Brenda Tan

Managing Yourself: Stop Holding Yourself Back

brendatan — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:55:31 +0000

Very often, we hear people complaining about how terrible their managers/supervisors/leaders are, from covering claiming their staff’s credit to covering their own backs to backstabbing their own team members…

The next thing you see is a whole team turnover except the manager/supervisor/leader!

This is is a great article to remind all of what the manager/supervisor/leader should do apart from protecting ownself.

What about your team?

here’s the link: http://hbr.org/2011/01/managing-yourself-stop-holding-yourself-back/ar/1

Internal process in control

brendatan — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:27:51 +0000

I was surfing the net and stumbled upon this website - a consultancy certification board. Embarrassingly, the website has not been updated since 2009. Program dates and content materials reflected 2009!

http://www.pmccertboard.org.sg/CDI/index.html

To give consultation to others on how to improve in their own systems, yet there’s obviously a lack in their OWN process flow on internal marketing processes. What do you think prospects’ reaction would be?

- is the website still valid

- how credible is this professional board

- What? 2009?

It is important that our processes are systematized across every area that we cover.

In this case, there could be an internal system check put in; a proper checklist/SOP:

- putting down a specific date to collate all necessary content for update from team members/boss

- a monthly/weekly date to update website and check for glitches

-a 3rd party from different role to do ‘3rd eye’/Quality control check for errors on website

- a paper document for sign off that everything is checked and in order

(this could also check on the necessary online banner advertisement by sponsors eg. are working/links are correct)

- file up

- reporting on traffic to website etc dated end of every month/week

By having proper processes, it would save time from explaining to future staff who would be handling different roles and functions of any jobs.

Hence, it is important to have ’standard operating procedures’, manuals and checklists to help you minimise time wastage but increase efficiency and effectiveness at work.

Business Owners & CEOs need upgrading too?

brendatan — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:46:28 +0000

Marketing is no longer the same as before. It’s viral interactive communication, more than just a message being told today.

Consumer purchasing behavior and marketing trends have shifted as compared to the traditional times where there was no online shopping.

That being said, it is vital that biz owners and CEOs need to keep up and get themselves upgraded.

We often see it in the newspapers and hear it on the news about sending our employees for skills upgrading and training.

How often do we see and hear the same for Business (biz) Owners and CEOs, especially in the SME sector?

Some of the common feedback i get from the 10-20 years old experienced CEOs and biz owners:

“what is facebook. I don’t think it’s applicable for my business”

“people won’t buy my product/services online”

“I’ve been doing the same thing over the last 20 years…internet…err…not sure how”

CEOs and biz owners need to get rid of such ’old fashion thinking’ otherwise they would become obsolete.

Sembawang CD shop is a classic example that went bankrupt after decades of success.

They have sticked to ‘a cd business’ and not shift with market changes.

Other examples:

Polariod

Konica and Kodak Film

So question is: Where are you and your business?

Time to take a stock take and invest in upgrading yourself as a business owner/CEO.

Knowledge is yours to keep forever.

FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

brendatan — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:28:25 +0000

A wise man once said this to me.

If you want to be the future leader/manager/ceo/boss, you have to ‘Be, Think and Act’ like them.

You don’t Be, Think and Act like them only when you are in the role.

You have to FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT.

Brad Sugars Formula for Success…

BE X DO = HAVE

To achieve your end result/have what you want, you have to:

Be (Think and have the right mindset)

Do (Take the necessary actions)

Have (your desired end result/state)

If you aspire to be the Future Leader,
What Leadership Style Do You Want to Be?

1. State and expand on the main characteristics which best sum up your leadership style?

2. State the leadership characteristics you want to BE and are currently not DOing?

3. How do you choose to lead your team?

4. How do you choose to lead your clients?

5. On point 3 and 4, what does this look like on a week-to-week basis?

6. What response do you want to HAVE from your team and clients?

Brad Sugars Formula for Success…

BE DO HAVE

BUSY VS PRODUCTIVE

brendatan — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:18:54 +0000

There’s a difference between being BUSY and PRODUCTIVE. You can be BUSILY UNPRODUCTIVE.

I like you to start your everyday by asking yourself:

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE by END OF THE DAY?

When you have that short term achievements set, it paces you to be more organised, productive and focus.

Here’s mine. Eg.

1) Rehearse my talk and write down the pointers

2) Follow up with 3 prospects

3) Plan out my next project program…

Keep it to no more than 10 key items per day.

and you ensure that these KEY items, in priority out of your 10 items are completed.

That’s being PRODUCTIVE!

Chance or Choice to walk that bridge

brendatan — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:22:36 +0000

Chance or by Choice

I read this article somewhere while I was in my love struck mode some time back, caught in between the arrows of cupid - what I call my ‘one quarter’ life crisis since I am hardly in my mid-life. I like to perceive it this way and thought of sharing this piece with you.

