Transfer of Skills::Career Shift!!

A 52 year old General Manager, Quality Assurance, working in an engineering company, is frustrated with his job. He has worked in this industry for 30 years with multinational and Indian companies. He sees no future for himself in his present job because the next job is that of production head and he has no experience in manufacturing management. Besides, his boss is young and will remain in that role for a few more years. The company has no job that would utilise his skills; this means he will do the same work until he retires. However, when he applies for jobs in the same sector, he does not get a better role profile nor is he able to command a significantly higher salary. The sector barely has any good companies to look forward for employment. What can he do to retrain within a short time and explore options in another industry? He is worried that his expertise and competencies have become obsolete.

This situation is common for many people who have gained all their experience and knowledge in a particular domain. As the corporate world evolves, making rapid shifts in the way businesses are managed, skill sets run the risk of redundancy. There are several ways of assessing whether your skills have become outdated. You can overcome barriers to professional growth, if you carefully recognise that your abilities have a place in different contexts. Search answers to the following questions:

1. Is it that the nature of your job or the industry that has changed? -
Answer this question carefully. Businesses are cyclical and often it is not your abilities that need to be altered, but the industry that you are in that requires a switch. Some characteristics of conventional jobs are usually imperative for management. However, services and products undergo technology changes and these are interpreted as complete revision of business requirements. Ask if it is the job that is not needed anymore or whether there is a difference in the method of carrying out the same job.

2. Why you are not aiming higher? -
If the next job requires you to manage multiple areas, you could aim to achieve that by training on the job and grooming yourself to take that role! If your superior's role is significantly broader than yours, try working towards it and obtain training and experience in that direction. Allow yourself to be groomed to assume larger responsibilities.

3. Is it possible for you to move from pure functional development to well trained talent?-
As professionals in hectic operational roles, we tend to focus on our functional capabilities, not realising that business management and leadership are an integral part of any function. While honing skills in specific areas of your specialisation, it is important to nurture managerial capabilities that can be leveraged.

4. Can you focus on applicability and not specificity of your capabilities? -
Do not restrict your abilities to particular jobs or industries. Use your skills in different ways and apply them to another scenario. For example, quality is a function that is required in sectors other than manufacturing such as telecom, BPO and even healthcare. Do not get bogged down just because your exposure is limited to a specific domain. Identify other areas that could also utilise your potential and experience.

Managing Older Subordinates!!

It requires a balance of maturity, diplomacy and assertion

How many times have you wondered what subordinates, who are senior to you in age, think of you? With a younger workforce at many leadership positions, it is now also a part of the Indian corporate culture to have older people report to a younger boss. In a country where age is revered, respected and rarely defied, this phenomenon puts the younger boss in a tricky position!

Motivating and managing older people, requires a balance of maturity, diplomacy and assertion. Inherent resentment towards a young confident supervisor, inability to take instructions from someone who is half their age, competitive feelings, etc are complex emotions that influence the older workforce in their interaction with their superior.

In India, familial cultures tend to replicate themselves in the workplace. There are no written rules on culture, but in general, a boss is looked upon as the older sibling/patriarch, whose knowledge and capability is greater than his subordinates. Managers like to look up to their bosses but many a times it is hard to concede to someone younger in age.

It is not sufficient to have a title and authority to get your managers to work with you. An older workforce has to feel wanted, needs recognition and does not like to be constantly reminded that a younger person is monitoring his performance! Here are some ideas to help you get by in dealing with an older subordinate:

1. Don't be self-conscious, be aware: Treat older employees the same way you do your younger employees. However, remember that your 57-year old employee's needs and reference points are different from that of the 37-year olds.

2. Be clear: Do not leave ambiguous instructions assuming that they have years of experience and will know what to do. Giving them, explicit explanations of your expectations of them should not be construed as slighting their experience, but a method of managing business needs.

3. Show respect for their experience: Give the older employee credit for his expertise. Show respect for your older managers' experiences and leverage it to benefit the team. They may not have grown in management cadres, but they do have a treasure of knowledge, practice and familiarity with tasks that can help you be more efficient.

4. Retrain: After a certain age, it may be arduous to upgrade basic skill sets. But your older employees need not be stuck doing the job they have been doing for years. Help them gain new capabilities. You will be surprised at how quickly some of them adapt and learn.

5. Empathise with their situation: Sometimes it is difficult to relate to a person's viewpoint if one has not yet experienced that stage of life. Be patient and understanding of their issues and challenges. Talk to them freely to appreciate their problems.

