My Holland, Author at EQuest Asia

How Personal Bias Impact On Your hiring and Management Of People.

Nhận Thức, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness / My Holland

It’s a fact. We all have unconscious biases and without being aware of it, they get to play an integral role in both our personal and professional lives. We see a middle-eastern looking man, sporting a long, dirty beard and wearing a turban and immediately we associate his looks to some terroristic suicide bomber from some place like Syria, and we stay away from him. He may, after all have a ton of explosives strapped to his body. In the same vein we bump into some young man looking like a trendy ivy leaguer, clean-shaven and wearing the latest fashionable suit, and we say. “There’s a decent, educated guy who must be a top manager in a hot-shot company. Wouldn’t it be nice for our daughter Sarah to meet him?” Sure, if a chance came up, Sarah would be glad to meet him – her parents (going by their bias) not having any minor qualms at all, that this person, for all his good appearance could well be a serial killer. How Our Biases Work. That’s how it goes with our biases. Our many years of experience, personal attitudes and outlook about certain things, our culture and beliefs – over time, they build a set of instinctive prejudices and preferences which we generally take for granted since we are, for the most part unaware of them. These things can range from the trivial like “It’s silly to have your kids believing in Santa Claus” to prejudices that are damaging as in believing Caucasians and Westerners are smarter, sharper and more superior to Asians. When we jump into these initial impressions and snap judgments of people without any clear or concrete basis, they’re most likely the result of our biases. As they come up during casual conversations or as you see people on your way to work and perceive them with your bias, they would generally be harmless. But, when it comes to recruitment and selection of people for your management teams or for simply, decision-making when hiring employees, they could cause some real big problems. How Biases Can Affect Your Hiring Decisions While it makes sense to consider a job candidate’s actual experience, skills and potential value to your company, you might decide on somebody because he/she has basically an outlook that runs parallel to yours like putting a premium on teamwork and sense of cooperativeness when the need is for somebody who’s strong-willed and is able to make fast decisions. Of course, this can work the other way around – hiring a strong, take-charge person like you when what the company needs is a team player. These biases by affinity (same outlook, same beliefs, etc.) can, in the long run lead to an organisation of clones. As a management guru once said …”If everybody is thinking the same way, a lot of you are not needed here” So, What Can You Do To Overcome These Biases? Just about the best thing you could do is to consciously and deliberately build up self-insights. Look deep into yourself and uncover, and then accept your unconscious biases about people looking for a job. And then, more importantly, you should understand how your biases are most likely to impact in your hiring and selection process.

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Is Multi-Tasking Really All That Effective? Look Again.

Mindfulness, Tâm Lý Tích Cực, Productivity / My Holland

There was a time when multi-tasking was the big buzzword among management circles. It was a sort of a magic word that became a popular strategic component for higher productivity and efficiency. And it did seem, for quite a while, like doing multiple things at the same time, particularly for a lot of busy people, would make one more productive and end up with better, more positive results. What The Studies Say Contrary to this wide-spread misconception, several studies have shown that in most cases, multi-tasking impacts negatively on productivity and efficiency programs of both top management and executives. Here’s how it works. When you focus on more than one specific task at a time and you have to switch back and forth between these two or more tasks, this can in the end leave you less focused and less efficient. In other words, multi-tasking … when you’re focusing on many activities in a short time frame, moving from one task to the other, you are really creating a need for your brain to refocus. This can eat up your time and energy. What this actually boils down to, is … it takes longer to finish this cluster of tasks than it would if you had focused on each one individually. Learning More About Multi-Tasking Relative To Our Brain Having touched on multi-tasking’s contradictory findings from recent surveys, it doesn’t altogether mean that multi-tasking doesn’t work. It does. Multi-tasking works when you put together an activity or a task requiring concentration and focus with one that is principally physical and can be done almost automatically. This becomes possible because you can place most of your focus on one activity and have the other get done secondarily. There’s no need for you to keep shifting a sharp focus from one task to the other. An example of this would be listening to a Frank Sinatra CD while doing your workouts, or, having some casual chit-chat about that new couple next door who look like illicit lovers, while doing your house vacuuming. When Multi-Tasking Doesn’t Work. This animal doesn’t work and can be a vicious killer of focus and energy when you put together two or more tasks that require real conscious thought. For instance, you can’t be talking about saving on the power bills while doing your college thesis, or going about studying neuroscience while watching American Ninja Warrior. If you pretty much see yourself in these kinds of situations, walk away. Take a break. You don’t have to give it up entirely, but there are a few good alternatives. Get Into Single Tasking. One task at a time. It’ll save you time. As much as possible, develop this habit. If you sometimes find your back against the wall and have to cram 1001 activities into the same time and space, prioritize. Choose the most important task for the moment and focus fully on it, then work out a plan for when you can do the rest before clearing them from your mind. Chunking. It’s about time management. The whole idea is to set aside “a chunk of time” to focus on one particular task, minimizing interruptions and grouping similar tasks together like checking all your email in one sweep rather than going through them the whole day. Simply, this allows you to focus on these activities when you’ve got that “chunk of time” and eliminates the extra time you need to refocus when you’re shifting from one task to the other. So, multi-tasking? Think again.

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Managing Your Energy Not Time

Mindfulness, Productivity / My Holland

The key problem with working longer hours is that time has its limit. It’s finite. Energy is an entirely different animal.

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Distractions All Around Your Workplace. How Do You Manage These And Get Back On Track?

Nhận Thức, Mindfulness, Tâm Lý Tích Cực, Productivity / My Holland

You’re no stranger to this. That wild, crazy NBA nut case colleague of yours who has to keep tab of everything that happens in basketball in his smart phone. What about the junior exec on your right who has to answer all his calls through his speaker phone! These distractions can go on and on throughout the day. They’re big distractions … big and serious enough to get you climbing walls, right? Right. But don’t climb walls. Stay cool. You can do something about it. Distractions like these are what prevent us from accomplishing as much work as we should. After all, a University of California research did find out that an employee gets to spend only about eleven (11) minuteson a task before getting interrupted by one thing or another, or abandoning this to switch to another task at hand. And, once this flow of work gets disrupted, it’ll take about twenty three (23) minutes to get your bearings and get back on track. Here’s what productivity experts suggest you do: 1) Literally stand up. There’s usually this guy who’d drop by your desk purportedly simply to ask a quick question but before you know it, he’s giving you a rundown on the results of the latest U.S. presidential candidates’ survey and why Donald Trump shouldn’t be leading Americans. With the twenty three minutes you’ll need to get back on track, you’ll find yourself cramming before the day is out. Stand up! The experts say. It’s easier to cut a conversation short when you’re standing than it is when this guy gets cozy and comfortable. 2) Put up that “Don’t Disturb!” sign. This will speak volumes to those who’d just like to chat with you. And, get rid of those candy and cookie jars in your cabinet. They’re a sure invitation to interruptions. 3) Take control of your time. If your distractions are work-related such as emails or unscheduled meetings, get into the habit of listing down things to be taken up with certain people and do it in one sweep. This will avoid back and forth email exchanges and frequent drop-ins. 4) Recognize you also create your own distractions. Not all disruptions happen because of your co-workers. Half the time we do it ourselves. Our addiction to Instagram, for instance, Facebook or our smart phones. These can easily get you off track. Be aware of these. Control and keep them to a minimum level. 5) Go single tasking. Experts say it’s the better way to go. It not only helps you to get more things done. It tends to make you sharper and smarter as it motivates you to attend to your priorities. Plus, it brings down your stress level. Keep these suggestions at the back of your mind. The next time a disruptive situation crops up, you’ll know what to do without climbing walls!

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Are You Happiest Or Unhappiest At Your Job?

Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness / My Holland

If you think it’s all about fat paychecks, special perks and privileges and a reserved slot in the basement parking area that make people happy with their chosen work, you’ve got another think coming. Various surveys from different reputable organizations say otherwise. The single, most important element that makes people happy at their jobs is the keen awareness that what they do makes a difference in the life of other persons. In “Happiness By Design”, a new book by UK economist and behavioral science professor, Paul Dolan, he says that florists and gardeners are the happiest among all professions. Not only that. They’re also twice as happy compared to those people working in more prestigious, executive positions that pay better. The next happiest group of professionals are those men and women involved in making others more attractive and more beautiful: hairdressers and beauticians. They claim to be happy almost eighty percent (80%) of the time. By comparison, only forty four percent (44%) of bankers said they were happy with what they do. Look at it this way … if you’re a florist, a creative flower arranger, you’d be having a lot of social interactions and you’d see the fruit of your labor a lot faster. With bankers and lawyers, it’s generally a grey area where feedback is concerned. And, not too many people appreciate what they do. What They Say About Being A Gardener Or A Florist A simple house gardener extols his profession. He says …“Gardening is so freeing! … being outdoor and working with nature and the changing seasons.” Another says it’s the variety, the multi-colored types of plants and flowers that he loves. He finds every hour of every day as different and the scenery … “is spectacular!” Doctors And Nurses Another group of people who are pretty glad and happy to be doing what they do are doctors and nurses. A Dr. Kevin Dynan, consultant geriatrician in the Ulster Hospital says .. “I get the opportunity to meet fascinating patients and improve their quality of life.” An eye surgeon at Moorfiields Eye Hospital in London says .. “The progress being made in my field of medicine is rapid and seemingly exponential in its rate of change – and restoring or improving vision for patients must be the most rewarding surgery that any doctor can perform.” Asked what makes her happy, Joanne Upton, a skin cancer nurse at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Merseyside says .. “When you feel you have made a real posititve impact on the patient.” Another nurse says, it makes her happy to know that every day, when she goes home, she’s helped a sick child and his family – she’s made a difference! The Year’s 10 Unhappiest Professions Culled from these varied surveys as well, are the ten most unpopular “unhappiest” jobs. These include 1) Security officer 2) Bank branch manager 3) Accountant 4) Customer service representative 5) General manager 6) sales executive 7) technical support representative 8) Marketing manager 9) Sales manager and 10) Machine operator. Several of the key reasons employees were not happy in these fields are the lack of support from their management, low wages and limited opportunities for career growth. What Value Does All This Information Give You? This data can prove to be a good basis in the evaluation of current careers and, who knows, perhaps point individuals to the direction that might be most beneficial to their happiness in the work they do.

Are You Happiest Or Unhappiest At Your Job? Đọc thêm »

My Holland

How Personal Bias Impact On Your hiring and Management Of People.

Is Multi-Tasking Really All That Effective? Look Again.

Managing Your Energy Not Time

Distractions All Around Your Workplace. How Do You Manage These And Get Back On Track?

Are You Happiest Or Unhappiest At Your Job?

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