When we meet the right person to love when we’re at the right place

at the right time, that’s chance. When you meet someone you’re

attracted to, that’s not a choice. That’s chance. Being caught up in

a moment (and there’s a lot of couples who get together because of

this) is not a choice. That’s also a chance.

My thoughts:

Why are we always afraid to talk to our bosses about issues that we feel strongly about? Have you ever wondered? When something does not seem right, you would keep quiet rather than voice out your opinion. Does it help to spend a considerable amount of time complaining to your colleagues which can only lead to your day turning into a bad one? Whose fault is that?

As a result: IM TOTALLY NOT MOTIVATED. I LOST IT, AND I DON’T KNOW WHATS MY PASSION, HOW TO GET MOTIVATED, WHATS NEXT? HOW LONG MORE AM I STUCK IN THIS “SH*THOLE”?

At the end of the day, it is all about choices – yours and mine. Whichever way it goes, it is always a result of the choices we make.

Your boss may have given you a task and had not realized what it really entailed for you. You have a choice whether to bring this up to him or simply to just let it slide. There are many reasons why you may not want to speak up. One of which is the fear of being reprimanded or chided and making you look silly in the process. However, keeping quiet may also backfire and at the end of the day as you could get yourself in more hot water. Either way, just remember that it is a choice that only you can make. There are always choices whether you choose to speak up or not.

The issue snowballs because by choosing not to speak up you could also get demoralized. Then the cycle goes on as you continue to complain more and more and this will definitely affect your work life.

In the long run, that can be so demoralising especially if you have put in so much effort in the hope to earn that recognition that you have always wanted. In short, since complaining is not that helpful to improve your work life why not try something new? Like speaking out for a change!

MORAL OF THE STORY : You play a part in creating a situation whether you like it or not. He may not like your ‘wanting to speak up your mind’ but at least he knows you have a mind. Do not decide how he will respond – just do it and you might be surprised. It works both ways. Be open to his suggestions as well. Tell him clearly that you value his feedback to improve the situation. Make it a win-win situation. Who knows? He could be impressed with your pro-active stance and see you as an initiator. And if nothing else, at least you have practised courage which in the long run can only benefit you.

There are a lot of surveys that show management do appreciate workers who come forward to speak out their minds in a positive way. Where do you think you will stand if you are just an employee who knows only to take instructions and have no idea how to give feedback? What kind of contribution will you be making to the company in the long run? More importantly, how can your boss even acknowledge your commitment if you have never made an effort to get his attention in the first place?

So the next time you decide to speak to your boss remind yourself that you are simply putting forward your thoughts while at the same time valuing his.

So likewise if you are a business owner and has a team. This could be how your team is reacting.

How do you build this ‘safety bridge’ or ‘comfort zone’ for your staff to speak up?

I SEE THIS HAPPENING!

brendatan — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:33:37 +0000

It’s the start of a brand new year. Are you bustling with energy

are you mentally challenged; the feeling of having your legs and hands ‘locked with cuffs’ though you know you should be moving forward?

You know you are the authority of your mind, and it is through your mastery over your mind, following through your actions that is needed to help you reach your desired results.

Here’s a simple recipe you can work on and let it remind ourselves again what success is like. I call this ‘5 mins jump-start’ exercise.

Fill in the blanks for me.

I SEE THIS HAPPENING!

I’M EXCITED AND I SEE….

1. Myself promoted to _______________________ Manager (whichever role/position) by ___________________.

2. Myself hitting a revenue/profit of S$ ____________________ by end of 2011.

3. Myself earning more than S$_____________________ for year 2011.

4. Myself working on the following areas to achieve my goals:

Having achieved S$___________ when I achieved ____________ Manager(your desired role) position, I will use the MONEY in the following areas:

Holiday Plan:

Gifts for Loved Ones:

Pay off Loans:

Upgrade Car:

Upgrade House:

Appreciate someone:

Nice Dining at:

New High-Tech Gadget:

Set Aside Savings:

Personal Grooming/Lifestyle:

Contribution to:

______________________________
Committed By:(your name)

Date:

By putting some earnest time and attention into full planning, you will set your course for manifesting your life of abundance. I wish you success as we celebrate the start of a Chinese Lunar New Year.

Your affirmation: I graciously accept good into my life right now, and I deserve abundance!

GO GET IT!

QUICKIE PLEASE!

brendatan — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:57:41 +0000

It’s the start of the new year, and I have decided to start a new blog call ‘quickies’ - quick take aways while you’re on the move, making it easy to read and apply.

As a business owner myself, I know what it is like to worry about the day-to-day survival of the business and being on the ‘RUN’ most of the time. As such, I would like my blog to remind you what FUN we can have in running a business, and thus keeping my blog FUN, informal and maybe provocative at times…. Please feel free to share your ideas and thoughts by simply dropping me a note…