Why Productivity?

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Aug 202022
 

We choose productivity as the basis for success because it offers the greatest opportunity for a better work environment and a better, also lower, cost way of doing things. All but a very few organizations can benefit from improvements in their productivity.
As an example of the size of the opportunity available through productivity improvement, its cost reduction area dwarfs the size of the current rage, outsourcing. Outsourcing of certain functional areas can in fact be harmful to the reputation and effectiveness of the enterprise which does the outsourcing. This especially true of customer service applications.

That portion of the customer service function which deals with customer complaints is uniquely positioned to assist the organization to improve its ways of doing things. The complaints of the customer are often based upon poorly designed internal processing systems.

In the author’s experience as a full time consultant over a 10 year period, virtually every enterprise has the capability to obtain between 5 per cent and 25 percent cost reductions as a result of full implementation of productivity enhancement programs for existing systems.
There are two types of productivity improvement. The first is technology improvement. A very good example of technology improvement is word processing. Before word processing came into existence, the way a business letter was created was for the writer to write out the letter by hand, give it to someone to type, proof read, correct and return to the writer. The writer then proof read the letter again and then sent it out. With word processing, the writer prepares the letter on the word processor. After the word processor checks the spelling, the letter is proof read by the writer who thens prints out the letter and sends it out. Technology has made this task simpler and quicker.
Technology improvements most often appear as new products. Your systems have to be adjusted to incorporate the new product. Often this results in a hidden cost factor in adopting the new technology.
Large, well managed organizations, are very sensitive to the need to keep up to date with technical developments. They establish an information flow and communication system between the various business unit general managers and the technical disciplines. The technical disciplines have “subject matter experts” (SME) who are responsible insure that the general managers understand how the technical issues affect their business units. The impact could be to open areas for new product development. It could present competition. It could also offer opportunities to improve the production of existing products.
The communication between the general managers and the SME’s is proactive in both directions. This produces a cross transfer of concepts and ideas within the organization.

The second type of productivity improvement is a change in the way in which a function or process is performed which makes the function or task simpler or reduces the labor content of the task. An example of this type improvement would be to change a report layout of a warehouse pick ticket from item number sequence to physical location sequence. This change will require less travel activity to pick an order than the former sequance. In this instance we have made the task simpler and more organized to preform.

It is in the second example that we see the opportunities which are present in the vast majority of organizations. It is important to note that this kind of opportunity is within the control of the organization and as such can be used extensively as a management tool. These opportunities are often visible to the workers who are engaged in performing the various tasks.
Their observations can be converted to specific approaches which can improve the process.



The various skills and tools which we will be discussing here are all needed to obtain the data and present operational practices. Once that information is available, we use the same tools to develop and test the proposed new methods for the enterprise. It is because the tools and methods are missing from present curriculum that we include them in this discussion. The development of better productivity becomes more efficient when these tools are applied to this subject.

The missing elements are: work measurement theory and practice, budgeting, production theory and practice, and other skills which are mentioned as they are discussed.

Expert Envy

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Aug 062022
 

Experts have become omnipresent. They’re everywhere: on your favorite television show, on drive time radio programming, on blogs and internet discussion forums, between the pages of nationally popular magazines and your local newspaper. You can’t throw a dart, it seems, without having it hit an Expert on the way to the dartboard.

Why is this happening? What has motivated all of these people — financial planners and attorneys, floral designers and wedding planners, massage therapists and ear, nose and throat specialists — to take on the Expert mantle?

One reason:

Being the Expert is one of the most efficient, effective ways to ensure your professional and financial success.

This trend is consumer driven. According to Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, consumers increasingly demand that services and products be targeted directly to them. There’s a cycle of specialization at work, resulting in a public that wants experts for everything.

There are many reasons for this, most of which can be traced directly to media and communication outlets. The Internet is perhaps the most pervasive proponent of specialization. In Anderson’s The Long Tail, he says that “In an era without the constraints of physical shelf space and other bottlenecks of distribution, narrowly targeted goods and services can be as economically attractive as mainstream fare.” You can see this in action at mega-sites like Amazon.com that go out of their way to offer personalized ‘want lists’, ‘recommended titles’, and specialized deals based on previous purchases.

At the same time, there has been an explosion of cable and satellite television networks, each targeted to an increasingly narrow demographic. Where once there was a Home and Garden channel, there are now Fine Living, Do It Yourself, and Home Discovery networks, with rumors of more ‘shelter’ channels on the horizon. The trend is more pronounced in print media. ‘One size fits all’ magazines such as Reader’s Digest are still on the newsstand, but they’re being crowded out by specialty titles like Quick Quilts, The Italian Greyhound Magazine, and SciFi — a title devoted to those who watch shows on the popular Sci Fi Channel. Satellite radio shows are a new trend, with offerings for fans of Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey.

