We all need a productivity boost now and then — sometimes throughout the day. We each want to be productive for very personal reasons — to accomplish more, to make more money, to get done earlier to make more time for our personal lives, to accomplish our goals.
But whatever the reason, these Productivity Hacks will do the trick. Here they are, in reverse order.
#10: Take care of your Most Important Things first. Your Most Important Things for the day — the things you most need to accomplish that day — should take priority over everything else. However, we all know that fires come up throughout the day, interruptions through phone calls and email and people dropping by, new demands that will push the best-laid plans aside. If you put off your MITs until later in the day, you will end up not doing them much of the time.
# 9: Wake up early. Decide what you’d like to accomplish each morning, and build your morning routine around that. Like to exercise? Put that in there. Healthy breakfast? Go for it. Check email? Fine. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of ringing phones and constant email notifications. If you get your Most Important Things done in the morning, the rest of the day is just gravy.
# 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email. Think about all the information you receive (email, blogs, newsletters, mailing lists, magazines, newspapers and more) and edit brutally. You will drastically reduce the time you spend reading. For everything else that begins to come in after your editing process, ask yourself if you really need to be getting that information regularly. Most of the time the answer is no. Now, after this process, you should be left with less to read. Here’s the next step: crank through it all, really only reading the really interesting ones.
# 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time. The decluttering your work space part of it is simply to remove all extra distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If you’ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the task at hand.
# 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours. My best days come when I get into work early, and begin my work day in the quiet morning hours, before the phones start ringing and the din of the office begins it crescendo to chaos. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find that I get my MITs done before anyone comes in, and then the rest of the day is dealing with whatever comes up (or even better: getting ahead for the next day).
# 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m tied up with a project right now.” And that’s always true. I’ve always got projects I’m working on that are more important than a meeting.
# 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.
# 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you don’t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks.
# 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time.
# 1: Do something you’re passionate about. This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like hell to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s for work that you don’t really care about that you procrastinate. Read the full post for tips on how to find your dream job and do work you truly care about.
2008년 4월 23일 수요일
Top 10 Productivity Hacks
We all need a productivity boost now and then — sometimes throughout the day. We each want to be productive for very personal reasons — to accomplish more, to make more money, to get done earlier to make more time for our personal lives, to accomplish our goals.
But whatever the reason, these Productivity Hacks will do the trick. Here they are, in reverse order.
#10: Take care of your Most Important Things first. Your Most Important Things for the day — the things you most need to accomplish that day — should take priority over everything else. However, we all know that fires come up throughout the day, interruptions through phone calls and email and people dropping by, new demands that will push the best-laid plans aside. If you put off your MITs until later in the day, you will end up not doing them much of the time.
# 9: Wake up early. Decide what you’d like to accomplish each morning, and build your morning routine around that. Like to exercise? Put that in there. Healthy breakfast? Go for it. Check email? Fine. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of ringing phones and constant email notifications. If you get your Most Important Things done in the morning, the rest of the day is just gravy.
# 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email. Think about all the information you receive (email, blogs, newsletters, mailing lists, magazines, newspapers and more) and edit brutally. You will drastically reduce the time you spend reading. For everything else that begins to come in after your editing process, ask yourself if you really need to be getting that information regularly. Most of the time the answer is no. Now, after this process, you should be left with less to read. Here’s the next step: crank through it all, really only reading the really interesting ones.
# 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time. The decluttering your work space part of it is simply to remove all extra distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If you’ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the task at hand.
# 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours. My best days come when I get into work early, and begin my work day in the quiet morning hours, before the phones start ringing and the din of the office begins it crescendo to chaos. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find that I get my MITs done before anyone comes in, and then the rest of the day is dealing with whatever comes up (or even better: getting ahead for the next day).
# 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m tied up with a project right now.” And that’s always true. I’ve always got projects I’m working on that are more important than a meeting.
# 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.
# 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you don’t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks.
# 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time.
# 1: Do something you’re passionate about. This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like hell to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s for work that you don’t really care about that you procrastinate. Read the full post for tips on how to find your dream job and do work you truly care about.
But whatever the reason, these Productivity Hacks will do the trick. Here they are, in reverse order.
#10: Take care of your Most Important Things first. Your Most Important Things for the day — the things you most need to accomplish that day — should take priority over everything else. However, we all know that fires come up throughout the day, interruptions through phone calls and email and people dropping by, new demands that will push the best-laid plans aside. If you put off your MITs until later in the day, you will end up not doing them much of the time.
# 9: Wake up early. Decide what you’d like to accomplish each morning, and build your morning routine around that. Like to exercise? Put that in there. Healthy breakfast? Go for it. Check email? Fine. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of ringing phones and constant email notifications. If you get your Most Important Things done in the morning, the rest of the day is just gravy.
# 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email. Think about all the information you receive (email, blogs, newsletters, mailing lists, magazines, newspapers and more) and edit brutally. You will drastically reduce the time you spend reading. For everything else that begins to come in after your editing process, ask yourself if you really need to be getting that information regularly. Most of the time the answer is no. Now, after this process, you should be left with less to read. Here’s the next step: crank through it all, really only reading the really interesting ones.