6. Alter your motivational strategy: Think of what motivates your older employees and use those to egg them on. A seasoned manager may have a completely different set of motivators compared to the younger one and good leadership must be sensitive to this.

7. Don't be "the boss": Do not waste time positioning yourself as the superior. You will gain acceptance if your business/unit does well and they enjoy your leadership. Do not wield your power and authority to remind them who you are!

8. Recognise their issues: Older employees face problems and have personal situations that are not the same as those of younger managers. Gestures like giving time off for health checkups or helping them for their children's wedding go a long way in enhancing the relationship.

9. Develop internal coaches: Older employees can be good mentors to younger managers. Use their knowledge and understanding of the organisational processes, history and culture as guiding forces for a new generation.

Emailing After Hours::Workaholics?

We all think about the content of our emails, but have you thought about the time at which you send them? Consider this situation:

My friend, whom I will call Julie, applied for a job at a well-known international company. She is excited about the job opening but concerned that the team she would join is a group of workaholics. As Julie tells it:

"One person on the team emailed me late on Friday evening. Another person emailed me on Sunday morning. They don't seem to have boundaries between work life and personal life."

Julie does not want to join a team that expects her to work 60 hours a week. She values her life away from work. So far, these emails are the only red flags she has had about working with this team. But they have warned her to look for other signs of workaholism.

What do you think about the timing of email? As a person who owns her own business, I work day and night. However, I try to time my email to go out during normal working hours. I do not want people to know I am thinking about business on Saturday. After all, they do not know that I have taken Wednesday afternoon off to drive my daughter to her violin lesson, visit a friend at the hospital, or see the latest Harry Potter movie.

At the same time, I do notice when clients write to me at odd hours. When they send messages on Saturday afternoon and reply to email from their vacations, it feels as though they are working too hard. Rather than admiring their commitment, I worry that they are over-committed.

Tethered to our jobs by email, instant messages, pagers, and cell phones, are we any more productive? I do not think so. I believe that getting away from the job, for a vacation, a violin lesson, a long walk, a hot date -- in short, for a personal life -- rejuvenates mind, body, and spirit. Making time for ourselves is more productive than replying within 24 hours to every email.

No matter when you work, you can use Microsoft Outlook to delay sending your message until a normal work time. (In the message, click Options. Then notice the delivery options.) Or you can write an email at 2 a.m. and save it as a draft to mail at noon.

I would love to hear what you think about possible workaholic communication AND what it tells our readers. But feel free to have lunch and get some sun before responding.

Leadership: Do you have it in you?

Nothing succeeds like success, they say. We all want to be successful in our careers, be it in our roles as individuals, team players or team leaders. Taking responsibility for one's actions is a key component of success as an individual. And taking responsibilty for what your team does is a key component of leadership. When one doesn't do that, failure is just around the corner.

At your workplace, you will often hear people passing the buck when something goes wrong. These people are definitely not going very high up the ladder. You will find most of them projecting the same pattern in their reasoning and approach to life, as well -- that nothing was their fault, including the incidents that happen in their personal lives as well.

Blame and excuses: hallmarks of an unsuccessful leader

Avoiding responsibility in one's personal life carries over into one's professional life, and vice versa. Excuses for failure and the choices you make at workplace fuel dysfunctional thinking and, subsequently, undesirable behaviour and actions. "Making excuses, rather than taking 100 per cent responsibility for your actions, decisions, and their outcomes, is the hallmark of future failures," feels Anjali Singh, a 27-year old manager with a finance company in Delhi.

This is why taking responsibility is so powerfully important and is the essence of what can make or break a leader.

Take responsibility at workplace

Taking responsibility is the underlying factor behind success at work. If someone in your team makes a mistake, you must be able to admit it, take the necessary action and then proceed. This is something that many do not understand. No leader can be successful without being accountable for his/her own actions.

Being responsible ensures that even when events outside your control go awry, you can at least determine how you will react to the situation. You can make the situation a disaster or you can use it as an opportunity to learn and to grow.

"My friend is a manager in a new startup venture. Every time we meet, I am taken aback by her failure to take responsibility for what's going on in her work and life. Everything is always someone else's fault. She explains away each problem with reasons about why she can't influence the outcome," says Anjali.

"We are continuously confronted with external pressures at work that affect us greatly. It is how we react to these pressures that largely determine what we accomplish in our career. Those who take responsibility and recognise their own weakness in the way it relates to the problem are the ones who grow and accomplish. Those who blame others or ignore their roles, stagnate and achieve less," says Rishi Gupta, 29, a manager in a telecom company.

