Friday, February 27, 2009

How to be last in the retrenchment list?

If the current global economic situation continues, we are headed for recession whether we like it or not. There is a pool of things that we can do to make sure that we stay last in the retrenchment list. This is not a fool proof list, but at least it should serve as a guide for us to cling on to our job.

Put in the extra hours. If you are the type that is always the first one to dash out on the dot when the clock strikes 5.00 pm. I suggest you to sit back, take a deep breath and do some of the things due which you need to do the next day. If you have completed all your work ,then maybe you can start doing some planning. It is a good time to put on your thinking cap and start thinking on how you can be more beneficial for the company. Hey!! they have been feeding your needs all these years, and that is the truth. So it is payback time. If you have completed all your work and you really have nothing to do. The least you can do is to cut down the surfing on your office hours and do it after office. When the final crunch comes at least your clock out would show, that you did put in the extra hours.

Accept additional responsibilities. If you are the type who says, I will only do what I am paid for. Now is the time to re look at the policy. Usually employers will look for the staff who holds least responsibilities to chop off. It reduces collateral damage on their side. Your new substitutes will not have to learn too many things, thus makes you easily replaceable. Accept as many responsibilities as possible even though you are overloaded with work, you can always follow advice number one to get more time. Show some enthusiasm.

Promote yourself. At times like this you can never ever expect anyone to talk good things about you. You are lucky if no ones bad mouths you. So you have to do your own PR job. Make sure that your boss is aware of your extra capabilities and most importantly make sure that he appreciates it. When telling people especially your boss on what are your achievements are, do it sincerely and don't boast. That attitude will definitely get you into trouble.

Do not be hostile. This is the time to make peace with the other personnel in the office. Firstly you do not want to anyone to bad mouth you. Secondly bosses want the troublemakers out. They will have enough to worry about such as sustaining the business and they do not want to be drawn into solving office politics. Maintain a cordial relationship with your colleagues, this is not the time to flex your muscles. Its time to use them to help the company.

And always remember,

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

Good luck in keeping our job.

Five positive thoughts for 2009

We know this year is going to be a tough challenge for the countries in this region, for the businesses in this region and, well, for all of us in this region. If there is an economic storm coming, we won't be spared.

We'll just have to brace ourselves to meet it in the best way we can. But we're confident that we'll all survive whatever downturns that the economy will throw at us.

Here is an interesting thoughts enough to share with you.
It's called Five Positive Thoughts for 2009 and they are:

1) Forget about the past. Whatever failures happened in 2008 already happened. Just use it as a benchmark to improve but never as a guideline why you cannot achieve success in 2009.

2) Many people wish for a better year in 2009. Don't wish. Wishful thinking doesn't get you anywhere, especially success. Commit to what you want to achieve and achieve it for your own benefit.

3) Be a positive thinker. Think positive about 2009 regardless of the recession because your mind WILL influence your actions.

4) If you have to whine and blame, DO IT NOW. Then get over it and start afresh in 2009.

5) Have a plan. Plan it out and know what are the steps that will get you closer to your goal. You can't get to your destination if you don't know what and where is your destination.
Make sense? Yah, they make sense to me. I hope they make sense to you.

Stand your ground

The Bottom Line

Friction with an authority figure is not always bad. Make your case to the boss.

In Detail

You might have some friction with an authority figure today, but an important compromise can be reached -- if you can both focus on what you agree on. They need you more than you need them, so you are in a very enviable position. Play this negotiation wisely, though. You don't want to push too hard and make them appear to have caved in to your demands. Help them protect their reputation, and they'll be in your corner forever, helping you out in future situations.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Recommended Advance Management Programme for SPU

Introduction

The Special Projects Unit (SPU) Chief plays multiple roles – a strategist, a policy maker, a negotiator, a motivator; but most importantly, the SPU Chief should be a constant learner. She must carefully study the industry, the environment where the organization operates in, the competitors as well as the critics, the trends and the people she works with.

Hence, she and her organization (SPU) needs an insatiable opportunity for enrichment and development in terms of management; a programme to further her own as well as her staff's ability in creating value within the organization via the many roles each one of them plays.

A programme that would benefit not only the top management but will also enable them to provide systematic ways of approaching the multi-faceted tasks and unique responsibilities of the SPU staff while working in a dynamic environment.

The need for such programme motivated me to come up with a comprehensive proposal for overall progress and development of SPU as an organization. Through my observations, personal experiences while performing my duties as a staff of SPU, and basic research; I have come up with an outline for the abovementioned proposal which I plan to present to the SPU Chief as soon as I have it completed. The programme proposal will cover the fundamental concepts of SPU as a whole, particularly its mandates, the structural organization, the staff, the facilities or office environment, its operations, systems and procedures, the tools & trainings for the management & staff, its resources (financial, technical, human, and material), and other aspects that probably needs improvement.

