Don’t Wait for an Opportunity

Dayo worked with the owner of a popular bread factory in Osogbo as a bread distributor for a while.

He had a vision of owning his own bread factory which was why Oga, the owner of the factory promised to establish one for him if he worked for him for a period of 8 years.

3 years after, Dayo invited his best friend – Joshua to meet Oga so that he could also enjoy the benefit of owning a bread factory if he worked for Oga for certain period of time. Joshua is a graduate of Business Administration but he has been unemployed since his graduation.

On his third day at work, he approached Oga about an option of working in the factory i.e making of bread instead of bread distribution.

Oga hired Joshua as a Bread Maker!

After 3 years, Joshua became a champion at bread making, saved as much as he could and left his employer to establish his own little factory. In 18 to 24 months, Oga would establish a factory for Dayo as promised but Oga had a brief illness and died.

Dayo was left hanging!

Joshua’s bread brand became a household name and he went ahead to establish bread factories in major locations of the southwest. Dayo works for him as a distributor.

Why wait for an opportunity when you can create one for yourself?

 

Stop Trying to Please Everybody

When we worry about what other people think, we let them control us. We waste a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what other people want us to be and then trying to become like that.

Worrying about what other people think is dangerous, because we’re more likely to cave into criticism. It means we don’t always do the right thing; instead, we do the thing that everybody wants us to do.

Fact #1: You cannot please everybody. Even God can’t please everybody. One person prays for it to rain; another prays for it to be sunny. Who is God going to answer? God can’t please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can’t do.

Fact #2: It’s not necessary to please everybody. There is a myth that says you must be loved and approved by everybody in order to be happy. That’s just not true. You don’t have to please everybody in order to be happy in life.

Fact #3: Rejection will not ruin your life. It hurts, sure. It’s not fun. It’s uncomfortable. But rejection will not ruin your life unless you let it. Quit trying to please everybody! Remember that nobody can make you feel inferior unless you give him or her permission.

 

Stay Untill You Get A YES!

A few years ago, a young lady who had just concluded her youth service walked into our office to make an inquiry about a job.

Our receptionist politely responded to her that we were not recruiting at the moment and she could submit her CV just in case we commence recruiting. We had a folder where we keep these CVs; some other job seekers walked to also submit their CVs as well.

On this particular day, a young man who had also just concluded his youth service walked in – sure saw a courage in the way he carried himself. He looked like someone who was ready to take what belonged to him.

Our receptionist attended to him the same way she had attended to other job seekers but this young man refused to leave until he was given a chance to talk to HR or anyone in charge of recruiting. Although we didn’t have any opening at that moment, he volunteered to work for free. Yes…he had a career plan to become a Financial Controller.

I immediately fixed him up with our Finance department where he performed way better than some employees with years of experience…….he had a passion for the job and was very very focused. 3 months after, I recommended him for full-time employment as he had proven to be valuable.

Today, he is a Finance Manager.

Stay until you get a YES!.

 

5 Ways To Reduce Employee Turnover

Source: 5 Ways To Reduce Employee Turnover

 

5 ways to manage your autocratic boss

Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers

1. Limit the pain, target the gain. Recognize that working for this person is “a temporary assignment. You can set limits on how long you’ll tolerate it, and use the time to make yourself more marketable.” Let’s say you decide you can take one more year of this (assuming your boss sticks around that long). “If you figure out what you need to get out of the job to help your career, and go after it, you have a positive incentive to serve out that term.

2. Avoid surprises. Autocrats, even more than most people, hate to be blindsided. Therefore, keep them informed of significant, and even relatively insignificant, developments. They crave control and power, so feeding them tidbits of information satisfies this craving.”

3. Be the go-between for your team. If you haven’t already taken on this role, I recommend that you earn the trust of other members of your group and be the one who communicates their problems and needs to the boss. This can be intimidating, since it means telling him things he might not want to hear.

4. Refuse to be a “yes man.” Although many people try to appease an autocrat by telling him exactly what he wants to hear and following every order to the letter, this is a huge mistake. Instead, wait until you’re convinced your manager is making a huge mistake — one that will jeopardize his own stated goals — or until you come up with a better idea that you truly believe in.”

