STRESS MANAGEMENT

Definition of Stress: Stress is the change in human behavior caused by situations & circumstances around us which affect us mentally, physically & emotionally. Stress can have both good and bad effect on our behavior. Stress can be an impetus for positive action for a desired result. At the other extreme, stress can create anger, feeling of inadequacy, lack of faith in others, depression etc. which causes actual physical problems in the form of headaches, stomach upset, sleepless, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, stroke etc. Normally the loss of spouse or close relative, delivery of child, friction in relationships, a job promotion etc causes stress. Stress can also be caused when you are joining or leaving a job, interviews at the time of annual appraisal by your boss, pressure at work, the desire to conform with friends and colleagues, relocation out of town, salary can be either positive or negative.

Stress is Relative: The identical situation may or may not be stressful to different persons. Though two persons may be working in the same organization, under the same boss, with identical designations, one may feel stressed while the other may actual enjoy his job. Stress if therefore relative.  Similarly, there is no one uniform solution to stress. It will differ from person to person depending upon the nature and qualities of that person. Lots of things cause stress at work. Deadlines, competition and friction at work lead to anger, anxiety and sadness but the stress level is never constant but keeps varying.

Stress Management: To cope with stress and may be get rid of it, you first need to understand the cause of stress.

• Neglect stress at your peril. Tackle it, lead on by finding out what causes you stress.
• If you can identify what causes you stress may be you can avoid such a situation the next time. 
• Impersonally analyze the effect of stress upon your physical & mental state. 
• Ask yourself whether you can avoid situations and circumstances which trigger stress? 
• If stress simply cannot be avoided, ask yourself, whether you can limit the period you are exposed to stress? 
• One way to reduce stress is simply to take a break when you are stressed. Stretch your legs. Go for a walk. Take a vacation. 
• Stress Management techniques should effectively put you on top of situations which you previously feared or were anxious about. 
• Understand that it is simply impossible to please everyone in life. So do not doubt yourself at the first sign of disapproved or criticism. 
• You can reduce stress by refusing to treat every matter as urgent or critical. 
• Stress is a good servant but a bad master. Do not allow stress to dominate you. Think of ways in which you can harness stress to get things done. 
• If you are stressed you tend to become emotional. It also works the other way round. If you can control emotions or find a safe outlet (like exercise, for example) you can control stress. 
• When stressed your heart beat start racing in readiness to cope with the threat. Bring it down through deep breathing. 
• Monitor your physical parameters with regular check-ups by our doctor and keep blood pressure under control to ensure that your body doesn’t take a beating. 
• But remember that addiction to medicines as a way to control stress can actually lead to more stress. 
• Natural and common sense ways of controlling stress are best. 
• Exercises which are good for the heart are also good for relieving stress. 
• If you have your weight under control, it is likely that you have stress under control. 
• Give yourself the 8 hours or whatever you require to really feel rested. Sleep like a child and you can deal much better with stress at work.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations refers to a systematic and organized way of creating good will and understanding between and an organization, its stake-holders and the general public. Thus it will include customers, suppliers, share holders employees, banks, government departments and the media.

What is Public Relations?

Public relation is a formal way of maintaining good relations with all concerned in a systematic manner.

1. Public relations now-a-days is not confined to the print media. Television and the internet have become a very important means of communication used by public relations professionals.
2. Public relations focus on timely and creative communication of information to both stake-holders and general public.

Importance of Public Relations: Public relation is important because:

1. It makes an organization well known to the general public.
2. It helps in creating good will for the organization.
3. It helps to inform stake holders and the public in a timely manner.
4. It allows an organization to extend the area of its reach.
5. Through positive and negative feedback it helps an organization to understand its customer’s better.
6. Through modern means of communication an organization can reach out to global markets.
7. Feedback helps an organization to know levels of customer satisfaction and their expectation in future.

What is LEADERSHIP?

Leadership is the ability possessed by some persons to motivate, guide & lead others. Those who are lead may have hidden abilities and potential which can only be realized under able leadership. This is similar to a child having the ability to sit, move, speak or walk but requiring someone to guide or lead him.

True leadership is helping people to achieve their full potential by giving them a purpose & direction.

The qualities of a Good Leader are:

1. Natural Ability: Some people are born leaders with a burning desire to forge a different path.
2. An example to follow: Good Leaders set great examples for others to follow.
3. Good leaders are good listeners: A good leader is not ashamed to seek suggestions from the people whom he leads. It improves participation and productivity.
4. Constant Improvement: Leadership qualities need constant refinements. A fine leader is always in the making.
5. Be one with the team: A leader should never stand aloof from his men. Encouraging those who come out with positive suggestions boosts their morale.
6. Encourage education & training: It is a truism that learning never ends. Constant education and training helps people to contribute to better team performance.
7. Never hide your mistakes: Only those who act can commit mistakes. The team greatly admires a leader who accepts his mistakes as a mark of true courage.
8. Tackle the bad apple: Do not allow a problem creator to get away. Tackle him immediately and firmly.
9. Celebrate each other’s success: Team members must be trained to appreciate and acknowledge each other’s achievement. Crab mentality where each pulls the other down must be avoided at all cost.
10. Motivation: An important way to motivate your team is to hold functions, give awards and generally recognize achievements of the team.
11. Awake abilities: A good leader conducts contests and competitions to bring out the latest talents and abilities of the team.
12. Expose: A good leader gives his team maximum exposure so that they gain experience and knowledge in all kinds of situations.

