Pages

Dec 16, 2008

Be clever on Friday to get over Monday blues!

Published on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008

It’s the classic case of the dreaded Monday morning blues once again. You groan as you get out of bed and then grumble all the way to the office. The most dreadful part of Mondays is that they spell an end of the weekend revelries and leave you on the threshold of another whole week packed with work!

Most people find themselves in a lethargic state and function zombie-like, all the while lamenting, ‘Have to endure five whole days before Saturday!’

Some employees even take Mondays off just to prolong the ‘weekend’. The real problem with Mondays is that people are simply unwilling to let go off the weekend. After two days of no alarm clocks, no harrowing commutes, no looming deadlines and absolutely no boss breathing down your neck, they find themselves facing the same gloomy cloud as every Monday morning rolls around.

Yet, this is not to say that you cannot chase away the so-called ‘blues’. All it takes is a bit of planning and loads of will power. Following are a few helpful tips:

Get your beauty sleep

Monday morning may find you groggy and dazed after some hard partying/late sleeping on Sunday night. Well, you can make up for that by going to bed early on Sunday night.

As sacrilegious as it may sound, it makes sense to forgo that late night show and hit the sack instead. Save the late nights for Friday and Saturday only.

Be up and about

Monday mornings can especially tempt you to linger under the covers as long as possible. Pop up and out of bed as soon as you open your eyes and head for a cold shower that will jolt you out of the lethargy and make you feel fresh and alert. Make an early start to begin the workweek on a relaxed note without having to rush around.

Get the adrenaline going

Do not while away your morning time by lazing around. Go for a walk or jog as the fresh air can lift your gloomy spirits. Even other forms of mild exercise will release those ‘feel-good’ hormones, which will definitely make you feel better.

Have a substantial breakfast

Getting up early will leave you with ample time to have a hearty breakfast instead of gulping something down on the go or worse, totally skipping the meal. Treating yourself to a high-protein breakfast or even some chocolate will give you something to look forward to. And a cup of tea or coffee can drive away the lingering blues.

Look your best possible

It has been scientifically proven that the way you dress affects the way you feel. Choose your favourite outfit or opt for some bright colours instead of a depressing and dull grey, brown or navy blue.

Put the music on

Listen to some soothing music, happy songs or your favourite numbers as you go about getting ready or even on your way to work. This will not only blank out your heaviness, but will also put a much-needed pep in your step!

A bit of pre-planning

What makes Mondays worse is having to frantically rush around preparing for the workday even as you can barely keep awake. Wouldn’t you feel more relaxed if you had ironed and laid out your clothes as well as packed your bag and files on the previous night itself? This will make your Monday morning less hurried and burdensome.

To stretch the logic further, it is always better to finish all possible pending tasks on Friday evening. Organise your work before you leave the office and clean up your desk so that you can make a fresh start after the weekend.Last but not the least; you should always enjoy your work and this passion for work will change your feelings as you have had a refreshing break and are ready to get back to work on Monday.

Even just having an optimistic attitude will help you to put a positive spin on things and be ready to kick start a brand new week.

Yet, even the most fulfilling work can still find you a bit subdued on Monday mornings. But the best part is that the blues are temporary and will most probably disappear once you get into the regular rhythm of work. So, have a very happy Monday, remember the weekend’s just five days away!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Build on strengths to derive bigger gains

Published on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008

All of us are obsessed with our weaknesses. Pick any self-help book or attend any self-improvement talk, the focus is always on recognising and overcoming your weaknesses.The constant worry is to improve your weak points, try to fix everything that you lack! And in the almost fanatical fixation with vulnerabilities, your strengths lie largely ignored.

Pause and ponder on this for a while. Supposing strong technical skills is your forte and you find yourself a little weak when it comes to communication skills, which issues will you tend to concentrate on? Nine out of ten people are sure to be content with the technical specialty and will enroll themselves for some course on interpersonal skill development!

In direct contrast, is an emergent view that within your strengths lies the ability to correct your weaknesses.

Why strengths?

Let’s take the legendary story of the rabbit that was enrolled in a rabbit school. Like all other rabbits, it could hop very well but could not swim. At the end of the year, the rabbit got high marks in hopping but failed in swimming. The parents were concerned. They said, “Forget about hopping. You are anyways good at it. Concentrate on swimming.” They sent the rabbit for tuitions in swimming. And guess what happened? The rabbit forgot how to hop! As for swimming, have you ever seen a rabbit swim?

Therefore, do not mistakenly concentrate on becoming good at everything you do. Being a perfectionist and eliminating your weaknesses will only make you the proverbial ‘Jack of all trades but master of none’.

Instead, move to building on your strengths, as it will produce bigger gains. This will help you to make an impact, move forward and also correct your weaknesses. Only then can you be successful, content and happy.

In fact, experts are beginning to believe that the predominant reason why most people fail is because they do not utilise their strengths to the fullest. Most of the time is spent on worrying about the weaknesses.

