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Quotations to Live By

"No amount of advertising will make up for a bad product"

Rishad Tobaccowala, Chief Innovation Officer, Publicis Groupe Media

Monday, September 10, 2007

7 Essential Management Skills for Career Survival

Two questions - Do you want a good career? Do you want a good career Fast or Slow?

If you answered positively to both questions, then you would want to carry on reading and find out the 7 Essential Management Skills you need for Career Survival.

Let us go back to the beginning: You want a Good Career fast? Well then, only PROFESSIONALS get to have a good career fast. BUT, Professionals have to pay a much higher price than semi-professionals and amateurs. So, do you want to be a Professional or Amateur?

OK, good. Since you are still reading I presume that you want to be a Professional in order to have a good career fast. What then are the 7 Essential Management Skills? Let us begin.

Firstly, are you interested in a Job or a Career? You have to learn how to differentiate the two. Check whatever you are doing now. If it's a job, you would have no interest in learning, no motivation to improve, no energy, no growth plans. If it's a career to you, you would be learning, always wanting to improve, lots of energy and have a firm growth plan. If what you are doing is a job to you, stop here. If it's a career to you, proceed.


The 7 Management Skills in summary are:

  1. Managing your Job
  2. Managing your Boss
  3. Managing your Time
  4. Managing your Relationships
  5. Managing your Discipline
  6. Managing your Attitude
  7. Managing your Career

1. Managing Your Job
Remember this: "Know your job well, do it well, and be better than anyone else doing it." (this is taken from a book called "The Rules of Work" by Richard Templar). Bottom Line: You must be really good at your job before attempting anything else. Otherwise, it's just wasted efforts. Don't listen to those so called career coaches who ask you to 'dream' or 'envision' your career 20 years from now. That's just plain rubbish. If you are not doing your job well, or you are not the best in your job, don't even think about climbing the ladder. Do your job well first.

Make sure you know the difference between Activities vs. Results. What's the difference? We can either refer to our job in terms of Activities or Results. Whichever reference you choose determines your behaviors on a daily basis. Remember: Success depends on managing your job based on RESULTS-oriented thinking.

2. Managing your Boss
There are four parts to this: Understand and find solutions for your Boss' problems, Manage your Boss as a Client not a Boss, Manage and influence your Boss based on his Personality, and finally learn how to deal with Bad Bosses as well as when to give up and walk away.

3. Managing your Time
Time is irreversible, so make the best use of it every second of your life. What you really Value is found in how you spend your Time and Money. Love is spelt as T.I.M.E. to your loved ones. Interruptions will always happen, so plan for them every time. Time investments compound, so be patient and persevere. "I don't have time" is a sorry excuse for someone who has placed the issue as a lower priority. Time required for something expands according to expectations - which means that if you set an urgent time-frame, it will be done fast. If you set a long and relaxed time-frame, it will be done slow.

Only three things really matter in Time Management: 1) Learn how to Prioritize, 2) Develop and use a To-do List, and 3) learn how to Maximize Time

4. Managing your Relationships
Why? Because good performance and skill won't get you very far. You need others to succeed.
You cannot get people to listen to you if they don't like you. And if they don't listen to you, you won't accomplish anything! Remember that Relationships = Expectations. You must know the expectations and manage those expectations.

People are interested in themselves, not in you. What is the most interesting subject in the world to them? THEMSELVES. Take four words out of your vocabulary: "I, me, my, mine" and substitute for the most powerful word: "YOU". Remember that the more important you make people feel, the more they will respond to you. Avoid arguing.

5. Managing your Discipline
Discipline consists of three parts: discipline in Habits, discipline in Self Development, and discipline in Feelings.

Control your habits, and you can control your Success. Failure is also because of habits. The only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habit. Think about it - your actions are ruled mostly by your habits. Only a habit and control another habit. It takes an average of 21 days to form a new habit. The goal habits: It will be part of your subconscious mind. You need to form good habits in 3 areas: Thinking, Speaking, Doing.

Self Development is an Investment in your self. Investment means how much Time and Money you spend on your self. Nobody is going to invest in you. Start Early because small differences compound in the long-term.

