Back in school, we were told by many well-meaning teachers to study hard, do things thoroughly, and follow all rules to the letter. Although there is wisdom in those words, I find that many people who seriously did exactly what the teachers told them to do also end up as people who did everything “by the book”.
“By the book” people carry that habit into their adult life. Having worked with a handful of them, I have observed that they usually do a very good job, but it takes them a very long time to finish their tasks. Some of them have become perfectionists to a fault, spending all their time, effort and energy to do the task perfectly, regardless of whether it is important or not. They are often too busy, too overwhelmed with work and lead very complicated work-lives.
Interestingly, I have found that certain habits that were frowned upon when we were children in school serves to help us in our adult work life. Controversial as it may sound, wisdom can also be found from people who slacked off a bit or got the teacher’s ire.
Here’s a fresh look at some of the bad habits that can be transformed into something good and even used to simplify our work life.
Tickle Your Lazy Bones. Sometimes, laziness is good---particularly if you use it as a catalyst for creativity and resourcefulness. Let’s face it, there are really times when you don’t feel like working so hard on a particular project. You still have to accomplish what you are supposed to do no matter what, but you don’t want to put in too much physical effort. So what can you do? Take the lazy but creative route to accomplishing the project. For instance, I once had to do a photographic essay on music (a photographic essay is a series of pictures that tell a story about your subject with short quips). Most of my peers went all around the Metro to find different musical instruments to shoot with their models. Since, I didn’t have the time and resources to look for instruments, I simply asked my model to pose “artistically” using imaginary instruments. This Lazy-Creative approach garnered for me the top award among my peers with little effort on my part.
Don’t be a Busy Bee. As little children, our mothers would scold us for staying in front of the television all day long and doing nothing. So to escape the sermon, we would get up and act busy. Unfortunately, this habit has been carried over to our adult work life. There are many of us who sincerely want to prove to our bosses that we are doing a good job by being busy. But the question is, are we being busy for the sake of being busy? When my husband was starting out in the corporate world, he would work until the wee hours of the morning. His boss saw him doing this and asked, “Is that a sign of dedication or incompetence?” This question made my husband realize at a young age that success is not about how much harder you work, it’s the results that count.
Learn as You Go. There are some people who would not get into something because they have not mapped out an extensive detailed plan or they have not mastered a particular field. So they read tons of books about the subject, gather as much information as they can find and even hire a bunch of consultants for advice. They get so overwhelmed with the information and task at hand that they end up getting stuck in the process. This is called and people who experience this usually end up doing nothing. On the other hand, I believe experience is the best teacher of all and sometimes, you just have to take the plunge and learn as you go. See, your mind and creativity heightens when there’s something at stake and your learning curve speeds up when you are actually in the game. Sometimes, you need to tell yourself, Information Paralysis“Just do it!”
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel if you do not need to. Have you ever noticed that when a new management or department head replaces the old, currently running projects would get discontinued in place of new programs? When this happens, the time and resources spent on the previous projects get wasted and more time, resources and energy is used up to start new projects. I believe in the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. So when I was hired as a new Marketing Head for a Healthcare company, the first thing I did was reviewed the existing programs, marketing materials and projects of the previous administration. I continued and used all the marketing materials that the one before me created and just improved it and applied it to my own projects. That way, company funds are not wasted and at the same time, I don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Speed it Up with Short Cuts. Our company once hired an IT specialist to teach non-IT people how to create websites. Because of his background, he proposed a curriculum that included extensive lessons on HTML coding and logical flowchart exercises. Since there were already free software programs available in the market that simplified the task with thousands of existing templates to choose from, we rejected the curriculum he proposed. See, in this day and age, you don’t have to do your task from scratch or be what I call a “Purist”. You don’t have to go the long way to get things done. Most of the time, shortcuts are better as long as you do not sacrifice the quality of your product or service. So, it’s okay to take shortcuts.
Simplifying Your Work Life is about doing what works. Instead of working hard, what we should be striving to do is to WORK SMART.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com or call (632)6874645. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Workplace Trends & Technology
Last October 22, I attended the 3rd HR Philippines National Convention where my good friend, business partner and Chief Training Consultant, Cindy Sajwani, gave a talk on “New Trends in Training & Technology.” There were about 700 HR practitioners who were present in the convention and discussions centered mainly on HR 2.0---how advancements in technology are redefining the workplace.
