TNI - Learning and Development

TNI NETWORKING e-NEWSLETTER

ISSUE No. 12/10 - December 2010

This e-Newsletter is issued for the purpose of networking with our corporate clients, past present and future, who may want to find some solutions to training and development of their people. Companies whether big or small may use this as a communication channel to share with us your training and organizational development needs etc. and together find human resource solutions and answers to the many problems and challenges faced by supervisors, managers, H.R. practitioners. The e-Newsletter is issued monthly and attracts no subscription fees. It is issued basically to encourage and help companies value their people more by training and developing them to achieve better performances and results. Articles on training and people development, focused on leadership and management, are either produced by TNI or extracted from various magazines and editorials. They are posted in this e-Newsletter for the benefit of corporates and individuals who are interested in developing their people, and in the case of individuals, to develop themselves for their personal growth to become more effective and efficient at their workplace. *So complete the Training Needs Form (click here) to give us the opportunity to assist you in your training requirements. You will get a reply within 24 hours.*
WISHING ALL OUR READERS AND CLIENTS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE To some, Christmas is a fantasy world of snowmen and Santas, an unreal world full of fun, festivity and perfect happiness. To others it is a lonely time, a time of sadness and memories past. To Christians it is a time of reality, a time when we remember that Jesus Christ, both fully God and fully Man, came into our world to live and die and rise again. WHY???? Because He came to bring personal and lasting peace with God to all those who put their faith and trust in Him. With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!!!
PUBLIC TRAINING COURSES in JANUARY 2011
Course Title	Date(s)	Fee (per pax)	Details
Selling in tough Times (2 days)	6 - 7 January	RM980.00	Click here
Professional Business Writing Skills (2 days)	10 - 11 January	RM980.00	Click here
Project Management	12 - 13 January	RM980.00	Click here
Developing Yourself Towards Team Leadership & Beyond. (2 days)	17 - 18 January	RM980.00	Click here
Competency-Based Management - Essential Competencies for Senior Management. (3 days)	3 - 5 January	RM1,480.00	Click here
Grooming & Interpersonal Skills (2 days)	27 - 28 January	RM980.00	Click here
Essential time Management Skills (1 day)	17 January	RM540.00	Click here
Staff Enrichment Program (2 days	24 - 25 January	RM980.00	Click here
VENUE: TNI CENTRE, B-3-8, MEGAN AVENUE 1, 189 JALAN TUN RAZAK, K.L. OR IN A HOTEL. (To be confirmed)
Group discounts available from 10% - 20% PSMB Claimable

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL - “WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A SUPERVISOR?”

The Editorial of TNI's e-Newsletter will be featuring a series of articles on "The Supervisor's Role in an Organisation"
We hope that our contribution will enlightened and broadened the knowledge of your supervisory role as a leader so that you may be an asset to the organisation that you are working for. Supervisors of today must clearly know what their responsibilities and duties are to enable them to work as an effective team member to help their organisation achieve the corporate goals confidently and objectively.

We started the series on the "supervisor's role" by addressing:

'The right attitudes' that one must have to be a good supervisor. (Feb. 2010 issue.)
'Leadership skills for Supervisors' (March Issue)
'Problem solving and Decision making' (April issue)
'Communicating Skills – Part 1-Communicating Effectively' (May issue)
'Communication Skills - Part 2 - Writing Skills and Giving Instructions Effectively' (June issue)
'The Barriers in Communication' and 'Effective Meetings' (July issue)

PAST ISSUES

November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010

We have dealt with Module 3 i.e. "Managing People". This module has 4 sections which appeared in our August to November 2010 issues of our e-newsletter as follows:-

Working Effectively as a Team (August issue)
Getting the best from the Team members (September issue)
Motivating your people (October issue)
Effective Delegation. (November issue)

We will now continue with Module 4 - "Managing resources" which has 5 sections as follows:-

Time Management
Managing Production
Managing Paperwork
Planning & Control
Inventory

In this issue of our e-newsletter we shall deal with section 1 - 'Time Management'.