Why people don't admit their mistakes

"Mistakes bring about a feeling of tension and anxiety within the individual. At such times, the mind seeks rational ways of escaping the situation. A range of defence mechanisms can be triggered. These defence mechanisms are subconsciously employed to protect the ego and they tend to distort, transform, or otherwise falsify reality. One uses these 'deceptions' to avoid facing issues of guilt, failure, fear, emotional pain, or embarrassment. In distorting reality, there is a change in perception which helps to lessen anxiety," says psychologist Dr. Kanchan Misra. There are many defence mechanisms. Some examples are:

• Denial: Claiming/believing what is true to be false
• Projection: Attributing uncomfortable feelings to others
• Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a substitute target
• Rationalisation: Creating false but credible justifications
• Reaction formation: Overeacting in an opposite way to the fear
• Intellectualisation: Taking an objective viewpoint in order to ignore the emotional aspect
• Regression: Going back to acting like a child
• Repression: Pushing uncomfortable thoughts into the subconscious
• Sublimation: Redirecting 'wrong' urges into socially acceptable actions
• "Some defence mechanisms are healthy. However, we sometimes either use them at the wrong time or overuse them, which can be destructive," says Dr Misra. For example, a leader whose team keeps failing, may misuse defence mechanisms such as rationalisation, projection, or denial, often.

Common defensive expressions used at the workplace

"It was not my fault." (blaming others without accepting personal responsibility)
"It wasn't all that important." (belittling the act)
"It happened a long time ago." (implying it doesn't matter anymore)
"They made me do it." (blaming others for a personal wrong act)
"There was no other way out." (justification of wrong)
"It only happened once." (rationalisation)
"Everyone does it." (rationalisation)
"I am only human." (indirectly blaming god)
"Well, no one is perfect." (general comparison to shift the guilt)
"The contract we lost was not a good one anyway." (a case of 'sour grapes' -- another defense mechanism)
How to take responsibility as a leader

"You have to be emotionally mature enough to see your decisions through and deal with the outcomes, whether positive or negative," says Rishi. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind:

Acknowledge that your work is your responsibility

No matter how much you try to blame others for the events at work, each event is the outcome of choices you made and are making. Demonstrate accountability.

Make no excuses

Listen to the little voice inside your head. "The next time you catch yourself making an excuse, whether for a missed deadline or an unmet goal, gently remind yourself -- no excuses," says Anjali. Excuses fuel failure.

Listen to yourself when you speak

"Observe yourself talking with colleagues and friends. In your conversation, do you hear yourself blaming others for things that aren't going exactly as you wish? If you can sense your blaming patterns, you can stop them," says Dr Misra.

Take feedback seriously

If someone gives you feedback that you make excuses and blame others for your troubles, control your defensive reaction, explore examples and deepen your understanding of the situation.

Thus, when events at the workplace exert pressure on you, you can respond positively or negatively. Those who respond positively and take responsibility rather than blame others or be indifferent are the ones who grow as leaders. Consequently, they develop the foundation for great positive responses, great achievement, and great success in leadership.

So, are you ready to take responsibility for your actions?

Gearing up for the Appraisal!!

Come April and appraisals stare you in the face. And the best time to start preparing for them is now. Don't wait for the last minute -- it will only make you more anxious. Remember, the right attitude and the right preparation can help your appraisal go smoothly.

"Many people dread their performance appraisal," says 28-year-old Delhi based HR manager, Anuj Raheja. "But it shouldn't be like that. To bolster your chances for a good review and a potential raise or advancement, solid year-round preparation is critical."

Ongoing process

Performance appraisals should be an ongoing developmental process, instead of a formal once-a-year review. It must be closely monitored by both the employee and reviewer to make sure targets are being met. By preparing yourself diligently all through the year, and demonstrating cooperation with your reviewer to develop your role, you will create a positive impression.

"Keep your eyes open all year for things you can list as accomplishments on your review. Take courses. Keep abreast with emerging technology to impress your boss. If opportunities to broaden your knowledge/ skills come up during the year, don't wait for your supervisor's invitation to take advantage of them," advises Chetna Johari, 27, a computer engineer.

"You need to move purposefully through your career," says Rishi Gupta, 29, a manager in a telecom company. "You have to continuously show a sense of lifelong learning."

Unfair appraisal last year?

