SELF AWARENESS

Self-awareness is the ability to understand that the self is separate from others; however, to
be self-aware, a person must be able to recognize and label their own feelings, thoughts, and
behaviors. If a person is self-aware, they can assess their own physical, mental, and emotional
states and understand there are various aspects of their internal personality that allow them to
interact with the external world.
There are two types of self-awareness:
• Private self-awareness
• Public self-awareness
In both cases, self-awareness is present, but the reasons and moments of realization occur for
different reasons. Take a look at the two types of self-awareness below to learn the difference.
Private Self-Awareness
Private self-awareness is a form of awareness that happens in a moment of realization that
doesn't involve an outside influence or event. For example, if a person watches a movie, and
they feel an attraction toward a character, this is a form of private self-awareness, as the
reaction is occurring silently within the person's mind. No one else is involved when it comes
to private self-awareness, even if someone or something outside of the person is the catalyst.
Public Self-Awareness
Unlike private self-awareness, public self-awareness focuses on a person's ability to
understand how others perceive them. This awareness can be positive in terms of being
likable and receiving compliments, but can also become anxiety-inducing in the form of
public speaking or embarrassment. When people have public self-awareness, they are more
likely to conform to social norms and to behaviors that don't draw negative attention.
Characteristics of Self-Awareness ?
If you want to reap the benefits of self-awareness, you also need to know the characteristics
of self awareness. People that are self-aware have the following characteristics.
• Wisdom – When a person actively works to understand themselves and applies the
knowledge to their every day life, they make a habit of continual learning.
• Honesty – A person that is self aware does not sell themselves short, but they also do
not have an over-inflated view of themselves either.
• Confidence – Self aware people want honest feedback from others because it keeps
them more aware of how they are coming across and how they are doing. They
already know their strengths and weaknesses and have come to grips with it, making
them confident and secure in themselves.
 • Humility– A self aware person knows that they have shortcomings. They realize they
need help from other people to help bolster their own shortcomings. They do not mind
sharing the spotlight and lifting others up.
Benefits of Self Awareness:
1. More Empathy Toward Others
More empathy toward others is one of the most important benefits of self-awareness. When
you have the skill of being more empathic, it enables you to build better relationships. We
have a universal need as people to be understood and want our feelings validated. Most often,
we need this the most when we are upset before we can listen to a different point of view or a
more logical explanation
2. Better Listening Skills
Active listening is a skill that is growing more and more scarce. The good news is that when
you start practicing active listening it makes a positive impression. This a good illustration of
the importance of self-awareness because it allows you to build authentic relationships. Better
listening skills are a characteristic of self-awareness as well as a benefit.
3. Improved Critical Thinking Skills
To start becoming self-aware, you have to think and reflect honestly on yourself and your
actions. You have to do a great deal of analyzing and separating yourself from you emotions
to come up with an objective picture. All these excersices improve your critical thinking
skills, which you can apply to many other areas of your life.
4. Improved Decision Making
When you realize how you come across to others and you know yourself as well as take the
time to listen to others, plus add in better critical thinking skills, it improves your decision
making skills as well. This is a huge benefit of self awareness. When your decisions are
better, your life is better as well.
how we choose to think and behave. When we improve our awareness of the relationship
between thoughts, behavior, and emotion, it becomes easier to regulate our feelings and
moods.
5. Clearer thinking and better decision-making.
Poor decision-making often comes from muddled thinking and strong emotional reactions.
When we become more aware of our habits of thought and feeling, we can more easily
distinguish between short term impulses or desires and long term values and goals.
6. More effective communication.
Achieving a clearer sense of what you believe and what you really want makes it far easier to
communicate in any aspect of life, whether it’s with a spouse, manager at work, or best
friend. The better we know ourselves, the easier it is to communicate assertively, to be honest
about what we would like and respectful of the wishes of others.
7. Increased productivity.
The most common cause of procrastination and poor productivity isn’t a lack of effort or
commitment, it’s interference from ourselves. When we struggle to get to work, it’s usually
because on some level our own thoughts, emotions, or habits are getting in the way.
Improving self-awareness can help eliminate many of these hidden obstacles to productivity.

Levels of Self-Awareness
So how exactly do children become aware of themselves as separate beings? One major
theory of self-awareness, introduced by developmental psychologist Philippe Rochat,
suggests that there are five levels of self-awareness. Children progress through these stages
between birth and approximately age 4 or 5:5
• Differentiation: A baby begins to acknowledge their own reflection. They may detect
there is something different or special about looking at their reflection.
• Situation: A baby begins to recognize their own reflection, being, and movements as
separate from those around them.
• Identification: This is the stage during which a child fully knows that it is their own
reflection in a mirror. They know, "This is me."
• Permanence: They have a complete sense of themselves and can identify themselves
in pictures or videos, even as their appearance changes.
• Self-consciousness: A child adapts a third-person point of view of themselves; they
become aware of the idea that others perceive them in certain ways. This may result in
feelings such as pride or shame.
How to Improve Your Self-Awareness
Meditation
Meditation can be an especially useful practice because you don't have to worry about
changing anything—simply noticing what happens during a meditation can bring greater
awareness of your thoughts and feelings.
Journaling
Journaling is a practice of self-reflection that can help you notice how you think and behave
and even which areas in your life you may wish to improve. It can be a therapeutic way to
gain insight into your life events and relationships.
Talk Therapy
During therapy—such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—a therapist works with you to
address negative thought patterns or behaviors.
Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence (EQ) go hand in hand. EQ refers to a person's
ability to perceive their own emotions and those of others. Someone with a high EQ can
effectively respond to emotions with empathy and compassion.

