Topics

31

MBA Discussion Forum / Stealing Share during recession

« on: July 03, 2015, 04:21:38 PM »

Brands are valuable in good times and in bad. During tough times like these, your brand may be considered by consumers who would otherwise not take notice or see relevance. Make the experience positive and you may build a bond for life.

Many case studies have shown that hard times are actually the best times to steal market share and build brand value. As weaker brands die off, the remaining brands sing louder, calling to consumers who are ripe for change. Steal your competitors’ consumers and the payoff is two to one.

The effect of brands actually alters consumers’ behavior. When consumers value a brand as being a trustworthy, quality offering, they are usually willing to pay more to avoid the risk of making a bad decision. However, they may be prone to try new brands as their wallets are squeezed ever tighter.

Recessions often weed out weaker brands making category leaders even stronger. At the same time, “value-based” brands can gain market share by presenting the consumer with a familiar name at a reasonable price. This brand switching provides an incredible window of opportunity for companies to steal market share from competitors. The number of consumers retained depends on the ability for the “temporary” brand to deliver on its promise of value.

When brands focus on value, rather than price, they reassure consumers with greater confidence. The moral support that is provided by brands during a recession helps to rebuild that enduring bond between brand and former consumer.

As consumers begin evaluating their purchases on a different set of priorities, heritage brands can use the emotional connections that already exist to regain past consumers that have moved on to “higher end” brands. A recession can unlock the relevance trapped within the brands of people’s youth.

The necessity for a clear brand proposition is more important than ever as consumers recognize the need for new ways to work within their shrinking budgets. The companies who recognize and seize the opportunity to steal market share while others are in shutdown mode, will find the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Source: Internet

32

MBA Discussion Forum / Brand Building in a Recession

« on: July 03, 2015, 04:19:35 PM »

Economic slowdown, recession, depression, call it what you will. A bad economy affects everyone. When times are tight, the bottom line is dictated by the sense of value consumers place in your brand, or more precisely, how much they are willing to pay for that value. Both the value perceived by consumers and actual shareholder value are strongly influenced by brand. Brand can drive growth in an up market or protect the company’s value in a down market. One of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of a recession is the insecurity consumers experience. As consumers feel the pinch, they begin to search for change. Companies need to focus on actions that take advantage of the opportunities that change brings. Branding in a recession is all about investing in consumer retention and attraction.

During a recession, most companies cut back in every area of the business and start slashing prices to accommodate the shifting demand curve. While this may help in the short term, this strategy can actually damage both the company and its brands. There are tremendous lessons to be learned from previous recessions. Not everyone automatically loses out in an adverse economy. Historically, companies who invested in their brands during hard economic times retained their core audience, attracted new consumers and emerged stronger in the end.

In a poor economic climate, companies must recognize that consumer retention and attraction is the name of the game. You must invest in brand-building to win market share, not just mindshare or margin. Those who fail to see their consumers as an appreciating asset may soon find their brands and business devalued or defunct.

During a bull economy, consumers have more disposable income, spend more freely and take bigger risks. However, a bear economy forces people to evaluate their purchasing decisions with a critical eye towards value. Consumers’ spending habits change dramatically—they take inventory of their costs and the related benefits. If the value is not readily apparent, they could move on to a “safer” option.

Recessions are brought on by many factors, but are fed by consumers’ economic fears. People spend less overall and become far more selective about where they spend the little money they have. This tends to expose and amplify brand weaknesses. As consumers are far less forgiving and far more price-conscious, they abandon brands that fail to provide clear, meaningful and relevant value.

Branding cannot be reserved as an exercise in times of growth. To be effective it requires constant maintenance, perhaps even more so in times of crisis. Take care of your brand and your brand will take care of you. Neglect it and you’ll immediately feel the ill effects.

Brands are built over decades and generations. Think long term—make your competition chase you.

Source: Internet

33

Business / Defining Brand

« on: July 03, 2015, 04:14:25 PM »

Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions below:

 

• What is your company's mission?
  
• What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
  
  • What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
    
  • What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
  
  Do your research. Learn the needs, habits and desires of your current and prospective customers. And don't rely on what you think they think. Know what they think.
  
  
  Because defining your brand and developing a brand strategy can be complex, consider leveraging the expertise of a nonprofit small-business advisory group or a Small Business Development Center .
  
  
  Once you've defined your brand, how do you get the word out? Here are a few simple, time-tested tips:
  
      Get a great logo. Place it everywhere.
  
      Write down your brand messaging. What are the key messages you want to communicate about your brand? Every employee should be aware of your brand attributes.
  
      Integrate your brand. Branding extends to every aspect of your business--how you answer your phones, what you or your salespeople wear on sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
  
      Create a "voice" for your company that reflects your brand. This voice should be applied to all written communication and incorporated in the visual imagery of all materials, online and off. Is your brand friendly? Be conversational. Is it ritzy? Be more formal. You get the gist.
  
      Develop a tagline. Write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand.
      Design templates and create brand standards for your marketing materials. Use the same color scheme, logo placement, look and feel throughout. You don't need to be fancy, just consistent.
  
      Be true to your brand. Customers won't return to you--or refer you to someone else--if you don't deliver on your brand promise.
  
      Be consistent. I placed this point last only because it involves all of the above and is the most important tip I can give you. If you can't do this, your attempts at establishing a brand will fail.
  
  
  Source: Internet

34

Business / Brand Strategy & Equity

« on: July 03, 2015, 04:08:00 PM »

Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too.

Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The most obvious example of this is Coke vs. a generic soda. Because Coca-Cola has built a powerful brand equity, it can charge more for its product--and customers will pay that higher price.

The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. For example, Nike associates its products with star athletes, hoping customers will transfer their emotional attachment from the athlete to the product. For Nike, it's not just the shoe's features that sell the shoe.