# 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time. The decluttering your work space part of it is simply to remove all extra distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If you’ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the task at hand.
# 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours. My best days come when I get into work early, and begin my work day in the quiet morning hours, before the phones start ringing and the din of the office begins it crescendo to chaos. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find that I get my MITs done before anyone comes in, and then the rest of the day is dealing with whatever comes up (or even better: getting ahead for the next day).
# 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m tied up with a project right now.” And that’s always true. I’ve always got projects I’m working on that are more important than a meeting.
# 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.
# 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you don’t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks.
# 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time.
# 1: Do something you’re passionate about. This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like hell to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s for work that you don’t really care about that you procrastinate. Read the full post for tips on how to find your dream job and do work you truly care about.
2008년 4월 12일 토요일
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
A lack of answers is partly what makes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so frightening. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants who are 1 month to 1 year old, but despite years of research and numerous studies, SIDS is still unpredictable and unpreventable. However, research into the causes of SIDS has led doctors to recommend steps parents can take to reduce the risk of SIDS in their infants. As more parents begin to follow that advice, the number of deaths from SIDS is dropping.
Searching for AnswersSIDS is frequently described as a parent's worst nightmare because it strikes without warning, usually in seemingly healthy babies. As the name implies, SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep (hence the common reference to "crib death"), and infants who die of SIDS show no signs of suffering.
While most conditions or diseases usually are diagnosed by the presence of specific symptoms, SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion, given only after all other possible causes of death have been ruled out through an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a complete review of the infant's medical history. These procedures help distinguish true SIDS deaths from those resulting from accidents, abuse, and previously undiagnosed conditions, such as cardiac or metabolic disorders.
When considering which babies could be most at risk, Marj Hershberger, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, notes that no single risk factor is likely to be sufficient to cause a SIDS death. Rather, several risk factors combined may contribute to cause an at-risk infant to die of SIDS.
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the incidence of SIDS is greatest in infants younger than 6 months of age and increases during cold weather. African-American infants are two times more likely to die of SIDS than white infants, and Native Americans are about three times more likely than whites. More boys than girls fall victim to SIDS. Other potential risk factors include:
smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy
poor prenatal care
prematurity or low birth-weight
mothers younger than 20
smoke exposure following birth
stomach sleeping
Foremost among the risk factors, however, is stomach sleeping. Numerous studies from Europe and Australia found a higher incidence of SIDS among babies placed on their stomachs to sleep than among those on their backs or sides. Some researchers have hypothesized that stomach sleeping puts pressure on the child's jaw, therefore narrowing the airway and hampering breathing.
Another theory is that stomach sleeping can increase an infant's risk of "rebreathing" his own exhaled air, particularly if the infant is sleeping on a soft mattress or with bedding, stuffed toys, or a pillow near his face. In that scenario, the soft surface could create a small enclosure around the baby's mouth and trap exhaled air. As the baby breathes exhaled air, the oxygen level in his body drops and carbon dioxide accumulates. Eventually, this lack of oxygen could contribute to SIDS.
Also, infants who succumb to SIDS may have an abnormality in the arcuate nucleus, a part of the brain that may help control breathing and awakening during sleep. If a baby is breathing stale air and not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry. That movement changes the breathing and heart rate, making up for the lack of oxygen. But a problem with the arcuate nucleus could deprive the baby of this involuntary reaction and put him at greater risk for SIDS.
Going Back to SleepThe striking evidence that stomach sleeping might contribute to the incidence of SIDS led the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend in June 1992 that all healthy infants younger than 1 year of age be put to sleep on their backs (also known as the supine position). The AAP used the slogan "Back to Sleep" to remind parents of the recommended supine sleeping position. The Back to Sleep campaign, sponsored by the NICHD in partnership with the AAP, the SIDS Alliance, and the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, distributes free literature, videos, and public service announcements urging that babies be placed on their backs to sleep.
The campaign has had dramatic success. Prior to the campaign, 70% of babies in the United States were stomach sleeping. By 1997, only 21% were sleeping on their stomachs, and the SIDS rates had dropped by 43%. Still, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in young infants, so it's important to keep reminding parents about the necessity of back sleeping.
According to Hershberger, "It's a cultural problem for us to switch our babies from stomach to back. We don't want to do it because our mothers and grandmothers have always told us we're supposed to put that baby [on his stomach]."
Many parents fear that babies put to sleep on their backs would choke on spit-up or vomit. According to the AAP, however, there is no increased risk of choking for healthy infants who sleep on their backs. (For infants with chronic gastroesophageal reflux or certain upper airway malformations, sleeping on the stomach may be the better option. The AAP urges parents to consult with their child's doctor in these cases to determine the best sleeping position for the baby.)
Some parents may also be concerned about positional plagiocephaly, a condition in which babies develop a flat spot on the back of their heads from spending too much time lying on their backs. Since the Back to Sleep campaign, this condition has become quite common - but it is usually easily treatable by changing your baby's position frequently and allowing for more "tummy time" while they are awake.