VISION, MISSION AND CORE VALUES

The Vision Statement
A vision statement is a statement of an organization’s overarching aspirations of what it
hopes to achieve or to become. Here are some examples of vision statements:
The vision statement does not provide specific targets. Notice that each of the above
examples could apply to many different organizations. Instead, the vision is a broad
description of the value an organization provides. It is a visual image of what the organization
is trying to produce or become. It should inspire people and motivate them to want to be part
of and contribute to the organization. Vision statements should be clear and concise, usually
not longer than a short paragraph.
An effective vision statement should be concise, unambiguous, futuristic, realistic,
aspirational and inspirational. It shouldn’t be generic but rather focus on outcomes specific to
the organization.
The Mission Statement
The vision statement and mission statement are often confused, and many companies use the
terms interchangeably. However, they each have a different purpose. The vision statement
describes where the organization wants to be in the future; the mission statement describes
what the organization needs to do now to achieve the vision. The vision and mission
statements must support each other, but the mission statement is more specific. It defines how
the organization will be different from other organizations in its industry.
A good mission statement should only focus on what is most important to the organization. It
should be brief, clear, informative, simple and direct. It should avoid elaborate language,
clichés, and generalizations and it should emphasize outcomes and the people the
organization is serving.
The Core Values
The Core values, also called the code of ethics, differs from both the vision and mission
statements. The vision and mission state where the organization is going (vision) and what it
will do to get there (mission). They direct the efforts of people in the organization toward
common goals. The values statement defines what the organization believes in and how
people in the organization are expected to behave—with each other, with customers and
suppliers, and with other stakeholders. It provides a moral direction for the organization that
guides decision making and establishes a standard for assessing actions. It also provides a
standard for employees to judge violations.
A values statement should be memorable, actionable and timeless. The format of the values
statement depends on the organizations; some organizations use one, two or three words to
describe their core values while others provide a short phrase.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
A healthy lifestyle is a way of living that lowers the risk of being seriously ill or dying
early. A healthy lifestyle encompasses behaviors that promote well-being, reduce disease
prevalence, and increases life expectancy. Healthy behaviors are purposeful choices made
that promote good health. They may include stress management, exercise, or adequate
nutrition. A healthy life looks different for everyone.
Lifestyle Choices
Lifestyle choices are the decisions made to improve aspects of life, including physical,
mental, and social well-being. Some benefits of a healthy lifestyle include disease prevention,
cost savings, an increase in life expectancy, and a positive environmental impact since
people's lifestyle choices directly impact illness and disease, social connections, emotional
health, and cognitive functions. Lifestyle choices are explored further below.
Adequate Sleep
For adults (18 and older), experts recommend a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night. Less
than 7 hours of sleep per night is linked to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
To improve sleep, avoid eating and drinking near bedtime. Keep the room dark and quiet, and
avoid artificial light within a few hours before bedtime.
Stress Management
Constant stress can be impactful on health. Exposure to stress over long periods can lead to
high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. To reduce stress, find time for
activities that encourage relaxation; this could be spending time with friends or family,
utilizing relaxation techniques, or participating in hobbies such as reading. Meditating for a
few minutes per day can relieve stress and tension.
Avoiding Harmful Substances
Smoking, illicit drug use, and alcohol can all contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle. Smoking is
linked to cancer, COPD, stroke, and more. Exposure to secondhand smoke can also cause
stroke, lung cancer, and coronary artery disease. Alcohol use can result in cancer, stroke, heart
disease, and other chronic illnesses. Harmful substances impact physical, mental, and
emotional health. Additionally, these substances may lead to dependence. Instead of choosing
an alcoholic drink, someone could consider a non-alcoholic beverage or a ''mocktail.''
Mocktails are designed to resemble a cocktail but do not contain any alcohol.
Eating Healthily
The right nutrition is necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. Your body requires a well-balanced
diet every day to maintain the adequate amounts of vitamins, nutrients and minerals needed to
maintain a healthy body.
An Active Lifestyle
Physical fitness keeps your weight in check, helps you sleep better at night, prevents heart
attacks and strokes and other health problems, and generally prolongs your life. Basically
there are so many benefits of exercising that you really can’t live a full life without it.
Powering Up the Mind and Body
Program the mind for total success. Develop a vision, a compelling future that excites and
inspires you, and focus on it daily. Don’t let anything knock you of course, or make you
question its possibility. I promise you, by taking control of your thoughts, you will improve
your life in a big way.
Life Balance
If you want to achieve a healthy lifestyle you must take steps to ensure you maintain a certain
level of balance… spiritually, physically,