13 Timely Tips for a more effective personal time management

Spend time planning and organising. Using time to think and plan is time well-spent. In fact, if fail to take time for planning, you are, in effect, planning to fail. Organise in a way that makes sense to you. If you need colour and pictures, use a lot on your calendar or planning book. Some people need to have papers filed away; others get their creative energy from their piles. So forget the 'shoulds' and organise your way.
Set goals. Goals give your life, and the way you spend your time, direction. When asked the secret to amassing such a fortune, one of the famous Hunt brothers from Texas replied: "First you’ve got to decide what you want." Set goals which are specific, measurable, realistic and achievable. Your optimum goals are those which cause you to ‘stretch’ but not ‘break’ as you strive for achievement. Goals can give creative people a much-needed sense of direction.

Prioritise. Use the 80-20 rule originally stated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who noted that 80% of the reward comes from 20% of the effort. The trick to prioritising is to isolate and identify that valuable 20%. Once identified, prioritise time to concentrate your work on those items with the greatest reward. Prioritise by colour, number or letter - whichever method makes the most sense to you. Flagging items with a deadline is another idea for helping you stick to your priorities
Use a 'to do' list. Some people thrive using a daily 'to do' list which they construct either the last thing the previous day or first thing in the morning. Such people may combine a 'to do' list which is continuously being updated. Or you may prefer a combination pf the two previously described 'to do' lists. Whatever method works is best for you. Don't be afraid to try a new system - you just might find one that works even better than your present one.
Be flexible. Allow time for interruptions and distractions. Time management experts often suggest planning for just 50% or less of one’s time. With only 50% of your time planned, you will have the flexibility to handle interruptions and the unplanned 'emergency.' When you expect to be interrupted, schedule routine tasks. Save (or make) larger blocks of time for your priorities. When interrupted, ask Alan Lakein’s cruave time for your cial question, 'what is the most important thing I can be doing with my time right now?' to help you get back on track fast.
Consider your biological prime time. That's the time of day when you are at your best. Are you a 'morning person' a 'night owl' or a late afternoon 'whiz'? Knowing when your best time is and planning to use that time of day for your priorities (if possible) is effective time management.
Do the right thing right. Noted management expert, Peter Drucker says, 'doing the right thing is more important than doing things right.' Doing the right thing is effectiveness (identifying what is the right thing to do), then concentrate on efficiency (doing it right).
Eliminate the urgent. Urgent tasks have short-term consequences while important tasks are those with long-term, goal-related implications. Work towards reducing the urgent things you must do so you’ll have time for your 'to do' list or attaching a deadline to each item may help keep important items from becoming urgent emergencies.
Practice the art of intelligent neglect. Eliminate from your life trivial tasks or those tasks which do not have long-term consequences for you. Can you delegate or eliminate any of your 'to do' list? Work on those tasks which you alone can do.
Avoid being a perfectionist. In the Malaysian culture, only God is considered capable of producing anything perfect. Whenever something is made, a flaw is left on purpose so God will not be offended. Yes, some things need to be closer to perfect than others, but perfectionism, paying unnecessary attention to detail, can be a form of procrastination.
Conquer procrastination. One technique to try is the 'Swiss cheese' method described by Alan Lakein. When you are avoiding something, break it into smaller tasks and do just one of the smaller tasks or set a timer and work on the big task for just 15 minutes. By doing a little at a time, eventually you’ll reach a point where you’ll reach a point where you’ll want to finish.
Learn to say 'no'. Such a small word and so hard to say. Focusing on your goals may help. Blocking time for important, but often not scheduled, priorities such as family and friends can also help. But first you must be convinced that you and your priorities are important - that seems to be the hardest part in learning to say 'no'. Once convinced of their importance, saying 'no' to the unimportant in life gets easier.
Reward yourself. Even for small successes, celebrate achievement of goals. Promise yourself a reward for completing each task, or finishing the total job. Then keep your promise to yourself and indulge in your reward. Doing so will help you maintain the necessary balance in life between work and play. As Ann McGee-Cooper says, 'if we learn to balance excellence in work with excellence in play, fun, and relaxation, our lives become happier, healthier, and a great deal more creative.'

