Cari Info

Instead Of Seeing Problems,
Look For Opportunities.

Instead Of Chasing Efficiency,
Take The Time To Be Effective.

Instead Of Making Statements,
Make A Point Of Asking Questions.

Instead Of Winning An Argument,
Create A Dialogue In Which Everyone Wins.

Instead Of Fixing Blame,
Team Up With Colleagues To Fix The System.

Instead Of Bemoaning Your Boring Day,
Climb From The Rut And Create A New Path.

Instead Of Getting Buried In Tasks,
Lift Yourself Up With A Mission.

Can you guess this word

The Word is.........

"INSTEAD"

Instead Of Exaggerating Your Perceived Weaknesses,
Exercise Your Real Strengths.

Instead Of Waiting For Perfect Conditions,
Choose Today As The Day For Change.

Instead Of Saying No,
Find A Way To Say Yes.

What would be your answers to these questions?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• If you could have your choice of any job, what would it be and why?

• Why do you want to go into this field?

• What are your short- and long-range goals and how do you expect to achieve them?

• What does success mean to you? How do you measure it?

• What motivates you?

• Do you plan to further your education? If so, to what extent?

• What have you done to improve yourself during the past year?

• If you could relive the last 15 years, what changes would you make?

• Tell me about your greatest achievement and greatest disappointment?

• What are some of your weaknesses?

• Tell me about the best and worst bosses you've ever had.

• How do you handle your reaction when you don't get what you want? Give me a couple of examples.

• How do you handle stress?

• How do you pull a team together when it seems to be going nowhere?

• What qualities do you prize the most in those that report directly to you?

• What type of people do you have the most trouble getting along with in the workplace, and, how do you handle it?

• What constructive criticism have you received from employers?

• Everybody has pet peeves. What are yours?

• What else do you think I should know about you?

The interviewer will also want to learn about your experience and your reasons for seeking a new position and may ask the following questions:

• When did you leave your last job and why?

• How long have you been out of work?

• At your last job, how much of the work did you perform independently?

• What did you like most and least about your last job?

• What are some of the problems you have encountered in your past jobs?

• How did you solve the problems?

• Do you prefer working independently or as part of a team?

• At your last job, how much was performed by a team?

• What prevented you from advancing in your former positions?

• What have you been doing since you left your last job?

To learn about your plans for the future and your motivation for applying for the job, the interviewer may ask the following questions:

• Why do you want to work here?

• What do you expect to experience in this job that you did not experience in your past jobs?

• How do you feel about evening work? Weekend work? Carrying a pager? Being on call?

• Assuming we make you an offer, what do you see as your future here?

• Why should we hire you?

• Are you considering other positions at this time?

• How does this job compare with them?

• If you feel you have any weaknesses with regard to this job, what would they be?

• What is your leadership style? Please give examples of this style in a real situation.

• How do you feel about relocating?

• What could you contribute to our facility?

Sometimes the interviewer will ask vague questions that, if unexpected, may be difficult to answer. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Tell me about yourself.

• What weaknesses in your work habits do you think you need most to work on?

• Why should I hire you?

• Why do you believe that you are the best candidate for this job?

• Why are you applying for a position for which you are obviously overqualified?

• Why are you applying for a position for which you are obviously underqualified?

• Why do you believe that you could handle this position?

• Since you are overqualified for this position, what do you hope to gain from it?

• What can you do for me?

• You don't have the necessary experience or background for this position, so why would my organization benefit from having you in this role?

• How soon would you be able to start this position if we offer it to you?

Eventually, money will become an issue. Among the questions that may arise pertaining to compensation are the following:

• What exactly were you paid at your last job? (tell the absolute truth here; no other answer is appropriate)

• What is the minimum salary you will accept?

• What salary range are you wishing to be considered for?

• What are your financial needs?

Job interviews in many organizations are getting sophisticated these days. Psychological tests, role plays, and challenges to one's "quick intelligence" and street smarts are often part of the package. While it's impossible to anticipate everything you may encounter, here are ten tips that will help you negotiate the interview process successfully.

1. Prepare and over-prepare.

It is assumed that you don't go in with egg on your tie, spinach in your teeth, or without a thorough knowledge of the organization and position for which you are interviewing. Beyond that, there's an important principle that will enable you to be much more confident. It's called, "over-preparing." It goes like this: Plan your strategy--your answers to all the possible questions you may be asked or the challenges that may be thrown at you--and then practice, practice, practice. Role play and repeat your best responses until they are entirely natural, until they simply roll off your tongue with the apparent spontaneity that comes only with successive repetition.