WORKPLACE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Problems in the workplace can grow worse and affect your mental well-being if not addressed
straight away. They can come in a wide range of forms, like miscommunications,
disagreements with colleagues and job stagnation. In this article, we look at eight of the most
common workplace challenges and solutions to help you overcome them.
Challenge 1: Lack of communication
Poor communication within the workplace can lead to issues among employees and teams.
When there's a disconnect between what managers expect and what employees understand, it
often results in underperformance and a lack of focus.
Effective communication is a cornerstone of workplace culture and a standard operational
process. Employees must be clear on how and when to communicate, no matter how routine
or urgent the issue or task is.
Addressing this challenge is crucial for avoiding misunderstandings and maintaining a
smooth and efficient work environment.
Solution: Consistent and transparent communication in the workplace
Communication is the heart of a strong organization. It's important to remember that effective
communication doesn't always require a team meeting. Embrace methods such as phone calls,
emails, check-ins, instant messaging, and team gatherings. The goal is to cultivate an
environment of trust and openness.
For example, Slack messaging is ideal for quick queries but unsuitable for solving complex
process issues that likely would require structured meeting time.
Similarly, a 30-minute scrum each morning can effectively track work progress, tackle
common employee challenges, and set daily team agendas. However, a scrum meeting is not
the right setting for discussing team-wide changes.
Remember to set a strong example. Employees often reflect the behavior of their leaders, so
it's crucial to demonstrate transparency in communication and clear, effective messaging
across the entire organization.
Challenge 2: Unappreciated employees
Low or no employee recognition is a common workplace problem that affects the workplace.
Workhuman research has found that a common issue in the workplace is the need for more
appreciation and respect.
Solution: Develop a company culture of employee recognition
HR teams should implement employee recognition and inclusion initiatives, such as
"Employee of the Month" or leadership awards, to acknowledge employees at various levels.
Simple gestures like small gifts on birthdays or handwritten notes of appreciation from
managers can show employees they are valued and cared for. These efforts can significantly
impact different types of well-being.
Recognition benefits not only employees but also the organization. Research by
Workhuman® and Gallup® indicates that an average organization with 10,000 employees
could enhance productivity, potentially saving over $91 million, by doubling the number of
employees who strongly agree that they received recognition for good work in the past week.
Challenge 3: Dealing with changes in leadership
Leadership changes can introduce new challenges for teams that call for adjustments to how
the group communicates, works, and gets along. Shifts in leadership priorities, from
employee recognition to work hours or technology use, can disrupt team dynamics.
These shifts may reduce productivity and satisfaction. Employees and leaders must
collaborate closely to navigate these changes effectively.
Solution: Transition one step at a time
Executive uncertainty is a significant workplace issue that impacts the entire organization.
New leaders should actively seek feedback from team members, implement
robust leadership transition plans, and be transparent about them.
An open and honest communication strategy enhances morale, promotes inclusion, and
motivates employees to embrace best practices under the new guidance. To smooth the
transition, tackle challenges mindfully and track progress through metrics and employee
feedback.
Challenge 4: Poor work-life balance
In 2024, inflexibility ranks as a top workplace problem. The option to work from home part-
time has shifted from a perk to a necessity for many employees. If workers feel pressured to
adhere to rigid work styles, resentment and frustration can build.
Similarly, feeling overworked often leads to burnout, which is a recipe for reduced
productivity and engagement. A lack of flexibility can significantly hinder an organization's
performance.
Solution: Flexibility
Adopting a hybrid and remote work model has become crucial post-pandemic, not just for
retention but also for recruitment. Today's workers expect flexibility. Regularly collect
feedback to see what's working and what isn't with this setup.
Addressing this issue and building trust and engagement with new work arrangements
requires time. Patience is crucial during the rollout and adjustment periods.
Challenge 5: Unhealthy team dynamics
Competition and office politics are common workplace problems that can lead to conflict.
While some levels of disagreement and diverse perspectives are essential for innovation,
excessive conflict can harm trust, enthusiasm, efficiency, and morale. When these issues in
the workplace escalate, they pose significant challenges at work.
In extreme cases, top employees might exit for jobs with better work cultures. This situation
can undermine productivity and financial outcomes.
Other team and coworker challenges include:
• Laziness: Laziness often stems from unresolved issues or a lack of motivation.
Managers and HR must address these to restore engagement.
• Conflicts: Immediate action is necessary to prevent conflict from escalating and
affecting team performance.
• Gossip: Discussions that harm privacy or don't yield positive results can damage the
integrity of your work culture.
• Complaining: While constructive criticism is valuable, persistent negativity can
deteriorate team dynamics.
• A lack of trust among colleagues: Trust is essential in work relationships and should
be a priority to maintain a healthy work environment.
Organizations may require a continuous and proactive practice of building a fulfilling and
healthy workplace culture for employees. How would you do that? Read this paper, "Integrate
Culture and Wellbeing in the Workplace"
Solution: Improve employee dynamics
Set employee behavior expectations from day one of onboarding. Ensure that employees
understand what proper conduct looks like in your organization and the importance of
upholding it consistently.
When resolving issues, supervisors or managers must remain unbiased and address problems
early to prevent escalation. Patiently understanding various perspectives can lead to fair
solutions that support everyone involved.
In cases of unfair politics or inappropriate behavior, managers should act firmly. A warning
may be necessary to resolve these workplace issues.
Challenge 6: Technological problems
In today's dynamic world, a business's success hinges on its technological capabilities.
Working without the necessary software can be frustrating and dull, quickly demotivating
employees. Your business outcomes will suffer without the appropriate technology needed to
collaborate, get work done, and innovate.
Solution: Implement the right technologies
Gather employee feedback so your organization can understand technological challenges and
develop a plan that addresses current and future needs.
Prioritize essential systems. For instance, a CRM is vital for sales teams, while a contract
management system may be less urgent, depending on your business size.
Implementing a marketing and social media management system can also offer valuable
insights, save money, and target the right audience effectively.
Challenge 7: Lack of career advancement opportunities
To boost employee satisfaction, offer fair, accessible career advancement opportunities within
the company. Employees have aspirations and expect progress. They seek new challenges and
responsibilities to continue growing, even if they enjoy their current roles.
Additionally, a Gallup survey found that 49% of America’s working population is actively
job searching or watching for new employment opportunities, which could reflect
dissatisfaction with current work conditions or a lack of growth opportunities.
Growth is a significant motivator, and its absence can result in disengagement. Some
problems with career advancement are:
• Being passed over for promotion: Consistently being overlooked for a promotion
can feel demoralizing and lead to turnover.
• Unfair advancement practices: The glass ceiling persists, particularly affecting
women and historically marginalized groups, leading to underperformance when
employees feel stuck without growth opportunities.
• Pigeonholing: Assigning employees to roles without considering their interests or
capabilities can restrict their growth opportunities and lead to dissatisfaction.

