry a phone for work and one for personal use — leave the work phone in your bag when you come home or in the safe at your hotel when you're on vacation.

(3) Create routines. 

Signal to your mind that it's time to start work, leave work, or engage with family by using rituals to transition from one kind of activity to the next.

adapted from "The Upside of Downtime" by Jackie Coleman and John Coleman.

USA pay trends 2013

 Tue 12 March 2013

Fewer Companies Still Give Raises for Years of Service

Just 9% of U.S. companies are still following the once-common practice of basing pay raises on years of service, according to The HR Specialist. Nevertheless, employers haven't figured out how to eliminate employees' ingrained expectation of getting pay increases just because they've spent another year working for their companies. That "entitlement culture" is the result of many years of traditional, across-the-board raises.

Source: Who Gets How Much? Pay Raise Trends for 2013

Chronology of events in biz writing

 Wed 13 March 2013

Make Your Writing Chronological

Stories are inherently sequential. One thing happens, then another, then another. That structure works well not only in books and films, but also in business writing because it helps readers follow along. When giving a factual account, use chronology to keep your writing clear, efficient, and interesting. To help you relay the narrative in order — rather than jumping in at the middle or even the end — create a "chronology of relevant events" before you write. List all of the important dates and events then use it to guide your writing, making sure you still write in a way that's personal.

adapted from the HBR Guide to Better Business Writing.

Gender bias against female leaders ?

 MARCH 13, 2013

Is the Perfect Boss a "Feminized" Man?

A survey of  a large sample size of 60,000 employees in the U.S. reveals a "feminizing" of the management role ! Means,  workers preferring sensitive boss,  as opposed to direct, aggressive, alpha-male managers .  

Among the 60,000 workers, 54% didn't mind whether their boss is male or female. No gender preference. 

Among the rest of  46% of respondents who express a preference about the boss's gender, 

72% would  ( both male and female employees ) would  " rather have "  a male manager and just 28% would rather have a female. 

Respondents are less likely to show gender bias when evaluating their own bosses, however.

Research Courtesy   Kim M. Elsesser of UCLA and Janet Lever of California State University.

Source: Does gender bias against female leaders persist? Quantitative and qualitative data from a large-scale survey

The Grand Mother litmust test of your presentation

 MARCH 14, 2013

Eliminate Jargon from Your Next Presentation

Buzzwords, insider concepts, and industry lingo have no place in your presentation. Each field has its own lexicon that's familiar to experts but foreign to everyone else. Unless you're speaking to a group of people who are steeped in the material, you're better off avoiding highly technical or industry-specific language. 

Consider whether your presentation passes the "grandmother test": If your grandmother wouldn't understand what you're talking about, rework your message. Use words that will resonate with the people you want to support and influence you. If they can't follow your ideas, they won't adopt them.

adapted from "Five Presentation Mistakes Everyone Makes" by Nancy Duarte.

Confessions of a Networking pro

 Mon 18 March 2013

Survive Networking Events by Being Generous

You're not the only one who walks into a networking mixer full of dread. Before you make a run for the door, try a different approach. Tell yourself that it isn't about you. 

Instead of trying to meet potential clients, or making another connection that will advance your career, focus exclusively on what you can do for the other attendees. Refrain from telling anyone about your own area of expertise and think about how you can help others in the room.

 Introduce yourself and immediately ask about them — who they are, why they're there, and what they're looking to achieve that evening. Then think about what connections you can make, what favors you might offer, what introductions you might broker. Not only will the event be more fun but you'll learn about new people and ideas, and you might just get something out of it in return.

adapted from "Confession of a Networking Pro" by Jodi Glickman.

Executive Time audit

 MARCH 18, 2013

Companies: Don't Treat Executives' Time as an Infinite Resource

Just 52% of executives surveyed worldwide by McKinsey say the way they spend their time fits well with their organizations' strategic priorities. This suggests that time challenges aren't just a major hassle for executives but are hurting business performance too. Companies should help solve this problem by establishing "time budgets" for priority initiatives, McKinsey says.

Source: Making time management the organization's priority

Accounting for the Timing of First Marriage in USA

 Tue 19 March 2013

American Marriagable Ages, from 2010 - 2020 - a Survey . 

Why, on Average, Men Marry Younger Women ! 

Yes, it's true: Men tend to marry younger women. The age gap averages  in the USA is 1.74 years, according to a study of U.S. marriages by Javier Díaz-Giménez and Eugenio Giolito of IESE Business School in Spain. 

Genetic Reasons : 

But the reason isn't, as is often supposed, that men postpone marriage while accumulating wealth ! 