2. Be particularly clear on what you know and what you want to achieve.

If your interview is resume-based (you've had to supply a resume either before or concurrently), have the facts of your stated objective, relevant experience, education, etc. thoroughly memorized and mentally supported. As to your job objective, be clear on what you want, as well as what you don't want. There's little room in the job market for the applicant who's willing to take anything; he or she will usually get nothing!

3. Make sure your responses match your claims.

If, for example, you've taken extra coursework to qualify for a particular position, license, or certification, tie it into your narrative, e.g., "When I took my coursework for my CPA, I learned that ..." Build on your resume, but don't refer directly to it (assuming the interviewer has it in his or her possession); make sure the connections are there, but do it subtly.

4. Be clear about your strengths.

You're almost certain to be hit with questions pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses. Know your strengths and emphasize those that relate specifically to the position for which you're being considered. If, for example, you're applying for a sales position, you might describe one of your strengths (if it's true) as follows: "I've made a study of personality types and I've learned to quickly type people in terms of the kinds of approaches that might best attract them." Be prepared, in this case, to back up your claim if the interviewer suddenly asks: "What type would you say I am?"

5. Describe your weaknesses as strengths.

This is tricky, so let's think about why the question is asked. The interviewer probably wants to learn several things about you with this question, such as: whether or not you are arrogant ("I really don't think I have any weaknesses"), whether you know yourself ("Well, I've never really thought about that"), and finally, what you are doing to eliminate your weaknesses. Here are two ways to answer this question so that you leave a positive impression in the mind of the interviewer: (a) Show that, in overcoming a weakness, you've learned. If, for example, there's a period in your chronology that just doesn't fit (say that you took a job selling cars between jobs as an accountant ... it happens!), you might tell the interviewer: "One weakness, which it took me some time to overcome, wasthat I really wasn't sure that I wanted to be an accountant. For example, in 1988-90, I worked as a car salesman. I did so because I couldn't decide if I wanted to make accounting my career. That experience taught me that I really didn't want to sell products, and that I was much more challenged by the opportunity to solve client problems. (b) Pick a weakness that is really a strength. If, for example, you're interviewing for a job in an organization you know is hard-charging and unforgiving of average performance, you might say, "One of my weaknesses is that I tend to be impatient with people who aren't willing to pull their full weight and give 110%." In this case, your "weakness" may help you get the job.

6. If you've been fired, be forthright about it.

So many people have been laid off through no fault of their own in the past ten years that it's no longer a stigma to have been fired--unless it was for justifiable cause (e.g.,- you socked your boss). Answer directly, but without a "charge" in your voice. Expressing your bitterness over being let go tells the interviewer (rightly or wrongly) that you can't accept the realities of modern free enterprise -- that downsizing is acceptable and often necessary.

7. Be clear where you want to go.

A standard question which has all manner of variations is: "Where do you want to be five years from today?" Only today, the answers are different. Unless you plan to inherit Dad's company, your answer is apt to be a lot more general than it might have been a decade ago. Why? Because the economy and nearly every industry are changing so fast that specificity with respect to the distant future is extremely difficult. So, instead of responding to the question with, "I plan to be in a position of senior leadership in this company," you might want to say: "I plan to become qualified in every phase of this industry." The exact response depends upon the specifics of your job hunting campaign, but the principle is: be specific while allowing yourself the flexibility which suggests that you understand the complexities of the business you're applying for.

8. Have clear personal standards.

This is a sleeper because, on the face of it, the question doesn't seem to have much to do with the immediate interview. Today, however, many organizations are looking for people who DO have standards regarding their personal and professional lives, who can articulate them clearly and concisely, and who live by them. In this case, the briefer, the better. "I delegate my weaknesses." "I don't take on projects unless I can give them 100% dedication." "I respond in specifics and avoid meaningless generalities." "I am committed to life-long learning and growth."

9. Interview the interviewer.

The applicant who will take anything offered is unlikely to win any but the most temporary of positions. A competent interviewer (there are some) will respect your efforts to assess the organization and the position in terms of whether or not it meets YOUR requirements. And you owe it to yourself to have defined before hand, what you ideally want and what you are willing to settle for, under certain conditions. For example, you might really want a salary of $75,000 to begin with, but you'd be willing to take less if the opportunities for growth are clearly in the picture.

