Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, August 13, 2009
WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS ? - Azim Premji, CEO- Wipro
Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile.
Early this year, Mark, a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer.
He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food.
Twice Mark was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.
Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Mark walked out of the job.
Why did this talented employee leave?
Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.
The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss ..Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he 's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge,experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.
"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
Mostly manager drives people away?
HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave,but a thought has been planted. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.
When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don 't have your heart and soul in the job."
Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious,too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.
Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.
" Jack Welch of GE once said. A company's value lies "between the ears of
its employees".
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
A Professor at one of the IIMs was explaining marketing concepts to the Students
A Professor at one of the IIMs was explaining marketing concepts to the Students:
1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. "Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing"
2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"
3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing"
4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"
5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry? Me?" - That's Brand Recognition"
6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. "That's Customer Feedback"
7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. "That's demand and supply gap"
8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him "That's competition eating into your market share"
9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. "That's restriction for entering new markets"
1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. "Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing"
2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"
3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing"
4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"
5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry? Me?" - That's Brand Recognition"
6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. "That's Customer Feedback"
7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. "That's demand and supply gap"
8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him "That's competition eating into your market share"
9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. "That's restriction for entering new markets"
Management Fundas
Trying to collate all these stories I have come across here.
Lesson No.1
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"
The crow answered: " Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson No.2
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree.The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
Lesson No.3
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions." The feet said, " We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go." The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up. All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered.Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss.
Management Lesson: You don't need brains to be a Boss - any asshole will do.
Lesson No.4
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung,it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lesson:
1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
Lesson No.1
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"
The crow answered: " Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson No.2
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree.The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
Lesson No.3
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions." The feet said, " We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go." The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up. All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered.Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss.
Management Lesson: You don't need brains to be a Boss - any asshole will do.
Lesson No.4
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung,it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lesson:
1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
Management Funda : Is there a problem
One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well.
At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, " Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.
Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek?
Well, he was. Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same thing happened - Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the next.
This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was takin advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff.
By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, " Big John doesn't pay!"
The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, " And why not?"
With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, " Big John has a bus pass."
Management Lesson : "Be sure there is a problem in the first place -before working hard to solve one."
At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, " Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.
Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek?
Well, he was. Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same thing happened - Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the next.
This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was takin advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff.
By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, " Big John doesn't pay!"
The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, " And why not?"
With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, " Big John has a bus pass."
Management Lesson : "Be sure there is a problem in the first place -before working hard to solve one."
Management Funda : Credit Crisis
Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.
1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.
2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.
* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.
3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country,and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.
*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar debt to A,his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.
4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars, his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.
(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan to A.
* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.
(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.
(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey,what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after all the land that B ownsis worth at most only 1 dollar, and no more."
(8) A also thought the same way.
(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.
* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4 dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.
(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country ? Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars. Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is palpitating.
(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1 dollar now.
* A owns the 2 coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt, his net asset is 0 dollar. ( he lost everything )
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars.
************ **End of the story; BUT ************ ********* ******
There is however a redistribution of wealth. A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.
A few points worth noting -
(1) When a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers. The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land go up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A ) and take part in the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to cash.
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depend largely on psychology.
1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.
2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.
* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.
3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country,and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.
*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar debt to A,his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.
4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars, his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.
(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan to A.
* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.
(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.
(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey,what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after all the land that B ownsis worth at most only 1 dollar, and no more."
(8) A also thought the same way.
(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.
* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4 dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.
(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country ? Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars. Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is palpitating.
(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1 dollar now.
* A owns the 2 coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt, his net asset is 0 dollar. ( he lost everything )
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars.
************ **End of the story; BUT ************ ********* ******
There is however a redistribution of wealth. A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.
A few points worth noting -
(1) When a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers. The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land go up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A ) and take part in the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to cash.
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depend largely on psychology.
Management Funda : How stock markets work !
"Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20 for a monkey. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each, and the supply of monkeys became so small that it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.
In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35, and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."
The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys.They never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!
Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works."
The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20 for a monkey. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each, and the supply of monkeys became so small that it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.
In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35, and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."
The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys.They never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!
Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works."