So far I have yet to come up with the complete Profile (e.g. duration, cost in terms of financial and manpower, etc..); a sound Rationale; a brief Description; Objectives (General & Specific); Methodologies; Gantt chart of activities / workplan; and expected Outputs as well as the scheme to sustain them. Right now I only have a detailed broad outline of the supposedly mandates / roles of the SPU Chief as follows:

Programme Outline

The Job of the SPU Chief, an overview:
The SPU Chief as a strategist
1) Must constantly evaluate the business performance of the organization.
2) Should set the strategic direction for improvement towards progress and development.

The SPU Chief as a Motivator
1) Should be able to shift the direction of the organization with regards to setting of priorities, gaining commitment, and improving results.

The SPU Chief as a Sensor of Market Opportunities
1) Must anticipate the market changes / business trends without compromising the goal of adding value for customers' satisfaction.
2) Should be the Lead and Manager in customer orientation.

The SPU Chief as a Creator of Shareholder Value
1) Must be able to understand the drivers of operating performance such as setting financial policies and developing a value-based management culture.

The SPU Chief as a Strategist and Policy Maker
1) Should constantly detect opportunities and key success factors in the industry.
2) Should develop a sustainable competitive advantage.
3) Should meet the challenges of both local and international growth.

The SPU Chief as an Agent of Change
1) Should drive the corporate change process effectively by making change happen.
2) Must be able to influence her staff in the role of personal management style.

The SPU Chief as a Strategist for Acquisitions
1) Must be able to formulate an efficient yet economical acquisition strategy.
2) Should create synergy among her subordinates influencing them to learn valuing brands and other intangibles.

The SPU Chief as an Architect of Organisation Structure and Systems
1) Must adapt an organisational structure to implement change for improvement.
2) Must be the one to stimulate teamwork among her staff.
3) Should be able to develop managerial talent among her staff.

The SPU Chief as a Negotiator
1) Must constantly learn to develop negotiating skills.

and last but not the least,

The SPU Chief as a Visionary
1) Must always anticipate e-commerce and e-business challenges, opportunities and as well as threats, using knowledge to drive growth and productivity.

The SPU Staff as a Group and an Organization

The SPU staff must learn and adapt to various operations improvement specializing in Lean Supply Chain Management, Regulatory and Compliance, Lean Office Environment, and Information Technology advances.

The SPU staff must identify strategic, operational, and tactical issues preventing goal achievement. They should understand and communicate the need for change and develop solutions to achieve and exceed the organizational goals of SPU.

The SPU staff must accomplish this through a collaborative effort in "value-creation" by clearly defining goals and objectives, identifying the appropriate tools and techniques and then deploying sustainable, results generating solutions.

Thus, consideraton for the following is a must:
Technical Expertise of the Staff
Using Leverage versus Experience
Learning to Avert Pit Falls
Providing Quick Win Solutions
Implementation of Proven Methodology/Techniques
World Class Project Management
Outside Resources (benchmarking/technical)
Creativity/Analytical Skills
Objective Advice

The SPU as an organization should promote learning and best practices across its management and staff. Both the management and the staff must join hands in a continuing interest for learning, sharing knowledge, discussing challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of process excellence. Such collaboration will greatly improve the organization’s process & operations that will deliver superior value to customers and operate a quality managed project management firm. It will also improve customer satisfaction and employee moral which would enable the organization to achieve significant and lasting results, eliminating wasteful activities in the organization.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Mga makabagong ideya ukol sa trabaho

Workplace trends of the future
By ANA CAROLINA JAVIER-ANTONIO

(Taken from the Manila Bulletin; 11 January 2009; Page B-3)


People work around the clock in today's "flat" economy, with colleagues and companies collaborating around the world. The workplace is being shaped by young workers who want to be challenged and fast-tracked to success. They expect flexible work options and access to social networking tools that enable them to learn on the job.
Such transformations are affecting what workers expect of their employers - and what organizations are doing to attract and retain people. Over the next three years, we expect that workers lives will change through major innovations:

You'll be more likely to work at home than at the office

Millions of people around the world telecommute, and that number is expected to grow. Therefore you, or people you know, will want to work virtually, and employers will listen. Organizations will come to realize that mobility is good business, especially in areas with limited or no mass transit. Studies show that less commuting means more productivity, better worker retention, less stress, and time to handle personal issues - plus environmental benefits such as lower greenhouse emissions.
More employers will provide workers with with the technology and support they need to successfully work at home. This will require the proper tools and training to help workers stay productive. And bosses will learn how to manage for results - and not focus on the fact that someone is sitting at their desk.

