by admin | Oct 30, 2011 | Self Development, Soft Skills
There was once a boy who wanted to seek the secret of success. One day he approached a wise man living up in the mountain. When he found the wise man at the hut, he asked, “Wise man, can you tell me the secret to becoming successful in life?” The wise man was silent for a while. After a moment of silence, the wise man led the young lad to a nearby river. They kept walking into the river until the boy’s head was fully submerged in the water. The boy struggled to keep his head above the water. To his astonishment, the wise man did not help him. Instead, the wise man held the boy’s head in the water.
After a few minutes the wise man pulled the boy out of the water and they proceeded to walk back to the hut. At the hut the wise man asked the young boy what he desired most when his head was submerged in water. To this the young boy quickly responded, “Of course, I wanted to breathe, you old fool!” To which the wise man replied, “Son, if you desire success as much as you wanted to breathe, then you would have found the true secret of success.”
– Richard Quek
SUCCESS PRINCIPLES
Success is a matter of choice. If we have enough strong reasons, there is nothing that we cannot do. Once we have the reasons to do something, we will surely find the ways to do it. A mere wish would not make things
happen. It is a burning desire, turned into an obsession that will generate the energy to bring you to achieve any goal that you may desire.
by admin | Oct 27, 2011 | Management, Soft Skills
From a guidance perspective, no one escapes human relationship in the school setting and in the community where the school head is posted. Its effects are both personal and professional, and they affect effectiveness in terms of assisting and guiding learners. The school head must be realistic on this matter by sticking with educational issues. Henson (1993) says:
The existence of good human relationships or of long-cherished human bonds of favorable interactions between a school head and the teacher could be a good beginning. It could provide new appreciation for the “sacredness” of human relationships, a fire which burns into the nights of humanity. With it, changes wrought about by technology have profound meanings and consequences for the school and its teachers as well as for the welfare of the pupils.
Dam (1993) likewise, says:
One cannot understand the management of a school without understanding that human relations exist between the teachers and their pupils. The demands of the school and its clienteles are often mutually conflicting. Nowhere is it more possible to miss the forest for the trees than in the school setting. Too often, teachers just think of themselves, forgetting that they are part of a complex system. Likewise, teachers place themselves on a high pedestal, forgetting too that their pupils are human beings needing attention and recognition.
A school head should understand the demands of his profession in his life and he should know how favorable human interactions might be presented and resolved. It should make him realize that only through concerted efforts, solidarity, and cooperation in the school system can one achieve his goals.
The school head’s attitudes, outlook, and the ability to do what needs to be done are the measurement of human relations. Certain qualities that distinguish a principal as a true leader can be tested on how skillful and competent he is in the exercise of human relations.
by admin | Oct 13, 2011 | Management, Soft Skills
Communication is the process of creating and sharing meaning. Communication in an organization is very important. In an enterprise whose success brings upon the coordination of the efforts of all its members, the managers depend completely upon the quality, the amount, and the rate of which relevant information reaches them. The rest of the organization, in turn, depends upon the efficiency with which the managers can deal with this information and reach conclusions, decisions, etc. This line of reasoning leads us to the belief that communication is not a secondary or derived aspect of organization a helper of the other and presumably more basic functions. Rather it is the essence of organized activity and is the basic process out of which all other functions derived.
Bass (1979) states that communication in an organization or elsewhere is a process of people relating to other people. It would be effective if the result in work getting done better and problems being solved more efficiently. To varying degrees, team members work together to improve their operations, handle day-to-day problems, and plan and control their work. Hence, they are not only responsible for getting work done but also for managing themselves and participating in the formulation and management of their processes, with an emphasis on ownership of these processes. Subsequently, communication also improves as the workers undertake their assigned task together and get to meet often.
For work teams to succeed, the team’s goal should be communicated effectively. Everyone should be dedicated to accomplish the task, able to collaborate, trust other members of the group, adequately recognized their efforts, and have a leader who is willing to unleash the energy of the team. (Franco, 1988)
Dr. Wichit Srisa-an (1997) in her paper “Borderless Learning Environments in Higher Education for the 21st Century” presented during the World Congress in Higher Education suggests that it is through communication skills that one is able to share knowledge, culture, philosophies, goals to be achieved or even tasks to be performed and the understanding of self and others. One must start with the understanding of oneself – one’s own needs, potentials, values and philosophies. It is only by knowing oneself that one can know others.
by admin | Oct 12, 2011 | Management, Soft Skills
Concepts and theories from different authorities in the field of human relations and management are presented in the succeeding paragraphs to give a clearer view on the benefits of teamwork among employees.
Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (1969) suggest that there are five job dimensions that represent the most important characteristics of a job to which people have effective responses.
- Work itself – the extent to which the job provides the individual with interesting tasks, opportunities for learning, and the chance to accept responsibility;
- Pay – the amount of financial remuneration that is received and the degree to which this is viewed as equitable vis-à-vis others in the organization;
- Promotion opportunities – the chances for advancement in the hierarchy,
- Supervision – the abilities of the superior to provide technical assistance and behavioral support;
- Co-workers – the degree to which fellow workers are technically proficient and socially supportive.
