Hari Raya Gathering

Well, syawal is nearly over but the celebrations seem not to end. I still receive invitations to attend Hariraya gatherings in town today and tomorrow. With good foods and delicacies waiting, these gathering are indeed a good forum for us to mingle. These are places to meet old friends and update informations about their latest development since everybody is busy with routine life.

I had an opportunity to give a talk obout 'quality in workplace'yesterday while officiating Hari Q for Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang in Kuala Terengganu attended by its staff from all divisions in Terengganu. To their surprised, I did not talk about those published management theories in Quality but something that they are familiar with. Things that they routinely do in daily life such as food that they take, cloth they wear to office etc.

To me, quality starts with things we do. Quality means to extend the value to our daily routine. In fact we always ask The al Mighty to provide us things that are better than yesterday and we also ask Him to give us something better tommorow. But things just do not come without our effort to make them happen. Thus, we have to add value to things we do and this is what I mean by 'quality'.

Quality comes when we are a little bit creative. And to be a creative person will not require any tool. Just do something beyond your routine.

On the other score, try to embrace those good traits and skills such as resposible accountable, cooperative, sincere, punctual, and last but not least, work smart not hard. Add values to those skills as we do to our clothes and foods. Try to be a smarter person with a variety of behavior.

Remember, when you do not stick to your routine, you will be a little more creative. And creativity will make you be a person with 'quality'.

COACHING

COACHING

There is always a misunderstanding between ‘instructing’ and ‘coaching’. Most people take instructing as coaching. In management, instructing and coaching are two different things. Instructing is more towards asking someone to deliver a task without question whereas coaching needs more supervision and guidance in order to get a job done perfectly.

I always make an analogy when explaining management concepts. Thus a story of an officer who is asked to lift a bull is a good example. He is undecided whether or not to lift the bull. Secondly, if he dose what tool or method will he use. Of course, it is something illogical to ask someone to lift a bull, especially if it weights 200kg. Actually, it is in fact a straight forward decision making process and common sense. Either he is going to lift the bull or not is merely secondary. The first thing he should consider is to make a good decision. This is where people get stuck in most cases. Consequently the decision is not made and normally the assignment is put aside without any action taken.

This is the common scenario at work place where tasks are left unattained as the officer does not know or unsure of how to deal with them. The instruction is already in place but the job is not done. And at the end of the route, the customer will expect something which would never come.

At this juncture, ‘coaching’ is very important to keep an officer on track and show him how to deal with task given in an appropriate manner. This type of personnel needs someone, normally his immediate boss, to coach him on how to make such decision. As in the case of lifting the bull, he has to be guided on ‘how’ to do it. If he does not have adequate tools, then provide him with some. Or he may need some training to equip him with new ideas or ways to carry out such task. The role of his superior is very important to ensure the task given is done accordingly.

We have to understand that not all subordinates know the proper way or the appropriate timing in making a decision. We also know that the worst decision is not making any. A decision whether good or bad, is a must. Thus the role of an immediate superior is critical in guiding the downliners to make decisions. And this can be accomplished through coaching not just instructing.

BE A GOOD MANAGER

Modern world requires an organization to hire more good managers. The need to speed up services increases every minute. As managers we have to follow every single demand from customers. This one would be a good article to ponder:

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The need for good managers is not going away. It is intensifying. With ‘flatter’ organizations and self-directed teams becoming common; with personal computers and networks making information available to more people more quickly; the raw number of managers needed is decreasing. However, the need for good managers, people who can manage themselves and others in a high stress environment, is increasing.

Anyone can be a good manager. It is as much trainable skill as it is inherent ability; as much science as art. Here are some things that make you a better manager:

As a person:

* You have confidence in yourself and your abilities. You are happy with who you are, but you are still learning and getting better.
* You are something of an extrovert. You don’t have to be the life of the party, but you can’t be a wallflower. Management is a people skill - it’s not the job for someone who doesn’t enjoy people.
* You are honest and straight forward. Your success depends heavily on the trust of others.
* You are an includer not an excluder. You bring others into what you do. You don’t exclude other because they lack certain attributes.
* You have a ‘presence’. Managers must lead. Effective leaders have a quality about them that makes people notice when they enter a room.

On the job:

* You are consistent, but not rigid; dependable, but can change your mind. You make decisions, but easily accept input from others.
* You are a little bit crazy. You think out-of-the box. You try new things and if they fail, you admit the mistake, but don’t apologize for having tried.
* You are not afraid to “do the math”. You make plans and schedules and work toward them.
* You are nimble and can change plans quickly, but you are not flighty.
* You see information as a tool to be used, not as power to be hoarded. '
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Take a thorough look at yourself and consider where you are against the list. Find the places where you can improve and then get going. You will be the different manager. Dont hesitate to learn more...

SKILLS FOR ACCOUNTABLE MANAGERS

Organization always look for personnels with different mix of skills and experience depending on it's core business and business environment. Yet it's no longer enough to be a functional expert but to complement these unique core competencies with certain "soft skills".
"Soft skills" are a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with. Many studies suggest that soft skills are important as an indicator to job performance and they vary from one person to another.

Today's service economy and the ascendance of work teams in large organizations puts a new premium on people skills and relationship-building.And with business being done at an increasingly fast pace, employers also want people who are agile, adaptable and creative at solving problems.

The demand for more accountable employees in the workforce increase tremendeously and that requires them to equip themselves with soft skills.

Among the required traits employees should possess are:

# Strong Work Ethic. Are you motivated and dedicated to getting the job done, no matter what? Will you be conscientious and do your best work?

# Positive Attitude. Are you optimistic and upbeat? Will you generate good energy and good will?

# Good Communication Skills. Are you both verbally articulate and a good listener? Can you make your case and express your needs in a way that builds bridges with colleagues, customers and vendors?

# Time Management Abilities. Do you know how to prioritize tasks and work on a number of different projects at once? Will you use your time on the job wisely?

# Problem-Solving Skills. Are you resourceful and able to creatively solve problems that will inevitably arise? Will you take ownership of problems or leave them for someone else?

# Acting as a Team Player. Will you work well in groups and teams? Will you be cooperative and take a leadership role when appropriate?

# Self-Confidence. Do you truly believe you can do the job? Will you project a sense of calm and inspire confidence in others? Will you have the courage to ask questions that need to be asked and to freely contribute your ideas?

# Ability to Accept and Learn From Criticism. Will you be able to handle criticism? Are you coachable and open to learning and growing as a person and as a professional?

# Flexibility/Adaptability. Are you able to adapt to new situations and challenges? Will you embrace change and be open to new ideas?

# Working Well Under Pressure. Can you handle the stress that accompanies deadlines and crises? Will you be able to do your best work and come through in a pinch?

With these skills an employee should know how to handle a crisis or challenge in organization.
Remember, whether you are at a lower rank position or an executive, it's your combination of core and soft skills that will set you apart from the crowd!

DUE DATE

Due Date? Well that was the easiest name I thought of when trying to figure out what would be the best name for my very first blog. We come to this world with an agreement that would expire anytime. Do we know when? No we dont. But surely it is a 'date' or a moment we will be called home by Allah. This ' date' will definitely be DUE one day which we do not know when. So while and whilst we are here and the date is not yet due, I hope we could exchange some ideas and contribute to the rest in the hope that it would bring us to the better understanding of matters. I hope so..
Please do post your comment(s) as those would enhance our knowledge and widen our perceptives.