Time Management Tools
If you are practicing time management techniques, here are some of the tools which may help you in your daily course of your job:-

Lists. Simple and effective. Like all other tools they require discipline. You may need to negotiate their use with any staff who work with you.
Notebooks. Easy to overlook, but some simple aid is useful. Ideas can strike at any time and are easily lost if not recorded.
Day planners. Various sheets are available to help you plan your day. They are common sense, really, but can add an element of discipline.
Diaries/organisers. Some quite elaborate systems are available. Useful as long as they are kept up to date. Beware of duplicate diaries. Some organisers are bulky.
Electronic organisers. They can include search facilities and 'beep' to warn you of meetings etc. Some will talk to your personal computer. Paper-based systems are often easier. You can also run diary programs on you pc, some of these will print off sheets that will fit your filofax.
Computer tools. There are many softwares that lets you make notes or send yourself reminders. There are also more elaborate planning tools, e.g. critical path analysis.
Programmable watches. Can be set to ‘beep’ up to a year ahead - with a message. Useful, especially as a way of escaping from unwelcome visitors.
Year planner wall charts. Worth looking at only if they are kept up to date. They have their advantages and disadvantages of being public.
Project logs. Record of who is to do what and when. Many time management problems come from people not knowing what is happening. The important thing about all these mechanisms is that each of them is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Hand-phones (mobile phones). Everyone today possesses a hand-phone. It has now become a necessity and not a luxury item. It has in-built systems e.g. calendar, ‘to do’ list, reminder, contacts list, calculator, etc.

“LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE”

Leadership development is not just about one person at the helm driving the company forward. More importantly, it is about creating the right systems in place that allow leaders to develop at different levels in a company. The Leaders then become vehicles of change and harbingers of positive business results; this creates sustainable results.
(John Burbrid)

INTERESTING ARTICLES THAT MAY HELP YOU IN YOUR DAILY WORK
"STAYING CALM IN SHIFTING SANDS"

When major changes are planned for a company, management should “sell” the idea to staff to minimize resistance

Every organisation finds itself at the crossroads at some point in its existence. For example, when a major decision needs to be taken, or when it has to implement a change which affects its people, systems, organisation structure, operations, work culture and, most of all, its future challenges have to be faced, issues to be resolved and paradigms to be shifted along the way while implementing the change. Such a major change could be one of the following:

A change of management.
A new venture, partnership, expansion or new technology .
A new system (such as a quality system, business system or management information system).
Moving to new premises; and
Downsizing.

What are the common challenges in managing change, and how can management and line managers best gear up to face these?

Resistance to change
This is a fundamental challenge that an organization faces while implementing a major change. Resistance is usually proportionate to the impact of change to an employee's personal and/or professional life. As resistance is quite predictable, management can take proactive actions to pre-empt it. One of the ways is to sell the idea to various levels of staff, starting with the highest.
The management must tell the staff about the changes taking place at the right time to stop the rumour mills going into overdrive. Rumours can affect the morale and productivity of staff. Engaging people at all levels in decision making and making them feel that they have a say will go a long way towards helping them cope with change.
Line managers should frankly share the pros and cons with their staff - especially those affected by the change – to mentally prepare and motivate them for what lies ahead. Obtaining feedback and constructive suggestions from various levels prior to enforcing the changes could pre-empt potential resistance and enable the management team to implement the changes with ease.

Preserving the "natural environment" of the organisation
A disruption of usual practices can cause a setback to staff productivity, though it may be temporary. Some employees may feel a sense of alienation if a total makeover is done to the landscape, surroundings or practices. Though some changes are inevitable when a major directive is implemented, the management team should ensure that these are kept to the minimum to symbolise continuity.