The convention confirmed the general feeling of today’s many Business and HR practitioners: that the world is changing and it’s doing so in a very fast pace. And as the business climate of today transforms significantly, so too are the prevailing culture and experiences in the workplace.
Technology is rapidly moving and it is up to you to ride on it or be left behind. Whether we like it or not, we need to be able to adapt in order to survive and even thrive. Here are a few workplace trends that you should prepare yourself for:
Millennial Invasion
Born between 1980 to 1995, “Millennials” are a new breed of workers who are rapidly taking over the workplace. They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special. They are tech savvy and have been exposed to all sorts of gadgets. They are very hard-working but they don’t necessarily adhere to strict and formal etiquette or policies that do not make sense to them. If you belong to an older generation, are you ready for this new generation? How do you deal with them and how can you ensure that you do not become obsolete?
Computer-Wired Workplace
Gone are the days of the typewriter, OHP projectors and Polaroid Cameras even though we may miss them. Nowadays, if your company wants to stay competitive, you should at least have a computer and DSL in your office. When our company invested in providing computers to all of our employees, we saw their productivity shoot up. More importantly, it empowered our employees so much so that they have all become single business units in themselves. The question is, how computer-wired is your workplace? Is it important in your line of business? And if you have a computer, are you maximizing its use?
Work Anytime, Anywhere
Laptops and the Wifi access in malls have allowed our management to work away from the workplace. Wherever I am, I can still monitor and communicate with my co-workers because aside from mobile phones and emails, we have an online forum and knowledge management system to keep track of all our business discussions, decisions and work progress. Not a lot of companies do this yet, because of the perceived high-cost of hiring an IT guy to set this up. But to be honest with you, it’s quite simple to set this up yourself. Just because, you are not an IT person, doesn’t mean that you cannot integrate technology to your work life. If we were able to do it, so can you.
Social Networking
Is facebook, friendster and multiply allowed in your workplace? If so, are you using it for business or for pleasure---be honest?! In our company, we do allow facebook and other networking sites because most of our clients communicate with us using those mediums. But I must admit, monitoring these activities is a bit challenging and it poses as a big temptation and interruption of work, sometimes. It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. I believe that allowing its use is a prerogative of management. It depends on the nature of your business and the culture of your company. In your opinion, should your company allow employees to have access to facebook and other networking sites? And if you are allowed to access these, can you honestly say that you can use it for business purposes only and not abuse it?
Online Learning & Webinars
Company Trainings are not just focused on Instructor-led seminars anymore. Nowadays, a new training methodology is being utilized because many companies cannot afford to gather all their employees in one venue all at the same time to attend a seminar. A new trend is emerging in the form of Online Learning & Webinars. In our company, we use webinars for New Employee Orientation. Since new employees are not hired all at the same time, it becomes very tedious for management to keep on giving full Employee Orientations every time a new employee comes in. The solution, Interactive Orientation Webinars whereby employees learn about the company through an interactive multimedia and online quiz. The experience is quite fresh for many people and this makes it a little bit more exciting for the new employees. Have you experienced learning from webinars?
Online Resources
As technology speeds up the business process, so too are the demands of work. Years ago, it took weeks to come up with a project proposal, contract or report. Now, we are expected to deliver these within days or even a few hours. Work life can get really overwhelming. Luckily, technology also provides a solution through Online Resources. The internet has a lot of free stuff. All you need to have is the patience to sort through all of these. There are also products for sale out there that are useful. For instance, HR practitioners can now rely on www.InstantHRToolkit.com which provides them with over 100 downloadable, customizable and printable manuals, contracts, letters, forms and templates. Gone are the days where one has to create a document from scratch. There are shortcuts available and all you have to do is know how to use these online resources.
New Technology poses a lot of promising advancements in the workplace, but with it comes challenges. If used properly (just like what we have done in our company), it can truly make the workplace productive; if used unwisely, it can give you a lot of headaches and problems too. The important thing is to prepare yourself and dare to embrace change a little, because like it or not, it is transforming the workplace now.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is the managing director of HR Club Philippines and president of Businessmaker Academy---a training company that offers public seminars on Human Resource Management, Business Skills and Internet Marketing. They also hold training programs for corporate skills training, as well as develop interactive webinars for corporations and institutions. To know more about these organizations and the seminars they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com and www.hrclubphilippines.com or call (632)6874645. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
The convention confirmed the general feeling of today’s many Business and HR practitioners: that the world is changing and it’s doing so in a very fast pace. And as the business climate of today transforms significantly, so too are the prevailing culture and experiences in the workplace.
