Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Five Ways To Show the Way When you’re Not the Boss




AS ORGANISATIONS grow in scale and complexity, it becomes essential to create a pool of people who might not be leaders on paper but have the potential to lead a team. Shreya Biswas lists the do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when leading a team while not formally being the boss.


Share a Goal An individual’s ability to share a ‘winwin’ situation with a colleague and getting to build commitment always help. If you are trying to lead in the absence of a shared purpose, it can only be effective in the short term. “This is done by creating a detailed stakeholder plan for each individual and understanding how to get them on board,” says Chaitali Mukherjee, country manager, Right Management. 


Communicate Clearly It is important to share goals and expectations clearly while managing projects, where you are expected to lead teams mostly through influence and not ‘hierarchy’ or power. Let people know the milestones, timelines and when reviews start. Also make sure the communication is aimed at the output and not individuals. This will help cut down on last-minute surprises and bring up concerns, if any. 

Share Ownership 
Share the responsibility of success and failure with the team. “In large consulting accounts, where multiple leaders from the organisation are involved, successful delivery for the client over the long term should not only depend on the sales leader or the consulting subject matter expert. Every large account or opportunity should have at least two people mapped and involved with clear accountabilities, but none above the other,” says Mukherjee. 

Lead by Example 
When influencing becomes difficult, it’s best to do it yourself and prove the point to others. The ability to show quick results helps in building commitment to the project or intervention. It is tough because it puts you up for a lot of scrutiny, but serves the purpose. “Be innovative, take initiatives and you can become one who people respect and listen to. Then they don’t hesitate to go the extra mile if you so demand,” says E Balaji, MD & CEO, Ma Foi Randstad.

Give Honest Feedback 
Keep the company’s culture in mind, and give positive, constructive feedback. “In many European firms, people don’t mind if it’s honest and direct while some Asian companies don’t appreciate direct feedback. Even if it’s honest, there has to be a more polite way to put the point across,” says Balaji.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 22-11-2011)

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE MORE TIME TO READ




“I don’t have time to read.”
When I tell people about my blog, that’s one of the comments I usually hear in response. The implication—or at least the way my possibly oversensitive mind takes it—“You must not have any life to read that many books … loser.”
Young Man Reading on His Bed - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/Neustockimages, Image #14518282
Of course, I exaggerate. But, really, it’s a tension a lot of people in our overworked and overstressed society deal with. They understand that reading is important—after all, their second grade teacher made that clear. But nobody has the time to read a Dr. Seuss book, much less To Kill A Mockingbird or (gasp!) Infinite Jest.
In the last few years, I’ve dramatically changed my lifestyle. I’ve trained for five half marathons and two full marathons while working a full-time job. I’ve read 30 novels since last September. And, on top of all that, my wife and I had our first child last June. Kids have a slight effect on your schedule. Maybe you’ve heard?
Life is hectic around our house. But I’ve somehow managed to make time to read in the middle of all that. And I say that not to pat myself on the back but to show that, even with a busy life, it is possible (and important) to make time for hobbies you’re passionate about.
Here are a few tips that have helped me:
  1. Sacrifice something. You’ve got 24 hours in a day. You spend 8–10 hours (hopefully not much more) working. You spend 6–8 hours sleeping. You’ve got family and friends to spend time with every day. All of this doesn’t leave much time for other interests, like reading. So your golf game, like mine, might take a hit. You might have to turn off the television after 9:00 p.m. But, if reading is a priority, you’ll make time for it. As Jon Acuff puts it: “Be selfish at 5 a.m.”
  2. Make a routine. If I say I’m just going to “find time to read,” then it will never happen. I have to make time to read. So here’s what I do: I read during my lunch break, and I read at night, beginning around 8:45, after family time, after the wife and little guy are in bed.
  3. Set a goal. You’ve heard this so much that it’s clichéd. But it works. My goal is to read 101 novels. Usually, I would’ve given myself a deadline, but I didn’t want to speed read through the books, so I just chose to read them as they come. At my current pace, I’ll reach my goal in three more years. Maybe you should set a goal to read one book a month. If that seems unlikely, then make it one book every two months. And take it a step further—tell someone about your goal. Or, if you’re crazy like me, start a blog about it. There’s nothing like that extra accountability to keep you moving.
  4. Have fun. You don’t have to read a book simply because a friend suggested it, you know? Think about your hobbies, interests, and passions—then go and read about those subjects. I once spent five months reading nothing but casual, behind-the-scenes books about restaurants and chefs. I’m a chef groupie, I guess. Once you’ve read a few “fun” books, then dabble into the more serious, thought-provoking stuff.
  5. Mix it up. Once you get into the flow of reading, branch out of your comfort zone. If all you’ve read is nonfiction business books, then relax a little and pick up a novel. If you’ve plowed through Stephen King’s entire catalog in a few years, maybe it’s time to give a leadership or inspirational book a try. The point is: If you read the same style of book over and over, you’ll eventually get burned out and go back to watching two hours of Brady Bunch reruns every day…unless you’re reading 101 books for some crazy blog, of course.
As a result of these basic steps, I’ve dramatically altered my lifestyle over the last year. If I’m not at work or spending time with family or friends, I’m probably reading. At 9:00 every evening, you can probably find me in my “man cave,” in my chair, lights dimmed, reading a book or updating my blog. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hopefully, one day, my mind will thank me for the daily exercise. As Dr. Seuss says, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
And who’s going to argue with Dr. Seuss?





