The 25 most difficult questions you'll be asked on a job interview

The 25 most difficult questions you'll be asked on a job interview
Being prepared is half the battle.

If you are one of those executive types unhappy at your present post and embarking on a New Year's resolution to find a new one, here's a helping hand. The job interview is considered to be the most critical aspect of every expedition that brings you face-to- face with the future boss. One must prepare for it with the same tenacity and quickness as one does for a fencing tournament or a chess match.

1. Tell me about yourself.
   
   Since this is often the opening question in an interview, be extracareful that you don't run off at the mouth. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up question. Don't waste your best points on it.


2. What do you know about our organization?
   
   You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems, management style, people, history and philosophy. But don't act as if you know everything about the place. Let your answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but don't overwhelm the interviewer, and make it clear that you wish to learn more.
   
   You might start your answer in this manner: "In my job search, I've investigated a number of companies.
   
   Yours is one of the few that interests me, for these reasons..."
   
   Give your answer a positive tone. Don't say, "Well, everyone tells me that you're in all sorts of trouble, and that's why I'm here", even if that is why you're there.


3. Why do you want to work for us?
   
   The deadliest answer you can give is "Because I like people." What else would you like-animals?
   
   Here, and throughout the interview, a good answer comes from having done your homework so that you can speak in terms of the company's needs. You might say that your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved with, and that it's doing them in ways that greatly interest you. For example, if the organization is known for strong management, your answer should mention that fact and show that you would like to be a part of that team. If the company places a great deal of emphasis on research and development, emphasize the fact that you want to create new things and that you know this is a place in which such activity is encouraged. If the organization stresses financial controls, your answer should mention a reverence for numbers.
   
   If you feel that you have to concoct an answer to this question - if, for example, the company stresses research, and you feel that you should mention it even though it really doesn't interest you- then you probably should not be taking that interview, because you probably shouldn't be considering a job with that organization.
   
   Your homework should include learning enough about the company to avoid approaching places where you wouldn't be able -or wouldn't want- to function. Since most of us are poor liars, it's difficult to con anyone in an interview. But even if you should succeed at it, your prize is a job you don't really want.


4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?
   
   Here you have every right, and perhaps an obligation, to toot your own horn and be a bit egotistical. Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list of career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and energy to solve them.


5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it?
   
   List three or four attractive factors of the job, and mention a single, minor, unattractive item.


6. Why should we hire you?
   
   Create your answer by thinking in terms of your ability, your experience, and your energy. (See question 4.)


7. What do you look for in a job?
   
   Keep your answer oriented to opportunities at this organization. Talk about your desire to perform and be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer oriented toward opportunity rather than personal security.


8. Please give me your defintion of [the position for which you are being interviewed].
   
   Keep your answer brief and taskoriented. Think in in terms of responsibilities and accountability. Make sure that you really do understand what the position involves before you attempt an answer. If you are not certain. ask the interviewer; he or she may answer the question for you.


9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
   
   Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to meet pressing demands and pull your own weight from the first day, it might take six months to a year before you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution.


10. How long would you stay with us?
    
    Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with any organization. Think in terms of, "As long as we both feel achievement-oriented."


11. Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position. What's Your opinion?
    
    Emphasize your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that you assume that if you perform well in his job, new opportunities will open up for you. Mention that a strong company needs a strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a premium. Suggest that since you are so wellqualified, the employer will get a fast return on his investment. Say that a growing, energetic company can never have too much talent.


12. What is your management style?
    
    You should know enough about the company's style to know that your management style will complement it. Possible styles include: task oriented (I'll enjoy problem-solving identifying what's wrong, choosing a solution and implementing it"), results-oriented ("Every management decision I make is determined by how it will affect the bottom line"), or even paternalistic ("I'm committed to taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction").
    
    A participative style is currently quite popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility.
    
    As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work hatppily and effectively within the organization.


13. Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples? Do you feel that you have top managerial potential?
    
    Keep your answer achievementand ask-oriented. Rely on examples from your career to buttress your argument. Stress your experience and your energy.


14. What do you look for when You hire people?
    
    Think in terms of skills. initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in the organization.


15. Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and how did you handle the situation?
    
    Admit that the situation was not easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you think, for the individual. Show that, like anyone else, you don't enjoy unpleasant tasks but that you can resolve them efficiently and -in the case of firing someone- humanely.


16. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or executive?
    
    Mention planning, execution, and cost-control. The most difficult task is to motivate and manage employess to get something planned and completed on time and within the budget.


17. What important trends do you see in our industry?
    
    Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might consider technological challenges or opportunities, economic conditions, or even regulatory demands as you collect your thoughts about the direction in which your business is heading.


18. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job?
    
    Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. where you considered this topic as you set your reference statements. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts.
    
    The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it is clear that you were terminated. The "We agreed to disagree" approach may be useful. Remember hat your references are likely to be checked, so don't concoct a story for an interview.


19. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits to find a new job?
    
    Mention that you are concerned, naturally, but not panicked. You are willing to accept some risk to find the right job for yourself. Don't suggest that security might interest you more than getting the job done successfully.


20. In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you like the most? The least?
    
    Be careful and be positive. Describe more features that you liked than disliked. Don't cite personality problems. If you make your last job sound terrible, an interviewer may wonder why you remained there until now.


21. What do you think of your boss?
    
    Be as positive as you can. A potential boss is likely to wonder if you might talk about him in similar terms at some point in the future.


22. Why aren't you earning more at your age?
    
    Say that this is one reason that you are conducting this job search. Don't be defensive.


23. What do you feel this position should pay?
    
    Salary is a delicate topic. We suggest that you defer tying yourself to a precise figure for as long as you can do so politely. You might say, "I understand that the range for this job is between $______ and $______. That seems appropriate for the job as I understand it." You might answer the question with a question: "Perhaps you can help me on this one. Can you tell me if there is a range for similar jobs in the organization?"
    
    If you are asked the question during an initial screening interview, you might say that you feel you need to know more about the position's responsibilities before you could give a meaningful answer to that question. Here, too, either by asking the interviewer or search executive (if one is involved), or in research done as part of your homework, you can try to find out whether there is a salary grade attached to the job. If there is, and if you can live with it, say that the range seems right to you.
    
    If the interviewer continues to probe, you might say, "You know that I'm making $______ now. Like everyone else, I'd like to improve on that figure, but my major interest is with the job itself." Remember that the act of taking a new job does not, in and of itself, make you worth more money.
    
    If a search firm is involved, your contact there may be able to help with the salary question. He or she may even be able to run interference for you. If, for instance, he tells you what the position pays, and you tell him that you are earning that amount now and would Like to do a bit better, he might go back to the employer and propose that you be offered an additional 10%.
    