Of course, once babies can roll over consistently - usually around 4 to 7 months - they may choose not to stay on their backs all night long. At this point, it's fine to let babies pick a sleep position on their own.
Tips for Reducing the Risk of SIDSIn addition to placing healthy infants on their backs to sleep, the AAP suggests the following measures to help reduce the risk of SIDS:
Place your baby on a firm mattress to sleep, never on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin, or other soft surface. Do not put fluffy blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or pillows near the baby to prevent rebreathing.
Make sure your baby does not get too warm while sleeping. Keep the room at a temperature that feels comfortable for an adult in a short-sleeve shirt. To avoid overheating, cover the baby only with a light blanket that reaches no further than the shoulders. Some researchers suggest that a baby who gets too warm could go into a deeper sleep, making it more difficult to awaken.
Do not smoke, drink, or use drugs while pregnant and do not expose your baby to secondhand smoke. NICHD figures indicate that children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are three times more likely to die of SIDS than those whose mothers were smoke-free; exposure to secondhand smoke doubles a baby's risk of SIDS. Researchers speculate that smoking might affect the central nervous system, starting prenatally and continuing after birth, which could place the baby at increased risk.
Receive early and regular prenatal care.
Make sure your baby has regular well-baby checkups.
Breastfeed if possible. Although there is no evidence that directly links breastfeeding with a decreased rate of SIDS, breast milk is thought to keep babies healthy.
If your baby has gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), be sure to follow your child's doctor's guidelines on feeding and sleep positions.
Losing a child to SIDS invariably makes a family ask questions. "An infant death leaves many unanswered questions. It causes intense grief for parents and for the whole family," Hershberger says. In searching for an explanation, however, it is important that parents do not latch on to misinformation. "Parents need to know that SIDS is not caused by vomiting and choking or other minor illnesses," she continues. "It's not caused by vaccines or other immunizations. It's not contagious. SIDS is not child abuse, and SIDS is not the cause of every unexpected infant death."
For parents who have experienced a SIDS death, there are many groups, including the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, that provide grief counseling and contacts to local support groups. Meanwhile, growing public awareness of SIDS and the steps to reduce infants' risk of sudden death hopefully will leave fewer parents searching for answers in the future
A lack of answers is partly what makes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so frightening. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants who are 1 month to 1 year old, but despite years of research and numerous studies, SIDS is still unpredictable and unpreventable. However, research into the causes of SIDS has led doctors to recommend steps parents can take to reduce the risk of SIDS in their infants. As more parents begin to follow that advice, the number of deaths from SIDS is dropping.
Searching for AnswersSIDS is frequently described as a parent's worst nightmare because it strikes without warning, usually in seemingly healthy babies. As the name implies, SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep (hence the common reference to "crib death"), and infants who die of SIDS show no signs of suffering.
While most conditions or diseases usually are diagnosed by the presence of specific symptoms, SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion, given only after all other possible causes of death have been ruled out through an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a complete review of the infant's medical history. These procedures help distinguish true SIDS deaths from those resulting from accidents, abuse, and previously undiagnosed conditions, such as cardiac or metabolic disorders.
When considering which babies could be most at risk, Marj Hershberger, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, notes that no single risk factor is likely to be sufficient to cause a SIDS death. Rather, several risk factors combined may contribute to cause an at-risk infant to die of SIDS.
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the incidence of SIDS is greatest in infants younger than 6 months of age and increases during cold weather. African-American infants are two times more likely to die of SIDS than white infants, and Native Americans are about three times more likely than whites. More boys than girls fall victim to SIDS. Other potential risk factors include:
smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy
poor prenatal care
prematurity or low birth-weight
mothers younger than 20
smoke exposure following birth
stomach sleeping
Foremost among the risk factors, however, is stomach sleeping. Numerous studies from Europe and Australia found a higher incidence of SIDS among babies placed on their stomachs to sleep than among those on their backs or sides. Some researchers have hypothesized that stomach sleeping puts pressure on the child's jaw, therefore narrowing the airway and hampering breathing.
Another theory is that stomach sleeping can increase an infant's risk of "rebreathing" his own exhaled air, particularly if the infant is sleeping on a soft mattress or with bedding, stuffed toys, or a pillow near his face. In that scenario, the soft surface could create a small enclosure around the baby's mouth and trap exhaled air. As the baby breathes exhaled air, the oxygen level in his body drops and carbon dioxide accumulates. Eventually, this lack of oxygen could contribute to SIDS.
Also, infants who succumb to SIDS may have an abnormality in the arcuate nucleus, a part of the brain that may help control breathing and awakening during sleep. If a baby is breathing stale air and not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry. That movement changes the breathing and heart rate, making up for the lack of oxygen. But a problem with the arcuate nucleus could deprive the baby of this involuntary reaction and put him at greater risk for SIDS.
