Time To Read

Got Time To Read More Books?

Have you still got the time to read more books? Do they only gather a lot of dusts and cobwebs because you don't care to open them or you simply lack the time to read more books?

You have to accept the fact that you can pick the ones you like to keep on reading--and that you don't have to peruse everything. There may be plenty of classics and others which claims that some works are "must-read", but then again, you don't have to force yourself in try and reading more books if you can't even get past the tenth or at least the 5th page.

What matters most is that you choose to read more books you only want to read and not just you buy a book that everyone is talking about but then you can't even manage to get on with it!

Here are some tips in what to look for to really know what you want to get on reading:

1) Look for genres which truly interests you. There are several of them--romance, suspense, thrillers, psychological thrillers, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.

2) Search for those written by authors you already know and enjoyed their works.

3) And those whom people highly recommend you try and at the same time, who like the similar books you enjoy. Of course, you have to understand that not all reading materials grab your attention right from the first page. Give yourself and the book enough time to sink in and be immersed in a subject matter or characters of the book. Don't rush and be in a hurry to grab a book if you got only a few minutes left to spare, or you have some important agenda to work on first.

Just the same with people, it takes awhile to get to know someone, like you give yourself ample time to get started with a book. But hey, once you're engrossed or get attached, you'll find it easy to continue reading.

You Lead,I Follow

You Lead,I Follow - The Non-Leader

A lot of focus has been placed on being a good leader. In fact, there is more literature about good leadership than any other management topic. This is because leadership covers not only management, but it involves teams, motivation and even our social lives.

But what of the people who consider themselves non-leaders?

If you are contented to follow, you are, by definition, a follower. Yet, the reality is that no one is a 100% follower. Everyone, bar none, will at one time or another be in a leadership position.

“Anyone knows a good restaurant around here?”

A timid hands goes up, and Timid Tim says, “I do. Follow me.”

No! That is not leadership! Yes, I can hear those protests loud and clear. Now, Timid Tim starts walking, turns a corner, goes down a flight of stairs, turns another corner all the while muttering to himself about how wonderful that restaurant is. Then, when he arrives, he is alone. Somewhere along the way, he manages to lose the entire group.

Sure, that is not LEADERSHIP, but even this simple example of leading a small group serves to show that at some point, you have to lead.

When speakers talk about leadership and how everyone should be trained and about how everyone is a leader, there are many scoffers. They think that this is all about selling more seminars. Or it is just hot air to encourage the “others” so they don’t feel too bad. Hardly.

In our many capacities, we are followers in some and leaders in others. It is inevitable. Have you ever followed someone with an IQ less than yours simply because he knew where the toilet was and you don’t?

Leadership skills are especially important at home. At work, there is always some one ready to step up to the plate. We all want to excel. Be promoted. Be noticed. One man’s faltering is another man’s elevator.

But at home, there is just you and your family. Think about that. The option for someone else to “step up to the plate” are not too plentiful in the home.

So, the next time you have a chance to attend a “leadership workshop” or a leadership seminar, don’t pass up the chance just because you think you are not a leader.

Manage Stress

Ways to Manage Stress

Although stress is often viewed as a negative, it is actually a natural and normal physical response. A stress response is simply the body’s ability to defend and protect itself. This “fight-or-flight” reaction can help a person stay energetic, alert, and focused. These behaviors can be beneficial. A winning touchdown, successful board room presentation, or an A on a test can all be partially due to a healthy stress response. However, too much stress can become harmful and can cause extreme damage to a person - physically, mentally, and relationally.

Chronic stress is caused when the body is subjected to an overwhelming amount of physical and psychological threats. Since the body cannot differentiate between extreme or moderate stress triggers, it reacts with the same intensity, regardless of how major or minor the cause. This means that a bounced check or a long commute can be the catalyst for intense stress related symptoms (that may feel as intense as a real life-or-death crisis). Symptoms may include muscle tension, headache, fatigue, anxiety, changes in eating habits, mood swings, lack of enthusiasm, and/or an upset stomach.

