How to Work Smarter

Extracted from “The Star” dated 5th August 2014

Minimise Checking Email

Nearly everyone is addicted to email and most business people barely spend more than 30 minutes away from their mailbox. The challenge lies in what’s waiting for you when you read your emails, including trying to solve everyone’s difficulties. Your most pressing tasks are forced to take a back seat when you do this. I recommend looking through your task list in the morning and resolving to tackle one key task before looking into your emails.

Even if you do check your mailbox, limit it to two or three times a day to ensure that you spend most of your time executing instead of scanning through emails, Facebook and Twitter, which take up a chunk of your time.

 

Isolate Yourself Regularly

As an entrepreneur, you are constantly surrounded by people, be they your colleagues, your business partners or even clients, which means you barely have time to reflect and analyse situations.

Reflection time is extremely important because it can determine if you can bring the business to the next level or keep running in that hamster wheel and fighting fires every day.

Every two weeks, take time to be quiet and without any disturbance to focus on growing your business to the next level through reflection.

 

Surround Yourself With Smarter People

The reality is you will never have all the answers. Also, there is someone out there who has all the answers that you are seeking. Therefore, it is important to surround yourself with an assortment of people who are smarter and wiser than you to inspire and provide new perspectives on your current situations and challenges.

If you are the smartest person in that room, then it is time to change rooms.

Try New Experiences

Creativity is a core element of success in business because every company is so similar in their deliverables and promises. Hence, every company should focus on differentiating itself from the rest by injecting one or two unique elements into its offerings.

How does one cultivate creativity in order to conceptualise this? By constantly putting oneself through new experiences that force the mind to learn different types of knowledge and form new connections that help us view reality a bit differently.

Embrace Failure

Innovation and failure are often closely related because not all experiments will turn out to be successful and innovations only occurs with frequent trials. In Asia, failure is often discouraged, hence many business owners end up maintaining their current business for many years because they fear entering a new market, expanding a line or changing their current clientele.

However, big achievements are seldom attained with low risk, hence to move ahead faster, failure should be part of the equation to encourage multiple experiments into the unknown. However, the possible repercussion (or loss) should always allow the business owner to regain his footing if it does not take off. The risk should be manageable in the worst case scenario.

Every business owner should attempt to work smarter because everyone has the same hours in their day and the goal is to evolve faster than your competitors. With these five steps, you will be able to leapfrog your competitors by competing against them in unexpected ways.

 

Etiquette Rules

Extracted from “The Star” dated 8th July 2014

Here are some tips on social and business etiquette

DO’s

1. Always five proper handshake, because it shows confidence. It should be a firm grip – not too weak, but not too strong either. You gotta get it just right.
2. When you walk into an interview, introduce yourself with your first and last name. Don’t ever just say “hi”.
3. Prepare for the “three weaknesses and strengths” question because most of the time, people are only prepared to talk about their strengths.
4. At a social event, always hold your drink in your left hand – even if you’re a left-hander – because you don’t want to have a wet palm during a handshake.
5. If you’re an introvert at a party, approach a group of four to five people. That way, you wouldn’t have as much pressure to contribute to the conversation.

DON’Ts

1. At a lunch interview (or any other event, for that matter), do not add seasoning to your food before tasting it, because that shows you’re someone who makes rash decisions before trying things out.
2. Always practice common courtesy in a work environment. If you’re in an office elevator, for example, don’t just fiddle with your phone or ignore someone yelling for you to hold the door. He/she just might be the interviewer or future boss!
3. If you receive a call from an unknown number, again, don’t just say “hi”. Answer by mentioning your first and last name because you’d never know if it’s for a phone interview.
4. Do not ask about your salary package at an interview, because it shows you’re unprepared. Market rates are available online, so do your research. Wait until they show they’re interested in hiring, then you can negotiate your pay if you want.
5. Avoid wearing red for interviews because it shows power and strength. That intimidates interviewers, who might subconsciously become reluctant to hire you in case you end up being competition for them. Go with neutral colours like blue or grey. And girls – no sky-high heels. One to three inches is fine, and they must be closed-toe shoes.