Management Funda : Mind your own business !
The Washerman, Dog and Donkey
Good story with old version…
There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog.
One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake.
The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.
The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.
Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.
Moral of the story " One must not engage in duties other than his own"
........................................................................
Now take a new look at the same story…
The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute.
He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night.
He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it.
Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.
The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed a " meets requirement" Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.
The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation…
If you have worked in a corporate environment, I am sure you have guessed the characters of the new story.
Good story with old version…
There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog.
One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake.
The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.
The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.
Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.
Moral of the story " One must not engage in duties other than his own"
........................................................................
Now take a new look at the same story…
The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute.
He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night.
He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it.
Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.
The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed a " meets requirement" Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.
The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation…
If you have worked in a corporate environment, I am sure you have guessed the characters of the new story.
Management Funda : Expectation Management !
You do it every day with people all around you. More so in a corporate environment...with clients, with your project manager and sometimes within your own team. This story has been doing rounds of mailboxes since long...but sure is a great lesson in Expectation Management..
"Under commit and Over deliver", may not be the only solution but a sureshot way of staying in control. So here goes the story..
-----------------------------------------
A father passing by his teenage daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was neat and tidy. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the centre of the pillow. It was addressed "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:-
Dear Dad,
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you, but I'm leaving home. I had to elope with my new boyfriend Randy because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Randy and he is so nice to me. I know when you meet him you'll like him too - even with all his piercing, tattoos, and motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Dad, I'm pregnant and Randy said that he wants me to have the kid and that we can be very happy together. Even though Randy is much older than me (anyway, 42 isn't so old these days is it?), and has no money, really these things shouldn't stand in the way of our relationship, don't you agree?
Randy has a great CD collection; he already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. It's true he has other girlfriends as well but I know he'll be faithful to me in his own way. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too.
Randy taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and he'll be growing it for us and we'll trade it with our friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Randy can get better; he sure deserves it!!
Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grandchildren.
Your loving daughter,
Rosie.
At the bottom of the page were the letters "PTO".
Hands still trembling, her father turned the sheet, and read:
PS:
Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbour's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. Please sign it and call when it is safe for me to come home.
I love you!
Your loving daughter,
Rosie
"Under commit and Over deliver", may not be the only solution but a sureshot way of staying in control. So here goes the story..
-----------------------------------------
A father passing by his teenage daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was neat and tidy. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the centre of the pillow. It was addressed "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:-
Dear Dad,
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you, but I'm leaving home. I had to elope with my new boyfriend Randy because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Randy and he is so nice to me. I know when you meet him you'll like him too - even with all his piercing, tattoos, and motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Dad, I'm pregnant and Randy said that he wants me to have the kid and that we can be very happy together. Even though Randy is much older than me (anyway, 42 isn't so old these days is it?), and has no money, really these things shouldn't stand in the way of our relationship, don't you agree?
Randy has a great CD collection; he already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. It's true he has other girlfriends as well but I know he'll be faithful to me in his own way. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too.
Randy taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and he'll be growing it for us and we'll trade it with our friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Randy can get better; he sure deserves it!!
Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grandchildren.
Your loving daughter,
Rosie.
At the bottom of the page were the letters "PTO".
Hands still trembling, her father turned the sheet, and read:
PS:
Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbour's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. Please sign it and call when it is safe for me to come home.
I love you!
Your loving daughter,
Rosie
A Small Funny Story !!
A kangaroo at the Sydney zoo kept getting out of his enclosure every night. Knowing that mature kangaroos could hop very high, the zoo officials replaced the eight-foot fence with a ten-foot fence.
He was out the next morning, just roaming around the zoo.
They tore down the ten-foot fence and put up a fifteen-foot fence.
He was out again the next morning.
A twenty-foot fence was put up.
Again he goes out.
When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the Kangaroo, "How high do you think they'll go?"
The kangaroo said, "About a thousand feet, unless somebody thinks to lock the gate at night!"
How often do we rush into the most obvious solution and find ourselves in a greater mess!! This is obviously not an example of the hyped 'out of box thinking' but a nice demonstration of the futility of rushing into solutions. I am sure you must have come across the old story of how Americans and Russians solved the problem of writing in zero gravity.OR the story of how the Japs managed to eliminate empty soap boxes getting packed into cartons. This is also a reminder that solutions to problems can be much simpler than you imagine.