    If no price range is attached to the job, and the interviewer continues to press the subject, then you will have to restpond with a number. You cannot leave the impression that it does not really matter, that you'll accept whatever is offered. If you've been making $80,000 a year, you can't say that a $35,000 figure would be fine without sounding as if you've given up on yourself. (If you are making a radical career change, however, this kind of disparity may be more reasonable and understandable.)
    
    Don't sell yourself short, but continue to stress the fact that the job itself is the most important thing in your mind. The interviewer may be trying to determine just how much you want the job. Don't leave the impression that money is the only thing that is important to you. Link questions of salary to the work itself.
    
    But whenever possible, say as little as you can about salary until you reach the "final" stage of the interview process. At that point, you know that the company is genuinely interested in you and that it is likely to be flexible in salary negotiations.


24. What are your long-range goals?
    
    Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. Don't answer, "I want the job you've advertised." Relate your goals to the company you are interviewing: 'in a firm like yours, I would like to..."


25. How successful do you you've been so far?
    
    Say that, all-in-all, you're happy with the way your career has progressed so far. Given the normal ups and downs of life, you feel that you've done quite well and have no complaints.
    
    Present a positive and confident picture of yourself, but don't overstate your case. An answer like, "Everything's wonderful! I can't think of a time when things were going better! I'm overjoyed!" is likely to make an interviewer wonder whether you're trying to fool him . . . or yourself. The most convincing confidence is usually quiet confidence.

Body language at work

Body language at work

A person need not always has to speak to convey your feelings. Most of the time person’s body gestures are doing the talking which is even mentioned by cricket commentators while the game is going. While verbal communication has its own impact, it’s the gestures and involuntary movements of body parts or non-verbal communication that convey the strongest messages. The person or persons receiving the communication remember the body gestures (language) more than words. It is true as concluded by many experts in the field.

This is the reason why it is very important to have the right body language when you plan to make an impression or do not wish to be interpreted wrongly in an office environment.

It gives them an insight into the confidence or discomfort of the person communicating. It tells them about how much the person believes in what he is saying and whether he wants to be offensive, defensive or a partner.

What is conveyed through gestures is important because people who don’t know the communicator very well are likely to misinterpret the silent messages the body sends out. That’s why it helps to be aware of and control one’s hand and eye movements and facial expressions.

Facial expressions reflect emotional side – a smile on the face with some relevant content is an effective weapon.

Here are some tips to train your body to- give the right message:

What you say and how you say is important. Conviction and depth in voice assures one’s determination and interest in the subject.

Be confident and relaxed in an office meeting. However, don’t appear to be too relaxed as it gives the impression that you are not interested in what’s going on.

If you are in an interview and want to talk about your achievements, look your interviewer in the eye while talking otherwise the interviewer may doubt your claims.

In prolonged meetings, make sure that your body language doesn’t convey your is like of boredom with the proceedings.

Greet your interviewer or a prospective client with a firm handshake. Limp and clammy hands convey your nervousness.

If you are in a meeting and the other person gets a call, try and look away or appear busy as it gives her a sense of privacy. But do not ask if you should go out of the room.

Beware of using too many hand gestures as they lead people to believe that you are angry or are getting aggressive.

An assertive behavior, go-getter tactics and pleasant appearance is always preferred over a blunt looking, difficult to figure out behavior.

Body Language

Interestingly, while words or verbal communication have their own impact, it’s the gestures and involuntarily movements of body parts i.e. non-verbal communication that conveys the strongest of messages.

Hence, social scientists have given great impetus on understanding body language of people to know exactly their state of mind. In a corporate set up too, HR managers are being trained in grasping the subtle messages that prospective recruits as well as existing employees convey through their hand and body movements.

Even a simple observation as to how a person sits in a chair can convey a lot about his or her personality. Understanding this can help HR managers identify whether the person is right for a particular job or not.

According to studies done by psychologists, over 90% of the communication is done through body language only.

Almost all interviews give importance to body language in evaluating candidature. Some interpretations of body language are ads follows:

• An erect walk conveys confidence.
• Raising eyebrows means probing/interest.
• Tilted head signifies doubt.
• Touching nose with a finger conveys doubt.
• Biting nails is a sign of nervousness.
• Folded hands are a sign of defensiveness.
• Hands in the pockets mean dejection.
• Hands on hips while standing shows aggression.
• Legs crossed while sitting signifies boredom.
• Legs apart while sitting shows you are open.

Psychologists state that when it comes to expressing feeling: 55% of the communication-n consists of body language; 38 % is expressed through tone of voice and only; 7% is communicated through words.

That means we express 93% of our feelings in a non-verbal way. A solid reason to mind the way we gesticulate.

Resume for a job

Resume for a job

While one page resumes are surely nice to see, they are not always a rule. Once you’ve had one or two jobs, coupled with your credentials, education, professional affiliations, and so on, you’re easily on two pages. This is perfectly acceptable and very much the norm.

While you succeed in cramming more content in less space, you’re compromising on the readability of your resume and overloading the reader with too much information. If you have trouble reading your own resume, recruiters too will. A 12 – point type size and a one-inch margin all around is the norm. For extra space, you can slightly reduce the top and bottom margins or reduce the volume of information but never reduce type size or font.

Just about any resume even one used with success before can benefit from careful scrutiny and periodic revision. Your resume mirrors your career graph and should evolve as you do. In addition to acquiring new skills, experiences, and accomplishments, you may have shifted in your professional focus or interests. Perhaps you have gained insights into what employers are really looking for in your line of work.

Above all, your resume should be revised so that it is tailored to the employer who will receive it. Even if you have little to add in the way of content, you can always improve your resume by refocusing it on the specifics of the position you are seeking, and by strengthening its wording and overall appearance.

Objectives are fast becoming a thing of the past. Why? Because everyone’s objective says almost the same thing: "Looking for a position where I can use all my skills and experience in a challenging environment with opportunities for advancement where I can deliver high quality work"?. The sentence is vague and meaningless. And even if you provide specifics, you will need to modify your resume every time you look for another type of job. Mention your particular interests in your cover letter instead.

This is another interesting item that many of us seem to be attached to. In truth, if prospective employers want references, they will ask. Usually, it is understood that you will have references, which you will provide if asked. Eliminate it as a way to un-clutter your resume.

Don’t let misconceptions come in between your resume and your next important job opportunity. Much of resume writing style is based on hearsay rather than expert advice.