Going Back to SleepThe striking evidence that stomach sleeping might contribute to the incidence of SIDS led the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend in June 1992 that all healthy infants younger than 1 year of age be put to sleep on their backs (also known as the supine position). The AAP used the slogan "Back to Sleep" to remind parents of the recommended supine sleeping position. The Back to Sleep campaign, sponsored by the NICHD in partnership with the AAP, the SIDS Alliance, and the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, distributes free literature, videos, and public service announcements urging that babies be placed on their backs to sleep.
The campaign has had dramatic success. Prior to the campaign, 70% of babies in the United States were stomach sleeping. By 1997, only 21% were sleeping on their stomachs, and the SIDS rates had dropped by 43%. Still, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in young infants, so it's important to keep reminding parents about the necessity of back sleeping.
According to Hershberger, "It's a cultural problem for us to switch our babies from stomach to back. We don't want to do it because our mothers and grandmothers have always told us we're supposed to put that baby [on his stomach]."
Many parents fear that babies put to sleep on their backs would choke on spit-up or vomit. According to the AAP, however, there is no increased risk of choking for healthy infants who sleep on their backs. (For infants with chronic gastroesophageal reflux or certain upper airway malformations, sleeping on the stomach may be the better option. The AAP urges parents to consult with their child's doctor in these cases to determine the best sleeping position for the baby.)
Some parents may also be concerned about positional plagiocephaly, a condition in which babies develop a flat spot on the back of their heads from spending too much time lying on their backs. Since the Back to Sleep campaign, this condition has become quite common - but it is usually easily treatable by changing your baby's position frequently and allowing for more "tummy time" while they are awake.
Of course, once babies can roll over consistently - usually around 4 to 7 months - they may choose not to stay on their backs all night long. At this point, it's fine to let babies pick a sleep position on their own.
Tips for Reducing the Risk of SIDSIn addition to placing healthy infants on their backs to sleep, the AAP suggests the following measures to help reduce the risk of SIDS:
Place your baby on a firm mattress to sleep, never on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin, or other soft surface. Do not put fluffy blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or pillows near the baby to prevent rebreathing.
Make sure your baby does not get too warm while sleeping. Keep the room at a temperature that feels comfortable for an adult in a short-sleeve shirt. To avoid overheating, cover the baby only with a light blanket that reaches no further than the shoulders. Some researchers suggest that a baby who gets too warm could go into a deeper sleep, making it more difficult to awaken.
Do not smoke, drink, or use drugs while pregnant and do not expose your baby to secondhand smoke. NICHD figures indicate that children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are three times more likely to die of SIDS than those whose mothers were smoke-free; exposure to secondhand smoke doubles a baby's risk of SIDS. Researchers speculate that smoking might affect the central nervous system, starting prenatally and continuing after birth, which could place the baby at increased risk.
Receive early and regular prenatal care.
Make sure your baby has regular well-baby checkups.
Breastfeed if possible. Although there is no evidence that directly links breastfeeding with a decreased rate of SIDS, breast milk is thought to keep babies healthy.
If your baby has gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), be sure to follow your child's doctor's guidelines on feeding and sleep positions.
Losing a child to SIDS invariably makes a family ask questions. "An infant death leaves many unanswered questions. It causes intense grief for parents and for the whole family," Hershberger says. In searching for an explanation, however, it is important that parents do not latch on to misinformation. "Parents need to know that SIDS is not caused by vomiting and choking or other minor illnesses," she continues. "It's not caused by vaccines or other immunizations. It's not contagious. SIDS is not child abuse, and SIDS is not the cause of every unexpected infant death."
For parents who have experienced a SIDS death, there are many groups, including the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, that provide grief counseling and contacts to local support groups. Meanwhile, growing public awareness of SIDS and the steps to reduce infants' risk of sudden death hopefully will leave fewer parents searching for answers in the future
How to Bod Your Company Goodbey
How To Bid Your Company Goodbye!
Leaving an organisation requires style, technique and certain savoir-faire says Aditi Joshi.
Bidding a final adios to your organization is an art. There are two ways in which an employee parts company with his organisation.
a) When an employee decides to tender his or her resignation.b) When the organisation decides to fire an employee.
Both parting involve some trauma for the employers and the employees. Those leaving a company are never quite sure of how to resign in the most amicable way from their soon-to-be ex employers, while those who have been given the pink slip are unsure about how much they should reveal about their past to their future employers. Here are some do's and don'ts to follow when you are crafting your resignation letter or have just been handed the pink slip.
A) What to do if you plan to resignWhen an employee decides to leave an organisation, his formal break comes in the form of a resignation letter. You have to be careful while drafting a resignation letter. Your current employer will feature on your resume for years to come and you never know when you may need a recommendation from him. A good resignation letter will help set the stage for a smooth transition from one job to the next.
Here are a few tips that might help you draft such a resignation letter and what to do if you are fired from your job-
Keep it Short & Simple (KISS principle): Use a simple format. A simple, "I resign..." statement is powerful enough in itself. Whether it is one sentence or three pages, it should be direct and clear. Start out by stating the obvious.
Your resignation letter should have the following essentials.
