How to beat office politics

Love it or hate it, but you can't ignore office politics! Climbing up the social ladder is akin to the corporate one, where one has to watch out for one's back! No wonder then, backbiting, back stabbing, back scratching and 'back' many other unmentionable things is the order of a 'work' day.

Dr. Simmi Waraich, Consultant Psychiatrist, Fortis Hospital Mohali, says, "The stress from office politics can sometimes get displaced onto the home front or may lead to psychosomatic symptoms where a person develops physical problems such as non-specific aches and pains which are due to psychological factors. One must also watch out for panic attacks and depression as other fallout's of watching socially more adept colleagues getting ahead via sweet talking the boss or sheer sycophancy." Spiteful colleagues, the notional, 'Hari Sadu' prototype bosses, incompetent subordinates and a stressful deadline's Damocles' sword, all make the office atmosphere vicious.

So if your endeavor is to keep your head above the sinister office waters and stay afloat in this cut-throat politics then try these tips: 

Be busy, not a busybody

Do not give unsolicited advice, as that may be considered as interference. It might also make you a target of unnecessary and unwarranted attention. Ajaya Sharma, ADM, Max New York Life, Noida, says, "Office politics is a dirty game and it is true that some people do benefit out of playing such tricks but their gain is temporary and the harms permanent. So one must cut through the murky game of office politics and stay focused on why one was hired to do a particular job."

Employer’s role

Shalini Dutta Country Head, Human Resources at VHIRE4U, Bangalore, says, "Office politics would hurt an employee the most when he does not get the credit for the good work done by him or even worse when someone else thrives due to his hard work. Evolved process flows & reporting mechanisms with well-defined Key Result Areas as well performance evaluation parameters greatly dissipates this issue. A Skip level Review meeting also reduces the scope of these issues affecting employees to a great level."

So make sure you are aware of the HR policies of the company before signing on that contract!

Be a professional

Maintain a professional attitude when you are at work. Let people see your sincerity towards work and be an example worthy to be followed. Amandeep Randhawa, Director at the Innergise Learning, Private limited, New Delhi says, "In case difference and misunderstandings arise, keep the channels of communication clear. Try to be factual about sorting out your differences." She adds, "Don't mix personal values with professional ethos."

Do unto others…

Manasi Luthra, City Head, First impressions Image Consulting, Pune, says "How you get treated is how you treat everyone, you may be great with the boss but it is equally important to be respectful with your subordinates and colleagues. This reflects your integrity and honesty which in any case should not be subjective." One more way of avoiding office politics scaring you is by being respectful towards your colleagues and subordinates. Help them in the hour of need, develop goodwill and be polite with everyone. Who says you can't be firm without being impolite?

Pep talk

Get active for a fresh look at the dirty picture in the office. It also helps if you have a positive attitude towards life! Simmi Waraich says, "If you are upset over an issue in the office. Talk yourself down by reminding yourself it is not worth letting anything get under your skin. A few times in a day, take four-five deep breaths feeling each inhalation pulling in calming fresh air and each exhalation deepening the relaxation in your muscles. Stand up and stretch or take a break, go out for a five-minute round after consciously telling yourself to switch off for five minutes."

Be neutral

Whatever be your personal or professional opinions you don't have to express them aggressively. Try not to take sides too often. Put your point across but in a neutral manner. Be balanced in your outlook and approach.

Speak easy

Talk about the problems with a family member or friend. It brings a fresh perspective to the issue. Do make a plan with a friend on how to deal with the problem and try it out in office the next day. If it works it's good. If it doesn't then too there is no reason to lose sleep over it. Simmi Waraich adds, "Change fixed beliefs as life does not always go as per a plan. People can be unfair or curt at times which is ok. Learn to take such things in your stride. At the same time people can also be very helpful and good. Perhaps you need to build up your communication skills and tell the other person what is bothering you."

One thing is clear that you can't hide behind your work desks from work machinations! What one must do is equip oneself better to be able to handle it and not back out or back down! 

Source- The Tribune, Chandigarh

Written By- Swati Rai

Regards

Rajan Bansal

 

Ten Tips to improve your body language

The effective use of body language plays a key role in effective leadership communication. From “The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead,” here are ten tips I’ve learned during the past two decades of coaching leaders and their teams around the world:

1) To boost your confidence, assume a power pose

Research at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools shows that simply holding your body in expansive, “high-power” poses (leaning back with hands behind the head and feet up on a desk, or standing with legs and arms stretched wide open) for as little as two minutes stimulates higher levels of testosterone — the hormone linked to power and dominance — and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Try this when you’re feeling tentative but want to appear confident. In addition to causing hormonal shifts in both males and females, these poses lead to increased feelings of power and a higher tolerance for risk. The study also found that people are more often influenced by how they feel about you than by what you’re saying. I personally use this one when I need confidence or wants the power. It really helps.

2) To increase participation, look like you’re listening

If you want people to speak up, don’t multi-task while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward, nodding and tilting your head are other nonverbal way to show you’re engaged and paying attention. It’s important to hear people. It’s just as important to make sure they know you are listening.

3) To encourage collaboration, remove barriers

Physical obstructions are especially detrimental to collaborative efforts. Take away anything that blocks your view or forms a barrier between you and the rest of the team. Even at a coffee break, be aware that you may create a barrier by holding your cup and saucer in a way that seems deliberately to block your body or distance you from others. A senior executive told me he could evaluate his team’s comfort by how high they held their coffee cups. It was his observation that the more insecure individuals felt, the higher they held their coffee. People with their hands held at waist level were more comfortable than those with hands chest high.

4) To connect instantly with someone, shake hands

Touch is the most primitive and powerful nonverbal cue. Touching someone on the arm, hand, or shoulder for as little as 1/40 of a second creates a human bond. In the workplace, physical touch and warmth are established through the handshaking tradition, and this tactile contact makes a lasting and positive impression. A study on handshakes by the Income Center for Trade Shows showed that people are two times more likely to remember you if you shake hands with them. The trade-show researchers also found that people react to those with whom they shake hands by being more open and friendly.

5) To stimulate good feelings, smile

A genuine smile not only stimulates your own sense of well-being, it also tells those around you that you are approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. A genuine smile comes on slowly, crinkles the eyes, lights up the face, and fades away slowly. Most importantly, smiling directly influences how other people respond to you. When you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.

6) To show agreement, mirror expressions and postures

When clients or business colleagues unconsciously imitate your body language, it’s their way of nonverbally saying that they like or agree with you. When you mirror other people with intent, it can be an important part of building rapport and nurturing feelings of mutuality. Mirroring starts by observing a person’s facial and body gestures and then subtly letting your body take on similar expressions and postures. Doing so will make the other person feel understood and accepted.

7) To improve your speech, use your hands

Brain imaging has shown that a region called Broca’s area, which is important for speech production, is active not only when we’re talking, but when we wave our hands. Since gesture is integrally linked to speech, gesturing as we talk can actually power up our thinking.

Whenever I encourage executives to incorporate gestures into their deliveries, I consistently find that their verbal content improves. Experiment with this and you’ll find that the physical act of gesturing helps you form clearer thoughts and speak in tighter sentences with more declarative language.

8) If you want to know the truth, watch people’s feet

When people try to control their body language, they focus primarily on facial expressions, body postures and hand/arm gestures. And since the legs and feet are left unrehearsed, they are also where the truth can most often be found. Under stress, people will often display nervousness and anxiety through increased foot movements. Feet will fidget, shuffle and wind around each other or around the furniture. Feet will stretch and curl to relieve tension, or even kick out in a miniaturized attempt to run away. Studies show that observers have greater success judging a person’s real emotional state when they can see the entire body. You may not know it, but instinctively you’ve been reacting to foot gestures all your life.

9) To sound authoritative, keep your voice down

Before a speech or important telephone call, allow your voice to relax into its optimal pitch (a technique I learned from a speech therapist) by keeping your lips together and making the sounds “um hum, um hum, um hum.” And if you are a female, watch that your voice doesn’t rise at the ends of sentences as if you are asking a question or seeking approval. Instead, when stating your opinion, use the authoritative arc, in which your voice starts on one note, rises in pitch through the sentence and drops back down at the end.

10) To improve your memory, uncross your arms and legs

Body language researchers Allan and Barbara Pease, report a fascinating finding from one of their studies: When a group of volunteers attended a lecture and sat with unfolded arms and legs, they remembered 38 percent more than a group that attended the same lecture and sat with folded arms and legs. To improve your retention, uncross your arms and legs. And if you see your audience exhibiting defensive body language, change tactics, take a break, get them to move — and don’t try to persuade them until their bodies open up.

If you follow these ten simple and powerful body language tips, I guarantee you’ll increase your nonverbal impact in 2012.

Source- LA Washington Times

Regards

Rajan Bansal

 

Comic book explains the working of "Google Chrome"

Hi,
The below link explains the "chrome" in a good comic way. You can "click on right page" to move forward and "click on left page" to move backward. And using above "Small, Medium and Large" you can adjust the size.

http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/
Hope you enjoy this.

Regards
Rajan Bansal

Some Interview Tips

AN interview is not a punching game. Nor is a match between two adversaries. It is a friendly exchange of views between a job-seeker and his prospective employer. It is not a combat, as many nervous candidates suppose it to be. It is a mutual exchange of information, ideas and impressions.

 

An interviewer becomes familiar with the candidate’s academic achievements through the CV. Though the interview he wants to know the person, the human being who is to handle and deal with other human beings. He wants to peep into his personality. He is also keen to know what he wants to achieve. He wants to know his ambition. The qualities and aptitudes the candidate possesses, how well he can get on with others; what motivates him, how he can cope with obstacles.