Then, make a concise, logical case for your approach: Emphasize the positive outcome. Focus on what your boss will get out of doing as you suggest. If you’ve already tried this, keep at it: Rehearse your argument beforehand and make sure you are stating it clearly and rationally — and without a trace of condescension for his (alleged) lack of technical knowledge. Sometimes, of course, it’s not what you say that can trip you up, it’s how you say it.

5. Do the tasks your boss dislikes. In general, command-and-control bosses, don’t enjoy extended debate and discussion, and they aren’t adept at dealing with any type of people problem. So consider making that your specialty (which will do no harm to your own long-term career prospects either, incidentally).

Helping your boss compensate for his lack of soft skills won’t earn you thanks. In fact, he may resent your ability to do something he can’t. However, even autocrats are rarely so oblivious that they don’t know, deep down, that ignoring people problems will eventually damage their own professional prospects — and that is one thing they can’t stomach.

Now, about your second issue, to wit, your perception that your boss’s technical knowledge isn’t up to snuff: It’s up to you to make sure his shortcomings don’t hold you back. If you haven’t already started doing so, develop an area of expertise and then get busy building a network all over the company.

Create alliances with as many different people as you can, from human resources to other technical areas to support staff, he says. The point is to become widely known as the ‘go-to’ person for a particular thing, so that your reputation and your career do not depend solely, or even mainly, on the good will of this one boss.

Even if you worked for the world’s most fabulous manager, you need to be visible, or you’ll miss out on opportunities. Get noticed by just one of the right people and who knows: You could get promoted out from under this guy sooner than you think — and then he’ll be somebody else’s problem.

Talkback: Have you ever worked for an autocratic boss? Who was the worst boss you ever had, and how did you cope? Leave a comment below.

 

5 Ways To Reduce Employee Turnover

If you have high employee turnover, it’s in your best interest to reduce it. Lucky for you, you can use free and inexpensive methods to convince employees to stick around.

 

1. Hire the right people

Keeping employees starts with hiring the right employees. You likely hire employees who have strong skills that match your open position. But, how well do your employees fit in with your business’s culture?

 You must hire employees who are behavioral and cultural fits for the job. You can ask employees behavioral interview questions to find out how they react in certain situations. Also, during interviews, be sure to show candidates around your business and tell them about your workplace culture. Candidates will hopefully eliminate themselves if they don’t fit in.

 

2. Offer competitive pay and benefits

People want to be compensated well. They need to cover standard expenses like housing, utilities, and food. And most people want enough money for extras, too. If you don’t pay your employees well, they’ll find a business that will.

When determining compensation for your employees, it’s good to do market research on wages. Find out what your competitors pay their employees. Research a competitive salary range based on similar jobs in your local area. For example, if you want to hire an IT specialist in San Francisco, you should consider what other businesses in San Francisco pay their IT specialists.

 

3. Give praise

Your employees need encouragement and recognition. When employees do something right, show your appreciation. When they finish a large, difficult project or submit a project before the deadline, congratulate them. Show them that you see their hard work.

Now, don’t feel like you have to shower employees with praise for everything they do. You don’t have to praise employees for small, everyday tasks. But, when employees truly do something worth congratulations, give it. The goal here is to create an encouraging, positive work environment.

 

4. Show the career path

If employees stay stagnate in one job for too long, they might search for another job where they can advance. Most employees want to increase their skills and knowledge and move up the career ladder. Showing employees a projected career path gives them a sense of direction and purpose.

You should show your employees a clear career path. Where can they go from their current position? Maybe it’s an upward or lateral move. Or, maybe your employees can earn more responsibility in their current position. Whatever it is, let your employees know how they can advance.

 

5. Allow flexible work schedules

If it’s possible, allow flexible work schedules. Flexible work schedules let employees adjust their work time and location. Employees can create a work-life balance for themselves. Your workers can pursue things beyond work, go to appointments, and take care of their families.

Flexible work schedules might not be possible for all businesses. Your employees might need to be at your business at specific times. But there still might be ways you can offer flexibility, such as flexible lunch times.

There will always be employees who want to leave your business. They will find jobs they’re more interested in, change career paths, decide to become a stay-at-home parent, or maybe start their own business. Employee turnover can’t be completely eliminated. But, you can reduce it by providing a workplace where employees want to stay.