Each person has a different tolerance level when it comes to calculating stress. It is important for each individual to understand his or her stress level threshold. Factors that influence stress tolerance include: one’s ability to deal with emotions, one’s preparedness for stress-inducing circumstances, one’s sense of control, one’s attitude, one’s support network, one’s physical health and nutritional status, one’s fitness level, and one’s sleep habits. These variables are what enable one person to maintain a sense of calm while another person feels completely overwhelmed.

Just as each person must evaluate the factors that cause stress, it is essential for individuals to consider the ways in which they react to stress, and whether or not their responses need to be altered. Some individuals react by freezing up and becoming extremely internally agitated. Some become very outwardly agitated and may become volatile. Others become withdrawn and show little to no emotion. Understanding personal stress triggers and individual reactions are key in moving forward and coping with stress.

Although stress can affect any individual, those with fast-paced and challenging work environments (such as medical professionals) are more likely to experience the symptoms and signs of stress. Strategies for managing stress (whether it’s work related or personal) include: avoiding unnecessary stress, changing one’s situation or environment, adapting to and accepting one’s environment, upping one’s fitness level, and scheduling time for personal leisure and relaxation. Taking control of one’s life and prioritizing what’s truly important (and worth stressing over) are integral methods of managing stress.

Are you a busy medical professional looking for a wide array of Medical Scrubs and Nurses Uniforms? Visit Scrubs123. Even simple work wardrobe preparation can help to reduce stress.

Improve Your Memory

Learning To Improve Your Memory Information

Have you experienced the embarrassment of forgetting a family member's birthday or an important assignment? Are you in school and are finding it toilsome to study successfully for exams and tests? It's not just you! Thousands and thousands of individuals out there have the same challenge, and it doesn't just affect senior citizens. In school, they never teach you improve your memory information, or the time-tested strategies for successful memorization.

Your brain is a very able piece of machinery. The organ collects data and thoughts, and then categorizes and stores them. For the information in the brain to be used beneficially, it must be available for quick retrieval. One such case of quick recall would be answering a question like, "how old are you," or "what is your address?" How many of you have searched high and low for a pair of eyeglasses, and found them right on your head? Maybe you have forgotten something more important like a project at work, or a homework assignment. The good news is that you don't have to keep worrying about your memory. Regardless of age or ability, there are lots of things you can do to exercise, and improve the performance of your memory.

Sometimes the best "improve your memory information" can be found by asking someone who's got a lot of experience under her belt. My grandmother used to tell me about an old trick to help remind myself of something I had to remember. The technique is to tie a piece of yarn on your finger, or put some tape on your hand to serve as a reminder that you had to remember to do something. Since the string or tape is out of the ordinary, it will help you remember what you were supposed to do. You could tie a string on your thumb, wear your watch upside down, or even set an alarm on your mobile phone. The secret is to mix up your normal environment just enough to tune you in to the fact that something is wrong and you have something to remember.

You can also try creating a picture to help improve the effectiveness of your memory. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create a scene in your mind of what you are trying to remember. In my language learning hobby, I have found this technique very effective in learning new vocabulary. This is how it works. "Potato," in the German language, is pronounced cart-awfol, which is in no way like to the word potato in English. Try to form the following image in your mind. You're shopping for groceries at a store in Berlin and see a gigantic cart of rotten potatoes. Your buddy exclaims, "That is a cart of awful potatoes!" Implant the image in your mind and think about how bad that smells. I'll bet that you'll remember the German word! If your image is wild and imaginative, even a little dirty, you are much more likely to remember your vocabulary word. It works, believe it! This is a system I have employed over many hundreds of words in several languages. Try it! You can use this helpful trick to remember far more things than German vocabulary!

These are just a few ways you can supercharge your brain. The improve your memory information that I've shown you here is easy enough that you can start practicing right away! In no time, your memory will be much improved, thanks to the new techniques you've learned and practiced.