Solution: Professional development opportunities

To effectively promote your employees, you must understand them. Assess their skills and
learn about their interests, especially when acquiring new abilities or competencies.
Upskilling and career advancement opportunities support individual career growth and
benefit the company overall.
Ensure your team knows how to qualify for and access growth opportunities. Discuss career
trajectories with each member and clearly explain the criteria for reaching milestones.
Transparency about promotions motivates employees to pursue their goals. Additionally, it's
crucial to honor commitments related to salary raises or promotions for high-performing
employees.
Challenge 8: Low engagement and lack of motivation
Although many managers and HR teams strive to boost motivation and engagement, few
address the underlying causes of their deficits. It's crucial to recognize that motivation
naturally fluctuates.
Yet, consistent patterns of low engagement and poor morale need prompt intervention to
improve the situation.
Solution: Use different triggers to motivate different employees
Pay is one of the most significant components of an employee's quality of life. But employers
can tap into other factors that play a critical role in boosting motivation:
• Enhanced teamwork
• Innovative environment
• Greater recognition
• Time off
• Bonuses
• New goals
To understand what drives your employees, ask them. Initiate open conversations and run
surveys to collect their insights. Use this valuable feedback to craft an incentive program,
plan how to motivate your employees, and address the varied interests of your team.
Challenge 9: Poor project management and organization of the workforce
Inadequate project management can lead to significant delays, frustration, unwarranted
blame, and subpar outcomes. Leadership, the technical transformation team, and managers
are responsible for enhancing project management.
It's crucial to pinpoint the root of the problem – be it insufficient systems, inexperienced
project managers, or poor communication.
Solution: Improve project management processes and systems
Effective project management hinges on clear role definition and delegation. Every team
member should understand their responsibilities, know whom to report to, and how to
communicate effectively. Additionally, project managers must excel in communication and
organizational skills to ensure smooth operations.
Break the projects into weekly and daily tasks with clear allocations, timelines, and tracking
mechanisms. For medium or large businesses, using Excel sheets for this is inefficient. You
need robust project management systems that give you a bird' s-eye view of the progress.
Doing this helps you deal with problems before they become challenges that spill over to the
client's side.
Challenge 10: Toxic employee behavior
Consistent mistreatment of an employee by coworkers or managers is unacceptable and
harmful. It undermines the overall environment and significantly lowers the morale of the
affected individual. Mistreatment or harassment can manifest in various forms:
• Discrimination based on a person's race, religion, gender, sexual orientation
• Setting unreasonable demands
• Isolating someone from better work or growth opportunities
• Blaming and shaming without factual justification
• Gossiping
Solution: Have a zero-tolerance policy
HR should work together with managers to investigate complaints thoroughly and, if
necessary, issue a stern warning or proceed to immediate termination of the offender.
Ensure that those making a complaint feel safe enough to do so and don't receive any
mistreatment for blowing the whistle.
Challenge 11: New employees
New employees can pose distinct challenges for any business, underscoring the importance of
a standardized onboarding process.
Without a defined onboarding process, employees may encounter these workplace challenges:
• Insufficient employee training and development: Lack of proper training can result
in costly delays, frequent mistakes, low motivation, and poor team dynamics.
• Feeling included: Humans are social beings, and without comprehensive onboarding,
new employees might struggle to integrate, lacking the necessary knowledge and
skills to understand the broader cultural context.
• Fear of making mistakes: New employees often fear making errors, which leads to
anxiety about being judged or mocked, potentially impacting their performance and
confidence.
Solution: Have a robust employee onboarding process
Employee training is a valuable investment. It should be an integral part of your culture,
enhancing efficiency and productivity. Beyond technical skills, emphasize behavioral training
to help manage conflicts effectively.
Employees should feel fully prepared to engage with both your company culture and their
specific job duties.
Use this new hire checklist template to ensure that new employees feel fully prepared to
engage with both your company culture and their specific job duties.
Proper training equips employees to overcome common challenges such as fitting in, fear of
making mistakes and managing time effectively.