Robert Bruce, a full-time web writer for Dave Ramsey and a book blogger at 101 Books, where he is currently blogging through Time magazine’s Top 100 English-Speaking Novels. You can follow him on Twitter.


Five Ways To Deal With A Boss Who Doesn't Respond


DESPITE KNOWING the importance of ‘staying connected’ in today’s complex workplace, people tend to let it slip. The problem escalates when the team leader, responsibile for the flow of information, forgets this. There are things you can do when such a situation arises, says Shreya Biswas 


Be Persistent 
If your boss does not reply to your mail, he may well be busy. Give the boss the benefit of doubt, and then follow up with another mail. If it still doesn’t work, walk up to him and tell him how urgently the project needs to be addressed. “It is not easy sell anything, even if it’s a concern. There are plenty of issues to be taken up during the day, so one needs to hardsell this,” says A Sudhakar, executive director, HR, Dabur. 

Reach Out 
One-on-one interactions are the best way to communicate. “If the boss is not accessible over phone, email, chat or any other medium, try talking to him face to face. Select an informal gathering to have a chat; people open up easily in such settings as against in a professional one. You might get the reason of his being incommunicado,” says Manish Sabharwal, CEO, TeamLease. 

Figure Out Why Your team leader might just be reacting to something you did by cutting off communication. “It may be your way of working, an informal way of addressing people or a mistake that has not been taken lightly. Ask your team members if he does the same with them. Find out what it is, through an honest and direct conversation. Address the root cause of the problem and it will get solved immediately,” says Sudhakar. 

Put it on Record 
If it still persists, document everyconversation and interaction. E-mail is the best method of professional conversation. “If people point fingers at you for a failure, you can prove otherwise.You tried your best but others or the boss did not cooperate,” explains Sabharwal. 

Skip Levels 
“There is always a boss’ boss. If your leader doesn’t listen to you, doesn’t heed your calls and ignores your concerns, reach out to his boss. Discuss the problem with him but not without proof. Tell him how it impacts your and ultimately the teams’ performance. He will take up the issue with his subordinate,” says Sabharwal. If nothing works, reach out to HR. If the HR department doesn’t take note either, this might not be the organisation for you.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 25-11-2011)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Five Ways To Get Email Etiquette Right


THIS ONE must have come as a surprise to you, but is taken seriously in the corporate world: Your boss told you to ‘grow up’ because you used ‘:p’ in an email. Indeed, email etiquette is a big deal, and you will end up hurting your own interest if you don’t follow its rules. Anand Altekar lists a few things you need to keep in mind


Plan the Email You shouldn’t put anything in an email that you wouldn’t put on a postcard. “A client usually signs a confidentiality agreement when engaging a company. One should always remember that e-mails are company property and can be used in a court of law,” says Utkarsh Sanghvi, senior tax professional. Email can be forwarded; an unwanted party may see what you have written. So avoid writing personal emails from your company email ID.