The public, fed a steady diet of Experts via the media, demands Experts for their own lives. After all, they’ve been told consistently that this is how things are supposed to work. At the same time, the public has demonstrated a willingness to pay a premium for expertise. Well-known Experts, no matter what field they’re in, command top dollar for their products and services. There are home decorating experts who make more money than the average neuro-surgeon, simply by capitalizing on their Expert status.

How do they do it?

Why does one financial planner labor in obscurity while another pontificates for Barrons? How do TV news producers know which attorney to call for insightful legal commentary when the events of the day merit it? What determines who shows up as a guest blogger or speaker at industry conventions?

While it’s obvious to see the benefits inherent in Being the Expert, it’s not always clear how one comes to be recognized as the Expert. This can lead to a condition known as Expert Envy, especially when you know that you’re as skilled, as talented, and as dynamic as the person staring at you from the TV screen.

Why are they in this position, enjoying the heightened visibility, greater profitability, and enhanced reputation, when you’re not?

It’s not mere chance. It’s not good fortune, a lucky roll of the dice, or being born into a family of media moguls — although all of those help! Experts aren’t born…they’re made.

Curing Expert Envy

The first step in eliminating expert envy is realizing that Experts are made. Logically, the next step is the realization that if the Experts you see surrounding you were created, then you can go through the same creative process: You can Be the Expert. In my book, Riches in Niches: Making it BIG in a Small Market (Career Press, May 2007), I discuss how you can achieve Expert status by becoming a Nichepreneuer™.

A Nichepreneuer™ uses their professional skills and experiences, coupled with personal passions, to serve a narrowly defined target market. Shrewd use of promotional tools, from media management to industry networking, help position the Nichepreneuer™ as an Expert — with all the benefits that entails. Voila! No longer are you envying that television pundit or industry guru — for you will be that person yourself.

There are four key reasons why you should consider becoming a Nichepreneuer™. These four reasons all have one thing in common: They all will help you achieve your business goals and objectives in the most effective, efficient way possible. Whether you want to become wealthier, gain the respect of your colleagues and peers, some degree of fame, or to simply have a little bit more of the success you have right now, becoming a Nichepreneuer™ can help you along the way.

Stunning, Stylish and Ultra-Sleek MOTOKRZR K1

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Jul 292022
 

Following in the footsteps of the revolutionary MOTORAZR phone, the new ultra-sleek MOTOKRZR K1 introduces a new standard of stunning style and innovation. The MOTOKRZR K1 is definitely a mobile for individuals who love cutting edge designs.

The stylish Motorola KRZR K1 is a clamshell mobile phone which has a tall & elegant look to its design. The MOTOKRZR K1 is coated with a toughened glass compound which is attractive & feels good too. The handset has an external colour screen which provides a screen resolution of 96 x 80 pixels & allows the user to view information external as well as internally. The internal screen is a TFT colour screen which has a screen resolution of 176 x 220 pixels & works as a viewfinder for the camera feature. The MOTOKRZR K1 pays resemblance to the Motorola RAZR V3 but the KRZR K1 is taller & slimmer from the front view & slightly thicker from the side view.

The MOTOKRZR K1 comes with an integrated 1.3 mega pixel camera feature which has a smooth 8 x digital zoom & MPEG4 video. With integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, the MOTOKRZR K1 lets you cut the wires and gain hands-free freedom from a compatible Bluetooth enabled phone. With optional expandable memory up to 1 gigabyte you can store and share your memories for a long time to come.

With music-on-demand services and an integrated music player, the MOTOKRZR K1 puts premium mobile music capabilities directly into your pocket. The integrated music player will allow the user to play the most popular music formats & enjoy a mobile music experience on their MOTOKRZR K1.

The MOTOKRZR K1 provides the user with up to three hundred hours of standby time on the battery & up to six hours of talk time. The phone supports EDGE technology which will provide a fast speed data transfer & Bluetooth™ technology which will provide a wire free connect between devices.

For more information about MOTOKRZR K1’s features and the latest deals, please log on to www.mobilephonedealz.co.uk

Loans for Real Estate Investing and Its Basic Features

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Jul 262022
 

Undoubtedly, it can be said that dealing in real estate is an expensive affair. In such cases, one needs a bulk amount. But every time it is not possible for everyone to arrange that much amount. In such cases, the assistance of hard money lenders is unavoidable. Hard money lenders are mainly commercial lending organizations, those who solely deal with real estate sector. The loans for real estate investing are mainly short terms loans.