There is probably another angle. I remember having an interesting conversation long time back about "whether a problem can be solved at the level it is created" Quite an abstract question but what we were discussing was probably the fact that as consultants we tend to keep ourselves quite above and aloof from the problem and tend to believe that it is the best way to provide a solution. On the contrary if you don't step into the shoes of that poor operations guy and just diagnose the symptoms as seen from COO dashboard you would most probably be doing what the zookeeper did. May be this is different discussion i would keep for another post..
If you have heard of Occam's razor, it would be a good approach to keep things simple.
PS: If you missed the meaning of KISS in the title of this post it's Keep It Simple Stupid
He was out the next morning, just roaming around the zoo.
They tore down the ten-foot fence and put up a fifteen-foot fence.
He was out again the next morning.
A twenty-foot fence was put up.
Again he goes out.
When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the Kangaroo, "How high do you think they'll go?"
The kangaroo said, "About a thousand feet, unless somebody thinks to lock the gate at night!"
How often do we rush into the most obvious solution and find ourselves in a greater mess!! This is obviously not an example of the hyped 'out of box thinking' but a nice demonstration of the futility of rushing into solutions. I am sure you must have come across the old story of how Americans and Russians solved the problem of writing in zero gravity.OR the story of how the Japs managed to eliminate empty soap boxes getting packed into cartons. This is also a reminder that solutions to problems can be much simpler than you imagine.
There is probably another angle. I remember having an interesting conversation long time back about "whether a problem can be solved at the level it is created" Quite an abstract question but what we were discussing was probably the fact that as consultants we tend to keep ourselves quite above and aloof from the problem and tend to believe that it is the best way to provide a solution. On the contrary if you don't step into the shoes of that poor operations guy and just diagnose the symptoms as seen from COO dashboard you would most probably be doing what the zookeeper did. May be this is different discussion i would keep for another post..
If you have heard of Occam's razor, it would be a good approach to keep things simple.
PS: If you missed the meaning of KISS in the title of this post it's Keep It Simple Stupid
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Modern Management Funda
Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel.” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.
After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, “Who was that?”
"It was Bob, the next door neighbor,” she replies.
"Great!” the husband says, “Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand.
But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?”
The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”
Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.
Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
"Me first! Me first!” says the admin clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.”
Puff! She’s gone.
"Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.”
Puff! He’s gone.
"OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel.” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.
After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, “Who was that?”
"It was Bob, the next door neighbor,” she replies.
"Great!” the husband says, “Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand.
But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?”
The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”
Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.
Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
"Me first! Me first!” says the admin clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.”
Puff! She’s gone.
"Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.”
Puff! He’s gone.
"OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Management Funda' s
17 Management Funda's
1. "We will do it" means "You will do it"
2. "You have done a great job" means "More work to be given to you"
3. "We are working on it" means "We have not yet started WORKING on the Same"
4. "Tomorrow first thing in the morning" means "Its not getting done "At least not tomorrow!"
5. "After discussion we will decide-I am very open to views" means "I have already decided, I will tell you what to do"
6. "There was a slight miscommunication" means "We had actually lied"
Office-management- Fundas
7. "Lets call a meeting and discuss" means "I have no time now, will talk later"
8. "We can always do it" means "We actually cannot do the same on time"
9. "We are on the right track but there needs to be a slight extension of the deadline" means "The project is screwed up, we cannot deliver on time."
10. "We had slight differences of opinion "means "We had actually fought"
11. "Make a list of the work that you do and let's see how I can help you" means "Anyway you have to find a way out no help from me"
12. "You should have told me earlier" means "Well even if you told me earlier that would have made hardly any difference!"
13. "We need to find out the real reason" means "Well I will tell you where your fault is"
14. "Well Family is important; your leave is always granted. Just ensure that the work is not affected," means, "Well you know…"
15. "We are a team," means, "I am not the only one to be blamed"
16. "That's actually a good question" means "I do not know anything about it"
17. "All the Best" means "You are in trouble"
1. "We will do it" means "You will do it"
2. "You have done a great job" means "More work to be given to you"
3. "We are working on it" means "We have not yet started WORKING on the Same"
4. "Tomorrow first thing in the morning" means "Its not getting done "At least not tomorrow!"