Considering the fifth job dimension, as cited above, teamwork plays a role in achieving organization’s goals. As Macaulay and Cook (1995) point out the benefits of teamworking:
Efficient, constructive teamwork needs careful management and application to develop and maintain the group commitment, focus and strength. But once you have it, it will give you a distinctive edge. Many companies have recognized this in their corporate advertisements which emphasize how a whole range of people working supportively together across the globe increase customer satisfaction. A well functioning team is very noticeable to the customer:
- It is supportive and cohesive group on the inside which provides a seamless service on the outside. Everyone helps one another willingly to help the customer;
- It is lively, positive place to be; morale and energy are obviously high;
- New ideas are readily coming forward and are listened to;
- There is a friendly atmosphere and people are open with one another and the customer;
- Information is willingly and freely shared and available;
- Everyone knows what they have to do and they have the confidence that comes from knowing how they are forming;
- Individuals take ownership and responsibility for customer issues;
- Team members work in a positive environment where personal development and contribution are recognized.
Research has always recognized and emphasized the role of teams as they reveal to be important agents for obtaining change (Porras and Robertson, 1992). Teams are also considered essential to overcome and supplement individual skill weaknesses and promote values such as co-operation, increased communication and multi-skilling (Robbins and Finley, 1997). Research in the team’s area has reported that two-thirds of organizations are making use of teams (Lipnack and Stamps, 1997). Teamwork is increasingly viewed as a prerequisite for many job functions within those organizations striving towards TQM (Ho, 2000).
by admin | Oct 12, 2011 | Management, Soft Skills
Theory X
The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can.
- Because of their dislike for work, most people must be controlled and threatened before they will work hard enough.
- The average human prefers to be directed, dislikes responsibility, is unambiguous, and desires security above everything.
- These assumptions lie behind most organizational principles today, and give rise both to “tough” management with punishments and tight controls, and “soft” management which aims at harmony at work.
- Both these are “wrong” because man needs more than financial rewards at work, he also needs some deeper higher order motivation – the opportunity to fulfill himself.
- Theory X managers do not give their staff this opportunity so that the employees behave in the expected fashion.
Theory Y
- The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest.
- Control and punishment are not the only ways to make people work, man will direct himself if he is committed to the aims of the organization.
- The average man learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility.
These theories are based on social science research which has been carried out, and demonstrate the potential which is present in man and which organizations should recognize in order to become more effective.
McGregor (1960) sees these two theories as two quite separate attitudes. Theory Y is difficult to put into practice on the shop floor in large mass production operations, but it can be used initially in the managing of managers and professionals.
In “The Human Side of Enterprise” McGregor shows how Theory Y affects the management of promotions and salaries and the development of effective managers. McGregor also sees Theory Y as conducive to participative problem solving.
The situation in which employees can be consulted is one where the individuals are emotionally mature, and positively motivated towards their work; where the work is sufficiently responsible to allow for flexibility and where the employee can see his own position in the management hierarchy. If these conditions are present, managers will find that the participative approach to problem solving leads to much improved results compared with the alternative approach of handing out authoritarian orders.
Once management becomes persuaded that it is under estimating the potential of its human resources, and accepts the knowledge given by social science researchers and displayed in Theory Y assumptions, then it can invest time, money and effort in developing improved applications of the theory.
by admin | Oct 8, 2011 | Management, Soft Skills
Research has always recognized and emphasized the role of teams as they are viewed to be important agents for obtaining change (Porras and Robertson, 1992). Teams are also considered essential to overcome and supplement individual skill weaknesses and promote values such as co-operation, increased communication and multi-skilling (Robbins and Finley, 1997). An effective staff works as a team, and teamwork results in higher productivity than employee working alone (Johnson & Johnson, 2000). When employees are treated as a resource they bring to the organization a variety of ways to solve problems and to increase productivity. Within the production function mentality, the literature embraces the concept that for districts to improve student achievement, schools will need to define: a clear, measurable goal; provide sufficient resources; and empower school with the authority to allocate their resources. The critical element within this management scheme is to improve human capital to the point whereby the staff performs as a team thus, generating social capital. Improved social capital, or utilization of group knowledge or skills to solve problems (Driscoll & Karchner, 1998) thus becomes a policy concern. Schools are comprised of a highly educated work force and management’s task is to mold them into a high performing team focused on accomplishing a common goal.
The concept of teamwork existed already long time ago. Only, it was not given a significance in the field of education. It was the business sectors that utilized it and considered it as a factor that surely affect their organizational goal. Lipnack and Stamps, (1997) have reported that two thirds of business organizations are making use of teams.
If teamwork helped in the success of any business establishment that uses it, then it will surely provide as well instructional competence for the learners if ever teachers will be using it effectively. Every school system must adopt a new trend of managing the school, that is, to apply teamwork among faculty so as to achieve school’s vision.