It's that men are capable of producing children for a longer time than women and thus, genetically speaking,  when they're older, are more likely than women to marry. 

In USA, from 2010-2020 , Grooms' median age at FIRST  marriage is 26.63 years; brides'  first marriage is 24.80.

Source: Accounting for the Timing of First Marriage

Edits & feedback, hallmarks of good writing

 " Welcome ' Edits'  on Your Writing ! "

A good writer welcomes good 'edits' !
A bad writer resents them, seeing them only as personal attacks.
Share your material while it's still rough the feedback will help you improve it much faster than if you were toiling in isolation.
Routinely ask your colleagues, including those you supervise, to read your drafts and suggest changes.
Have them mark up the document and submit their revisions in writing, rather than in person where you might react defensively. Always thank them for their help. Encourage others on your team to seek out edits and offer them.
Having room to improve should be the norm, not a sign of weakness !

The Impact of Bestseller Rank on Demand: Evidence from the App Market

 MARCH 20, 2013 Wednesday 

For Apps, Only the Very Top of the Bestseller List Really Matters

Consumers of smartphone apps are heavily influenced by whether an app appears on a bestseller list—but only if it's at the very top, according to an analysis by Octavian Carare of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Consumers' willingness to pay is about $4.50 greater for a top-ranked app than for the same unranked app, but their willingness to pay declines steeply with each rank until leveling off between ranks 11-50, after which the rank has negligible importance.

Source: The Impact of Bestseller Rank on Demand: Evidence from the App Market

Stress and self compassion

 MARCH 22, 2013 Friday 

Reduce Stress with Self-Compassion

You have too much on your plate, deadlines are looming, and people are counting on you. Since you can't eliminate bouts of intense stress, you have to learn to deal with them. Studies show that people who practice "self-compassion" are happier, more optimistic, and less anxious and depressed. This is the willingness to look at your failures with kindness and understanding — without harsh criticism or defensiveness. 

Most of us believe that we need to be hard on ourselves to perform our best, but it turns out that's plain wrong. A dose of self-compassion when things are at their most difficult can reduce your stress and improve your performance, by making it easier to learn from your mistakes. So remember that to err is human, and give yourself a break.

adapted from "Nine Ways Successful People Defeat Stress" by Heidi Grant Halvorson.

Does Social Capital Promote Safety on the Roads?

 Friday 22 March 2013

Higher Levels of Social Capital Lead to Fewer Traffic Fatalities

A 5% increase in the average level of agreement with the statement "Most people are honest" within a U.S. state results in a decline in traffic fatalities in that state by about 11%, says Matthew G. Nagler of the City College of New York. This measure of trust in others is an indicator of the state's level of social capital, sometimes defined as a willingness to engage in community activities. Less-conscientious people who reject civic engagement presumably drive more recklessly.

Source: Does Social Capital Promote Safety on the Roads?

"How to Create an Innovation Ecosystem"

 Monday 25 March 2013

Expand Your Company's Innovation Network ! 

Organizations get it wrong when they rely on only a few people to come up with all the new ideas. 

Instead, they should connect many colleagues who have the right skills and can foster innovation in others. Here are the three essential elements of such a network:

(1) Get the right people involved. 

The group has to include ( a) upper-level managers who can fund projects, ( b ) leaders who have had success with past innovations, and (c ) technical experts.

(2) Cultivate the network. 

Give this extended group opportunities to mix together in productive ways. Hold regular meetings, events, and talks where innovators from across the organization can get together and share their experience.

(3 ) Educate others. 

Implement a company-wide education program, led by those in the network, on how to develop good ideas and how to transform good ideas into actionable plans.

adapted from "How to Create an Innovation Ecosystem" by Art Markman.

Diversity in board of directors , lower risk

 MARCH 25, 2013

Research Fact 

Startups with Female Directors Have Better Chance of Survival ! 

Newly incorporated companies with at least  one female director have a 27% lower risk of becoming insolvent than comparable firms with all-male boards, says a team led by Nick Wilson of Leeds University Business School in the UK. 

Law of diminishing returns ? 

The effect decreases as the number of female directors rises, suggesting that what matters is DIVERSITY  rather than the specific number of women on the board. 

Reason ? 

Past research shows that groups with greater gender diversity generate more-innovative thinking in problem solving.

Source: The survival of newly-incorporated companies and founding director characteristics

Courtesy : Harvard Business Review 

3 tips for Q&A after your presentation

 

MARCH 26, 2013 Tuesday 

Get the Most Out of Your Q&A

As a presenter, a question-and-answer session is a powerful way to address your audience's concerns and drive your point home. Here are three tips for making the best of it:

(1) Plan when you'll take questions. 