Usually, these loans are known as hard money loans, because these loans are available with stringent terms and conditions, higher interest rate as well as higher upfront fees (charged between 3 to 10 points). These loans are a sort of secured loans; here real estate plays the role of collateral. The loans, available for investing in real estate, come with the interest rate of 14%-18% and these loans are repayable within 6-12 months.

Lenders however check the collateral before providing the loan. Besides, they may gather information like, tax returns, bank statements and sometimes they may examine the property as well. Borrowers’ credit score as well as their economical condition are also taken into account.

Depending on the various factors, such as, involved risk, the type of deals etc, the fees are charged. While availing loans for real estate investing, borrowers need to present their business plan too, as, lenders want to confirm whether the investment is risky or not. In such cases, the importance of borrowers’ income is unavoidable as well. A fixed and higher income enhances the possibility of availing loans for real estate investing.

Such kinds of loans are available for all types of real estate investing. To name a few, we can talk about these loans can be used for purchasing homes, rebuilding homes, purchasing leases etc. Unlike traditional bank loans, these loans are approved fast. At last investors are advised to check the pre-payment penalties before opting for loans for real estate investing.

Time Management : Does training work and where do we start?

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Jul 202022
 

The term time management is somewhat of an anomaly because we can’t actually manage time! Telling delegates this at the beginning of a time management course can produce some frowning faces. We quickly move on to suggest that what we can do though is to manage ourselves in relation to time, we can control how we use time and we can control how we spend it.

Time Management courses are attended by many different types of people and, in a sense, that’s another of the fun factors. Learning about what other people do and how they manage their time is not only interesting, but also gives insight that is beneficial to all attendees. Our company has welcomed all levels of organizational membership from clerical workers up to regional and top CEOs.

A critical issue in time management training is what can be taken away. We tell our delegates that we provide them with a toolbox of skills to enable them to become more productive, less stressed and happier at work. However, research actually shows that many time management courses just don’t hit the mark. Why? Often they are not designed within the principles of human learning. There may be little thought given to preparing for the course, analyzing how time is spent before attending and to how learning from the course can be effectively transferred back to the workplace. Make sure that you consider all of these issues before signing up for a course. Once you have signed up, if your facilitator does as we do and asks you to carry out some pre-course work, make sure that you do. I recently ran an in-house course where not one of the attendees did the pre-course time log. Not only does this say something about the company and those attending, but it means that they lost at least 20% of the value of the course. If we do not know where our time goes, how can we learn to control it??!!

Today’s high paced offices are full of time-wasters. The phone is always ringing, bosses are always demanding meetings and there’s always the drop-in visitor who asks for five minutes of your time only to leave you feeling overwhelmed an hour later. We all face different time-wasters and at times, we are our own culprits! Human traits such as ego and pride see us accepting too much work, always picking up the ‘phone and being unable to say “no”. On the other hand, a sense of pride in our abilities also leads us, at times, to accept too many challenges. Economic and job pressures result in us spending more and more time at work but often not achieving any more than we would in a “regular” 8 hour day. What’s happening? These factors are leading us to procrastinate. There’s so much to do that we feel overwhelmed. We make deals with ourselves such as have a coffee first then start, or do the easier task first. The problem is, that critical but oh so big project gets put back time and time again! This just adds to the stress and pressure.

In many industries, workers spend a lot of their time “fighting-fires”. This is where everything is classified as urgent and important. Ideally, such people need to find a mechanism to transform and spend more time working on projects which are still important, but not urgent. Ultimately, that’s where effective management of time comes in. Planning and self-examination helps you know what you are capable of, when your most productive energy cycles are and what issues tend to bog you down. Learning to overcome procrastination is critical, as is learning to trust your direct-reports and allowing yourself to delegate more work – remembering to delegate responsibility as well as the work itself! Once you have mastered that, you need to go on to set smart+ goals and learn how to plan your work and projects and build contingencies into these plans. As you begin to experience more control over your time, your mind will start to free-up and you’ll think more clearly and embrace more passion for your work. To do this effectively, you’ll also need to clear up your workspace, keep things neat and tidy and ensure adequate light (preferably natural) and optimal temperatures in the office. Then once you’ve spent time working on your own time management, you’ll need to look to doing the same in others. Not just making sure they go on the same course as you, but also respecting their styles and preferences and not interrupting them during their most productive time periods.

