Archive for January 28th, 2009

How to improve your workspace

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Do you dread going to work every morning? Are you sick of spending your days in a boring stuffy office, counting down the minutes until it’s time to go home? In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to go to work. We’d all be living the high life with unlimited funds and not a care in the world. But that’s just wishful thinking, and not going to happen any time soon. If anything, the economic recession means that we’re all having to spend even more time at work just to make ends meet.

So what are we supposed to do? How can we make changes to improve things? Well, for a start your office shouldn’t make you feel unhappy. It should be a comfortable space where you feel relaxed, at ease and able to work without feeling like the walls are closing in. If that’s the way you feel about going in to work, maybe it’s time to give your office a makeover.

Even a big office can feel depressing if it’s cluttered and badly organised. Too often offices are packed with unnecessary furniture that gets in the way, and cluttered with machinery that could be better stored elsewhere. You might think you have no alternative but office suppliers have all sorts of useful office furniture that can help you to maximise your space and get your office looking sleek, comfortable and modern at the same time.

Take this opportunity to really think about what you want from your workspace – do you need a bigger desk, more storage, a new filing system/? Do you need new seating for workers, or somewhere to keep your printer/coper away from your personal workspace? Maybe you feel your office needs a complete makeover to maximise the space better. Whatever problems you have in your workspace, there will be a solution to suit you. 

Think carefully about your own comfort and that of others working in the space. You can get a huge range of ergonomically designed office furniture purposely made to make staff more comfortable at work. Ergonomic seating and workstations are designed to help reduce the common but painful injuries that office workers can often suffer from, such as lower back pain and RSI. This means staff will be healthier and happier, and not take so many sick days with recurring problems that could have been avoided.

Your new office should be as uncluttered as possible, make sure there is sufficient storage so desks aren’t messy and that the furniture is arranged in the best way to maximise what space you have. This will make your office feel a lot more open and comfortable, and you’ll feel much happier about spending so much time there. And you won’t have to feel like the walls are closing in anymore!

You’re probably thinking it all sounds like a lot of effort, or that it could be a bit expensive doing up a space you only work in! But just think about it. You’d feel so much better knowing you were coming in each day to a brand new office, ergonomically designed to accommodate you and your needs. Not to mention healthy, happy workers will be more productive too – look at it as a business investment!

Development of Personality Type

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Personality can be developed according to our need. It is always better to have a good mix of both extreme types, that is good qualities of both types. A person who is willing to adjust his/her personality based on the requirement is accepted by everyone and is regarded as a dynamic person. There is no need for an introvert to be an introvert always. He can also acquire some of the best characters of an extrovert and make himself flexible. Same goes for other personality types also. Opportunities seldom come your way and you should grab it by equipping yourself with the right skills and personalities at the right time. Here we go for the personality development session for all the types.

For Extroverts

People who are generally of very social temperament trait are called extroverted personalities. These people are talkative, friendly and outgoing. For an extrovert, it is nice to have the better qualities of introvert type also.

•   Learn the relaxation response or try transcendental meditation or pranayama.
•   Set aside one hour of quite time each day, for concentrated reflection.
•   Take a long walk in the park, beach or woods alone and contemplate nature.
•   Learn active listening techniques.
•   Keep a diary of your inner thoughts.
•   Paraphrase/rephrase what has been said before adding your own thoughts. Make a habit of taking notes, in meetings and important discussions.

For Introverts

Introverts are very reserved, hesitant, reflective and withdrawn. To overcome their difficulties, we have given some points on improving their nature.
•   Attend assertiveness training classes.
•   Join a discussion group in which everyone has to talk about what is on their minds.
•   At parties, get-togethers or conferences, introduce yourself and interact actively with others.
•   Ask yourself, did I miss out anything in the conversation?
•   Attend role playing seminars and program on effective presentation skills or public speaking skills.

For Sensors

Sensors are of realistic type and they always expect facts. To have a smooth relation and to eliminate miscommunication and misunderstanding by the opposite type, try the following tips.
•   Visit an art exhibition of abstract paintings or sculptures and write in your diary about their personal meaning to you.
•   Construct a personal five year plan with strategic options or at feast generate ten positive possibilities about tomorrow or next week.
•   Listen to classical music and read poetry.
•   Set up a discussion group with known intuitors to discuss their interpretations of a short story. Try to reconcile the different perceptions of the same material.
• Look beyond the current sphere of things.
• Do brain storming session with others.
• Learn the technologies of value engineering or value analysis.

For Intuitors

Intuitors are speculators and daydreamers. They ignore realities and live in anticipation. A person who never stays around to see his/her vision bear fruit is of intuitive type. Here are some tips to overcome your problem.
•   Learn to cook from Recipe books.
•   Learn computers.
•   Use your hands – paint/sculpt.
•   Plant a garden.
•   Use your eyes to focus on the details in nature.
•   Learn to master a balance sheet and financial analysis or do some proof reading.
•   Taste, touch, smell, see and hear the world around you without trying to find any meanings in any of it. Experience the moment and live in the present by:
•    Enjoying whatever you are doing and not just for end results
•    Taking action without fear of the consequences
•    Forgiving yourself or somebody is a choice to live in the present moment
•   We have a choice of changing ourselves to the grudges and upsets of the past or getting on with our life by forgiving. This will offset your tendency to revel in endless possibilities and enthusiastic visions of the future.

