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Category Archive: Problem Solving

Apr 04

What Is Feedback & How To Give It

Giving feedback is an honest two way dialogue with another person without any intent to show them down or in poor light. Feedback is not a bashing exercise!

Feedback helps people maximize their potential at different stages of life or career, it raise their awareness of strengths and areas for improvement, and helps them to identify actions to be taken for improving performance.

When to Give Feedback

Whether you’re an employee, manager, or entrepreneur, the people you work with will make mistakes at some point—and you’ll have to address them , Feedback is one of the best tools to use.

When you recognize an issue or problem, giving feedback is the clearest, quickest way to encourage a change in behavior. It can help a co-worker focus on the key areas he or she needs to work on. Plus, many people are motivated or inspired by well-delivered feedback, and will perform at a higher level because of it.

Your feedback doesn’t have to be limited to the people who report to you, either. It’s possible to give constructive suggestions to co-workers and even superiors, as long as you position it in a helpful, insightful way.

How to Give Feedback

1. Ask for Permission

You would be surprised how much of a difference this makes. A simple “Hey, do you have a minute for some quick feedback?” can help the receiver be mentally ready for it, be it positive or negative.

2. State What You Observed

Where possible, use specific examples and avoid being judgmental. “You don’t give off a lot of energy in meetings” is not as helpful as, “In the meeting with Tina yesterday, I noticed your body language was rather passive.”

3. Explain the Impact

Point out the direct impact that resulted from this behavior, and again be as specific as possible. Saying, “When you called the meeting to an end without leaving time for discussion, it made me feel like you did not value the team’s input” or “I noticed that the clients were upset” is much more effective than “When you don’t leave time for a discussion, you look like a control freak.”

Statements like “it made me feel” and “I noticed that” are more difficult to argue with, and using those phrases will keep the feedback session from devolving into a debate.

4. Pause

When you’ve said your piece, stop. And then ask for the other person’s reaction. Give them time to think through what you’ve said and react to it.

5. Suggest Concrete Next Steps

Give a small number of actionable suggestions (ideally only one or two) that the other person can take in the future, to change this behavior. They will appreciate that you’re giving them the first step to improving the situation.

What Does Good Feedback Look Like?

Try it yourself! Practice giving feedback with a partner, or record yourself and listen to the play-back. And make sure you’re avoiding these common errors that can turn feedback into fights:

Choose one issue at a time! Focusing on too many skills or behaviors at once is confusing and overwhelming, and can feel like an all-out attack.

Don’t be too critical or focus too heavily on the negative. Feedback should inspire the other person to improve, not make them wallow in where they went wrong. Giving a piece of good feedback with negative feedback makes it easier to swallow.

But don’t avoid real problems, either. If there’s an issue, don’t be afraid to state it. Avoid vagueness. Use specific examples, and connect those behaviors to the impact they have. Leave plenty of time for the recipient of your feedback to ask or answer questions and respond to what you’ve said.

 

Part of this article is written by Kathryn Minshew and is posted on dailymuse. Kathryn is The Daily Muse’s number one swashbuckler. Prior to founding the company, Kathryn worked on vaccine introduction in Rwanda and Malawi with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. She’s appeared on CNN, Fast Company, PBS, Forbes’ 30-Under-30 in Media and INC’s 15 Women to Watch in Tech. When not at work, Kathryn is an avid globe-trotter and an adventurous cook. Say hi on Twitter @KMin.

Be Happy & Live Happy!

Jappreet Sethi

1 comment

Aug 01

Got A New Boss Again: What To Do?

It is a well-known fact that established teams experience “transition pains” under the leadership of newly appointed managers. The stress levels go up, and both the parties use moves and countermoves to outwit each other. New managers, insecure in their roles, often seek absolute compliance to orders from their subordinates, particularly in their early days.

I’ve always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team – Lee Iacocca

In fact, most of the new managers struggle in their new roles initially along with their team members. Is there a way out? , yes of course if you want, you can turn it into a win – win situation for you and your manager.

Some of the common concerns of the team members are:

  • Will I get along with my new manager?
  • How do I make sure that my new manager recognizes the contributions I made before he/she arrived?
  • Will my work style clash with that of my new manager?
  • What new processes or procedures will my new manager put into place?
  • Will my performance and development suffer with this change?What changes will my new manager make to the team, my role, and my projects?
  • How can I build a positive relationship with my new manager?
  • How can I make sure my new manager recognizes my strengths?

Some of the common concerns of the newly joined managers are:

  • How can I establish my authority as manager without alienating my new team?
  • Will I get along with my new team?
  • Will my work style clash with that of my direct reports?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of my new team?
  • How can I build positive relationships with my direct reports?
  • What projects should be our top priority?
  • Who are the key players, and what are the unspoken rules of my new role?
  • What are the political “land mines” of my new job?
  • How do I quickly prove that I deserved this role?

If both sides keep on operating from fear and caution time shall pass, and one of the parties will win at the expense of other, more often than not it is the manager that wins, unless you are very strongly glued to your system, and any amount of pestering does not bother you.  And always remember the saying – If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter.

Most of the times the senior management will support the newly appointed manager. They promise him/her the autonomy & authority to shape the team. I am not sure if this is the best way, and if it works against the interest of everyone. Nevertheless, your new manager has the backing and ears of the higher ups. Make no mistakes about this and the higher ups may give you an occasional ear to let off the steam without any long-term benefits.

