Friday, September 19, 2014

Strategy - How to make your employees more productive -

The Science of Productivity

"A Formula for Perfect Productivity"

"Scientists suggests a precise time for mid-afternoon coffee runs.  at times productivity seems like an organized conspiracy to justify laziness".
Looking through cute pictures at work is not a silly procrastination suggests The Hiroshima University according to their latest research and said that improves the motor function on the computer.(Thompson,2014)

Taking long breaks from work and going on vacations does not mean running away from responsibilities. studies have shown that long breaks from office "reboots the cognitive energy" to solve major problems.(Thompson,2014)

Further studies of Chinese call-center employees also shows that "tele-commuting" has improved company performance.(Thompson,2014)

"Many of us have a cultural image of industriousness that includes first-in-last-out workers, all-nighters, and marathon work sessions". Indeed there are people who start work early, leave late and never seems to stop working. However truth about productivity is that more hours doesn't mean better work. our productivity do also reduce return over time as we know we cannot keep continuously running in a race eventually we all need a break.(Thompson,2014)

Whats the perfect length for a break? A research proves that 17 minutes is the perfect length for a break.

A productivity App known as the "Desk time" which tracks the employees computer use looked into study the behavior of the most productive workers. This showed that about 10% of the high performers tend to work for 52 consecutive minutes by taking a break for 17 minutes and those 17 minutes were spent away from the computer by doing exercises, having chat with the coworkers or by taking a walk. however this wasn't the first observational study there were few done previously as well. (Thompson,2014)

The Most productive workers don't always work the longest hours instead they manage their energy by solving tasks efficiently and creatively. Such as Henry Ford after Studying the productivity of his factory which was dropping when the employees work to many hours a day or too many days in a week and later he set up a new rule to work eight hours a day and five days a week and that company became one of the profitable companies in the mid-twentieth century.(Thompson,2014)

Therefore it is more productive to work while taking breaks rather than working long hours consecutively and this t=is one factor that leads to high productivity.

Referencing: Thompson,D.(2014).A Formula for Perfect Productivity: Work for 52 Minutes, Break for 17. The Atlantic. Retrieved September 19,2014 from,http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/science-tells-you-how-many-minutes-should-you-take-a-break-for-work-17/380369/

 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

5 Essential Skills of Employability


Top Ten Employability Skills



 
Source: Crown House Publishing Ltd (2014)


These are the Top 10 employability skills that employers wish their employees to have. The skills you need to enter, stay in, and progress in the world of work - whether you work on your own or as a part of a team.


Referencing: Crown House Publishing Ltd (2014), Top Ten Employability Skills. Retrieved from http://www.thebuzzbook.co.uk/index.php?page=excerpts&catID=2

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Identify the employability skills Part III

 

2. Communication Skills

Written and Interpersonal communication is a key employability skill. Employers now expect candidates to offer more than a good academic record and degree, they also look for work experience and evidence of ''employability skills" such as communication skills, teamwork and planning/organization skills. (The University of Salford, 2014)


The Importance of Good Communication

Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills are vital to success in life. Being able to show that you can write concisely and with clarity is a key skill in the initial stage of applying for graduate positions. Likewise being able to converse in a confident and effective manner with others from a wide range of backgrounds is a key requirement in life as well as work and is vital in the initial application process.

Being able to demonstrate to employers good written and interpersonal skills at the initial stage of recruitment would demonstrate convincingly to an employer that you have an essential basic life-skill in which to succeed in a graduate position. (The University of Salford, 2014).

Communication in the Work Place

‘As communication is so central to the world of work, it follows that where communication is poor or inadequate, the quality of that work – be it a product or service – will suffer as a result.
Ensuring ‘good’ and ‘effective’ communication is a fundamental component of providing high quality products and services. Good, effective communication at work therefore is not a luxury or an optional extra but essential for success.’ (The University of Salford, 2014).

What is Communication

Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is a complex mix of both verbal and non-verbal communication. It requires you to talk to and deal with people in an efficient and appropriate manner: For example: Verbal skills include: listening, explaining, understanding, negotiating, persuading. Non-verbal can include body language, facial expression, reactions. (The University of Salford, 2014).

Written Communication
Written communication is a record of ideas and facts and can take various forms from creative, formal to factual for example writing letters, reports presentations, essays, poems, books, novels. Things to be aware of are the audience you are aiming for, language used, clarity, presentation/layout and overall construction. Remember that any written communication provides a permanent record of your skill and ability to communicate effectively, for example covering letters, CVs, application forms which are sent to potential employers. (The University of Salford, 2014).

Where to Start

Building up evidence of skills
If you are struggling to think of examples that illustrate your communication skills, think about your time spent at university.

Course work
Building up examples of your written and interpersonal skills based on your course work is a useful starting point. For example,
  • Essays
  • Reports
  • Written preparation for presentations
  • Taking an active part in tutorials or seminars
  • Delivering presentations

Think about how your written work has developed whilst at university and the different styles you might use in course work. If you are struggling in this area visit the Academic Learning Skills web page where you will find help through workshops, online materials or through one to one support. (The University of Salford, 2014).

 Referencing

The University of Salford, 2014. Key employability skills: Written/Interpersonal Communication. Retrieved from http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/communication

Sunday, September 14, 2014

COLOUR CODES 

Chamantha Ubewarna         [Green]
Udeshini Rathuvithana         [Red]
Rajitha Perera                      [Blue]
Geeshani Perera                  [Pink]
Tharindi Hapuarachhi           [Black]