10. Don't allow yourself to be badgered by the salary issue.

Even today,it's still not uncommon to hear the old refrain: "Our policy is not to pay a new employee more than X% higher than he/she is currently making." Sorry, that doesn't fly. The real issue, and the only one at stake here, is whether or not your prospective employer is willing to pay WHAT YOU ARE WORTH. And, your worth is a function of the job itself and your capability and willingness to perform it. In most organizations, there are clear parameters for a given job, a range of salary that is adjustable depending upon the market and the applicant's experience. In most cases, unless you are very good, you will have to work within those limits. But, within the limits, what you are worth is a matter of mutual agreement based on your own knowledge of your worth and your ability to convince those interviewing you. So, to sum it up: Know the range of compensation for the job you're seeking, make your own realistic determination of what you're worth, and then be prepared to stand your ground.

by Craig Mindrum

Recent discussions of emotion in the workplace have been dominated by the subject of emotional intelligence (EI), so much so it's fair to ask if anything is being lost by looking only through that lens.

Certainly, part of emotional intelligence' s value lies in establishing a kind of rigor and consistency in how talent managers understand emotions' different dimensions. Further, by applying benchmarks and analyses, talent leaders can perform measurements on an organization' s emotional state and clarify what role emotion will play in effective leadership.

For example, a 2006 research study published in Europe's Journal of Psychology looked at a random sampling of 358 managers across the Johnson & Johnson Consumer & Personal Care Group. The company asked more than 1,400 employees to rank these leaders according to emotional intelligence dimensions. The results clearly showed the highest-performing managers - using business performance criteria - correlated with strong showings in emotional competence.

It's important to remember emotional intelligence literature exhibits a bias toward control and self-management. The framework of EI components is rich, but many infer that self-control implies a kind of detachment when it comes to emotional expressiveness. That's where things get uncertain: Is it OK for leaders to express regret? Anger? Happiness?

One of the distinctive characteristics of the ideal manager created by authors Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson in the popular book The One Minute Manager was a kind of cool remoteness. One came away from the book feeling managers are to be Zen masters, never letting emotion carry them away.

Yet, being aloof and controlled can be dangerous in the workplace, especially among managers and executives. Is the ideal we strive for one of pure rationality, never swayed by preferences, sadness, joy or any of the things that make us truly human?

University of Chicago philosopher Martha Nussbaum once wrote of this pull toward an overreliance on cool reason by speaking of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates is strange to the modern human - Nussbaum wrote in 1991 journal article titled "The Chill of Virtue" - even as he was strange to his contemporaries, because he appeared to seek nothing other than abstract virtues such as courage, moderation and justice. What is left out in Socrates' single-mindedness? Pity, tragedy, emotion, empathy - maybe even love. That leaves a question, Nussbaum concluded rhetorically: Is this a good way for human beings to live?

I think not. It is important to understand various emotions on a spectrum and make sure leadership and the culture at-large understand some key differences. Take crying, something that has gotten increased attention since former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton let down her guard on the campaign trail and displayed teary eyes.

Crying does not have to be a sign of weakness. Nelson Mandela noted in his autobiography he was impressed while watching an old newsreel of World War II, seeing Winston Churchill cry after hearing the news a British vessel had gone down at sea. To Mandela, that meant "there are times when a leader can show sorrow in public, and that it will not diminish him in the eyes of his people."

Yet crying at news that a co-worker has cancer is quite different from crying after losing a major client or missing a deadline. Showing joy at winning a major contract is different than displaying the same emotion when promoted over a rival. A manager's anger at shoddy performance - properly targeted - can be far more effective than bland concern about employees' self-esteem. But using anger consistently as a motivator is something else entirely.

Neither unrestrained emotion, nor the absence of emotion, is the answer for today's workplace. The role of emotion must be discussed openly to determine its proper place, and models of behavior should be affirmed and demonstrated, especially by influential leaders in the organization.

By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

As I conduct my Time Management Seminars all over, my audiences consistently tell me they want more out of life. Almost everyone I speak with has a yearning for improving several aspects of their lives. They have dreams and goals about their future as yet unrealized.

Many come to the end in life with those visions unrealized, pictures in their minds only.