 

5 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR CO-WORKERS

Extracted from The Star – 26th July 2014

In a survey by benchmark recruit 2013, it was found that 19.35% of employees leave their company due to feeling unappreciated. This in itself is a great signal to every one of us in the office.

Appreciation is an important part of work life, and a key characteristic of every good leader is the ability to appreciate his or her colleagues.

In their book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Gary Chapman and Paul White talk about the five basic ways to express appreciation:

1. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

2. ACTS OF SERVICE

3. RECEIVING GIFTS

4. QUALITY TIME

5. PHYSICAL TOUCH

There are many lessons that we can bring to our relationships with our colleagues. As everyone speaks a different “language”, it may be difficult to identify who speaks what lingo.

Taking an online test together as a team can not only help you understand each other, but it also serves as a fun team activity.

However, as it is understandably difficult to do so if you are in a large team, here are a few ways to identify the love languages of your colleagues, and how to speak it.

1. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

Usually appreciated by extroverts, complimenting and acknowledging the hard working employees in the office can really give them a much needed motivation boost.

In the workplace, words of affirmation are best given in groups. Praising your colleague in front of others make them feel important, as their work would be recognised by others as well.

2. ACTS OF SERVICE

Work mates who speak this language tend to be the ones who slave away at their table, trying to finish as much work as possible to help. Most of the time, these are the employees who never seem to not be working.

Late night at the office for one of your team mates? Appreciate them by asking if you can help take on some of their tasks. If you are already full on your workload, offering to buy dinner for them can go a long way as well.

3. GIFTS

This is the colleague who leaves presents at your table to surprise you every once in a while. Chocolates, sweets, or even little notes, their appreciation for you shines through that cocoa covered almond waiting on your desk.

Take heed of the saying, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and in return, shower them with appreciation by doing the same! Buy them a cup of coffee on long days, or even a snack in the middle of their work.

4. QUALITY TIME

There is always one person in the office who wants to bring everyone out for lunch, and is willing to wait for others to finish their work first.

To this group of people, show appreciation by stopping by their desks every once in a while to spend a few minutes catching up with them. Going out of your way to speak to them shows that your care and are thoughtful.

5. PHYSICAL TOUCH

Saving this as the last, in this context, also the least, physical touch is not normally used as a form of appreciation in the workplace.

The reason is obvious, as there are certain limits in our workplace relationships, and crossing such limits is inappropriate for professional settings.

Nonetheless, certain actions such as high fives and pats on the back can still be a great form of recognition towards your colleagues.

 

If you are familiar with Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages, this article may ring a bell. However, it is also mentioned to not mistake the two “dialects”, as our primary love language in our personal relationships is usually not the same as our language of appreciation in the workplace.

Keeping all of the above in mind, let’s show appreciation in our workplace, and go the extra mile by speaking it in the language of those around us. As you appreciate your colleagues, you will be in turn appreciated!

Laugh Out Loud

Extracted from “The Star – 22nd February 2014”

Ode to David Moyes

UNITED is red, Everton is blue

Ever since you joined us, we’ve become poo

Watching you move from blunder to blunder

How we sink so low, I wonder

You’ve turned the champions into a team of fools

Whoever watches us play, snoozes and drools

How you got the job, I don’t know

But you’ve got to accept it’s time for you to go

You’ll never be like Fergie, no matter how hard you try

So for the love of God, David, please say goodbye

 

Monetary comfort

MONEY can’t buy you happiness but it’s more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.

 Pirate parts

A PIRATE walks into a bar.

Bartender: “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while. What happened? You’re a mess!”

Pirate: “What do you mean? I’m fine.”

Bartender: “What’s with the wooden leg? You didn’t have that before.”

Pirate: “Well, we were in a sea battle and a cannon ball smashed my leg. But now it’s patched up. I’m fine, really.”

Bartender: “What about the hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands.”

Pirate: “Well, we were in another battle and I was in a sword fight. My hand got cut off. But I’ve been fitted with this hook, and I feel great, really.”

Bartender: “ What about the eye patch then? Last time you were in here, you had both eyes.”

Pirate: “Well, one day out at sea, some gulls were flying over us. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye.”

Bartender: “So what happened? You couldn’t have lost an eye just from bird shit.”

Pirate: “Well, I wasn’t used to the hook et, you see.”

Forgive, not forget

FORGIVE your enemy but remember the bastard’s name.

Drinking problem

ALCOHOL does not solve drinking problems but neither does milk.

Same time

A NEW study finds that a woman’s “I’ll be ready in five minutes” is exactly the same as a man’s “I’ll be home in five minutes.”

Tell me why

If we are not meant to have midnight snacks, then why is there a light in the fridge?

Chinese carnivores

If Adam and Eve had been Chinese, we would still be in Paradise because they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple.

Helping hand

HELP someone when they are in trouble and they will remember you when they are in trouble again.

Simple breaststroke

A BLONDE, a redhead and a brunette are in a river breaststroke swimming competition.

The redhead wins and the brunette comes in second. But there is no sign of the blonde.

Hours go by and the people are worried.

Just as everyone is losing hope, the blonde is finally seen.

She clambers onto the riverbank and goes straight to the judge: “I have a complaint. Those two girls used their arms.”

STRIDE OUT IN STYLE

Extracted from “The Star” dated 11 February, 2014

As a young adult, looking good is of paramount importance. Putting your best foot forward and having a sharp outfit go far in drawing attention and showing people you mean business.

   Often, having a nice wardrobe is associated with needing lots of money. But not all of us have deep pockets. We need time to get there. How do we deal with it then, in the interim? After all, women want to look smart, polished and chic. It gives us confidence.

   Figuring out stylish work outfits can be difficult, and it can be even more difficult if your budget is small. However, with some creative styling, smart accessorising and knowledge of how you’d like to be perceived, a stylish yet affordable work outfit is easy to put together.

   You’ll be surprised at how a simple dress can make one look elegant and attractive. It is even better if your office wear can double as a casual outfit; that’s value for money.

   Online fashion store Whitesoot co-founder Estee Chong, 27, feels that dressing up at the workplace is important. “It’s not trivial at all. Dressing has become the unspoken factor in measuring a person’s competitiveness. Sales people understand this best and we see this often in insurance agents and sales people. They realise that dressing up is just as important as product knowledge.”

   Here are five tips on how you can look stylish in the office:

Tip 1: Go bold

   Bright and strong colours exude confidence. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to stand out and make an impression. “I find that each time I wear a red dress, no matter how simple it is, I get a lot of male attention, from the taxi driver to my colleague,” says advertising executive Lisa Tan, 26.

   Male attention is one thing, but if you have a boardroom meeting or a deal to seal, wearing a bold dress helps. Look at the powerful women and the clothes they choose when they go on stage. It is never white or a weak brown. It is often a strong and striking colour. Time to go bold, ladies.

Tip 2: Accent up

   We understand that not every woman enjoys bright colours. No problem. For the colour-averse, there is a way to keep monochrome style interesting. A beautiful monotone blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt is a classic look, but take it up a notch by adding a brooch, a statement necklace or an accent detail. You’ll be amazed at the marked difference this little accent makes. You go from plain to wow in a second. If you worry about your ability to pair your clothes and accessories, purchase pieces which come with in-built accents. You must have seen blouses with pearl embellishments or gold studs on the collar making waves in recent months. These are wonderful pieces to buy because they give you instant style. For example, a long-sleeved button-down blouse with pearl embellishment on the collar makes an extraordinary work wear piece. So accent up and go wow.

Tip 3: Power dress

   The power of a dress is simply undeniable. It is also the easiest way to look stylish if you aren’t confident about putting together clothes. We recommend a chic dress that shows off your curves even if you aren’t the typical size 6. A power dress brings out the womanliness and beauty in you. The importance of a good dress cannot be emphasised more. A power dress looks good even without a blazer. Whether it’s the colour or its elongating effect, the right dress can empower you to go the distance in your workplace.