Optimising your strengths

Building your strengths begins with identifying what you are good at. Indulge in deep soul-searching to discover what skills you can bank on or what abilities will help you get things done. Do not think that you do not possess any strengths at all. Everyone has some unique and inherent gifts; the difference is that you may not be aware of what you have.

Take the time to reveal your natural abilities by thinking in terms of what you can do well. Are you good at marketing or is organising your strong point? Do you speak confidently and how good are your communication skills? What about your leadership qualities? Also, can you work under pressure or are you quick at solving technical issues?

This will shed light on your unexpressed strengths. You should be proud of your other abilities like strong purpose, self-confidence, indomitable spirit, clear perception, persuasiveness, ability to work hard or quick learning and use them to the hilt. In fact, the best possible way to hone and develop your strengths is to use them. Like it’s always said, ‘Use it or lose it’. So, try to exploit what you are good at by incorporating it in different areas of your work and life. Use your strengths regularly and also find additional ways to put them to constructive use.

Deriving full advantage of your assets will help you to maintain motivation, be effective, get results and achieve your goals. In short, you can successfully pull yourself ahead of the game.

Apart from this, concentrate on what you can do well and try to excel in the said field. This is not to say that you should completely ignore your weaknesses either. Just steer clear of those weak points that do not impact your job or are irrelevant to your goals.

For instance, if you are a good manager, your main goal should be to lead and direct your subordinates in the best way possible. It does not make sense to unnecessarily waste your valuable energies on trying to balance the company checkbook, as you obviously know that it is your limitation. Leaving such tasks to your accounts manager will save you time, stress and frustration. In short, give up trying to be good at everything! You can also leverage your strengths to correct the weak areas that are holding you back or getting in the way of your goals. In other words, concentrate on strengthening your strengths and the weaknesses will take care of themselves.

To sum up in the words of Mr. Azim Premji, “While it is important for us to know what we are not good at, we must also cherish what is good in us. That is because it is only strengths that can give us the energy to correct our weakness.”

PAYAL CHANANIA

Dec 14, 2008

Top traits to cultivate if you want to be hired

Published on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008

The paramount question that harasses every dejected jobseeker is, ‘What do the employers really want?’ Is it technical knowledge or is it experience? Do they really look for values and what soft skills do they prefer? Is personality and adapting to the company culture really of prime importance?

Facing the challenge of winning the desired job, it is imperative that candidates should be aware of what will impress the prospective employers.

Knowing which critical employability skills employers look for is almost half the battle won.

Here’s a list of some of the common employer requirements when selecting candidates:

Education and experience – It goes without saying that the first priority is a strong educational background and relevant work experience. You should possess the specific occupational expertise, be well qualified and experienced so that you can hit the ground running without any need for extensive training or direction. Especially in the case of new graduates, employers will surely give weightage to credentials, good grades, scholarships, awards and even type of school/college attended.

Computer literacy – Almost all jobs entail a basic level of computer usage. Therefore, you should possess a reasonable understanding of hardware components and be able to use a wide variety of software applications. Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, Internet and email goes without saying.

Communication skills – This includes the whole gamut of verbal and written communication as well as the vital listening skills. You should be able to speak, converse, write and listen effectively.

Teamwork – Almost no job can be carried out in seclusion; you will be required to interact and spend time with others. So, your capacity to relate to other people, work harmoniously with others and avoid conflicts will be under the scanner. Even collaboration, participation and ability to work well in a team environment will be duly judged.

Leadership – Employers always prefer candidates who display leadership potential like helping, encouraging, coaching and inspiring co-workers or team mates to even taking charge of team projects. You can win brownie points by showing that you seek leadership roles in extra-curricular activities, arrange community fundraisers or plan and lead projects.

Initiative – You should possess enthusiasm for the work and be a self-starter who can get the work done without constantly being told what to do and then reminded of the same. Employers also set high store in the ability to set high standards and then achieve them creatively.

Flexibility – Another important criteria pertains to the willingness to adjust to the company culture as well as adapt to changing conditions, work assignments and new ideas.

Result-oriented – You will be required to be result-oriented and possess organisational abilities. This indicates that you should be able to plan, organise as well as implement anything from tasks and projects to deadlines. Also, be deft at managing different tasks and setting priorities along with effective time management.

Analysis – Good judgement, unbiased reasoning and decision-making are considered essential. This is reflected when you can successfully identify the key issues to be addressed, analyse the situation, seek information from multiple perspectives and then resourcefully solve the problems.

Work ethics – No employer will be willing to compromise on an employee’s personal values like honesty, integrity, punctuality, reliability, commitment and dedication. Be especially careful as the interviewer may try to gain an inkling of your ethical principles by asking various questions and checking your genuineness in a roundabout manner.

Above all, what will stand you in good stead is a genuine love for the job, drive to work hard and ability to achieve results.

You should be an enthusiastic and energetic go-getter who will make optimal efforts to be successful in the job. Having strength of purpose, character and confidence is equally important.

Accordingly, you can build a prominent personal brand by showcasing the desirable qualities in your resume, cover letter and the subsequent interviews. The employer will hire you outright!

PAYAL CHANANIA