Establish early on if you want to field questions throughout your talk or save them until the end. If you need to build a thorough case, ask people at the beginning to hold their questions.

(2) Anticipate questions. 

Think through any queries the audience might raise, from the mundane to the hostile. Prepare answers ahead of time so you won't be thrown when all eyes are on you. Rehearse them, but still be mentally prepared for curveballs.

(3) Admit when you don't know something. 

Never fake an answer. Your audience will see right through it. If you don't know the answer to a question, tell them — and offer to do some research after the presentation and get back to the group.

 adapted from the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations.

Reverse the decisions by your predecessor

 MARCH 26, 2013

The New Baseball Manager's Job Is to Reverse the Previous Guy's Bad Choices

A poorly performing professional baseball player is 4% to 6% more likely to be traded once the next manager or general manager takes over the team, according to an analysis of U.S. Major League Baseball by Roberto Pedace of Scripps College and Janet Kiholm Smith of Claremont McKenna College. However, while new managers tend to rid themselves of poor performers hired by their immediate predecessors, they're less quick to divest such players hired during earlier periods, suggesting that team owners order new managers to reverse just the most recent managerial regime's bad choices.

Source: Loss Aversion and Managerial Decisions: Evidence from Major League Baseball

Manage your former peers

 MARCH 27, 2013

When You Become the Boss, Build Your Credibility ! 

Managing people who used to be your peers is tough. You need to establish your authority without acting like the promotion's gone to your head. Here are three ways to make the transition easier:

(1) Tread lightly at first.

 Don't introduce any major overhauls right away. Identify a few small decisions you can make fairly quickly, but defer bigger ones until you've been in the role longer.

(2) Be actively present. 

Spend time with each of your new direct reports. Ask, "What can I do to make you more successful?" This question shows that you're in charge, but also conveys that you're there to support them.

(3) Look beyond your team. 

During this type of transition, it's easy to become focused on your former peers. But don't forget to build connections with new counterparts and your new boss.

Harvard Business Review Blog Today's Management Tip was adapted from "How to Manage Your Former Peers" by Amy Gallo.

Cut staff and short cut stories - vicious circle in media

 MARCH 28, 2013

A Vicious Cycle: Cuts in News Coverage Alienate Readers ! 

31% of adult Americans say they've stopped using at least one news outlet because it no longer provides enough information, according to the Pew Research Center. Of those people, 61% complain that the outlet's stories are less complete now than in the past. News organizations have cut staffs and reduced coverage as a way to save money as audiences dwindle.

Source: Americans Show Signs of Leaving a News Outlet, Citing Less Information

what do you see urself in 5 years ?

 MARCH 29, 2013

Reframe a Tough Interview Question

You've probably been asked this perennial, annoying question: "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Your interviewer will often use it to get at several pieces of information at once. So before responding, try to determine what they really want to know. Look for subtext in other questions they've asked or in comments they've made. For instance, has the hiring manager mentioned that you'd be replacing someone who left the company after just six months? Maybe he wants to find out how long you'll stick around, since the cost of turnover is so high. Or did he raise the question right after asking you to describe your ideal job? Perhaps he's trying to get at whether the position is a good match for you and how long you'll enjoy doing it. After you've replied, follow up with something like, "Did that answer your question?"

 adapted from the HBR Guide to Getting the Right Job.

"How Not to Unwittingly Reveal Company Secrets"

APRIL 1, 2013 Mondray 

Keep Your Company's Secrets in the Digital Age

Through social sharing technologies like Facebook and Twitter, your employees may be unwittingly exposing company secrets. Even seemingly innocuous information like travel schedules or what online groups an employee joins can give competitors inside intelligence. Here are a few ways to shield your organization from prying eyes:

Assess and educate. Determine what's important for your company to protect and make sure everyone understands what information might be sensitive. For example, a person's list of LinkedIn connections can reveal her network and even potential partnerships in the works.

Disable geolocation. Make sure employees turn off these features so that they don't inadvertently leave footprints that show where they're visiting and who they might be meeting with.

Keep it inside. Implement and promote internal social networks that are walled off from the outside world. These platforms allow employees to talk shop without risking information leakage.

adapted from "How Not to Unwittingly Reveal Company Secrets" by Martin Harrysson, Estelle Metayer, and Hugo Sarrazin.

Ethos , Pathos & Logos - 3 important ingradients in public speech

 There are 3 Latin words. These principles of communication  remain fundamentally useful

and significant today, more than 2,300 years since Aristotle first proposed
them !
These principles represent extremely cleverly - how an audience or listener determines the validity and quality of written or spoken communications, and crucially - whether to take action according to the communication.

The essential elements are as follows. We might describe these as the ingredients of successful communications:

(1)    Ethos - The integrity of the communicator.Honesty. Sincerity. Credibility.
  (2)  Pathos - The emotional effect (of communicator and message) on the listener/reader/audience.
 (3)   Logos - The relevance and strength of the message content.

Each of the above main areas contains, and is consciously and unconsciously assessed by the audience.

When you are communicating, with an individual or to a group, see that it contains all the 3 ingredients. Ethos, Pathos, and Lagos.

Decision making based on importance

 " Why We Get Sucked into Trivial Decisions ! "

Faced with tough choices such as whether to do a fun task for low pay or a dull task for high pay, research participants agonized over their decisions twice as long if the choices were reversible (and thus unimportant) than if they were binding (and thus important), say Aner Sela of the University of Florida and Jonah Berger of The Wharton School.
WHY ? : -- We tend to assume that unimportant decisions will be easy; if they're unexpectedly difficult, we switch to viewing them as highly important and spend more time dithering, the researchers say.

"To Give Your Employees Meaning, Start With Mission"

  MARCH 28, 2013

Make Your Mission Meaningful

When work has personal meaning, people feel a sense of ownership in their jobs. But few employers do what it takes to make this a core part of their organization. This is apparent in the often bland, tone-deaf, and hollow mission statements companies adopt, which regularly turn out to be empty lip service to values that aren't lived every day. To engage employees, develop an inspiring mission that people can get behind. It should be specific, relevant, and motivating. Of course, it's not enough to have good words down on paper (or on your website). Your organization's leaders need to live the values implied in your mission statement and expect others to as well. By making sure all people in power walk the talk, you can begin to give employees the meaning they crave. 

adapted from "To Give Your Employees Meaning, Start With Mission" by Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer.

 APRIL 4, 2013 Thursday 

Evaluate Remote Workers Fairly ! 

We tend to trust what we can see, which makes it difficult to evaluate employees who don't spend time in the office. Here are three ways to make sure you're being fair in your assessment of remote workers:

(1) Don't focus solely on results.

 Virtual managers are often tempted to look at outcomes because employee behavior is not as visible. But that's just asking for trouble: Remote workers could easily be tempted to cut corners.

(2) Engage them.

 Ask telecommuters to suggest performance metrics that assess both their results and behavior.

(3) Compare apples to apples.

 Use the same standards for all employees doing the same job to minimize any favoritism toward those who have greater face time with you. Don't inadvertently slight telecommuters for raises or promotions because they're "out of sight, out of mind."

 adapted from “Evaluating the Employees You Can't See” by Keith Ferrazzi.

Experts, the Deep Smarts

 APRIL 3, 2013 Wednesday 

Make Yourself an Expert ! 

The most valuable people in any organization have deep smarts — business-critical expertise built up through years of experience which helps them make wise, swift decisions.

 If you wish to become this go-to person in your company, but don't have the time or opportunity to accumulate all the experience of your predecessors, acquire the knowledge in a different way — by consciously thinking about how the experts around you operate and deliberately learning from them. 

Of course, you shouldn't aim to become a carbon copy of another person. Deeply smart people are a unique product of their particular mind-set, education, and experience. But you should be able to identify the elements of their knowledge and behavior that make them so valuable to the organization.

 adapted from "Make Yourself an Expert" by Dorothy Leonard, Gavin Barton, and Michelle Barton.

Crony Capitalism and Corporate Fraud

 APRIL 4, 2013 Thursday 

Corporate Fraud Loves Company ( and how Crony Capitalism works ) 

Companies where the top four executives are appointees of the current CEO are about 35% more likely to engage in fraud—and about 20% less likely to get caught—than firms in which none of the top four are the present CEO's hires, says a team led by Vikramaditya S. Khanna of the University of Michigan law school.

 It takes teamwork to commit fraud and keep it hidden, the researchers suggest.

Source: CEOs with Close Ties to Top Executives More Likely to Commit Fraud

Courtesy : Harvard Business School. 

Tail Piece : Our Guru Mr Virmani sir used to say in his classes " USA and the West has ' Spoil System'. If a CEO changes, he fires entire management team in the company and brings his own team . If he is unable to ' deliver goods' as per share holder's expectations, it his his head which will roll first . 

Where as in India and in Asia in general, a leader has to perform with the given team, in a given situation , not much leeway . " 

So, Amdaani is sitting on a bubble, created by his buddy , Mome Dee ! It can go bust at any time . 

mind management

 APRIL 5, 2013 Friday 

Quickly Quiet Your Mind

A clear head produces the best insights. But it's a challenge to take time off in the midst of a busy day to rest your brain. Here are three easy ways to build breaks into your day:

(1) Meditate on your commute. 

If you use public transportation, take the time to close your eyes for 10 minutes. If you drive, leave a little early, park, and spend 10 minutes in the car before going into work.

(2) Regularly take breaks.

 Focus on work in spurts. Set a timer for 90 minutes. When it goes off, take five minutes to go for a walk, talk to a colleague, doodle, or listen to music. Even if you don't think you need the break, take it.

(3) Take daydream walks. 

Two days a week during your lunch break, take a stroll for 20 minutes. Think about anything besides work — a beach vacation, building your dream house, whatever.

Harvard Business Review Blog Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Quick and Easy Ways to Quiet Your Mind" by Matthew E. May.

Presenting ppt to top management

 APRIL 8, 2013 Monday 

Choose the Right Chart for Your Slide

When displaying data in a presentation, clarity matters above all else. Your audience has to get meaning from your numbers before you click away. This means you need to pick the right chart for the job. The most common charts in business are pies, bars, matrixes, and line graphs, which will serve different purposes depending on the data:

Use a line graph instead of a bar chart if the shape of the line will draw attention to your most important point.

Use a matrix instead of multiple pie charts if you want to show relationships between the data points.

Call out a number. Sometimes the best chart is no chart at all. If a certain figure conveys your key message most clearly on its own, show just that number — huge — on the slide ! 

adapted from the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations.

Testimonials from satisfied clients

 APRIL 9, 2013

Get Customers to Advocate for You

When deciding whether to give you their business, prospective customers trust one source of information above all others: their peers. To sell more, you need to get your current customers marketing and selling — advocating — for you. 

(1) First, find the core customers who are passionate about your company. One way to do this is by asking the "net promoter" question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" 

(2) Then, for those who respond with "highly likely," make it easy for them to do so right then. Give them the option to easily post a recommendation to their Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, and Twitter followers. Try giving them the tools to write a product review on a site important to your market.

(3)  Or make it simple for them to upload a video singing your praises.

 was adapted from "Memo to the CEO: Customers Are the Key to Growth" by Bill Lee.

make changes that last

 APRIL 10, 2013 Wednesday

Use Personal Rituals to Make Changes Stick

How many times have you promised to exercise more, or start meditating, or spend less time at the office? To make changes that last, create rituals — highly specific behaviors that you do at the same time every day (or on specific days you select). Willpower is a limited resource, so use less of it by making challenging activities automatic. By setting a time for your routine, you don't have to spend energy thinking about when to get it done. If you find yourself faltering, reduce the challenge but stay the course. Run three days a week instead of four. Repetition, even in very small doses, builds capacity. Any positive change you can make will be hugely satisfying — and a source of inspiration to make the next one.

 adapted from "How to Make a Change that Lasts" by Tony Schwartz.

Consolidate your bank account

 APRIL 10, 2013 Wednesday 

Research Finding , pesonal Finance . 

You'll Save More if All Your Money Is in One Account  ! 

Experiment : 

People who earned money in an experiment were up to 8.6% less likely to save their cash (as opposed to spending it on such items as T-shirts and photo albums) if they stored it in three accounts rather than one .

Underlying reason ? 

  With funds spread across multiple accounts, people find it harder to see how much money they really own, and it's easier for them to invent "creative justifications" for fun purchases ! 

Source: Influence of motivated reasoning on saving and spending decisions

Research Courtesy :  a team led by Himanshu Mishra of the University of Utah.

Tell about urself in 15 seconds - job elevator pitch

 APRIL 11, 2013 Thursday 

Perfect Your Personal Elevator Pitch

If you're in the market for a job, you need to be able to communicate your value as a potential employee in 15 seconds or less. That may be all the time you have with a recruiter or hiring manager. Your message has to be crisp and tailored. Say specifically what value you bring — for instance, "My specialty is streamlining messy, complex processes" — but don't pile on so many details that you struggle to get everything in. Delivering an elevator pitch at breakneck pace is extremely off-putting. Speak at a steady pace that shows you're calm and confident. You want the listener to see you as a thoughtful, deliberate candidate — not as some manic babbler.

Self-Affirmation through the Choice of Highly Aesthetic Products

  APRIL 11, 2013 Thursday 

Research Finding 

Choosing a Beautiful Product Makes You a More Open Person ! 

Experiment , conducted by Claudia Townsend of the University of Miami and Sanjay Sood of UCLA :  

Research participants who made hypothetical purchases of highly esthetic coffeemakers and other items subsequently became more open to other peoples' points of view, rating the validity of an article on animal testing at 5.6 on a 7-point scale, compared with a 4.7 given by people who had chosen less-esthetic products ! 

Reason ? Consumer behavioral insight : 

The results show that choosing a highly esthetic product has the same psychological impact on people as a self-affirmation exercise such as listing one's personal values. Product design touches consumers in deeply personal ways, the researchers say.

Source: Self-Affirmation through the Choice of Highly Aesthetic Products

Courtesy : Harvard Business Review 

Tear Jerkers at work - empathy

Friday 12 April 2013

Act with Care When Someone Cries at Work ! 

It's natural to feel helpless or uncomfortable when someone cries in front of you in the office. But remember that tears are a normal human reaction, not a sign of weakness. If someone you work with starts to well up, here's how to handle it:

(1) Acknowledge the tears. 

Don't ignore them. Use the occasion to analyze and assess what's going on, not judge the crier.

(2) Offer a tissue. 

This gives the person a chance to breathe and gather thoughts. It also communicates that you're paying attention.

(3) Recognize a problem. 

Crying means something needs to be addressed: The person is overworked, stressed, sick, or frustrated. This is an opportunity to identify the underlying issue and move forward with clarity

 adapted from "How to Handle Tears at Work" by Anne Kreamer.

"How to Allocate Your Time, and Your Effort"

 Monday 15 April 2013

Allocate Your Time and Your Effort ! 

To succeed in today's busy world, you need to decide what to excel at and what to do just adequately enough ! 

 Break down activities you do into three categories: (a)  invest, (b) neutral, or (c) optimize. 

(a) "Investment" pursuits are areas where more time and a higher quality of work lead to an exponential payoff, such as strategic planning. Aim for A-level work here. 

(b) In "neutral" activities, more time spent doesn't necessarily mean a significantly higher return. Attending project meetings is a good example. You don't need to excel; a B is fine ! 

(c)  "Optimize" duties are those where additional time leads to no added value , but on the other hand,  keeps you from doing other, more valuable activities. The faster you get these tasks done, the better. Minimize the time spent on ' optimize activities'  so that you can dedicate your energy to higher quality work.

Action Plan or Exercise : 

Sit down with a piece of paper and write down 9 activities in total. 

Your 3  ' investment ' activities that yield highest professional return for you , 3 Neutral Activities which are routine stuff that must be done ;  and 3 ' optimize'  activities you can get done quickly or ,preferably , can delegate or ideally outsource that work and get done by others. 

 adapted from "How to Allocate Your Time, and Your Effort" by Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

Reduce customers cognitive dissonance

APRIL 17, 2013 Wednesday 

Make Customers Happier by Helping Them Accept Their Decisions ! 

Experiment : 

Research participants who covered a tray with a transparent lid after choosing a single chocolate from a large selection on the tray were more satisfied with their choices (6.03 versus 4.78 on a 7-point scale, on average) than people who didn't cover the tray . 

Reason ? 

 Acts of "closure," such as covering rejected alternatives induce people to stop pondering missed opportunities.

Suggestions to companies, to reduce Cognitive Dissonance: 

 Companies might be able to increase satisfaction by taking simple steps to allow consumers to make peace with their decisions, the researchers say.

Source: Turning the Page: The Impact of Choice Closure on Satisfaction

Research Courtesy : says a team led by doctoral student Yangjie Gu of London Business School.

2 interview tips for recruiters

 Thu 18 April 2013

Find Out How Skilled a Job Candidate Really Is

The point of a job interview is to make sure the candidate has the necessary skills to do the work. But aside from references, how can you determine if a potential employee actually knows what he claims to know? Here are two tips for finding out how deep a person's knowledge and experience goes:

(1) Ask "how" and "why."

 When an interviewee relays a success story, drill down to understand as much as you can. Keep asking, "How did you do that?" or "Why?" until you get to a question the candidate can't answer. This isn't always comfortable but it will shed light on his true capabilities.

(2) Bring in a fellow interviewer.

 With two people conducting the interview, one of you can focus on asking the right questions and the other can listen attentively to responses.

adapted from "The Right Way to Conduct a Job Interview" by Michael Mauboussin.

