How to give Feedback ??

In Joseph’s Heller’s epochal book, Catch -22, we have a character named Orr, who finds two crab apples somewhere. He walks with them in his cheeks until Yossarian, the main character in the novel, spies them there and makes him take them out. Then, Orr finds two horse chestnuts and slips those in until Yossarian detects them and orders him to take crab apples out of his mouth again. Orr grins, replies as he pulls them out that they are not crab apples but horse chestnuts and that they are not in his mouth anymore but in his hands.

Though this is a fictitious anecdote, most people are familiar with the circular path that criticism follows. Praise in public, criticize in private, was the advice given by Dale Carnegie. It is a very good dictum. The question is that while managers like to give positive feedback, most people are afraid to give negative feedback, even in private. Nobody, it appears, likes giving negative feedback just like no one likes receiving it. The reason is simple: negative feedback leads to retaliation in some way or the other. Orr was sophisticated, but others may not be.

It is a tough choice either way. Remaining silent perpetuates mistakes. Confronting needs courage. So, what should one do?
While criticizing in private is good advice, more needs to be said. It is not only “what” is criticized that is important but also “how” the criticism is done that makes a difference. Based on all the wisdom I have garnered from various sources over the years, I would like to share a few tips:

Criticize the behavior and not the person. Any criticism that affects the self worth of an individual is likely to be rejected without examination. Do not use words like you “never” do this or you “always” make mistakes.

While criticizing, ensure that it is “direct, appropriate and relevant”. Emotion in the tone of the voice can override the sanity of the words used.

Be future-focused. Drawing attention to the past only makes the mistake even more difficult to face up to. Ask the person what are the two things the he or she would like to do moving forward. This focuses the mind on “change”, not “helplessness”.

Use the opportunity to coach – people are more ready to change after an error. But do not do it when the wounds are too raw.

Do not make criticism a habit. Also catch people doing right. It is important to be seen as fair for the criticism to be received well.

Most important, do not postpone confrontation. Do it before it becomes impossible to do. As PG Wodehouse keeps saying, “He who hesitates is lost.”

Author - Ranjan Acharya, Hindustan Times

Does business women need to be more superior than men ?

Matching their pace with men doesn't seem to satisfy women, at least not in the realm of business. A new survey has revealed that women think they have to be superior than men in order to succeed in business.

The survey, named YouGov, which conducted a poll of 1,000 female entrepreneurs, has underlined the fact that women need to be better than men in order to succeed in business.

It was revealed that 74 per cent female entrepreneurs claimed that it was not enough for women to be as good as their male counterparts - in fact, they had to be one up.

Still, a growing number of the women admitted that this move has helped them in attaining a greater sense of confidence and self-worth.

One third of the women said that if they had got more encouragement from the Government, it would have certainly helped them while taking their first steps.

"There needs to be more help and support to help point women in the right direction and hold their hands as they start off setting up their business," The Telegraph quoted Harriet Harman, the minister for women and equality, as saying.

Joy Nichols, chief executive officer of Nichols Employment Agency, who started her business 25 years ago, said: "Men are cruising whereas women have to sprint. I look forward to the day when I can cruise."

YouGov findings were released to mark the launch of the Government-sponsored "Girls! Make Your Mark" awards, for female-run enterprises.

Source : ANI, London

What can we do with mobile phones ?

Dear Readers,

We know that we can talk chat take pictures and listen to fm radio on our mobiles. Can we imagine what all we can do with out mobile phones ? Think again !

The following things can be done through our mobile phones -

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it: -
((1))EMERGENCYThe Emergency Number worldwide for **Mobile** is112If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112can be dialled even if the keypad is locked.**Try it out.**

((2))Have you locked your keys in the car? Does you car have remote keys? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone fro having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

((3))How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. when your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

((4)) Be careful while using your mobile phone When you try to call someone through mobile phone,don't put your mobile closer to your ears until the recipient answers. Because directly after dialling, the mobile phone would use it's maximum signalling power, which is: 2 watts = 33dbi, Plz Be Careful, Message as received (Save your brain) Please use left ear while using cell (mobile), because if you use the right one it will affect brain directly. This is a true fact from Apollo medical team.

Source : internet

How to recession proof your career ?

How to recession proof your career ?

Whether we're actually in a recession or not is the subject of debate.
What is certain is the rising unemployment rate. U.S. unemployment rose to 5% for the first time in two and a half years in December. That's likely a result of the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis--and there's probably more to come.
Don't wait for the alarm bells to sound. Recession or just a temporary slowdown, there are things you can do to keep your job as safe as possible. "You have to be proactive," says Dale Winston, CEO of the executive recruiting firm Battalia Winston International.