*The date of your last day of work and your new e-mail address.
*The postal address to which any correspondence can be forwarded and a phone number where you can be reached.
Give Prior Notice: Always give prior notice before you quit your current job. Generally, it is a good idea to give two weeks notice before ceasing to work to complete all your pending work and allow your successor to take over with out any hassle.
"Term of notification depends from company to company, so one should make it a point to submit the same within the set time limit" says Sarika HR manager of a reputed company. However, there might be times when you are required to join the next job immediately. In that case you can talk to your boss and the HR manager. Don't simply declare that you are quitting as it may have negative implications specially when approached for a ref check. Let your current employer know how important this new job is for you, discuss with them how best you could complete the resignation formalities, as you cannot miss the opportunity.
Reconsider Your Options BEFORE Resigning:Your company might ask you to reconsider your resignation by offering some real value added offers. If you accept you may leave an impression that you are quitting your job only for money. Be prepared mentally to avoid such offers before giving your resignation letter. This may leave an impression that it's only the money that is forcing you to quit your job. Tell them that you've found an opportunity that fits you better and that your decision is final.
Remember The Good Times: No matter what designation you held, no matter what department you worked in, the bottom line remains that you offered your services to your organisation and enjoyed the services of the same in return. You might have had some good experiences and some bad ones as well. When writing your resignation keep all the good things you enjoyed in front. Understand that there existed a professional relationship between you and your employer and be respectful towards it.
Be Honest Not Cruel: Even if you are leaving the job under less than desirable circumstances, avoid letting your feelings show in your resignation letter. Resist the temptation to badmouth and let off steam. Keep your reasons and other unnecessary statements out of your letter of resignation. Don't use the resignation letter as the vehicle to tell your boss what you really thought of them. It is never polite to include personal remarks in a resignation letter. If you genuinely have difference of opinion with your boss, save the communication for some other time and place. Never commit these thoughts to paper - your comments will remain in your personnel file and may come back to haunt you.
The Exit Interview: Some companies these days arrange for an exit interview. This is the best forum to put all your feelings (bad/ good) in front of your employer. If you have some constructive criticism that you'd like to share with your boss before you leave, the best place to do this would be in the Exit Interview. All that you need to do is to give a soft and lighthearted comment how things just went the other way and created problems.
Ensure A Smooth Takeover: Make sure that you've completed any outstanding tasks and participated in the smooth handover of any unfinished work. Ensure that your boss knows that you've actively participated in this process and that you have been as co-operative as possible. Ensure full settlement for any outstanding salary, holiday entitlement and commission payments that are due to you.
Keep in touch: Take time out to speak to all of your colleagues and associates. Make positive comments about their contribution during your time at the office. Try and remain in touch because you never know when they'll be useful to your personal and career development in the future.
B) What to do when you get firedWhat should you do when the job quits you? Being fired from a job is a sensitive issue and you need to handle it with care. Read on to find out more-
What does it mean? Getting fired doesn't make you a failure it's just a signal to show you that either the job didn't quite fit you or you never fitted the job. It is just an occasion to learn from the past, execute in the present and remember for the future. As long as you know that you're a good worker, with skills that add value to an organisation, with intelligence and enthusiasm and that you're pursuing the right new job for the right reasons, you can get over the "I was fired" hump.
How to deal with such a situation?Getting fired is an emotional matter. It is stressful and hard to accept that you are fired. It may initially be discouraging, shameful and haunting. But then you need to keep calm and work out the reasons for such a big move. Was the job you held interesting enough? Were you happy? Did you get along with the atmosphere out there? Was your boss helpful?
Should you accept the termination?Always try to negotiate your termination instead of just accepting it. When given a "pink slip", signifying termination of employment, let your employer know that two weeks or less is not enough to get all your affairs in order especially if you have been with the company for a significant length of time. Request some more time before your employer's proposed date of termination. Never threaten your employer with litigation or anything else. It will get you nowhere. If your employer still gives you a two-week termination notice, then at least try and negotiate a larger severance pay and/or extended medical benefits than what your employer is offering. Any small gain will work in your favour. If you disagree with your company employment evaluation, put your disagreement in "writing" right on the evaluation itself, this way your disagreement automatically becomes part of your personnel file. This will help if you need the file in the future to help determine the fairness of your employer's termination policy against you.
Does being terminated call for the formalities of a normal resignation?Now this is an important question. Yes! It more or less calls for the same calm and dignity as your resignation from a job. Its all the more important to be focussed and careful in this situation as you have to build up a reference and relationship with your employer that convinces them that although you could make no significant contribution in the current organisation, you might be an asset to another one. Be apologetic, if you ended up with a harsh verbal exchange with your boss. Keep cool and tell them that it just happened and you never really meant to be that rude or unprofessional. Again an exit interview could be the best forum for you to explain and clarify yourself. Just hide that tint of anger and rejection and utilise the occasion to get a clean chit for yourself.