5. "After discussion we will decide-I am very open to views" means "I have already decided, I will tell you what to do"
6. "There was a slight miscommunication" means "We had actually lied"
Office-management- Fundas
7. "Lets call a meeting and discuss" means "I have no time now, will talk later"
8. "We can always do it" means "We actually cannot do the same on time"
9. "We are on the right track but there needs to be a slight extension of the deadline" means "The project is screwed up, we cannot deliver on time."
10. "We had slight differences of opinion "means "We had actually fought"
11. "Make a list of the work that you do and let's see how I can help you" means "Anyway you have to find a way out no help from me"
12. "You should have told me earlier" means "Well even if you told me earlier that would have made hardly any difference!"
13. "We need to find out the real reason" means "Well I will tell you where your fault is"
14. "Well Family is important; your leave is always granted. Just ensure that the work is not affected," means, "Well you know…"
15. "We are a team," means, "I am not the only one to be blamed"
16. "That's actually a good question" means "I do not know anything about it"
17. "All the Best" means "You are in trouble"
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Jobs Layoffs in USA due to "Economic Downturn"
Month of July, 2008
Northwest Airlines will cut 2,500 jobs or 7% of its workforce due to rising fuel prices. (CNN Money/AP).
German conglomerate Siemens will cut 16,750 jobs worldwide. (Reuters).
United Healthcare will eliminate 4,000 jobs or 5% of its workforce. (AP)
IndyMac Bancorp will exit most of the home lending market and cut 3,800 jobs due to high rates of loan defaults. (LA Times)
Chicago Tribune will eliminate 80 newsroom positions. About 60 workers will lose their jobs and 20 positions are already vacant and won't be filled. (Crain's
Starbucks will close 600 stores in the
Month of June, 2008
Bank of America will ax 7,500 jobs following its acquisition of Countrywide mortgage company. (LA Times).
Foxwoods will layoff 2% of its workforce or 200 workers as the casino is being hurt by weak spending due to high gas prices. (Newsday/AP).
The Hartford Courant newspaper will cut 60 jobs and reduce the number of news pages by 25 percent as it suffers from an industry-wide downturn in advertising. The paper will reduce its newsroom staff from 232 to about 175. (
The Baltimore Sun newspaper will eliminate 100 workers through voluntary buyouts, layoffs and attrition. About 55-60 jobs in the newsroom are expected to be lost. (
Continental Airlines plans to cut 3,000 jobs and ground 67 planes in order to deal with high fuel costs. (
Intuit will cut 575 jobs or 7% of its workforce as it streamlines operations. (
Week of April 4, 2008
Freightliner is laying off 1,500 workers at its
Motorola plans to layoff 2,600 workers. (
Schering-Plough will lay off 10% of its global workforce or 5,500 employees and will also shut plants. (
CBS News is cutting 1% of its 1,200 member workforce. Local news stations at CBS have also cut anchors and reporters in NY,
Aloha Airlines has laid off over 2,000 workers as it shut down passenger flight operations due to heavy losses and the high cost of fuel. (
ATA Airlines filed for bankruptcy and will end flight operations following the loss of a military charter contract. 2,000 employees will lose their jobs including 600 at
People's Bank is eliminating 420 jobs and closing 20 branches in
City of Portland, ME has cut 98 positions and 76 will be layoffs in a reorganization plan (WCSH -
Pilgrim's Pride is the nation's largest chicken company. It announced it will cut 1,100 jobs and shut down seven
Week of March 19, 2008
Delta Airlines is offering buyouts to 30,000 employees as it plans to reduce 2,000 jobs at the airline. (AP)
Supervalu is closing a plant in
Vaughan Furniture will close its last
ON Semiconductor is cutting 200 employees and closing a fab plant as it merges with AMI Semiconductor. (EDN)
Lehman Brothers is planning to lay off 1,425 people or 5% of its workforce across all regions of its business. (WSJ)
Week of March 1, 2008
Newsday will cut 120 positions as it deals with lower sales and weak advertising. (Newsday)
BMW plans to eliminate 8,100 jobs due to rising euro affecting profits. Most jobs will be lost in