Performance appraisals often are not exactly what we expect or want. Frequently, the emphasis tends to be on what you did not do or what you did wrong, rather than on accomplishments. Somehow, your boss may have a tendency to let the negative dominate.

Your last appraisal is history. However, your next appraisal is still in the future and you can do a lot to influence what your boss has to say then.

Dissecting your last appraisal

Look at the method by which you were rated. List the areas that seem to be important to your boss. Consider your performance over the last year and plan accordingly for the next year:

1. What have you done well?
2. How could your performance be improved?
3. Were there any organisational/ management issues that affected your performance?
4. How could these be resolved?
5. How well did you contribute to the performance of your team?
6. Were your training and development needs met?
7. What are your continuing development needs with respect to your job?
8. How will they be met?
9. What are your long-term career goals?

Prepare for your next appraisal

"In order to assess your own performance objectively, try viewing it from your manager's perspective. Be conversant with the company's assessment policies and study the performance appraisal documentation carefully. Go through it step-by-step, anticipating comments and preparing your responses," advises Rishi.

Understand your main role. What knowledge, skills and attitude do you need to be successful? Quantify your achievements as far as possible and document how they have contributed to the organisation's success. What has gone less well? What can you do better?

"Document your difficulties as and when you encounter them all through the year. This way, come appraisal time, you will be in a position to discuss them authoritatively," says Chetna.

Think about the future.

How would you like your career to progress? What experience, knowledge, skills and attitude do you require to develop to help you achieve your goals? What support do you need from your manager, your colleagues and your company to improve your current job performance? What additional responsibilities would you like to take that will help you develop professionally?

Speak up about your accomplishments

Most performance reviews include a self-appraisal section where you should enumerate your year-long successes. "People often have a really hard time talking about themselves in a positive way," observes Anuj. Put that aside. "This is a business exchange. These are things you've worked hard for, and you want to bring them to the table," he says.

Compile documentary evidence to support your assertions, eg e-mails, letters, press releases, newspaper articles, testimonials, etc. Make a list of all conferences, seminars and training courses you've attended.

Brush up your negotiating skills

Preparation is the key if you're aiming for a raise or a promotion. Read up on negotiating strategies. Ask your boss about your company's promotion policy, so you can gain the knowledge and experience required to advance. "Also, ask your boss how he/ she moved up in the company and about the challenges he/ she overcame," says Chetna.

Take the positive and the negative

Even with all your preparation, your performance appraisal is unlikely to be entirely positive. "Obviously, whoever is doing your review will look for both strengths and weaknesses," says Rishi. The employee must be prepared for that and say how they plan to improve. Don't react emotionally to the negatives -- remaining businesslike throughout the review is important.

Make specific, measurable, realistic goals

Make a list of things you plan to accomplish prior to the next appraisal period. Put it in writing. Each item on your list should be specific, measurable and realistic.

For example, if you want to improve the number of times you come to work late, you can state it as: "Reduce the number of days I am late for work to no more than two per month". This is both specific and measurable.

To be realistic, the goal should be something you have to stretch for, to attain, but it should not be something you have to kill yourself to accomplish.

How your boss can help

Ask your boss to block some quiet time when he/ she will not be interrupted as you have something important to discuss with him/ her. Start the discussion by expressing concern with your last appraisal.

Take care not to attack your boss or criticise the previous appraisal. "Be open and cooperative. Acknowledge problems and deal positively and maturely with criticism. Avoid giving the impression that you're on the defensive. It's better to downplay the previous appraisal and concentrate on ways of making the next one better," says Rishi.

Reach an agreement with your boss

Discuss with your boss the list of goals you have made for the next period. Give him/ her a chance to indicate if your list needs to be modified. The final list should be jointly compiled. "Ask for clarifications wherever necessary. If you feel that targets are unrealistic, say so sensitively," advise Chetna.

Agree upon when your progress towards your goals will be measured and how the results will be reported. This will help ensure your next performance appraisal will be based on objective and documented data.

By putting your goals in writing, and making them specific, measurable, and realistic, you will be indirectly teaching your boss to appraise you more objectively without even mentioning the fact that his/her last appraisal was subjective and undocumented. Remember, the key is to keep the conversation future-oriented.

Follow-up

Keep a file to remind you of the dates on which to measure progress on your goals. After checking it, report to your boss to keep him/ her informed of your progress. "This will demonstrate you are seriously working towards the goals. It will also subtly remind your boss of his/ her obligation to do his/ her part of the reporting," says Anuj.