Inculcating a strategy-supportive culture
To develop this, the management should adopt an interactive approach with different levels of staff through dialogues at various forums. Regular updates of the implementation process should be posted on all fronts. Employees are more likely to support the new strategies if they are informed about decisions, and their views are considered in decision-making exercises.

Ensuring a smooth tranisiton
This comes about through prior planning, considering all contingencies and having action plans in place with a proper reporting and decision-making structure, especially for crises or difficult situations. The visible presence of a strong steering committee will ensure that the workflow continues to be smooth and that any disputes or unforeseen problems are addressed before they escalate into major issues.

Human resource issues
The human resource (HR) department plays an active and crucial role in formulating policies in times of great change, and its representatives should be part of the steering committee driving the change. The HR team must anticipate any human/emotional issues and prepare solutions for them. It must also motivate employees to embrace the changes being implemented by explaining clearly the benefits that will result from them.
If an organisation can successfully meet these challenges, it will emerge from the change process stronger, with employees remaining motivated and productive.
(By S. Raghunathan)

TO: H.R. PERSONNEL IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR TRAINING MANUALS THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM TNI TO BE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PEOPLE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
THEY WERE WRITTEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS STANDARDS (NOSS) or (MLVK - Majlis Latihan Vokasional Kebangsaan)
TO KNOW MORE, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE. Click here for more.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCE FOR BANKERS, IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS, ETC.

TNI HAS DEVELOPED A VERY DETAILED OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES MANUAL WITH CHECKS AND CONTROLS TOGETHER WITH A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TO HELP BANKS AND ORGANISATIONS IN THEIR DAILY PROCESSING OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRANSACTIONS AND DOCUMENTS.

PLEASE CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS : 016-2161383 (JIMMY ONG)

English With City & Guilds

(Click for details)

ARTICLE(S) FROM THE INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT, UNITED KINGDOM

(Click here for more information on ILM certification courses)

THE HOLISTIC MANAGER !
By Nick Pole

Get to the point - You can forget authoritarian management techniques. If you want to tap into staff energy and revitalize your business, try giving them the needle, Nick Pole explains why more sharp, incisive managers are turning to corporate acupuncture

In a move worthy of Mr. Scrooge, a call centre I know of decided to deal with high absenteeism by decreeing that new trainees who take a day off sick during the first two weeks of their training are automatically sacked. The result is that the company’s two trainers often have to work with people who are not only in no state to learn anything but also coughing and sneezing all day. Already overstretched, one of these trainers is now on her second round of antibiotics for a serious chest infection; the other has developed that not-sick-not-well state of mind and body which includes nagging fatique, low motivation and the constant urge to look for a new job.
Contrast this with the initiative of a marketing company director I met recently who, after suffering the traumatic split-up of a business partnership and realizing he needed some help to regain his focus, followed a friend’s recommendation to see an acupuncturist, someone well-known for his ability to help harassed senior executives get back on track. Intrigued and skeptical in equal measure, he submitted himself to the curiously precise needling of carefully selected points on his body by which this centuries-old form of Chinese medicine aims to keep you physically, mentally and spiritually in tune. After a month or so of weekly treatment, he found himself able to let go of the acrimonious past, with renewed energy for building his business. He was so impressed that he decided to offer in-house acupuncture treatments to his staff. Four out of five of those who tried it found it made a real difference and now consider the acupuncturist’s regular visits as a welcome – and fun – part of the company’s way of working.
Comparing these two approaches to corporate wellbeing reminded me of a wonderful Chinese exercise in which you send a smile down into your internal organs, letting each one in turn have a few moments of individual attention and appreciation. In Chinese medicine each organ is thought of as a particular minister of state playing its role in the efficient government of the body. The liver, for example, is the General, in charge of strategy and decisions, while the heart is the Emperor, the source of our spirit and sense of who we are. Thinking of the body as a functioning organisation made up of inter-dependent parts – each vital to the smooth running of the whole – gives you, as the chief executive of your own body, a way to let all those hard-working parts of you know how much you value them. When you do it, you start to experience a glowing sense of corporeal wellbeing. In microcosm, it gives you some idea of the effect of this intriguing experiment in corporate acupuncture – a sort of ‘smiling into your organisation’ – which five companies so far have tried.