Challenge 12: Lack of transparency and trust issues

When employees perceive secrecy or lack of clarity, their trust in leadership and the
organization diminishes. The importance of transparency in the workplace cannot be
overstated, as it ensures employees understand how and why decisions are made, fostering
trust and loyalty.
On the other hand, implementing significant changes without clear explanations can create
confusion and frustration among team members, potentially leading to disengagement.
Solution: Make the workplace more human
Lead with transparency. Regularly facilitate open discussions during meetings to review what
is and isn't working and to communicate important updates or changes.
Clear communication in the workplace ensures employees feel valued and respected when
included in decision-making processes, so make it a point to involve them as much as
possible.

TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is the process of consciously planning and controlling time spent on
specific tasks to increase how efficient you are. You may be familiar with setting deadlines,
writing to-do lists, and giving yourself small rewards for accomplishing certain activities.
Importance of time management
Good time management can lead to a healthy, balanced lifestyle that may manifest as:
• Reducing stress
• Increasing energy
• Achieving goals more efficiently
• Prioritizing what's important
• Accomplishing more in less time
• Reducing procrastination
• Boosting confidence
• Getting further in your career or education
Common Time Management Challenges

Time management is a fundamental aspect of personal and professional success, yet many
individuals encounter various challenges in effectively managing their time. These challenges
often stem from a combination of factors, including personal habits, external pressures, and
environmental factors. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for
improving time management skills and achieving greater productivity and efficiency. Some
of the most common time management challenges include:

1. Poor Planning
One of the most prevalent challenges individuals face is poor planning. This includes failing
to allocate sufficient time for tasks, underestimating the time needed to complete them, or not
having a clear plan of action. Without adequate planning, individuals may find themselves
overwhelmed by a backlog of work or struggling to meet deadlines.

2. Lack of Organization
Another common challenge is a lack of organization, which can lead to difficulty prioritizing
tasks and maintaining a clear focus on important activities. Without a structured approach to
time management, individuals may struggle to differentiate between urgent and non-urgent
tasks, leading to a cycle of reactive decision-making and increased stress levels.

3. Feeling Overwhelmed
Many individuals experience feelings of overwhelm when faced with a heavy workload or
multiple responsibilities. This can make it challenging to stay on top of deadlines and
commitments, leading to increased stress and anxiety. Feeling overwhelmed can also result in
procrastination and avoidance behaviors, further exacerbating time management challenges.

3. Procrastination
Procrastination is a common behavior characterized by delaying tasks or avoiding them
altogether. This often stems from factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, or a lack of
motivation. Procrastination can significantly impact productivity and progress towards goals,
making it essential to address this challenge effectively.

4. Distractions
In today's digital age, distractions are abundant and can derail even the most well-intentioned
efforts to manage time effectively. Common distractions include emails, social media,
notifications, and interruptions from colleagues or family members. Managing distractions
and maintaining focus is essential for maximizing productivity and achieving desired
outcomes.

5. Difficulty Saying No
Many individuals struggle with setting boundaries and saying no to additional commitments
or requests for their time. This can result in overcommitment and spreading oneself too thin,
leading to burnout and decreased effectiveness. Learning to prioritize and allocate time
judiciously is essential for managing this challenge effectively.

6. Lack of Self-Discipline
Effective time management requires a degree of self-discipline and commitment to following
through on plans and priorities. Without self-discipline, individuals may struggle to stick to
schedules, meet deadlines, or resist the temptation to engage in time-wasting activities.