So if we can learn to manage time effectively in the office, can we do the same if we have to travel a lot for work? Of course! The trick is learning to always have something with you that you can be working on. So, for example after you’ve checked-in for your flight, you may have an hour or two to spare. Use this time for work that won’t require high levels of concentration such as replying to emails or drawing up lose business plans. When you are visiting a client and he makes you wait in the conference room for 5 minutes, you can be working on some new sales ideas or reading the latest industry news. So, it’s all about always having something that will ultimately need to be done ready to do in whatever situation you are in and in that case, when you are made to wait, you don’t have to feel unhappy about it, rather in full control.

In summary, research shows us that time management (or managing ourselves in relation to time) does work as long as we are committed to this and start out well from step one. Thinking that a one or two day course in time management will produce lasting results is erroneous. However, examining the current workplace, how time is spent and what changes can be made and being willing and able to make those changes as well as being committed to lasting time management success is what will produce consistent and long-term results. Those who report mastery of their time not only report being happier and more productive in less time, but they also report increased financial success. Like anything that produces a good return, an initial respectable investment is the key.

+SMART goals are those which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bounded

Further reading: Does time management training work? An evaluation. Peter Green and Denise Skinner. International Journal of Training & Development, Volume 9, Issue 2, pages 124-139.

The yearly escape: making your annual holiday worthwhile

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Jul 192022
 

A vacation sounds good at any time of the year, but holidays encompass a great deal more than simply dashing off to a dreamy destination. You have to secure time off work; the kids need to be on break from school and the destination of your choice needs to be inviting in terms of weather – all at the same time! Moreover, you need to take the time to plan your vacation, not to mention save up for it. So what does it all boil down to? For countless families, this usually means taking one well-planned vacation each year.

While many people would prefer to get away more often, it’s not always possible due to work and family demands. However, there are various advantages to taking one special vacation each year: for starters, you can truly splurge on your holiday activities in order to make the best use of your precious vacation time.

If you’re only able to take one vacation per year, you’ll undoubtedly want to come away with an experience that’s well worth your time, money and effort – after all, you might not get another chance at a holiday until next year. So why not indulge a bit? Dine out for some truly exquisite meals, or go shopping and buy yourself something spectacular; pamper yourself with a spa treatment or treat yourself to a day-long golf retreat. And if the kids are with you, arrange for some truly unique experiences – such as a hot air balloon or helicopter ride. And because a vacation is meant to give you a change of scene from your day-to-day routine, a holiday is the perfect time to indulge in special activities such as these.

Taking all this into consideration, it’s essential that you start planning your trip early: request time off work well in advance, find out when the kids are on break from school and start considering your options in terms of destinations. Moreover, begin to think about all the special activities in which you and your family might want to partake on your holiday, so that when the time comes, you’ll be set to make reservations or arrangements.

If you’re getting ready to plan your yearly family vacation, rest assured that there are plenty of hotels – such as Hilton Embassy Suites – which can cater specifically to your requirements. With spacious rooms, family packages and activity deals, your special trip is sure to keep you talking until next year.

What Is Personal Secured Loan UK?

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Jul 182022
 

In the present expensive world, most of the people are suffering from shortage of funds. An obvious preference in the hour of need is seeking loans to cope with the everyday expenses. The next question knocking your mind must be what kind of loan, where to search, and how to find the best rates. Well, all such queries are genuine, before opting for any kind of loan you must be completely aware of its relevant details. Let us discuss all the significant information of personal secured loan UK.

Personal secured loan UK is easily available to homeowners. In order to qualify for this kind of loan, you will have to offer some of your assets as collateral to secure the loan amount. It can be your house, property, vehicle or ay other valuable assets. It is used to secure the loan amount, which means in case of non repayment of the loan amount your collateral will be seized by your lender. So, for personal secured loan UK you need to be extra careful regarding the repayment of the loan amount. It is advised to make some repayment schedule in advance and strictly adhere to it.

For personal secured loan UK, you can borrow larger loan amount, as compared to any other loan. The rate of interest is also low along with flexible terms of repayment. For all such benefits of personal secured loan UK, all you need to do is offer collateral and be extra careful regarding the repayment schedule of the loan amount.

If you want to crack the best possible deals, you can make your search through various online sources. Your online search for personal secured loan UK will cater you with a large number of lenders at a single place. Thus, it will save much of your time and effort. Compare well, the various quotes offered by the different lenders to find the best rates.

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