So it’s in your best interest to help your new manager succeed because when managers struggle, so do their team members. You don’t need to do a lot to help your manager. The challenge for both the parties is to nurture a strong sense of common commitment to shared goals – rather than one of the blind allegiance to each other’s dictates. By having an open dialogue around your concerns you can change the dynamics. Some of the things which you can do make this a win –win transition are.

  • Be adaptable
  • Be open to change
  • Give feedback on ideas
  • Help your new manager learn responsibilities of new job.
  • Help your new manager  learn teams shared objectives
  • Help your new manager  learn team’s work methods/ processes
  • Share your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Share the top challenges which you are facing
  • Share what is the support that you are expecting from your new manager.

It’s helpful if you remain open for new ideas and be adaptable. However, that’s not enough. You’ll have a bigger impact if you also provide your new manager with insight into your strengths and weaknesses & offer timely feedback. How about writing a Welcome Letter to your new manager?

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

The author uses real life stories to demystify the day to day Human Resources Challenges we face at work. His HR Blog – Human Resources Blog endeavours to simplify the HR jargon.

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Dec 10

The Principles Of Personal Success

Knowing what the ingredients of a successful life are is important in terms of our social, professional and personal lives. Taking these principles to heart will also ensure that we reach obtain the maximum benefit from all relationships that we forge on these three levels.

productivity-increaseHere are some of the principles that drive successful people:

  • Successful people know how to optimize what they have

They fully understand what their strong points are and the value these have in terms of their careers or business success. They know how important it is to develop their skills and leverage their strengths in their growth and development.

  • They know how to manage their energy levels

Successful people monitor and prudently ration out their energy. They do not depend on stimulants like coffee to get them going or depressants like alcohol to help them wind down.

  • They are firmly rooted in reality

Successful people spend their time and energy in things that can be controlled, like the present and the future. They know how to avoid impulses that relate to things they cannot control. In other words, they do not allow themselves to become resentful, complain, blame or engage in wishful thinking. They accept the difficult and harsh realities of life and know how to deal with challenging situations.

  • Successful people take responsibility

They understand that what happens in their lives is based on their own choices, not those of others. This means that they take responsibility for what has happened, is happening and will happen in their lives.

  • Successful people are consistent in their interactions with people

They know their weaknesses and strengths of character, and this helps them to change how they think, feel and behave with others. This allows people to feel safe and grounded in their presence.

  • They have a clear vision of the future

They know what they want and what they need to do to achieve it. They identify their goals, determine how to attain those goals and act accordingly.

  • Successful people know they have personal freedom of choice

They take this fact as a constant given, and not something that they need to earn. At the same time, they fully accept the responsibility that is part and parcel of this freedom. In other words, they feel free to make their own choices but are also completely willing to accept responsibility for the results of these choices.

  • They have developed the fine art of prioritization

At all stages and in all situations, successful people either know instinctively or reason out what is most important, what comes after that and what should come last.

  • They have inquisitive minds

Successful people are not satisfied with garden-variety or popular answers to certain questions. They have the ability to see beyond the obvious, discern the intricacies of a given problem and apply lateral thinking in finding solutions.

  • They are capable of change if the situation requires it

At the same time, they are also capable of remaining firm according to what a given situation requires. This means that they can admit that they are wrong and correct an erroneous course if required. At the same time, it also means that they have the strength of character to stand by their convictions if they know that they are right.

In short, personal success is based on self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-responsibility. A success-oriented mind-set requires great discipline and constant reinforcements. Because of this, you will invariably find success-oriented people attending whatever trainings, seminars, coaching opportunities and counselling sessions to maintain their focus and forward momentum.

Use the above as a check-list to determine if you are on the path of success. If you feel you are not, remember that it is never too late to change course and set sails in the right direction. All the best on your success journey!

Keep the faith!

Jappreet Sethi

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Nov 22

How To Do A Good Performance Review

The ingredients of a bad performance review are haste, lack of focus, a non-empathic attitude and a mechanical approach to the process. A good performance review obviously calls for a diametrically opposite approach. Here are some tips for managers whose duties include conducting performance reviews of their team members.

Be Prepared: The intention behind a performance appraisal is to have a fruitful discussion based on previous findings. Meaningful preparation for a team member’s annual appraisal includes referring to old emails, memos and other communications as well as mental notes pertaining to his or her performance. This is, in fact, a two-way process. The employee should be asked to complete a self-appraisal against the previously set goals, backing this up with all possible documentation. This reduces potential fireworks and enhances the quality of the discussion.

Set A Positive Tone: A manager should keep in mind that most employees tend to be anxious about their annual performance appraisals. After all, a lot of things that affect them directly depend on it. Reaffirm that the purpose of the meeting is to help both the employee and the organization to benefit from his or her work. The last thing that a manager should do is allow the employee to feel trapped or confronted. The best way to begin is by asking the employee to present his or her self-appraisal. During this, the manager should pay careful and courteous attention while the employee relates key achievements during the year.

Identify Performance Gaps: After the self-appraisal, the manager can proceed with his or her own appraisal of the employee‘s performance. This should focus on whether the employee‘s perceived accomplishments are in line with the performance goals set in the previous year. The purpose here is to identify gaps between the actual and expected performance. The employees should be made aware of how a particular performance deficit or achievement/goal imbalance impacts the organization. Employees tend to agree if they see how their work fits into the larger picture. The manager needs to watch out for signs of defensiveness or any kind of negative reaction, keeping in mind that the objective is not to confront but to find solutions.

The manager should:

  • Allow the employee to articulate disagreement
  • Not pass judgments or make depreciating personal comments
  • Stick to areas that matter
  • Use praise as well as criticism

Agree On An Action Plan: The employee should be allowed to suggest an action plan first. There should be no spoon-feeding from the manager at this stage. The manager should, however, ensure that the plan is smart, doable and addresses the established performance deficits.