Control your emotions. "Anyone can become angry - that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not easy." (I think this is by Aristotle)

6. Managing your Attitude
List down Bad Attitudes - and reverse them. Be careful of 'us' vs. 'them' thinking. Serve before expecting to be served. Have high standards for yourself. Never complain about how hard you work.

7. Managing your Career
Just remember the following biggest career mistakes a person can ever make: Keeping a career in line with your education, Getting career advice from your parents (or relatives), Changing jobs without long-term strategy in mind, and Letting your Boss (or company) manage your career.

Remember: If you are not doing your job well, or you are not the best in your job, don't even think about climbing the ladder. Do your job well first. Don't say I didn't warn you.


-TURD-

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

How Can Leaders Reduce Fraud And The Great Wall Of China Theory

As Featured On Ezine Articles

There has been a lot of talk lately about ethics, governance, fraud...you name them, we have them. What then, is the Leader's role in reducing these kinds of risks in an organization?

Well, let us start with some basic insight:- ironically, Success is the root cause of risk. More success, more money, more fraud. So, the easiest way to reduce fraud is to reduce business.

Don't laugh. This is what most Finance and Human Resource people do, unintentionally. What do I mean? Well, some Heads of Finance/HR are so over zealous in reducing fraud-related risks (especially when the KPI for this is pegged at 80% of their performance), that they will do everything in their power to put in all kinds of ridiculous policies and procedures up to a point that it kills all the flexibility and success factors of a business.

What then should the Leader pay attention to when looking at Fraud and Ethics?

  1. Price to Pay for Fraud/Risk Mitigation is almost always "Business Flexibility". Remember this.
  2. Control and Growth have always had a reverse correlation effect. E.g. As a control, the more controls we put on foreign ownership, the less economic growth resulting from a loss of FDI.
  3. Rules vs. Humanity/Motivation. The more rules we put in place, the less Humane a company becomes. This in turns reduce Motivation.
  4. Most Leaders are not tackling the real root causes of fraud and ethics i.e. Motive & Opportunity i.e. Humans. Most managers spend more time in tweaking the procedures and rules instead of dealing with human issues
  5. If an organization is focused on reducing Fraud thus giving more and more powers to Finance and Accounting vs. Sales/Marketing, guess who is in control of the business? Aren't you afraid?

So... what has the Great Wall of China got to do with anything? Well... almost everything. Many many many moons ago, China decided to build a great wall to keep the Mongolians out. They spent countless resources, time, effort, and lives in building this great, strong, long wall. However, it seems that the Mongolians could easily penetrate this wall using a simple powerful proven concept: BRIBE. You see, the Chinese spent so much time and money on the wall, they did not realize that their Gatekeepers were unmotivated, restless, poor, ill treated with no obvious career advancement opportunities. Any Mongolian soldier can bribe the Gatekeeper with USD5,000. And this Gatekeeper would happily accept the money and open the gates.

What is the moral of the story? Well..
  1. Humans are the weakest link
  2. Bad treatment of staff will lead to weak links i.e. making them easier to bribe, easier to con, etc;
  3. Bad treatment arises from bad leaders who are insulting, makes staff lose face, deliver broken promises, publicly criticize staff, re-structure without communication etc.

Stop dealing with process. Stop issuing rules. Stop humiliating your people, and you can reduce fraud.

-TURD-

P.S. You can also locate a copy of this article from EzineArticles.com directory:http://EzineArticles.com/?id=682410

Note: New Presentation Download

Hi.

I have just uploaded a new presentation for anyone who wants to download:

Where: Under the "My Presentation Downloads" section on the right
Event: ABF Public Relations & Corporate Communications Conference
Title 2: Managing and Maximizing Your PR Budget
File 2: Powerpoint, PPT
How 2: Download and save unto your hard disk. Open with "Powerpoint" program. (Somehow it keeps downloading as a .doc file)

Enjoy :)

-TURD-

Thursday, August 9, 2007

5 ways how R&D will not be effective

As Featured On Ezine Articles

Research & Development is the core engine of all companies, but yet many organizations still get it wrong.