We all perform to the best of our ability when we know exactly what is expected of us, when we know we are valued and supported, when we know where we are going, and when we receive regular feedback on our progress.

Improving your performance appraisal need not be left to chance. You can play an active role. Make appraisals your friend by preparing for them beforehand. Your time starts now.

9 Questions To Ask An Unhappy Employee!!

If you want to get to the root of the problem with an unsatisfied employee, try asking these questions from HR expert Timothy Augustine . Honest answers to these questions -- and your subsequent actions -- could mean the difference between keeping or losing a star employee.

1 - If you could change one thing about out company what would it be?
The truth may hurt, but you need to ask. The answer could reveal something that is fundamentally wrong and that could be affecting other employees, as well.

2 - How do you feel the company and your team are doing?
The response will help you gauge how confident your employee is in what's going on at the company.

3 - How do you feel I am doing as your supporting leader?
In other words, what can you start or stop doing to make the employee's job more enjoyable and successful.

4 - Do you receive sufficient feedback about your performance?
Performance and merit reviews are not the only times you should offer feedback. Feedback is a continuous process which, when given consistently, can help an employee improve his performance and satisfaction with his job.

5 - What is most satisfying about your job?
Discovering what is most satisfying will help you better understand your employee's motivations and may even allow you to enhance the tasks or roles the employee enjoys most.

6 - What is least satisfying about your job?
On the flip side, discovering what is least satisfying about the job could reveal the need to reassign the employee to a different position or team.

7 - What would you change about your job?
Suggestions in this category can help you reevaluate the job's overall requirements and pave the way for improving any employee's satisfaction in that role.

8 - Do you receive enough training to do your job effectively?
Inadequate training can result in dissatisfaction with one's work and directly affect an employee's confidence.

9 - How can I or the firm help you fulfill your career goals?
Showing that you have a clear plan for career enhancement is one great way to retain a star worker.

10 Reasons Why One Should Leave Work at 6:00 PM

1. Employment letter stated that working hour finish at 6:00 PM
2. Work is a never-ending process even you stay until next morning you will never finish it.
3. Humans are not robots and even robots/machines needs rest despite which they may confront breakdown problems.
4. You love your career, but your family is even more important in your life.
5. If you failed in your life, your boss is not going to be the one who would lend helping hand whereas your family would definitely offer help.
6. You do not want to screw up or make your life miserable because of your job.
7. If a person who disagree to the above formulation, we think he/she is a loser who has no life, heartless, doomed workaholic, etc. He/She deserves the 'Best Employee of The Year Award."
8. You don't give a damn if your boss fires you.
9. For the Chinese, remember this "House in the East no longer keep you, Then just move to the West House."
10. Monthly Salary=Work from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

• If 6:30 PM=Rs.0.00+0 Bonus+0 Appreciation+Bad Health+Bad Social Life+Poor Family Relationship.
• Equal to:Unproductive Employee+Performance Drop+Company Reputation Drops+Retrenchment Rate Increases+Resignation Rate Increases

The Perfect Boss!!

There were about 70 scientists working on a very hectic project. All of them were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone were loyal to him and did not think of quitting the job.

One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him - Sir, I have promised to my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5:30 pm. His boss replied "OK, You're permitted to leave the office early today".

The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 PM.

Suddenly he remembered of the promise he had given to his children.

He looked for his boss, he was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. Children were not there.

His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, "Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry.

The man replied "If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about Children?"

Wife replied "You don't know? Your manager came here at 5.15 PM and has taken the children to the exhibition"

What had really happened was ... The boss who granted him permission was observing him working seriously at 5.00 PM. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children they should enjoy the visit to exhibition.

So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition. The boss does not have to do it everytime . But once it is done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous.

By the way, can you hazard a guess as to who the boss was..?

.....

.....

....

.....

He was none other than the mastermind behind India 's successful nuclear weapons and missiles program.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India.

The "Less than Perfect" Resume

These classic tidbits were taken from real resumes and cover letters and were printed in the July 21, 1997 issue of Fortune Magazine:

1. "I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience."

2. "I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheet progroms."

3. "Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year."

4. "Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave."

5. "Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions."

6. "Failed bar exam with relatively high grades."

7. "It's best for employers that I not work with people."

8. "Let's meet, so you can 'ooh' and 'aah' over my experience."

9. "You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time."

10. "Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details."

11. "I was working for my mom until she decided to move."

12. "Marital status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments."