Achieving goals helps us to get the "want to's" in our lives. Life ought to be more than just achieving the "have to's."

I offer three important tips to help increase the probability of achieving your dreams, getting more of what you want in your life.

1. Put Your Goals Into Writing. There is something powerful about writing out what you want, getting your dream out of your head and on to a piece of paper. It then seems more realizable. It's a strong affirmation of what you are working towards rather than having a vague, wispy notion floating around in your head.

An even stronger tool is to prepare a goal scrapbook. Nothing fancy. Get a three-ring binder and fill it with notebook paper. Then get a picture of each your goals and paste them into your new goal scrapbook. You can go to the car dealer and get a brochure of the new car you want. Visit a travel agent and pick up brochures of your ideal vacation's destination and add that. Clip a picture of your dream house out of the newspaper's real estate section and add this as well.

Then, each night, review your goal scrapbook and see a picture of what will surely be coming to you. It's like viewing a crystal ball and seeing your future.

2. Quantify Your Goals. Many do not get what they truly want in their lives because they are too vague about what they want. It is not enough to say, "I want more money" or "I want to be rich." Instead, if you write, "I want $10,000," you now have a clear target to shoot for.

3. Set A Deadline. Did you ever set a New Year's resolution and never achieve it? Most people have. And most people fail to achieve their dreams because they did not include a deadline with their goal. Deadlines move us to action.

When we fail to include a deadline for our goal, when we commit to achieving it "as soon as possible," the goal winds up in our "as soon as possible" pile of things I will do another day, which is probably never. Why? Because we all too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. The items that have deadlines for completion tend to bubble up in priority and importance so that we take action and achieve them.

Having written out the goal, placed a picture in our goal scrapbook, quantified it, and set a deadline, we can now break that goal down into its little component pieces so that achievement becomes realistic and manageable.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No goal achievement is a leap across some huge canyon. Many are intimidated and driven away from going after what they really want in their lives for fear they will have to take a giant leap across that canyon and, hey, what if I don't leap far enough? Disaster.

Let's say you have a goal to get an additional $10,000 in savings two years from today. Make up a picture of your new bank statement two years from now showing the additional $10,000 in your account. The goal is in writing. It is quantified and a deadline has been set. Now you can break that goal into its little steps for achievement.

To get $10,000 over the next two years requires getting an additional $5,000 per year. A year is made up of twelve months, so that means you need to get approximately $400 per month. A month is made up of four weeks, so that's $100 per week. And a week is made of, let's say, five business days. That's $20 per day. (I have not added in interest to these calculations just for simplicity.)

I don't know about you, but the notion of going out in the world tomorrow and getting an extra $20 is a whole lot more realistic and certainly a whole more doable than getting $10,000. Getting the entire $10,000 is the leap across the canyon. It scares me. $20 is the single step. That's something I can handle. Now the goal seems realistic and is realizable.

But until you write out your goal, quantify it, and set a deadline so that you break it down to its small steps, it will forever appear to be too big a stretch and therefore unattainable. But every time you follow these three steps and break the goal down, you will always find that you have within your control what it takes to accomplish that next step. And once you begin, you are on your way!

Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic
forum , Philadelphia , March 22,2008)

Question : Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how
leaders should manage failure?

Kalam : Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the
project director of India 's satellite launch vehicle program,
commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India 's "Rohini"
satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources --
but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into
space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical
teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready..
As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch.
At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go
through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute
later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed
that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had
four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done
their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed
the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the
first stage, everything worked fine.. In the second stage, a problem
developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket
system plunged into the Bay of Bengal . It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization,
Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at
7 : 00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around
the world were present -- was at 7 : 45 am at ISRO's satellite launch
range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India ]. Prof.
Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference
himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the
team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological
support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would
definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my
failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as
chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite --
and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again,
there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told
me, "You conduct the press conference today."

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the
leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he
gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not
come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience
.

Most of big companies that might one of your dreaming company to work
for, implementing a competency interview base which focus to dig
competency through their past behavior. There is a statement say "Past
Behavior predict Future Behavior".

Let's continue to learn some other reference questions that will be
asked by interviewer.

1) Decision-Making Skills

Makes decisions while exhibiting judgment and a realistic
understanding of issues; ability to use reason, even when dealing with
emotional topics.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* Describe, in detail, a situation in which you used your training
and experience in making a decision that required sound judgment.
* What is the most difficult business decision you have had to
make? Tell me about a time when you involved others in the
decision-making process
* In you prior job, what decision did you ponder the longest
before making? Why was it difficult?

