A Mule's Tale

A farmer owned an old mule. One day the mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying, or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.



After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.

Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the mule was hysterical. But as the people continued shovelling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him.

He decided that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he should shake it off and step up onto it. This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up. Shake it off and step up. Shake it off and step up" he repeated to encourage himself.

No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up. It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of the well.

What seemed like it would bury him actually blessed him, all because of the perspective from which he viewed his adversity.



Source: www.motivational-well-being.com
Contributed by Mark Liwag

How Do We Adapt to Change?

In today’s corporate change, job security is a thing of the past. While we must face the fact that change is inevitable, we should also realize that many changes are positive and benefit both the individual and the company.



“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”—Jimmy Dean

There are four stages a person goes through when confronted with change. Depending
on how major the change is, you can spend minutes, hours, weeks -- even months -- in any one stage. The four stages are:

1. Denial (a "business as usual" attitude)
2. Resistance (increased stress accompanied by decreased productivity)
3. Exploration (the beginning of acceptance)
4. Commitment (moving forward)

DENIAL: Don't get stuck in it




The first stage is the stage of denial. The change doesn't sink in. In fact, you may not see anything significantly different about how you are going about your life. You continue to have the "business as usual" attitude, but slowly, productivity starts to decrease.

Let's say that you have been using the same word processing software for three years. Your company makes the decision to change software packages. At first you think, "Surely they can't mean this!" And you continue to use the old software, even though the new software is loaded and ready to go. After all, you are fast on the current software, so it makes sense to keep using it, even though you know that software will be unavailable at the end of the month. You figure you'll deal with that when the time comes.

That's a perfect picture of someone in denial. Now, at the end of the month, there is havoc because all of your files are stored on the old software, and the classes you took happened so many weeks ago that you have forgotten all of the pertinent information. Well, you can see where this is headed ... nowhere.

The denial stage is a natural part of being able to successfully deal with change but we cannot allow ourselves to get stuck there.

RESISTANCE: Expressing your anxiety



Stage two is the resistance stage. Here, people start to feel self-doubt, anger, depression, anxiety, frustration, fear, and lots of uncertainty. In this stage, productivity dips dramatically. Remember the software example? Well, now you are without the familiar software to rely upon, and you have to use this new software -- and it's frustrating! You can see how stress levels can skyrocket and productivity can nosedive.

Depending on how major the change is in the organization, this will be the stage where people will be desperately thinking about changing jobs. This phase is prolonged if people are not able to express their frustration and negative feelings. One company that was overhauling the entire computer system gave each employee a computer "whopper" -- a phone bat that they could use safely to vent their feelings about the new computer. What a great idea! It added the important element of humor.

Interestingly, companies where people are in the resistance stage and not allowed to express those feelings experience an increase in work-related accidents and missed days due to sickness. It's important to be able to express your frustration and disappointments.

EXPLORATION: Begin to accept




The third stage is the exploration stage. In this stage, you begin to accept the change and explore ways to make it work for you. Typically during this time, energy is released as people start to be creative and invent ways to move on to the future. This can be a stressful stage as you try one technique only to have it fail, but the focus has switched to a determination on your part to make it work. There are lots of activities in this stage, and productivity begins to increase again.

COMMITMENT: Light at the end of the tunnel



The last stage is the commit to change stage. You find the ideas and techniques that work and begin to move forward with these. In our software example, it's when you begin to like and use the features of the new software. In fact, you can't imagine switching back to the older one. Don't be fooled into thinking that everything is now going to work smoothly, because a new change is just around the corner. But the next time you feel yourself stuck in a situation where you are resisting the change, remember that you are going through a normal process. Allow yourself to constructively vent the negative feelings you are having about the change.

Perhaps you need to formally end the old before you can begin the new. Find a way to say goodbye to the old so that you can welcome the new.



By Zig Ziglar
Contributed by Cheq Navarro

I Will Survive!

We can’t control the stressors in our lives, but we have the power to do something about how we deal with and react to them. Feeling helpless about any negative situation is definitely the number one stressor. But there are ways that can help us cope with the obstacles we are experiencing. Spark People, my favorite website on fitness and nutrition offers some points to ponder. Here are some measures that we can include in our lives:

Have a plan: Planning is crucial for us in order to get through these tough times. Making a list of things to accomplish each day gives us a sense of control. Checking these items off our list at the end of the day allows us to experience a sense of achievement.

Take time to breathe: Deep breathing has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and helps our bodies to relax. Just taking a few deep breaths can help calm our emotions and bring us back to center.

Allow yourself time to go through the emotions, but don’t allow these emotions to define you: Suppressing emotions will not and does not change the situation. Sooner or later we must come to terms with where we are. Being angry or sad doesn’t change our situation but allowing ourselves time to go through the emotions is what will eventually allow us to release them.

Use these events as an opportunity to learn: Every obstacle that is thrown in our path is the greatest opportunity to learn about who we are truly meant to be. When we are never faced with obstacles then how do we change the path which we are on? This is how we grow into the people we are meant to be.