Mind your Language “People have forgotten basic letterwriting skills. SMS language and writing the entire mail in capital letters is common. Some people also write the entire mail in the subject line,” says Sandhya Sadananda, director, Windchimes Communications. Remember, when you write using capital letters, it looks as if you are shouting. “Most emails don’t have a proper greeting”, adds Sadananda. Make sure your mail includes a courteous greeting and closing and always address your contact with the appropriate level of formality.


Check CCs and BCCs Use blind copy (BCC) only when sending the email to a large number of recipients. Copy (CC) only people directly involved. Also, be sparing with the “reply all” button. “I usually get annoyed to open an e-mail that says only ‘I agree’. I use the ‘reply all’ button only when I have something to add” says Alap Mehra, deputy manager Acturial, Bajaj Allianz.

Reply Quickly, be Brief Reply to important messages quickly. If you receive an emotionally charged message, take a minute to think it through and then reply. Try to concentrate on one subject per message. An email longer than necessary is quite frustrating. No one likes to scroll through endless pages of replies to understand a discussion, so try to summarise long discussions. 


Don’t Run, Don’t Hide “I think people should not use e-mail to cover up their mistakes. Work issues which put emotional pressure, should not be discussed over email. I prefer talking to the person directly,” says Gagan Agarwal, manager, indirect taxation, Essar Group. Faceto-face communication conveys emotions in a much better way.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 18-11-2011)

Five Ways To Maintain Work Life Balance



MAINTAINING A good work-life balance figures on top of most people’s agendas, but somehow, it’s one of those resolutions that never see the light of day. Separating personal life from the professional is becoming increasingly difficult. Sreeradha D Basu lists some tips to help employees strike a healthier balance between home and work.


Get Organised Time management is of the essence when it comes to maintaining worklife balance. “Spending more time in office doesn’t necessarily translate into productivity,” says UB Group senior VP (marketing) Samar Sheikhawat. “The key is to maintain discipline on the job. That includes coming on time, or possibly even a tad earlier; not taking extending coffee or lunch breaks, or whiling away time on gossip.” It’s purely about prioritisation, he adds.

List Priorities If you don’t have a good work-life balance, you can be successful but not happy. “To achieve both, it’s necessary to focus on four life quadrants: work, family, friends and self,” says TeamLease Services co-founder and senior VP Sangeeta Lala. “All four are equally important. If you focus on all these and maintain discipline, it’s more-or-less a done deal.”


Develop Interests Get interested in things other than work and make time for them. It could be something as simple as catching a movie, working out or pursuing an interest at an individual level or with friends and family. “Make sure you are allocating part of your spare time to something enjoyable. Switch off completely when you’re spending time with your family,” says TeamLease’s Lala.

Learn to Say ‘No’ Putting in that extra bit is good, but it’s equally important to know when to put your foot down and say no. “Many of us are under the impression that saying no or refusing to do something beyond what we are supposed to can be detrimental to our careers. But that’s not true. There’s no point in doing something out of a false sense of guilt or obligation. Setting boundaries is essential,” says Sheikhawat.
 

Pursue Your Calling Identify your areas of interest and do what interests you. “We often tend to take a job because there’s a certain aura around it or our peers are doing it. Instead, by taking up something that interests you, can can avoid undue stress. Work becomes much more enjoyable and you can take time to stop and smell the roses,” says Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster (India/ Middle East/ South East Asia.


Five Ways To Stunt A Child's Financial Growth



Financial knowledge isn't built into our DNA. It has to be learned. Unlike long division and gymnastics, personal finance is not properly covered in school (if covered at all). So it falls upon parents to impart financial knowledge to their children. Unfortunately it's easy to slip up and make mistakes. In this article, we'll look at five ways you may be stunting your child's financial growth.


  1. The Vow of Silence
    A lot of funding has been put into researching why kids fall into particular traps. Teen pregnancy, drug use, underage drinking and many other early problems have been traced back to a lack of communication – hence, the "if you're not teaching your kids about ____, then who is?" campaigns. A lack of financial education doesn't seem as serious as a drug addiction, but its long-term consequences are quite severe. Remaining mum on financial matters sends the message that either money is not important, or it's something to fear and never mention. Neither of these are lessons that help with the financial realities children will face as they grow up. (Learn more in What Are You Teaching Your Kids About Money?)