Overcoming Office irritations

Overcoming Office irritations

Employees of some companies have to face unfortunate situations to be working in a company where on the pretence of providing a better work life, all the employer does is serve a birthday cake or allows a 15 minute break in the recreation room daily.

Well, practices may not be bad, but they will definitely not turn ones workplace a place where one wants to be for a long time. If one loves what he is doing and want to continue in the same place for a long time, then here are few things one can try to make to be happy at work.

An employee must get himself assigned to a project. He can go to his boss and suggest a project of his interest and which will further enhance company’s progress as well. If one loves talking to people, a research project can be suggested.

An employee can tell the employer that to keep ahead of competitors he wants to do research and find out the need of customers and solution to solve their problems. This will give a chance to step out and speak to people and the employee can interact with people on line or simply get busy on the telephone or go and meet them.

Sometimes it is just not the day when one feels like going to work. If that’s the case and if ones work permits then all one has to do is work from home. Do the work in the same fashion as watching TV or play with ones child and send in reports twice in a day. If ones boss resists, explain that this style of working is helping him get the work done efficiently and could not attend work because of minor health problem.

Jump into multi tasking: If one does not like some aspects of his job, then he can try to find out if one can exchange his assignments with a colleague with mutual consent and employer’s permission. Weakness of an individual can be someone else’s strength and vice-a-versa. By exchanging job assignments the work is done efficiently while both the colleague and the employer can be happy with the results.

An individual’s colleagues at work must know that he enjoys listening to others and likes to help them. One will find that there are many at his workplace who will appreciate an ear where they can unburden their worries and take a breather. This will enable him to get a whole hearted cooperation from all his colleagues at the work place and he can discharge his duties not only successfully but much faster.

One never knows but he may end up making a close friend in the deal and find himself enjoying at work. Take the newfound friend to lunch or catch up for a drink after work. This will help one unwind and relax.

Change work environment makes an employee feel more like home and he will enjoy working at his desk or cubicle for eight hours. Adding colors, pictures or favorite items to work-desk energize him and give positive vibes, helping to do the job to the best of ones ability.

And, if after doing all this one is still unhappy at work maybe it’s time to look for a new job.

Changing a job is possible up to certain age and beyond that companies may not be in a position to absorb experienced people until and unless they are being considered for a top management positions. If a senior person is having professional reputation he can soung a few consultants indicating his desire to change that too it becomes essential. Otherwise a senior management person must have the art of getting along under all circumstances in the work environment. Otherwise he would not have reached that position at all. The organization under normal circumstances would not like to lose any top level person say a General Manager or Executive director. But for the junior and middle management cadres we have suggested tackiling the problems in the above paragraphs.

HR managers need to be better performers

HR managers need to be better performers

It may sound a bit ironic. Indian managers may be high performers in their area of expertise but the performances of the people who manage them leave much to be desired for. That in short is the synopsis of a recent survey conducted by global management consultancy firm.

In the firm’s High Performance Work Force study 2007, conducted by interviewing 40 Indian CEO and Human Relation (HR) department heads, the majority of the executives cited that HR is their most critical workforce (Globally, HR is ranked No. 7 in the pecking order of importance).

However, there was deep dissatisfaction with HR’s performance. In an adequacy vs expectations survey across different workforce like sales, manufacturing, R&D, HR, etc HR performed the worst. The study pointed out that CEOs believed that there is a huge gap between the potential and actual achievement by their HR function.

The survey sought executive insights in three broad areas – most important factors in achieving high performances and how their companies are addressing these factors, the importance of various workforces to company’s success and their performances and the extent to which the HR function is supporting the company’s key workforces and positioning them for success.

The executives in the study came from diverse industries like steel, construction, engineering to finance and entertainment.

In India, both old and new economy companies are trying to fish in the same pond, creating severe talent crunch.

As new economy companies continue to attract talented people in droves, old economy companies such as those in steel, power generation and manufacturing appeared to be better prepared to deal with talent issues. These companies are more willing to use “appropriate metrics” to track HR and over workforce performance.

In what could be particularly worrisome, the middle management level was found to be unhappy with how organizations treat them. The amount of effort in retention and leadership development at this level is just not good enough.

As companies often get their next generation of leaders from this level, the study found that the HR department needed to do much more as executives in this level are at a critical point of their career. The study found that it is a situation that should be troubling not only for HR leaders themselves, but for the executives as a whole.

Advertising as entertainment

Advertising as entertainment

The advertiser’s role is to determine the communication objectives. These have to be in line with the overall organizational goals and strategy.

The advertiser’s goals and strategy are influenced by the government policy. It may even sponsor news or films made by the corporate sector on television. Hence government rules and regulations and electronic media (T.V., Video, Cable T.V. Radio etc.) policies play a dominant role in advertiser’s decision-making.

The advertiser is facilitated by advertising agencies and media in translating its goals into action. Marketing research in turn assists all these institution, i.e. the advertiser agencies and the media. Within the advertiser’s organization, it’s the product managers, or the brand managers (as in soft drinks and personal products) whose task is to coordinate between the advertising agencies and the organization. In fact, in many of the multinational and large Indian firms, a product manager or brand manager is a strategist and it’s his or her responsibility to develop communication goals for the product or brand and evolve a marketing plan and strategy for it. The advertising campaign, which is a part of this overall marketing strategy, is often decided by the product managers.

While all large advertisers depend on advertising agencies to develop the campaign, smaller advertisers, has to depend on its own internal resources or take the services of freelance advertising personnel.

For generations, advertising interrupted the entertainment that one wanted to read, hear or watch. Now, in a turnabout, advertising is in increasingly being presented as entertainment and surprisingly the idea of all ads all the time is gaining some favor.

One reason is proliferation of broadband internet connections, which make it easier for computer users to watch or downloads clips. That is enabling media companies, agencies and advertisers to create sites devoted to commercials and other forms of advertising for amusements, rather than hard core huckstering.

Oddly, the trend runs counter to another powerful impulse among consumers: the growing desire to avoid advertising. TV viewers, for instance are spending billions of dollars a year for TiVo and other digital video recorders that help them zip through or zap commercials, and click through rates for banner web ads are declining.

The difference between ‘watching a commercial’ on a website and in ones living room is that online is “an opt-in audience” and he/she is choosing to be there. It’s the nature of the web to offer a destination one can go to and know what he is going to see.

There’s certainly an audience for entertainment as part of the offering. The numbers seem to support it. For example, veryfunnyads.com, a broadband website operated by the TBS cable network has delivered over 63 million video since its introduction a few months ago.