For Thinkers

Thinkers are those who choose the impersonal basis of choice, very firm in their attitude and are critiques. To develop some of the best qualities of your opposite trait, the feelers, try out the following tips.
•   Write about your most cherished values and ask a very close friend about his most cherished values.
•   Develop a more personal style. Write a letter (not to be sent) to a friend who gives you trouble. Try to see the issue from his point of view. Stay away from impersonal factual and critical comments.
•   Ask a significant person about his/her reactions to your statements to know yourself.
•   Allow some genuine expressions of emotion in yourself and others.
•   Your tendency is to be objective and impersonal. Before making a decision think from the other person’s point of view. Ask yourself “how do I feel about what is happening?1
•   Explore the world of nonverbal communication.

For Feelers

Feelers choose the personal basis of choice and are unable to make or take a firm stand and are too emotional. To adopt some of the better qualities of thinkers, try the following tips.
•   Curb your tendency to want everyone to be in agreement and harmony. When disagreement erupts, try not to rescue one side or the other. Argue for the sake of arguing.
•   If voices are raised, do not become intimidated. Keep saying to yourself “it is only an exchange of ideas, it is nothing personal”.
•   Do some objective analysis and stick to a conclusion, even if it is against your personal values.
•   Hear both sides before judging.
•  Lower your personal reaction to criticism.

•   Take a course in critical thinking and decision making
•   Develop delegation skills and learn effective performance appraisal and feedback skills.
•   Leverage your strengths.
•   Learn the assertion skills of giving criticism, disagreeing with others and saying no to requests which go against your basic values or interests without hurting other’s feelings.

For Judgers

Judgers are too task oriented, rigid, inflexible and choose to select closed over open options. To adjust yourselves with perceivers, try the following options.
•   Try just to let things happen. At least once a day, try to let one thing that bothers you go unattended. Try to insert humor and spontaneity into your day.
•   Ask yourself, ‘Will any of it make a difference a year from now?”
•   You have a tendency to see the world as black and white, right or wrong, and you may have difficulty accepting opposing points of view.

For Perceivers

Perceivers are indecisive, procrastinating and are resistive in their nature. To get some of the good traits of Judgers, follow the tips given below.

•   Your tendency is to have many irons in the fire and pursue endless options. Try to finish at least one thing of some importance, even ahead of schedule if possible.

•   Promise yourself not to be distracted until you reach your goal of the moment.

•   Take a clear position. Perceivers can often argue both sides because they truly see both sides of an argument. While flexible and adaptive, that is not always helpful to resolving a conflict. It may even intensify the dispute. If you really feel strongly about something, take a stand and defend it.

We are led by our society most of the times. Our society includes, our parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends, neighbors and strangers. An individual is often influenced by his society. Sometimes, he is benefited and sometimes he is sidelined. Most of the times, it is unpredictable. But if a person knows how to handle other people and act accordingly, he has an edge over other people and lead them in his own way. In this context, it would be useful if you understand other people’s personality and help them in improving their types.

Helping Others Development in Personality

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Help Extrovert to develop Introvert skills by having him do the following:

•    Ask himself more questions, and others fewer
•    Listen more and speak less
•    Reflect more and interact less

Help Introvert to develop Extrovert skills by having him do the following:

•    Externalize his questions and make his explanations elaborate
•   Speak more and listen less
•    Interact more and Reflect less

Help Sensor to develop Intuitive skills by having him do the following:

•    Determine future implications of here-and-now behavior
•    Explore several problem-solving options from each task
•    Remember times when his intuition was accurate and use that as a basis for future intuitive growth
•    Develop short term goals gradually, progressing towards long range planning

Help Intuitive to develop Sensor skills by having him do the following:

•    Develop bottom line reasons for change
•    Prepare action plans with deadlines, chronological steps and realistic parameters
•    Discuss an idea with an sensor person and note where he focuses positive and negative feedback
•    Develop his ideas from the end (the result) back to the
beginning (the concept) by asking himself sensor questions

Help Thinker to develop Feeler skills by having him do the following:

•    Listen to people’s feelings and show his understanding by sharing a similar experience
•    Explain to people what he has done well
•    Describe poor performance in terms of task accomplishment
not individual worth

Help Feeler to develop Thinker skills by having him do the following:

•    Give him information in advance so he has sufficient data for decision making
•    Ask him to speculate on possible options before determining a course of action
•    Make him ask himself for someone else three questions before reaching a conclusion.
•    Remind him not to tell others how to work

Help Judger to develop Perceiver skills by having do the following:

•    Give him information in advance so that he has sufficient data for decision making
•    Ask him to speculate on possible options before determining a course of action
•    Make him ask himself or someone else three questions before reaching a conclusion

Help Perceiver to develop Judger skills by having him do the following:

•    Provide him with deadlines
•    Ask him questions to help him order and direct his thoughts
•    Make him practice scheduling and organizing projects with input from a judger
•    Remind him of the need for closure