Siemens will cut 3,800 jobs in its Enterprise Communications division and sell its telecom unit. Most will be in
Zale Corp. will eliminate 225 jobs or 20% of its headquarters workforce. The jewelry retailer also is closing 105 stores. (Bloomberg)
Wabash National is laying off 130 workers after furloughing 150 production workers last month. The company is a manufacturer of trucks. (Journal and Courier)
Week of February 23, 2008
Harrah's has cut about 150 workers at casinos in
Goldman Sachs is ready to fire 1,500 employees as it faces losses in its investing and lending portfolios. (Dow Jones)
Starbucks is cutting 600 jobs nationwide with about one-third at
Wilson's Leather announced it will close 160 of its stores and layoff 1,000 workers. (AP)
Bay Area News Group is offering buyouts to 1,100 employees. The group publishers newspapers in the Bay Area including Oakland Tribune, San Jose Mercury News and Contra-Costa Times. (SF Chronicle)
The NY Times plans to cut 100 newsroom jobs at its flagship paper to deal with lower advertising revenue. The company will offer buyouts and layoffs if necessary. (NY Times)
Week of February 16, 2008
Sears announced it will cut 200 workers at its headquarters. The number represents 4% of 5,000 workers at its headquarters office. (Crain's
Morgan Stanley is scaling back its mortgage operations and trimming 1,000 jobs. (International Herald Tribune)
Polaroid will no longer make instant film and is closing factories in
General Motors announced a record $38.7 billion loss for 2007 and offered buyouts to all 74,000 union workers at the company. Buyouts can range from $70,000-140,000. (CNN Money)
DHL will cut about 600 jobs in the
Tribune Co. plans to layoff 2% or 400-500 employees. The LA Times will lose 100-150 jobs including 40-50 in the newsroom. (LA Times)
Week of February 9, 2008
Russell Stover will layoff 150 workers at its plant in Montrose, CO. (Kansas City Star)
CBS Radio has laid off 400 workers at its radio stations across the country. (
Time Warner will cut up to 100 corporate positions and also split its AOL access and advertising businesses. (CNN Money)
Macy's will lay off 2,300 workers and consolidate its regional operating divisions following weak sales for the holidays and January. (
Week of February 1, 2008
Dell is closing call centers in
Home Depot will lay off 500 workers or 10% if its headquarters workforce in
Ann Taylor to cut 180 positions or 13% of its corporate workforce. The company plans to close 117 underperforming stores over the next two years. (PR Newswire)
Yahoo is laying off 1,000 workers or 7% of its workforce after reporting a drop in profits for the year. (
Week of January 25, 2008
Morgan Stanley is laying off 1,000 workers or 2% of its total workforce. (WSJ)
Goldman Sachs may lay off 1,500 workers or up to 5% if its workforce due to weed out underperformers. The company paid $20 billion in bonuses last year, equivalent to $661,490 per person. (Bloomberg)
Ford is offering buyouts and early retirement packages for its 54,000 hourly workers. The auto giant lost $2.7 billion in 2007. (
Tellabs to cut 225 jobs or 6% of its workforce after profits dropped 78% in the fourth quarter. (
Wyeth may cut as many as 5,000 jobs or 10% of its workforce after federal regulators delayed four of its medicines last year. (NY Times)
The Chicago Sun Times cut 36 staffers from its newspaper. (
Week of January 18, 2008
Lawrence Livermore Lab in
Sallie Mae is eliminating 350 workers or 3% of its workforce in a bid to cut 20% of its operating expenses. (Bloomberg)
Sprint announced plans to close 125 retail stores and cut 4,000 jobs or 7% of its workforce after reporting heavy subscriber losses for wireless service. (
IndyMac Bancorp will layoff 2,403 workers or 24% due to serious problems in the mortgage and credit industry. (AP)
The American Red Cross could layoff up to 1,000 people as it faces an operating deficit of $200 million. (NY Times)
Lehman Brothers is closing its wholesale mortgage unit due to the housing slump, resulting in the loss of 1,300 jobs. (AP)
Applied Materials is eliminating 1,000 jobs in its Silicon Systems Group via layoffs and attrition. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Source - Google
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A Standardized Sales Plan ?