Source: Internet

35

MBA Discussion Forum / Occupational health and safety

« on: April 04, 2015, 12:57:04 PM »

Occupational health and safety is concerned with how the work environment contributes to illness and injury of workers. Of particular importance are psychosocial hazards or risk factors that include fatigue, workplace violence, workplace bullying. Other factors important to employee health and well-being include work schedules (e.g., night shifts), work/family conflict, and burnout. Tools have been developed by I/O researchers and psychologists to measure these psychosocial risk factors in the workplace and "stress audits" can be used to help organizations remain compliant with various occupational health and safety regulations around the world.

Another area of concern is the high rate of occupational fatalities and injuries due to accidents. There is also research interest in how psychosocial hazards affect physical ailments like musculoskeletal disorder. A contributing psychosocial factor to accidents is safety climate, that concerns organizational policies and practices concerning safe behavior at work. A related concept that has to do with psychological well-being as opposed to accidents is psychosocial safety climate (PSC). PSC refers to policies, practices, and procedures for the protection of worker psychological health and safety. Safety leadership is another area of occupational health and safety I/O psychology is concerned with, where specific leadership styles affect safety compliance and safety participation.

36

MBA Discussion Forum / Occupational stress in Job place

« on: April 04, 2015, 12:54:54 PM »

I/O psychologists are involved in the research and the practice of occupational stress and design of individual and organizational interventions to manage and reduce the stress levels and increase productivity, performance, health and wellbeing.Occupational stress is concerned with physical and psychosocial working conditions (termed stressors) that can elicit negative responses (termed strains) from employees. Occupational stress can have implications for organizational performance because of the emotions job stress evokes. For example, a job stressor such as conflict with a supervisor can precipitate anger that in turn motivates counterproductive workplace behaviors. Job-related hindrance stressors are directly (and challenge stressors inversely) related to turnover and turnover intentions. I/O research has examined the relations among work stressors and workplace aggression, withdrawal, theft, and substance abuse, strategies that individuals use to cope with work stress and prevent occupational burnout, and the relation of work stress to depressive symptoms.

A number of models have been developed to explain the job stress process. Examples of models that have influenced research include the person-environment fit model and the demand-control model. Research has also examined the interaction among personality variables and stressors and their effects on employee strains. I/O psychology is also concerned with the physical health outcomes caused by occupational stress. For instance, researchers at the institute of work psychology (IWP) examined the mediating role of psychological strain in relation to musculoskeletal disorders.

Research has also examined occupational stress in specific occupations. For example, there has been research on job stress in police, teachers, general practitioners, and dentists. Another concern has been the relation of occupational stress to family life. Other research has examined gender differences in leadership style and job stress and strain in the context of male- and female-dominated industries, burnout in the human services and other occupations, and unemployment-related distress. I/O psychology is also concerned with the relation of occupational stress to career advancement.

Source: Wiki

37

MBA Discussion Forum / Motivation in the workplace

« on: April 04, 2015, 12:50:21 PM »

Work motivation "is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration"[53] Understanding what motivates an organization's employees is central to the study of I–O psychology. Motivation is a person's internal disposition to be concerned with an approach positive incentives and avoid negative incentives. To further this, an incentive is the anticipated reward or aversive event available in the environment.[54] While motivation can often be used as a tool to help predict behavior, it varies greatly among individuals and must often be combined with ability and environmental factors to actually influence behavior and performance. Because of motivation's role in influencing workplace behavior and performance, it is key for organizations to understand and to structure the work environment to encourage productive behaviors and discourage those that are unproductive.

There is general consensus that motivation involves three psychological processes: arousal, direction, and intensity. Arousal is what initiates action. It is fueled by a person's need or desire for something that is missing from their lives at a given moment, either totally or partially. Direction refers to the path employees take in accomplishing the goals they set for themselves. Finally, intensity is the vigor and amount of energy employees put into this goal-directed work performance. The level of intensity is based on the importance and difficulty of the goal. These psychological processes result in four outcomes. First, motivation serves to direct attention, focusing on particular issues, people, tasks, etc. It also serves to stimulate an employee to put forth effort. Next, motivation results in persistence, preventing one from deviating from the goal-seeking behavior. Finally, motivation results in task strategies, which as defined by Mitchell & Daniels, are "patterns of behavior produced to reach a particular goal.

Source: Wiki

38

MBA Discussion Forum / Training and training evaluation

« on: April 04, 2015, 12:47:21 PM »

Training is the systematic acquisition of skills, concepts, or attitudes that results in improved performance in another environment. Most people hired for a job are not already versed in all the tasks required to perform the job effectively. Evidence indicates that training is effective and that these training expenditures are paying off in terms of higher net sales and gross profitability per employee. Training can be beneficial for the organization and for employees in terms of increasing their value to their organization as well as their employability in the broader marketplace. Many organizations are using training and development as a way to attract and retain their most successful employees.

An I–O psychologist would employ a job analysis in concert with principles of instructional design to create an effective training program. A training program is likely to include a summative evaluation at its conclusion in order to ensure that trainees have met the training objectives and can perform the target work tasks at an acceptable level. Training programs often include formative evaluations to assess the impact of the training as the training proceeds. Formative evaluations can be used to locate problems in training procedures and help I–O psychologists make corrective adjustments while the training is ongoing.

The basic foundation for training programs is learning. Learning outcomes can be organized into three broad categories: cognitive, skill-based, and affective outcomes. Cognitive is a type of learning outcome that includes declarative knowledge or the knowledge of rules, fasts, and principles. An example is police officers acquire declarative knowledge about laws and court procedures. Skill-based is a learning outcome that concerns procedural knowledge and the development of motor and technical skills. An example is motor skills that involve the coordination of physical movements such as using a special tool or flying a certain aircraft, whereas technical skills might include understanding a certain software program, or exhibiting effective customer relations behaviors. Affective is a type of learning outcome that includes attitudes or beliefs that predispose a person to behave in a certain way. Attitudes can be developed or changed through training programs. Examples of these attitudes are organizational commitment and appreciation of diversity.

Before training design issues are considered, a careful needs analysis is required to develop a systematic understanding of where training is needed, what needs to be taught or trained, and who will be trained.[45] Training needs analysis typically involves a three step process that includes organizational analysis, task analysis and person analysis. Organizational analysis examines organizational goals, available resources, and the organizational environment to determine where training should be directed. This analysis identifies the training needs of different departments or subunits and systematically assessing manager, peer, and technological support for transfer of training. Organizational analysis also takes into account the climate of the organization and its subunits. For example, if a climate for safety is emphasized throughout the organization or in particular parts of the organization (e.g., production), then training needs will likely reflect this emphasis. Task analysis uses the results from job analysis on determining what is needed for successful job performance and then determines what the content of training should be. Task analysis can consist of developing task statements, determining homogeneous task clusters, and identifying KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities, other characteristics) required for the job. With organizations increasingly trying to identify "core competencies" that are required for all jobs, task analysis can also include an assessment of competencies. Person analysis identifies which individuals within an organization should receive training and what kind of instruction they need. Employee needs can be assessed using a variety of methods that identify weaknesses that training and development can address. The needs analysis makes it possible to identify the training program's objectives, which in turn, represents the information for both the trainer and trainee about what is to be learned for the benefit of the organization.

Therefore with any training program it is key to establish specify training objectives. Schultz & Schultz (2010) states that need assessment is an analysis of corporate and individual goals undertaken before designing a training program. Examples of need assessment are based on organizational, task, and work analysis is conducted using job analysis critical incidents, performance appraisal, and self-assessment techniques.

But with any training there are always challenges that one faces. Challenges which I–O psychologists face:

1. To identify the abilities required to perform increasingly complex jobs.
2. To provide job opportunities for unskilled workers.
3. To assist supervisors in the management of an ethnically diverse workforce.
4. To retain workers displaced by changing economic, technological, and political forces.
5. To help organizations remain competitive in the international marketplace.
6. To conduct the necessary research to determine the effectiveness of training programs.

Source: Wiki

39

Common Forum / How to Work for a Perfectionist Boss

« on: April 04, 2015, 11:55:53 AM »

A perfectionist boss may have unreasonably high expectations of employees, and may react in an extreme way when those expectations are not met. Perfectionist bosses may also embody other challenging characteristics, such as a tendency to micromanage, the inability to reach a firm decision, a resistance to conflicting viewpoints and a negative or critical style of communicating. Therefore, working for this type of difficult boss can be a challenge. There are ways to ease the strain caused by the perfectionism of a boss. Follow these guidelines for how to work for a perfectionist boss.

1 Counter unrealistic requests with a more realistic trade-off. When a perfectionist boss makes demands of you that you know are impossible to accomplish, assert yourself without sounding argumentative or disrespectful. For example, when your boss doubles your workload without extending your time frame, you could say something like, "I can complete the extra work, but I will have to delegate the other job to someone else if you want both jobs completed at the same time."

2 Arrive on time, all the time. Whether it be the start of the day, a return from lunch or break, a meeting or a business party, make it a point to be on time or early.

3 Exhibit enthusiasm on the job. A demanding boss is likely a motivated, high energy type individual. Therefore, asserting yourself as an enthusiastic go-getter can help you stand out amongst your coworkers and gain favor in your boss's eyes.

4 Request deadlines from a perfectionist boss. Perfectionism often causes procrastination, as a fear of making mistakes can freeze the decision-making process. Asking your boss for specific deadlines not only brings an awareness of time constraints to your boss, but also provides you with a more concrete definition of your assigned responsibilities so that you can avoid disagreements down the line.

5 Pay attention to the details. Perfectionists can get stuck on analyzing of all the small parts that make up the whole, and this can slow your productivity. Consider every aspect of a project and think ahead to identify every detail that might need extra attention. That way, you can head off issues before your perfectionist boss notices them.

6 Document your work performance. Keep attendance records, client referrals, positive reviews, customer recommendations and any other proof of your value as an employee. In the case that a demanding boss unjustifiably questions your dedication or aptitude, you can defend your position with tangible evidence of your hard work.

7 Provide your boss with reassurance. A perfectionist or demanding boss likely suffers from insecurity. Verbally acknowledging your boss's strengths can work for you, in that increasing your boss's self-esteem may also help your boss learn to be more accepting of others.

8 Appreciate the positive aspects of working for a perfectionist boss. You may have to work harder and be more conscientious to work for a boss who aims for perfection, but you can also learn a lot about self-discipline, reliability, maintaining high standards and paying attention to detail.

http://www.wikihow.com/Work-for-a-Perfectionist-Boss

40

Common Forum / Build a Great Working Relationship with Your Boss

« on: April 04, 2015, 11:36:54 AM »

One of the worst things you can do when you start your new job is to make your supervisor look bad for hiring you. After all, your boss is key to your current on-the-job satisfaction and to your future success in the organization -- and perhaps even beyond.

If there ever were a relationship for you to invest in, this is it. So here are five ways to get off to a great start with your new supervisor. Your efforts now will lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship over the long haul.

Watch Your New Boss and Learn

"The No. 1 thing is to observe the company culture and your supervisor closely during your first few weeks," says Terese Corey Blanck, principal of College to Career, a career-consulting firm in suburban Minneapolis. "Keep your opinions to yourself until you understand the company culture well and know what people will look upon with favor and what they'll look upon with disdain."

Even something as simple as asking intelligent questions will make a difference in how your boss perceives you as an employee. "It's always better to clarify than to charge off and go completely in the wrong direction," Corey Blanck says.

Communicate the Way the Boss Wants To

Some bosses are very hands-on, keeping close tabs on you throughout your workday. Others may talk to you once a week or less often and send you on your way to do your job.

Whatever your supervisor's style, typically it's up to you to establish and maintain the lines of communication between the two of you. Using either email or the occasional stop-by-the-office visit, make sure you keep your boss informed with the answers to these questions:

    What are you working on?
    What have you finished, and what are the results?
    What can you help your supervisor with?

Look and Act Professional

Allison Hemming, author of Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy and founder of The Hired Guns, a Manhattan-based interim workforce agency, talks about a candidate she recently placed with a major investment bank -- quite easily, thanks to the candidate's background and skills.

"Two weeks into the job, we got a call from her manager, saying that she was doing a terrific job, but that she sometimes dressed inappropriately, in short, short skirts and open-toed shoes," says Hemming. "The manager asked me to have a chat with the person, because they really liked her and didn't want her attire to impact her ability to get promoted in the future."

The new hire was a bit shocked to discover her fashion faux pas were damaging her relationships with her supervisor and colleagues, but she quickly made the necessary changes to her wardrobe, Hemming says.

Demonstrate Initiative

Any new employee can sit around waiting to be told what to do. Why not be proactive enough to figure it out yourself so your supervisor doesn't constantly have to hold your hand?

"Take initiative to get something done when you see it needs getting done," says Corey Blanck. "It can be something as simple as taking a stack of files and going through them before you're asked -- anything to show that you're not beneath the small tasks that take up everyone's time."

"Come in early and stay late," says Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work and a frequent workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." "You should be busy whenever you're starting a new job, learning the ropes, but even when you're not, perfect the art of looking busy."

Do Great Work

This might seem like painfully obvious advice for developing a solid relationship with your new boss, but it bears repeating. "Make your boss look good by, guess what -- just plain working hard," says Viscusi. "It's old-fashioned, but it really works."

Source: Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

41

Common Forum / 10 ways to work better with your boss

« on: April 04, 2015, 11:33:00 AM »

I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
My boss just pushed me over the limit
I'd like to call him somethin'
I think I'll just call it a day...

-- Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, "It's Five O'clock Somewhere"


Bosses: You can't live with them, and you can't live without them. Like it or not, most of us must deal with a boss, and the way we do so affects not just our career advancement and our salary, but also our mental well-being. Here are some tips on how to get along better with your boss.

#1: Remember that your boss just might have useful insights

Think you have a clueless boss? Remember the words of Mark Twain, who once said that when he was 14, his father was so stupid it was unbearable. Then, he continued, when he became 21, he was amazed at how much his father had learned in just seven years. Your boss might be smarter than you think, and maybe later in your career, you will appreciate that fact. Regardless, a bad boss can still offer good advice.

I remember what a boss from years ago told me about the workplace. He said I should be aggressive and find out what people needed done rather than sit back and wait for assignments.

Think of it this way: You still can learn from a bad boss. Analyze why that boss is a bad boss and then resolve to avoid those things if you ever become a boss yourself. As the cynic reminds us, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.

#2: Know your boss' objectives

Software developers often concern themselves with "traceability." The requirements for a software system must directly or indirectly be tied, or traced, to the objectives of the company. In theory, therefore, any requirement that lacks such traceability should be considered irrelevant and removed.

In the same way, try to see the bigger picture. You need to know what the boss expects of you (see the next tip). But at the same time, you need to understand how your job helps the boss. Make sure that what you're doing not only meets your own job description but helps the boss achieve his or her own objectives.

#3: Know what your boss expects of you

When I was young, I once complained to my mother that I had nothing to do. "Calvin," she answered, "Why don't you practice piano?" That was the last time I ever complained to her about that topic.

Ignorance of your parents' wishes may be fine when you're a child, but ignorance (willful or otherwise) of your boss's expectations can kill your career. How can you expect a good performance evaluation if you're unaware of how you're going to be measured? If you know your objectives, are they quantifiable? If so, both of you will have an easier time during your evaluation.

Every once in a while, check with your boss about what you're doing and what you've accomplished and make sure your boss has that same understanding. If your boss has issues with your performance, it's better for both of you that you know sooner rather than later, so you have time to make adjustments.

In a perfect world, no surprises should arise during your performance review. If they do, either your boss didn't communicate the objectives or you failed to understand them. Don't let that happen to you.

#4: Be low maintenance

Don't be the "problem employee," the one the boss always has to check up and follow up on. Instead, try to be the one the boss can depend on. It might not be apparent immediately, but a good boss will recognize and appreciate that trait.

Are you going to be perfect in your work? Of course not. You're probably going to make a mistake or create a problem at least once. However, when that happens, and you go to your boss (as you should, as mentioned below), try to go not just with the report of the problem. Think of some solutions and be prepared to offer your recommendations to your boss.

#5: Don't surprise your boss

Don't let your boss be blindsided by bad news. In other words, "fee up" if you created a problem or made a mistake. It's better that bad news about you should come from you -- not from a customer, not from a co-worker, and absolutely not from your boss's boss. Did you have a negative interaction with an abusive caller or customer? As soon as the call is finished, call your boss and give a briefing. Tell the boss who you spoke with, why that person is upset, and what the boss can expect to hear from that person. Also give your side of the story.

The same advice applies to good news as well. Let your boss know about your successes. Otherwise, your boss might give the impression of being unaware of them when his or her own boss offers congratulations.

#6: Acknowledge your boss in your successes

The moment has arrived: You're in front of your group, receiving an award or other recognition from your boss or your boss' boss. An appropriate thing to do at this point is to recognize the people who made it possible, in particular your boss. It's easy to do if your boss really did help you. What about the "difficult" boss, though? You should try to say something, but at the same time you probably should be truthful as well.

Remember what we discussed above -- that even a bad boss can provide good insights and examples. Did your boss discourage you or make things difficult? Maybe, in that case, you could thank your boss for helping you "keep things in perspective" or for "serving as a sanity check" or for helping you "see the problem from multiple points of view." Don't push things, or you may start sounding cute and insincere. However, do try to say something about your boss' help.

#7: Don't take criticism personally

Because most of us are so involved with our work, it's hard to separate ourselves from it. So when someone criticizes our work, we view that criticism as a personal attack. Reacting that way can hinder our development and our progress. The next time your boss (or anyone else) criticizes your work, try pretending that the work was done by someone else. Then, examine it as a third party would and test the validity of the criticism.

A smart boss realizes that your success is tied to his or her own success. Therefore, the boss has an interest in your doing well. Furthermore, criticism from the boss could be a sign that the boss has high expectations from you. When I first began working, I was upset because my boss had given me a task that I thought was too hard. I discussed my concern with a friend of my father, who worked in the same area as I did. Though it happened years ago, I still remember that friend's advice. "Calvin," he said, "[name of boss] gave you that task because he thinks you can do a good job."

#8: Remember your boss has a boss

We discussed earlier the importance of knowing your boss' objectives. In the same vein, be aware that your boss has a boss as well. You can use that fact to build a collaborative relationship with your own boss, because both of you have a common objective of making the boss' boss happy and making your boss look good. Having that collaborative relationship gives your boss a better impression of you and gives you visibility to your boss' boss.

#9: Don't upstage your boss

Upstaging your boss can limit your career mobility. Therefore, be careful of correcting your boss in public, as someone did to my father once. While he was making a group presentation, he referred to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In doing so, he correctly pronounced it as "Woo-ster." This person spoke up, saying, "Wellington, you're wrong. It's 'Woo-ches-ter.'" Fortunately, my father was smart, deflecting the comment with the following answer: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. English is only my fifth language." My father humorously defused the situation. However, the fact that after all these years I still hear this story tells you what my father thought of that correction and the person who made it.

There's one instance when it's okay to correct your boss in public: when your boss mistakenly thinks he or she made a mistake but really didn't. Suppose your boss quotes a figure while giving a presentation. He or she then stops and says, "I'm sorry, I think I made a mistake." If you know the boss was originally correct, it's fine at that point to interrupt and say, "No, [boss' name], you're correct."

#10: Manage your boss when necessary

Getting ahead in your career requires more than just sitting back and waiting for assignments. You must take initiative, looking for opportunities and problems to be solved. In doing so, take advantage of any organizational power your boss might have. Explain to your boss your plans and why they represent a good business decision. Then, ask your boss to fight any bureaucratic battles that may arise and to run interference for you. In doing so, you recognize the boss is the boss. However, you are directing your boss, in taking advantage of pull that you possibly lack.

Source: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ways-to-work-better-with-your-boss/

42

Common Forum / How to be focused in the fierce competition in job markets ?

« on: March 28, 2015, 02:14:39 PM »

Get your resume noticed with these 3 tips

1. Make sure relevant skills and qualifications are mentioned in your resume

Typically a few get response from the employers from thousands of job applicants. Employers filter out most relevant job applicants based on key words which are relevant to the job descriptions of a particular position. To get preference for response make sure the skills & qualifications you mentioned in the resume are relevant to the job descriptions.

2. Send your resume to the hiring manager

You must ensure that you have a compelling profile. The resume should be well organized & good looking with all relevant information (learn how to prepare a good resume). Do not forget to write a cover letter. Find the hiring manager and send your resume to her/him. If you do not reach the hiring manager, find the HR Manager.

3. Meet or make a phone call to the hiring manager

If you want to be get noticed you have to be more aggressive. After a few days of resume submission (or after a certain time) you should see the hiring manager or make a phone call to discuss about your job application. Hiring managers hire people they like. Demonstrate that you have the skills & qualifications they are looking for. During discussion you may establish a friendly conversation with the hiring manager to bring your resume in front of the right persons.

Source: Internet

43

Common Forum / Challenges of FMCG Brand Managers in Bangladesh

« on: March 28, 2015, 02:10:24 PM »

FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry is one of the faster growing segments of the market. This segment touches every aspect of human life. The market dynamics of the segment are changing very frequently. Even in the harsh economic conditions of Bangladesh the FMCG market continues to grow at a satisfactory rate of over 9%. With such rapid growth FMCG marketers need to analyze selling performances of each product line in a professional manner. They should also check the supermarket shelves to analyze in details of secondary sales statistics of their products & the competitors’ products to understand the real world market dynamics.

Bangladesh is a very populated country, which is the eighth largest in the world. This large number of population of the country makes the FMCG segment more potential. The top FMCG companies are characterized by their ability to produce the items that are in highest demand by consumers and, at the same time, develop loyalty and trust towards their brands.

What are Consumer Goods?

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or consumer packaged goods (CPG) are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable goods such as soft drinks, toiletries, over-the-counter drugs, toys, processed foods and many other consumables. The term was coined by Neil H. Borden in 'The Concept of the Marketing Mix' in 1965. … ref. Wikipedia

FMCGs generally have a short shelf life. Some FMCGs, such as meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and baked goods, are highly perishable. Other goods such as alcohol, toiletries, pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, and cleaning products have high turnover rates.

As contribution margin (CM) of FMCG products is relatively small, they are generally sold in large quantities to make substantial cumulative profit. FMCG is probably the most classic case of low margin and high volume business.

One of the characteristics that define any type of product as a true FMCG is the fact that it is non-durable. This leads to a continual cycle of consumption that makes it feasible to mass produce the goods. Pre-packaged foods are a good example of this characteristic. The food is purchased then consumed. When the food is gone, consumers return to a retail outlet to purchase more units of the pre-packaged food.

Characteristics of FMCG products

From the consumers' perspective: Frequent purchase, Low involvement (little or no effort to choose the item), and Low price

From the marketers' angle: High volumes, Low contribution margins, Extensive distribution networks, and High stock turnover

Consumers play a crucial role in the FMCG sector as the price band of each FMCG product is fixed depending largely on the consumer class which the particular company is targeting.

SWOT Analysis of FMCG sector

Strengths

    Low operational costs
    Presence of established distribution networks in both urban and rural areas
    Presence of well-known brands in FMCG sector

Weaknesses

    Lower scope of investing in technology and achieving economies of scale, especially in small sectors
    Low exports levels
    Me-too products illegally mimic the labels of the established brands. These products narrow the scope of FMCG products in rural and semi-urban market.

Opportunities

    Untapped rural market
    Rising income levels, i.e. increase in purchasing power of consumers
    Large domestic market
    Export potential
    High consumer goods spending

Threats

    Removal of import restrictions resulting in replacing of domestic brands

Marketing Management of FMCG Products

FMCG organizations must go through answers of the following questions for better marketing management

    How to adopt brand management strategies?
    How to train up salespeople and improve their sales revenue?
    How to set advertising expenses?
    How to analyze the competitors’ information in a short time?
    How to do the sales forecast and planning in an efficient manner?
    How to track sales & marketing data in real time and generate flexible sales reports as different stakeholders require?
    How to analyze consumer brand preferences?
    How to establish positive company & brand images to the consumers?

Brand Managers / Marketing Managers of FMCG companies require facing the challenges of finding and analyzing answers of the above questions for formulating winning strategies for their brands.

The FMCG products of a company will find better development opportunities, if the findings of the above questions are addressed properly as an input in its strategic decision making.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/md-anwar-morsalin

44

Common Forum / Happy because happy people do not ever do this 8

« on: October 25, 2014, 10:12:15 AM »

অনেকের মনেই প্রশ্ন জাগতে পারে আসলে সুখী মানুষেরা কী করেন? কোন কাজটি বা কাজগুলোর কারণে তারা এতো সুখী তাদের জীবনে। এই ধরনের প্রশ্ন যে কোনো সাধারণ মানুষের মধ্যেই আসতে পারে। কারণ মানুষ জীবনের অনেকটা সময় সুখ খুঁজেই পার করে দেন।

কিন্তু অনেকেই জানেন না সুখ তার নিজের হাতে। সুখী মানুষেরা যে সকল কাজ করেন এবং যে কাজগুলো করেন না তার মাধ্যমেই সুখী থাকেন। এবং তার সেই সকল কাজ তার নিজের হাতেই থাকে। জানতে চান সুখী মানুষেরা কোন কোন কাজগুলি একেবারেই করেন না? চলুন তবে দেখে নেয়া যাক আজকের ফিচারটি।

মানুষের কথায় কান দেয়া
মানুষ আপনার সম্পর্কে কথা বলেই যাবে। আপনি সোজা পথে হাঁটলেও কথা শোনাবে আবার বাঁকা পথে হাঁটলেও কথা শোনাবে। তাই মানুষের সকল কথায় কান দিয়ে নিজের সুখ নষ্ট করার কাজটি সুখী মানুষেরা একেবারেই করেন না।

অন্য কারো ওপর নিজের খুশির জন্য নির্ভরশীলতা
অন্য কোনো মানুষ এবং অন্য কোনো জিনিসের মধ্যে একজন মানুষের সুখ থাকতে পারে না। কারন সুখ পুরোপুরিই মানসিক একটি ব্যাপার। যা আত্মতৃপ্তি থেকে আসে। যখন কোনো বস্তু বা কারো ওপর নিজের সুখের জন্য নির্ভর করতে হয় তখন কখনোই সুখী হওয়া যায় না। সে কারনেই সুখী মানুষ নিজের সুখের জন্য অন্যের ওপর নির্ভরশীল থাকেন না।

অতীত ধরে রাখা
মানুষের অতীত থাকতেই পারে, কিন্তু সেই অতীত ধরে রেখে যদি বর্তমানে কষ্ট এবং ভুল উপলব্ধি করে নিজেকে দোষারোপ করা হয় তবে তা বোকামি ছাড়া আর কিছুই নয়। আর এই বোকামিটি সুখী মানুষেরা একেবারেই করেন না। অতীতের কাজ শুধুমাত্র আপনি যে ভুলটি করেছিলেন তার থেকে শিক্ষা নেয়ার জন্য।

অন্যের খুঁত ধরতে যাওয়া
যার চোখে অন্য মানুষের খুঁতটা আগে চোখে পরে সে কখনোই সুখী হতে পারেন না। কারন আপনার মন সব সময় নেতিবাচক জিনিসটিই খুঁজবে। যিনি নেতিবাচক জিনিসটিই দেখবেন তিনি নিজেই সুখকে দূরে ঠেলে দিয়ে থাকেন। তাই অন্যের খুঁত ধরতে যাওয়ার মতো অযথা সময় সুখী মানুষেরা ব্যয় করেন না।

মুখে এক ভেতরে আরেক
মুখে এক এবং ভেতরে আরেক এই ধরনের দ্বিমুখী সাপের ভূমিকা সুখী মানুষজন একেবারেই পালন করেন না। কারন যারা এই ধরনের আচরন করেন তারা কখনোই ভালো থাকতে পারেন না। নিজের দ্বিমুখী আচরণের কারনেই নিজেরাই নিজেদের জালে জড়িয়ে পড়েন।

নিজেকে অন্যের সাথে তুলনা
নিজেকে নিয়ে যে সুখী নয় সে কখনোই কোনো কিছুতে সুখ খুঁজে পাবেন না। নিজেকে সম্মান করতে না জানলে কারো কাছেই সম্মান পাওয়া সম্ভব নয়। নিজেকে অন্যের সাথে তুলনা করতে যাওয়ার মতো বোকামি সুখী মানুষেরা করেন না কখনোই।

বিফলতাকে ভয়
বিফলতাকে ভয় পেলে জীবনে এগিয়ে যাওয়া সম্ভব নয়। সফল হতে হলে বিফলতাকে স্বীকার করে নিয়েই এগুতে হবে। বিফলতাকে ভয় করে জীবনে চলতে থাকলে সুখী হওয়া সম্ভব নয়। সেকারনেই বিফলতাকে ভয় করেন না সুখী মানুষেরা।

ভবিষ্যৎ নিয়ে অতিরিক্ত চিন্তা
ভবিষ্যতে কি হবে না হবে তা আমরা কেউই জানি না। ভাগ্যের কিছু বিষয় আমরা নিজেরা গড়ে নিতে পারি, এ বাদে ভবিষ্যতে কি হবে তা বলা যায় না একেবারেই। তাই অযথা চিন্তা করে বর্তমানের সুখ নষ্ট করার কোনো অর্থ হয় না। তাই যতোটুকু প্রয়োজন তার বেশি চিন্তা করেন না সুখী মানুষেরা।

সূত্র: প্রিয় লাইফ

45

Common Forum / If you want to see your child as a successful man

« on: July 22, 2014, 05:12:20 PM »

সন্তানের ভবিষ্যৎ নিয়ে দুশ্চিন্তায় থাকেন মা-বাবা। কীভাবে গড়বেন সন্তানের ভবিষ্যৎ বা কীভাবেই বা তাকে দেবেন উপযুক্ত শিক্ষা। আপনার সন্তানকে পরবর্তী জাকারবার্গ বা ল্যারি পেজ হিসেবে গড়ে তুলতে হলে আপনাকেই সচেতন হতে হবে। সন্তানের জন্য আপনার করণীয় বিষয়গুলো নিয়ে উদ্যোক্তা চার্লস টিপস ১২টি পরামর্শ দিয়েছেন। প্রশ্ন-উত্তর ভিত্তিক ওয়েবসাইট ‘কোরা’তে প্রকাশিত টিপসের এ পরামর্শগুলো তুমুল জনপ্রিয় হয়েছে। এ বিষয়ে একটি প্রতিবেদন প্রকাশ করেছে তথ্যপ্রযুক্তি ও ব্যবসাবিষয়ক ওয়েবসাইট বিজনেস ইনসাইডার।

প্রথম ধাপ: জীবনের নানাদিক সম্পর্কে জানান
টিপসের মতে, সন্তানকে জীবনের বিভিন্ন দিক সম্পর্কে সচেতন করতে হবে। সন্তানকে জীবনে অসংখ্য পথের মধ্যে থেকে নিজের পথ চিনে নিতে বলতে হবে এবং জীবনের এই পথের বাঁকে বাঁকে যে সুযোগ, সম্ভাবনা ও বিপদ রয়েছে, সে সম্পর্কে জানাতে হবে।

দ্বিতীয় ধাপ: পড়াশোনা হোক বিশেষ নিয়মে
তথ্যপ্রযুক্তি ক্ষেত্রে কিংবা অন্যান্য ক্ষেত্রের কোটিপতিদের ১২ গ্রেড পর্যন্ত পড়াশোনার ইতিহাস কমই রয়েছে। টিপসের মতে, বিলিওনিয়ারের মতো বিশেষ শ্রেণির হতে গেলে পড়াশোনা হওয়া চাই বিশেষ শ্রেণির মতো। সব সময় প্রচলিত শিক্ষাপদ্ধতির সঙ্গে যে তা মানানসই হবে, এমন কথা নয়। টিপস বলেন, তাঁর নিজের সন্তানেরা ছোটবেলা থেকেই ছোটখাটো কাজ করা শুরু করে দিয়েছে। তারা নিয়মিত ভ্রমণ করে। নিজেদের কাজের উপযোগী প্রয়োজনীয় বিষয়গুলো রপ্ত করেছে তারা। টিপসের মতে, ‘যদি সন্তানের মধ্যে মামুলি মানসিকতা তৈরি করতে চান, তাহলে মামুলি বা প্রচলিত শিক্ষা দেবেন।’

ধাপ ৩: কাজকে ভালোবাসতে শেখান
শিশুকে অলস করে তুলবেন না। কারণ, টিপসের মতে, ‘বড়লোক হতে গেলে কাজ করতে হয়।’ কাজ করার জন্য চাই অধ্যবসায়, ধৈর্য ও সহ্যশক্তি।

ধাপ ৪: মানুষকে ভালোবাসতে শেখান
মানুষকে ভালোবাসলেই কেবল মানুষের মনের আসল খবর জানতে পারবেন একজন উদ্যোক্তা। একজন মানুষের সত্যিকার অর্থে কোন পণ্য প্রয়োজন পড়ে এবং তাঁরা সেটা কিনতে চান কি না, সেটা মানুষের কাছে গেলে বোঝা যায়। টিপসের পরামর্শ হচ্ছে, ‘সন্তানকে বোঝাতে হবে যে সে কারও চেয়ে বেশি কিছু নয় আবার কারও চেয়ে কমও নয়। সবার সঙ্গে মেশার মানসিকতা তৈরি করতে বলতে হবে।’

ধাপ ৫: উদারতা দেখাতে শেখান
সবার প্রতি উদার হন। উদার হওয়া বলতে অর্থসম্পদ বোঝাননি টিপস। কারও বিপদে-আপদে পাশে থেকেও উদারতা দেখানো যায়। টিপস বলেন, ‘আসল সম্পদ হচ্ছে সময়কে সঠিকভাবে কাজে লাগানো। অন্যের পাশে দাঁড়ানোর মতো সুযোগ থাকলে তা পরিপূর্ণভাবে কাজে লাগাতে হবে। সময় না দিয়ে শুধু অর্থ সাহায্য করলে তাতে দূরত্ব বাড়ে।’

ধাপ ৬: মানসিক যোগসূত্র তৈরির শিক্ষা
একটি উদ্যোগকে সফল করা কতটা কঠিন, যাঁরা এটা করেন কেবল তাঁরাই এটা উপলব্ধি করতে পারেন। উদ্যোগের এই কঠিন বাস্তবতার সঙ্গে সন্তানকে পরিচয় করিয়ে দিন। নিজের ক্ষেত্রে যদি এমন বাস্তবতা না দেখেন তবে যাঁর এমন অভিজ্ঞতা আছে, তার কাছে সন্তানকে শিখতে পাঠান। টিপসের মতে, ‘ব্যর্থতা জিনিসটা কী, সেটার সঙ্গে পরিচয় করিয়ে দেওয়া উচিত এবং এই ব্যর্থতা থেকে কীভাবে অনুপ্রেরণা নিতে হয়, সেটা শেখানো উচিত।’

ধাপ ৭: মিথ্যা, প্রতারণা ও চুরি
আপনি যদি সন্তানকে শুধু ভালো মানুষের সংসর্গে থাকার শিক্ষা দেন, তবে তারা খারাপ লোকদের নিয়ে কীভাবে চলতে হয় তা শিখবে না। কু-প্রকৃতির লোকের সঙ্গে কীভাবে চলতে হবে এবং তাদের হারিয়ে কীভাবে ব্যবসা সামনে এগিয়ে নিতে হবে, সে শিক্ষাটাও দিতে হবে। টিপসের মতে, ‘পৃথিবীতে মন্দ লোকের অভাব নেই। এ জন্য আপনার সন্তানের মধ্যে একটি রাডার তৈরি হওয়া প্রয়োজন যাতে ভালো-মন্দের পার্থক্য বুঝে সে চলতে পারে। মানুষের চরিত্র বোঝার জন্য তাদের সেভাবে গড়ে তুলতে হবে। খারাপ আচরণ ও ভালো আচরণের পার্থক্য বুঝিয়ে খারাপ থেকে তাদের দূরে সরিয়ে ভালো আচরণের শিক্ষা দিতে হবে।

ধাপ ৮: লেখাপড়া অন্তরায় নয়
আপনার সন্তান যদি পরীক্ষায় খুব ভালো না করে কিংবা অনেক বন্ধু বানিয়ে ফেলে, তবে ঘাবড়ানোর কিছু নেই। উদ্যোক্তা তৈরিতে এ ধরনের বিষয়গুলো ভূমিকা রাখতে পারে। টিপস দাবি করেন, ‘আমি অনেক উপাধ্যক্ষের সঙ্গে কথা বলেছি, তাঁরা স্বীকার করেছেন ভবিষ্যতে সিইও হিসেবে তৈরি হবে এমন কোনো শিক্ষার্থীকে পরীক্ষায় দু-একটি বিষয়ে অকৃতকার্য না দেখলে তাঁরা কিছুটা হতাশই হন।’

ধাপ ৯: ভালো করে হিসাব শেখান
আপনার সন্তানকে খুব ভালো করে হিসাব করা শেখান। গণিতে দক্ষ হলে ভালো। দ্রুত কোনো বিষয় যাতে হিসাব করে ফেলতে পারে, সে বিষয়ে তাদের শিক্ষা দিন। টিপসের মতে, ঠিকমতো হিসাব করতে না পারলে পরে কোনো চুক্তি করতে গেলে সমস্যায় পড়ে যাবে আপনার সন্তান।

ধাপ ১০: অর্থ বরাদ্দ বা চাকরি নয়
অনেক ক্ষেত্রে সন্তানকে অর্থ বরাদ্দ দিয়ে কাজে লাগিয়ে দিলে তার উদ্যোগ সফল হয়। কিন্তু টিপস সন্তানের জন্য অর্থ বরাদ্দের পক্ষপাতী নন। তাঁর মতে, সন্তানকে যদি স্ব-উদ্যোগে কোটিপতি দেখতে চান তবে তাঁর পেছনে অর্থ ঢালা বন্ধ করতে হবে। অর্থ আয়ের জন্য আপনার সন্তানকে চাকরি করতে না দেওয়ার পরামর্শও দেন টিপস। তাঁর মতে, অর্থের বিনিময়ে সময় বিক্রি করা মানে লোকসান করা। আপনার সন্তানকে সেলস বা এ ধরনের কোনো বিষয়ে উত্সাহ দিতে পারেন, যাতে এ বিষয়টিতে তার দক্ষতা বাড়ে।

ধাপ ১১: বিনিয়োগে পরামর্শ
সন্তানকে বিনিয়োগের শিক্ষা দিন। কীভাবে ঝুঁকি নিয়ে অর্থ বিনিয়োগ করতে হয়, তা শেখান। অর্থ ঝুঁকি ও বিনিয়োগ করা না শিখলে অর্থ আয় করাটাও শিখবে না। টিপসের মতে, ‘বিনিয়োগ নয় তো বিলিওনিয়ার নয়।’

ধাপ ১২: নিজেকে যোগ্য করে গড়ে তোলা
টিপস বলেন, সন্তানকে যোগ্যতা অর্জনের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ শিক্ষা দিতে হবে। সাফল্য পেতে কীভাবে নিজেকে প্রস্তুত করতে হয়, কীভাবে নিজেকে যোগ্য করে তুলতে হয়, সে শিক্ষা দিন। টিপস বলেন, ‘আমি আমার সন্তানদের বলি যে, কোনটি ভালো আর কোনটি মন্দ সে বিষয়ে যত শিগগিরই নিজের অনুভূতিগুলোর সঙ্গে পরিচিত হতে পারবে, ততই মঙ্গল।’

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