Summarize And Set New Goals: The performance review discussion should lead to the establishment of new goals, or amendments to the previous goals. Again, this is a two-way process which should take into account the employee‘s skills and capabilities. The manager should explain how these goals relate and lead to organizational success, and how business would suffer if the mutually agreed goals are not achieved.

Set A Follow-Up Plan: Even if the conversation has been tense, the manager should ensure that the final summary includes performance strengths. The final task is to set up monthly meetings for following up on the mutually agreed plan.

Annual performance appraisals have their place as a formal system. They serve as a discussion forum that allows all concerned to examine an employee’s performance over the bygone year. However, this process must always be balanced and complemented with abundant recognition and real-time feedback throughout the year.

 

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Nov 20

Reharnessing Painlessly After Long Leave

Returning to work after a long leave is not always an uplifting experience. The mind and metabolism are likely to have adapted to a more leisurely pace, and one may have taken active steps to dissociate from work pressures during the period of leave. This is especially true if the period of leave has been an extended one.

Even if the leave was for attending to personal work rather than for pure relaxation, an employee is bound to experience a disconnect from day-to-day work life on returning to it. There may an overload of emails to attend to, and a number of other accumulated tasks – which would have usually been tackled on a day-to-day basis – to address. Many employees also entertain subtle or overt fears of redundancy even before taking long leave. Specifically, they fear that being absent from work for a long-enough time would cause them to be replaced.

Another variant of the redundancy fear is, “What if they have found out that they don’t really need me at all?” This fear is not uncommon in a scenario where companies are actively ‘right-sizing’ their employee force in order to cut costs. The psychological pressure of this fear can cause many employees to feel extremely intimidated during the first couple of days at work after returning from long leave.

Redundancy fears will wane on their own once the employee has got back into a regular work routine. However, the realities of accumulated work remain. Progressive managers will factor in this very understandable phenomenon and allow the employee a couple of days of readjustment to the workplace routine.

All said and done, one should not expect too much from oneself immediately upon returning from a long leave. It is best to schedule important meetings for a couple of days after being back in harness, and to avoid having an overload of commitments waiting to be tackled. A quick email to one’s manager before returning, asking for a day or two of slower pace till one is fully into the workplace routine again, is perfectly acceptable.

Above all, it is important not to squander the energy generated during a period of R&R on work-related worries, but rather to harness and utilize it in a graded manner for optimal and sustained productivity. This will benefit everyone concerned. It makes sense for employees returning from long leave to spare a few hours prior to actually returning to the office in planning the first three days of work.

Jappreet Sethi

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Nov 05

How To Manage Stress And Regain Well-being

Without doubt, wellbeing is the ultimate objective of human existence. Paradoxically, we often wind up surrendering well-being in order to earn money, and then spend a major part of the earnings in attempts to regain it. These efforts are invariably fruitless – so why do we do it? More often than not, the only real beneficiary of the eternal rat race is the healthcare industry.

For most of us, work is the central pursuit in life. We strive to move up the career ladder, putting up massive efforts at the expense of other important factors that make life meaningful. We are not unaware of the toll this takes; the effort leads to physical and mental stress, while the subconscious knowledge that we engaged in a fool’s errand leads to psychological and spiritual stress.

Managing stress is essential for maintaining a sense of well-being. Stress occurs when we face situations for which we don’t have ready-made responses. The stress factor remains in check and can even be exhilarating as long as our minds entertain the hope that success is imminent. As soon as a feeling of impending defeat or loss sets in, stress becomes unpleasant, unhealthy and draining. This also leads to loss of motivation and destroys all feelings of well-being.

The Building Blocks Of Stress

Stress is multi-faced demon which we create to drive success, and which eventually gobbles us up. It consists of:

  1. Threat perception
  2. Feeling of negativity
  3. The resultant psychological arousal

The drivers of stress are called stressors, and everything perceived as an impediment to what one desires to achieve is a stressor. The defense reaction causes a psychological alarm to go off, and makes us to muster all our energy to achieve the goal. If the situation continues for a prolonged time, the human mind prepares for long-term battle by remaining in a persistent state of active alertness. Eventually, both mind and body tire of this constant stage of red alert. Energy levels drop and there are increased chances of failure at the task level.

The Effects Of Stress

At the mental level, persistent and continuous stress leads to anxiety, insecurity and lack of concentration. At the physical level, it leads to changes in our hormonal secretion, in turn leading to cardiac problems and reduced immunity levels. In the societal realm, it leads to the steady erosion and breakdown of relationships. Burnout – emotional, physical and mental exhaustion mixed with reduced self-confidence and morale – sets in.

The Causes Of Stress

In an organization, some of the commonly observed caused of stress among employees are:

  • Very high or very low role demands
  • Lack of sufficient authority to discharge duties effectively
  • Favoritism and poorly-handled appraisal discussions
  • Lack of career prospects
  • Impending layoff or role redundancy

At a more individual level, existing personal circumstances, learned responses as well as inherent genetic dispositions cause us to react to stress differently. Major life transitions such as the death of family member, family breakdown, illness or loss of friends also play a role and make us sensitive to stressors that would have been ignored under other circumstances.