Culled from Forbes

 

Attitude and Behavior

Attitudes and behaviors displayed in the workplace can directly affect the atmosphere and productivity within an organization. As an employer, you want to create an environment that’s professional and safe. This keeps your employees motivated, wherein they’re likely to work hard and successfully complete each assignment. But if your employees begin to develop a negative or bad attitude, this might translate into poor behavior.

Definition of Attitude

There are clear differences between your employee’s attitude and his behavior. Attitude describes the way your employee feels inside. These are his feelings toward you, his coworkers and his position within the company. Every employee has an attitude towards the environment — either good or bad. This attitude can also influence how he performs. Because attitude is an inward feeling, an employee’s bad attitude might remain hidden. But if he’s not careful, his bad attitude might show in his actions.

Attitudes structure can be described in terms of three components.

Affective component: this involves a person’s feelings / emotions about the attitude object. For example: “I am scared of spiders”.

Behavioral component: the way the attitude we have influences how we act or behave. For example: “I will avoid spiders and scream if I see one”.

Cognitive component: this involves a person’s belief / knowledge about an attitude object. For example: “I believe spiders are dangerous”.

Definition of Behavior

Behavior is the way your employee responds to his attitude. This response is either positive or negative, depending on how the employee views his position and the company. For example, an employee who disagrees with you might overstep boundaries or ignore office protocol. In addition, an employee who dislikes another coworker or has little respect for a coworker might display this attitude by speaking harshly to this individual, being biased or engaging in other inappropriate acts, such as harassment.

Impact

Several situations within the office affect attitude and behavior. For an employee to consistently display good behavior in the workplace, he must maintain a positive attitude towards his job. If your employee develops a dislike for his job, he might lose interest in his assignments or lack motivation. These negative feelings influence his behaviors and might trigger low productivity. In addition, an employee’s negative attitude can become evident with other actions, such as poor performance, regularly staying away from work, poor business ethics and perhaps favoring one supervisor over another. To the contrary, employees who feel respected by you and other coworkers, and those who maintain a good attitude, typically respond differently and exhibit appropriate behavior in the workplace.

Considerations

Negative behaviors in the workplace include rudeness, yelling, gossiping and anger. Employees need to modify these behaviors. While attitude is internal, your employees have control over their thoughts. Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts helps improve their attitude, as well as focusing on the good aspects of the job and recognizing their coworker’s positive attributes.

Coaching

As an employer or Manager, you can help your staff modify its attitudes and behaviors. For example, you can constantly have one-one sessions or provide information regarding acceptable behavior in the workplace. Harassment and prejudicial behavior are unacceptable actions that might occur in the workplace. These behaviors take many forms, and employees might unknowingly engage in these types of behaviors. Sexual harassment might include sharing inappropriate images, telling sexual jokes and comments, making inappropriate gestures or perhaps sending suggestive emails. Biased actions might include making comments about someone’s tribe, race, culture and displaying a biased attitude toward coworkers and management. Help your employees recognize these negative behaviors and do not tolerate them in the workplace.

 

 

 

Front Desk Officer Lekki, Nigeria Full-time

Company Description

The Place – We are a fast growing, world class, and dynamic, multi-billion Nigerian conglomerates, established and managed by a team of professionals with decades of management consulting and accounting experience/ training from Arthur Andersen (now KPMG in Nigeria). We are presently into restaurants, hotel, and nightclubbing.

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY
The Job Holder will generally be  responsible for welcoming / attending to organization’s clients and visitors in the most friendly and professional manner deploying effective customer’s services skills. He/ She will also be responsible for the smooth-running and professional outlook of the organization.

Specific Functions Includes:
•    Promptly, professionally and courteously receives and assesses all incoming telephone calls /inquiries and re-directs said call or message to its appropriate beneficiary.
•    Collect, sort, distribute, and prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
•    Ensure receipt of magazines and newspapers for the office and ensure display of the latest version in the reception as well as removal of the outdated ones
•    Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
•    Maintains requisite supplies of office stationeries including papers, staplers, items and first aid box.
•    Ensures reception area is kept neat, clean and noiseless.
•    Arrange food and beverages for the senior management guests & dignitaries, on case to case basis, after seeking the appropriate approval.
•    To always maintain office decorum and a high degree of quality communication between the various parties concerned
•    Performs routine office tasks as necessary for the presentation of a professional office.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