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Y.H 

19/12/12

Positive Thinking

Positive Thinking And Its Effect On Your Health

The first situation to consider is the relationship between thoughts and conditions like depression and stress. A crucial question is whether the person's thoughts are creating the physical depression or the physical depression is creating the negative thinking. When it comes to how you can use your mind to help, this can be accomplished consciously and subconsciously. When someone has a habit of imagining things turning out very badly, rational thinking can show show them that they often exaggerate. However, the unconscious mind is much more powerful in shaping our habitual behavior, oftentimes beyond our conscious control. Visualization and hypnosis can be very effective in modifying beliefs and, if you do this, the long-lasting effects can be more powerful than using logic only.

It is likewise true that positive thinking can have an impact on our physical health, and you may be aware of the placebo effect on people who feel ill. This is when individuals are given a pill which in reality does not have any healing value, and yet they claim to notice an improvement in how they feel. This is evidence of the connection between mind and body, and there are many examples of men and women with a positive outlook being able to recover faster from malady and injury. You can also use the power of your mind to help you in achieving your fitness goals. A historic example of this is when the four minute barrier for running the mile was broken, which had been considered as unachievable up to that point. Once the "barrier" had been broken, other runners also began to break through what had really been a barrier of belief.

The effects of aging are likewise influenced by how we think about the process. As you get older, do you talk to your friends about your "aches and pains" and your weakened capabilities? It seems there's a great deal of truth to the saying, "You're only as old as you think you are," and our thoughts can be used to undo a lot of the so-called effects of aging. Unfortunately, numerous individuals will continue to hold on to old beliefs about the unavoidable "decline" of health in old age, and not pay attention to the benefits of a positive outlook.

Now that you are aware that your attitude can bring you a much better state of health, it's up to you to take advantage of this information and set your intention to think positive thoughts whenever you remember.

Benefits of Time Management

The Numerous Benefits of Time Management Skills

It's normal to hear time management discussed in business circles; yet, it is a topic that can be of great benefit to everybody. Time is a challenge for all of us, whether we're business people, workers, students or stay at home moms or dads. There seems to be less time in today's world, and that's why it's a lot more important to learn how to properly manage our time. In this article, we are going to be discussing a few key reasons why time management is so important.

A big benefit of time management is just how that it boosts your productivity. It is something that almost everybody hopes to be able to do. Seldom do you hear of individuals who feel that they've got adequate time to do the things they need and wish to do. In lots of instances, the problem is not not enough time but rather the fact that you do not have an efficient way of managing your time. Time management shows you how to set priorities, and to focus on how much time you're wasting every day. The idea is not really to put yourself under more pressure to try and do more, but to utilize your time more wisely so you appear to have more of it.

One positive advantage of time management is decreased levels of stress. Not having enough time is one of the main reasons we experience stress. Think about how tense you feel if you are worrying about being late for a scheduled visit or if you're stuck in traffic. These issues relate to time, and if you have this type of situation often you could probably benefit from some training in time management. Learning how to control schedule so that overwhelmed us and become an issue indicates that you are supervising your time efficiently. We often believe that the solution to our problems is doing things faster, but it could be even better and more relaxing if we learn how to manage our time better.

Time management doesn't just includes boosting your productivity and efficiency; you also want to feel more pleasure and a better quality of life. Time is an important component of life and so we feel better about our lives when we have the ability to control our time. Conversely, feeling that we're running out of time can create an overall feeling that we aren't good in some part of life. Those who are genuinely successful are aware that time management is a crucial skill they have to get good at. It could be the one determining factor that lets you live in the moment and appreciate your life instead of feeling that time is a merciless boss.

Time management is very significant in our present times, even more so than in previous decades. Existing technology allows us to do things faster than before and yet we feel forced to continually increase the pace. As an example, we continue to have difficulty keeping track of the large number of available information even with computers and other gadgets that are extremely powerful. Time management is the component that can give us a sense of control over time so we can quit rushing and loosen up.

Anti-freeze your Supply Chain

Anti-freeze your Supply Chain

now means ice, and ice means blocked ships. The Russian winter has arrived and with it snow storms leading to port congestions and delays in delivering and picking up containers.