Plenty of plus points
The director of a graphic design company I spoke to was very positive about the results and now sees it as a way to keep people creative and fresh in a business where burnout is common. Having found acupuncture very helpful in dealing with a serious health problem himself, he called his staff together one day, told them what it had done for him and asked who would be interested in signing up for the three month trial. The acupuncturist visited the company, so there was minimum disruption to work, with each volunteer having a weekly 45 minute session for four weeks, then monthly follow-ups for up to six months. About 20 of his 35 staff were up for it; though few thought there was anything wrong with them at the start, they all felt they had got something out of it by the end. Their boss noticed, ‘there’s a sort of alchemy where a 5% improvement in each individual’s happiness at work leads to a 100% improvement in creativity in the company – we definitely have a happier studio as a result of acupuncture.’
The marketing company director who tried it got so interested in the Chinese five elements theory that he now applies it in assessing character types of his colleagues and clients. ‘Above all, business is about relationships and I do find that my relationships improve if I think about which element is most important for a particular person. ‘With his staff, he has noticed that the people who have regular acupuncture are never off sick.
One area where acupuncture really seemed to help – and one which is often the biggest challenge for managers – was where problems in private life were undermining performance at work. For one woman, the initial weekly sessions were vital in getting her through the emotional upheavals of a divorce and seeing the acupuncturist once a month now helps her to balance a heavy workload with single parenthood. But more than that, she had seen a growth in herself – ‘acupuncture helped me find the confidence to stand up for myself and the independence that I needed to get through the divorce. Thanks to that I now feel more like the real me.’
For Gerad Kite, the pioneering acupuncturist behind the trial, confidence is a key part of the process. Brimming with it himself, he is passionate about conveying it both to the acupuncturists he trains and to the patients he treats. His respect for the intricacies of Chinese medicine is balanced by a belief in the power of coaching; his aim is not just to get rid of symptoms but to release any blockages that are stopping someone from achieving their full potential.
For Gerad – who had a successful business background before becoming an acupuncturist – this is a mission as well as a business. He is out to prove to the next generation of corporate leaders that corporate acupuncture really works – and not just for individuals but for the company as a whole. The staff and bosses I spoke to agreed that acupuncture had helped bridge the gap between them. As one woman put it, ‘it makes me feel that the company genuinely cares about my well-being – and when the boss needs some needles, I can tell him’.
Which brings us back to the smile. Modern clinical research shows that smiling is biochemically good for you, so just imagine you are being smiled at by someone you’d naturally want to smile backto. Let the smile start where all genuine smiles do – in your eyes – feel it spread to your lips and then send it down to your heart. If you utter a mental ‘thanks, heart, for doing such a good job,’ it adds to the effect. Imagine actually getting some response from your heart and then move on to stomach, liver, lungs and kidneys and any other part you like, until you really start to glow inside. Practice this every day until you feel ready to approach your own corporate Scrooge to suggest that a bit of in-house acupuncture would make a lot of sense. If you are smiling your inner smile when you do, you may find that even a Scrooge can change.

(Nick Pole is a shiatsu therapist and mind/body coach specializing in complementary health and self-development.)

"THE FIELD OF MANAGEMENT CAN BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM HANDS-ON CERTIFICATION - NOT JUST FROM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS"
(Dr. Tarcisius Chin)

Online Training

“Do-It-Yourself” – Train Yourself to become a complete and changed person by enrolling into our "On-Line Self Study Program"

"Do-It-Yourself" - Train Yourself to become a complete and changed person by enrolling into our “On-Line Self Study Program”

Program Title LM1	Managing Self for Optimum Performance & Effectiveness
Program Title LM2	How to acquire the Management Skills to become a true leader.
Program Title LM3	How to Develop the people working for you.
Program Title LM4	How to Manage the people working for you.
Program Title LM5	How to become an Effective Communicator.
Program Title LM6	How to Use and Manage Information.
Program Title LM7	How to Manage the Changing Environment
Program Title LM8	How to Manage the many Activities and Role You play
Program Title LM9	How to Understand your Organisations Needs and Values
Program Title LM10	How to Manage and use the limited Resources available.

The above Online training modules on Leadership & Management has been launched with the view of helping up-coming and progressive team leaders, executives and even managers who have supervisory or managerial duties. In line with our effort to contribute our expertise and experience, we are offering the first module i.e. "Managing Self for Optimum Performance & Effectiveness" absolutely "FREE OF CHARGE". So register now for the FOC module. Click here to register on-line.

For your information, to qualify for the “Certificate in Management” awarded by the Institute of Leadership & Management, U.K. you need to enroll for all the 10 modules and go through an assessment process conducted by ILM, UK to be a certified professional manager.

SO, LET TRAINING NETWORK INC. TAKE YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF YOUR CAREER IN:

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
AND AT THE SAME TIME EARN YOURSELF A
“CERTIFICATE IN MANAGEMENT”
AWARDED BY THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL AWARDING BODY IN U.K.

If you wish to complete all 10 programs (modules) to qualify for the award in ILM’s Certificate in Management, the PROGRAM FEES are as follows:

Any (1) Program	RM 250.00
Any (2) Programs	RM 400.00
Any (3) Programs	RM 500.00
Any (4-10) Programs	RM 500.00 + RM 100 per program
(NB: If you register one program first and another later, the program fee is RM250.00 per program. The above schedule will not apply))

THE PROGRAMS ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:
Line managers, Executives, Supervisors, Aspiring Managers, Team Leaders, & Fresh graduates.

TO ENABLE YOU TO LEARN, THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY:

You must be able to work on a computer
Able to read and write English. Perfect grammar is not considered essential
No formal education required, but we expect the person to have at least achieved SPM standards.
You must be committed to arrange for spare time to do self study, as you are expected to complete each program within 5 weeks.

BENEFITS

You would have acquired the skills to become a complete manager and leader
Learning is made flexible as you can do it at home, in your office, at your own pace.
You do not have to take leave to attend training courses.
E-Learning has reduced training cost considerably, therefore it is possible to price the programs within affordable means of a working adult.
These programs are able help you in your self and career development.
Helps build your self-confidence and personality, so that work issues and problems can be addressed positively and confidently.
Learning is a continuous process, therefore you will get more from your work life by using the above programs to help you in whatever role you are playing.
Experienced and qualified Trainers will be made available through the email to coach and guide you through the whole process.

“THE FIELD OF MANAGEMENT CAN BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM HANDS-ON CERTIFICATION - NOT JUST FROM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS”
(Dr. Tarcisius Chin)

“LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE”

TNI is a resourceful training provider who is capable of helping employers and individuals to identify training and development needs for their people.

TNI has been in this business since late 1999, and has grown to be one of the leading training providers in town.
TNI specializes in In-House training as they are able to customize the training according to the needs of the client(s). However public courses are also available on request, as many small companies (and even the larger ones) are usually unable to release all their staff for training at the same time.
For those interested to know more about TNI you may contact us as follows:-

Contact person: Mr. Jimmy Ong
Tel. No: 03-2330 8000 (Office)
(Please leave a message if Mr. Jimmy Ong is not in the office, or you may call his mobile phone)
Mobile: 016-216 1383
Fax: 03-2330 8133
Email: info@tnimalaysia.biz or jim@tnimalaysia.biz
Website: www.tnimalaysia.biz

We invite comments and suggestions to make this e-newsletter more informative and useful, so please, click here, to place your comments or suggestions. Your cooperation is much appreciated.

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Cheers

Jimmy Ong

Training Network Inc. Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur