Job Recognition

How often do we get recognition at our place of work? More often than not, we do not get any recognition from our superiors.

Importantly, recogniton does not have to cost anything. Taking just a few minutes to pen a handwritten note to relate the message that the support staff are appreciated and their input into the business is acknowledged. Other cheap and effective recognition include remembering birthdays and even one off rewards.

If the superior use more carrots and fewer sticks, not only do they have happier employees and at the end of the day lower turnover. It also means getting better results in terms of job performance. Saying `thank you' and `I appreciate your valuable input and opinion' is priceless.

In the end, it is a chicken and egg situation.

A bit of encouragement will goes a long way in ensuring staff loyalty towards the organisation and happier employees.

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Manage Stress Effectively

We are face with stress in our life, be it emotional and organisational stress. A bit of stress may have positive outcome as it become a challenge.

Organisational Stress
Priority of work
Prioritise work and do what is urgent and important first. Also learn to delegate to our colleagues according to their strength so that we are confident of getting the assigned job completed on time and with the desired results. We are to capitalise on people's strength. We do not want to have a situation whereby we are trying to cope with excessive workload and the fear of not completing the assigned task on time. The consequences may be low morale and even panic which result in emotional response of fight or flight.

Time Management
We have to learn how to manage our time effectively. We may have the option of partnering with a colleague who is good at time management and is willing to mentor.

Being able to say `No'
This is difficult but sometimes we have to reject tasks diplomatically. This is indeed a tall order.

Manage personal stress
We are not to bring our personal problems to the workplace. If our personal problems are brought in the workplace, chances are our productivity will go down the drain. We are to resolve our personal problems with the appropriate solutions such as conflict management.

If we able to apply the above techniques, we will be more productive and our stress level will decrease.

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Medan Trip

I went for a vacation to Medan with a group of my close friends. This is in fact my second visit to Medan.

We checked in three bags and we were given 3 baggage identification tag at LCCT. When we arrived at Polonia International Airport Medan, we were subjected to strict security check. We have no qualms over the strict security check, however we were totally amazed at the number of counters at the Immigration. We are to collect the baggage as soon as it is available at the places of destination. Just imagine how were we to do so when we were held up at the Immigration. When we finally cleared the Immigration, we have the greatest shock of all. One of the baggage was lost and no where to be seen. My friend was desperate over her lost baggage and she checked with the Airport Authorities. We were told to hold on till the last passenger has cleared the Immigration. There was no unclaimed baggage and we were advised to report the matter to the AirAsia Office.

Meanwhile, we have to inform the local Tour Guide of our predicament. While we were reviewing the situation, there was a local who offered the assistance to carry the remaining baggage on a trolley to the waiting coach. Guess what, the local was claiming for porter fees and he was not willing to accept anything less than RP3000.

We have to be mindful at all times that there is NO free service. The local was able to capitalise at the point of time when we were in doubt of our next step of action. We considered ourselves lucky in that it was the porter fees he was asking and not again another lost baggage.

My friend then reported the case of lost baggage to AirAsia Office. She was requested to give her Malaysian house contact number to which she was not happy as her handphone has international roaming service. She saw no rationale of giving her Malaysian house contact number. She eventually sought the assistance of the local tour guide and gave his handphone number to AirAsia office.

My friend was very upset as it was not the baggage but the value that was attached to it which cannot be replaced. She even comtemplated taking the next connecting flight back to Malaysia.

She eventually agreed to stay on and she has to make some back up plans. She went to the nearest Mall to purchase some essentials.

Eventually, she received a call from the Airport Authorities stating that her baggage has been recovered after 4 long hours. She went to claim back her lost baggage. When she questioned as to how the lost baggage was recovered, she got evasive answers. She noticed that her padlock was picked.

We have had a pleasant trip. Guess what, we also have a good opening story of Medan trip.

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Excellent Service

What is excellent service? Meeting a customer's expectation is one of the aspect of excellent service. Both the retail and service industries can use the methods in the manufacturing industry to make customers happy.

Both the six sigma and lean methodologies have been used by companies in the manufacturing industry to improve their quality levels. Toyota for example has employed the lean methodologies to improve the production line and the corporate culture have been built around the lean concepts. Lean methodologies cover the following areas:

o Supply on demand based on customer's pull;
o Value. What are the values that will contribute to customers' satisfaction?;
o Value stream. Eliminate non value steps and creat a value stream;
o Flow. Ensure the flow is smooth and no interruption;
o Perfection.

Motorola has popularised the Six sigma methodology which follows a prescribed path of defline, measure, analyse, improve and control.

Quality is a prerequisite for achieving service excellence. Customers expect a flawless, friendly and prompt response every time. It is no longer adequate to just deliver it with a big smile. It goes beyond the big smile.

There is a need to continuously identify gaps in processes and to address the issue at hand immediately in order to deliver truly excellent service to customers and build customers' loyalty.

Demolition of Pudu Jail

Pudu Jail should have been preserved as a National heritage. Instead, Pudu Jail has to tear down at the expense of development. The controversial demotion of Pudu Jail began on 21 June 2010 (Monday night) when the walls of the historic 115 years Pudu Jail were torn down. The facade of the entrance should have preserved for historical reasons and its significance as the prison was one of the country's oldest building.

Why were plans to tear down the infamous Pudu Jail not met with objections? The mural by the convicts on the walls of Pudu Jail has set a record and it is definitely sad to see the iconic building go.

Sad to say, a historical landmark has to go after so many years

Jet Lag

Jet Lag is the reaction to the changes in the time zones when we travel particularly from West to East or vice versa. Jet Lag sure can dampen the travelling spirit. The other day I was having a discussion with a friend of mine on how to reduce symptoms of jet lag.

The following are some of the ways to reduce symptoms of jet lag:
Keep your posture right
Keep your posture right is the key. Do not slouch.

Reset your watch
Simply setting your watch to the time zone you are travelling can make the difference as you are mentally preparing yourself to the time difference. Get enough sleep so that you are at ease and energetic once you are awake.

Hydrate yourself
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they dehydrate the bodies fast. Fruit juices or water are the best to stay feeling good throughout the journey.

Stretch
Improve circulation by stretching your limbs as and whenever possible. Remove your shoes when you stretch your feet.

Take deep breath
Take deep breath so as to enable your brain get enough oxygen.

Keep yourself busy
If the need persists, read a book or listen to music. Interesting activities such as reading a book, listening to music will help pass those long hours. Relaxing is also very important as you travel.

Last but not least, ensure you eat right, carry light and keep yourself stress free.

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Myths About Being Thin

We are what we eat. Fashion experts glorify size zero and many attempt to look beyond a woman's size or weight and say that ultimately it does not matter that much. Size does not matter.

Append below are some the myths about being thin
Myth: Thin people are healthy
Healthy people are fit from the inside out. What we see outside may not really be the truth as thin people may be having illnesses such as digestive problem, infections and so on. Likewise on the other side of the coin, plump people are also encountering the same problem.

Healthy people have a healthy mind and body and able to balance between work and play.

Myth: Starving is a good way to lose weight
It would not be advisable to starve oneself as one may be depriving of proper nutrition. There are side effects if one starve oneself as it will harm the entire body and its mechanism. Starving oneself and becoming anorexic is definitely not the answer.

Myth: Thin people do not need to exercise
If one engages in physical exercise/activities, it will boost the energy to a level of great health benefits.

Myth: Being thin makes you happy
Being happy is a state of the mind. It does not have any co-relation with being thin. Happiness comes from a sense of achievement, good and healthy relationship and positive thinking. Happiness also depends on one's interpretation of life.

Myth: Thin people are not prone to heart diseases
This is a common misconception. Heart diseases are related to one's stress level and the cholesterol level and any one may be at risk irrespective of the body's weight.

Myth: Thin people can eat and not get fat
No, it depends on how fast one can burn the calories and maintain the weight according to the body metabolism.

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