I was reading some articles from internet that’s explains how companies can successfully implement a company-mandated sales plan and be sure that all of the salespeople are following it.
I found the advice given in that article to be deeply disturbing to me, especially since it is new and not from a ten-year-old book from the old school of selling.
The essence of the article is this: Companies that intend to implement a new sales plan must make it mandatory, must hold the salespeople accountable for following it, must let the salespeople know that managers will inspect to make sure the new plan is being followed, and that role plays should be done in training sessions to teach salespeople how to use the new sales plan.
I felt shivers down my spine when I read the part about how managers will hold salespeople accountable, and will inspect to be sure that the plan is being followed. I immediately got the picture of the stereotypical raving lunatic, “little dictator” sales manager who terrorizes his or her salespeople through micro-management and blunt orders.
Is this the kind of organization good salespeople would want to work for? I’m amazed that this kind advice is still being given in this day and age.
I also have a major problem with mandated role playing in training sessions. I hate role plays. I always have and always will. I think they’re stupid and a complete waste of time. They’re absolutely BANNED from my training programs. The biggest problem with role plays is that they’re NEVER realistic. In fact, if you train a salesperson through role plays, he will be completely blind sided and blown out when meeting with real prospects who have real problems and real objections. All of the example sales dialogues I use in my programs have come from REAL sales appointments, those carried out by either myself or other salespeople I know and trust.
I m in sales, I m always count in good performer. The only times I was not a good performer was while working at companies that had a mandated sales process that I was required to follow. It always baffled me as to why companies that forced us to follow their plan would hire experienced sales reps. Why not hire inexperienced people right out of college? They won’t have any pre-conceived notions of how to sell, won’t have any prior experience or training, and therefore will blindly follow the company’s system, no questions asked.
Here are a couple of realities that managers and sales directors must face up to:
1. If you want an experienced sales force with a proven track record, you must understand that they already know how to sell. How else could they
possibly have a great track record? Attempting to force them to learn a new system and follow it negates their talent and experience and will immediately destroy their top producer status. Proven salespeople excel and perform at their very best when treated like independent contractors.
2. If you really want to implement and mandate a company sales plan, the only way to do that successfully and with little turnover is to hire people with no experience right out of school. And even then, you’d still be much better off with sticking to option 1.
If you want a successful organization, hire the best and place your trust in them that they know how to sell. They’ve done it before and can do it again for you. Don’t derail their performance and undermine everyone’s success by forcing something on them that is totally unnecessary. Keep your sales training program updated for the current trends you need to provide your sales reps the latest training so they can also keep them self updated and ready for new challenges.
I found the advice given in that article to be deeply disturbing to me, especially since it is new and not from a ten-year-old book from the old school of selling.
The essence of the article is this: Companies that intend to implement a new sales plan must make it mandatory, must hold the salespeople accountable for following it, must let the salespeople know that managers will inspect to make sure the new plan is being followed, and that role plays should be done in training sessions to teach salespeople how to use the new sales plan.
I felt shivers down my spine when I read the part about how managers will hold salespeople accountable, and will inspect to be sure that the plan is being followed. I immediately got the picture of the stereotypical raving lunatic, “little dictator” sales manager who terrorizes his or her salespeople through micro-management and blunt orders.
Is this the kind of organization good salespeople would want to work for? I’m amazed that this kind advice is still being given in this day and age.
I also have a major problem with mandated role playing in training sessions. I hate role plays. I always have and always will. I think they’re stupid and a complete waste of time. They’re absolutely BANNED from my training programs. The biggest problem with role plays is that they’re NEVER realistic. In fact, if you train a salesperson through role plays, he will be completely blind sided and blown out when meeting with real prospects who have real problems and real objections. All of the example sales dialogues I use in my programs have come from REAL sales appointments, those carried out by either myself or other salespeople I know and trust.