How to Manage Stress

Here are some of the most effective stress management precepts:

  • Be conscious of your thoughts and deeds, and of what your action do to you and others
  • Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
  • Draw up an integrated life plan – give equal weightage to work, family and society
  • Practice regular yoga and meditation to balance body and mind – there are very easy modules run by several agencies
  • Remember that it is not about winning at all costs but winning without any damage to you

Finally, remember that we cannot remove stress from our life. There are too many causative factors, and not all of them can be stopped. A reasonable degree of stress can actually be beneficial, because it makes us strive for more. However, it is essential to how much is enough for each one of us.

Jappreet Sethi

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Oct 29

How To Tackle Financial Stress

Financial stress can adversely affect a persons’ psychological state. This negative psychological state has a tendency to percolate down to the affected person’s workplace and – in fact – into all social interactions. Surveys have shown that financial stress is among the root causes of decreased performance at work and a steady decline in physical and mental wellbeing.

CAUSES OF FINANCIAL STRESS

The sources of financial stress are varied. In India, one of main causes is worry about the adequacy of retirement savings. Debt is yet another significant causative factor, as is worry about one’s ability to pay regular bills and housing loan installments. Most middle-class people in India are also under considerable stress related to their children’s education. Almost 90% of all survey subjects indicated that they experience stress over the rate of inflation and the resultant changes in interest rate, and the fact that their pay packets are not keeping pace with it.

An adjunct is stress created by joblessness or the fear of losing one’s job – which would create a financial deficit. A smaller segment of the Indian population experiences stress because they fear losing wealth that they have accumulated.

Lack of objectivity with the use of credit card can also cause stressful situations. Credit cards are a relatively new phenomenon in India, and many users tend to overspend with them. The financial woe this results in can be attributed to a lack of knowledge about credit card billing, hidden clauses and neglecting to read the fine print.

In the age of plastic money, people are tempted to overspend and misinterpret their spending power. A credit card purchase does not entail immediate payment and this can lead to a false sense of security. The result is invariably a lot of stress. The roots of most finance-related stress disorders are two-fold – lack of proper planning and a disconnection with the of one’s true financial position and future prospects.

DETRIMENTS OF FINANCIAL STRESS

Is financial stress itself a serious matter? If we consider that 80-90% of all ailments derive from stress, it certainly is. It has been proved that worrying excessively about one’s finances leads to heart disease, high blood pressure and in some cases alcohol and drug abuse. Depression related to haywire finances is almost a national mantra in India now. Financial stress also has peripheral bad effects, meaning that it causes absenteeism and reduces am employee’s productivity.

TACKING FINANCIAL STRESS

One of the baseline commandments in financial stress management is – get help. Finances are a serious matter and no single person can have perfect oversight. Moreover, we tend to become stuck in false belief systems about money. For instance, we may believe that a certain investment scheme is the best only because we have no knowledge of other schemes. Effective financial management calls for inside information into market dynamics and changing laws.

Complacency about deteriorating finances is a known ‘killer’. We tend to ignore the increasing seriousness of a situation, allowing it to build up until it is unmanageable. People dealing with large amounts of money – such as businesspersons – should consult a qualified financial adviser.

Even at the grassroots level of household finances, two heads are better than one. Managing household finances is teamwork, not a one-man show. Couples need to communicate with each other over the state of household finances. They must also set weekly, monthly and yearly parameters for what needs to be purchased or invested in. Doing this will considerably reduce the levels of finance-related stress in the family.

Regardless of how serious a financial situation is, it is never too late to get organized. Organization is they primary key for sorting out complicated finances. Effective organization calls for inputs from others and, when required, from experts.

BRINGING DOWN FINANCIAL STRESS

If one is already under stress from financial problems, planning is an extremely important factor. Often, one is tempted to throw good money after bad in hope of a quick-fix solution. When one is faced with financial stress, there are certain ground rules to follow:

  • Consult a professional financial adviser – A professional will know of ways and means that you are not aware of
  • Curtail spending until the crisis is resolved – This is no time for impulse buying as a stress-busting measure
  • If in debt, talk to your creditors and explain your situation frankly – Perfect transparency in such situation is a far better tool than evasion

OBJECTIVITY – THE ULTIMATE STRESS-BUSTER

We tend to run away from money-related problems rather than facing up to them. This is not even a temporary solution. The minute we accept such a situation squarely, we reduce stress because we are no longer trying to escape.

Getting proactive about tackling financial problems means one develops a ‘game plan’. This means positive action rather than negative inaction, which displaces the anxious feeling of helplessness. To develop a game plan, we involve the help and advice of others. In other words, we are no longer alone in the stress-inducing situation and are strengthened in a situation where we feel impotent and weak.

Jappreet Sethi

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Oct 01

How To Tackle A Difficult Boss

It’s a vexing problem for many – they like their job but just don’t seem to be able to get along with their boss.  Obviously, the first impulse of many who have a difficult boss is to hand in their papers and search for another job. Is this always the best decision to take? One of the things you like about your job may be the financial security it brings with it. Is scuttling this security worth it just because of a difficult boss?

There are other ways to handle such a situation. Here are some tips on handling a difficult boss. These tips will not work in all situations. Your boss may be a genuinely unreasonable man, in which case it may be prudent to look elsewhere. However, we often perceive our bosses as difficult only because we are scared of them. Fear closes down communication, which means that resolution of the problem is impossible.

  • Stop gossiping about your boss. The spoken word has immense power – over you, over those you work with and over the general office atmosphere.

If you have been unable to communicate your grievances directly to your boss, you may have fallen in the habit of bad-mouthing him or her to all who will listen. This creates two problems – firstly, it reinforces your own negative feelings about your boss, making the problem worse. Secondly, it can strain your relations with your boss further because word travels quickly in an office setting. The more you complain to those who cannot make a difference in your problem, and the more slander against your boss you indulge in, the worse the situation becomes.