Your next job will be "hybrid"

The IT job market hasn't been this strong since the late 1990's. While the demand for "hard" IT skills - such as security architects or database administrators - remains robust, pure tech skills may no longer be enough.
We're the dawn of "hybrid" jobs - where technologies with backgrounds in natural sciences, languages and social sciences will be at the center of real innovation in business. More companies will look for polymaths of all kinds - such as meteorologists, biologists or psychologists who understand computer systems. They can make a real impact helping cities reduce pollution, or helping people make sense of the explosion of information.
We're already seeing plenty of "hybrid" jobs today. For example, IBM is looking for someone in the field of healthcare informatics. It requires a background in public healthcare combined with an understanding of back-end IT systems. The person will develop systems for IBM's healthcare clients in the area of securing and managing digital health records, and analyzing and understanding clinical data. They could create a tool to predict how an emerging infectious disease, such as bird flu, is spreading or mutating - which ultimately could help drug makers develop an effective vaccine.

Volunteering will help your career - and bottomline results

According to 2008 IBM Global CEO Study, corporate social responsibility is an important issue for chief executives. As a result, the lines between work, life and volunteering will blur. You'll expect that what you learn and do at work can also be used in community efforts to make the world a better place. You'll learn valuable skills at the same time - such as negotiation, motivation and people management.
Today, many companies offer volunteer opportunities for which employees can sign on to help their charity of choice. But the measurable result or actual impact is difficult to determine. Instead, companies will begin to attack problems as a whole and on significant initiatives. we are seeing some of this already on an ad hoc basis. Companies involved in engineering have banded together in Engineer's Week (EWeek) to approach thousands of children around the world and spread the word of engineering, science and math.

You'll only be as good as your network - and the contributions you make to this network

Once upon a time, everyone worked for a boss who sat in the corner office, surrounded by his staff. In the future, your boss may work in another city or country, and so will the people you count on to get things done. You'll work on virtual teams and may never see your closest colleague. your companies will be defined by ideas, people, and resources, not by buildings.
So what happens to things associated with a traditional face-to-face office environment, such as building a sense of trust and urgency? You'll base your workday and decisions on community-based, anytime/anywhere collaboration. through special search and analytic software, you'll find experts inside and outside your organization who can help you solve problems. Instant messaging, blogging, and other teaming tools will empower you to simplify, collaborate, react, change, and innovate in real time, connecting people to people, and people to information.
As the world becomes more global and collaborative, all these trends will transform where, when and how you get work done in the 21st century workforce.


(Ana Carolina Javier-Antonio is currently the HR Partner for IBM Philippines. She has been with IBM for 22 years and have personally experienced change from the traditional structured office to a more dynamic workplace. She is a graduate of St. Paul College Manila and is married with two children.)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

RDZ

RDZ = Records Discipline Zone "Records discipline ensures security & efficiency of files and records management"

Isa ito sa listahan ng mga binabalak kong ipanukala kay Boss Matet para sa pangkalahatang kaayusan at paglago ng opisina namin (DOST-SPU). Nakapaloob ito sa mas malawak na aspeto ng pangkalahatang pamantayan sa pamamahala ng SPU Library, kung saan marami pang ibang panukala na sumasaklaw sa iba pang bagay na may kinalalaman sa istruktura, materyales, proyekto, pag-aaring opisyal ng SPU, at pangkalahatang operasyon nito.

May karugtong..

Monday, January 12, 2009

MISquote?

"You can take me out of MIS but you cannot take MIS out of me."

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Trapik

Heavy traffic at the roads, the perennial and apparently unsolvable problem of Metro Manila motorists and commuters alike. Does everyone of us know the nature and extent of this problem? Probably not. This post aims to tackle and if possible discuss extensively the aforementioned dilemma on the road. This will post will not attempt to totally eliminate the problem but at least come up with possible suggestions / recommendations to help ease the situation.

I will try to cover all aspects of the traffic problem including its causes, effects, solutions & remedies currently being used to address the problem, and other possible solutions that may or may not have been tried yet. I will appreciate and be grateful to any comments / suggestions that will complete the objectives of this post.

Causes of heavy traffic:
1. Large volume of vehicles (private & public) simultaneously occupying/traversing major thoroughfares
2. Inadequate number of lanes on major roads (narrow roads)
3. Poorly maintained roads
4. Various obstructions on the roads
5. Inadequate / lack of road traffic lights, signs/symbols
6. Ineffective traffic laws or poor implementation of it
7. Natural causes such as heavy downpour of rain
8. Massive number of pedestrians specially during peak hours
9.


Possible Solutions:
1. Installation of temporary safety barriers, low deflection permanent safety barriers, easy opening vehicular gates and crash cushions.
2. Installation of Speed Displays, Traffic Counter, and Radar Detectors.
3. Installation of LED Street Light/Lamps and LED Traffic Light/Signals.



More later..

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Programmers' Mantra

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning."