Get a Good Night Sleep in this Winter

The days are short, the temperatures cold and it's hard to get out of bed in the morning. But are you getting the kind of sleep you need?

No matter where you live, taking control of your sleep environment is important. Here are few sleep tips to help add more hours of rest to your schedule all year round.

Five Tips to Control Your Sleep Environment:

# Determine your sleep requirement.

Determining the amount of sleep you need each night to be fully alert the next day is a big step towards sleep environment control. You should try to get at least your minimum sleep requirement each night, if not more. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.

# Reduce noise.

Keeping your bedroom noise level at a minimum creates an ideal, relaxed sleep environment. Consider removing your television and/or radio from the bedroom.

# Create a comfortable bed.

Evaluating your mattress is important -- is it giving you the support and comfort you need to get a good night’s sleep?

# Engage in pre-bedtime relaxation.

Engaging in a relaxing, non-alerting activity at bedtime such as reading or listening to music will help you sleep better. Avoid activities that are mentally and physically stimulating that might keep you awake.

# Develop a sleep ritual.

Keeping the same routine each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night. Set a regular schedule that takes you from dusk to dawn.

Are You Getting a Good Nights Sleep?

Difficulty in sleeping can affect many aspects of life. People who don't get the recommended amount of sleep for their age groups can have a myriad of negative affects.

According to recent poles 55% population of the world may have chronic insomnia, with problems related to falling asleep and staying asleep or waking up to early in the mornings. Last year over 29% of chronic insomnia were prescribed medicine for good nightS sleep. Prescription drugs can have side effects, in most cases the dosages need to be upped to get a full night sleep the longer one is on them and most people become addicted to prescription sleep aids making it so they cant stop taking the them unless they don’t want to sleep for a few days.

If you are having trouble sleeping, there are a few steps you can take to help your body naturally get to sleep:

First Step:

Try to get to bed at the same time every night your body runs on an internal clock and if you don’t get to sleep every night at the same time you can through that clock out of whack so a regular bedtime routine is good practice even if you aren’t tired try to lay down maybe read a book or listen to some relaxing music. Lifestyle choices will affect your sleep as well such as smoking, illicit drug use and pharmaceuticals, alcohol and caffeine; try to limit your intake of such things for better sleep.

Second Step:

Next in line is nutrition, a combination of herbs and vitamins can help naturally relax the body and mind to help one get better sleep all night long. Green tea is an herb that is loaded with the amino acid l-Theanine, studies have shown l-Theanine to can help calm the brain, given today’s high passé lifestyles most of us are still thinking about work or what needs to go on your grocery list while laying in bed, l-Theanine helps calm your thoughts for a better nights sleep.

Other beneficial vitamins and herbs are as follows:

• 5-HTP: helps promote healthy sleep, a precursor to serotonin vital for mood regulation and sleep.
• Ashwagandha: an Adaptogenic herb, helps combat stress, calming herb.
• B Complex: good to combat stress, helps maintain a healthy nervous system function.
• Calcium: helps relax muscles.
• Chamomile: anti-anxiety herb, good for ADD, insomnia and stress.
• Catnip: a calming herb, used to help you sleep with out affecting you the next day.
• Hops: primarily used for treatment of anxiety and insomnia for thousands of years.
• Lemon Balm: Primarily used for ADD, insomnia, stress, and Irritable bowel syndrome.
• Magnesium: helps relax muscles and is a good brain relaxing mineral.
• Skullcap: used in the past primarily as a calmative and a digestive aid, and is known for its calming effects.
• Valerian: is a tranquilizer and calming herb useful for disorders such as restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, hysteria, and headaches.The above listed herbs can be found in combination by several manufacturers such as Source naturals and Planetary Formulas to name two.

Herbal supplements can create a natural relaxing and stress relieving environment for the body before bedtime.

The statements in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease please consult your health care physician before discontinuing medication or introducing herbs into your diet.

Mobile Telephones And Health Effects

Introduction:

Mobile telephones have transformed the telecommunications industry. These devices can be used to make telephone calls from almost anywhere. There are two types - the normal mobile phone has the antenna mounted on the handset and the other has the antenna mounted on a separate transmitter or, if the phone is installed in a vehicle, mounted on the roof or rear window. Communication between a mobile phone and the nearest base station is achieved by the microwave emissions from the antenna. Only the normal mobile phone is considered here.

Basis of Health Concerns:

Concerns have been raised about the normal mobile phone, which has the antenna in the handset. In this case, the antenna is very close to the user's head during normal use of the telephone and there is concern about the level of microwave emissions to which the brain is being exposed.

Those telephones that have the antenna mounted elsewhere are of no concern, since exposure levels decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the antenna. Cordless telephones, which need to be operated within about 20 meters of a base unit that is connected directly to the telephone system, do not have any health concerns associated with their use because exposure levels are very low.

Reports have appeared in the media linking the use of mobile telephones with, among other things, headaches, hot spots in the brain and brain cancer.

Media reports have claimed that up to 70 percent of the microwave emissions from hand-held mobile telephones may be absorbed in the user's head. This is not supported by the evidence, but nevertheless leads to speculation that hot spots may be created in the user's brain, thereby raising concerns that the telephones may be a health risk. Other reports have indicated that mobile telephone users suffer localized headaches when they use their telephone. At this stage, it is difficult to evaluate the evidence supporting these reports, since they have not been published.

The brain cancer reports originated in the USA where a number of lawsuits have been lodged against mobile telephone manufacturers and suppliers. These claims for damages allege that the microwave emissions from mobile telephones used by the claimants caused their (in some cases, fatal) brain cancers. Those few cases that have been tried have been dismissed for lack of supporting evidence.

Known Effects of Microwave Exposure:

Microwaves are but one type of electromagnetic field. (For the purposes of this Information Bulletin, "fields" and "radiation" are equivalent.) One of the ways that these fields are described is by specifying their frequency. The range of frequencies that are useful for telecommunications include microwaves.

Some public concern about mobile telephones is erroneously based on media attention to the possibility of adverse effects from exposure to power-line electromagnetic fields, which have a much lower frequency than the microwaves emitted by mobile telephones. The physical properties and biological effects of these fields are very different from microwaves and it is meaningless to extrapolate the results of those studies to the subject of this Information Bulletin.

The ARPANSA Radiation Protection Standard "Maximum Exposure Levels to Radio frequency Fields - 3kHz to 300 GHz " is based on the well-established thermal effects of exposure to microwaves. That is, when tissue is exposed to sufficiently high levels of microwaves, the tissue is heated and damage may occur. The exposure limits are set well below levels where any significant heating occurs. The Standard also sets limits for pulsed radiation that are intended to eliminate possible effects where heating is not evident (non-thermal effects).

All mobile telephones marketed in Australia must satisfy the regulatory requirements of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), as well as that part of the Australian Standard that sets limits on the power output of a mobile telephone. Therefore, use of a mobile telephone is not expected to cause significant heating in any part of the body, including the brain.

Some research has indicated that non-thermal effects resulting from low-level microwave exposure may also occur. However, the existence of these effects and their implications has not been sufficiently established to allow for them in the Standard.

Uncertain Evidence of Cancer:

A few animal studies suggest that exposure to weak microwave fields can accelerate the development of cancer. Further studies are required to establish their reproducibility and the existence or otherwise of a dose-response relationship. Whether these results are relevant to users of mobile telephones is not clear. In any event, these results cannot be dismissed at this stage.

The very few studies that have been conducted on human populations (epidemiological studies) do not provide any direct information on possible mobile telephone hazards and hence are of limited value. The results of these studies are difficult to interpret because exposure levels were either not measured or impossible to determine from the data provided. In general, however, this type of study will be useful in identifying possible links between mobile telephone use and cancer risk. Complementary cellular and animal research is required to establish any cause-and-effect relationship and the biological mechanisms involved.The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency continues to closely monitor the research being conducted in this area.

On the specific issue of brain cancer occurring in users of these telephones, it is important to note that such cancers existed before the introduction of mobile telephones. It is simply not possible to identify the cause of any single case of cancer. Long-term studies to investigate whether mobile telephone users have a greater incidence of, say, brain cancer than the general population have not been completed.

Government Research Funding:

Commencing in 1996, the Government provides $1 million dollars per annum for the Electromagnetic Energy (EME) Program. This program supports research into and provides information to the public about health issues associated with mobile phones, mobile phone base stations and other communications devices and equipment. The program recognises public concern, and the need to ensure standards and public health policies continue to be based on the best available scientific information.

The EME program is coordinated by the Committee on Electromagnetic Energy Public Health Issues (CEMEPHI), which includes representatives from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the Department of Health and Ageing, ARPANSA, the ACMA, and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The program has three elements:

• an Australian research program (managed by the NHMRC) to conduct research into EME issues of relevance to Australia and to complement overseas research activities;
• Continuing Australian participation in the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Project which assesses the health and environmental effects of EME exposure, and;
• A public information program (managed by ARPANSA) to provide information to the public and the media.

Conclusion:

There is no evidence that microwave exposure from mobile telephones causes cancer, and inconclusive evidence that such exposure accelerates the growth of an already-existing cancer. More research on this issue needs to be carried out.

Users concerned about the possibility of health effects can minimize their exposure to the microwave emissions by: limiting the duration of mobile telephone calls, using a mobile telephone which does not have the antenna in the handset or using a 'hands-free' attachment.

PRESENTATION SKILLS FOR EMERGING MANAGERS

Presentations are one of the first managerial skills, which a junior Manager must acquire. This article looks at the basics of Presentation Skills as they might apply to an emergent manager.

Introduction:
Management is the art of getting things done. A Presentation is a fast and potentially effective method of getting things done through other people. In managing any project, presentations are used as a formal method for bringing people together to plan, monitor and review its progress.

But let us look at this another way: what can a presentation do for you?

Firstly;
it puts you on display. Your staff needs to see evidence of decisive planning and leadership so that they are confident in your position as their manager. They need to be motivated and inspired to undertaking the tasks, which you are presenting. Project leaders from other sections need to be persuaded of the merits of your project and to provide any necessary support. Senior management should be impressed by your skill and ability so that they provide the resources so that you and your team can get the job done.

Secondly;
it allows you to ask questions and to initiate discussion. It may not be suitable within the presentation formats of your company to hold a discussion during the presentation itself but it does allow you to raise the issues, present the problems and at least to establish who amongst the audience could provide valuable input to your decision-making.

Finally;
presentations can be fun. They are your chance to speak your mind, to strut your stuff and to tell the people what the world is really like. While you hold the stage, the audience is bound by good manners to sit still and watch the performance.

The Objectives of Communication
The single most important observation is that the objective of communication is not the transmission but the reception. The whole preparation, presentation and content of a speech must therefore be geared not to the speaker but to the audience. The presentation of a perfect project plan is a failure if the audience does not understand or are not persuaded of its merits. A customers' tour is a waste of time if they leave without realizing the full worth of your product. The objective of communication is to make your message understood and remembered.

The main problem with this objective is, of course, the people to whom you are talking. The average human being has a very short attention span and a million other things to think about. Your job in the presentation is to reach through this mental fog and to hold the attention long enough to make your point.

The Plan

It is difficult to over estimate the importance of careful preparation. Five minutes on the floor in front of senior management could decide the acceptance of a proposal of several months duration for the manager and the whole team. With so much potentially at stake, the presenter must concentrate not only upon the facts being presented but also upon the style, pace, tone and ultimately tactics which should be used. As a rule of thumb for an average presentation, no less than 1 hour should be spent in preparation for 5 minutes of talking.

Suppose you have a talk to give, where do you start?

Formulate your Objectives:

The starting point in planning any speech is to formulate a precise objective. This should take the form of a simple, concise statement of intent. For example, the purpose of your speech may be to obtain funds, to evaluate a proposal, or to motivate your team. No two objectives will be served equally well by the same presentation; and if you are not sure at the onset what you are trying to do, it is unlikely that your plan will achieve it.

One question is: how many different objectives can you achieve, in say, 30 minutes - and the answer: not many. In the end it is far more productive to achieve one goal than to blunder over several. The best approach is to isolate the essential objective and to list at most two others which can be addressed providing they do not distract from the main one. Focus is key. If you do not focus upon your objective, it is unlikely that the audience will.

Identify the Audience

The next task is to consider the audience to determine how best to achieve your objectives in the context of these people. Identifying their aims and objectives while attending your presentation does essentially this. If you can somehow convince them they are achieving those aims while at the same time achieving your own, you will find a helpful and receptive audience. For instance, if you are seeking approval for a new product plan from senior management it is useful to know and understand their main objectives. If they are currently worried that their product range is out of date and old fashioned, you would emphasize the innovative aspects of your new product; if they are fearful about product diversification you would then emphasize how well your new product fits within the existing catalogue.

This principal of matching the audience aims, however, goes beyond the simple salesmanship of an idea - it is the simplest and most effective manner of obtaining their attention at the beginning. If your opening remarks imply that you understand their problem and that you have a solution, then they will be flattered at your attention and attentive to your every word.

Structure

All speeches should have a definite structure or format; a talk without a structure is a woolly mess. If you do not order your thoughts into a structured manner, the audience will not be able to follow them. Having established the aim of your presentation you should choose the most appropriate structure to achieve it.

However, the structure must not get in the way of the main message. If it is too complex, too convoluted or simply too noticeable the audience will be distracted. If a section is unnecessary to the achievement of your fundamental objectives, pluck it out.

Sequential Argument

One of the simplest structures is that of sequential argument, which consists of a series of linked statements ultimately, leading to a conclusion. However, this simplicity can only be achieved by careful and deliberate delineation between each section. One technique is the use of frequent reminders to the audience of the main point, which have proceeded, and explicit explanation of how the next topic will lead on from this.

Hierarchical Decomposition

In hierarchical decomposition the main topic is broken down into sub-topics and each sub-topics into smaller topics until eventually everything is broken down into very small basic units. In written communication this is a very powerful technique because it allows the reader to re-order the presentation at will, and to return to omitted topics at a later date. In verbal communication the audience is restricted to the order of the presenter and the hierarchy should be kept simple reinforced. As with sequential argument it is useful to summaries each section at its conclusion and to introduce each major new section with a statement of how it lies in the hierarchical order.

Question Orientated

The aim of many presentations given by managers is to either explain a previous decision or to seek approval for a plan of action. In these cases, the format can be question orientated. The format is to introduce the problem and any relevant background, and then to outline the various solutions to that problem listing the advantages and disadvantages of each solution in turn.

Finally, all possible options are summarized in terms of their pro's and con's, and either the preferred solution is presented for endorsement by the audience or a discussion is initiated leading to the decision. One trick for obtaining the desired outcome is to establish during the presentation the criteria by which the various options are to be judged; this alone should allow you to obtain your desired outcome.

Pyramid

In a newspaper, the story is introduced in its entirety in a catchy first paragraph. The next few paragraphs repeat the same information only giving further details to each point. The next section repeats the entire story again, but developing certain themes within each of the sub-points and again adding more information. This is repeated until the reporter runs out of story. The editor then simply decides upon the newsworthiness of the report and cuts from the bottom to the appropriate number of column inches.

There are two main advantages to this style for presentations. Firstly, it can increase the audience’s receptiveness to the main ideas. Since at every stage of the pyramid they have all ready become familiar with the ideas and indeed know what to expect next. This sense of deja vu can falsely give the impression that what they are hearing are their own ideas. The second advantage is that cutting the talk in exactly the same way as the newspaper editor might have done to the news story can easily alter the duration of the talk. This degree of flexibility may be useful if the same presentation is to be used several times in different situations.

The Meaty Sandwich

The simplest and most direct format remains the meaty sandwich. This is the simple beginning-middle-end format in which the main meat of the exposition is contained in the middle and is proceeded by an introduction and followed by a summary and conclusion. This is really the appropriate format for all small sub-sections in all the previous structures. If the talk is short enough, or the topic simple enough, it can indeed form the entirety of the presentation.

The Beginning:

It is imperative to plan your beginning carefully; there are five main elements:

Get their attention:

Too often in a speech, the first few minutes of the presentation are lost while people adjust their coats, drift in with coffee and finish the conversation they were having with the person next to them. You only have a limited time and every minute is precious to you so, from the beginning, make sure they pay attention.

Establish a theme:

Basically, you need to start the audience thinking about the subject matter of your presentation. A statement of your main objective can do this, unless for some reason you wish to keep it hidden. They will each have some experience or opinions on this and at the beginning you must make them bring that experience into their own minds.

Present a structure

If you explain briefly at the beginning of a talk how it is to proceed, then the audience will know what to expect. This can help to establish the theme and also provide something concrete to hold their attention. Ultimately, it provides a sense of security in the promise that this speech too will end.

Create a rapport

If you can win the audience over in the first minute, you will keep them for the remainder. You should plan exactly how you wish to appear to them and use the beginning to establish that relationship. You may be presenting yourself as their friend, as an expert, perhaps even as a judge, but whatever role you choose you must establish it at the very beginning.

Administration

When planning your speech you should make a note to find out if there are any administrative details, which need to be announced at the beginning of your speech. This is not simply to make yourself popular with the people organizing the session but also because if these details are over looked the audience may become distracted as they wonder what is going to happen next.

The Ending

The final impression you make on the audience is the one they will remember. Thus it is worth planning your last few sentences with extreme care.

As with the beginning, it is necessary first to get their attention, which will have wandered. This requires a change of pace, a new visual aid or perhaps the introduction of one final culminating idea. In some formats the ending will be a summary of the main points of the talk. One of the greatest mistakes is to tell the audience that this is going to be a summary because at that moment they simply switch off. Indeed it is best that the ending comes unexpectedly with that final vital phrase left hanging in the air and ringing round their memories. Alternatively the ending can be a flourish, with the pace and voice leading the audience through the final crescendo to the inevitable conclusion.

Visual Aids

Most people expect visual reinforcement for any verbal message being delivered. While it would be unfair to blame television entirely for this, it is useful to understand what the audience is accustomed to, for two reasons: firstly, you can meet their expectations using the overhead projector, a slide show, or even a video presentation; secondly, if you depart from the framework of a square picture flashed before their eyes, and use a different format, then that novelty will be most arresting. For instance, if you are describing the four functions of a project manager then display the four "hats" he/she must wear; if you are introducing the techniques of brainstorming then brandish a fishing rod to "fish for" ideas.

With traditional visual aids however, there are a few rules, which should be followed to ensure they are used effectively. Most are common sense, and most are commonly ignored. As with all elements of a speech, each different view foil should have a distinct purpose - and if it has no purpose it should be removed. With that purpose firmly in mind you should design the view foil for that purpose. Some view foils are there to reinforce the verbal message and so to assist in recall; others are used to explain information which can be more easily displayed than discussed: and some view foils are designed simply for entertainment and thus to pace the presentation.

If your view foil is scruffy then your audience will notice that, and not what is written upon it. Do not clutter a view foil or it will confuse rather than assist. Do not simply photocopy information if there is more data on the page than you wish to present; in these cases, the data should be extracted before being displayed. Make sure that your writing can be read from the back of the room. Talk to the audience, not the visual aid.

The Delivery

"The human body is truly fascinating - there are some I could watch all day" - Anon Whatever you say and whatever you show; it is you, yourself which will remain the focus of the audience's attention. If you but strut and fret your hour upon the stage and then are gone, no one will remember what you said. The presenter has the power both to kill the message and to enhance it a hundred times beyond its worth. Your job as a manager is to use the potential of the presentation to ensure that the audience is motivated and inspired rather than disconcerted or distracted. There are five key facets of the human body, which deserve attention in presentation skills: the eyes, the voice, the expression, the appearance, and how you stand.

The Eyes

The eyes are said to be the key to the soul and are therefore the first and most effective weapon in convincing the audience of your honesty, openness and confidence in the objectives of your presentation. This impression may of course be totally false, but here is how to convey it.

Even when in casual conversation, your feelings of friendship and intimacy can be evaluated by the intensity and duration of eye contact. During the presentation you should use this to enhance your rapport with the audience by establishing eye contact with each and every member of the audience as often as possible. For small groups this is clearly possible but it can also be achieved in large auditoriums since the further the audience is away from the presenter the harder it is to tell precisely where he or she is looking. Thus by simply staring at a group of people at the back of a lecture theatre it is possible to convince each of them individually that he or she is the object of your attention. During presentations, try to hold your gaze fixed in specific directions for five or six seconds at a time. Shortly after each change in position, a slight smile will convince each person in that direction that you have seen and acknowledged him or her.

The Voice

After the eyes comes the voice, and the two most important aspects of the voice for the public speaker are projection and variation. It is important to realize from the onset that few people can take their ordinary conversation voice and put it on stage. If you can, then perhaps you should move to Hollywood. The main difference comes in the degree of feedback, which you can expect, from the person to whom you are talking. In ordinary conversation you can see from the expression, perhaps a subtle movement of the eye, when a word or phrase has been missed or misunderstood. In front of an audience you have to make sure that this never happens. The simple advice is to slow down and to take your time. Remember the audience is constrained by good manners not to interrupt you so there is no need to maintain a constant flow of sound. A safe style is to be slightly louder and slightly slower than a fireside chat with slightly deaf aunt. As you get used to the sound, you can adjust it by watching the audience.

A monotone speech is both boring and soporific, so it is important to try to vary the pitch and speed of your presentation. At the very least, each new sub-section should be proceeded by a pause and a change in tone to emphasise the delineation. If tonal variation does not come to you naturally try making use of rhetorical questions throughout your speech, since most British accents rise naturally at the end of a question.

Expression

The audience watches your face. If you are looking listless or distracted then they will be listless and distracted; if you are smiling, they will be wondering why and listen to find out. In normal conversation your meaning is enhanced by facial reinforcement. Thus in a speech you must compensate both for stage nerves and for the distance between yourself and the audience. The message is quite simply: make sure that your facial expressions are natural, only more so.

Appearance

There are many guides to management and presentation styles, which lay heavy emphasis upon the way you dress and in the last analysis this is a matter of personal choice. That choice should however be deliberately made. When you are giving a presentation you must dress for the audience, not for yourself; if they think you look out of place, then you are.

As an aside, it is my personal opinion that there exists a code of conduct among engineers which emphasizes the scruffy look, and that in many organizations this tends to set the engineer apart, especially from management. It conveys the subliminal message that the engineer and the manager are not part of the same group and so hinders communication.

Stance

When an actor initially learns a new character part, he or she will instinctively adopt a distinct posture or stance to convey that character. It follows therefore that while you are on stage, your stance and posture will convey a great deal about you. The least you must do is make sure your stance does not convey boredom; at best, you can use your whole body as a dynamic tool to reinforce your rapport with the audience.

The perennial problem is what to do with your hands. These must not wave aimlessly through the air, or fiddle constantly with a pen, or (worst of all visually) juggle change in your trouser pockets. The key is to keep your hands still, except when used in unison with your speech. To train them initially, find a safe resting place which is comfortable for you, and aim to return them there when any gesture is completed.

The Techniques of Speech

Every speaker has a set of "tricks of the trade" which he or she holds dear - the following are a short selection of such advice taken from various sources.

Make an impression

The average audience is very busy: they have husbands and wives, schedules and slippages, cars and mortgages; and although they will be trying very hard to concentrate on your speech, their minds will inevitably stray. Your job is to do something, anything, which captures their attention and makes a lasting impression upon them. Once you have planned your speech and honed it down to its few salient points, isolate the most important and devise some method to make it stick.

Repeat, Repeat

The average audience is very busy: they have husbands or wives etc, etc - but repetition makes them hear. The average audience is easily distracted, and their attention will slip during the most important message of your speech - so repeat it. You don't necessarily have to use the resonant tonal sounds of the repeated phrase, but simply make the point again and again and again with different explanations and in different ways. The classic advice of the Sergeant Major is: "First you tell 'em what you are going to tell 'em, then you tell 'em, then you tell 'em what you told 'em!"

Draw a Sign

Research into teaching has yielded the following observation: "We found that students who failed to get the point did so because they were not looking for it". If the audience knows when to listen, they will. So tell them: the important point is ... .

Draw a Picture

The human brain is used to dealing with images, and this ability can be used to make the message more memorable. This means using metaphors or analogies to express your message. Thus a phrase like "we need to increase the market penetration before there will be sufficient profits for a pay related bonus" becomes "we need a bigger slice of the cake before the feast".

Jokes

The set piece joke can work very well, but it can also lead to disaster. You must choose a joke, which is apt, and one which will not offend any member of the audience. This advice tends to rule out all racist, sexist or generally rude jokes. If this seems to rule out all the jokes you can think of, then you should avoid jokes in a speech.

Amusing asides are also useful in maintaining the attention of the audience, and for relieving the tension of the speech. If this comes naturally to you, then it is a useful tool for pacing your delivery to allow periods of relaxation in between your sign-posted major points.

Plain Speech

Yes!

Short and Sweet

One way to polish the presentation of the main point of your speech is to consider it thus. The day before your presentation, you are called to to the office of the divisional vice-president; there you are introduced to the managing director and a representative of the company's major share holder; "O.K." says the vice president "we hear you have got something to say, we'll give you 30 seconds, GO". Can you do it?

If you can crystallize your thoughts and combine your main message with some memorable phrase or imagery, and present them both in 30 seconds then you have either the perfect ending or the basis for a fine presentation.

The Narrative

Everyone loves a story and stories can both instruct and convey a message: Zen Philosophy is recorded in its stories, and Christianity was originally taught in parables. If you can weave your message into a story or a personal annocdote, then you can have them wanting to hear your every word - even if you have to make it up.

Rehearsal

There is no substitute for rehearsal. You can do it in front of a mirror, or to an empty theatre. In both cases, you should accentuate your gestures and vocal projection so that you get used to the sound and sight of yourself. Do not be put off by the mirror - remember: you see a lot less of yourself than your friends do.

Relaxation

If you get nervous just before the show, either concentrate on controlling your breathing or welcome the extra adrenaline. The good news is that the audience will never notice your nerves nearly as much as you think. Similarly, if you dry-up in the middle - smile, look at your notes, and take your time. The silence will seem long to you, but less so to the audience.

Conclusion

Once the speech is over and you have calmed down, you should try to honestly evaluate your performance. Either alone, or with the help of a friend in the audience, decide what was the least successful aspect of your presentation and resolve to concentrate on that point in the next talk you give. If it is a problem associated with the preparation, then deal with it there; if it is a problem with your delivery, write yourself a reminder note and put it in front of you at the next talk.

Practice is only productive when you make a positive effort to improve - try it.

How to make up a Successful Performance Appraisals?

Performance appraisals of employees can often be one of the most challenging functions a manager may have. It is also happens to be one of the most important. Conducting a well organized and professional performance appraisal can often make a huge difference in turning around problem employees, as well as encouraging good or even average workers to perform at their best.

All too often are the stories of managers that used employee performance appraisals only as a way to be critical of an underachieving employee's shortcomings. Or - even worse, managers that put off employee performance appraisals for many months, leaving the employee with strong feelings that they, and the work they perform, are not very important to the manager or the company.

A variety of industry experts have looked at what elements make up a successful and productive employee appraisal.

These elements include:

• Conducting the performance appraisal in a timely fashion, as close as possible, or even before the employee's scheduled review date.
• Offering a balanced evaluation of both the employee's strengths and of their weakness
• Including a review of key performance areas or projects where an employee has performed well. A bit of praise can go a long way to lifting an employee's morale and feelings of success on the job.
• Making any criticisms of the employee's work in a productive way. Focus on ways the employee can improve or do a better job. Don't overly dwell on the negatives.
• Natural interaction during the performance appraisal process - give the employee a chance to speak their mind as well as help come up with future goals, as well as steer areas of improvement.
• Set goals for the next appraisal period that are quantifiable and achievable. If you have specific projects in mind use those as a measure of the performance. If you made a list of goals from the last review period, go over these with the employee as well and talk about how the employee achieved or failed to achieve the goals and why.
• Always maintain a professional demeanor and don't let any discussion get personal.

Don't tie the employees performance to a salary increase. It is normal for the employee to expect that a review will also include an increase as this is traditional, but you should clearly state that the review is about performance and not about salary.

Although these are just the basics of how to successfully perform an employee performance appraisal, and they may seem obvious at first glance, many managers still miss the basics, leading to strained employee relations, morale and dedication to the job.

PERSONAL TIME MANAGEMENT FOR BUSY MANAGERS

What is Personal Time Management?

Personal Time Management is about controlling the use of your most valuable (and undervalued) resource.

Consider these two questions:
* What would happen if you spent company money with as few safeguards as you spend company time? And,
* When was the last time you scheduled a review of your time allocation?

Poor time management is often a symptom of over confidence: techniques, which used to work with small projects and workloads, are simply reused with large ones. But inefficiencies, which were insignificant in the small role, are ludicrous in the large. You cannot drive a motorbike like a bicycle, nor can you manage a supermarket-chain like a market stall. The demands, the problems and the payoffs for increased efficiency are all larger as your responsibility grows; you must learn to apply proper techniques or be bettered by those who do. Possibly, the reason Time Management is poorly practiced is that it so seldom forms a measured part of appraisal and performance review; what many fail to foresee, however, is how intimately it is connected to aspects, which do.

Personal Time Management has many facets. Most managers recognize a few, but few recognize them all. There is the simple concept of keeping a well-ordered diary and the related idea of planned activity. But beyond these, it is a tool for the systematic ordering of your influence on events; it underpins many other managerial skills such as Effective Delegation and Project Planning.

Personal Time Management is a set of tools which allow you to:

# Eliminate wastage

# Be prepared for meetings

# Refuse excessive workloads

# Monitor project progress Allocate resource (time) appropriate to a task's importance

# Ensure that long term projects are not neglected

# Plan each day efficiently

# Plan each week effectively

# And to do so simply with a little self-discipline.

Since Personal Time Management is a management process just like any other, it must be planned, monitored and regularly reviewed. In the following sections, we will examine the basic methods and functions of Personal Time Management. Since true understanding depends upon experience, you will be asked to take part by looking at aspects of your own work. If you do not have time to this right now - ask yourself: why not?

Waste Disposal

We are not looking here to create new categories of work to enhance efficiency (that comes later) but simply to eliminate wastage in your current practice. The average Engineer earns about 1000 Rupees per day: about 120.33 rupees per hour, say 1.5 every 5 minutes; for how many 5 minute sections of your activity would you have paid a pound? The first step is a critical appraisal of how you spend your time and to question some of your habits. In your time log, identify periods of time, which might have been better used.

There are various sources of waste. The most common are social: telephone calls, friends dropping by, and conversations around the coffee machine. It would be foolish to eliminate all non-work related activity (we all need a break) but if it's a choice between chatting to Harry in the afternoon and meeting the next pay-related deadline ... Your time log will show you if this is a problem and you might like to do something about it before your boss does.

Another common source of waste stems from delaying work, which is unpleasant by finding distractions, which are less important or unproductive. Check your log to see if any tasks are being delayed simply because they are dull or difficult.

Time is often wasted in changing between activities. For this reason it is useful to group similar tasks together thus avoiding the start-up delay of each. The time log will show you where these savings can be made. You may want then to initiate a routine, which deals with these on a fixed but regular basis.

Doing Subordinate's Work

Assigning secretarial duties to secretaries can make large gains: they regularly catch the next post; they type a lot faster than you. Your subordinate should be told about the missing section and told how (and why) to slant it. If you have a task which could be done by a subordinate, use the next occasion to start training him/her to do it instead of doing it yourself - you will need to spend some time monitoring the task thereafter, but far less that in doing it yourself.

Doing the work of others

A major impact upon your work can be the tendency to help others with theirs. Now, in the spirit of an open and harmonious work environment it is obviously desirable that you should be willing to help out - but check your work log and decide how much time you spend on your own work and how much you spend on others'. For instance, if you spend a morning checking the grammar and spelling in the training material related to you last project, then that is waste.

The remaining problem is your manager. Consider what periods in your work log were used to perform tasks that your manager either repeated or simply negated by ignoring it or redefining the task, too late. Making your manager efficient is a very difficult task, but where it impinges upon your work and performance you must take the bull by the horns (or whatever) and confront the issue.

Managing your manager may seem a long way from Time Management but no one impacts upon your use of time more than your immediate superior. If a task is ill defined - seek clarification (is that a one page summary or a ten page report?). If seemingly random alterations are asked in your deliverables, ask for the reasons and next time clarify these and similar points at the beginning. If the manager is difficult, try writing a small specification for each task before beginning it and have it agreed. While you cannot tactfully hold your manager to this contract if he/she has a change of mind, it will at least cause him/her to consider the issues early on, before you waste your time on false assumptions.

External Appointments

The next stage of Personal Time Management is to start taking control of your time. The first problem is appointments. Start with a simple appointments diary. In this book you will have (or at least should have) a complete list of all your known appointments for the foreseeable future. If you have omitted your regular ones (since you remember them anyway) add them now.

Your appointments constitute your interaction with other people; they are the agreed interface between your activities and those of others; they are determined by external obligation. They often fill the diary. Now, be ruthless and eliminate the unnecessary. There may be committees where you cannot productively contribute or where a subordinate might be (better) able to participate. There may be long lunches, which could be better run as short conference calls. There may be interviews, which last, three times as long as necessary because they are scheduled for a whole hour. Eliminate the wastage starting today.

The single most important type of activity is those, which will save you, time: allocate time to save time; a stitch in time saves days. And most importantly of all, always allocate time-to-time management: at least five minutes each and every day.

For each appointment left in the diary, consider what actions you might take to ensure that no time is wasted: plan to avoid work by being prepared. Consider what actions need to be done before AND what actions must be done to follow-up. Even if the latter is unclear before the event, you must still allocate time to review the outcome and to plan the resulting action. Simply mark in your diary the block of time necessary to do this and, when the time comes, do it.

An impossible deadline affects not only your success but also that of others. Suppose a product is scheduled for release too soon because you agree to deliver too early. Marketing and Sales will prepare customers to expect the product showing why they really need it - but it will not arrive. The customers will be dissatisfied or even lost; the competition will have advanced warning, and all because you agreed to do the impossible.

You can avoid this type of problem. By practicing time management, you will always have a clear understanding of how you spend your time and what time is unallocated. If a new task is thrust upon you, you can estimate whether it is practical. The project planning tells you how much time is needed and the time management tells you how much time is available.

There are four ways to deal with impossible deadlines:

# Get the deadline extended Scream for more resources

# Get the Deliverable redefined to something practical

# State the position clearly so that your boss (and his/her boss) have fair warning

If this simple approach seems unrealistic, consider the alternative. If you have an imposed, but unobtainable, deadline and you accept it; then the outcome is your assured failure. Of course, there is a fifth option: move to a company with realistic schedules.

Finally, for each activity you should estimate how much time it is worth and allocate only that amount. This critical appraisal may even suggest a different approach or method so that the time matches the task's importance. Beware of perfection, it takes too long - allocate time for "fitness for purpose", then stop.

Monitoring Staff

Your Personal Time Management also effects other people, particularly your subordinates. Planning projects means not only allocating your time but also the distribution of tasks; and this should be done in the same planned, monitored and reviewed manner as your own scheduling.

Any delegated task should be specified with an (agreed) end date. As a Manager, you are responsible for ensuring that the tasks allocated to your subordinates are completed successfully.

Concluding Remarks.

Personal Time Management is a systematic application of common sense strategies. It requires little effort, yet it promotes efficient work practices by highlighting wastage and it leads to effective use of time by focusing it on your chosen activities. Personal Time Management does not solve your problems; it reveals them, and provides a structure to implement and monitor solutions. It enables you to take control of your own time - how you use it is then up to you.

Effective Management: Keys To Being A Successful Leader

The ability to bring people together to accomplish a task is a difficult talent to master. It takes a combination of acquired skills and experience to guarantee the success of anyone in a leadership role. An incompetent manager can have a devastating impact on an organization. A leader with the knowledge, experience and insight necessary to ensure a high performing and profitable organization is hard to come by. In a recent Gallup survey, it was found that 25% of U.S. employees would fire their boss if they could. With one out of four managers failing, it is easy to see how ineffective management decreases employee performance and increases customer dissatisfaction resulting in a negative affect on the organization’s bottom-line.

The art of effective management rarely presents as an inbred gift. An effective manager must be an innovative leader who exhibits creativity, enthusiasm, confidence and an innate respect and good will toward every individual within the organization. The manager has to be willing to embrace new concepts and reconsider old practices in order to unleash the potential of the team. To be an effective manager, one is required to learn and utilize four basic management tools: coaching, feedback, counseling and discipline.

Coaching is the ongoing, informal training that confirms when an employee is doing well and identifies potential areas of opportunity. There are five essential keys to the coaching process.
• Listening with sensitivity and consideration to hear what is really happening should be your primary objective. In the coaching function, learn to use the power of silence. An effective manager seeks first to understand, then to be understood. This allows employees to know that you value their opinions and keep their interests, priorities and goals in mind. Actively listening to your employees builds trust and lets them know that you respect them as a “whole” person. Employees will be more open and will more readily clue you in to valuable information you may not otherwise be privy to.

• Language that demonstrates the ability to create new realities with precise types of speech is necessary to clearly disseminate your message with the highest likelihood of retention. Communicating effectively with appropriate language, pitch, tone and volume is the best way to articulate company goals and objectives.

• Attitude greatly impacts your ability to produce results. Approaching employees with a caring attitude aids in the employees being receptive and open to communication. An abusive, hostile or even disinterested attitude directly impacts the emotional health and productivity of employees. A manager who displays a positive attitude in every message reinforces the employee’s belief in his or her own value to the organization.

• Self-Development is the process by which managers continue to strengthen their own skill set through continued training and value-added experiences. By being a model of excellence, productivity and fulfillment, an effective manager demonstrates the acceptable behaviors that set the tone for a climate of responsibility.

• Leadership involves developing a clear vision and strong message, which must then be successfully communicated to the team. Your expectation of employees and their expectations of themselves are the primary factors in how well employees perform in the workplace. Set achievable goals and share them with your employees so that they know what is expected of them. Delegate the workload and set realistic deadlines. This will provide invaluable training to employees and save on hours of unnecessary work. Utilize a time management system that is simple, organized and efficient to track completion of tasks. Being able to hold employees accountable is a vital function of the coaching role.

• Feedback provides specific information that lets employees know how well they are performing. Feedback can be positive or corrective. It builds employee beliefs in their capabilities and provides them with insight into how they can improve their production. Corrective feedback should only be given in private. Feedback should always start positive and end positive. Never solely identify what the employee is not doing or is doing wrong. Employees need to have their confidence reinforced through praise and appreciation. Feedback is a two-way communication device. Allow employees to respond to your message so they know that they are included in their own development. One of the top complaints employers receive in regards to employee dissatisfaction is poor to non-existent feedback and recognition. Opening the lines of communication allows you to stay tuned in to your employees so you can be proactive in resolving situations before they escalate. Ask SMART questions (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound) to identify fears, problem areas or opportunities.

• Counseling is a tool that shows employees what they need to improve their performance. Point out issues in the employee's work in a calm, non-accusatory manner. Ask them what you can do to help. Work with the employee to develop concrete goals and a timeline for resolving the matter. If the problem is personal versus job-related, be empathetic and offer a flexible solution to help create a synergized work/life balance. Remember, you are not a therapist. Refer employees to the proper support groups if necessary. Counseling measures help to reduce turnover, prevent disciplinary action and shows that you are committed to your employee’s success.

• Discipline is a necessary evil to help employees follow company rules. Disciplinary action should be taken as a last-resort effort when previous coaching, feedback and counseling attempts have failed. The primary goal of discipline is not to punish your employees but rather to help guide them back to satisfactory job performance. Focus solely on performance remains fair and impartial. Although it is recommended to dole out discipline as soon after the misbehavior as possible, it is equally important to make sure that you have all the facts before you act. Improperly or unfairly holding an employee accountable for an action without adequate investigation can lead to lowered employee morale, loss of respect and possible lawsuits.

