A contrary look at employee performance appraisal.

Increased worker productivity is supposed to be the end goal of the administration of employee performance appraisals. However, a survey of consulting firm, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, found that majority of the polled employees consider performance review as a stressful and demotivating process with little or no direct linkage to their compensation or promotion. They also think that performance appraisals employed by their companies lack the necessary bias control methodology that allows judgeme...

Building a people-centered culture in a digital age environment.

The coming of the Digital Age marked the emergence of employees who want to participate and contribute more to the shaping of the structure of their respective organizations. Hence, employers are advised to build a people-centered corporate infrastructure that focuses on providing employee incentives, benefits, education and cross functional career track. Having this Digital Age organizational structure, companies will retain top employees and attract applicants with good potentials.

Business expenses not always what they seem.(two kinds of expense or cost categories for businesses)

There are two kinds of expense or cost categories for businesses, namely capital expenses and normal business expenses. The former results from purchasing major items of enduring value such as vehicles, office furniture, computers or machinery that will be used to provide facilities for earning income. On the other hand, the latter refers to minor expenses that are often recurring and offer short-term benefits. These include expenses for repair and maintenance, utilities, advertising and prom...

Effective alignment: strategy cannot succeed without it.

Formulation of workable strategies is only the first step towards corporate growth. Top management of companies should also know how to effectively align these strategies to existing organizational structures, processes and cultures to reach targets they have set. Managers have the option of using the 'command and control' approach or the 'employee empowerment' technique to align organizational changes they want to introduce.

Explore how you think - your intellectual bandwidth.

People think in three different styles, namely, operational, strategic and conceptual. Despite these differences, individuals can enhance their intellect by developing the same eight intellectual bandwidth elements. These include the ability to make distinctions, flexibility and adaptiveness, problem solving, time orientation, sensitivity and memory. Widening vocabulary and increasing use of metaphors and analogies can also increase people's intellectual bandwidth.

Helping employees manage stress.

Job stress results in lost productivity, greater absenteeism, higher accident rates and difficulties in retaining employees. Hence, managers should learn how to help their subordinates manage stress effectively. They can do this by constantly motivating their staff and rewarding them for excellent work. They can also help them cope with their responsibilities at work and at home by discouraging working late hours and giving them ample time for vacations. By taking these steps, managers will m...

The new salesperson: the coming of the customer evangelist.

Many believe that the emergence and growing acceptance of electronic commerce as a means of availing merchandise will mark the end of the selling profession. However, Internet-based selling has done otherwise, and has instead, opened an opportunity for the rise of a new breed of salespersons called 'customer evangelists.' They are characterized as salespersons with 100% commitment to providing customer satisfaction, even after the purchase has been made. They are also considered intermediarie...

Travel disasters.(tips for travelers)

Travelers are often recipients of poor service given by travel-related firms such as airlines, travel agencies, railroad companies, car rental firms, hotels and restaurants. To stop the continuing deterioration of the level of service, travellers should learn how to complain their dissatisfactions. They are advised to let offending organizations know of their poor service and demand for specific remedies.