    If you're not willing to teach good financial habits to your children, the school system and the media are the main information sources by default. If you need motivation to take your child's financial guidance upon yourself, watch TV with your child and consciously try to spot the image of personal finance they might be getting from both the shows and the commercials they see – it is, quite frankly, terrifying.

  2. Fair-Weather Finance
    Ranking second only to remaining silent about financial matters is the tendency for people only to talk about them when things are going well. Personal finance and the financial world as a whole is not a Disney movie where cats and birds break out in spontaneous songs of joy – it is fraught with problems. It's far better to be honest about problems – late bills, flat stocks, bad decisions, etc. – and engage the family in solving them. Looking at financial matters as a problem-solving exercise for the family will also lessen the stress traditionally felt by people trying to "keep the household budget (or portfolio)" all by themselves. It will also teach your child to approach financial problems as just that – problems. Problems can be challenging, but there are always solutions if you're creatively searching for them. (The choices you make now will determine your future lifestyle, check out Starting Early With Financial Planning.)

    One of the greatest investing minds of all time, Benjamin Graham, was introduced to the world of stocks and bonds through a mistake in his family's finances. Graham's widowed mother put a significant portion of the family's savings into U.S. Steel at its overvalued peak. Graham charted the stocks decline, and that of his family's wealth, from the quotes in the newspaper. The poor performance of the stock compounded the family's woes and Graham spent many of his formative years in a struggle against poverty. This experience turned him from the common belief in investing in blue chips for the long-term and eventually led to his formulation of value investing summed up his book "The Intelligent Investor."  (For more on Graham, read The Intelligent Investor: Benjamin Graham.)

  3. The Money Tree
    "Money doesn't grow on trees," is one of those clichés that has somehow grafted itself to the national consciousness. Although we often have this gem ready when asked for cash, our actions often contradict it. Many people are inconsistent when they hand over cash to their children, whether in the form of earned allowance or a simple gift.

    Wanting to give money to your kids is natural, you want them to enjoy childhood and not feel that anything was withheld, but easy money policies can be as damaging to families as they are to world economies. Learning to earn money via an allowance given over for extra chores is a good way to introduce your child to how money is traditionally made. Small gifts of cash are also is fine as long as it's framed correctly – again, communication is key. (Discover which of these three reward techniques teaches the best lessons about money, see Use Allowances To Create Financially Sound Kids.)

    The easiest way to send a consistent message is to write out ground rules such as, "I will only pay an allowance on work beyond regular responsibilities like a clean room" or "I will never buy something on short notice in a store. Any purchases have to be talked about before going in." You can then sit down and discuss the rules with your children and adapt them as necessary. (If your siblings tend to you for money, head them off tactfully by teaching their kids about finance, read Handling Family Looking For A Handout: It's Elemental.)

  4. Birds and Bees Before Stocks and Bonds
    At what age are children ready for investing? The sooner, the better - as with investing itself. Although stocks and bonds seem daunting when you look at the pages of stock quotes or the calculations behind operating cash flow and profit margins, the basic concepts can be presented simply. Children pick up on branding quite early and the concept of one company, say Disney (NYSE:DIS), making products ranging from movies, magazines, books, video games, toys, and apparel isn't hard to grasp. Remember to try to cover all types of investments, real estate, business ownership, collectibles and so on. Although you may prefer bond investing, there's no guarantee your child will gravitate to that versus something like business ownership. You don't have to be an authority on every type of investment; eventually, your child will begin to seek out information on his or her own. Your job is to catch their interest and encourage them along. (Growing a small sum poses big challenges. Find out why and learn what you can do about it in Start Investing With Only $1,000.)