Lean on others: So many of us refuse to ask for help because we don't want others to view us as weak. But the older we get, the more willing we should be to let others hold our hands and walk this journey with us. Life is too short to have to walk it alone.

Enjoy the moment: We should set aside a few minutes every morning to find one good thing to be grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big —even the simple things in life such fine weather, or a friendly smile can bring us great comfort.

Let us not allow stress in our lives to define us, but instead, let us define who we are by surviving the challenges in our lives...


Like what Dr. Martin Luther King said,"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."



Source: SparkPeople’s Daily Spark, Sparkpeople.com
Contributed by Bing Bercades

E-Learning: Say what?!

Nowadays, people are spending more time in front of their computers like never before. You’d see them logging into their favorite social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, chatting through YM, MSN, posting shout outs in Twitter, and surfing just about anything under the sun.

If one can spend so much time reading Wikipedia and browsing Google, then it just makes sense that learning is possible using these tools and methods.



Hello, cyberspace!

The new buzzword nowadays is e-learning. So what is it? Entries in Wikipedia describe it as:

“Web-based distance learning, distributed learning, and electronic learning”

“…refers to the strategies that use the company network to deliver training courses to employees...”

“E-Learning lessons are generally designed to guide students through information or to help students perform in specific tasks…”

In today’s fast-paced environment, the traditional classroom setup is no longer the best option in educating people. Now, learning can be initiated with just a click of a mouse.



What’s in it for me?

E-learning can provide companies and individuals with the following benefits: increased access, cost effective training, convenience and flexibility to learners.

Increased access – Participants can have access to information anytime, anywhere. Training modules can be easily setup and it just takes a moment to log in before the participant can start learning.

Cost-effective training - Participants from different stations will be able to enroll in their training module of choice; no need for them to travel. This in turn would decrease the company’s expenses and increase manpower productivity.

Convenience and flexibility - Participants can choose their own time and pace in going through the training modules. There is no need for them to physically attend classes. They can even backtrack and review the module for an unlimited time. Hence, learning is possible 24x7.



The Toolbox

There are many tools that can initiate e-learning.

Internet – The most prolific way to engage e-learners. Simply upload the training material into your company’s intranet and it’s done. Downloading and uploading of material can be very easy. Trainers can even track down the progress of each participant after they have logged in or have taken an online course assessment.

Mac or PC? - Any desktop or laptop can be used for e-learning. Hardware has become much more affordable and accessible nowadays. Standard computer packages include cd-rom drive, Ethernet/LAN modem, and usb ports which are essential to e-learning. You can learn in the office, at home, or even in your favorite coffee shop.

CDs – A more common form of storage for e-books and other e-learning media. No need to bring heavy books to class. Just bring your favorite cd and play it in your desktop or laptop.

PSDs and MP3 players – Portable storage devices like usb drives, iPods and mp3 players also play a huge role in e-learning. Podcasts and other instructional programs can be downsized so that people on the go can also benefit from them.



So are we ready?

For us to move forward, we would have to utilize the tools of tomorrow. We can’t afford to sit back, relax and watch the competition fly past us. We have the tools. So let’s start using them.



Source: Wikipedia, Google Images
Words by GG Garcia

Effective Leadership: Managing Change

The Four Emotional Stages of Change

“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.” –author unknown

When organizations go through change, for example a restructuring, a merger, rightsizing, the installation of new information technology, outsourcing, a shift to customer focus or a new location – many employees experience a sense of loss. This is obvious if it means losing a job. Yet often the reasons for the sense of loss are not clear but the effects may be just as profound – both for the individual and on the organization´s bottom line.

Imagine working with the same people for a number of years. Without warning, their roles, but not yours, are outsourced. Or your team is disbanded and you find yourself in a new department and location.

For some of us, still having a job would be a relief and we may even be excited about the future. But the impact of unexpected and unwanted changes like these varies from person to person and is often mixed.

What we know is that most people go through four emotional changes when they experience a major shock. Test these stages against how you experienced a major change e.g. the death of a family member or friend; a divorce; the loss of your job; a major change at work; a confronting medical procedure.

1. Disbelief and denial
Initially, the change is met with disbelief and denial. "It won´t happen to me." "No, they won´t close the plant – they´ll find a way through the problems, they always have." "If I just keep my head down, it´ll be business as usual soon."

2. Anger and blame
Next, it is common to see anger and blame. In workplace change at this time some employees will actively resist the changes saying things like: "Why should I change? Is this how they treat us after we´ve worked our butts off?"
What is more risky is withdrawal and lack of concentration. In this high-risk period, watch out for an increase in accidents, drop-off in quality, absenteeism, corruption or fraud.

3. Reluctant Acceptance
As people work through their anger, they move to the third stage where they reluctantly begin to accept the changes and start to explore their role in it. You´ll hear things like: "There´s just too much to do now – how am I going to get it all done?" "OK let´s try it but who´s doing what now?" " I´ll never learn this new system – I need training."

4. The final stage
When employees commit to the change, they start focusing on the future instead of dwelling on the past. They have a clear sense of their roles and where they are going.

What are the implications of these emotions when we are planning and implementing organizational change?

1. During Denial
Do everything you can to minimize the shock. Plan ahead. Give them plenty of information – let them know what the changes will be, who will be affected by them, and how. Give them your best estimate of the likely timeframe – remembering that these things always take longer than originally planned. Give them chance to prepare themselves and let the changes sink in. You cannot over-communicate now.

2. During Resistance
Listen to what people have to say. Empathize. Don´t tell them to snap out of it or pull themselves together. People don´t want your solutions, they just want their responses and reactions acknowledged. Denying their feelings will only drive the resistance deeper and make it last longer.

3. During Exploration
Now people need practical encouragement and support. Provide training. Involve them in planning and setting goals. Focus on some short-term wins to get early runs on the board –show the benefit of the changes. People will respond well if they can see the positive impact of the change.

Watch out if the changes do not provide any immediate observable benefit. Then there is a real likelihood that people will sink back into resistance and may even undermine your change strategy completely.

4. During Commitment
Now that you are through the transition, set about consolidating the change. Implement an appropriate cultural change program. Recognize and reward people who are responding well to the change. Be careful to not inadvertently reward any behavior that is inconsistent with what you´re aiming for.

People move through the emotional stages of change at different rates. That´s why these transitions can be hard and counter-productive.

Sometimes, it is impossible to tell people too much ahead of the change because of market forces. But if people are in denial, or are angry or resistant, productivity will be low. You might see a short-term spike in response to the change but it is likely to be short lived until these stages are worked through.

Design and plan your change management strategy to recognize and support the transition phase. Do this and you will reduce the impact of the inevitable drop in productivity. More importantly, you will gain the on-going commitment of your people



Source: www.familybusinessstrategies.com - Anne Riches
Contributed by Cheq Navarro

Googling is a Skill

Google is the most-used search engine on the web. Millions of people use it daily to search anything and everything under the sun, from work related information to simply checking out the latest Hollywood buzz.

We all know about Google’s wide searching capabilities but are we able to optimize this powerful tool? No one needs to be told on how to use it but instead of just typing in a phrase and wading through page after page of results, there are a number of ways to make your searches more efficient. So here’s a list of tips to help you refine and improve your search:

1. Explicit Phrase:

Let’s say you are looking for content about internet marketing. Instead of just typing internet marketing into the Google search box, you will likely be better off searching explicitly for the phrase. To do this, simply enclose the search phrase within double quotes.

Example Search: "internet marketing"

2. Exclude Words:

Let’s say you want to search for content about internet marketing, but you want to exclude any results that contain the term advertising. To do this, simply use the "-" sign in front of the word you want to exclude.

Example Search: internet marketing - advertising

3. Site Specific Search:

Often, you want to search a specific website for content that matches a certain phrase. Even if the site doesn’t support a built-in search feature, you can use Google to search the site for your term. Simply use the "site: somesite.com" modifier.

Example Search: "internet marketing" site: www.smallbusinesshub.com

4. Similar Words and Synonyms:

Let’s say you are want to include a word in your search, but want to include results that contain similar words or synonyms. To do this, use the "~" in front of the word.

Example Search: "internet marketing" ~ professional

5. Specific Document Types:

If you’re looking to find results that are of a specific type, you can use the modifier "filetype:". For example, you might want to find only PowerPoint presentations related to internet marketing.

Example Search: "internet marketing" filetype: ppt

6. This OR That:

By default, when you do a search, Google will include all the terms specified in the search. If you are looking for any one of one or more terms to match, then you can use the OR operator. (Note: The OR has to be capitalized)

Example Search: internet marketing OR advertising

7. Phone Listing:

Let’s say someone calls you on your mobile number and you don’t know how it is. If all you have is a phone number, you can look it up on Google using the phonebook feature.

Example Search: phonebook: 617-555-1212(Note: the provided number does not work – you’ll have to use a real number to get any results).

8. Area Code Lookup:

If all you need to do is to look-up the area code for a phone number, just enter the 3-digit area code and Google will tell you where it’s from.

Example Search: 617

9. Numeric Ranges:

This is a rarely used, but highly useful tip. Let’s say you want to find results that contain any of a range of numbers. You can do this by using the X..Y modifier (in case this is hard to read, what’s between the X and Y are two periods. This type of search is useful for years (as shown below), prices or anywhere where you want to provide a series of numbers.

Example Search: president 1940...1950

10. Calculator:

The next time you need to do a quick calculation, instead of bringing up the Calculator applet, you can just type your expression in to Google.

Example: 48512 * 1.02

11. Word Definitions:
If you need to quickly look up the definition of a word or phrase, simply use the "define:" command.

Example Search: define: plethora
So keep these tips handy and use them on your next Google search.

Happy Googling!


Words by Irene Manansala

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