We engage in discussions everyday with one another, and yet many times, issues don't seem to get resolved. here I aims to identify this problem and explain how a simple truth can make life easier during discussion. It worked for me and is working always, Effective talk is needed in workplaces, during heavy negotiations, and even in your family living room. The importance of understanding needs is a subject that is misunderstood many times. Hearing is one thing, and listening is another. Demonstrating empathy leads to understanding. By successfully understanding needs, the person feels fully heard. At this level of understanding, the relationship strengthens and positive results manifest.
As I mentioned above, hearing is one thing, and listening is another. To find out the other persons' needs, you really have show genuine interest. Its essential to search for the key issue that needs to be resolved. By educating yourself about this, you learn to figure out how to serve an unfulfilled desire. When focussing your attention on the need, there is much rapport and the conversation moves in a positive direction. Hence the door is open for honest dialogue.
You really have to dig in. You have to try to sense the same feelings. This is a skill that develops over time. There are ways to practice this. If you suspect the other person is feeling a certain way, ask them! Confirm your intuition and see if its correct. By doing this regularly, and getting in to the habit, you'll start to truly understand people like you never have before! Ask people around you regularly, and clarify their needs. What is it that keeps them up at night, and drives them to their goals. When doing this often, you become more inline with those around you. Objectives are achieved in harmony, simply because you understand their needs & how we can address these..
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Sunday, 27 June 2010
You Can't Really Multi-task- I can't , Can you Drive & eat at same time ???? Think...I think I can't can you if not read it..
You Can't Really Multi-task
I used to be a major fan of multi-tasking, perhaps out of necessity. Lately, I've become a convert to "chunking". The name isn't as exciting, but the results are impressive. The article Use Chunking Instead of Multi-tasking will get you started toward a more productive day.
People who multi-task usually perform less well on the multiple tasks together than they would separately. The more complex the task, the more likely it is to suffer from multi-tasking. The most basic multi-tasking, the ability to walk and talk at the same time, is pretty easy for most of us after about age three. It's a little harder, however, to balance a checkbook while delivering a keynote speech at a conference. So remember to Use Chunking Instead of Multi-tasking.
Don't Multi-task When You Can Use Chunking
We spend too much of our day trying to cram more into it. We adopted the computer term multi-tasking and tried to apply it to our own daily activities as another step in our quest to get more done. The problem is that multi-tasking doesn't work.
Multi-tasking Doesn't Work
As you brush your teeth in the morning, you think about the agenda for big meeting later in the day. It doesn't take much of your brain's processing power anymore to brush your teeth, so your agenda planning isn't suffering too much from having to share. But what about two tasks that require more of your brain's capacity? You might be talking on the phone while you're preparing breakfast. You may get both tasks done correctly, but you would have gotten both of them done better, and in less total time, if you had done them one after the other instead of at the same time.
Chunking Works Better
"Chunking" describes how human memory utilization works. It is important to remember this concept as we look at doing several tasks "simultaneously". We are in fact switching between them rather than doing them at the same time (although in the case of brushing your teeth it may seem like they are simultaneous).
You are on the phone when someone walks into your office. They ask for your advice or a decision. You stop listening to the person on the phone briefly, scan the note in front of you, scribble a response and go back to the phone call. You did not do the two activities (phone call and in-person conversation) at the same time. You actually did three tasks in sequence; started the phone call, had the in-person conversation, and then resumed the phone call. Just as in the breakfast example above, you could have gotten both of them done better, and in less total time, if you had done them one after the other instead at the same time. The reason is that as you begin each task you have to focus on it and get started.
Start-up Time Kills Multi-tasking
When you started the phone call, you had to think about it, find the phone number, and make the call. When you were interrupted, you had to figure out what the person wanted from you in order to be able to give them a decision. Finally, when you resumed the phone call, you had to remember where you left off. You might even have had to say, "Oops, sorry, someone walked in. What were you saying?"
The more starts and stops you make during the day, the more of these start-up moments you have. These moments are non-productive time. If you have a daily report to prepare, the start-up moment is probably pretty short compared to that for the report you only do quarterly. Still, if you are preparing that report and you get interrupted, you have almost the same length of time for start-up each time.
I can write my weekly report in about 30 minutes without any interruptions. I have had it take several hours to complete simply because my job is operational and requires that I deal with unplanned tasks a lot. The culprit was not the people who interrupted me. The culprit was the time required for start-up moments each time I re-started the report.
Some Times You Have to Multi-task
Okay, sometimes you have to multi-task. Your job may be operational . So what is better than multi-tasking? Chunking is better.
Chunking is the concept of breaking up your day into larger chunks instead of reacting to each "emergency". The more chunks of time you can devote to specific tasks, the fewer start-up moments you will have. Since you won't be spending as much time in start-up moments, you will have more time and you will get more done. As a bonus, since you will be able to focus on the single task at hand, you will do it better.
Chunking
So how can you start chunking? Start small until you get the feel of it. Pick a single task, perhaps your weekly report. Set aside the 30 minutes you know it will take. Close your door. Put up a sign that reads "Genius at work" or something like that and then concentrate on the report and nothing but the report. Ignore the phone. Don't check email. Just write the report. After about two weeks you'll notice how much more quickly you are able to get your report done.
When you're ready for the next phase, set aside a chunk of time for another activity. For example, instead of interrupting whatever you are working on to read each email as it comes in, set aside a specific time to tackle a chunk of emails. One manager I know reads all her email at the beginning of each hour and then ignores it until the beginning of the next hour.
Bottom Line
Don't waste so much of your time trying to multi-task. Instead, make yourself more efficient and more productive by chunking.
• Set aside chunks of time for specific tasks
• Reduce the time spent in start-up moments
• Don't allow interruptions
• Increase the number and size of chunks during your day and week
• Recognize that there will still be interruptions no matter how well you chunk.
Use chunking to make yourself more focused and ultimately productive.
I used to be a major fan of multi-tasking, perhaps out of necessity. Lately, I've become a convert to "chunking". The name isn't as exciting, but the results are impressive. The article Use Chunking Instead of Multi-tasking will get you started toward a more productive day.
People who multi-task usually perform less well on the multiple tasks together than they would separately. The more complex the task, the more likely it is to suffer from multi-tasking. The most basic multi-tasking, the ability to walk and talk at the same time, is pretty easy for most of us after about age three. It's a little harder, however, to balance a checkbook while delivering a keynote speech at a conference. So remember to Use Chunking Instead of Multi-tasking.
Don't Multi-task When You Can Use Chunking
We spend too much of our day trying to cram more into it. We adopted the computer term multi-tasking and tried to apply it to our own daily activities as another step in our quest to get more done. The problem is that multi-tasking doesn't work.
Multi-tasking Doesn't Work
As you brush your teeth in the morning, you think about the agenda for big meeting later in the day. It doesn't take much of your brain's processing power anymore to brush your teeth, so your agenda planning isn't suffering too much from having to share. But what about two tasks that require more of your brain's capacity? You might be talking on the phone while you're preparing breakfast. You may get both tasks done correctly, but you would have gotten both of them done better, and in less total time, if you had done them one after the other instead of at the same time.
Chunking Works Better
"Chunking" describes how human memory utilization works. It is important to remember this concept as we look at doing several tasks "simultaneously". We are in fact switching between them rather than doing them at the same time (although in the case of brushing your teeth it may seem like they are simultaneous).
You are on the phone when someone walks into your office. They ask for your advice or a decision. You stop listening to the person on the phone briefly, scan the note in front of you, scribble a response and go back to the phone call. You did not do the two activities (phone call and in-person conversation) at the same time. You actually did three tasks in sequence; started the phone call, had the in-person conversation, and then resumed the phone call. Just as in the breakfast example above, you could have gotten both of them done better, and in less total time, if you had done them one after the other instead at the same time. The reason is that as you begin each task you have to focus on it and get started.
Start-up Time Kills Multi-tasking
When you started the phone call, you had to think about it, find the phone number, and make the call. When you were interrupted, you had to figure out what the person wanted from you in order to be able to give them a decision. Finally, when you resumed the phone call, you had to remember where you left off. You might even have had to say, "Oops, sorry, someone walked in. What were you saying?"
The more starts and stops you make during the day, the more of these start-up moments you have. These moments are non-productive time. If you have a daily report to prepare, the start-up moment is probably pretty short compared to that for the report you only do quarterly. Still, if you are preparing that report and you get interrupted, you have almost the same length of time for start-up each time.
I can write my weekly report in about 30 minutes without any interruptions. I have had it take several hours to complete simply because my job is operational and requires that I deal with unplanned tasks a lot. The culprit was not the people who interrupted me. The culprit was the time required for start-up moments each time I re-started the report.
Some Times You Have to Multi-task
Okay, sometimes you have to multi-task. Your job may be operational . So what is better than multi-tasking? Chunking is better.
Chunking is the concept of breaking up your day into larger chunks instead of reacting to each "emergency". The more chunks of time you can devote to specific tasks, the fewer start-up moments you will have. Since you won't be spending as much time in start-up moments, you will have more time and you will get more done. As a bonus, since you will be able to focus on the single task at hand, you will do it better.
Chunking
So how can you start chunking? Start small until you get the feel of it. Pick a single task, perhaps your weekly report. Set aside the 30 minutes you know it will take. Close your door. Put up a sign that reads "Genius at work" or something like that and then concentrate on the report and nothing but the report. Ignore the phone. Don't check email. Just write the report. After about two weeks you'll notice how much more quickly you are able to get your report done.
When you're ready for the next phase, set aside a chunk of time for another activity. For example, instead of interrupting whatever you are working on to read each email as it comes in, set aside a specific time to tackle a chunk of emails. One manager I know reads all her email at the beginning of each hour and then ignores it until the beginning of the next hour.
Bottom Line
Don't waste so much of your time trying to multi-task. Instead, make yourself more efficient and more productive by chunking.
• Set aside chunks of time for specific tasks
• Reduce the time spent in start-up moments
• Don't allow interruptions
• Increase the number and size of chunks during your day and week
• Recognize that there will still be interruptions no matter how well you chunk.
Use chunking to make yourself more focused and ultimately productive.
You Are Not Smarter Than Everybody.
You may be smarter than anyone, but you are not smarter than everyone. Seek input from the group, and LISTEN to it. You will be surprised at what you can learn.
The Essentials of Great Teamwork
T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More
Like most other things Teamwork is a huge subject. There are whole books published on it and various theories and opinions. In this article I will attempt to provide some of the basics. A team differs from a group of people in that it has a clearly defined common purpose and goals with everyone working together to achieve them. Good teamwork can help your self-improvement. Here are some of the reasons we form people into teams:
1.
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They achieve better results than people working alone.
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They get more done in less time than people working alone.
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They work to the strengths of individuals, while compensating for the weaknesses of others.
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They split the work up among members of the team and make the task seem less daunting.
Teams are made up of people and people have certain needs when working together in teams. These have been called The Keys To Effective Teamwork. They include:
1.
Communication. This is the essence of effective Teamwork. Effective communication provides understanding, interpretation and action. Ineffective communication leads to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and either inaction or inappropriate action.
2.
Active listening. There are two responsibilities here: That of the sender and that of the receiver. The sender must ensure that the message is clear and understood and the receiver must ensure that if the message is not clear that they ask for clarification.
3.
Resolving conflict. People are different and inevitably clashes of personality or other conflicts may arise. The conflict must be resolved and people should use an effective, consistent approach to resolve it.
4.
Team diversity. People come from different backgrounds and this can present challenges and opportunities. People have to recognise and understand their own uniqueness and that of others and make allowances.
5.
Team motivation. Motivation inspires commitment, innovation and teamwork. Team leaders and members need to be aware of the factors affecting motivation and techniques they can use to enhance and maintain motivation levels.
"With teamwork we can build towards excellence". Stew Leonard.
A team is a feeling of togetherness, involvement and commitment. Like an orchestra everyone has to be playing the same tune even if roles and tasks are different everyone must be working for the same outcome. The more you can do to make people feel good about themselves the better they will perform. So if you work in a team don't just work to your own self-improvement but help others to work towards their self-improvement as well and soon everyone will be:
Totally Excited And Motivated!!!
"If you take good care of your people they will take good care of your customers. If my people are happy my customers will be happy". Stew Leonard.
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