Five Ways To Be Decisive & Focused at Workplace

EXECUTIVES HAVE to deal with a number of strategic choices on a daily basis and take decisions on various issues. However, many professionals lack the ability to take decisions and act upon them. There are ways to improve your decisionmaking skills, says Mahima Puri. 

1 Clarity of Purpose The first imperative to improve decision-making skill is to have clarity of purpose and the thought process behind it. Explains K Sudarshan, managing partner, EMA Partners India, “Be clear of what you wish to achieve through the decision and exactly how you want to go about it.” 

2 Take Calculated Risks A well-informed and competent professional is expected to take calculated risks. “Ideal circumstances do not exist in the real world. Use both experience and knowledge and weigh all your options before taking a decision,” says N S Rajan, partner and global leader – people and organization, Ernst & Young. This would also help in minimising risks. 

3 Avoid Indecision Rajan asserts that indecision may cost an organisation or a professional more than a bad decision. “If you feel there are no choices or solutions to a certain problem, it is not a problem, it’s a fact. There is no point is wasting time on facts. But if there are choices, work upon them before the time runs out.” 

4 Empower People Every decision may not be the right one. Rajan says that not only have organisations understood the need to empower people; they are also realising that professionals should be allowed to make mistakes. “There must be room for mistakes, otherwise people won’t learn. At the same time, it is also important that the manager takes a decision within the realm of the organisation's processes,” he adds. 

5 Keep People in Loop It usually helps if some colleagues and seniors are kept in the loop while taking decisions. “No body likes surprises, especially if they are not very pleasant ones. Therefore, it is advisable to keep a senior or a colleague in loop, as they may help to rectify your mistakes or improves your decisions at the right time,” says Sudarshan.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 17-08-2012)

Five Ways To Deal With Ineffective Leader

EMPLOYEES OFTEN FEEL disheartened and discouraged when reporting to a person they deem ineffective. But there are ways to work around the situation. Anumeha Chaturvedi gets some advice from HR experts. 

1 Do Due Diligence While companies usually do background checks and due diligence on employees, it is not a prerogative of companies alone. Employees should also do some research on the reporting hierarchy of the company and their immediate bosses before joining a firm. “A professional should try to assess the effectiveness of the company and their future bosses before joining a firm. They should never join a company without meeting the person they will immediately report into,” says Harshit Bhavsar, managing director of HR solutions firm Universal Hunt. 

2 Identify the Cause There are reasons why organisations appoint certain people to positions of authority and it is because these professionals possess certain traits that help the company. While professionals should be mindful of these, they should identify the reason for their boss’s ineffectiveness before escalating matters further. “Professionals should not go by assumptions. They should assess the nature of inefficiency -whether it is behavioural or technical,” says Bhavsar. 

3 Take the Lead Professionals can turn around the situation by initiating tasks and assuming ownership. They should shift their focus from personal inefficiencies to business sense. Once they start talking business and demonstrate abilities that can turn around a company, others are bound to notice them. 

4 Keep Learning Your boss’s ineffectiveness or lack of encouragement should not rob you of your personal growth. “Most companies have cross functional programmes and workshops and professionals should look for horizontal growth options by participating in these programmes that will help them gain recognition across the board,” says Bhavsar. 

5 Use Covert Means As conveying your displeasure directly to the boss can be disastrous, Dhruv Desai, senior VP, HR, and leadership academy at Angel Broking feels managers can use covert means and other indirect cues to convey the message. “Managers can describe their views as new and efficient ways of doing things to gain the trust of their bosses without sounding superior,” says Desai. They can use the 360-degree feedback systems of the company.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 14-08-2012)

Five Ways To Keep Going When Times Get Tough

IT IS DIFFICULT to keep your chin up in tough times when the increments dry up, jobs are few and far between and there’s a dearth of rewards and recognition. But having a long-term view will help in motivating yourself for a brighter future, says Shreya Biswas. 

1 Accept Reality Take the help of a friend or spouse to acknowledge the changed situation, in this case, the slowdown. “The simple act of stating that the market is tough and that it can and perhaps will affect you is the first step,” says Muralidhar Rao, chief executive, Future Learning. 

2 Think Long Term Present yourself and your teammembers a long-term scenario. Tell them that things will turn around. “Keep your optimism up and see what is coming through,” says K Sudarshan, managing partner at EMA Partners International. 

3 List Implications A slowdown hurts no matter where you are on the organisational ladder. It is important to list the implications of the situation and to ensure that they are as vivid and specific as possible but remember these are not pronouncements about your future. 

4 Shed Old Beliefs It is an excellent time to shed some excess baggage and beliefs. “The foremost is the assumption that you are automatically entitled to an increase in earnings year-on-year over your entire career span.“The situation is a good time to get back to focusing on your performance. That is the best job security that you can create for yourself,” says Rao. 

5 Identify Opportunities 

This is perhaps the most difficult but the most productive thing to do. Do not attempt this till you have gone through the steps mentioned above. Identify possible shifts in roles and pick courses that you can do. “This will come in handy when things turn around and can even help in bagging a new role in your existing company,” says Sudarshan.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 10-08-2012)

Five Ways To Serve Your Notice Period Responsibly

PUTTING IN YOUR papers doesn’t mean that your responsibilities are over. Remember, not fulfilling your duties properly creates a bad impression. Sreeradha D Basu tells you what to keep in mind during the notice period. 

1 Don’t Be Casual Just because you are serving your notice period, don’t treat it flippantly. “Remember, you still aren’t exempted from the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of to the company,” says Sudhir Dhar, senior VP -HR, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. 

2 Hand Over Your Work Work half-done is equal to work not done. Advises Sudhir Dhar: “It is very important from the individual and team point of view that the employee on notice period gives a thorough handover to the new person.” 

3 Share Contact Details “It makes sense to share your contact details with your colleagues. You never know when it can come in handy,” says K Bansal, who recently joined a consulting firm after a six-year stint at his last one. 

4 No Badmouthing Don’t spread negativity if you were dissatisfied. “One should not start talking negatively about the company,” warns Motilal Oswal’s Dhar. 

5 Don’t Be Critical No matter how tempting it may be to vent your frustrations about the organisation, don’t do that during the exit interview. Steer clear of raking up any controversy.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 07-08-2012)

Is Your Leadership Showing?

You're the CEO of your company. But do you look and act like a leader? Here are five ways to get started.

For leaders, it’s a bit different. How do you show that you’re leading? Here are five competencies that good leaders demonstrate. They are related to one another, and each is framed with a question to help you think about opportunities to display leadership.Most members of a team know when they’re doing their work well. They often have a particular area of expertise, and they have deadlines and deliverables. 

1. Visibility

We know that leaders need to be seen by followers--from formal presentations and announcements, to a crisis, to simple “managing by walking around.”  The less-obvious occasions, however, are easily overlooked. They can be lost opportunities, or powerful expressions of leadership.

As a leader, when do you feel out of your comfort zone? Maybe it’s when you have to deliver bad or unpopular news, or mediate a conflict between direct reports, or perform a necessary task that you just don’t like. One CEO client told me that he found it hard to celebrate the “small to medium wins” that his team wanted acknowledged. He considered these victories just part of doing business. His solution was to ask his executives to publicize accomplishments up to a certain level, allowing him to save his praise for the really big achievements.

Ask yourself, “How am I visible to others when I don’t want to be?” The answer is not to pretend to like being visible--far from it. Instead, ask yourself this question prior to an uncomfortable event, and use it to help you prepare. Consider some behavioral options, and put yourself in a different mental space. Then you’ll be able to be visible in a more productive, less stressful manner.

2. Preparation

Many leaders are great at preparing the logistics of leadership (the facts and figures in a plan, or the pitch for a presentation). Too many leaders, however, don’t prepare regularly for the deeper daily requirements of leadership. This is a shame, because most leaders face complex challenges, relentless claims on their time, and increasing pressures to deliver on goals over which they don’t have direct control. A bit of regular preparation goes a long way.

Just as athletic activities involve physical, mental, and emotional energies, leadership is a “whole-body practice” and requires preparation of the whole person. The next time you are running through your checklist prior to a leadership event, ask yourself, “How have I prepared my whole self for this?”

3. Comfort

This is closely related to preparation, because leadership discomfort is greatly enhanced by a lack of preparation. In order to be more comfortable as a leader and to appear that way to other people, you need to practice (which is simple preparation repeated).  By “comfortable,” I don’t mean perpetually happy or even relaxed--I mean groundedin your complete embodiment of leadership.

Ask yourself, “How do I display that I am comfortable with the responsibilities and demands of leadership?” Look for nagging doubts in the back of your mind; or instincts that need to be surfaced around what you feel should be happening instead of what is happening, or that feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach about an issue not faced. This is valuable data, and if you do not address your lack of grounding and comfort, others will certainly sense it for you.

4. Listening

One reason that modern leadership is hard is because an effective modern leader must listen to others. Though few people manage to do it, this may be one of the easiest competencies to demonstrate--provided you can resist the urge to talk.

Ask yourself, “What one thing can I tell myself as a reminder to listen more?” It’s vitally important that you think up an effective cue. If you can’t come up with one, that in itself could indicate a deeper internal misalignment.

5. Blend

This list started with visibility. When the opposite is required, a leader must blend in. Otherwise, he or she risks drawing attention away from the people and issues at hand. When you pull back, it makes it easier for other people to bring you hard problems, bad news, and perspectives that challenge the status quo. 

As a leader, it’s not all about you. The clearest way to demonstrate this is to find the right moments to step out of the spotlight so that other people get the attention they need. Ask yourself, “When necessary, how do I lower the volume of my leadership presence?”

Though leadership can be hard to demonstrate at times, regularly questioning how you embody your role will serve your leadership well.

Brian Evje: Brian is a management consultant with the organizational effectiveness practice of Slalom Consulting and an advisory board member ofAstia, a global not-for-profit dedicated to increasing women's participation in high-growth businesses.

Original Link: http://www.inc.com/brian-evje/is-your-leadership-showing.html