School of Mumagement

Do you find yourself with shortage of time at work? Or get jealous of colleagues who are in a similar position as yours but can go home on time and not pull in long hours? Have you ever wondered how you can go from meeting to meeting, one job to another and yet maintain a healthy work-life balance without affecting the quality of output? I was in a similar position too until I made three simple changes to the way I work and set three simple rules to my working. I have tried and tested these and the results have unfailingly been as I wanted them. In this blog, I share these with you and hope you are able to strive for excellence and work-life balance using them. 1) Switch off social media at work:   I know this is a lot easier said than done. Since the introduction of smart phones, mobile apps, large data plans by phone companies and the ever increasing content available on various channels, the time spent on these channels really  cuts into the work time significantly.  You m

Let me ask you three questions. If you answer 'no' to any one of them, then you should continue reading this blog to the very end.  First, can you learn to ride a cycle by reading an instruction manual? Second, can you learn to swim without drowning by watching a how-to video? Third, can you replicate your grandmother's cake by listening to her recipe on the phone? I certainly couldn't do any of the above without trying it out myself, getting it wrong, learning from my mistakes and practicing it again and again. Of course, It certainly helps when you have someone to coach, guide and encourage you through the learning phase. My husband and I were recently trying to teach our three year old son to swim. As I saw him get used to being in deep water, struggle through becoming independent in water and gain confidence, I realised two important things: 1) what are the failures of most management trainings and 2) the theory of arm bands. In this blog, I explore the

Every year, there comes a period in the life of managers that they either love or loathe - the time to prepare budgets! While those who enjoy numbers can't wait to sink their teeth into the financials, projections, break even analysis, risk modelling, etc, there are those who would rather procrastinate, delegate or have their teeth extracted without anaesthesia than work on the budgets. This blogs is for those who are petrified of budgets and want to know a better, less painful way of setting and managing budgets. ABC of budgeting! If you are a parent who has gone on a holiday with toddlers, who will easily relate to the parallels between planning and going on a holiday with a toddler and the process of setting budgets.  I don't want to undermine the importance of colleagues in financial and accounting professions, but the theory of budgeting can be quite simple. Infact, I would go so far as to say it's as simple as A B C. Below I will explain each one of t

The moment someone says 'tantrum', the stereotypical image of a child lying flat with their legs moving manically in the air, wailing at the top of their voice comes to mind. Yes, it does elicit all sorts of reactions from observers including scorn, sympathy, disdain, annoyance, apathy, and so on. I, on the other hand believe, it is a G O O D thing! Now now...hear me out! When someone has a tantrum, it is usually because they are not getting their way. If I take kids as an example, the tantrums come on when children are hungry, sleepy, bored, out of their comfort zone or unable to express themselves. Essentially, it is an indication that they need your attention, ... I'd much rather know that there is an issue and deal with it by finding a fitting solution rather than letting it silently fester. Even at work, it is much better that your employees, colleagues or teams vent out their frustrations rather than let it build up. That's why I say, tantrums are a good thing. I

Have you been to a restaurant, a wedding, a shopping trip or a party and heard parents publicly (loudly and repeatedly might I add) asking their toddlers if they want to go wee-wee? You maybe in the middle of a most interesting conversation when suddenly the person you were talking to, from the corner of their eye, spots their prodigy passing by and without any excuses to you, yells out 'do you want to go to the toilet?'. It used to really bug me! I found it rude, insensitive, annoying and highly irritating...until...it was my turn to potty train my toddler! I have to admit it is a milestone when achieved! Along the way though, I did realise that there is a change management process and theory in action. Just like potty training, managing change isn't easy, it isn't quick, and it isn't without its set of issues. This blog looks at the 'potty training' theory to managing and implementing change. Assess change readiness  Does your child understand what we

I remember the time when I was teaching my son good dental hygiene. He was always great at wanting to brush his teeth, he just wasn't so keen on using the toothpaste. As he got into the routine for using toothpaste each time he brushed his teeth, I realised that there is indeed a theory that can get you the results you want and bring about positive changes in behaviour. This blog looks at what I call the 'toothpaste tactics' and draws parallels to what can be done in the workplaces. First, tell them what you want them to do  "I want you to brush your teeth with toothpaste." It may sound very obvious, but the very first step in getting the results you want is to tell your audience what you want! Whether that's "X, I want you to come on time everyday"; or "Y, I want you to proof read your documents before circulating them to anyone"; its quintessential to let your audience know what you are after every. It helps in setting the expect