Time Management Skills

Good time management begins with the right set of skills. You cannot manage your time
better if you don’t develop the essential time management skills. These skills take time to
create and will vary from person to person. Finding what works best for your personality trait
is necessary.
Let’s analyze the core time management skills and how to develop them.
1. Make a Plan
Effective time management isn’t achieved randomly. It involves a good amount of planning.
Developing a strategy for which tasks are important, task sequences, calendar management,
meetings, project plans, etc., can help you calibrate the course of the day and not go astray.
2. Create a Priority List Rather Than a To-Do List
Think about what needs to be done and prioritize the most critical tasks.
Refrain from creating to-do list of all tasks to be done. Instead, create a list of the tasks based
on priority and check off items as you complete them. This helps to drive a sense of
accomplishment and motivation. The best way to develop planning skills is using calendar
tools like Google calendar.
3. Start Early
Start your day early to take full advantage of the day. Most successful people get up early in
the morning and do some quick exercising before heading to work. If you start early, you
have plenty of time to think and plan the day. Early in the morning, you are more calm,
creative, and clear-headed. This means you have all the ingredients to be more productive.
4. Breakdown Every Task Into Small Chunks
Zero in on what you want, and build smaller goals that ladder up to your desired goal. Group
all related tasks into smaller groups that are easy to manage and tackle. Thus, you can better
visualize and take steps to reach your goal.
5. Practice Decision Making
What we do with the 24 hours in a day is what makes the real difference in time management.
The ability for good decision-making about time is one of the top time management skills.
Prioritize and decide which tasks to handle first and say no to.
6. Delegate tasks
Task delegation means proper management of tasks. Learning how to delegate is very
important in developing time management skills. Delegating work to your subordinates
depending on their skills and abilities will free up time for you and make your team members
feel valued and motivated to perform well. By delegating or outsourcing whenever possible,
you give yourself time to take on the most challenging tasks. Thus you move closer to the
goal of becoming the most efficient version of yourself possible.
7. Set SMART Goals
Set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and secured within a time frame.
Be specific with the outcomes you want to achieve and allocate the time needed to reach that
outcome.
8. Set Up Deadlines
Set realistic deadlines for task completion and stick to them. Try to set a deadline before the
due date to deal with other tasks that may get in the way.
9. Be Mindful of When You’re Going Off-Track
Procrastination affects productivity and causes wastage of time and energy. We tend to
procrastinate when bogged down or feeling bored. Break up challenging tasks into smaller
activities to stay engaged and on track.
10. Learn to Set Boundaries and Say No
Time is your most precious asset, and good time management means getting comfortable with
saying ‘no’ to tasks that are not your priority. Saying no on-time saves you time to focus on
more important things. Learn how to set boundaries for yourself, so you don’t end up biting
more than you can chew.
11. Minimize Distractions
Anything that distracts you – emails, texts, social media – can make you lose focus and
become less productive. Eliminate these distractions and take control of your time so you can
get more work done.
12. Deal With Stress Wisely
Stress can affect our productivity. We often feel stressed when we take on more work than we
can accomplish. It’s crucial to identify what works for you when it comes to managing stress
response. Find effective ways to deal with stress, including taking a short break, exercising,
meditating, practicing a hobby, calling up a friend, or listening to music.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand and manage your own
emotions as well as being able to understand and influence the emotions of others. It involves
being aware that emotions drive behaviors and impact people either positively or negatively.
While emotional intelligence can seem like a vague or complex concept, there are specific
ways you can develop this skill. Taking time to hone and build on these skills can help you
become better at building relationships and accomplishing shared tasks.
EI can be helpful when you are:
• Giving or receiving feedback
• Navigating change
• Meeting tight deadlines
• Working through setbacks and failure
• Dealing with challenging relationships
How emotional intelligence is measured
Several assessments have been developed to measure levels of emotional intelligence. Such
assessments are frequently used to identify potential leaders within an organization. The most
common types are:
• Self-report test: Relies on the respondent’s answers or statements to rate their own
behaviors.
• Ability test: Respondents perform tests to assess their abilities to perceive, identify,
understand and manage situations.
Importance of emotional intelligence
Emotions can lead you to act without thinking. Having emotional intelligence can help you
avoid those situations when you might act on impulse rather than fact. Understanding and
managing your emotions and those of others can help you be more successful in your
personal and professional life.
Emotional intelligence can play a large role when you are:
• Having difficult conversations without hurting others’ feelings
• Managing your emotions when feeling stressed or overwhelmed
• Improving relationships with others
• Resolving conflict
• Coaching and motivating others
• Creating a collaborative environment
Characteristics of emotional intelligence
Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman defines the five key elements of EI as:
1. Self-awareness
If you’re self-aware, you understand your emotions and their triggers. You also know how
your emotions and actions affect those around you.
2. Self-regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to control and adjust your emotions to create a more positive
effect. Being in control of your feelings is essential in any situation because your emotions
have a strong effect on other people.
3. Motivation
Motivation is the desire to do something. It relates to emotional intelligence because your
desires can promote different feelings toward something.
4. Empathy
Empathy allows you to identify and understand the feelings of others, which may help you to
handle workplace situations more effectively. For instance, when a coworker is visibly
stressed, you can react with empathy.
5. Social skills
Social skills are tools you use to communicate and interact with others. Having strong social
skills allows you to listen, speak and resolve conflicts more effectively. Social skills can be
used in the workplace to develop your career and are essential tools for leaders.
Models of Emotional Intelligence
1. Ability model
2. Mixed model (usually subsumed under trait EI)
3. Trait model
Different models of EI have led to the development of various instruments for the assessment
of the construct. While some of these measures may overlap, most researchers agree that they
tap different constructs.
Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence
Salovey and Mayer’s conception of EI strives to define EI within the confines of the standard
criteria for a new intelligence.Following their continuing research, their initial definition of EI
was revised to “The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought,
understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.” However, after
pursuing further research, their definition of EI evolved into “the capacity to reason about
emotions, and of emotions, to enhance thinking.
The ability-based model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one to
make sense of and navigate the social environment. The model claims that EI includes four
types of abilities:
1. Perceiving emotions – the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures,
voices, and cultural artifacts—including the ability to identify one’s own emotions.
Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes
all other processing of emotional information possible.
2. Using emotions – the ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive
activities, such as thinking and problem-solving. The emotionally intelligent person
can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at
hand.
3. Understanding emotions – the ability to comprehend emotion language and to
appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding
emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between
emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time.
4. Managing emotions – the ability to regulate emotions in both ourselves and in others.
Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative
ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals.
Mixed Model of Emotional Intelligence
The model introduced by Daniel Goleman[25] focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies
and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman’s model outlines five main EI
constructs (for more details see “What Makes A Leader” by Daniel Goleman, best of Harvard
Business Review 1998):
 • Self-awareness – the ability to know one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives,
values and goals and recognize their impact on others while using gut feelings to
guide decisions.
• Self-regulation – involves controlling or redirecting one’s disruptive emotions and
impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
• Social skill – managing relationships to get along with others
• Empathy – considering other people’s feelings especially when making decisions
• Motivation – being aware of what motivates them.
Trait Models
Konstantinos V. Petrides (“K. V. Petrides”) proposed a conceptual distinction between the
ability based model and a trait based model of EI and has been developing the latter over
many years in numerous publications.Trait EI is “a constellation of emotional self-
perceptions located at the lower levels of personality.” In layman’s terms, trait EI refers to an
individual’s self-perceptions of their emotional abilities. This definition of EI encompasses
behavioral dispositions and self-perceived abilities and is measured by self report, as opposed
to the ability based model which refers to actual abilities, which have proven highly resistant
to scientific measurement. Trait EI should be investigated within a personality framework. An
alternative label for the same construct is trait emotional self-efficacy
Four Areas of Emotional Intelligence
Self-Awareness: (Internal and Personal)
Ability to accurately perceive your own emotions in the moment and understand your
tendencies across situations
Knowledge of self: Recognizing your emotions, values, and personality, and recognizing their
impact Accurate Self-Assessment: Know your strengths and challenges. Self-Confidence: A
strong sense of one’s selfworth and capabilities.
Self-Management: (External and Personal)
Ability to use your awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and direct your behavior
positively
Emotional Self-Control: Managing impulsive or distressing feelings to limit the negative
impact to others
Trustworthiness: Displays honesty and integrity. Taking responsibility for personal
performance.
Adaptability: Flexibility in adapting to changing situations or obstacles.
Achievement Drive: Drive to meet an internal standard of excellence. Set and achieve goals.
Persistence and Sustainability. Initiative: Readiness to act. Identify solutions
Social Awareness: (Internal and Social)
Ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going
on with them
Empathy: Having an awareness of and taking an active interest in others’ needs, feelings, and
concerns. Service Orientation: Anticipating, recognizing, and meeting the needs of customers
Organizational Awareness: Recognizing the emotions, needs, and concerns of the
organization. Understanding the power relationships. Taking an active interest in the
organization.
Appreciating Diversity: Valuing the contributions of a wide range of people understanding the
influences of identities including race, gender, economic background, nationality, etc.
Relationship Management: (External and Social)
Ability to use your awareness of your own emotions and those of others to manage
interactions successfully
Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others, and providing strategies,
opportunities, and resources to build on their abilities.
Influence: Utilizing influence strategies/tactics to have an effect on behavior or ideas
Communication: Actively listening and sending clear, persuasive messages.
Conflict Management: Resolving disagreements.
Visionary Leadership: “Inspiring and guiding groups of people.”
Catalyzing change: “Initiating and managing change.”
Building Bonds: Developing and maintaining key relationships.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Creating a shared vision and facilitating a combined effort to
achieve goals.
Communication styles
While our culture plays a role in the ways that we communicate, there are several common
types of communication that people often use.
Passive Communication
The first is "passive" communication. In this type of communication, someone avoids
expressing their opinions, needs, or values. Often, the person prioritizes the needs, values,
and opinions of others over their own. So, for example, a passive communicator won't tell
their partner that they were hurt when their partner broke a promise, because they are
concerned that expressing their feelings might hurt their partner or they may hope that their
partner can tell what they are feeling without them saying it. In this style, frustrations tend to
build, sometimes resulting in outbursts over time.
Passive communication is like a pressure cooker. Frustration and hurt (the pressure) builds
and builds. Without release of some of the frustration, the pressure boils over, leading them to
explode. After these explosions, they can feel really guilty, often causing them to avoid
expressing themselves all over again, repeating the cycle.
Aggressive Communication
Conversely, "aggressive" communicators are very comfortable expressing their needs, values,
and opinions. Often times, they might struggle to see the needs, values, and opinions of
others. For example, if an aggressive communicator was upset because their partner broke a
promise, they might yell, blame, or criticize them and interrupt their partner when they
attempt to speak. This kind of communication can also include different types of
abuse (verbal, physical, sexual, etc.).
Imagine aggressive communication to be like a raging fire. Aggression (the fire) spreads and
takes over everything in its path, even if that means hurting others, kind of like a raging fire
may destroy homes or surrounding nature when it spreads.
Passive-Aggressive Communication
Another style is "passive-aggressive" communication. You may notice that this style of
communication is not listed on the above chart. This is because, as the name implies, this
style combines passive and aggressive traits. In this style, the communicator appears
passive, but communicates in subtle or indirect ways that show anger. For example, if
their partner broke a promise, a passive-aggressive communicator might feel angry but tell
their partner that they aren't angry. In the meantime, they might act sarcastically towards their
partner or conveniently "forget" to respond to their partner's text messages. Typically, when
someone uses this type of communication, they may be feeling resentful or stuck but
uncomfortable expressing their feelings directly, so it comes out in other ways.
Assertive Communication
Finally, there's “assertive” communication. This communication style, like aggressive
communication, involves being able to express your values, needs, and desires. Unlike
aggressive communication, though, assertive communication respects the values and needs
of the other person. If an assertive communicator were hurt by their partner breaking a
promise, they might calmly tell them, "I felt hurt when you broke your promise and would
like for you to keep promises in the future." They would also be open to hearing their
partner's perspective and having a conversation about it. When someone is assertive, they
do not have the expectation that they will always get what they want. Instead, the value in
assertive communication is making your needs and desires known in a clear way while
respecting input from others.