How to go about DECISION MAKING?

Decisions are central to our lives & professions. Decision making is crucial at almost every stages of management while there may be 100 routine decisions; there are also some critical decisions in an organization which place a big burden on the decision maker who shoulders the blame if the results are not as expected. Is there a method to decision making? How does one make a choice between multiple options and how does one deal with the decision that gives bad result?

It is almost impossible not to be confused & stressed while taking critical decisions. It requires both bravery and stamina for the decision maker to decide in the first place and then shoulder the responsibility decision. No wonder such persons are welcome in most organizations. Such a person must be positive & cool in dealing with the uncertainties surrounding decision making. No decision maker can be right all the time but he must certainly have the ability to take a gusty call.

Why is decision making so difficult?Critical decisions cannot be changed later and consequences both good & bad arise. One bad call will result in condemnation of the decision maker which is why such decisions are critical.
In this case of a critical decision the entire focus is on the decision-maker. In case he makes a wrong decision he will never be allowed to forget all his life.

Critical decisions can make you famous or dubbed a fool. Fear of failure is what puts great pressure on decision-maker leading to uncertainty and consequent mental distress.

8 Easy steps to decision making:-

1. A decision is something like the toss of the coin. One must be prepared for either heads or tails. But one must always back one’s decision. Have the right mental frame.
2. Having assessed the situation to the best of the ability take your decision in positive spirit and chances are likely that you will succeed.
3. There is no way that you can be 100% right in every decision you make. The simple solution is to openly accept when you are wrong and go on with your life.
4. Procrastination is the greatest enemy of decision making. It is worse than a failure due to bad decision and can destroy your reputation.
5. You may depend on your own knowledge and experience or you may ask those you may trust. But remember when you finally take the decision, the buck stops with you.
6. Remember large decisions are frightening because they are complex. If you take the decision one step at a time what is complex may now become simple.
7. One simple trick to decision making is to list them and dispose them according to priority.
8. If the same technique or the same logic applies to all decision making it would be wonderful. But each decision comes with its own baggage and requires a different template for its solution.

How Good Are You At Setting Goals?

Everyone wants to be successful in life. But you can measure success only if you have a goal. No football match can be played without having a goal post. In the same way there can be no success in one’s career without a clear goal. There are systematic steps to goal-setting as given below:

The SMART way to set goal. Five easy steps to set goals:

1. S – Specific: General goals are no good; Goals must be specific and clear. For e.g.  Just wanting to look presentable is not a clear goal. However, “Achieving the ideal weight can be a definite goal”
2. M – Measurable: A goal which cannot be measured is not a true goal. For e.g.  A goal of losing weight is too vague. But losing “15 Kgs.” is a clearly measurable goal.
3. A – Achievable: It should be an attainable goal. To dream of losing 60 kg weight at the age of 20 years when you totally weigh 130 Kgs is thoroughly unattainable.
4. R – Realistic: It should be feasible to attain the goal. There is no point in setting goals which are simply outside one’s abilities.
5. T- Time bound: A goal without time limit is no goal at all. Every goal should have a commencement and a completion time. For e.g. If we commence weight loss exercise today, we can set ninety days as completion time for losing 15 kgs.

So whether it is your career, job, profession or business. Remember there is a smart way of setting goals. And finally, big goals lead to big success.

Financial Planning: Real Financial Advice for Real People

Whatever you do in life, whether you are a Businessman or a salaried employee, you are interested in earning a good income to keep up your standard of living. This requires that you keep checking different parameters such as source of income, liabilities and net worth. Financial planning is the systematic manner by which we control and manage the above parameters with the view to increasing one’s net worth.

Given below are simple tips on Financial planning which will really make your money work for you..

1. A penny saved is a penny earned.
2. Just keeping a record of your expenses will magically reduce them.
3. A credit card is a good servant but a bad master. Never use it for impulse purchases but only in a crisis situation.
4. A budget makes senses only when you stick to it. It is a very important tool in financial planning. Remember if you do not stick to your budget, money will not stick to you.
5. The first rule in investment is earning safety of your money. High returns from fly-by-night operators is best caution, choose caution.
6. The simple goal to save an “x” amount of money every month makes sense. Each addition to your savings gives you a big kick so keep up the monthly savings habit.
7. Remember savings can come only by reducing expenses. For eg. Your car could be guzzling fuel or your electric bills may be shooting up or you may be spending too much on unnecessary clothes. But these are the areas of potential savings if you can cut down on your expenditure.
8. Meticulous records of liabilities can end up saving the whole lot of money spent as delayed payment charges. Paying insurance premiums and credit card bills on time, filing income tax returns on due dates etc. will save a good chunk of hard cash.