It’s a very straightforward premise: The viewer is going to have a funny experience, and going to have it every 30 seconds. The funny-ad website is part of a re-branding campaign for the TBS network, which carries the theme “Very funny”. The goal is to cultivate an identity for TBS as a home for sitcoms and humorous movies.

A lot of people talk about zipping through commercials because the average break doesn’t hold the promise of being entertaining.

Putting choice on the table, changes the whole game. Everything is about control. If an ad is interesting the viewer will have the conversation with the brand. If it’s not, it’s a waste of time.

The concept as MTV meets QVC, offering consumers in the intended audience of ages 18-30 product information in the form of entertaining video clips rather than traditional commercials. The clips are to run 2-3 minutes apiece and be presented by hosts considered authorities like cars, clothing or computers.

The only reason of any chance of being successful is transparency. If people know they’re being sold to, you can celebrate the sell. The USA Network unit of NBC Universal, part of General Electric also intends to climb aboard the pitch wagon celebrating advertising as entertainment with an online effort centered on brand centric content. Plans calls for a website next year that will include commercials and movie trailers as well as features like social networking and tools to let visitors make ads of their own. Consumers want to be entertained on their own time, on their own terms.

Value to the customer

Value to the customer

There is the most difficult question: “what does the customer consider value / what does he look for when he buys the product?”

Traditional economic theory has answered this question with the one word: price. But this is misleading to be sure there are few products in which prices are not one of the major considerations. But first ‘price’ is not a simple concept.

For a fuse box and switch box manufacturer; his customers, the contractors, are extremely price conscious. Since all the boxes they buy carry a quality guarantee accepted by the trade as well as by building inspectors and consumers, they make few quality distinctions between brands, but shop around for the cheapest product. But to read “cheap” as meaning lowest manufacturer’s price would be a serious mistake. On the contrary, “cheap” for the contractor means a product that has a fairly high manufacturer’s price: a product that (a) cost the least money finally installed in the home(b) achieves this low ultimate cost by requiring a minimum of time and skill for installation, and© has a high manufacturer’s cost to give the contractor a good profit. Wages for skilled electrical labor being very high, low installation costs go a very long way to offset high manufacturer’s price. Furthermore under the billing tradition of the trade, the contractor makes a little money out of the labor required for installation. If he is not his own skilled worker, he bills his customer for little more than his actual wage costs. He makes his profit traditionally by charging double the manufacturers price for the product he installs. That product that will give him the lowest cost to the home owner with the lowest installation cost and the highest mark-up on the product that is, the highest manufacturer’s price is therefore the cheapest to him. And if price is value, then high manufacturer’s price is better value for the electrical contractor.

This may appear to be a complicated price structure. In the American automobile industry, where most new cars are sold in trade against a used car, the “price” is actually a constantly shifting configuration of differentials between the manufacturer’s price for a new car, a second hand and third hand used car, a third hand and fourth hand used car, and so on. And the whole is complicated on the one hand by constantly changing differentials between the amount a dealer will allow on a used car and the price he will ask for it, and on the other hand by the differences in running costs between various makes and sizes. Only advanced mathematics can actually calculate the real automobile “price.”

And, secondly, price is only a part of value. There is the whole range of quality considerations: durability, freedom from break down, the maker’s standing, purity, and etc. high price may actually be value- as in expensive perfumes, expensive furs or exclusive gowns. Finally, what about such concepts of value on the part of the customer as the service he receives? There is little doubt, for instance, that the American housewife today buys appliances largely on the basis of the service experience she or her friends and neighbors have had with other appliances sold under the same brand name. The speed with which she can obtain service, if something goes wrong, the quality of the service and its cost have become major determinations in the buyer decision.

Indeed, what the customer considers value is so complicated that it can only be answered by the customer himself. Management should not even try to guess at it. It should always go to the customer in a systematic quest for the answer.

Who is the customer?

Who is the customer?

The first step towards finding out what our business is to raise the question “who is the customer?” – The actual customer and the potential customer? Where is he? How does he buy? How can he be reached?

One of the companies that had come into existence during the World War- ll decided after the war to go into the production of fuse boxes and switch boxes for residential use. Immediately it had to decide whether its customer should be the electric contractor and builder or the homeowner making his own electric installations and repairs. To reach the first would be a major effort at building a distributive organization; the homeowner could be reached through mail-order catalogues and retail stores of such existing distributive organizations as Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward.

Having decided in favor of the electrical contractor as the larger as well as more stable (though the more difficult and much more competitive) market, the company had to decide where the customer was. This innocent sounding question required major analysis of population and market trends. In fact, to go by past experience would have meant disaster to the company. It would have led them to look for their customer in the big cities and the postwar housing boom was primarily sub-urban. That the company foresaw this and built a marketing organization centering in the suburbs unprecedented in the industry was the first major reason for its success.

The question “how does the customer buy?” was fairly easy to answer in this case: the electrical contractor buys through specialty wholesalers. But the question of how best to reach him was hard indeed. Even after almost ten years of operations the company is still undecided and is still trying out various methods such as salesmen or manufacturer’s agents. It has tried to sell direct to the contractors by mail or out of central sales warehouses of its own. It has tried something never attempted before in the industry: to advertise its product directly to the public so as to build up ultimate consumer demand. These experiments have been successful enough to warrant the suspicion that the first supplier who finds a way around the traditional wholesaling organization of the industry with its high distributive expenses will sweep the market.

The next question is: “what does the customer buy? The Cadillac people say that they make an automobile and their business is the Cadillac Motor Division of General Motors. But the question is whether a man spends five or six thousand dollars on a new Cadillac for his transportation or he is buying primarily prestige. The Cadillac in other words cannot compete with the Chevrolet and the Ford on cost; it may also not compete to take an extreme example with diamonds and mink coats.

Marketers must know their customers. And in order to know the customer the company must collect information and store it in a database and do database marketing. Database marketing is the process of building maintaining and using customer database and other databases (products, suppliers, resellers) for the purpose of contacting, transacting, and building customer relationships.

Ideally, a business database would contain business customers’ past purchases; past volumes, prices, and profits; buyer team member names (and ages, birthdays, hobbies, and favorite foods); status of current contracts; an estimate of the supplier’s share of the customer’s business: competitive suppliers: assessment of competitive strengths and weaknesses in selling and servicing the account; and relevant buying practices, patterns, and policies. For example, a Latin American unit of the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis keeps data on 100,000 of Argentina’s farmers, knows their crop protection chemical purchases, groups them by value, and treats each group differently. A customer database is an organized collection of comprehensive information about individual customers or prospects that is current, accessible, and actionable for such marketing purposes as lead generation qualification; sale of a product or service, or maintenance of the customer relationships

Flow of communications in an organization

Flow of communications in an organization

Three types of communications in an organization can be classified by their flow: vertical, horizontal and informal. In directing activities of subordinates, the manager issues orders to others further down in the hierarchy. Organization charts show the flow of authority and the channels through which this downward, vertical communication flows. Authority lines are important channels of communication but they comprise only one type of channel. Control reports and memoranda flow back up through the levels of the hierarchy as subordinates are made accountable for their actions. This upward vertical flow of communications is the heart of a control system.