Right now Russian ports are fine due to their handling capacity, but you can expect congestion in the likes of St. Petersburg's seaports to build as the winter sets in and we brace for more snow. Winter is no surprise event and this season Maersk Line is again prepared to ensure customers more reliable transportation during these tough months. Business as usual  For Maersk Line, continuing to deliver a reliable transport chain for customers during winter is business as usual, says Tom Hyldelund, Maersk Line’s Russia Managing Director. “During the winter of 2010/11, none of our automotive clients had to stop production due to delays in cargo on account of the carrier. A lot of clients shipping with Maersk Line kept their factories running, simply because they could be assured of deliveries.” This is especially good news for customers shipping time-sensitive cargo like automotive, fruits and electronics. How Maersk Line fares better  Maersk Line’s increased flexibility during the winter is due to the multiple terminal arrangements with the ports as well as preferential berthing and yard capacity (including reefer plugs). Further supported by preferential Port Authority support and availability of ice-breakers during these tough months, vessels are ensured quicker access to berthing windows and are thus better positioned to ensure customer’s cargo is delivered as quickly and trouble free as possible. During the winter of 2010/11, the ice situation in the Baltic Sea was the worst in 20 years.  Conditions at the port had reached critical status by March 2011, with more than 180 vessels stuck in the ice waiting for ice-breaker assistance. Even with all this happening, Maersk Line was able to ensure minimal impact for the client’s transportation plans. The extent of weather conditions like this mean that there will be delays but in spite of this, even when the seas are frozen over and the ships covered in snow, Maersk Line customers can rest assured they have chosen the most reliable carrier. Maersk Line Russia has the expertise, the experience and the key relationships required to manage these tough times, says Tom. “Our aim is to protect the supply chain of our clients and ensure as little negative impact as possible because of the adverse weather conditions. Over the last three winters we have been more reliable in getting cargo delivered to Saint Petersburg than some of our competitors.” With Maersk Line having 6 calls per week to Saint Petersburg, the main gateway and largest port in Russia, customers are ensured a reliable option during the tough winter months.

Leaders Vs Manager ... re-occurring Question

Managers and Leaders
Why we consider them that Different?
Sharing some Quotes that may highlight the Difference ... it is much better than long speech on how to be a good leader 

Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things.

   -- Peter Drucker (1909-2005)

A great manager is a tactician, capable of planning his next three moves, and contingency plan for each move. A great leader is someone who is capable of seeing the field, articulating the goals, weighing the tactics against these goals, and being so human and approachable that people want to crawl across broken glass to accomplish them. They are not mutually exclusive; but are certainly rare in combination..  Anonymous quote

Leadership styles

•Bureaucrat : Focuses on formal procedures and on control of his subordinates & Can Present to His Managers....When to use this Style; when every day work practice needs to be systematized and well organized. A Bureaucrat creates a neutral work atmosphere

•Dictator : An Autocrat/Dictator Provides detailed instructions and checks the execution in details You Can use this Style in crisis situations , Paradigm Shifts ,when dealing with low performers, troublemaker. Watch out Dictators on the long term Creates negative atmosphere.

•Democrat : A Democrat always tries to find/build a consensus . This style works: in a situation when a common opinion or a solution that satisfies all is needed , also when there is a need to involve all the team members in cooperation/discussion/problem solving. The beauty of A Democrat that he/she creates a positive work atmosphere.

•Developer : Coaches and develops his teams to build solid foundations for the future results. He provides detailed instructions and checks the execution but also explains his motives and decisions, suggests solutions and helps to grow. This style works when the team needs to develop their skills or when building organization structure for future development. Developers create a positive work atmosphere , and make the people emotionally Linked to them.

•Natural Born Leader : It is a gift ... A NBL mobilizes the group to follow his vision. This style works when new vision/goal needed ( like in revolutions ) or when organization is confused about its purpose .A NBL creates very positive work atmosphere yet he need to walk the talk or it will be a disaster . 

•The People Leader : A People Leader focuses on building positive relationships in the organization, creates harmony. This style works people need to be motivated in a stressful situation, under pressure. Also When organization morale needs to be built/recreated. A People Leader creates positive work atmosphere, but as NBL every single move is counted from the people who believes in him/her. 