  • Communication is the key to resolving most problems in life. If you do not communicate your issues to your difficult boss, he can hardly be blamed for not being part of the solution.

The intangible concept of ‘relationship’ comes into play here. You need to build a better relationship with your boss, and this involves communication. How many times have you approached him or her personally? Muster up the courage to approach your boss and outline your problems diplomatically. Be sure to mention that you are happy with your job, but that you would like to enjoy better professional comfort levels. Be specific about the nature of your problem and ask if there is any way you could help in resolving it. You may be surprised at how open people can be if they are approached properly and sincerely.

  • If you feel or have been told that your boss has a negative impression about you, strive to change that opinion.

Your boss’ antipathy toward you may be well-founded. You may be under-performing, gossiping about the management or be fraternizing too much with other negative people. Make efforts to correct this course. Drop out of office gossip and groups that indulge in it. Offer to work over-time on a crucial project, and ask your boss if there any areas he or she wishes you to improve upon.

We tend to look at our bosses as super-human people who do not think, feel and react like we do. This is a mistake. In any given situation involving your boss, ask yourself if you would not have reacted in the same manner if the shoe were on the other foot.  Once you are able to see your boss as just another human being, you may begin to understand where the problem lies and what you can do about it.

Jappreet Sethi

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Sep 03

How To Give Yourself A Salary Hike

It’s not really certain which way the economy is heading right now, and saving money from your salary may currently figure high on your priority list. It should, because it looks like the global economy may go through more frequent and deeper recession cycles over the next decade.

This would mean that the regular yearly pay raises you may have been counting on could be out of window. There may be years of high payment and years of low or no bonuses. To add to the working joe’s woes, housing loan EMIs have risen astronomically in last 18 months. These are uncertain times for the middle-income group.

You’ve read enough about how companies can cut costs in such a scenario. As a salaried employee, you may even be feeling the pinch of some of those cost-cutting measures, yourself. What about you? If your monthly package just doesn’t seem to cut it even now and the increment scenario is uncertain, how do you manage? The best way is to give yourself a salary hike. This simply means becoming more savings-oriented and making your salary last longer.

You may be among those who have not already put certain important saving mechanisms in place. If so, it is high time that you did. This article will provide some practical advice on how to save money from your salary. Let’s start off with your debt burden and debt-inducing habits.

To begin with, stop using your credit card for anything but important online purchases – especially if it comes from the same bank that handles your salary account in. Banks managing companies’ salary accounts usually press a credit card on every employee as a direct incentive for reckless spending. They know that employees often tend to treat their salary accounts like Horns of Plenty that never really run dry.

Avoid personal loans. The high interest rates are not the only reason – the habit of taking personal loans to bail out of financial crises is an extremely self-sabotaging one. The personal loan system is simply not geared to work in your favour, so steer clear of it. If you need money before payday, ask for an advance or borrow it from friends or colleagues – as a last resort only. Ideally, you should not be in such a situation in the first place.

Now let’s talk about what you have in hand. First of all, don’t underestimate the power of small currency. You would be surprised at how much the stray cash in your wallet – and even the small change – can add up to at the end of the month. Try it out. Put every form of low-denomination currency in a designated container at the end of each day. Count it at the end of the month and see for yourself if it can pay at least one of those recurring monthly bills, such as the Internet or cable TV charges.

What about your monthly outgoings on entertainment? Are there cheaper options available? Most of the world’s stressed-out executives choose the quickest (read costliest) forms of personal and family entertainment. Do you really need to go bowling at that fancy new arcade? Do you really need to pay a premium for the privilege of booking those cinema tickets online? Can you live without ordering out for unhealthy fast food? Is spending enormous amounts on at the local amusement arcade the only way to keep your child occupied on weekends?

Invariably, the cheaper alternatives are not only more cost-effective but also more wholesome and rewarding. Included are all the things that the availability of instant entertainment keeps us away from – such as an evening walk or jog, a visit to friends or family and checking out a museum or art gallery. You may discover – like thousands of others the world over have – that making a decision to live cheaper also enriches your social life and improves your health.

Finally, let’s look at the essentials of daily living. As a mid-management person in your company, you may perceive it as being below your ‘standard’ to shop for your groceries and toiletries at Big Bazaar. Is there any sound logic to support this mind-set? Some of the richest people on earth attribute at least some of their good fortune to the fact that they did not lift their noses at bargains, discounts and bulk purchase savings.

Have the advertising world or a false sense of ‘upper middle-class’ dignity lured you into artificial lifestyle choices? Even if you are sometimes judged by the make of your shirt, nobody cares where you bought it. Moreover, where you buy your rice or razor blades from should certainly not be a ‘prestige point’. If you have fallen for the misconception that you are only as good as the places you shop in, correct the course now. The potential savings are very significant.

Jappreet Sethi

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Aug 01

Tips To Create Time And Harness Energy

Life for corporate employees has become so hectic these days that if they blink, they may miss something potentially important. It is almost impossible to be fully present in the moment with someone constantly on the phone, the report on the desk and the unanswered mail in the inbox. Today, employees’ attention is divided among so many different things that they are engaged in everything, but are never really completely focused on anything.

We zoom ahead at breakneck speeds with the help of modern gadgets, never realizing what we just skipped a traffic signal or that we would really have enjoyed that movie which waltzed out of the cinemas last week. When you max out your to-do list and you struggle to cope up with deadlines, you are forever running to catch up. Final destination – burnout.