Horizontal channels provide means by which managers on the same level of an organization coordinate their activities without referring all matters to their superior. Such communication is sarcastically named as a “gang plank”. Because many matters can be handled at the same level of an organization by direct mutual interaction instead of a formal communication thereby speeding action while at the same time relieving superiors of unnecessary problems. Multiple copies of memoranda that flow to all positions needing the information increase coordination of effort.

Formal communications are planned to meet the specific needs of the organization; however, many communication are informal. The grapevine may be helpful for the attainment of organizational goals, but it also serves the social needs of the individuals in the organization. A manager can utilize the grapevine as a positive aid, but may also face problems of rumors, gossip, and other negative outlets of expressions by people in the organization. The grapevine cannot be destroyed; therefore, it should receive conscious attention. Informal channels may be superior for some organizational purposes. A “word” can be dropped at the proper time and may remedy a disciplinary problem without resort to a formal reprimand. Because the speed at which information flows through a grapevine is often astounding, management must seriously consider this third type of communication.

Communication may be viewed as a pattern of interconnecting lines, referred to as networks. Researchers have experimented with various structural patterns of communications in small groups.

Overloading of communication channels can cause the network to be jammed with irrelevant messages. Newer methods of processing and transmitting data have increased the number of communications which flow to executives. Managers can literally be buried in memoranda and reports with no hope of digging themselves out. The answer to this problem lies in monitoring the channels to clear messages in order of priority and importance. More messages do not necessarily mean more information. The communication system should provide for editing devices, or persons, to regulate the quality and quantity of communication with regard to sufficiency of information for decision centers.

Timing of communications can result in problems for management. Some types of messages need to be released so that everyone will receive them simultaneously. Other types of messages being transmitted should be timed sequentially so that receivers will not be confused by issues that are not important to them at the moment.

Routing of communications should provide sufficient information for a decision to be made by the proper persons. The route may determine the content of the message and the language in which it is stated. If official information is first received by the grapevine, or from persons outside the organization, the employee may be placed in an insecure position. If a supervisor receives information from subordinates, it signifies a short circuit in the line of communication from top management, and thus threatens the supervisor’s status and authority. The answers to the problem are in the proper planning of a communication system and in the recognition of its human elements.

Determination of the flow of communication and recognition of the many barriers to good communication is basic to the communicating function. Communication networks, communication channels, and barriers to communication must continually receive attention.

Living to Work or Working to Live?

Living to Work or Working to Live?

This is a question that most professional managers end up asking themselves somewhere along their careers. Of course, there are no easy answers but it may be illuminative to take a look at some of the responses to this question that thinkers have come up with in recent times as also in the past.

Modern economists try to seek answers to the question through a framework of a theory of market forces and Game Theory and while this ends up including the issue of mate selection and marriage as well, the primary focus is on the market factors that regulate the trade-off between work and leisure. The basic model is known as the backward bending supply curve of labor.

This approach leads to the conclusion that as a particular society or economy develops, more and more people spend more time on leisure, or, in other words they can be said to be working to live than living to work in such societies.
Statistical studies seem to bear this out, or at any rate, the researchers who did the studies claim that they do so. For example, a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, January, 2006, found that over the period 1965 to 2003 leisure for men increased 6-8 hours a week while for women the increase was 4-8 hours a week which translates into 5 to 10 weeks of additional vacation per year assuming a 40 hour week.

Similarly, a separate study (the results are not exactly comparable but captures the trend) in 2006 by the Leisure Economics Research Center of the People’s University, Beijing found that over the past 20 years, leisure had increased by about 5 hours a week for men while for women the increase was more at 6-7 hours a week.

In India, the reverse seems to be happening. More and more people seem to be spending more time at the office, less time with their families, less time for vacations and less time for themselves. While this may be true for certain sectors of the economy, which may be intrinsically more stressful, any overall study of work and leisure across the entire Indian population may show that the Indian economy too confirms to this direct correlation between development and leisure. Other indirect measures captured by the human development index would suggest that this is so.
Be that as it may, modern companies recognize the issue as a management problem that should be addressed. And what better way to address it but try and blur the distinction between leisure and work? Concepts such as “work as fun” cover many types of activities that managements, leaders and HR managers can adopt to help reduce the existential angst that day to day stress generates in most employees.

The so-called “casualization” of the workplace, in terms of dress code – more formal wear giving way to less formal wear, behavioral norms – superiors trying to be more accessible than in the past, etiquette – more informal ways of interacting with colleagues, has been a direct result of conscious attempts to blur the distinction between work and leisure.

Many new age organizations relying heavily on information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been able to introduce flexi-timings and grant employees the freedom to work from anywhere including from home. This again tends to blur the distinction between work and leisure.

To most employees, however, it always seems as if the owner of the business can have all the leisure while employees do all the work. The ownership issue is certainly important. Many companies, therefore, have an employee stock ownership plan which seeks to address this as well, to the extent possible!

Whichever way we may look at it, in modern day meritocracy there is no escaping from this existential angst.

Ultimately, it is a matter of individual circumstances and choice: how much leisure can you afford now in the trade-off between work and leisure? It may always be more prudent to get back to work now and think of leisure later, especially now that you have finished reading this article at leisure!

Types of communication problems

Types of communication problems

Many writers do not identify the communicating functions as a separate managerial process; all emphasize controlling a distinguishable function. In this article we are discussing the communicating functions because they are, in fact, closely related. Both distinguishable function and communicating function are also closely related to the emerging importance of managing information and computers.

Communicating:

Managers spend major percentage of their time transmitting ideas to others, orally and in writing. They most often use the symbols of their language but also employ mathematical symbols, code, sign their ideas. Other managerial functions, especially controlling and organizing, involve communication problems. Communication serves as a link process by which parts of a system are tied together. The subject has received the attention of many specialists, including the technical communications engineer, the linguist, the psychologist, the sociologist, and the organization theorists.

Communicating as used in this article is a managerial function because it represents a basic human characteristic required by all managers in performing their jobs. In fact all managerial functions involve human element. Today managing information is centered on computers and non-human devices and thus is distinguished from communicating and other managerial functions. The interface between human beings and computers is an intriguing issue for the present, we assume that managers will continue to manage computers rather than be managed by computers.

