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.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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.
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.
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.
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.
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