Should you mention your termination to future employers? This is a tricky situation. In case you mention your termination you have to face all those speculative eyes and 'whys' and 'hows' which you may not be able to answer suitably. And in case you lie you always live under the threat of the time when people come to know of the reality.
You may choose to omit the organisation from where you were fired, or you may not have a choice because the gap in your resume might be inexplicable. This calls for a deep thought and honest action.
Be honest - as the old cliche goes "honesty is the best policy." One lie begets another lie and you will just continuously lie during the course of the interview process.
Be creative - come up with answers that will make your exit with your previous employer not as bad.
Never say "terminated." Tell them you resigned due to reasons like "professional differences with my superior," "no potential growth" etc. Being creative doesn't necessarily mean that you are lying. It's rather more of justifying why you have left them.
Be prepared with an answer when an interviewer asks you why you left your last job. Make sure you can articulate why your last job didn't work out and what you have learned from the experience.
Never blame or disparage the employer, simply state the facts and move on. Make them aware that this was a one off occurrence and put it down to experience.
It is naive to expect that your working life will always run without a hiccup. Keep looking ahead and keep a positive and upbeat mental attitude.
Be prepared emotionally and remember failures are a stepping-stone to success.
SAMPLE RESIGNATION LETTER
Dear _________________,
This letter is to let you know that I am concluding my employment with (company) effective (date).
The time I have spent at (company) has been most rewarding and helpful in my career, and I hope that my contributions to the company have been constructive. My relationship with you has always been professional, warm and result oriented.
I have accepted a position that will enhance my career growth and will expose me to challenges and opportunities, which I believe, are in my best interest.
(Boss' first name), I have the utmost respect for you and wish nothing but the best for you and the company. If I can be of any special assistance during my final two weeks, please feel free to let me know.
Sincerely
Leaving an organisation requires style, technique and certain savoir-faire says Aditi Joshi.
Bidding a final adios to your organization is an art. There are two ways in which an employee parts company with his organisation.
a) When an employee decides to tender his or her resignation.b) When the organisation decides to fire an employee.
Both parting involve some trauma for the employers and the employees. Those leaving a company are never quite sure of how to resign in the most amicable way from their soon-to-be ex employers, while those who have been given the pink slip are unsure about how much they should reveal about their past to their future employers. Here are some do's and don'ts to follow when you are crafting your resignation letter or have just been handed the pink slip.
A) What to do if you plan to resignWhen an employee decides to leave an organisation, his formal break comes in the form of a resignation letter. You have to be careful while drafting a resignation letter. Your current employer will feature on your resume for years to come and you never know when you may need a recommendation from him. A good resignation letter will help set the stage for a smooth transition from one job to the next.
Here are a few tips that might help you draft such a resignation letter and what to do if you are fired from your job-
Keep it Short & Simple (KISS principle): Use a simple format. A simple, "I resign..." statement is powerful enough in itself. Whether it is one sentence or three pages, it should be direct and clear. Start out by stating the obvious.
Your resignation letter should have the following essentials.
*The date of your last day of work and your new e-mail address.
*The postal address to which any correspondence can be forwarded and a phone number where you can be reached.
Give Prior Notice: Always give prior notice before you quit your current job. Generally, it is a good idea to give two weeks notice before ceasing to work to complete all your pending work and allow your successor to take over with out any hassle.
"Term of notification depends from company to company, so one should make it a point to submit the same within the set time limit" says Sarika HR manager of a reputed company. However, there might be times when you are required to join the next job immediately. In that case you can talk to your boss and the HR manager. Don't simply declare that you are quitting as it may have negative implications specially when approached for a ref check. Let your current employer know how important this new job is for you, discuss with them how best you could complete the resignation formalities, as you cannot miss the opportunity.
Reconsider Your Options BEFORE Resigning:Your company might ask you to reconsider your resignation by offering some real value added offers. If you accept you may leave an impression that you are quitting your job only for money. Be prepared mentally to avoid such offers before giving your resignation letter. This may leave an impression that it's only the money that is forcing you to quit your job. Tell them that you've found an opportunity that fits you better and that your decision is final.
Remember The Good Times: No matter what designation you held, no matter what department you worked in, the bottom line remains that you offered your services to your organisation and enjoyed the services of the same in return. You might have had some good experiences and some bad ones as well. When writing your resignation keep all the good things you enjoyed in front. Understand that there existed a professional relationship between you and your employer and be respectful towards it.
Be Honest Not Cruel: Even if you are leaving the job under less than desirable circumstances, avoid letting your feelings show in your resignation letter. Resist the temptation to badmouth and let off steam. Keep your reasons and other unnecessary statements out of your letter of resignation. Don't use the resignation letter as the vehicle to tell your boss what you really thought of them. It is never polite to include personal remarks in a resignation letter. If you genuinely have difference of opinion with your boss, save the communication for some other time and place. Never commit these thoughts to paper - your comments will remain in your personnel file and may come back to haunt you.
The Exit Interview: Some companies these days arrange for an exit interview. This is the best forum to put all your feelings (bad/ good) in front of your employer. If you have some constructive criticism that you'd like to share with your boss before you leave, the best place to do this would be in the Exit Interview. All that you need to do is to give a soft and lighthearted comment how things just went the other way and created problems.