“Is It Time to Shake Up Your WFH Routine?,”

 Tue 24 Jan 2023

Shake Up Your WFH Routine ! 

It’s been nearly three years since the start of the pandemic, and by extension, the remote-work era. If you’ve been working from home for some (or all) of this time, you’ve likely settled into some semblance of a routine. But is it time to make a change? Here are a few reasons why you may want to shake things up.

(1) You’re bored.

 When work feels monotonous and stale, your productivity and motivation are at risk. A simple change of scenery (even once or twice a week) can pay dividends. Consider working from a café, library, coworking space, or even outdoors (if your job and the weather permit). Working alongside a fellow WFH buddy, even if their job is totally unrelated to yours, can also rejuvenate your work life.

(2) Your household routines have changed. 

Acknowledge how circumstances have shifted around you—your partner is going back to the office, your kids have a new schedule, or you’re caring for a loved one, for example—and adapt. What does your routine demand now that it didn’t before?

(3) You want to establish healthier habits. 

Remember, it’s never too late to reinvest in self-care. Start small: Go for walks if you can, set a consistent bedtime, and consider meal planning for the week.

This tip is adapted from “Is It Time to Shake Up Your WFH Routine?,” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

“Looking Back — and Ahead — to Set Your Team Up for Success,”

 Thu 19 Jan 2023

Conduct Better Pre- and Post-Mortems

Learning as a team requires open reflection about the past, as well as proactive discussions about the future. As a manager, here’s how you can get better at conducting pre- and post-mortems to set your team up for continuous growth.

 Pre-Mortem: These conversations are used to help identify and mitigate risks for specific projects, goals, or initiatives up front. Ask your team: How can we make sure we enable the drivers that will contribute most to our success? How can we address or mitigate risks that could cause us to fail?

 Post-Mortem: This is a chance to step back, take a more objective perspective, and challenge the team’s assumptions. First, focus on your successes. What went well, and what was the impact of these things going well? What behaviors, factors, or conditions contributed to their success? Then shift to failures or shortfalls. What didn’t go well, and what was the impact of these things not going well? What behaviors, factors, or conditions led to that outcome? How can we avoid these issues going forward?

This tip is adapted from “Looking Back — and Ahead — to Set Your Team Up for Success,” by Thu 19 Jan 2023

tips for micro managers

 Friday 20 Jan 2023

Are You Hard to Work For?

Nobody wants to be a bad boss. Here are a few questions to help you assess whether you might be hard to work for.

Are your standards unrealistic? Expecting excellence isn’t a bad thing. But if your standards are too high, you’re setting your team (and yourself) up to fail. Consider whether you have perfectionist habits that frequently impact your team. Ask them for feedback about what they need to do their work effectively—and listen.

(1) Are you a micromanager? 

Do you tell your employees exactly how things should be done, leaving no room for creativity or initiative? If so, shift your focus to outcomes. You can provide feedback and guidance along the way, but leave the process and execution to your team. In other words, don’t do the work for them.

(2) Do you only delegate busywork? 

Everyone wants to grow, and if you raise the bar and let go of a little control, you will be surprised by how people respond. Use delegation as a tool for development.

(3) Is your feedback overly negative?

 Aim for a 6:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback. If you don’t often deliver positive feedback, start by acknowledging your employees’ strengths and successes in a specific and timely way.

This tip is adapted from “Are You a Difficult Person to Work For?,” by Tutti Taygerly and Luis Velasquez

“How to Answer ‘Tell Me About a Time You Failed’ in a Job Interview,” by Joel Schwartzberg

 Monday 16 Jan 2023

Nail This Difficult (and Common) Interview Question

“Tell me about a time you failed” is an interview question job seekers dread. How can you be prepared to ace it? Here are some tips.

(1) Focus on learning. 

What the interviewer ultimately wants (and they may even state this explicitly) is not so much your story of failure but what you learned from it and how you turned that insight into a productive approach.

(2) Choose a miscalculation, not a mistake.

 Don’t draw attention to your character. When did something external not go as planned? When was a strategy ineffective? When did an approach miss the target?

(3) Look for a we, not a me.

 A team failing as a group might seem more relatable (and excusable) than an individual failing because there was consensus behind the decision making.

(4) Describe a low-consequence event, and keep it brief.

 Make sure the stakes of your story are relatively low, not catastrophic, and that you don’t linger on unnecessary details.

(5) Be thoughtful about the words you use—and don’t defend yourself.

 Use words like learned, gleaned, grew, and overcame. Avoid defensive or regretful language.

This tip is adapted from “How to Answer ‘Tell Me About a Time You Failed’ in a Job Interview,” by Joel Schwartzberg

influence without authority at work

 Friday 13 Jan 2023

Harness the Influence You Already Have at Work

Becoming more influential at work doesn’t always require getting a promotion or becoming a senior leader—more often, it’s about recognizing the influence you already have, regardless of your position. To get better at seeing the influence your words and actions have on others, start by spending a few minutes visualizing a salient workplace interaction from a neutral, third-party perspective. Pretend you’re a coach reviewing tape from your team’s last game. How would you interpret the dynamics at play? Turning this objective lens onto yourself will help you become more self-aware and recognize your own power. Next, seek feedback from colleagues you trust about how they experience you. This will help you challenge your assumptions about yourself and clarify your impact on others. Finally, test your influence in small ways—for example, by asking for something you want, giving a compliment you’ve been holding back, or pitching an idea you’ve been thinking about. The results might surprise you.

This tip is adapted from “Don’t Underestimate Your Influence at Work,” by Vanessa Bohns

“5 Reasons to Leave Your Job—Even in a Downturn,”

 

Mon 09 Jan 2023

Should You Leave Your Job in a Downturn?

When you’re not completely happy in your job, it can be difficult to decide that enough is enough, especially in a tumultuous economy. What are the signs that it’s time to quit—even in an uncertain landscape? Here are red flags to watch out for.

(1) The environment is toxic. 

Ask yourself: Is my work hampering my mental health, disrupting my sleep, or negatively impacting my relationships? Do I feel talked down to or disrespected? If you feel powerless and unable to remedy the situation, that’s a sign that you may need to leave.

(2) Your values are being violated. 

Identify what’s truly important to you, in both your personal and professional life. If your job inherently compromises these values, start looking for the next one.

(3) Your skills aren’t being used and developed. 

Think about the competencies you have and the ones you’ll need to develop to advance your career. Is your role helping you reinforce your skills and learn new ones, or are you stagnant? If there’s no upward trajectory and you’re seeking growth, sticking around might be a waste of time.

This tip is adapted from “5 Reasons to Leave Your Job—Even in a Downturn,” by Marlo Lyons

4 Ideas to Beat the New Year Doldrums,” by Rae Ringel

 Mon 23 Jan 2023

Help Your Team Overcome the New Year Doldrums

For many of us, January and February are often the least-productive and dreariest months of the year. How can you help your team beat the new year doldrums? 

(1) First, embrace experimentation. Where can you introduce new routines, tools, and habits into your team’s culture? Maybe you replace hour-long meetings with 15-minute, agile-inspired check-ins, or designate a “no-Slack” day of the week. Whatever your team’s experiment is, be sure to commit to it for at least a few weeks. 

(2) Next, recognize your employees by expressing appreciation or gratitude. You might frame such gestures as a “thank you in advance” for work to come in the new year. Since the holiday season has just passed, your employees probably aren’t expecting this kind of gesture—which is exactly why it could provide the jolt they need right now. 

(3) Finally, reconnect your team with what matters most, whether that’s your customers, clients, products, or users. Ask your employees to identify how their work will drive the team’s overall mission in the coming year. Taking a moment to reflect as the calendar turns will help your team ground itself in its purpose and meaning.

This tip is adapted from “4 Ideas to Beat the New Year Doldrums,” by Rae Ringel

“How to Make Peace with Feeling Less Ambitious,” by Dorie Clark

 17 Jan 2023 Tue 

Are You Feeling Less Ambitious?

You’re used to thinking of yourself as a high achiever, but lately, you haven’t been feeling that usual spark of ambition. Is this wrong? Absolutely not! Here are three tactics you can use to make peace with your desire to tone it down—even if that impulse conflicts with your previous vision of yourself. 

(1) First, adopt a flexible mindset and recognize when it’s time to shift to another strategy. This could mean acknowledging that it may be time, after years or decades of grinding hard at work, to reallocate energy toward your health and happiness, family, or hobbies and passions outside of work.

(2)  Next, understand that there’s no standardized timeline. Your career is a marathon; give yourself the grace to slow down sometimes, take mental breaks, and pace yourself. 

(3) Finally, figure out what you need in order to grow. Moving forward isn’t always a function of getting a raise, making new professional connections, or building your resume. Sometimes it’s a function of changing things up and exposing yourself to new inputs—whether it’s a month-long trip abroad, or a year of stepping back from the grind mentality and focusing on other areas of your life and well-being—that eventually lead to new and different outputs.

This tip is adapted from “How to Make Peace with Feeling Less Ambitious,” by Dorie Clark