We’re told that we need listen to our inner voice even while we’re running around. We need to accepting the white noise of work-related pressure as a given, yet acknowledge our inner voice. Simple? Not quite. In real life, the only time we listen to that inner voice is when our bodies start screaming under extreme work-related frustration. The clinical term for this condition is stress.

Stress remains one of the biggest causes of contemporary lifestyle disorders like hypertension, diabetes and cardiac issues. In a day and age when no one wants to sit at home doing nothing, we often create work for ourselves just to keep busy. We seldom realize that this is an addiction, and that we will suffer withdrawal symptoms later in life.

The Benefits Of A Simplified Life

Creating more physical, emotional and interpersonal space in our lives allows us to view the constant hustle and bustle around and within us with increased clarity. Somewhere along the way, we see ourselves again – and suddenly, we have the space we need to reflect on what we really want to do with our lives. We catch a glimpse of the possible futures we can choose from and make quality decisions about where we want to be in the next five, ten or twenty years’ time.

Also, a simplified life allows us to look after ourselves better. Our stressed-out minds tend to turn our bodies into jails, but now they can become vehicles that take us where we want to go. Finally, we can take advantage of the recent advances in medical science and research on longevity and take some proactive steps to live a longer, more fulfilling life.

People with an overstretched lifestyle use up all their existing resources and then go on to exhaust their reserves, as well. This is why many over-stressed executives turn to substances of abuse to manage the overload. Anything above our natural energy base cannot and will not last long enough.

Question Your Lifestyle Priorities

Answering the following questions will do a lot to kick-start a desire to simplify your life:

  • Why is my life so busy?
  • Why do I choose to do so much?
  • If I continue this way, what will be the result?
  • What is the price I am paying for this – what am I missing?
  • What will be my regrets if I die tomorrow – what should I have done rather than what I’m doing now?
  • How can I go about simplifying my life?

Some Tips

Trust that better things will come if you hold in your mind a clearer picture of what you desire. Start by creating space and time. Cut out activities and thought processes that are not required. You can begin with some of these:

  • Tasks that are no longer necessary
  • Things that other people said that you should do
  • Voluntary positions that you don’t enjoy
  • Social positions and obligations that take more time than you want to devote to them
  • Financial goals that tie you down
  • Ego-driven goals, priorities and agendas

People who devise actual systems and structures with strict discipline are the ones who make their dreams come true. They are the ones we read about in success stories. Do you want to be one of them? If yes, start shedding some of that useless load.

Jappreet Sethi

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Jul 25

Tips On Enhancing Team Effectiveness

Very simply put, a team is nothing but a system of getting people in a company to work together effectively. The idea is that a group of people working together can achieve much more than if the individuals of the team were working on their own. In a team, we bring together people who have different skills that somehow complement each other, agree on a common code of conduct, assign different roles in a group setting, create interest in the company objectives, help increase productivity and help the team solve conflicts without compromising work flow.

For world-class results in a corporate environment, a company needs to have teams that can face all challenges. Joint efforts always attain and generate the best results. Winning teams harness their members’ talents and energy to ensure that 1 plus 1 equal 3 or more. In short, when a team is working well, the total is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Being a member of a team not about being efficient individuals. The team must be singularly focused on the company’s objectives and goals. In a team-oriented atmosphere, an individual contributes to the overall success of the company by working with other team members to attain these objectives. Individuals are assigned specific tasks within particular departments, but they have to unite with team members from different departments to achieve the overall targets.

Once one has one’s teams in place, one must focus on creating enhanced teams to achieve the company’s targets. Team enhancement actions must match set targets – if they don’t, team leaders must question themselves to find out what is lacking.

Guidelines On Enhancing Team Effectiveness:

  • The leader should convey a clear message to the team members regarding the company’s expectations. He or she must ensure that the team members understand what the team has been created for and continuously underline these objectives via internal communications.
  • Team members must acknowledge their comprehension of and participation in the achievement of the company’s objectives. They must know how the team is supposed to help the company to achieve its targets.
  • The team leader must establish how many of his team members are actually interested in participating in teamwork, and how many tend to be ‘lone wolves’ who do not operate well in a team setting.
  • The team leader must ensure that all performing team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization. He or she must find out what it takes to keep the team motivated, and establish workable means of fulfilling reasonable expectations.
  • The team leader must ensure that the team members are sufficiently knowledgeable, skilled and capable to face the issues for which the team has been created.
  • The team leader must ensure that the team has appropriate resources, initiatives and support required to attain its goals. The organization must, in turn, empower the team with sufficient authority to accomplish its charter. However, team members must also understand their limitations clearly.
  • Sometimes, team members may do or say things that seem out of synch with the team’s overall mission and goals. This can result in resentment, confusion and lack of communication. If this happens, the team leader must establish how these words or actions were meant to add to the team’s ability to fulfill its set objectives. If the reasons are not immediately apparent, he or she should ask for clarifications to avoid clashes.
  • Team leaders must also have patience. Not all teams perform at 100% efficiency once they have been presented with their targets and objectives. Also, some individual team members may not move as fast as others, even though they do not lack capability or motivation. The team leader must take on the role of a mentor and ensure that such members have sufficient breathing space, nevertheless keeping them focussed on the deadline.
  • The team leader must plan team meetings meticulously. Meetings consume time and money as well as physical and mental energy. The team leader must optimize returns on that investment via clear objectives and meeting plans – and by copying all concerned on the agenda of the meeting in advance.
  • All team members should feel free to ask for help on a specific decision or task. There is no place for egoism when help is offered. Such an attitude creates better relationships and helps the team succeed faster. In this spirit, the team leader must also assign the right people within the team to make decisions, and the appropriate people to comply with those decisions.
  • Team members must share views, ideas, experiences and thoughts with other team members. Sharing is significant to team development, since a team is a compilation of uniquely thinking individuals. After accomplishment of a task or goal, team members must share the success as a unit.
  • There is no place for the blame-game in a cutting edge team. Problems will arise and must be seen as means to evaluate progress and obtain knowledge. Setbacks should never been seen as opportunities to accuse others.
  • Every team occasionally requires external expertise and help to move further. There must be no delay in doing so.
  • To achieve a common goal of success, importance has to be given to increasing the skills of team members, so training plays a large role in enhancing the effectiveness of a team.