The first step: Make yourself indispensable. Show up early and stay late. Now isn't the time to slack. If your boss needs someone to volunteer for a project, raise your hand to do it, then do it well. "Prove you're a contributor no matter what level you're operating at," she says.
If possible, take on projects for other divisions. It's hard to fire someone when they're valuable to several areas of the business. But be prepared to be stretched. Open jobs might go unfilled for long time periods and you will have to take on extra work. Don't start sleeping at the office, but don't complain about working extra hours for several managers.
Also, look for ways to save the company money," says Bill DeMario, chief operating officer of Ajilon Consulting, a staffing firm that specializes in accounting, finance, consulting and human resources management. That includes everything from telecommuting to a faraway meeting to gently encouraging colleagues not to print all 100 pages of a document unless they absolutely need them. (You can even make the reduced printing targets a competition between different departments so it seems less like a company mandate and more like a silly office game.)
Take a broader view, too. Be aware of your profession's and your company's financial well-being and act accordingly. In other words, people who work in industries that are clearly suffering, like print media, should ramp up their job search and consider ways they can use their skills in similar fields. Look for signs to determine how healthy your company is. Are they tightening the purse strings by limiting travel? Are they asking employees to bring their own lunches to previously catered staff meetings? These may seem like small things, but they can be indications of tight financial times.
If you notice those signs, do more than just work hard. Talk to people in your industry to find out which companies are thriving and make contact with employees there. Use your professional network to accomplish this.
On the bright side, if there is a recession, it likely won't be as severe as the last one. Back then there was a confluence of factors, including the dot-com bust and Sept. 11, 2001, that took a severe toll. Also, the demographics of the workforce are evolving. Large numbers of baby boomers are about to reach retirement age, and while they won't necessarily leave the workforce entirely, they will look to slow down or switch careers. That means there is opportunity for younger employees to fill those gaps.
In the immediate future, if there are widespread layoffs, younger generations will likely handle it differently than their older peers, says Mary Crane, a career consultant who specializes in bridging the generation gap. "They've come into the workplace never suspecting they'll take one job and have it for life," says Crane.
"Lots of them will look at it as an opportunity to explore career opportunities. They might take six months off-- that's how long recessions last--and work on a political campaign because they can build their resume and make great contacts. Or they'll teach. They look at this as opportunity."
We can all learn a lesson from that attitude.

Author : Tara Weiss

Source : Forbes.com

How to ask for salary hike ??

When the economy is in a downturn, employees hunker down and avoid drawing attention to themselves. Asking for a raise? Out of the question.

Not true. If your company is filing for bankruptcy, that's one thing. But work goes on and the best performers—especially the ones who bring on new clients and save their firm money—are justified in asking for a salary hike. The trick is showing your manager how much you're worth.
"The need to reward good employees doesn't change if the economy is in a recession or an upturn," says Doug Arms, chief talent officer for Ajilon Professional Staffing. "Companies make employee investments at different times, and some do it purposely during a recession so they're prepared to come out of it stronger. Employers need to consider what would happen if their best employees leave. The search process is painful since it's so hard to find a good match."

Like with any salary negotiation, find out what people in your market and your position are making. There are several ways to get that information. First, consult a recruiter that specializes in your industry. "Nobody has a better finger on the pulse than a recruiter," says Arms. "They know exactly what your competitors are paying."

You can also find this data on Web sites like PayScale.com. More than 10 million people were surveyed to build the salary database. To find out what you're worth, click on the "Evaluate salary for current job" option. Users must answer 20 questions related to their experience and job responsibilities to find out what others are getting paid.

Once you know your market value, request a conversation with your manager about salary. Don't threaten that you'll leave if you don't get a raise, and stay away from mentioning financial hardship. Instead, remind your manager of the strong contributions you've made. During an economic downturn, highlight new clients you've brought to the firm and cost-saving measures you've enacted. Include the key projects you've completed and goals you've met.

"Yes, your employer might be losing money because of a downturn," says Sherrie Campbell, a workplace expert from PayScale.com. "But if you can prove that you're vital to getting the company through the recession, then a raise is assured."
Next, present your manager with the research you collected on what others in your market are making. If you completed the PayScale salary survey, bring it with you. If you contacted recruiters, mention that. But you want to take a conversational tone instead of a confrontational one. Bring it up as if it's a discussion in which you're presenting research.

"Don't say, 'You're underpaying me,'" says Arms. "Say something like, 'Over the last year we had very specific targets in the organization that I had a vital role in assisting the company with. That, combined with the research I've done on current market conditions, makes me feel that my position here is worth the fair market value. I'd like to have a conversation to discuss my value to the organization.'"

Don't expect to get rejected but be prepared just in case. One route is to consider perks outside of salary. For instance, many people consider additional vacation time just as valuable as money. Other options include health benefits, reimbursement for commuting and professional training in a job-related skill. If you are denied the raise, tell your manager, 'I appreciate that finances are tough now. Can we discuss non-salary perks?'

Another way to deal with rejection is to ask what you can do in the next six months to make this conversation successful the next time. Ask the boss to be as specific as possible.
Says Campbell: "It lets the boss know you're serious and that you're willing to improve to get this raise."

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