  5. Monkey See, Monkey Do
    While attempting to teach positive financial lessons to your children is laudable, the message will be drowned out if you don't practice good financial habits yourself. In many ways, the best thing you can do to help your child financially is to help yourself. Fixing your own financial weakness puts you in a better state to teach your kids about finances, and it will certainly lend authority to your words because you'll be practicing what you preach. ("Do as I say and not as I do" doesn't make for a great professional reputation, see Financial Planners: Practice What You Preach.)
Conclusion
Until a nationwide financial literacy course is instituted, you are the only teacher your child will have in the area of personal finance. It's a big responsibility, but you can make easier by communicating with your child, reinforcing good habits and following your own advice. In the era of boomerang kids, seeing your child grow into a financially independent adult is as much a financial victory as a moral one. (These simple tips will help you raise financially savvy kids, see Help Your Kids Understand Money.)
Andrew Beattie is a former managing editor and longtime contributor at Investopedia.com. He operates the Wandering Wordsmith blog, and can be reached there.



From: www.investopedia.com

Five Ways To Double Your Investment



There's something about the idea of doubling one's money on an investment that intrigues most investors. It's a badge of honour dragged out at cocktail parties, a promise made by over-zealous advisors, and a headline that frequents the cover of some of the most popular personal finance magazines. Where this fixation comes from is anyone's guess.


Perhaps it comes from deep in our investor psychology - that risk-taking part of us that loves the quick buck. Or maybe it's simply the aesthetic side of us that prefers round numbers - saying you're "up 97%" doesn't quite roll off the tongue like "I doubled my money." Fortunately, doubling your money is both a realistic goal that investors should always be moving toward, as well as something that can lure many people into impulsive investing mistakes. Here we look at the right and wrong way to invest for big returns.



The Classic Way - Earn It Slowly
Investors who have been around for a while will remember the classic Smith Barney commercial from the 1980s, where British actor John Houseman informs viewers in his unmistakable accent that they "make money the old fashioned way – they earn it." When it comes to the most traditional way of doubling your money, that commercial's not too far from reality.



Perhaps the most tested way to double your money over a reasonable amount of time is too invest in a solid, non-speculative portfolio that's diversified between blue-chip stocks and investment grade bonds. While that portfolio won't double in a year, it almost surely will eventually, thanks to the old rule of 72.



The rule of 72 is a famous shortcut for calculating how long it will take for an investment to double if its growth compounds on itself. According to the rule of 72, you divide your expected annual rate of return into 72, and that tells you how many years it takes you to double your money. (To learn more about the rule of 72, check out the answer to our frequently asked question, What is the 'rule of 72'?)



Considering that large, blue-chip stocks have returned roughly 10% over the last 100 years and investment grade bonds have returned roughly 6%, a portfolio that is divided evenly between the two should return about 8%. Dividing that expected return (8%) into 72 gives a portfolio that should double every nine years. That's not too shabby when you consider that it will quadruple after 18 years.



The Contrarian Way – Blood in the Streets
Even straight-laced, even-keeled investors know that there comes a time when you must buy - not because everyone is getting in on a good thing, but because everyone is getting out. Just like great athletes go through slumps when many fans turn their backs, the stock prices of otherwise great companies occasionally go through slumps because fickle investors head for the hills.



As Baron Rothschild (and Sir John Templeton) once said, smart investors "buy when there is blood in the streets, even if the blood is their own." Of course, these famous financiers weren't arguing that you buy garbage. Rather, they are arguing that there are times when good investments become oversold, which presents a buying opportunity for brave investors who have done their homework. (Read more on Sir John Templeton in our Greatest Investors Tutorial.)



Perhaps the most classic barometers used to gauge when a stock may be oversold is the price-to-earnings ratio and the book value for a company. Both of these measures have fairly well-established historical norms for both the broad markets and for specific industries. When companies slip well below these historical averages for superficial or systemic reasons, smart investors will smell an opportunity to double their money. (Read Buy When There's Blood In The Streets to learn more on contrarian investing.)



The Safe Way
Just like how the fast lane and the slow lane on the freeway eventually lead to the same place, there are both quick and slow ways to double your money. So for those investors who are afraid of wrapping their portfolio around a telephone pole, bonds may provide a significantly less precarious journey to the same destination.



But investors taking less risk by using bonds don't have to give up their dreams of one day proudly bragging about doubling their money. In fact, zero-coupon bonds (including classic U.S. savings bonds) can keep you in the "double your money" discussion.



For the uninitiated, zero-coupon bonds may sound intimidating. In reality, they're surprisingly simple to understand. Instead of purchasing a bond that rewards you with a regular interest payment, you buy a bond at a discount to its eventual maturity amount. For example, instead of paying $1,000 for a $1,000 bond that pays 5% per year, an investor might buy that same $1,000 for $500. As it moves closer and closer to maturity, its value slowly climbs until the bondholder is eventually repaid the face amount.



One hidden benefit that many zero-coupon bondholders love is the absence of reinvestment risk. With standard coupon bonds, there's the ongoing challenge of reinvesting the interest payments when they're received. With zero coupon bonds, which simply grow toward maturity, there's no hassle of trying to invest smaller interest rate payments or risk of falling interest rates. (Check out the Importance of Reinvestment Income and Reinvestment Risk section of our CFA Level 1 Study Guide to learn more about this concept.)



The Speculative Way
While slow and steady might work for some investors, others may find themselves falling asleep at the wheel. They crave more excitement in their portfolios and are willing to take bigger risks to earn bigger payoffs. For these folks, the fastest ways to super-size the nest egg may be the use of optionsmargin or penny stocks.



Stock options, such as simple puts and calls, can be used to speculate on any company's stock. For many investors, especially those who have their finger on the pulse of a specific industry, options can turbo-charge their portfolio's performance. Considering that each stock option potentially represents 100 shares of stock, a company's price might only need to increase a small percentage for an investor to hit one out of the park. Be careful and be sure to do your homework; options can take away wealth just as quickly as they create it.



For those who want don't want to learn the ins and outs of options but do want to leverage their faith (or doubt) about a certain stock, there's the option of buying on margin or selling a stock short. Both of these methods allow investors to essentially borrow money from a brokerage house to buy or sell more shares than they actually have, which in turn can raise their potential profits substantially. This method is not for the faint-hearted because margin calls can back your available cash into a corner, and short-selling can theoretically generate infinite losses. (Read our Margin Trading Tutorial to learn more about trading on leverage.)



Lastly, extreme bargain hunting can quickly turn your pennies into dollars. Whether you decide to roll the dice on the numerous former blue-chip companies that are now selling for less than a dollar, or you sink a few thousand dollars into the next big thing, penny stocks can double your money in a single trading day. Just remember, whether a company is selling for a dollar or a few pennies, its price reflects the fact that other investors don't see any value in paying more. (For further reading on using penny stocks to double your money, read The Lowdown On Penny StocksSpotting Sharks Among Penny Stocks and Spot Hotshot Penny Stocks.)



The Best Way to Double Your Money
While it's not nearly as fun as watching your favorite stock on the evening news, the undisputed heavyweight champ of doubling your money is that matching contribution you receive in your employer's retirement plan. It's not sexy and it won't wow the neighbors at your next block party, but getting an automatic 50 cents for every dollar you deposit is tough to beat.



Making it even better is the fact that the money going into your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan comes right off the top of what your employer reports to the IRS. For most Americans, that means that each dollar invested really only costs them 65-75 cents out of their pockets. In other words, for every 75 cents, most Americans are willing to forgo out of their paychecks, they'll have $1.50 or more added to their retirement nest egg.

Before you start complaining about how your employer doesn't have a 401(k) or how your company has cut their contribution because of the economy, don't forget that the government also "matches" some portion of the retirement contributions of taxpayers earning less than a certain amount. The Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contribution reduces your tax bill by 10-50% of what ever you contribute to a variety of retirement accounts (from 401(k)s to Roth IRAs).



If It's Too Good to Be True…
There's an old saying that if "something is too good to be true, then it probably is." That's sage advice when it comes to doubling your money, considering that there are probably far more investment scams out there than sure things. While there certainly are other ways to approach doubling your money than the ones mentioned so far, always be suspicious when you're promised results. Whether it's your broker, your brother-in-law or a late-night infomercial, take the time to make sure that someone is not using you to double their money.


Ken Clark is a Certified Financial Planner who divides his time between speaking to the employees of Fortune 500 companies on personal finance topics and writing for numerous publications and websites. Prior to focusing on writing and speaking, Clark co-managed over $100 million in client assets at a major Wall Street firm.

From: www.investopedia.com