He is also keen to know what he wants to achieve. He wants to know his ambition. The qualities and aptitudes the candidate possesses, how well he can get on with others; what motivates him, how he can cope with obstacles.

Here are hints that can help to prepare you for a job interview:

Don’t lose nerves

Be free from nerves. You are going to have a friendly conversation. Be frank, honest, and truthful about your ambitions and aspirations.

‘I do not know’ is a better answer than a blatant bluff. Bring in focus the area of your interest and invite questions on it. This puts you on a familiar pitch. You also divert attention from any tricky area.

Bridle your tongue. Do not boast. It goes against you. An inflated balloon can be pricked and deflated. On the contrary, be modest, practical and realistic. But make it a point to show that you are a willing horse and possess the stamina to go an extra mile!

Show willingness to work

The employer is also interested in values and your attitude towards work. What are you seeking in a lifetime job? Are you highly ambitious or moderately so? What do you want to achieve? Money or full use of talents?

Your attitude to work plays a vital role. A shirker is kept at a distance. So is the constant clock-watcher. When questions on this sensitive subject are asked, answer them so that your willingness to yoke yourself shows.

Time is valuable asset. Show that you are willing to invest it in your organization because your own growth and prosperity are linked with it.

Explain your motivation in terms of specific goals. Define these in your own mind first so that you can talk about them intelligently when the time comes.

Fake modesty does not help. If you have any special talent such as creativity, imagination, analytical skill, leadership or executive traits, bring them up for notice or discussion.

Make a good first impression

First impressions endure. The most obvious of your personal traits are your physical appearance, manners and speech.

The starting points for an attractive physical appearance are cleanliness and neatness. Is your hair net and tidy? What about your dress? Wear clothes appropriate to the occasion. This is no occasion to dress to kill!

Mind your language

Avoid expressions and mannerisms that create a poor impression. For example, do not use too familiar expressions like "gee", "between you and me", "Oh my God!" "Yeah", "Nopes."

Do not toy with your tresses or clean your teeth with your tongue. Do not fish out an ornamental handkerchief to wipe your forehead.

Think before you speak. Avoid sharp remarks. Do not downgrade others to upgrade yourself. Do not speak ill of your former employer.

Learn what you can about the organization. This will indicate to the interviews that you have a real interest in them. You will have better rapport with them.

Ask polite questions about the job function, the organizational structure. Or similar relevant matters.

Show interest and be zestful. If you display temper or boredom the interview can be suddenly cut short.

Be honest about money matters

If the interviewer asks you, "What salary do you expect?", shift the burden of the question back to him by stating that you expect the standard pay for a person with your experience working in the position. Know in advance the standard rate.

Be accurate when questioned about your present or recent salary. Do not inflate the last salary drawn.

Leave the place with proper salutations. Exit manners are as important and should be as impressive as entry manners.

 

Source - The Tribune- Chandigarh

Written by- I.M.Soni 

Regards

Rajan Bansal

 

 

Search the web via google through the address bar in Mozilla Firefox

When you type something in the "address bar", and press ENTER, then Firefox automatically takes you to the Google search result page. To do that follow the below steps:
1. Open the "Firefox".
2. Then click the "Help--->Troubleshooting Information" from the Menu bar.
3. In the new window, click the "Show Folder" under the "application basics".
4. It will open a new folder window.
5. Open the "prefs.js" in notepad, if you unable to find out the "prefs.js" then this guide is not for you.
6. Then in "prefs.js" search for the "user_pref("keyword.URL", "http://search.conduit..."); parameter.
7. If you find one then change the value from"http://search.conduit..."to "http://www.google.com/search?q=".
8. Now our full new parameter is user_pref("keyword.URL", "http://www.google.com/search?q=");
8. If you are unable to find the "keyword.URL" parameter then add the above bold text with semicolon(;) at the end.
9. Save the "prefs.js" file.
10. Then open the "user.js" in notepad from the same folder as above.
11. If you find the "keyword.URL" parameter then change it as in "prefs.js".
12. Save the "user.js" file..
10. Re-start the firefox, and type "Its done" in the address bar.
11.It will open the "Google search result page". :)

Regards
Rajan Bansal

My first post

Hi,
This is my first post. I start this blog in which I will post my learning's, my working on web development in java, my findings on soft skills and those other things which will make the quality of work and life better. I always spend my time on finding things by which I can improve the quality of work by putting the same or less effort or in other words increase the efficiency.
 In some cases may the quality is same but I try to reduce the time. So that I can give that extra time to my family, friends and myself.
I want to share all my finding as that it will helps others also. This is what the my motto of this blog.

Hope we all enjoy and get benefited from this..

Regards
Rajan Bansal