2) Flexibility

Recognizes and responds to unanticipated events and requirements.
Willing to do what is necessary to get the desired results.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* Describe a time in your current job when you boss assigned you a
rush project even though you had other important priorities at the
time. How did you feel and what was your response?
* Tell me about a time when you were able to adapt to a
difficult-to- deal-with employee.
* Explain a situation where you adapted your behavior and
communication style to gain cooperation on a team project.

3) Initiative

Actively seeks opportunities to make a contribution rather than
passively accepting situations. Takes action to achieve goals beyond
what is necessarily called for; originates action.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* Give me an example of how you made a change in a work-related
procedure or process, why you made the change & the results.
* What do you do differently than other employees in your current job?
* What have you done to add value in your department?

4) Interpersonal Skills

Establishes productive, cooperative relationships with subordinates,
peers and management. Understands and responds to others' needs and
priorities. Resolves conflict in positive ways.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* Give me an example of a time when you encountered conflict with
another department. Tell me how you resolved it.
* Tell me about a situation where you had to demonstrate empathy
or sympathy to someone.
* Explain a time when you were sensitive to the diversity of a
team or group you were working with and how you affected the
productivity of that group.

5) Job Motivation

Maintains a high level of interest and enthusiasm for job
responsibilities. Has demonstrated record of being a self-starter and
self-motivated.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* All jobs have their frustrations & problems. Describe an example
of specific job conditions, tasks or assignments that have been
dissatisfying to you. What did you do?
* What makes a job interesting to you?
* What "turns off" your motivation in a job?
* What gave you the greatest feeling of achievement in your job at
___________?

6) Judgment

Weighs alternative courses of action and makes decisions that reflect
factual information and are based on rational and logical assumptions
that take organizational resources into consideration.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* Describe a decision you recently made and identify the process
that led you to that decision. What were some of the sources you used
to reach that decision? What were some of the issues you took into
consideration?
* Give me an example of a good decision you made in the last six
months. What were the alternatives? Why was it a good decision?
* What was the toughest decision you had to make in your current
job? Tell me about it
* Give me an example of a time when you had to ask your manager
for assistance on a project or situation.

7) Persuasiveness

Utilizes appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to gain
agreement or acceptance of an idea, plan, activity or product.

The Interviewer questions can be :

* When convincing others of your ideas, what skills or personal
abilities do you use?
* Tell me about one of your toughest "sales" experiences and the
steps you took to gain acceptance.
* Give me an example of a situation when you were unsuccessful in
selling your idea to the "customer" and changed your approach to gain
support.

Steps in Asking for a Pay Raise
Want more money than you're currently making? If your goal is to stay in your
current job working for your present employer, you'll need to ask for a raise.
Planning and preparation are key when you ask for a raise. So are timing, your
employer's pay practices, and the market-based pay rates for your job.

Steps in Asking for a Pay Raise - Research an Appropriate Pay Raise
Your goal at this step in asking for a raise is to know your employer's pay
practices and the market pay rate for your job.

1. Familiarize yourself with your employer's pay practices. If the standard
practice is to offer salary increases once a year after an annual review, you
are unlikely to receive a raise at any other time.

2. If your company offers more frequent increases, you'll have more luck
asking for a raise. Listen to your employer. If the employer announces that the
pay increases will be four percent across the board, you are unlikely to
negotiate more money.

3. Research the market pay rates for your job. Getting information has never
been easier, although you'll want to take care with online projections and
salary calculators. They rarely reflect your local market conditions including
the number of open positions in your area. If you are already paid above your
market pay rate, negotiating a pay raise can be difficult.

4. Read your employee handbook. The handbook may present the process whereby
salary increases are granted. If a policy or a process exists, your best bet
when asking for a pay raise, is to follow the process exactly.

5. Network with other employees in similar jobs in similar industries to
determine your salary competitiveness. Professional associations also do salary
surveys and provide networking opportunities with people in similar jobs.

Steps in Asking for a Pay Raise - Prepare Your Presentation for the "Ask for a
Raise" Meeting

Once you've done your pay research in the above steps, you should have a good
idea about how competitive your pay is in your industry. Next, you need to look
at your work contributions to determine how you will present the request for a
pay raise to your boss.