I m in sales, I m always count in good performer. The only times I was not a good performer was while working at companies that had a mandated sales process that I was required to follow. It always baffled me as to why companies that forced us to follow their plan would hire experienced sales reps. Why not hire inexperienced people right out of college? They won’t have any pre-conceived notions of how to sell, won’t have any prior experience or training, and therefore will blindly follow the company’s system, no questions asked.
Here are a couple of realities that managers and sales directors must face up to:
1. If you want an experienced sales force with a proven track record, you must understand that they already know how to sell. How else could they
possibly have a great track record? Attempting to force them to learn a new system and follow it negates their talent and experience and will immediately destroy their top producer status. Proven salespeople excel and perform at their very best when treated like independent contractors.2. If you really want to implement and mandate a company sales plan, the only way to do that successfully and with little turnover is to hire people with no experience right out of school. And even then, you’d still be much better off with sticking to option 1.
If you want a successful organization, hire the best and place your trust in them that they know how to sell. They’ve done it before and can do it again for you. Don’t derail their performance and undermine everyone’s success by forcing something on them that is totally unnecessary. Keep your sales training program updated for the current trends you need to provide your sales reps the latest training so they can also keep them self updated and ready for new challenges.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Surviving a Layoff
Surviving a layoff. Losing your job is one of the most stressful life events. You need to have a good plan of action in place to recover and get going in the job market. Use these strategies to help you handle the lay off and compete effectively for a new job.Don't panic
Panic following a lay off is dangerous. Do not lose sight of these two facts - you are a skilled person and you will work again. Adapt to what has happened and turn your energies to finding a solution.
The way in which you look at the job loss will make all the difference in surviving a layoff. Avoid getting into a spiral of negative thought. Anger and fear are the usual emotions experienced after a job loss. Both these are destructive emotions that prevent you from thinking clearly about your future.
Deal with your anger and fear
You need to deal with these emotions and move on so that you can be relaxed and confident in an interview situation. Here are some practical guidelines for handling the emotional challenges in surviving a layoff.
Acknowledge your feelings - it is absolutely normal to experience fear, anxiety and depression after losing your job. Don't pretend that you are fine, acknowledge what you are going through otherwise you will not be able to deal with it.
Write it all down - put down on paper how you feel. What would you like to have said to the company but didn't? What upset you about the way you were laid off? What thoughts keep going through your head? What would you like to tell your family but feel unable to? Empty all your negative emotions into your writing and get it out of your system. Do it as many times as necessary. You can even write a letter to the company and then burn it. This can have a very cathartic effect.
Make a list of all the positive things you recognize about yourself - this is a good way to build your self-esteem and feel more positive. Ask for letters of recommendation from colleagues and managers. These serve two purposes in surviving a layoff- to boost your confidence and to help you in your job search.
List the positive outcomes of this experience - what good has come from this layoff? What have you learned? Finding value in the experience moves you from been a victim to a survivor. Practice telling yourself and others "It was very hard but I'm glad it happened because ...."
Engage in stress reducing activities - yoga, jogging, walking or whatever is the most relaxing. Key to surviving a layoff is to get involved in activities that help you reduce your anxiety and prepare for renewal.
Take constructive steps to reducing financial anxiety by knowing
Your Layoff Right
Reflect and take stock
The layoff gives you time to examine your job and career history, your possible career path and your personal career goals. You now have the time and motivation to consider all this and work out what your next step will be.
Ask yourself:
What are the skills and knowledge I can bring to the marketplace? - Look back on your work experience and select the most valuable and marketable skills you have to offer. Are these the skills you want to use in your next job? Use a free online career aptitude test or see a career counselor to help you decide.
This year we are experiencing the most rapidly changing economy in recent history. The job market today is more competitive than ever. There are many opportunities but they may be in different areas, in different forms and different places. Studies show that a college graduate with a non-professional degree will have an average of ten to twelve different jobs or careers during the working lifetime.
Most workers today will be out of their fields and doing something else within two years. Anyone who does not adjust rapidly to constant change, greater competition, and opportunities of the future, will be rapidly overtaken by those who do. If necessary consider changing the skills and work you are offering to meet the needs of the job market. If there is no real demand for your current skills package you may have to acquire some new skills.
Surviving a layoff may include taking advantage of the time provided by the lay off to learn new and valuable skills. Lifelong learning is critical in today’s job market, you should constantly be updating and upgrading your knowledge and skills. Read books, magazines, trade journals, and newsletters. Listen to business and motivational audio learning programs. What interests do you have that could be transformed into workplace skills?
Consider your values? Where do your career values, interests and skills come together in terms of a job? This is where will you find greatest job satisfaction.
Even consider changing the place where you are offering these skills. You can change your location to be where the demand for your skills is. Many people change their whole lives by moving from an area of low employment to an area of high employment.
What is the salary I really need to earn? - consider your savings, your expenses, your assets. Are you in a position to sell assets that no longer benefit you? Are your monthly expenses all essential? After reassessing your financial situation you may find that your salary requirements have changed giving you more flexibility in job and career choices.
Once you have taken these steps it is time to
1) Update your resume and activate your network.
2) Know your Layoff Rights
3) Lay off Survival Tips
Surviving a layoff depends on putting the right strategies in place.
Practical Survival Tips
Job layoffs have become a simple fact of life in this volatile economy. The Department Of Labor reports that year-to-date totals of layoff events (12,542) and related initial unemployment claims (1,274,765) in 2008 were the highest January-August totals since 2003.
Dealing with the layoff and staying focused on finding a job is tough. Here are some practical steps you can take to lessen the fallout from this traumatic life event.
Acknowledge your emotions
Employees who are laid off feel betrayed by the company and even by colleagues who survived the layoff. Anger, fear and depression are common and natural emotional reactions to job layoffs. If these emotions are not dealt with properly they can become all-consuming and prevent the individual from focusing on taking constructive steps to handle the layoff. They can derail a job search and destroy job interviews.
First step is to be honest about the depth and strength of the emotional fallout. Then begin to process these emotions and regain control. A cathartic activity is to write down your feelings. Put together a letter to the company detailing how you feel about them. Once it is all down on paper burn or shred the letters. Keep doing this till you feel the anger subsiding. Keeping a journal is another way of doing this.
Recovery is always helped along by talking to people who have been in similar situations. Join a support group and use it as both an opportunity to vent your feelings and to brainstorm career solutions.
Update your resume and build a portfolio of accomplishments
Job layoffs can be devastating to one's self esteem. Remind yourself of two things constantly - you have skills and you will find another job. List all the experience and skills you have. Highlight your strengths and accomplishments. Rework your resume to reflect these.
Don't leave your job without collecting references and letters of recommendation from the company. Select relevant work samples that demonstrate your abilities such as proposals and reports. Develop a portfolio that focuses on the value you can bring to a prospective employer.
Take this opportunity to relook at your career goals
Use this time to reflect on your career and reevaluate your career goals. Find answers to questions such as what motivates you, what are your strengths, what do you enjoy doing, and what is meaningful to you.
Re-evalaute and make decisions about moving into something new and better, something in line with your values and motivations. Rewrite your career goals and develop a strategy to get there.
The layoff can present an entire new career opportunity. Read some of the layoff blogs and stories on the web and you will be amazed to discover how many people rebound and find better work after losing their jobs. That may be hard to conceive in the current job market awash with layoffs but for individuals who are willing to change industries, relocate to an area of higher employment or try a new career a layoff can be seen as an opportunity.
Start networking
Be open about your layoff and inform every relevant person that you are currently in the job market. Develop a concise but clear summary of what you are looking for and what skills you have to offer. Have business cards ready to handout at the right moment. Ask for business cards of people you network with to follow up.
Stick to a daily action plan
Develop a structure for your day that involves scheduled activities. Set aside time slots for different activities- networking, job search, researching prospective employers, writing cover letters and sending out resumes. Also include important activities such as exercise, healthy eating and some time spent on hobbies or activities that help you relax. It is important to get out of the house so visit the library to do some job research or simply take a walk through the park.
Struture provides a sense of control over your life. Normally a job provides this structure to your day so it is important to create an interim structure while you are unemployed. Sticking to the schedule gives a sense of accomplishment. Additionally the more job search activities you involve yourself in the greater your chances of finding and securing the job you want.
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