Ensure A Smooth Takeover: Make sure that you've completed any outstanding tasks and participated in the smooth handover of any unfinished work. Ensure that your boss knows that you've actively participated in this process and that you have been as co-operative as possible. Ensure full settlement for any outstanding salary, holiday entitlement and commission payments that are due to you.
Keep in touch: Take time out to speak to all of your colleagues and associates. Make positive comments about their contribution during your time at the office. Try and remain in touch because you never know when they'll be useful to your personal and career development in the future.
B) What to do when you get firedWhat should you do when the job quits you? Being fired from a job is a sensitive issue and you need to handle it with care. Read on to find out more-
What does it mean? Getting fired doesn't make you a failure it's just a signal to show you that either the job didn't quite fit you or you never fitted the job. It is just an occasion to learn from the past, execute in the present and remember for the future. As long as you know that you're a good worker, with skills that add value to an organisation, with intelligence and enthusiasm and that you're pursuing the right new job for the right reasons, you can get over the "I was fired" hump.
How to deal with such a situation?Getting fired is an emotional matter. It is stressful and hard to accept that you are fired. It may initially be discouraging, shameful and haunting. But then you need to keep calm and work out the reasons for such a big move. Was the job you held interesting enough? Were you happy? Did you get along with the atmosphere out there? Was your boss helpful?
Should you accept the termination?Always try to negotiate your termination instead of just accepting it. When given a "pink slip", signifying termination of employment, let your employer know that two weeks or less is not enough to get all your affairs in order especially if you have been with the company for a significant length of time. Request some more time before your employer's proposed date of termination. Never threaten your employer with litigation or anything else. It will get you nowhere. If your employer still gives you a two-week termination notice, then at least try and negotiate a larger severance pay and/or extended medical benefits than what your employer is offering. Any small gain will work in your favour. If you disagree with your company employment evaluation, put your disagreement in "writing" right on the evaluation itself, this way your disagreement automatically becomes part of your personnel file. This will help if you need the file in the future to help determine the fairness of your employer's termination policy against you.
Does being terminated call for the formalities of a normal resignation?Now this is an important question. Yes! It more or less calls for the same calm and dignity as your resignation from a job. Its all the more important to be focussed and careful in this situation as you have to build up a reference and relationship with your employer that convinces them that although you could make no significant contribution in the current organisation, you might be an asset to another one. Be apologetic, if you ended up with a harsh verbal exchange with your boss. Keep cool and tell them that it just happened and you never really meant to be that rude or unprofessional. Again an exit interview could be the best forum for you to explain and clarify yourself. Just hide that tint of anger and rejection and utilise the occasion to get a clean chit for yourself.
Should you mention your termination to future employers? This is a tricky situation. In case you mention your termination you have to face all those speculative eyes and 'whys' and 'hows' which you may not be able to answer suitably. And in case you lie you always live under the threat of the time when people come to know of the reality.
You may choose to omit the organisation from where you were fired, or you may not have a choice because the gap in your resume might be inexplicable. This calls for a deep thought and honest action.
Be honest - as the old cliche goes "honesty is the best policy." One lie begets another lie and you will just continuously lie during the course of the interview process.
Be creative - come up with answers that will make your exit with your previous employer not as bad.
Never say "terminated." Tell them you resigned due to reasons like "professional differences with my superior," "no potential growth" etc. Being creative doesn't necessarily mean that you are lying. It's rather more of justifying why you have left them.
Be prepared with an answer when an interviewer asks you why you left your last job. Make sure you can articulate why your last job didn't work out and what you have learned from the experience.
Never blame or disparage the employer, simply state the facts and move on. Make them aware that this was a one off occurrence and put it down to experience.
It is naive to expect that your working life will always run without a hiccup. Keep looking ahead and keep a positive and upbeat mental attitude.
Be prepared emotionally and remember failures are a stepping-stone to success.
SAMPLE RESIGNATION LETTER
Dear _________________,
This letter is to let you know that I am concluding my employment with (company) effective (date).
The time I have spent at (company) has been most rewarding and helpful in my career, and I hope that my contributions to the company have been constructive. My relationship with you has always been professional, warm and result oriented.
I have accepted a position that will enhance my career growth and will expose me to challenges and opportunities, which I believe, are in my best interest.
(Boss' first name), I have the utmost respect for you and wish nothing but the best for you and the company. If I can be of any special assistance during my final two weeks, please feel free to let me know.
Sincerely
2008년 4월 7일 월요일
IMF to sell 400 tons of Gold
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The International Monetary Fund's executive board has approved a broad financial overhaul plan that could lead to the eventual sale of a little over 400 tons of its substantial gold supplies.
Under the plan, the IMF would sell the 403 tons of gold for about $11 billion over several years.
The sale cannot occur without congressional approval as well as legislative action in many of the 184 other nations that are members of the Washington-based lending institution.