•Perfectionist : A Perfectionist builds high standards for the future development. People with this  style works when high standards needs to be implemented while working with motivated and competent team. A Perfectionist creates slightly a negative work atmosphere as people feel that they are not up to his/her expectations.

How to be Unstoppable Leader : The UnStoppable Leader Is the one Who can choose various leadership styles depending on the Situation 

Supply Chain Vulnerability

Over recent years businesses have responded to growth in demand and price pressure by exploiting global manufacturing and supplier advantages. However the drawback of this globalization agenda is longer lead times, heavy reliance on logistics and weaker single sourced supplier relationships, but in a growth cycle these were accepted. In the current global downturn, businesses are being hit by falling demand and unpredictable global supply costs which will expose these and other built in supply chain vulnerabilities. The key questions are, do business leaders understand these vulnerabilities and does their supply chain team have the capability to identify them and present the plans to mitigate them? In most cases the answer is no.

In tough times businesses need to focus absolutely on profit, cash flow and eliminating unpredictable events from a declining demand profile. Supply chains have a critical role in delivering this agenda but face vulnerabilities across demand-side, internal operations and supply-side that can have a serious business impact. This article discusses the vulnerabilities and provides ten actions a business can take to counter them.

·         Demand-side vulnerabilities

In a downturn weakening demand leads to a set of vulnerabilities around the customer interface:

o   Unpredictable demand – High demand creates predictability of volumes and some certainty about product mix. As demand softens, the period of demand visibility shortens to when orders are received, which gives the business limited opportunity to react to changes in demand. Unpredictable demand requires a robust Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process to provide medium term visibility of issues so timely actions can be taken to forecast volatility.

o   Customer profitability and cost to serve – In a growth phase demand is often acquired through volume deals and attracting a wide range of customers, not always profitable, through a range of marketing offers. However, in a downturn these deals can leave businesses vulnerable to low margin business that is difficult to fulfil. Weaknesses in the customer portfolio will drain profitability and distract the supply chain from servicing the core customers.

o   Customer leverage – When capacity is constrained by high demand customers have to collaborate to secure supply. As it switch into tough economic times, customers have the leverage to push risk into their supplier base. This results in:

1.      Inventory exposure as customers pass cash flow risk onto their suppliers by changing orders within fixed plan periods

2.      Penalties invoked due to failure to meet service targets

3.      Request for shorter lead times driving up component and finished goods inventory

4.      Non-adherence to payment terms and risk of non-payment.

·         Internal operations vulnerabilities

The internal operations vulnerabilities are a result of the business reacting to the things that they can influence, but without the visibility to understand the impact:

o   Tactical activity – To reduce costs, extend payment periods and cut inventory businesses implement tactical actions across functions, which impacts the end to end supply chain.

o   Performance visibility – Limited visibility of actual and future performance due to nominal integration of supply chain organisations, systems and processes.

o   Supply to all – Lack of leadership process to ration supply to the most profitable, loyal and low risk customers. Profit and cash is therefore given away to weaknesses in customer portfolios.

·         Supply-side vulnerabilities

The supply side vulnerabilities are difficult to identify but if they happen they have an immediate cost and cash flow impact:

o    Global sourcing of suppliers

1.      Volatile commodity, fuel and energy costs undermining global supply assumptions

2.      As emerging markets experience sharp rises in domestic demand the subsequent high inflation has significantly eroded the cost advantages of manufacturing for export

3.      Long lead times increasing inventory exposure and reducing fulfilment flexibility

o   Supply disruption due to supplier cash flow pressures

1.      Late payment of supplier invoices resulting in disputes

2.      Suppliers experiencing cash flow issues due to customer actions

o   Single source suppliers imposing price rises and new terms

1.      It is probable that these vulnerabilities exist in your supply chain. Could you identify them and take specific actions to mitigate them?

There are ten actions you can take to reduce your supply chain vulnerability.

1.      Tactical vulnerability assessment – Run a tactical end-to-end supply chain vulnerability assessment to identify the visible vulnerabilities and risks. This must result in a board level sponsored risk mitigation action plan being developed and executed.