Effective management is more than just implementing policies and procedures. It means getting the most out of all of your employees, helping them to perform at their best individually, cooperatively and in groups. Managing your team effectively and efficiently requires the willingness to learn a variety of leadership skills. An effective manager must be able to coach, provide feedback, counsel and be comfortable in disciplining team members. By developing your management skills you will appreciate colossal benefits in increased productivity, decreased stress and increased confidence in both yourself as an effective leader, as well as in the employees on your team.

Human Resources: What Drives An Organization

Before the information technology age began, human resources management was a time consuming and paperwork intensive endeavor marked by gross inefficiency. In order for medium and large businesses to maintain sufficient human resources management, each location had to have a respective HR department. Communication across departments and within the entirety of an organization was nominal at best, and productivity suffered as a result.

The field of Human Behavior Organization emphasizes the importance of human resources in any business organization. The business filed offers too much focus on manpower development for it is the principle asset and key to success of an existing industry.This consideration provided several honchos in trade enterprise to create spin off departments to cater on different structural framework of human resource management development.

Some of the most generic or common filed are the one below:

• Human Resources Careers

• Human Resources Certification

• Human Resources Consulting

• Human Resources Law

• Human Resources Management

• Human Resources Outsourcing

• Human Resources Program

• Human Resources Software

• Human Resources Studies

# Human Resources Careers

The new millennium recognizes the importance of human resources personnel in their contribution to supplying the best manpower supply in a thriving industry.

Organizations in the business world rely on Human Resources management teams in overseeing business functions such as hiring, training, conducting interviews, relaying of company-related business trends and issues and employees’ benefits & facilities and the like.

Individuals who work inside this type of industry are tasked to making sure that the provided workforce are adept in their respective business roles and are able to function optimally under any condition.

This type of thinking is oriented among professionals whose function are those of above. They keep the company they are working with able to stay on top despite of existing competition against companies who competes with the same product or a service a certain company is caters for.

# Human Resources Certification

The field of Human Resources Industry evolved into creating a body of professionals or individual industries that take care of providing reliable certification activities whose purpose is to provide, attest and authenticate suitable capabilities among professionals in this field.

Human Resources Certification board’s certifying examinations are guided and are guided by core values and principles which an individual aspiring to be part of such industry should pass in order to gain the desired testament of ability.

# Human Resources Management and Human Resources Consulting

Management and consulting groups take on the function of most of the above jobs typical of an HR staff member.

They work hiring the best professionals in the field as demanded by a corporate client. They make sure that these individuals are retained and that their continued career development is ensured.

This department is also in charge of regular relay of company policies to each employees and making sure that satisfactory conformation is met. It is also their task to remind erring employee of regulations that are intentionally or accidentally infracted and make the necessary adjustment as well.

# Human Resources Outsourcing

Outsourcing job functions, or taking internal business functions to business industries via another firms or overseas proved to be more cost effective than having a single Human Resources team handle all job at hand.

The study conducted by The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) provided conclusive evidence of how outsourcing human resources personnel and various HR functions could cut average company cost on HR spending and free them from other legal risk.

This type of initiative also gives core HR professionals the chance to focus on a more important HR functions and company goals.

# Human Resources Program, Human Resources Studies and Human Resources Software

If Human Resources Management is the lifeblood of various Business Industries, Human Resources Programs on the other hand is the lifeblood of Human Resources Management.

HR is less capable of ensuring that its tasks and objectives are met without following a program at hand. Programs are effective when they bring results to the organization.

An independent HR Consulting industry study in Missouri explains how HR programs help professionals in this field in realigning HR policies to that of the company they are working for.

These programs are carried out to effectively implement job functions and seek on ways to improve them. Compensations, health benefits, relaying company regulations and management, staffing and culture change is communicated through designed programs.

Being an organization itself, Human Resources management and policies are directed by programs and these programs are expected to produce results, otherwise they are discarded.

Retention Guidance of Human Resources

Toward our goal of having a productive group of employees, we should not assume that the proper selection and development of our personnel would necessarily give us our desired result. We can hire individuals with extraordinary competence and develop these abilities and still not be assured they will perform satisfactorily.

You attract them, you screen them, you interview them, you hire and train them, and then they leave you. It is estimated that employee turn over percentage in Nepal is increasing day by day. In the process of Hiring cost comes from the expenses associated with screening resumes, interviewing candidates, testing, travel and moving expenses, training, exit interviews, the administrative work that comes along with terminations, separation and severance pay.

In this article I have experienced the following basic helpful tips for retaining best performing employees in the organization.

# Provide Competitive Compensation

Every one has heard the saying that money isn’t everything. That may be true, but it sure does help! You have to update comparative study on how well your compensation packages stack up against the competition. Generally speaking, employees that are under paid will feel under valued, thus, causing them to be more inclined to seek other employment. A nice blend of competitive compensation, accompanied with a good benefits plan will help send the message that:
A) The company values you and
B) We are willing to compete to keep you.

And, keep in mind that we are concerned with determining a fair compensation plan for an organization. Also, recognize that while we pay employees, compensation systems are predominantly designed around jobs. That is, the responsibilities and demands of the job determine a pay range. The actual performance of incumbents determines where within the pay range they are placed. Also, governmental influences on compensation systems are such that they must be incorporated in to the overall scheme of determining pay ranges.

# Lead by Example

Employees can be very much like children; they will follow around them as positive and or negative. It is very difficult for employees to make them ready to follow policies and procedures if their superiors are not following the same. Let’s look at an example: Company policy states that all employees must report to work by 8:00 a.m. If the boss sign in some where between the hours of 8:30 and 9:00 every day, it leads employees to believe that it is ok for them to do the same. On the flip side, if the boss is the first one in the office each day it sets the precedence and sends the message that employees are expected to report to work in accordance with company policy.

# Give Respect and Gain Respect

In order to gain the respect of your staff you must be willing to give them the same respect. As being a employee in Human Resources since last 13 years, I often encounter employers and business owners that don’t seem to respect the people that work for them. The employees are undervalued and unappreciated. Consequently the employees tend to have little or no respect for their superiors. These are the employees that will leave you at the drop of a hat, they will bad mouth you, they will put out sub standard work, and in extreme cases they will steal from you. Treating people with respect is as simple as:
* Saying thank you
* Listening to their ideas
* Giving a friendly smile or a pat on the back
* Treating people as equals
* Avoiding playing favorites and most importantly
* Treat your employees as principle asset of the company and key to the success of the company.

By treating your employees with respect I assure you they will respect you more and be far less likely to leave your organization.

# Employee Safety and Health

Management has a responsibility to ensure that the workplace is free from unnecessary hazards and those conditions surrounding the work place are not hazardous to employees physical or mental health. From a moral standpoint, employers have an obligation to maintain a workplace that will facilitate the operation of the work tasks employees are assigned and will minimize any negative aspects of situations affecting the employees health and safety.

In my experience as a Personnel Manager, business owners that follow these guidelines have greatly reduced their bottom line by limiting turnover with in their organizations.

Clothing and Fashion for Men

One of the most popular item purchased by people shopping for men’s clothing are t-shirts. T-shirts are a great option for building a man’s wardrobe. This is because t-shirts come in a variety of great colors, they offer a great selection of designs, and they come in either long sleeved or short sleeved options. Also if the man that you are shopping for is into vintage designs then you can also purchase vintage tees.

Sweatshirts are another popular men’s clothing option. In the past sweatshirt designs have been limited to grey gym wear, however, now a days you have a lot of great sweatshirt fashion choices to select from.

A great men’s shirt option for the work environment is the sweater. Sweaters come in a variety of styles and they can easily be worn as professional wear or for special occasions. Most merchants that sell men’s clothing will sell a selection of men’s sweaters.

To find the best t-shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater for yourself or for a man that you are shopping for, you will want to take into consideration several measurements. These measurements include the size of the man’s neck, the width of his shoulders, and the size of his waist. These measurements will help you find a man’s top that has the right fit and feel. In addition to finding the right size, you will also want to look for the style that are both appropriate for the occasions that they will be used for and that offer a style that the man will like.

Getting The Best Performance Out Of Your Employees

How do you create flourishing employees? You empower them to do what they do best. I use the word empower because you can be in control of that action. Empowering flourishing employees is something that successful businesses do in the way that they treat and give direction to the people who work for them. Many businesses pay lip service to the idea that their employees are most important assets, and key to their success. But few actually follow through on this statement.

Using management techniques that include the coaching methodology will enable you to get far more out of your people than you would by using a dictator style of leadership. Here are five simple ideas to help your employees flourishing. Some of these might seem odd for a work-environment at first, but as an employer, you need to see your employees as the whole person that they are. You need to recognize that a good employee brings more to the table than simple labor; they bring their thoughts, ideas, unique gifts and even genius in some cases. If you just need labor, hire a mule. If you have hired a person, then allow that person to do what they do best. If you can create an environment that will allow your employees to tap into their inner genius and use their unique talents, you can leverage these things for your business success. Employers should create a work environment that encourages growth, creativity and efficiency in their employees.

# 1. Be a positive and authentic leader.

People learn by watching. So give them a positive role model to emulate by being your best. Commit to being open and honest with your employees. People have a sixth sense for honesty. If you have integrity and are honest with your people and they see you as someone who is authentic and genuine, they will be much more likely to follow you wherever you want them to go. We all make mistakes from time to time, but by showing your people that you are someone they can trust, that you stand by your word and that are authentic and true to yourself and your values, they will follow you. Internal gossip mills can destroy the sense of trust that employees have in their employer and ultimately in the mission of the business. People like to gossip. If you give them material they will do it. You do not want people talking behind your or anyone else’s back, so don’t give them any material.

# 2. Allow your employees a reading time break (Not an email reading break).

One of the smartest things you can do as a business owner or sales professional is to set aside a half an hour everyday to read. This is one of the single most powerful things you can do to increase your effectiveness as a person. If this is true, then why wouldn’t you pay your employees to do the same thing? Setting aside just thirty minutes a day for your employees to read the latest in your industry’s advances or simply read the newspaper can increase the productivity of your workforce. This principal extends to exercise and positive thinking and all the best success strategies as well.

# 3. Cultivate your own personal power and your leadership skills.

To become a successful person, you need to figure out how to optimize your own performance. To become a successful leader, you need to learn how to optimize someone else’s performance. By continually looking for ways to bring out the best in yourself, you inspire your people to do the same. This is how you create a culture of continuous improvement.

# 4. Tell them why you hired them and show them how they link to the success of the company.

Set the expectation with people before hiring them that you expect them to play an important role in helping the company to successfully achieve certain goals through the use of their skill set. Let them know what success would look like and then empower them to help the organization achieve that success by using their talents and their own personal genius. A job should bring out the talents in an employee. Otherwise, it’s the wrong job for them. Employees who have high rates of job satisfaction tend to work harder and smarter. It’s a high standard but the right one to insist upon.

Find out what their goals are and then create a link between what they do at work to how they can ultimately achieve their goals. If your employees have no goals, these are probably not the kind of people that you want working in any kind of key position. Ambition and goal setting illustrate focus, intelligence, long term thinking. All top performers have goals.

# 5. Be selective when choosing an employee.

It is an employers’ market and employers should take their time and never make hiring decisions based on desperation or time constraints. Too many people wait until they are desperate to hire before they start looking. They force themselves into a bad position of hiring the first person they can find who has a pulse. By being desperate, they take themselves out of the power position. When you lose power you lose choice and when you lose your power for choice, you increase your odds of making a poor decision. And poor hiring decisions are costly in terms of time and money, two resources that are at a premium at most small companies.

Don’t squander your limited resources by making rushed hiring decisions. Instead plan ahead, start making a list of the skills and traits that you would like to add to the organization before you are desperate. And put the word out early, maybe even before you are ready to hire. That way you can practice a bit. Sometimes the exercise of interviewing candidates helps you to gain clarity on exactly what you are looking for and what you do not want. Interviewing people is free. Hiring the wrong person is expensive.

Get them exited and passionate about their job and your company using culture. Culture is the shared values of the company. Make your company stand for something people want to believe in. A company's culture is its personality. Your company culture is one of the ways in which you differentiate your business from competitors. Most employers focus on the “what,” when they are training employees or evaluating employee performance. What tasks they want completed. Often times they neglect to also instill the “how” in their employees’ minds. A strong culture tells people how to do their work and it is the underlying factor affecting motivation, morale, creativity, and ultimately your success in the marketplace. A strong culture will help you create employees who are engaged and have high morale, motivation and productivity. It also facilitates strong teamwork and cooperation across departments and functional areas. Ultimately your customers see your culture in the form of a product or service that holds true to the sales and marketing promises it was sold under.

Companies with a strong, dynamic, and adaptive culture that is aligned to their business goals and their target market’s wants and needs, routinely outperform their competitors. When people don’t really believe in what they are doing, customers can sense this, and often it comes through loud and clear in the form of poor attention to detail, lack of urgency and consistency, and a tendency to just enough and nothing more. These are all the things, which customers perceive to be a reflection of the quality, and service that they can expect from you business. Your employees often have as much, if not more, interaction with your customers or at least with the end products or services that you are providing.

People who like their job, do a good job. People who are highly satisfied by their jobs have good feelings about their supervisors and coworkers. This feeling is cultivated through open, honest communication and fair treatment in the workplace. They also believe in the mission. Everyone likes to feel that they are part of something larger than themselves, that they have a higher purpose. If you can get your employees to feel excited about the larger purpose of your company, you can get the best output from them.

If you take these five tips and utilize them in your workplace you will begin to see results in the months and years to come. By hiring happy, hardworking employees you will keep them with you longer and watch them grow and flourish with your business