I have listed down here 5 ways how R&D will never be as effective as it should be:
  1. Top Down – Process problem: R&D to Market instead of Market to R&D. Also known as the ego-myopic problem with most R&D staff: “this is what we developed. Now go sell”
  2. Because I can - Competency problem: Being too good is a weakness. Certain R&D staff will keep on developing stuff not relevant to needs of the customers but instead based on what they are good at
  3. Poor business value – Ignorance problem: Most R&D teams are not aware that every organizations focus is different i.e. Market Disciplines. They do not understand what is the business model and strategy, thus having the wrong priorities as far as R&D is concerned.
  4. No budget lah - Alignment Problem: There are five areas of R&D that needs to be aligned: Philosophy, Structure, Resources, Leadership, and People. Most R&D are unable to muster and focus resources to produce good R&D deliverables because of this mis-alignment problem.
  5. Not-Invented-Here – ego problem: Apple readily admitted that their iPhone was developed based on swiping many different ideas from outside Apple. That is why they have a good product. A lot R&D in companies (in Malaysia anyway) that are so egostic up to such a point where they say that anything not invented from themselves should be allowed to see the light of day.

OK...so how do we make R&D more effective then? I have listed down here

  1. Know Your Business: Focus on what makes the business tick. McDonald's have never focused on making their beef burgers better (my theory. otherwise I cannot explain why their beef patties have been consistently terrible for the past 10 years). McDonald's grew big because they focused on R&D in areas where it is important to them: burgers that can be eaten with one hand while driving. This is because 50% of their business comes from drive-thru.
  2. Research: Be very very very very careful on how R&D staff research and filter information. All human beings are likely to fall into the 8 "Information Drifts", thus altering data and research info until it suits their thinking.
  3. Reverse Marketing: Develop what the market needs, not what we can. Simple, but most R&D knuckleheads do not seem to get this point.
  4. Align: Again, focus on aligning the five areas of R&D: Philosophy, Structure, Resources, Leadership, and People. This will ensure that resources are optimized.
  5. R&D Today → RD&D*: The new phrase is Research, Development & DESIGN. Design talks about three core areas: Function, Aesthetics and Logistics. 'Function' is about making the product/service practical e.g. iPod, iPhone, Nokia OS, Waterlife DIY, CNI SC88 Detergent cover, cup with bags stuck on bottom. 'Aesthetics' focuses on the looks e.g. mickey mouse shaped Vitamin Pills, Google interface, iPod. 'Logistics' includes studying the product/service in relation to their distribution & storage – IKEA, car boot for MLM.

So... let's go out there are develop something good.

This article, "5 Ways How R&D Will Not be Effective" - can also be found in the EzineArticles.com directory:http://EzineArticles.com/?id=682461

-TURD-

*P.S. You can also download a related article by "Karen E. Spaeder" from Entrepreneur.com called "Designed to Sell". Alternatively you can download it from the Selected Training Materials Download section on the right column.


Wednesday, August 8, 2007

New Personal Blog: Maggi Goreng

Hi,

I have juts started a new personal blog, called "Maggi Goreng" at:

http://gorengmaggi.blogspot.com/

Check it out if you want :)


-TURD-

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Note: New Presentation Download

Hi.

I have just uploaded a new presentation for anyone who wants to download:

Where: Under the "My Presentation Downloads" section on the right
Event: ABF Seminar on Human Resource

Title 1: HR At The Board Table - Delivering Strategic Counsel To Senior Management (Part1)
File 1: PDF Document, PDF
How 1: Download and save unto your hard disk. Open with "PDF" program. (Somehow it keeps downloading as a .doc file)

Title 2: HR At The Board Table - Delivering Strategic Counsel To Senior Management (Part2)
File 2: Powerpoint, PPT
How 2: Download and save unto your hard disk. Open with "Powerpoint" program. (Somehow it keeps downloading as a .doc file)

Enjoy :)

-TURD-

Note: New Presentation Download

Hi.

I have just uploaded a new presentation for anyone who wants to download:

Where: Under the "My Presentation Downloads" section on the right
Event: ABF Conference on Research & Development
Title: R&D today: Addressing and enhancing R&D's effectiveness
File: Powerpoint, PPT
How: Download and save unto your hard disk. Open with "Powerpoint" program. (Somehow it keeps downloading as a .doc file)

Enjoy :)

-TURD-