Personal Productivity Tips #7

For high demanding tasks such as preparing project proposals, budgets and others, experts suggest that we perform such tasks not more than 90 minutes at one time. After 90 minutes, they suggest that we take a short break, say 5-10 minutes such as going for coffee, doing light exercise and others. This is to keep us alert, focus and more more energetic. Maybe we should give it a try today...

Personal Productivity Tips #6

Personal development experts (Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Robin Sharma and many others) advised us to have our daily Power Hour, an uninterrupted time (say 30-60 minutes) where we 'recharge our batteries' by meditating, praying, reading holy Scriptures or inspiring books or updating our journal. My Power Hour consists of reading the Scriptures and praying early in the morning. What about you? Have a productive week ahead...  

Making a Lasting First Impression...Positively

I once read that it takes three seconds for someone to form an opinion about us based on our appearance, body language and mannerisms. So, making positive first impression can go a long way for our career and personal life.

The next time you meet someone for the first time, use the tips below to make positive first impression;

Be on Time – There is no such thing as ‘fashionably late’. Someone you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your ‘creative’ excuse for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early and remember to allow some flexibility for possible delays such as traffic jam, etc.

Be Yourself - If you fake your behaviour, the other person will realize it sooner or later. This will make the other person uncomfortable. It’s a sure way to create the wrong impression.

Present Yourself Appropriately – Dress appropriately for the meeting or occasion. Is it a business meeting? An informal discussion over a cup of coffee? A day at the golf course? Do some research on how to dress for these different occasions. Remember to check your personal hygiene as well (your teeth, breath, facial hairs, etc).

Smile - A warm and confident smile will surely put both you and the other person at ease. When you smile, the other person will normally smile back and you have melted the ice.

Avoid Nervous Gestures - Be aware of your nervous habits such as playing with your pen, rubbing your neck, avoiding eye contact, tapping your feet, etc. Stop doing them or if unavoidable, try to minimize them.  

Small Talk Goes A Long Way –Take a few minutes to learn something about the person you meet for the first time. For instance, does he play golf? Comment about the weather, a current event or the coffee that both of you are enjoying.

Be Polite, Courteous and Attentive - It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behavior help make a good first impression. Avoid gossiping or bad-mouthing. Use polite language such as “Please”, “Thank you”, “If I may”, “Can I suggest”, etc.

Listen actively – Without sounding aggressive, ask questions, seek clarifications, rephrase his statements or summarize to show that you are paying attention to what he says. Nod or affirm with statements such as “I see”, “Ok”, “Mmm”, etc.

So, the next time you meet someone for the first time, remember to apply these tips and you will surely leave a first impression that lasts....positively.   

Personal Productivity Tips #5

How to tackle low work momentum after a long holiday? Try the Swiss Cheese method ie divide big tasks into smaller ones (like small holes in Swiss cheese) and start from there. Once you are 'in the zone' (regaining your momentum) then you can shift into bigger tasks for the day. Have a great day head!    

Personal Productivity Tips #4

According to a research, a 30-minute nap at mid day increases personal productivity of NASA pilots by almost 40%. So when you feel lethargic at mid day, maybe a short nap will do the trick...

Personal Productivity Tips #3

Brian Tracy, one of the expert in personal productivity suggested that before we sign off from our work, spend the last 10 minutes to write what we want to achieve the next day. This helps us to mentally prepare for tomorrow. Try it this week and you will be amazed...

How to Give Effective Feedback

Have you ever been told by your boss during your performance appraisal that there is ‘room for improvement’ but at the end of the session, you do not know what to improve and how to improve it?

Giving feedback that is constructive can be a morale booster to employees. The opposite is also true. Done badly, feedback can lead to confusion, conflict and dissatisfaction.

The next time you are face to face with your subordinates or colleagues, remember to use these suggestions to make your feedback more constructive;    

Start with the right intention – Ask yourself why you are doing it. Is it to highlight poor performance? Correct bad behaviour? To diffuse a situation? To complement a job well done?

Prepare early – Be clear of what are the things that you want to say. If possible, write them down on a piece of paper. Keep it minimum. From my experience, three items per session is more than enough.

Be timely – The rule of thumb is, the closer the event and the time that you want to address the issue, the better. Normally, do it within 24-48 hours as the effect of your feedback will be lesser with time.

Be aware of your surrounding – Remember to criticize in private but praise in public. Establish a safe place to talk where you won't be interrupted or overheard. Criticizing in public will humiliate the person can causes him to be defensive.

Separate the person from the problem – Highlight the problem without ‘attacking’ the person. “Last month, you were absent for 7 days” is highlighting the problem while “You are useless and lazy” is ‘attacking’ the person. Avoid the later.  

Be specific - Tell the person exactly what they need to improve on. This ensures that you stick to facts, thus reducing ambiguity and confusion. If you are saying “I need you to be more professional”, what does that mean? Maybe the best alternative is to say, “I need you to submit the monthly report before the 5th of every month”.

End on a positive note – End your feedback session positively. Thank the person for his time and reaffirm your belief that he will improve. If your session is to highlight positive performance, encourage the person to repeat the desired behaviour.

Try this formula during your next feedback session and you will notice the positive impact.