Or perhaps you've determined that your pay is competitive. Ask yourself why
you deserve more pay because you will need good data to support your request for
a pay raise.

Determine whether the topic of the meeting you schedule is to ask for a pay
raise. Maybe it's smarter to ask your boss what you need to do to qualify for
the highest possible raises and bonuses in the future, if you cannot justify a
higher salary now.

1. Make a list of the goals you have accomplished for the company. Determine
how their accomplishment has helped the company. Document costs savings,
productivity improvement, superior staff development, important projects
achieved, above-the-call customer service, and ways in which you have
contributed more than your job required. Documented, these accomplishments may
justify a pay increase.

2. Make a list of any additional responsibilities you have added to your job.
An increase in responsibility, more employees supervised, or special projects
are often grounds for an increase, if you ask.

3. Set a pay increase goal, in your mind, that appears to reward the
contributions and additional responsibilities you have documented.

4. Learn about negotiation from books, resources, networking, and friends who
have successfully negotiated a pay raise.

5. Set up a meeting with your immediate supervisor to discuss your
compensation. You will not want to ambush your supervisor. If the supervisor is
unprepared to discuss an increase with you, nothing will happen at the meeting.
Your boss will also want to do his research with the Human Resources staff and
his own industry sources.

Steps in Asking for a Pay Raise - Ask for a Pay Raise Tips
A successful negotiation for a pay raise is always based on your merit and
accomplishments. A successful negotiation for a pay raise is never based on why
you need additional money. While your employer may care about you, providing
additional money to fund your chosen lifestyle is not their responsibility.

1. Be straightforward in addressing your request for a pay raise to your
supervisor. Tell the supervisor you are asking for a pay raise at this time
because of the accomplishments and contributions you have made, and the
additional responsibilities you have taken on. Be prepared with your
documentation.

2. Tell your boss the specific pay raise you'd like to see. Be prepared to
present your research that supports your request for a pay raise.

3. If the boss tells you he cannot provide a pay raise currently, ask what you
need to do to make yourself eligible as soon as pay raises are available.
Remember that a difference exists between an employee who is performing the job
as expected from a superior performer and an employee who is truly giving the
employer superior performance. Pay raises are based on the second.

4. If you are using an offer from another employer to negotiate a pay raise
with your current employer, be prepared to fail. Plus, in your negotiation, the
employer learns that you're looking and career development, training, plum
assignments, and other opportunities may cease to come your way. This can occur
even if you receive the requested pay raise. The employer hates to be held
hostage - and the employer will remember. It's a vicious cycle, once begun.

5. Likewise, threatening to quit if you don't receive a pay raise is
counterproductive and unprofessional. Plus, the employer may take you up on your
offer. Instead, quietly and professionally go about your job search, if you have
determined a pay raise merits changing employers.

6. Asking for a pay raise, when you have planned and prepared, can still be
somewhat scary. Asking for a pay raise without planning and preparation is a
crap shoot. And, you've wasted your best shot. Your boss isn't going to want to
have that pay raise conversation with you again unless something changes at
work.

Asking for a pay raise gets easier as you learn to plan and prepare. A
successful negotiation or two helps, too. You build your confidence that asking
for a pay raise is a task you can do. And, you increase the possibility that you
will achieve your maximum income potential in your chosen field.

Jaguar Speaks

Malaysia’s Management Dilemma

We regret we will not have any time this year to discuss Mindset Change

This is the response I have had from the CEO’s Office at Khazanah for almost ONE Year Now.

I do not mind if other consultants have a better approach than mine NO ONE has all the answers yet it is this MINDSET that is holding our GLC’s back and by default this Mindset is at the Heart of the Challenges facing ALL Malaysian Companies.

More and More I am seeing a Mindset where the CEO see the problem in someone else’s organisation and NOT theirs

Now we have published a Manual for the GLC’s to Improve their Performance.

On the scale of Consciousness it measures 250 which although a Positive Document is no where near the level needed to inspire transformational change.

Malaysia at 150 on the scale compares with Singapore at 430, Thailand at 210, Indonesia 200 Philippines at 250.

The Education Ministry sees NO NEED for MINDSET change although the Government laments we must move to a first world Mindset.

Human Resource Management (in general) when planning their training activities are more concerned with getting people to do what they are told as opposed to getting people to contribute and be creative.

Despite the wealth of information on the need for on going activity to enhance new learning and activities after ANY TRAINING. The excuse is there is NO TIME yet when it comes to finding time to Play Golf, No Time becomes Ample Time.

The Malaysian culture of Politeness is misused by Leaders at every level to discourage different ideas.

Recently I was asked to Rename one of my Most Successful Programs which every one wanted More off because Management does not want the same programs for everyone. The Officer in charge just accepted the Instruction.

HR Managers are more concerned with disciplinary matters than with making a difference in the organisation. If that’s what the Boss wants they agree and generally without even trying to offer another point of view.

Recent tensions relating to Race and religion in the country show the paradox facing us all. Someone does what is “Right” and tries to make a difference and then the establishment fearing loss of their position and power drums up Fear based sentiments and get others to demonstrate to protect the status quo.

This despite the fact that History shows us that it is only when the Status Quo is challenged does any real change occur.

Until we decide we are mature enough to challenge the Status Quo in every area of our lives. Until we are prepared to discuss openly different points of view Politically and Racially and Religiously then as a Nation Vision 2020 will be Just a Dream. A Great Idea.

Does Singapore Have better Brains than Malaysia, Or Indonesia or Thailand or Philippines. OF COURSE NOT

Why can Korea build National Cars that are acceptable worldwide and Malaysia cannot?

Why can Thailand and Singapore attract the worlds airlines and we cannot.

Peace and Stability whether it be in our Companies, Our GLC’s Our Nation are of no values if we are the peaceful paupers of SOUTH East Asia.

We pass laws that are full of draconian Punishments instead of Instituting environments for healthy discussion of different viewpoints.

What happens in government IS HAPPENING IN BUSINESS

Red tape is not diminishing

Some of our Best Companies with their Call Centre Philosophy have successful built walls around their managements so they never really hear the complaints of customers. In the end Customers give up complaining because it’s Too hard. Even Multinational adopt policies and strategies towards their Malaysian Customers that would be unacceptable in the Home Country and WE ACCEPT IT. The regulatory agencies stay out of involvement and instead of protecting the consumer protect the business.

If you are in the HR or Training Function it is time to start Taking Some Risks. Take a chance and ask for a One on One meeting with your CEO and ask Him or Her what they really want.

More and More international commentators are saying that Malaysia is loosing it.

Our Managers do not want Coaching even though a Good Coach will ask all the questions an Employee will not. WHY? It is because they still think they have all the answers themselves. Is it because they are afraid to be seen as weak in asking for someone’s advice? Is it because they are afraid someone else will be seen as a better manager than they?

The mark of a Good Manager and Leader is the excellent in their Team.

Some who read these thoughts will immediately go into DEFENCE ATTACK MODE, Some will smile and say yes its right but its not my place to ruffle the feathers.

However someone a very few will actually take a look at themselves and their company and will see their COE (Show them this article I am used to being attacked for being outspoken) and ask they you revisit what you really want

Do you as the Previous CEO of proton said at a Public Seminar a few years ago prefer ROBOTS or do you want Creative Minds

What happens in our GLC’s flows through to Industry and we do no have ONE GLC that measure above 200 on the consciousness scale. NOT ONE.

The next time you look for training ask your self are you willing to contribute to the process before and after the programs have been implemented?

If the answer is YES then you are on the way to Excelling. If the answer is NO. Well sometimes I have been called Merlin the Magician and …………well ………… miracles do happen ………….. sometimes.

I recently “scolded” a group of Managers who wanted to ask “God’s” blessing on the Program. I scolded them because they had not done the work they had committed for the program to proceed.

That’s what we do a lot. We ask “God” (however we see God) to bring ius success and prosperity in our Nation, In our Companies in all of our LKives and sit back and wait.

Well allow me to close with this humorous story about someone who desperately wanted to win the lottery. He prayed non stop until finally God yelled at him ………… So BUY A TICKET

Have you brought Your Ticket or are you still expecting a Miracle from “Praying”

Remember we borrow Malaysia from our children and our Children’s Children.

We have some of the best minds and brains in Asia we can be as good as if not better that our Neighbours.

We juts need a FIRST WORLD MINDSET and until we show people how to acquire it.

DREAM ON.

"Life's pretty simple, if you ponder the questions of right from wrong, you also get the bonus answers of good from bad."

Contact him via http://www.cosmicevolution.org/CirclesofLifeJagGY.html