13. "I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."

14. "I am loyal to my employer at all costs...Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail."

15. "I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing."

16. "My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in meterology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage."

17. "I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant."

18. "As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments."

19. "Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far."

20. "Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store."

21. "Note: Please don't miscontrue my 14 jobs as 'job-hopping'. I have never quit a job."

22. "Marital status: often. Children: various."

23. "Reason for leaving last job: They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 a.m. every morning. Could not work under those conditions."

24. "The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers."

25. "Finished eighth in my class of ten."

26. "References: None. I've left a path of destruction behind me."

Ego And The Career!!

An "I am right" attitude imposes a barrier on assimilation of wisdom from others and the environment

The dictionary meaning of ego is "I; self of any person; self esteem". However, "egoistic", means conceit and an exaggerated sense of self!

On a day-to-day basis, we come across various forms of ego -- whether it is at home, on the streets or at the office. However, putting up with someone else's enormous ego for a long period of time can be unbearable!

We often notice other people's ego and blame it for things that can go wrong in our lives. For example, if your boss is egoistic, you hold him responsible for lack of your career advancement. You fault your peers for delaying team effectiveness if they have large egos. And, finally, you accuse subordinates of hampering your efficiency if they have inflexible personalities. But, how many times do we actually introspect and recognise the limitations set by our own ego?

Egos are relative. Your ego maybe small in comparison to some and your self-esteem maybe too high. What is vital is, whether you are allowing your ego to get in the way of your development. This is not easy, especially since it involves making an honest assessment of your pattern of reaction as well as your ability to get past yourself and sacrifice your ideas for the sake of others. The influence of ego on a career can be seen in various forms:

1. Inability to accept your mistakes -
This is the most common result of an exaggerated ego! When we refuse to accept our own follies we think that is because we are right! When others do it, we naturally tend to attribute it to their ego. Step back and judge whether you are being adamant because self-esteem is not letting you acknowledge your own errors. It is not easy to be objective and, at such times, seek help from a colleague or trusted friend to observe whether there is a repeated pattern in your conduct.

2. Inability to see another's point of view -
Even if you claim to have a realistic self- image, consciously put yourself in another person's shoes and reflect. We have a tendency to be intolerant during disagreement and dissent. A sizeable ego only amplifies this and it becomes difficult to incorporate another person's judgement into one's own. Your character traits can be an obstruction in tolerating attitudes and ideas that oppose yours.

3. Inability to work in a team -
The natural fallout of the above is the inability to foster successful teamwork and cultivate team spirit if you cannot get past the sense and love of yourself! Team effectiveness is usually sensitive to the behaviour of its members and leaders. Any display of self- rightousness or arrogance is bound to affect the unit and create an atmosphere of discord with low or no cooperation from its members.

4. Influence on decision making -
Often, the ego gets in the way of gathering views and ideas. Increase in work pace, sometimes forces managers to take instant and independent decisions, getting caught up with constraints and circumstances without accommodating divergent thoughts and feelings. But if one is unable to acknowledge one's inadequacies or lack of capability in some ways, conclusions and judgement can be impaired. Impartial resolution on matters requires one to be open minded and not self centred!

5. Limits learning -
Personality characteristics have a huge influence on one's learning. To gain knowledge from others, it is imperative to study how your individual qualities influence your ability to learn. An "I am right" attitude imposes a barrier on assimilation of wisdom from others and the environment. Be aware of how you let yourself be disadvantaged by your rigidity and inability to admit your shortcomings!

Dealing With An Insecure Boss!!

It is natural for managers to be difficult with their subordinates. Here is how to handle this tactfully

Recently, a senior executive from a large corporation was pointing out the pains of working with a highly egoistic boss. She said, "Since I am performing well and have been noticed by other seniors, my direct boss seems to be threatened by me. He controls everything and doesn't part with pertinent information without difficulty. Nothing I do these days is right for him."

It gets harder to work with someone who is suspicious, distrustful, and difficult to please. Professional life can be made miserable by an insecure or self-absorbed superior.

In day-to-day functioning, it is stifling to be directed by a leader, who is easily threatened. Many CEOs complain about how lack of self-confidence in a supervisor ruins team spirit and erodes organisational culture, not to mention jeopardising productivity.

How many times have you felt that your bosses' weaknesses and gaps have directly impacted you? What manifestations of your supervisor's low self-confidence do you deal with regularly? Do the following ring a bell?

1. Continuous discouragement of your initiatives and very little appreciation of your work.
2. Year on year lame excuses for lack of promotion or low bonus.
3. Public mockery of your ideas, but private appreciation of your abilities.
4. Rejecting your input only to later represent them as his/her idea.
5. Constantly reminding you of your shortcomings and slip-ups.
6. Denying you of the more challenging assignments without giving you the benefit of doubt.

Of course, these are generalised stereotypes and every trait need not necessarily imply a boss lacking in self-esteem or considering you as a potential threat! There should be several other indications to conclude that your manager is sceptically watching you.

1. Diagnose, don't overread -
It is essential not to get carried away by a rebuke or debate and term it "conspiratorial". Make sure you detect whether the hard time you are subjected to is for a personality lapse in your boss and not a genuine correction of blunders.

2. Respond, not react -
In a situation where you feel your boss is behaving immaturely, take a sharper view and respond rationally, not impulsively. Try to ignore the smaller issues and focus on those things that impact you or your professional progress directly.

3. Communicate -
If a situation continues to deteriorate with time, it's a good idea to communicate your discomfort to your manager. It is important for him/her to know that you recognise a pattern and will not stand up for professional unfairness. Dig deeper to understand what emotions and feelings your boss is coming from before you swoop down to get even!

4. Involve others in your work -
If you are being seen as a danger to your supervisor's position, you should make sure that your work and ideas are known to peers / colleagues / subordinates. This way, it does not allow your manager to play foul and gives you alibis or witnesses to your efforts. Build allies so that you do not feel vulnerable and cannot let your superior position you poorly within the team.

5. Other mentors -
Don't rely on your boss being your sole mentor and coach. It is good to have mentors other than your boss, who can guide and help you strategically build your career in an organisation. The mentoring process can get diluted with an advisor playing havoc if he ceases to see you as a protégé and begins to view you as his competitor!

To begin with, the boss-subordinate relationship is a highly tested one. It is almost natural for managers to have negative illusions of their subordinate's intentions. However, when the work environment is made tougher because you are being seen as a risk to your boss' career, then it is better to start appropriately dealing with the differences.

Preparation of A CV and its Importance!!

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is the mirror which gives a company complete picture of the candidate. CV is a medium to market yourself.

Most people underestimate the importance of a CV (resume). Many of us put off writing our CV until last moment and do an inadequate job. Others feel that they know it all and treat the job of writing a resume far too casually. Actually, you would be well advised to ensure that both your resume and covering letter are so well prepared that they stand out among a thousand others, not only in content but also in presentation. Any compromises at this stage and you may not be short listed for the interview.

CV -Crucial in getting an Interview
Your CV is your first communication with the perspective employer. It serves as personal advertisement for you and must therefore, be organised in such a manner so as to make it interesting, attractive, brief and informative. Whether the interview is granted or not depends to a large extent on the impression created by the CV. If you wish to be one of the few to be called for an interview, you must ensure your CV is distinct from the hundreds of other CVs of candidates who may be as experienced or as well qualified as you. Today a good 20 to 30 per cent of candidates get rejected because they have not presented their CVs well.

Moreover, your perspective employers do not have the time or the inclination to meet all the people who may be interested in an opening, that makes it more important that among the other thousands of CVs, yours must stand out; not only in contents but also by the way it is formatted.

Essential Information must be Mentioned
There are certain items which must be included in every CV. Other items may or may not be mentioned depending on whether they are relevant or not. The items which must be included are given below:

• Personal Information: Name, date of birth, marital status, language known, address, telephone number.
• Educational Background: Institutions attended with years, marks obtained, qualifications, achievements, computer literacy.
• Employment History: Name of organisation( s), years, designation( s), responsibilities, achievements and training programme attended.

Include any part time or summer employment if you do not have any full time experience.

Stick to the Basic Rules

Stick to these proven guidelines for writing a CV:
• The term "Bio-data" is out. Curriculum Vitae (CV) has replaced it.
• Do not make a mistake of beginning your CV with the title "Bio-data" especially if you are applying for the managerial position.
• Before writing your CV sit down and think through what information you want to highlight. Include your achievements, your hobbies and interests, academic qualifications, details of your work experience (if any) and your job objectives. Don't write a final CV without including all these.
• Begin your CV with a section on personal particulars.

Exclude family background.
• Write your date of birth and not your age. If your CV were to go in a databank, only to be retrieved 2 or 3 years later, it would be difficult to make an estimate of your age.
• You must give your phone number even if you do not have your own phone. Give a phone number of your friend or a relative who can pass on a message to you quickly. This is very essential as many vacancies have to be filled urgently and interviews have to be set up at a very short notice. Always mention the STD code of your town of
residence if applying outside the city and remember to mention country code as well when applying abroad.
• Don't clutter your CV with irrelevant information. Mention your nationality only when applying abroad or when specifically asked to do so.
• Mention your father's occupation when applying for a position at the entry level or a junior level non-management job, or when specifically asked.
• Try and give maximum possible information in minimum space.
• You may include a job objective at the beginning. Your objective should be as specific as you can make it or it can be tailor-made to exactly correspond with the requirements of an advertisement to which you are replying.
• Make sure that the reader is quickly able to assess your accomplishments. If you have had work experience, start with your most recent experience and then the experiences that you have had with the organisations you were previously in. Your most recent experience will be the one most relevant to your new job. So mention
it first and your previous experiences later.
• Similarly, start your academic background with the most recent qualification.
• Make sure that your CV is not longer than two pages. It should, at the same time, not be so short that your prospective employer does not know anything about you after going through it. It must be concise and should be informative.

Presentation
Make sure your CV looks good. Presentation is of the atmost importance. You must:
(a) Avoid spelling mistakes.
(b) Use good quality paper.
(c) Do not send curriculum vitae with spelling errors corrected by whitening fluid or by hand.
(d) Use proper margins and spend time formatting it properly.
(e) Send the printed laser outputs instead of photocopying. It may cost you more but it says a lot about you.

Don't lie even if it is a small lie. Usually such lies are about achievements, grades and marks or summer projects. The personnel departments in most companies do take pains in verifying claims.

References
You may include references at the end of your CV. These are names, addresses and phone numbers of two or three people who could vouch for your character, competence and commitment. Ideally, these should be people who have worked with you, or your college professors. Many job seekers starting out in their careers feel that important people's references will impress prospective employers. Nothing could be further from the truth. A big name will communicate that you are a name-dropper who gets by on his father's contacts rather than achievements. An experienced interviewer will be far more impressed with the references of people who know you professionally. In any case, your prospective employer will check with referees, so make sure you ask your referees' permission before putting their names in your CV.

Use one or at best not more than two typefaces while preparing your CV. If you are looking for visual relief and highlighting then you can use block capitals, italics, bold type, underlining, varying font sizes, or any combinations of these. Choose a font that is simple and easy to read. Do not go in for a fancy typeface. It will take away legibility of your CV.

Don't leave gaps in your CV. If you have lost some years between your +2 and graduation or after your graduation, explain the gap.

Special Tips for the Freshers
Even if you have a professional degree from a prestigious institution and are looking for a position at entry level, you need to market yourself effectively to get a plum offer. If you are not from a coveted institution your task becomes that much harder because a number of top recruiters may not even visit your campus.

Your basic task is of communicating the fact that your skills, school and college education work experience, achievements, projects and extracurricular activities - all add up to make you the right person for the job.

Don't underestimate the value of your summer jobs, and your extra curricular activities. These are opportunities to use skills related to the job. They are often more job related than the academic qualification itself. The skills that you can demonstrate through any project or extracurricular activity include leadership skills, an ability to negotiate, plan and organise. In the absence of any direct organisational experience these add real meat to your CV. In other words, they help to differentiate you from the crowd and are often the most interesting part in your CV. Be sure to include all projects that you were in either alone or as a team and anything 'extra' you did.

Let us take a look at some of these in more detail.

Summer jobs: Normally any interview will include questions on summer jobs to test whether you understand the industry, the organisation and area of relevance. You are expected to be an expert in the area directly related to your training.

Extracurricular activities: These usually demonstrate interpersonal, communication organisation liaison, coordination and leadership skills. Were you elected to various offices? Did you organise any college festival? Were you instrumental in organising symposia? Did you contribute to the college magazine? Quite often any projects or
extracurricular activities, are the most interesting part of you. If these are presented and defined well these activities can be a useful marketing device to land you with the right job, at right time.

Many companies have standardised application forms on the basis of which they shortlist candidates. Typically, the application form may be required to be filled in two or three methods before the interview and would include a statement of purpose. Many a candidate has slipped up in the interview even when all was going well in the interview. It is simply because what he said during the interview was inconsistent with the application form. Therefore, we would recommend that you keep photocopies of all your completed application forms carefully, especially of the statement of purpose, till the interview.