Tip 4: Belt it

   Just like a necklace can do wonders to a plain dress, so can a belt. A belt can flatter your figure by creating an hourglass shape and add personality to your dress. You can knot it to give a twist to a flowsy dress, or use it to further enhance a ladylike look. If you are wearing a plain dress, a totally different belt colour can add pop and style to it. For slimming effects, choose a narrow belt in the same colour as the dress.

Tip 5: Forget jeans, go for pants and skirts

   What? This seemingly obvious tip is however lost to many. When a company announces casual Fridays, women dive their into their jeans and don’t seem to come out from it. Be the rebel and show off your pretty clothes, normally deemed casual for workdays. Go for coloured pants, flouncy skirts or even skater dresses.

   These are refreshing and youthful choices that surprisingly many working women stay away from.

Get A Life

Extracted from “The Star – 15 October 2013”

Here are 10 tips to help you achieve a work-life balance.

1. Adjust your perspective of work

   Most of us think of work as, well, work. However, sometimes switching your point of view to a less bleak perspective is all it takes to get us motivated again. Visualise how your small contribution in the office can create harmony in the bigger picture. The work that you’re doing now is part of the long-term plan to achieve your goals in life.

2. Utilise your leave days

   Some workers prefer not to claim leave days because they have nothing planned. Accumulating leave may seem like a good idea at first, but most companies have a “use by” date so they either end up being wasted or have to be utilised at an inconvenient time. Take a day off to travel, bring your folks out for lunch or just to sleep in! Take a break.

3. Talk to people at work and outside of work

   Nurture relationships wherever you are. Build friendships so that there won’t be any dissension or jealousy in the workplace. In the meantime, make the effort to properly connect with loved ones when at home. Spend quality time and have quality conversations with your family members to ensure that they don’t feel disengaged from you. That will also help them to be more understanding when you go through stressful periods at work.

4. Have a bit of fun everyday

   Schedule happy activities such as a weekly futsal session or a coffee meet up with a friend during the weeknights. Such activities rejuvenate you after a long day. Definitely a cure for weekend withdrawal symptoms.

5. Understand the difference between “urgent” and “important”

   As much as we try to control them, certain circumstances will require us to disregard the whole concept of segregating work and home. In those cases, try to identify which errands require your attention now (these matters are “urgent”) versus which things carry weight but are not pressing (these are “important”). Matters which are both “urgent” and “important” will be the ones you need to attend to first.

6. Get enough sleep

   We can’t change the fact that work begins at usually 9am, so avoid being nocturnal. Ensure that you get your regular seven hours of sleep every night so that you don’t feel sluggish before 11am. This will also help you make full use of your time in the office, thus reducing the need to work past office hours.

7. Allocate time for exercise

   Don’t underestimate the power of exercise. It’s not just about getting in shape, but also maintaining health, improving mental acuity and self-esteem too. Don’t limit yourself to just going  to the gym. Working out can be fun – go for a swim or a dance class, or organise a badminton night once a week.

8. Pursue a hobby, preferably one that isn’t work-related

   Much of our time in the office requires using a specific kind of knowledge and staring at texts and screens all day. Being passionate and diligent about something not work-related can help you feel more purposeful outside of your work goals. Activate other parts of your brain or skills by indulging in hobbies that enhance your other talents such as cycling, photography or even woodwork.

9. Don’t bring work home

   Compartmentalise to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Create a space at work that is mentally conducive to increase productivity, but balance it out by ensuring that your space at home is emotionally and mentally comforting as well. Avoid having these two spaces overlap unless absolutely necessary so that you learn how to switch your brain and mood from work mode to home mode.

10. Manage time wisely

   In relation to the point above, one way to ensure that your work doesn’t cut into after office hours (or worse, weekends) is to make sure you get as much done as possible while in the office. Stay focused and productive so that no one can fault you for leaving work at 5:30pm.