2.      On time supplier payment – Ensure your supplier payment processes are robust and deliver on payment term obligations.

3.      Upgrade S&OP capability – Re-invigorate your S&OP process to provide medium term visibility and build the capability to simulate Profit and Loss, inventory and cash flow from the demand plan. Make reviewing your risk mitigation action plan a fundamental part of your S&OP cycle.

4.      Rationalise customer portfolio – Review your customer portfolio to understand who are the most profitable, loyal and stable. Focus your business on them and eliminate the weaker customers which are unprofitable and are probably driving volatility into your supply chain.

5.      Dual source supply – Move to dual sourced regional and global supply strategies to de-risk the supply base and provide shorter lead times when required.

6.      Focus on the designed-in costs – Target your designed-in costs around product design and complexity, manufacturing processes and sales channels. These are the largest cost elements and waste can be removed without undermining your supply chain capability.

7.      Rationalise into a future state operating model – Most businesses will have to rationalise operational capacity during this downturn. Reactionary rationalisation will create further risks for the businesses so any changes must build towards a consolidated and integrated operating model which positions for the future. Your supply chain visibility will then be improved during the downturn and you will be well placed to take advantage of future demand up turn.

8.      Use after sales to boost revenue – Boost revenue by focusing the business on improving spares availability and investing in after sales support where third parties have operated.

9.      Limit customer flexibility – Implement strict sales business rules to limit the sales team’s flexibility to offer non-standard customer offers that drive additional inventory or product complexity into the supply chain.

10    Routinely assess supply chain vulnerability – When you have implemented these nine steps you will have much greater visibility of your supply chain vulnerability. Build on this by implementing a six month rolling strategic supply chain vulnerability review to provide direction and inform business leader’s future decision making to ensure these vulnerabilities are not re-created.

Organize your day.

‘IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU ARE PLANNING TO FAIL’

 ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’…. is a famous quote by Benjamin Franklin.

What i will mention below is not rocket science and you can see in other 100 blogs.. the idea is to repeat is that i see failures every day.. from those who fail to plan ahead

According to Wikipedia ; Planning (also called forethought) is the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning involves the creation and maintenance of a plan. As such, planning is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior. This thought process is essential to the creation and refinement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans; that is, it combines forecasting of developments with the preparation of scenarios of how to react to them. An important, albeit often ignored aspect of planning, is the relationship it holds with forecasting. Forecasting can be described as predicting what the future will look like, whereas planning predicts what the future should look like.^[1] The counterpart to planning is spontaneous order.

Also According to leaders and development icons "Planning" means setting performance expectations and goals for groups and individuals to channel their efforts toward achieving organizational objectives. It also includes the measures that will be used to determine whether expectations and goals are being met. Involving employees in the planning process helps them understand the goals of the organization, what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how well it should be done.

STEP 1 (10 Minutes) Plan for Day Ahead. 

Exactly Before Sleeping , sit down with a blank piece of paper and decide what will make next day successful. 

• What are the actions that if you did will make you on top of your work "for this day". 
• What can you truly accomplish ? 
• What will make your goals nearer and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling productive & successful? 

1. Take your calendar - or PC calendar -and schedule those things into time slots
2. Place the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. - While you are on your Peak - " Recommended read " Eat your Frog"
3. Naturally Some items will not fit your "24 hours" , Go and  reprioritize your list. - recommended Read "ABCDE ToDo List"

STEP 2 ( 3 minutes every hour) "Check" . 

Recommended Read - PDCA Cycle- 

• Set your phone, or computer to ring every hour. When it rings, look at your list and ask yourself if you spent your last hour effectively . 
• Manage your day hour by hour. Don't let the hours manage you. " famous quote"

Last Step  Check-Act :

• Hold your list of the day... What was finished ? Where did you excel ? Why did you get distracted? What will be passed to  tomorrow To-Do and why ? What will be delegated or Eliminated  ?

Once you have this Done with "Routine"  you will find your self more productive and have more capacity to plan and focus