Technology is rapidly moving and it is up to you to ride on it or be left behind. Whether we like it or not, we need to be able to adapt in order to survive and even thrive. Here are a few workplace trends that you should prepare yourself for:
Millennial Invasion
Born between 1980 to 1995, “Millennials” are a new breed of workers who are rapidly taking over the workplace. They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special. They are tech savvy and have been exposed to all sorts of gadgets. They are very hard-working but they don’t necessarily adhere to strict and formal etiquette or policies that do not make sense to them. If you belong to an older generation, are you ready for this new generation? How do you deal with them and how can you ensure that you do not become obsolete?
Computer-Wired Workplace
Gone are the days of the typewriter, OHP projectors and Polaroid Cameras even though we may miss them. Nowadays, if your company wants to stay competitive, you should at least have a computer and DSL in your office. When our company invested in providing computers to all of our employees, we saw their productivity shoot up. More importantly, it empowered our employees so much so that they have all become single business units in themselves. The question is, how computer-wired is your workplace? Is it important in your line of business? And if you have a computer, are you maximizing its use?
Work Anytime, Anywhere
Laptops and the Wifi access in malls have allowed our management to work away from the workplace. Wherever I am, I can still monitor and communicate with my co-workers because aside from mobile phones and emails, we have an online forum and knowledge management system to keep track of all our business discussions, decisions and work progress. Not a lot of companies do this yet, because of the perceived high-cost of hiring an IT guy to set this up. But to be honest with you, it’s quite simple to set this up yourself. Just because, you are not an IT person, doesn’t mean that you cannot integrate technology to your work life. If we were able to do it, so can you.
Social Networking
Is facebook, friendster and multiply allowed in your workplace? If so, are you using it for business or for pleasure---be honest?! In our company, we do allow facebook and other networking sites because most of our clients communicate with us using those mediums. But I must admit, monitoring these activities is a bit challenging and it poses as a big temptation and interruption of work, sometimes. It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. I believe that allowing its use is a prerogative of management. It depends on the nature of your business and the culture of your company. In your opinion, should your company allow employees to have access to facebook and other networking sites? And if you are allowed to access these, can you honestly say that you can use it for business purposes only and not abuse it?
Online Learning & Webinars
Company Trainings are not just focused on Instructor-led seminars anymore. Nowadays, a new training methodology is being utilized because many companies cannot afford to gather all their employees in one venue all at the same time to attend a seminar. A new trend is emerging in the form of Online Learning & Webinars. In our company, we use webinars for New Employee Orientation. Since new employees are not hired all at the same time, it becomes very tedious for management to keep on giving full Employee Orientations every time a new employee comes in. The solution, Interactive Orientation Webinars whereby employees learn about the company through an interactive multimedia and online quiz. The experience is quite fresh for many people and this makes it a little bit more exciting for the new employees. Have you experienced learning from webinars?
Online Resources
As technology speeds up the business process, so too are the demands of work. Years ago, it took weeks to come up with a project proposal, contract or report. Now, we are expected to deliver these within days or even a few hours. Work life can get really overwhelming. Luckily, technology also provides a solution through Online Resources. The internet has a lot of free stuff. All you need to have is the patience to sort through all of these. There are also products for sale out there that are useful. For instance, HR practitioners can now rely on www.InstantHRToolkit.com which provides them with over 100 downloadable, customizable and printable manuals, contracts, letters, forms and templates. Gone are the days where one has to create a document from scratch. There are shortcuts available and all you have to do is know how to use these online resources.
New Technology poses a lot of promising advancements in the workplace, but with it comes challenges. If used properly (just like what we have done in our company), it can truly make the workplace productive; if used unwisely, it can give you a lot of headaches and problems too. The important thing is to prepare yourself and dare to embrace change a little, because like it or not, it is transforming the workplace now.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is the managing director of HR Club Philippines and president of Businessmaker Academy---a training company that offers public seminars on Human Resource Management, Business Skills and Internet Marketing. They also hold training programs for corporate skills training, as well as develop interactive webinars for corporations and institutions. To know more about these organizations and the seminars they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com and www.hrclubphilippines.com or call (632)6874645. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
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