Types of Communication Problems:

All communication problems can be treated in three basic groups:

1. The technical problem of how accurately the symbols can be transmitted.


2. The semantic problem of how the symbols convey the desired meaning.


3. The effectiveness problem of how meaning affects the desired results.

Cybernetics has contributed new insights into answers to the first group of problems. The terms in this new discipline have precise meaning to the communication engineer but may be confusing to the manager. Several important distinctions made by the communications engineer will provide an introduction to this interesting subject and will hint at some fundamental ideas of use to manager in transmitting messages.

In cybernetics information has nothing to do with the meaning (the subject of the second group of problems). It is quantitative measure of the amount of order in a system and is related not to what you do say but what you can say about a matter. If the system is highly disorganized, a message can say a great deal. Information is a measure of one’s freedom of choice when one selects a message. If there is no freedom of choice there is no information. If “Q” is always followed by a “U” in a language, “U” is perfectly predictable and, therefore, no information is added. The more probable is the message, the less information it gives. If a subordinate always sends his superior a message “Things are fine”, the superior can predict the message before he receives it and thus receives no information. The more disordered the situation is, the more information is required to describe it completely.

The idea of noise in information includes the undesirable uncertainties in the transmission process. “Snow” on television, “static” on the radio, or any interference in the receipt of a message increases uncertainty. Redundancy is used to help combat noise and insure against mistakes. Redundancy is anything that makes the transmission more predictable. Redundancy provides some structure (the opposite of randomness) that will increase the probability that the message will be received. Because all transmission of message is subject to the “loss of information” through noise the sender of the message should be conscious of the need for redundancy and the minimization of the number of times that the message is to be retransmitted.

Resume writing tips - types of resume

Resume Writing Tips:

There is more to a C.V. than meets the eye. Your C.V. is your first communication with your prospective employer. It serves as a personal advertisement for you and it must be organized in a manner to make it interesting, informative, yet brief, and good enough to take you to the next stage i.e. ‘INTERVIEW’.

There are Two Types of C.V.’s :

• Chronological Format:
Here the experience is given in the reverse chronological order & with specific dates.

• Functional Format:
Experienced group by functions / dept – e.g.- Sales – Mktg, Purchase, Personnel, etc. no specific dates.

We recommend the chronological format as Employers & Personnel Manager are used to it. Based on your experience, make a choice. It can also be a combination of both.
Don’t miss on any essential information that should be there in every C.V. Be factually accurate in your CV. Most critical , do not misrepresent yourself.

Tips

• Always accompany your resume with a cover letter.

• Do not fake your resume.

• Simplicity is the key, Use a clear, simple. Legible font.

• Use good paper; it does not have to be the most expensive kind.

• Check your grammar and spelling.

• Do not write, "Resume" on your resume.

• Do give your full name, address and telephone number, so the employer can contact you.

• Write a strong statement of your goals taking care not to exaggerate.

• Keep your resume concise but informative as far as stating your education goes. List out special skills and highlight any extraordinary job skills you might have. Use bullets if necessary.

• If you are looking for an entry level position, put your educational qualification right after your goal.

• If you have experience, list your jobs first, starting with the most recent one. Indicate how long you were at each job. Mention all projects (however small) you worked on at each job, your role in the project, how you accomplished the assigned tasks.

• Mention awards and honours you may have received, papers you may presented.

• If you are just out of college, and do not have any experience, elaborate on projects you may have worked on. This will give the employer an idea of how you may fare in job atmosphere.

• Mention that references will be available upon request.

Cultivating The Habit Of Good Listening

CULTIVATING THE HABIT OF GOOD LISTENING

One must listen rightly, cautiously, effectively, intelligently, unpretentiously and calmly. If you want to be a good listener you have to cultivate the habit of effective listening. Those who are good at communication know the importance of listening, which is perhaps more significant than even speaking.

It is not an exaggeration to say that relationships thrive more on listening skills than on speaking. A good speaker may sometimes find himself out of place in a group, but a good listener seldom finds himself in such a situation.

Efforts can be made to improve the listening habits by following practices

1. To make listening, a regular habit you ought to start from somewhere. Start from today and from now on dedicate at least an hour to listening only.
2. During this one-hour do nothing but listen with all your attention and application. Listen to the sounds and the words as they come to you in their unmodified state.
3. Listen without the intervention of any thoughts, without any agitation in your mind. Enjoy the pristine beauty and the syllables of the sounds.
4. Concentrate on one sound or many sounds or on all sounds that comes to you at a time. Listen to them in the milieu of the background in which they arise.
5. Listen to the distant sounds that are almost inaudible but can be heard only by dint of effort. Listen to the faintest of the sounds such ticking of a watch, movement of wind, the rustling of the grass or for that matter your own breathing. At the end of this exercise, listening should have become an integral part of your system.
6. Try to replay in your mind the various sounds that you hear every day. Try to replay a particular piece of music or song that interests you. Try to recreate mentally the sounds of nature.

Can you recollect the sounds exactly the way they are? Can you recollect various sounds at one swoop? Can you play an entire orchestra mentally in our mind? Keep practicing till you can say confidently "yes"? to these questions confidently.

A mind that is fully vigilant, alert and liberated from all cares and worries is most conducive to effective listening. If you want to allow the words of others to enter your mind freely, you must cultivate a free and undistributed mind and an unassuming personality.

Pay more attention to others, their thoughts and words than to yourself and to your own thoughts and words as you listen. Rid that egotistic attitude.

We conclude it is in our eagerness to make an impression and communicate our thoughts to others that we tend to forget the true act of listening. To become a good listener we must learn to keep ourselves in the background. It is only through humility that we can reach out to others. Empathy and rapport are the two wires through which you can connect yourself with the rest of the humanity.

PERSONAL ETIQUETTE: Speaking With a Neutral Accent

The way you speak i.e. your voice modulation and accent affect the way
people respond to you, what they think of you and also your job prospects.
Here are ten tips to help you reduce a regional accent:

1. Study the mouth movements of native speakers and try to mimic them.
   While watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.
2. Slow down your speech, until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English.
   Native speakers will have a hard time understanding you if you speak too fast with the wrong modulation and rhythm. Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow dialogue – it is more important that everything you say is understood.
3. Listen to the "music" of English.
   Don't use the music of your native tongue when you are speaking English. Each language has its own way of "singing".
4. Use your dictionary.
   Familiarize yourself with the phonetic symbols used for different words in the dictionary and look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say. This method helps in neutralizing an accent tremendously.
5. Make a list of commonly used words that are difficult to pronounce.
   Ask a native speaker to pronounce them for you, record these words, listen to them and practice saying them.
6. Buy books on tape.
   Listen and read at the same time. Record clips of your own voice reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the speaker from the book on tape.
7. Pronounce the ending of each word.
   Pay special attention to "s" and "ed" endings.
8. Read aloud in English for fifteen to twenty minutes everyday.
   This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English. Research has shown that it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.
9. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.
   Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid having to listen to themselves speaking. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes that you are making.
10. Be patient.
    You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

How to beat dirty negotiating tactics

HOW TO BEAT DIRTY NEGOTIATING TACTICS

Much has been written about negotiation styles. There have been many courses about negotiation, which dedicates entire course work on collaborating and reaching a win-win scenario. In today's 'flat world' business environment, positional bargaining method or fact and reference based negotiation model are standard prescriptions for commercial negotiation.

But what do you do, when you sit across the table from somebody whose goal is not to come to a win-win conclusion, but to really beat you down and manipulate you. Well, although it is always a drain to combat dirty negotiation tactics, I have learned that being prepared can help overcome some of that headache.

The ten tips described below are designed to help you identify and respond appropriately to common dirty negotiation tactics used by unscrupulous business people.

• Shock effect
  
  As much of value selling and convincing you have done, at the end of the deal when the time comes to discuss price, many customers show some shock effect. What! That much for enterprise licenses, are you kidding me?
  
  It is very easy to fall in the trap of desperately wanting to close the deal and offer unnecessary concessions like free services, installation etc. This will be a good time to remind your customer how they will truly benefit using your offerings.
  
  Also, it is not rude to tell them that quality products have a fair price; after all you get what you pay for.


• Ongoing discount
  
  Have you ever heard something on these lines, "We are so close to signing this contract, if only we can solve this last issue?" You oblige, then comes out another issue followed by one more and then another. Very soon, you are giving away much more than what you originally intended.
  
  It is a good practice to list all customer issues early in the sales cycle based on priority. If new issues are added, put it in the list and re prioritize. When your customer asks for resolving this last issue, get a firm commitment on closing the deal right then after that issue is resolved. In this way, you only maybe give in to the last demand and not the ones following it.


• Boss knows best
  
  I have spent countless hours discussing value props with customers convincing them to buy from me, only to find out that they are not the true decision makers. They can only negotiate to receive discounts but really do not have any rights to actually buy from me.
  
  Basically I have negotiated with the wrong person. One way to avoid this is to ask early in the sales cycle how the decision to buy is being made on the customer side. Who makes the decision? Who influences the decision? Especially for higher end technical sales, many a times although the CIO has the final say on the procurement; he is completely dependent on the class architect to make the call on the vendor.
  
  It is important to identify the players involved in the decision making process and talk to them individually or collectively to resolve their issues.


• Fake deadline
  
  "If we cannot sign the agreement today, the deal is off". Be very wary when your customer puts a time pressure on the day of the meeting trying to get you committed on an unfair deal. Time is a valuable pressure tactic. Tell your customer that you are trying to create a true solution for them.
  
  It is important that you truly understand their issues first and do due diligence. It is unfair to you and him if you commit on something you do not feel comfortable about.
  
  If they do not want to listen and force the time issue, it is your call whether you want to walk or budge in to their unilateral demands.


• Delays
  
  March, June, September and December are hot months for sales folks trying to sprint to quarter end. Although progress has been made, your customer is deliberately delaying making a decision.
  
  Many manipulative customers feel that they can count on the fact that you have spent time and money on the sales process for a long time and will not want to go back without selling. This will be a great way to snag in a few concessions.
  
  It is wise to stay as emotionally detached as possible not caving in and making unnecessary concessions to close these deals. Remember, that your customer also spent valuable time with you in the sales cycle. You both have skin in the game. Don't rush to closing; you have mutual benefits tied to the deal.


• Unfair trading request
  
  A friend of mine in Dallas built a nice little dashboard for a manufacturing shop that can track orders online in near real time. When time came to close the deal, the manufacturing unit wanted sole rights to the product. They wanted to use it for themselves and then resell it to other similar outfits in the manufacturing space.
  
  However, they did not want to offer my buddy any cuts from the profit for it. This is an example of unfair trading request. Ask something in return of value always. You may lose some deals in the short run, but probably will come ahead of the curve in the end when forcing fair trade.


• Suddenly cold
  
  Many employers like to play this mind game while trying to hire somebody. They seem very interested in the early stages of the interview process, and then all of a sudden they seem to have lost all interest in you.
  
  When you pursue your interest for the position again, they say they will hire you. But they really cannot pay what you think they were going to pay you. You agree to their terms thinking that they seem to like you moderately and are not really jazzed up about you.
  
  This is a good time to resell yourself again on why they should pay you what you think they should pay you. Craft your message on "what's in it for them" to hire you.


• Wrongful summary
  
  The other party summarizes the agreement but misrepresents certain sections on his favor. If you listen especially carefully to the wrapping up part of the negotiation, you will not fall in this trap.
  
  You should take notes and refer back to them if necessary to make sure that the summary accurately describes what you agreed upon.


• False importance to an item
  
  A great deal of importance is placed on a agenda item that your customer knows that you simply cannot budge in. They make you feel guilty, put pressure etc. hoping that you would give them other concessions to make up for the one you could not give in. One way to avoid this is to treat each issue independently and make separate decisions.


• New player
  
  You feel that you are moving along well and suddenly you see a new person negotiating with you. He wants to start discussing every item from scratch and do not want to acknowledge previous agreements. If you cannot pursue him to honor prior understanding, start fresh again.
  
  It may be good to get another negotiator from your side to start dealing all over again since you may get frustrated dealing over the same issues again.
  
  As hard as it may sound, negotiators are better off remembering that dirty tactics used by manipulative negotiators are never really personal and it is all part of the game. If you are fair in your dealings and stay emotionally detached, you will possibly negotiate your way to a win/win result most of the time. I wish you all the best in your negotiations.

The Cactus

The Cactus

A cactus stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

"I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I? I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines are thick and prickly, my leaves are rubbery and tough, my skin is thick and bumpy. I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler. I don't see that I'm any use at all."

All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its leaves tougher, and it swelled here and there until it was lumpy and lopsided all over. It truly was strange- looking.
"I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.

By day hawks circled high overhead. "What can I do with my life?" the cactus called. Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.

At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor. "What good can I do with my life?" the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it mounted its course.

A lizard crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail.
"What worthy deed can I do?" the cactus called. "You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed? Why, you can't do anything! The hawks circle way overhead, tracing delicate patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful brushstrokes as I pull my tail along. Buy you? You do nothing but get uglier every day."

And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short. "Oh, Lord," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard. Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. I fear that now it's too late." But just then the cactus felt a strange stirring and unfolding, and it knew a surge of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.

Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.

The cactus heard a voice.

"You have waited long," the Lord said. "The heart that seeks to do good reflects My glory, and will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice - even if for only a moment."

TRUST AND LEADERSHIP

TRUST AND LEADERSHIP

Trust, or lack of trust, is an increasingly important leadership issue in today’s organizations. In this article, we define trust and provide some guide lines for helping build credibility and trust.

Trust is a positive expectation that another person will not through words, actions, or decisions act opportunistically. The two most important elements of our definition are that it implies familiarity and risk.

The phrase positive expectation in our definition assumes knowledge and familiarity about the other party. Trust is a history dependent process or relevant but limited samples of experience. It takes time to form, building incrementally and accumulating. Most of us find it hard, if not, impossible, to trust someone immediately if we don’t know anything about them. At the extreme, in the case of total ignorance, we can gamble but we can’t trust. But as we get to know someone, and the relationship matures, we gain confidence in our ability to have positive expectations.

The term opportunistically refers to the inherent risk and vulnerability in any trusting relationship. Trust involves making oneself vulnerable, as when, we disclose intimate information or rely on another’s promises. By its very nature, trust provides the opportunity for disappointment or to be taken advantage of. But trust is not taking risk per se; rather it is a willingness to take risk. So when I trust someone, I expect that they will not take advantage of me. This willingness to take risks is common to all trust situations.

Evidence has identified five:

1. Integrity
2. Competence
3. Consistency
4. Loyalty, and
5. Openness.

---

1. Integrity:
   
   Integrity refers to honesty and truthfulness. Of all five dimensions this one seems to be most critical when someone assesses another’s trustworthiness. For instance, when 570 white-collar employees were recently given a list of 28 attributes related to leadership, ‘honesty’ was considered as the most important..


2. Competence:
   
   It encompasses an individual’s technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills. One is unlikely to listen to or depend on someone whose abilities are doubtful. A follower needs to believe that the leader has the skills and abilities to carry out what he or she says they will do.


3. Consistency:
   
   It relates to an individual’s reliability, predictability, and good judgment in handling situations. Inconsistency between words and actions decrease trust. Nothing is noticed more quickly than a discrepancy between what executives preach and what they expect others to practice.


4. Loyalty:
   
   Loyalty is the willingness to protect and save face for another person. Trust requires that you can depend upon someone not to act opportunistically. The final dimension of trust is openness.


5. Trust and leadership:
   
   Trust is primary attribute associated with leadership and when this trust is broken it can have a serious adverse affect on the group’s performance. Honesty and integrity are two of the essential traits to be consistently associated with leadership. Leaders’ task is working with people to find and solve problems provided they access for adequate knowledge and creativity. When followers trust a leader they are willing to be vulnerable to the leader’s action. The followers will also get confidence that their rights and interests are not abused.
   
   If a leader is found not trustworthy by the followers are unlikely to look up to him as they consider the leader as dishonest and unreliable.

Honesty for instance consistently ranks at the top of the most people’s list of characteristics they admire in their leaders. Honesty is absolutely essential to leadership. If people are willing to follow a leader into a battle or board room they first want to assure themselves that the person is worthy of their trust.

The Tree

The Tree

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Understanding Boss Psychology

Understanding Boss Psychology

It is a fact that people lose jobs most often because they have not been successful in satisfying the demands of their boss. They lose out because of faulty boss relations; because they lack an understanding of " boss psychology." Of course I do not mean here to suggest that the reader needs to turn into a psychologist in order to be able to deal with his/her boss, but to understand both the motives and personal traits that drive bosses behaviors and attitudes.

By working "with" your boss you can become free to move ahead and not become lost in the the great unknown depths of the business world. Work becomes more pleasant and you become more productive. You gain more satisfaction because you are able to record more achievements. It all becomes possible by using one of your greatest assets - your boss.

Here are few tips to help you plan ahead how to make yourself indispensable to your boss as part of his team; how to eliminate unnecessary daily conflicts that consumes your energy in unproductive activities:

First - you need to change your concept of being a "boss" as well as being "bossed." These are different roles that can be enjoyed "if" well played. It requires understanding on the part of both the boss and the subordinate that one role cannot be effectively played without the other role being deli gently played to comp element the other. That are demands for each role, and these demands can only be completed if integration of the other role is accomplished. It is then, a give and take relationship that need to be sustained if we want to create an attractive, motivating work environment.

Second - Avoid hostility, harshness, and friction with your boss. Difference in personalities will sure cause some frictions, but these should not be taken personally. They need to be interpreted against the situation that created them. If we believe that there are more than one way to create a mutual understanding and "empathy". Uncontrolled "perception" would always result into misinterpretation of behavior, resulting in turn into more friction and conflict, which makes the workplace "a fighting arena" of winners and losers.

Third - Help your boss become a better manager. This mean "accepting" the other with a belief that regardless of our being different, we still can work together. Personal defects are more felt among Friends, but in the workplace these can be accepted as long as they do not influence our performance. Do not try make your boss look bad before others, especially his superiors. He/she has got more "power" to settle accounts making your life miserable. Learn how to "invest" in your boss by educating him/her without even hinting you do.

Fourth - Develop a daily "game plan" to make it possible to stress positive thoughts, good emotional balance, and be in charge of yourself. You need to "sell" you ideas without being "pushy" or aggressive. Your tool would be "persuasion" not "power". Remember, you cannot impose on your boss. He can.

Fifth - Put your entire group - in addition to your boss - to work for you. Make them feel that your are a valuable asset to the team. This relies mainly on your ability to exert effort to be helpful and cooperating whenever you can. Enhancing your interpersonal skills of communication and negotiation would help become most effective in this area.

Sixth - Have an eye on becoming a boss yourself. Invest in yourself. Do not leave a chance to learn from your mistakes as from your successes. Always ask yourself:"What are the things that I do not like in my boss, and that I am going to avoid when I become one?"

Your biggest challenge though would be dealing with an insensitive boss. A boss who is too much results oriented. Bosses of that kind are usually inconsiderate to their people's needs. You need here to work winning ways to gain their attention and recognition. Allow enough time and work systematically to develop an interactive relationship with a boss of that kind until you win his/her respect.