Jappreet Sethi

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Jul 18

Tips On How to Handle Workplace Conflicts In Style

There is nobody who has not had problems at work, and these problems invariably involve one’s supervisor, co-workers or even boss. Workplace conflicts are common – but the skills to handle them adroitly are not. Many employees react to workplace conflicts the way they would in any social conflict situation – from the gut. This is inappropriate, because the dynamics or workplace relationships – and therefore the consequences of workplace conflict – differ from normal social situations.

There are a number of different factors to consider while handling conflict on the job. Obviously, the first is whether the tussle is with your co-worker (a peer) or your supervisor/boss (seniors). If your problem involves a co-worker and you feel you have a strong case, attempting to solve the problem with the concerned person should be your first approach. If this proves unfruitful, taking it to your supervisor is appropriate. On the other hand, if your issue involves your supervisor, you need to go above their head and place the issue before another member of the company’s management.

A word of caution on reporting a co-worker to your supervisor. Most workplaces have their cliques that often involve someone placed higher up. In the final analysis, humans are social animals, and the herd instinct percolates into all strata of human relationships. Before lodging your complaint or seeking resolution, ensure that your supervisor is not part of the co-worker’s circle. If he or she is, it does not mean that you have to take your workplace conflict elsewhere – however, it does mean that you have to proceed with greater caution. Mentioning the problem in a pleasant, professional and diplomatic manner, eliminating all traces of spite, will usually work.

Your workplace conflict may involve someone higher up, such as your supervisor or manager. If so, lodging your complaint at the same level of the company’s pecking order is usually pointless. This is where the concept of hierarchy is an advantage to you. Schedule a meeting with the supervisor’s or manager’s immediate superior and plan your case in advance. Do not barge into the superior’s cabin without an appointment and launch into a tirade – you may get a hearing, but this approach is unprofessional and will get you nowhere.

The best way to schedule such a meeting is via email or telephone. Ensure that you do not lay out all the details of your workplace conflict at this point. Emails can be forwarded, and one-on-one telephone calls can be turned into conference calls with the touch of a button. The senior may decide to resolve the issue at once and rope the offending party into the discussion before you have had a chance to state your case. This could result in the workplace equivalent of a schoolyard argument, which would achieve nothing.

If you have any proof of unfair treatment (such as emails or memos) print these out before you make your case. You can also note down the time, date and a summary of events when you were harassed. If there is another co-worker who is willing to support your case in person, make sure that this person is available when you meet your senior. At all times before, during and after such an interaction, remain calm and professional.

A workplace conflict with the boss of the company can obviously only be addressed directly with the person concerned. Consider the attempted resolution of your issue with him or her the final test of your diplomacy skills and professionalism. It may be a good idea to scan the job market for other options before taking the problem up with your boss. If your issue involves unmanageable workload, an unreasonably low salary or lack of prospects and your boss refuses to meet you even half-way on it, you should be able to make a dignified exit.

Jappreet Sethi

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Jun 20

Asked to Relocate? What To Ask Your Employer

Have you been asked by your employer to relocate? If so, you are in a situation which an increasing number of employees are finding themselves in today. There can be any number of reasons why you may have been asked to relocate. For instance, with many companies finding it difficult to manage financially in areas with high real estate costs, a number of them are choosing to relocate to areas from where it is cheaper to operate. If you have been asked to relocate for such or any other reasons, there are certain pointed questions that you should ask your employer before officially agreeing to the move.

Obviously, one of the primary concerns that you will want to address with your employer if you have been asked to relocate will be with regards to your salary. In cases where a company chooses to relocate to an area where operational costs are lower, lower pay for employees may also be on the agenda. It is therefore important that you determine what your pay will be after relocation. As a current employee, you shouldn’t be asked to take a reduction in pay – but there is always a chance that you may be.

Another area of concern in such a situation would pertain to your existing designation. Are you working in management or do you hold a similarly high position? If so, find out if your position will stay the same, or perhaps increase. Certainly, relocating at the behest of your employer shouldn’t mean that you receive a reduction in status or a reduction in salary – but, as already observed, there are no guarantees. In other words, it is essential that you find out as much as you can about your new position before you officially decide to transplant your and your family’s life and household to another city .

Don’t neglect to find out all you can about the duties you will be expected to fulfil after relocating. Since companies often relocate to save money, this may also involve eliminating positions and having the remaining employees assume a larger workload. If you would be expected to perform more duties, you may want to negotiate yourself a higher salary. Don’t forget – these are all questions that you should ask before you make the decision to relocate for your job or not.

Yet another query to place before your employer concerns relocation expenses. You should most definitely establish whether your employer will cover the cost of relocating for you or your family. The financial assistance, if any, may not cover every expense that you are likely to incur, but it may be enough to help cover your travel expenses or the costs of hiring a moving company. Most employers will notify you upfront if they plan on assisting you with the cost of relocating. If yours doesn’t, you definitely need to ask about it.

Finally, take out the time to learn as much about your new location as possible. You will want to focus on points such as the current real estate market, crime rate, availability of civic and social infrastructure such as shopping outlets, medical care, public transport, etc. If you have children, you will want to examine the local school districts, and it would be prudent to scope out the current job outlook for your spouse’s line of work in the new city.

Jappreet Sethi

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Jun 14

How To Tackle Difficult People at Work

It doesn’t matter how great the organization you work for is. It doesn’t matter how fulfilling the work culture and atmosphere is. There will always be difficult people at work with a different agenda than helping with optimum work performance.

Maybe you cannot understand why people want to be anything other than professional or team-spirited at work. Perhaps you feel that people should not let their personal problems or prejudices intrude on the workplace. But the fact is that we all carry outside baggage into the office. It shows up in ways that others will not fully understand. Any professional environment will feature people with vastly different expectations from the job, each other and life in general.

The factor that causes the most interpersonal problems on the job is insecurity. A co-worker’s insecurity may show up in the form of malicious gossip or slander, a fawning attitude towards the management, inappropriate curiosity about what you are doing, manipulation and plain nastiness. Such symptoms in others tend to grate on our nerves.We assume that they are trying to find shortcuts to success – and we are often right.

Considering the pace at which we conduct our work in the 21st Century, our work culture has become highly depersonalized. To fully analyze why certain people behave the way they do would require the services of an in-house psychologist. In fact, many progressive organizations do offer such services. But how do we protect ourselves from difficult people at work without the benefit of an internal arbitrator?

They come in various shades, and they have different styles and approaches to making their presence felt. To be fair, most of them may not even know how disruptive they can be – then again, some do. However, the sincere and focused always has a bad time with them.

You may, for instance, have come across the typical brown-noser. They seem to have very little personal dignity, or a very strange version of it. Getting and staying in the good books of their (and your) superiors seems to be their main priority. Apart from being a shortcut, this also seems to them to be the best way of saving on effort. Bootlickers are universally despised.

  • Bootlickers invariably see their tendencies in a very positive light.
  • To them, it is uncommon and enviable dedication and devotion to those in charge.
  • This presents a major problem – they are very averse to being told the truth about their tactics.
  • This state of denial ensures that the problem does not easily resolve itself.

Yes, such behavior in others is disturbing at the workplace. However, you would do well to remember that they rarely get the results they want. Most managers do not mistake subservience for effectiveness. In fact, you should train yourself to ignore the bootlickers. Many enlightened employees have found that getting to know the brown-noser better on a personal basis can defuse the situation entirely.

If you have people around you who maliciously wreck your efforts, that is another matter. These rank among the most difficult people at work. They disrupt the peace and harmony of the workplace. Unable to achieve good results in their own right, they sabotage those of others. In rare instances, it may be out of sheer ignorance. Whatever the case, their influence is extremely negative.

  • You may find that a critical document has been misplaced
  • Your Internet connection may have been mysteriously disconnected.
  • You may not receive the accounts you badly need even though the person responsible for giving them to you is aware of the urgency.
  • A malicious piece of gossip affecting you may have been put in the ear of the supervisor.

Sounds familiar? If you have such a co-worker in your midst, you know that such a person can cause a lot of damage and is often extremely clever. To him or her, the act of sabotage is a game that must be won. Exposing such an individual can be time-consuming and extremely stressful.

What about the obnoxious guy who pushes his weight around? He is the office equivalent of the schoolyard supremo. His tools of the trade are ridicule, overt and veiled threats as well as verbal and physical abuse. The object of these difficult people at work may be:

  • To compensate for intellectual deficiencies.
  • To compensate for inbuilt laziness by using others to do the work meant for them.
  • To compensate for a lousy personal relationship or a past of abuse.

Again, this person is a highly insecure one and probably has real personal problems. If he really is a problem to you, try confronting him alone and asking him what his problem with you is. The idea is to do this in private. He will feel less defensive if there is no audience. Alternatively, you can bring him to the notice of the management and explain that his behavior is disruptive. You can even get the endorsement of other victims in this.

The chronic snitch is another of the difficult people at work that many of us are familiar with. Whether for personal gain or out of plain mean-mindedness, such persons will not hesitate to sell you down the river. They are usually pleasant and co-operative on the surface. This enables them to obtain inside information and then act on it. Here are some symptoms of such a turncoat in your office:

  • A personal confidence that damages your professional image at the workplace is leaked to the authorities.
  • The fact that you have under-performed or made a serious mistake is suddenly the talk of the office.
  • Someone else gets the credit for a project that you slaved on. Amongst the difficult people at the workplace, these can be the most damaging.

Excessive ambition is another unpleasant trait in certain colleagues. To them, the workplace is the venue for political intrigue or simple personal gain. Co-workers and even superiors exist solely to be manipulated. These extremely difficult people at work are usually power seekers who will stop at nothing. They may employ:

  • Blackmail to get a personal deal through
  • Gossip to spread a self-serving rumor
  • Spurious claims of personal connections to the management

Their ultimate objective is to gain a position of strength. This strength may then used to gain internal political traction (promotions, raises etc) or for financial gain not related to official work. You can confront such people via private memos or in privacy and warn them that you will not stand for their behavior. They are usually spines and easily intimidated.

In any modern work environment, you will encounter these and other troublemakers – be it the chronic latecomer who always has some pathetic excuse, the slob who messes the place up, the workaholic who just can’t stop producing, etc.

The idea in your dealings with such people is not to let your own professional momentum and personal equilibrium be disrupted.

Jappreet Sethi

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