You Too Can Be Your Boss’s Favorite!

 Hi my warriors!!! How are you?? How were your last twenty days?? We last met on 19^th March and I hope in these twenty days you have thrown lot of honest compliments in atmosphere making life of others brighter and happier. I also hope you have stopped worrying and have taken control of the problems which were disturbing you.

There are many people who hold an utmost importance in our lives. They are our friends, relatives and colleagues. Among all your colleagues there is one lion or the lioness whose importance no one can deny. He/She is your BOSS!!!  There is a strong craving in our hearts to occupy an indelible place in the boss’s heart. This is natural as your professional life is assessed and rewarded by your boss and the success or failure of your professional life has a clear direct impact on your personal life. And time and again we hear that how executives have reached amazing heights due to their boss’s support.

Ample of times terminations were reviewed and stopped due to interference of the boss. Many a time’s annual appraisals were revised again in the favor of the executive on insistence of the boss.

Believe me your boss can do a lot to change your professional life in a positive fashion. On the contrary the boss has the power to destroy things apart too! So attempting to be your boss’s favorite is a noble endeavor and I will discuss how it can be done. Let’s see what steps lead to heart of your boss.

1.  REPORT ON TIME-Bosses love a subordinate who comes on time. I can understand that reporting just ten to fifteen minutes late won’t throw the world upside down and maybe you leave your office always half an hour late every day. But hitting your work place on time shows that you respect your work, colleagues and superiors. During the time of a promotion and an appraisal, punctuality is one of the prime factors which is looked into. If you want your Boss to love you then always be on time.

2.  YOU ARE BEING WATCHED-We feel that working in the office and in the field in odd hours when not a single person of the company is watching you is of no use. Many executives feel that it’s better to stretch only when you are being noticed. This is not true. The bosses always know that who is putting extra effort in work and who is draining his sweat out. Bosses get information from many sources. They know when you entered the office and when you left. You need not put any special effort to highlight your extra toil because they know what you are doing. So to attain a place in your boss’s heart work hard with your consent on the fact that you are being watched always.

3.  AIM AT ZERO ABSENCE-In 1999 a survey was conducted in USA to find out why employees get fired and terminated. Around 120 CEO’S of the leading corporate houses were interviewed. The answer was surprising to the core! We all might feel that the people who were below average or poor performers were being ultimately fired. No! This is not true. The ultimate reason of employee termination was (and will always be) absenteeism!!! The executives who were taking frequent leaves and who used to remain absent without notice were eventually fired. The CEO’s gave a uniform answer that an employee even if working on average or below average productivity is acceptable if he offers low or no absenteeism. Bosses love an average performer who is always around than a super hero who is seen only now and then. So to enter your boss’s heart aim zero absenteeism.

4.  NO OFFICE ROMANCE PLEASE!!-We come to our work place and meet people of our same age and interests. Sometimes our colleagues are quite attractive too. It’s natural to have crushes and infatuations. Many a times these relationships materialize into romantic relationship too. In such cases love sms’s, romantic emails and even phone calls on personal mobile phones start blooming. This might be an energizing factor for you but the bosses find it highly disgusting. They feel that work suffers due to these cupid arrows and it’s true also that work often gets hampered. The employees lose their concentration and focus on the task at hand.  That’s why bosses abhor such employees who make a club out of a work place. See, to love and to be loved is the basic need and right of a human being. But do not activate this right in office or during work. The time after work is all yours. You can meet your heart throb after work. Do this and bosses will respect you. So to be your boss’s favorite keep office romance at bay.

5.  DONOT PARTICIPATE IN OFFICE POLITICS-We often see that there are hidden rebels and revolutionists in office. They call secret meetings and gather against some set of employees or certain rules or changes. I strongly suggest that you should keep away from such office politics. It’s a distilled wisdom of ages that office politics result only in destruction of the employees and the company in the long run. If you have certain issues to be addressed or have certain grievances then the best thing would be to meet your boss and discuss. The bosses will respect this attitude of yours and would do whatever possible. But once an employee is identified as an office politician then he or she will lose his job sooner or later. So keep away from office politics to be in your boss’s good books.

6.   DONOT CROSS YOUR HIERARCHY-There are times when you have asked your boss for some favor related to job of course or have brought a certain matter in his knowledge where you feel he should respond urgently. However things can be delayed by him due to some inevitable reasons. In such a case you might have a strong craving to escalate the matter to your super boss or even higher. You might be correct from your point of view but don’t ever cross your hierarchy. Remind your boss politely and even after this there is no response then ask for his permission to escalate further. I am sure he will solve the issue himself only but if cannot then he will let you escalate it. The escalation will be in his knowledge and he will respect you for it.

7.  BE HONEST-Honesty is a type of policy which will remain the best in coming 500 years also. If you want to climb your corporate ladder high then try to achieve maximum honesty. Be honest not only in your work but in other realms also. Be honest in using your company’s property. Many a times you have a stapler to costliest of your company’s property under one signature of yours. Never ever avail it for your personal use! Bosses come to know about it and drop such executives from their good books like hot potatoes. You might get terminated even. Be honest in following the company’s policies and the execution format laid by your boss. Be honest in spreading a good name of your company in society also. Don’t ever criticize your company because remember you are a part of it. Your honesty will get you a very special place in your boss’s heart.

8.  WORK HARD-Guys there is actually no substitute to hard work. The concept of smart working is in picture since last 15 years but that is a by-product of hard work only. There are no short cuts, no influencing techniques, no power plays and no written strategies which can replace hard work!!! You have to work for long hours, you have to study your work well, you need to read more on how you can perform better and eventually you will become master of your job. You will start performing and managing in an excellent manner. Hard work is always rewarded, it never goes unnoticed. It will make a star out of you. Everyone adores a hard worker and your boss is no exception to it!!!

9.  RESPECT YOUR BOSS- Your boss is your boss because he/she has something more than you. He is definitely higher than you in some areas and aspects that’s why he is your boss. He deserves your respect and love. Always see him as an individual also. Just keep those corporate eyes away for a while and see that how this man, this boss of yours worked hard, toiled hard and sacrificed a lot to reach his current position. Believe me once you will see him from this point of view you will melt and would love him for his achievements. Never back bite your boss. He will come to know about it as people around him are dying to tell him who is back biting him. Your appreciation for your boss will reach him and so the back stabbing and back biting even. A boss never trusts a back biter. In case you become one then it will be very difficult for you to progress or even survive in the company. On the contrary spread a good name of your boss everywhere and see the positive magical impact of it…you will enjoy it. Do wish him/her on the special days like birthday and anniversary. Wish him on festivals. Congratulate him on his achievements. This personal touch of yours will secure a permanent place in his heart and good books.

10.            ACT NOW-This is something I always say that action is ultimate. So by now you have nine ways to reach your boss’s heart. So don’t wait. Act now!! Reprogram your mind with the above points and march forward to achieve your corporate dreams.

So my warriors, I have given you all I know on this crucial topic. Do share your own success stories and suggestion on winning your boss’s heart on our blog Victory and Catharsis. I will eagerly wait for your comments and suggestions and will meet you again in a week’s time. Till then be busy in winning your boss’s heart.

With Love,

Anurag

The Power of A Compliment

When I presented you my blog I said that we can change our lives by following simple practical rules of living. Yes we can do that. Today I will unfold one of the most infallible rules of living which will give you not only success in your personal relations but also will boost your popularity. It gives others a sincere fragrance of happiness and creates your long lasting impression.

It was around some five months ago in a market somebody waved me and when I stopped to see the gesticulation, the young man   ran towards me.  “Hi Sir! How are you! Remember me I am Sanjay  Gurang ,Chef at China Town! I was expecting to see you more at China Town. You liked the soup I prepared, remember!” He was bubbling with enthusiasm. I still remember that one fine evening I went to this restaurant to have soup. The soup was a bit costly but it was damn tasty. I went to the reception to make the payment instead of giving the cash to the attending waiter. I paid the bill and said to the manager that his chef was doing an amazing job. The manager felt elated and called the chef who was a frail looking Nepalese young man. The manger told him that I liked his work. I still remember the light of happiness and a light film of tears in his eyes. He was Sanjay Gurang who met me in the market. I went but remained in the memory of this man forever. Whenever I go to China Town he comes out to see me and last month he got a raise also!!!

Similarly a small stall owner who sells T-Shirts in Dadar (Mumbai) surprised me saying that he knows me. He said that he was, around some five years ago working as a security guard and I met him once saying that he was one of the fittest security guard I ever met. I never met this man after that, who even remembered my name as before entering that building premises I signed the visitors register. Actually I had signed on this man’s mind who never forgot me.

In Mumbai you can easily get tea on road side stalls what are called Cutting Tea Stalls. I love having that small cup once in a while and if the tea is good, I never lose a chance to complement the man who made it. The reward is the happiness you see on the face of that man.  That is worth the cost of hundred cups he sells!!!

Once I was getting my cell phone serviced at a shop and complemented the owner that he had kept his workshop in a very organized manner to beat the standards of ISO 9000 even. I saw that different spares, different accessories, everything was neatly kept in that shop in a very organized manner. He said that he was first time complimented in many years. He became more than happy. Even ignoring a strong insistence he refused to take his service charge and accepted only the cost of the spares!!! He installed the spares in my cell and I installed my lasting memory in his heart.

There is a power and huge power in a sincere praise, compliment and an appreciation. I repeat it should be a sincere compliment.  So let’s see what we have to do:-

ü  We all love to receive compliments and so do others. So compliment as frequently as you can.

ü  Don’t give a fake appreciation. This will put you in trouble. Make sure your compliment should be authentic.

ü  Compliment your mother, wife or your sister who prepares your daily meals selflessly. They deserve the compliment and the happiness it bestows.

ü  Praise your staff now and then that they are doing a good job. Believe me you will win their loyalty forever.

ü  Occasionally praise your wife/husband that she/he is looking good in so and so dress. Find things to compliment in your spouse and you will earn a life time guarantee that your relationship will bloom forever.

ü  Be liberal in your praise where your friends are concerned. Compliment them on their new dress, on some achievement of theirs however small. Compliment your girl or boy friend on looks to keep the fire of passion burning.

ü  Never lose a chance to compliment your female friends. A woman loves to be complimented on her beauty, dress and accessories. She will love you for your compliments.

ü  Compliment children on their studies, sports or any trait which is budding. You might water a seedling to grow into a huge tree.

ü  In case you are a manager and people are reporting to you then always praise and compliment your subordinates on their dispensed duties and whenever they strive to do good work. This will create a loyal army of yours and your team performance will improve. There would be less or no resignations in your team. Even Dr. Spencer Johnson in his management classic One Minute Manager focused on one minute appreciation.

ü  Last but not the least praise, compliment your parents on their achievements and what all they did for you. They already love you but will love even more on this.

So my dear friends you have this immense tool handy with you at zero cost. Don’t wait, go ahead!! Give somebody a sincere compliment. Do post me your own stories of success and suggest more ways of sincerely complimenting people, who after all are human beings craving for love, care and appreciation.

Waiting for your valuable comments and suggestions

With Love

Anurag

End The Problem Worrying You Forever

 A report produced by WHO says that today in the modern society more people are dying due to worry and the problems caused by worry as compared to cancers and AIDS combined. I have a very serious concern where worry comes into picture. I really don’t want you to be in these hellish fires and maddening circles of worry. I too learned to crush worry by a hard way. It happened that after college fears and worries started creeping into my mind. I was worried about one and everything. I felt that I will fail for sure as I was worried about which career to choose. I was worried that I will end up very poor thus fear of poverty too occupied my mind. My heart use to beat like drums. Unfortunately like an average Indian boy, I was brought up in a very struggling environment so it was natural for me remain worried and tensed. However I knew that worry was killing me and I should do something about it. But the question was what to do and how to do? I learnt one thing about myself that what I worry about is actually is a conscious thought about some problem haunting me!!! I learnt that this slab of worry is made of bricks of problems and these bricks can be encountered one by one. I learnt a method to analyze and solve the problems for once and for all. I give my whole hearted credit and thanks to Dale Carnegie whose writings taught me this. Let’s see what it is. You need to analyze your worry problems in four steps.

ü  Figure out What is The Problem:  Pull out a pen and a paper and start writing about the problem which is worrying you. Write in full detail describing the nature and details of the problem. When you write you perform much better as compared to worrying. This will give you a clear picture about the invisible horror haunting you. Now you will come to know that who your ‘enemy ‘is and you know that knowledge is power.

ü  Figure out What are The Possible Solutions:  After going thru the first step you will feel at bit at ease and will be able to figure out the possible solutions of your problem. Write down all the possible solutions. You might ask me- Anurag, how will I know what are the solutions?? Then my answer will be then who will know if not you? Believe me every problem has hidden seeds of its own destruction and the best part is when you try finding them you will get them. So write down all the possible solutions which can end the problem.

ü  Figure out What is The Best Solution: Now you have accumulated all the potent missiles to destroy your problem after successfully completing step two. Here in this step you have to seriously analyze that which solution best suites your problem. Select that solution and fix it well in your mind. Write down the steps  which makes that solution. Now you are fully armed with your own built and with your own designed missile to attack the enemy to destroy it for once and for all. Let’s see what the final step is?

ü  Decide When Will You Start Acting On Your Best Solution: Action is ultimate panacea for all the ailments. Here you have to decide that by when you will start acting on your best solution. My suggestion would be to start acting immediately!!!! Don’t wait!!! Stand up!! Load your missile and fire!!!

These four steps will lead you to much a happy and relaxed state of mind as your problem which seemed so big before analyzing it will perish to ashes in front of you. And you would be glad that it was YOU YOURSELF who ended the problem. It will boost your self esteem and catalyze your self-confidence. Learning to handle your problems and ending them will be like acquiring a big weapon against FAILURE.

Dear reader I expect your valuable comments on this post of mine. Don’t forget posting them!

With Love,

Anurag

You Can Change Your Life

Dear Reader,

I bet and guarantee that you can change your life by following simple practical rules of living. Whatever you want to do, whatever is your dream, whatever maybe your aspirations; believe me you can achieve that. In my next post I will let you know what you have to do and what these simple rules are. Do post me your queries and dreams.

with love

Anurag