December 15th, 2009
In addition to increased sales, profits can also be boosted by cutting overhead and by encouraging more effective use of time. A simple and often neglected asset when doing so is employee performance management software.
It’s common knowledge that getting the best from your business necessitates knowing in what areas your staff work best, and knowing how to adjust your systems to match. The core difficulty has traditionally been in identifying and metricizing this information. If we take just one aspect of this — for example, employee performance — defining their progress and keeping track of it is a significant task. The first step is to bring employee appraisal systems into play. Once this is done you can assess the work of each employee. If this was done with established methods, you will have to study all of that information by hand in order to set objectives, and measure further advancement. Employing performance appraisal software you’ll find that this assessment is taken care of and you need only scrutinize the various metrics to determine what an appropriate set of targets for this member of staff would be. It also makes keeping track of the member of staff’s advancement much simpler. In this way you remove a major time commitment and probably also find yourself with more accurate information into the bargain. It’s of course also possible simply to use the software to record raw information like performance reviews and to analyze these items yourself. Not only that, but helping to make your employees more efficient is merely one improvement that can be implemented using performance management software. Both clients and suppliers can be analyzed using such programs, granting access to yet more performance management tools. Knowing the suppliers that carry the higher grade or lowest priced products can reduce costs significantly.
When it comes to clients - retailers, affiliates, or similar - this kind of software can still provide a sharper picture there, too, telling you just who sells the most of your products, any loss percentage and similar troubles, and acting as a reminder of any payment issues. Having this information means you can tailor your ordering and selling habits to boost income and minimize expenses. This information will allow you to determine a priority demographic. With this demographic in mind advertising becomes more effective and easier to plan. Watching both market and suppliers is easy with performance management software. With a program of employee reviews this application can help simplify employee performance management. It almost seems as if there’s no upper limit when using performance management software…
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December 5th, 2009
A current job hunting campaign is by nature pretty complex. While the net has offered a variety of new sites and ways to communicate, it also creates increased rivalry for choice jobs and potential challenges for job hunters.
Job searches need to be thought of as a highly individualized, highly targeted marketing and selling process where you are the product. Your resume is an ad. Your extended network is your lead generating machine.
So where does the Web fit in? At AA-Careers, we recently listed a job on a popular job search site and got 500+ applications in a few days. For a single opening. That’s unreal competition.
Had the right someone contacted us ahead of our posting that job, they could have secured the job prior to getting all that competition. How? By knowing a person at our organization who became aware of the job prior to posting. Everyone was aware of the job for at least a week before it was posted. Who in your network might know of a job that’s coming on the market soon?
So the good news is that job sites give you a sense of who is hiring, and for what kinds of jobs. But once those jobs are posted, the rivalry is intense. You can still compete, if you have a well honed resume, designed to appeal directly and clearly to the recruiter. And if you have practiced interviewing - so you don’t stumble at a critical point.
Another issues to be aware of is how easily you can be checked out on the internet. As we Googled several candidates, we ran into some pictures and comments that were in questionable taste. Nothing illegal, but enough to sway our thinking about who to hire.
AA-Careers provides a comprehensive set of services for Bay Area job seekers, providing our clients a personal career consultant, a managed job hunting campaign, modern tools like a personal website, video, highly targeted resume, and much more. Let us know if we can help you.
Be careful out there, and good hunting!
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August 5th, 2009
Effective people management skills are crucial in order to achieve the best in your business success. With a little effort you can acquire and improve these techniques. Having a spontaneous skill for getting along with people and forming relationships can be a plus, but you can do many things that will make the procedure simpler.
Relationship Development: Addressing people by name should be a great start. Encourage conversation; look co-workers in the eye as you are speaking. Show respect, and be sure to be attentive to what the other individual has to say, even if you disagree or have a different viewpoint. Listening to everything staff say is one of the most critical people management skills in your arsenal. Exhibit interest in what everyone can offer the business. Exhibit integrity: Keeping your promises is key. If a promise is not kept, it will ruin trust, and people will not offer you their best if they don’t trust you. Everytime you say something or give a promise, you are wasting your time unless you keep your promises. To be honest, when your people can’t count on your promises, you can be sure they will behave in a similar manner. Encourage any feedback: It’s a two way street. Talent management skills mean having an open mind to all feedback. Being accessible and open shows that you respect other’s feedback, your opinions will be respected in return. Bona Fide discourse also encourages creative problem solving, innovative methods of achieving goals, and strengthens the team. When team members can express their opinion, the project becomes important to each employee.
Promote communication: Managing your team comes down to the same concept - good communication. Be accessible, listen intently to other people’s views, be open minded, and allow team members a chance to speak. The team must be inspired to talk to one another not just with you. The exchange of ideas is essential in the creative process, and in listening to one another, it is easy to discover any problems early, and corrective measures can be put in place before things get out of hand.
A little time will be needed, but the rewards far outbalance the work. Through building the bonds of a good team and demonstrating good listening skills, a thriving business will be achieved.
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August 2nd, 2009
It’s belief in numerous businesses that, by offering each employee basic instruction in occupational health & safety, they now have everything needed to prevent a catastrophe. The truth is though, basic education in health & safety regulations and risk asessment simply is not adequate. You must supply your employees with sufficient supervision, the proper equipment, and the opportunity to practice. Each team must have an efficient supervisor to watch the shop floor, but this person must also take a greater purpose in the company. Your selection of supervisor should exhibit enthusiasm and see health & safety training as important. On top of enforcing health & safety legislation, the supervisor as well should ensure that each employee works to the best of their abilty. Of course it isn’t easy to do all this at once. The supervisor must possess extensive knowledge of both the business and manufacturing processes not to mention an in-depth understanding of the latest regulations involving safety, risk assessment and first aid.
It simply is not sufficient to supply your employees with health & safety instruction. Your employees must have practical experience of risk assessment and the recognition of hazards. Employees additionally need to gain insights into the steps necessary to remedy the situation and how best to react if anything goes wrong. Not until these procedures become automatic are workers properly educated. Safety equipment is just as important to the your workers’ safety as any training. When they are lacking the items they require, or find out that some of the supplies are damaged when they actually need them, the safety training your staff have already completed is wasted.
It’s a good idea to inspect often to make sure you possess all the necessary apparatus and to ensure it’s working correctly as well. If your gear won’t come up to the applicable legislation, make sure that it’s rectified ASAP and returned to the proper place.
Health & safety instruction is vital to the safety of your workforce, but they also need to have good quality gear, frequent practise excercises, and a knowledgeable supervisor who can get staff excited about working safely. Only then will observing health & safety legislation will become part of your employee’s working habits not an inconvenience for staff to remember.
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July 16th, 2009
With hedge funds from Mayfair and St. James diving due to the recession, the cost of renting office space in these two business districts has come down rapidly. The year 2007 was boom time for the real estate business, with lets in hedge markets soaring to a peak of £120 per sq ft, report property managers. Now the rates have dropped to £55 which is the all-time low rate for hedge funds. With the onset of recession, businesses went bankrupt and left behind many vacancies, which has led to the present decline in rents. According to international property consultants King Sturge, the area has witnessed a drastic fall in quarterly rent. From £144,000 per 5,000 sq ft, it has fallen to an alarming £69,000. James Beckham, a partner at King Sturge, commented that the area is witnessing a rising number of hedge fund vacancies, and hence the rents have dived like never before. King Sturge did a roaring business in office space letting during 2007, when they successfully let a total of 870,000 sq ft of space to 77 companies. But the celebrations were over for the company by 2008, when only 48 companies took a total of just 595,000 sq ft of office space. But the good news is that with owners slashing rent prices, empty office spaces across London are again attracting businesses and office fitout plans are again too being considered and put into action. Property owners, to avoid the risk of losing business are accepting smaller rents. But the leases this time are short-term, so that owners can raise prices once business in the area starts looking up and competition grows.
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July 21st, 2008
Norman Steisel, former NYC Sanitation Commissioner and First Deputy Mayor has a reputation as one of the first managers to bring modern management techniques to city government.
An excellent picture of Norman Steisel, as effective manager is drawn by Deirdre Carmody in the April 7, 1982 issue of the New York Times.
The article follows Norman Steisel in his daily duties and focuses on the way that he made decisions.
The article on the Sanitation Department’s operation center before a major snow storm. The order had gone out that Sanitation workers should report to work Monday night instead of during the day to be ready for the coming storm. By midmorning 900 snow plows, salt spreaders, front end loaders and open sand trucks were already on the road with a total of 1,400 units expected to be called upon altogether.
Norman Steisel explained his decision. ” We decided that we spent too much time clearing highways and making them blacktop,” Steisel said in an interview. “This meant that we did not get to the streets soon enough. I decided that if you can make the highway passable, you can always go back to them later and it will free the equipment to go into the neighborhoods.”
Norman Steisel further explained: ” It’s like the cop on the beat. It may not have that much effect on crime, but it makes people feel better. If people see the trucks on the street, the perception is that the department is out there cleaning the streets.”
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May 4th, 2008
They say that in literature everything has already been said (written). If you want to write a novel, you should differentiate on style rather than on anything else.
And this is not less true in business. Our “Style Compass” seems familiar with elements from the model of Myers-Briggs and also with the Competing Values Framework. And perhaps with many other concepts.
Recently I found another reference with similarities; the so-called Left-Hand/Right-Hand model being the brainchild of Professor John Donovan of MIT. This model is about managing or leading innovations:
- …Its main tenet is that all organizational functions can be divided into two categories-the standard quotidian efforts at status quo maintenance and risk minimization, and the riskier ventures into new fields or endeavours. The former is labelled the right-hand, while the latter is the left-hand.
It is within this Left-Hand sector that innovation occurs, through the dual paths of employing revolutionary processes and leading customers. To delve into new territory, the organization must lead its customers, rather than solely listening and responding to their wants and concerns. (www.cellexchange.com/pdfs/InnovationandCollaboration.pdf)
If you are interested in culture, values, personal preferences, organizational Style, etc, you should use what is close to what is already known in the organization. More important is that you use one concept from start to finish or even longer. Because the topic about managing innovation and stabilizing business success is of all times.
If you are lucky to have ever produced a film like Shrek (innovation) you want to stabilize this success with a sequel Shrek 2, Shrek 3, etc…
Most topics in business are not new. As in Literature. Hold on to your style and prosper!
© 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account.
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April 23rd, 2008
This new article has been written for all those dedicated teachers, who want to enhance their skills in the field of teaching or those who want to be a teacher.
I hope that this second article of mine would be appreciated.
It’s truly said that
“Children are like a pot of flower. If we’ll give them proper attention, they’ll grow up, but if we’ll give them either lack of attention or extra attention, they’ll be damaged”
(Munir M Sewani)
Remember that every student trust their teachers very much. They have lots of expectation from us. Being a teacher, it’s wise to be loyal and dedicated towards our profession.
Love them, care them, listen to them and treat them like you own child.
Always remember that children are very sensitive, so treat them with gentle love.
They notice each and every thing in us; from our dress to our gestures, so always be prepared for every thing.
Children usually ask us many questions and some times we don’t know the answer of few questions. At that moment, just try to be loyal and tell your students that you’ll search it and will tell them tomorrow or day after. In this way you’ll not only gain trust and confidence from your students side, but there will be a strong bond of relation on both the sides too.
Always try to interact with students and never stop them to share their views and ideas. Their ideas might be more resourceful and worthful for us.
Never insult any student in front of other students. They might develop a sense of phobia in their mind and it’ll stop their creativity to further enhance.
It’s the foremost duty of every teacher to have a communication with the parents of your students too. It’ll help you to understand your students from all the dimensions.
Always Pre-Plan your lesson plan before going to class.
You are a teacher, so have confidence to face every challenges in your life.
Be a role model for your students.
Do have positive gestures on your face all the time.
Select the leader of your class every week that can help you in handling things etc. This activity will help your students to build their confidence, moreover, try to find out those children in your class who are introversive and make some resourceful plan to activate them in every class activities.
These are some basic tips, which I have shared from my experience. This article is the beginning of the journey. There are thousands of more tips, which would be shared soon. Till then Byez
About Author:
Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the prominent and creative teacher since 7 years. His vast experience at this early age has made him more active to work socially for teachers too. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Double Masters student, Teacher Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer too. He is the author of the famous self-published storybook for children named as “The MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN”
His future plan is to work for media also in order to develop the sense of understanding many dimensions of life through his creativity.
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April 18th, 2008
‘Tis the season … for New Year’s resolutions. Some of us are actually successful with these resolutions, but I have read that the majority of us break them within 24-48 hours of making them. This, of course, doesn’t need to happen to you.
Making a resolution usually also involves figuring out the things we need to DO to make the resolution a reality. To take a different spin on things, why not create a ‘not’ to-do list. You know…a list of things you need NOT do in order to become and remain organized. Make the list…pick one…then go for it. Here are some of my ideas but feel free to add your own:
I vow NOT to…
…maintain a cluttered desk
…maintain a cluttered office
…have a filing cabinet with no files in it
…have a filing cabinet that can’t store even one more piece
of paper
…miss deadlines
…have ineffective meetings
…walk around with vague goals rattling around in my head
…look for things to distract me from what I need to be doing
…check email every 10 minutes
…over-commit
…climb into every interruption that comes my way
…delay decisions
…make excuses for the condition of my office
…comment on ‘other’ people’s disorganized offices
…go one more day without cleaning out my briefcase
…work on everything - except my priorities - first
…keep the same ineffective habits going into next year…
Good luck and have an organized and peaceful new year!
Copyright Cynthia Kyriazis 2005. All rights reserved.
Cynthia Kyriazis is an organizing and time management consultant, trainer, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. Organize it, a division of Productivity Partners, Inc. is an organizational training firm she founded in 1995 and has been serving Fortune 500 clients ever since. Cynthia works with business and their employees to help improve performance and realize productivity gains.
Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of the Kansas City of the International Society for Performance Improvement - (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.
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April 16th, 2008
When you left home for work this morning, did you feel ready to face the day knowing that you were going to have a number of successful negotiations? Chances are, the word “negotiation” never entered your head. Perhaps it should have!
We often think of negotiation as a formal process conducted behind closed doors by high powered executives, politicians or world leaders. Yet everyday all of us negotiate. You may have to agree with colleagues on the content of a report or presentation; with a customer over a disputed invoice; with a supplier on the terms for goods or services; or with your partner on what to have for dinner tonight! All of these things are negotiations.
Our problem is that we don’t recognise them as negotiations, nor ourselves as negotiators. As a result, we enter these discussions less prepared than we could be. The result? Sometimes a less-than-successful outcome!
To help make all our daily negotiations more successful (for both you and the other party), you need to:
- State your case clearly and appropriately
- Organise your facts
- Control the timing and pace of your discussion
- Properly assess both yours and the other parties needs
How do you carry out these four points successfully? First, you need an understanding of some of the key principles of successful negotiation. Try this quiz to test your knowledge of negotiating by answering “True/False” to each question.
1. Should you ask for twice the amount you need?
2. Is your aim to prevent the other party from saying “No”
3. Will a small concession relieve the pressure?
4. A “Win/Win” result is always possible.
5. Is admitting to an error or omission a sign of weakness?
The following answers will provide some useful tips for your negotiating situations.
1. Should you ask for twice the amount you need? False. You will have to back down and will lose an important opportunity to influence the other party. Research clearly indicates that negotiators who make large concessions end up worse off. The secret of successful negotiating is to first identify your needs, then work out a range of options that will satisfy those needs. Start the negotiation by asking for the options that best meet your needs.
2. Is your aim to prevent the other party from saying “No”? False. In fact getting a “No” from the other party can be very useful because it gives you the opportunity to ask “Can you give me your reasons?”. This leads to uncovering the other party’s real needs and some options that will satisfy them V options which you can probably supply.
3. Will a small concession relieve the pressure? False: If you make a small concession, chances are you are negotiating over options rather than needs. Additionally, the other party may think you are weakening and put more pressure on. Far better to state or restate your needs and then explore as many options as possible to satisfy them. As part of this discussion, you may come back to the offer that was just rejected, or you may find some even better options. Either way you have gained a lot more information and not weakened your position.
4. A “Win/Win” result is always possible. False: It’s desirable, but not always possible. Sometimes, even the best of negotiators have to “agree to disagree”. The way to improve your ratio of “Win/Wins” is to focus very clearly on your own real needs (not positions) and the needs of the other party. Searching for many different options to satisfy both party’s needs generates more “Win/Win” situations.
5. Is admitting to an error or omission a sign of weakness? False: Research shows that disclosing such information demonstrates honesty. In psychological terms, it breeds what is called “reciprocity” - if you do something for me, then I’ll do something for you. People are far more likely to be honest with you when you are honest with them. Pulling the wool over someone’s eyes may give you a short term result at the expense of a long term relationship.
Four tips to help you negotiate successfully
1. If you want a better deal, ask for one. You’ll never know unless you ask! Remember, make sure it will satisfy your needs - do not get locked into bargaining over positions.
2. Argue to learn, not to win. To meet your own needs you need to learn as much as possible about the other party and their needs. The more you learn, the better chance you have of getting a good deal.
3. Make proposals regularly during the negotiation - proposals move the negotiation forward. Use proposals such as “If you will provide . . . . then I might consider . . . .” The other party’s response to these proposals will give you a lot of information to work with.
4. Ask for, and give as much information as possible. For example, questions such as “Can you explain your reasons for . . . . ?’, “What are your priorities? and “What else is there that you think I should know?” are excellent ways of gathering the information you need.
Successful negotiating!
If you would like some more tips on negotiating, feel free to contact me via www.nationallearning.com.au.
Copyright © 2006 The National Learning Institute
Bob Selden is the Managing Director of the National Learning Institute and the author of the Negotiating Advantage, an exciting way of improving your negotiating. You can get more information on Bob and the Negotiating Advantage at
http://www.nationallearning.com.au/index_files/NegotiatingAdvantageProfile.htm
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