•    A good University degree.
•    I-2 years’ experience as a front desk officer or customers service representative
•    Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
•    Proficiency with MS office tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint
•    Courteous and polite in mannerism
•    Well groomed, confident and professional.
•    Attention to details is key
•    Excellent organizational skills
•    Professional telephone etiquette
•    Bright, friendly and personable.
•    Flexible and mature in approach with ability to work unsupervised
•    Must Be a Female

Additional Information

Please do not apply if you do not meet the above criteria

 

say it the way you mean it….Part 1

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

It sounds so simple: say what you mean. But all too often, what we try to communicate gets lost in translation despite our best intentions. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue.

You can learn how to communicate more clearly and effectively. Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your spouse, kids, boss, or coworkers, you can improve the communication skills that enable you to effectively connect with others, build trust and respect, and feel heard and understood.

What is effective communication?

Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not only how you convey a message so that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way you intended, it’s also how you listen to gain the full meaning of what’s being said and to make the other person feel heard and understood.

More than just the words you use, effective communication combines a set of skills including nonverbal communication, engaged listening, managing stress in the moment, the ability to communicate assertively, and the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of the person you’re communicating with.

Effective communication is the glue that helps you deepen your connections to others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust.

While effective communication is a learned skill, it is more effective when it’s spontaneous rather than formulaic. A speech that is read, for example, rarely has the same impact as a speech that’s delivered (or appears to be delivered) spontaneously. Of course, it takes time and effort to develop these skills and become an effective communicator. The more effort and practice you put in, the more instinctive and spontaneous your communication skills will become.

Barriers to effective interpersonal communication

• Stress and out-of-control emotion. When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. Take a moment to calm down before continuing a conversation.

 

• Lack of focus. You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. If you’re planning what you’re going to say next, daydreaming, checking text messages, or thinking about something else, you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience.

 

• Inconsistent body language. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head.

 

• Negative body language. If you disagree with or dislike what’s being said, you may use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively without making the other person defensive, it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.

 

 

JOB HUNTING MADE EASY

If you are a candidate looking for a CERTAIN JOB and you sit down at your computer to begin your search for THE CERTAIN JOB. You decide to try trusting Google to begin your search. After hitting the search button, an overwhelming amount of results appear. Now what?

When beginning a job search, one of the most challenging and frustrating parts can be navigating your way through job boards and job postings. Although there are many popular job boards, such as Jobberman, Naijahotjobs, Shortlist, Monster, Careerbuilder, and Dice, digging deeper using search engines as a searching tool is a great way to narrow down your search in a more efficient manner.

GOOGLE: One of the biggest and easiest search engines to use is Google. Google has an ability to pull from a multitude of job postings on the internet. For example, if you want to search for “Customer Care” jobs in Nigeria, you may get a thousand results. In order to peruse only the most meaningful jobs, you must narrow down the search results. To do this begin, by using key words which define what type of “Customer Care” job you are searching for, for example include .net, java, or PHP, to name a few. If you have already searched a job board, such as Nairaland, you could type “-monster” this will filter out the jobs you have already viewed from Nairaland.com. As a general rule, if you put the “-” sign in front of any word, it will exclude that word from every search results.

LinkedIn is another valuable tool, and has become one of the most powerful ways to search for a job. If you find a job posting on any site which interests you, you can usually use LinkedIn to find an employee in the company that you may be able to connect with. In order to connect with this individual using LinkedIn they would have to be classified as a 2nd degree connection to yourself. What if they are a 3rd degree connection and you are unable to link to that person with a click of the mouse? Here is a great alternative. Go to Google and type, site:linkedin.com, then type the first name of the person, their location, or maybe a job that is on their profile. Scan through the results and a link to the person should show up with their full name, thus allowing you to connect with them. However, if you want to email them directly at work also, this takes things a step further. So how do you discover a person’s work email? It is easier than you think! All you need to do is find the company’s website (i.e. http://www.theplace.com) then go to. Google, type “site:wellsfargo.com email”, scroll through the results and you should be able to find a person’s email format you can follow. Again, if there are too many results coming up, you can narrow your search by using “-” or using more keywords.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE JOB HUNTING TIPS…Ayo Onarinde (HR Generalist)