  

 

 

Local Horror

Extracted from “The Star – 31st October 2013”

Being a melting pot of various cultures and religions, it’s only natural that Malaysian ghosts and spirits should reflect the diversity of its living, breathing counterpart. Below are some of the ghouls and beings that haunt local folklore.

Pontianak

Arguably the most popular female ghostly entity on the list, the pontianak is said to be the spirit of a woman who dies in childbirth. As a matter of fact, the word “pontianak” is a corruption of perempuan mati beranak (woman who died in childbirth). The creature’s influence also extends to Indonesia where it even inspired the name of the city of Pontianak. Legend has it that the first sultan who settled there was haunted by the pontianak.

Toyol

A toyol (or tuyul) is actually an infant spirit that’s invoked by a bomoh from a dead human foetus. Kept in a jar, the mischievous being answers to its master’s whims. These include petty crimes such as theft to more serious offences such as murder. However, the person who owns the toyol would have to feed it with blood every morning. Due to the fact that it’s dead, the toyol is rumoured to have a big head, small hands, clouded eyes and a greyish body.

Orang bunian

Invisible to most humans except those with a sixth sense, orang bunian is often depicted as an Asian elf. It’s said that their appearance is nearly identical to humans. The bunian are said to inhabit areas far from humans such as deep forests or high mountains. They are often blamed when wanderers get lost in the wilderness or children go missing.

Pocong (Hantu bungkus)

Pocong is said to be a dead person’s soul trapped in its kain kafan (the shroud used in Malay burials). The dead body is tied in three places – over the head, around the neck and under the feet. According to traditional beliefs, a person’s soul will remain for 40 days on earth after his death. However, if the ties aren’t released, the body is rumoured to jump out from the grave and become a pocong. Due to the fact that its feet are tied together, the pocong can’t walk and hops instead.

Hantu raya

A supreme demonic being that acts as a double for a person who practices black magic, hantu raya (translated to mean great ghost) is supposed to imbue in its owner great powers. It is said that the hantu raya is the master of all ghosts and leads its own underworld legion. The demon is able to materialise into another human being or animal. It feasts on ancak, an offering for spirits that contain yellow glutinous rice, eggs, roasted chicken, rice flakes and a doll.

Orang minyak

Translated as “oily man”, the legend of the orang minyak is one that strike fear among parents with young daughters. Some believe it’s a supernatural creature while others say that the orang minyak is a human warlock that coats himself with grease and terrorises young women. At the height of the orang minyak legend in the 1960s, the mass panic led to many women, especially students living in dormitories, to borrow sweaty clothes to give the impression that they were with a man.

Jiangshi (Kiong Xi)

Depicted as a corpse dressed in official garments from the Qing Dynasty, the jiangshi is regarded as the Chinese vampire. It moves around (quite comically) by hopping with its arms outstretched and kills living creatures to absorb their “qi” (life force). The Chinese character for “jiang” in “jiangshi” means stiff and it’s rumoured that the jiangshi is so stiff that it is unable to move its head and limbs. One method to counter a jiangshi’s attack that is popularised by Hong Kong movies is to stick a fu (yellow talisman) on the creature’s head.

Ba Jiao Gui

Literally translated as banana ghost, ba jiao gui is a female ghost that lives in a banana tree and appears by the plant wailing at night. It’s been known in folk tales that greedy people will ask for “lucky numbers” from the ghost in hopes of striking a lottery. This is done by tying a red string around the tree trunk and sticking needles in it while the other end of the string is tied to their beds. When the ghost appears at night, she will beg the person to release her. In return, she will bestow a set of winning numbers. A horrible fate awaits those who fail to release the ghost after winning.

Nu gui

Nu gui (literally “female ghost”) is a vengeful female spirit. The lore revolves around women who committed suicide while wearing a red dress. Usually, the woman is a victim of injustice while she was still alive and she will return to haunt those who wronged her.

Mohini

One of the most famous ghosts in the Indian community, the mohini is believed to be women who committed suicide due to failure in love. After returning as a vengeful spirit, they are said to entice males and lead them away to their world, never to be seen again. According to some myths, the mohini appears as a beautiful woman with bells worn around their ankles.