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed the board's decision Monday to propose a new framework for the fund, designed to close a projected $400 million budget deficit over the next few years.
It is "a landmark agreement that will put the institution on a solid financial footing and modernize the IMF's structure and operations," he said in a statement.
The budget proposal includes sharp spending cuts of $100 million over the next three years that will include up to 100 staff dismissals.
"We have made difficult but necessary choices to close the projected income shortfall and put the fund's finances on a sustainable basis, but in the end it will make the fund more focused, efficient and cost-effective in serving our members," said Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister.
The IMF said the board agreed to revamp the fund's income model from one that primarily relies on lending to one that generates money from various sources.
During the 1990s, the IMF lent billions to countries in Asia and Latin America that were facing financial crises and financed its operations on interest from those loans. In recent years, IMF lending has dried up as many of those countries have built up reserves to prevent them from having to borrow again from the IMF, which often puts severe restrictions and conditions on its loans. The declining interest payments led to the IMF's budget gap.
Actual sale of the gold cannot start immediately because the U.S. member on the IMF board cannot vote for it until Congress approves. Congress has made approval conditional on a broad range of operational changes that Strauss-Khan has pledged to carry out to preserve the relevancy of the 64-year-old organization, whose mission is to promote global financial stability.
Under the plan, the IMF would sell the 403 tons, or nearly 13 million ounces, of gold for about $11 billion over several years. The IMF would keep $4.4 billion on its books, and the remaining $6.6 billion would go into an investment account.
The IMF, which has sold gold before, said it would coordinate the sales with central banks in an effort to prevent market disruptions.
"Gold sales would be conducted in a transparent manner with strong safeguards to ensure that they do not add to official sales and avoid any risk of market disruption," the IMF said in a statement.
The Bush administration said in February it could support selling a limited amount of IMF gold as away to ensure the agency's long-term financial stability, but Treasury officials realized this would be a hard sell. In 1999 Congress rejected a previous proposal to sell IMF gold, and the current majority leader of the Senate, Democrat Harry Reid, comes from the gold-mining state of Nevada.
Strauss-Khan, who took over last November as head of the IMF, said the financial overhaul was another major step in the organization's reform process. It followed a decision last month to slightly increase the voting power of rapidly developing countries such as China, India and Brazil, who are playing a growing role in the world economy. Since its founding, the United States and European nations have dominated IMF decision-making.
Besides using the gold sales to produce an income stream, the fund's narrow investment authority will be broadened
Under the plan, the IMF would sell the 403 tons of gold for about $11 billion over several years.
The sale cannot occur without congressional approval as well as legislative action in many of the 184 other nations that are members of the Washington-based lending institution.
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed the board's decision Monday to propose a new framework for the fund, designed to close a projected $400 million budget deficit over the next few years.
It is "a landmark agreement that will put the institution on a solid financial footing and modernize the IMF's structure and operations," he said in a statement.
The budget proposal includes sharp spending cuts of $100 million over the next three years that will include up to 100 staff dismissals.
"We have made difficult but necessary choices to close the projected income shortfall and put the fund's finances on a sustainable basis, but in the end it will make the fund more focused, efficient and cost-effective in serving our members," said Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister.
The IMF said the board agreed to revamp the fund's income model from one that primarily relies on lending to one that generates money from various sources.
During the 1990s, the IMF lent billions to countries in Asia and Latin America that were facing financial crises and financed its operations on interest from those loans. In recent years, IMF lending has dried up as many of those countries have built up reserves to prevent them from having to borrow again from the IMF, which often puts severe restrictions and conditions on its loans. The declining interest payments led to the IMF's budget gap.
Actual sale of the gold cannot start immediately because the U.S. member on the IMF board cannot vote for it until Congress approves. Congress has made approval conditional on a broad range of operational changes that Strauss-Khan has pledged to carry out to preserve the relevancy of the 64-year-old organization, whose mission is to promote global financial stability.
Under the plan, the IMF would sell the 403 tons, or nearly 13 million ounces, of gold for about $11 billion over several years. The IMF would keep $4.4 billion on its books, and the remaining $6.6 billion would go into an investment account.
The IMF, which has sold gold before, said it would coordinate the sales with central banks in an effort to prevent market disruptions.
"Gold sales would be conducted in a transparent manner with strong safeguards to ensure that they do not add to official sales and avoid any risk of market disruption," the IMF said in a statement.
The Bush administration said in February it could support selling a limited amount of IMF gold as away to ensure the agency's long-term financial stability, but Treasury officials realized this would be a hard sell. In 1999 Congress rejected a previous proposal to sell IMF gold, and the current majority leader of the Senate, Democrat Harry Reid, comes from the gold-mining state of Nevada.
Strauss-Khan, who took over last November as head of the IMF, said the financial overhaul was another major step in the organization's reform process. It followed a decision last month to slightly increase the voting power of rapidly developing countries such as China, India and Brazil, who are playing a growing role in the world economy. Since its founding, the United States and European nations have dominated IMF decision-making.
Besides using the gold sales to produce an income stream, the fund's narrow investment authority will be broadened
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