INTEGRITY
Integrity: it can be define as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
The Attributes of Integrity as follows:
(1) Honesty: It is telling the truth or being sincere, straightforward, it is also having moral
character and not involve themselves in lying, cheating and theft.
(2) Contentment: Is the state of being happy and satisfied. It is feeling fine and secure with
what you have as a result of living a good, honest and worthwhile life
(3) Truthfulness: He does not deceive or pretend. He is sincere and reject lies, being honest
and telling the truth and such a person will never cheat others.
(4) Fair play: Is a situation when one or group of people act according to the set rules without
anyone having an unfair advantage. It brings about respect, friendship, team spirit and
tolerance in our day-to-day activities.
(5) Probity: Is the quality of a person who is completely honest. It is when a person does not
cheat or steal that is somebody that possesses the qualities of openness, honesty and
trustworthiness.
(6) Non- Compromising Principle: she does something to make people trust and believe in
her, she always behaves well, act on moral value and standard that influence his or her actions
in positive manners. She will never behave in a way that will affect his or her moral values or
standard.

PROFESSIONALISM
Professionalism is a person's abilities, competence, and behavior in a particular profession. It
aims for higher standards, more remarkable performance, and better connections with clients
and co-workers. Business professionalism entails honoring commitments, producing excellent
work, and holding yourself up as an expert.
Professionalism In The Workplace
Professionalism at work exemplifies when a worker performs to the best of their abilities,
especially on challenging days; exhibits the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for
their position; exceeds the requirements of their work, and continually seeks out chances to
advance better both the organization and themselves.
 • Professionalism skills ensure a friendly, secure, and inclusive workplace. It's about
fostering an environment where individuals feel valued and a part of something. This
involves being a courteous team member, using citation tools to ensure transparent
communication, making sure everyone feels included, actively participating and
interacting, and taking the opportunity to get to know co-workers.
• Professionalism development fosters a culture of inclusivity, setting a solid example,
developing a sense of accountability, and aligning the personal behavior and values
necessary to the organization. The workplace depends on our capacity to manage
emotions rather than allowing them to influence behavior.
• Employee engagement increases the likelihood that they will act professionally.
Additionally, professionalism ethics directly impacts the entire firm's functioning,
resulting in profitability and customer satisfaction.
All of these elements will be noticeable in any profession. However, they vary in degrees in
every workplace. The judgment of professionals determines management skills.
Characteristics
True professionals have several crucial traits that apply to almost every industry. Some of
them are:
1. Ethics - Doctors, lawyers, and public accountants must follow a robust code of
professional ethics. It would be best if it acted ethically, regardless of whether the
business or sector has a formal code.
2. Reliability - It is also critical to return messages quickly and keep your word when
you commit. Meeting expectations necessitates having strong communication skills.
Always be cautious while making assumptions.
3. Competence - Professionals aspire to become experts in their sector, distinguishing
themselves from the competition, extending their education by enrolling in classes,
attending conferences, and earning relevant professional credentials.
4. Appearance - When meeting prospects or clients, pay close attention to how you
seem and take style cues from their dress. Be careful to adhere to or even exceed your
company's dress code requirements.
5. Accountability - Professionals are always responsible for their conduct. If there is a
mistake, own up to it and try to resolve it. Avoid attempting to blame a co-worker.
Instead, accept the need for a compromise when it arises and use the experience to
improve.
 6. Communication - One of the essential traits of a professional is effective
communication. Communication is listening intently, understanding it effectively, and
efficiently expressing a message. Professionals have an excellent grasp of language,
which they use to communicate ideas.
Importance of Professionalism
Its significance can be understood in the following ways:
• Sets Boundaries - Boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable office behavior
are set by it in the workplace. Although most managers encourage a fun and energetic
workplace, limits must be set to prevent disputes and misunderstandings.
• Encourages Individual Growth - A workplace where employees conduct themselves
and dress professionally is more successful. Professional clothing codes, for instance,
are accepted to enhance professional and personal development at work. This is
because professionals who dress and conduct themselves inspire their co-workers to
give their clients more excellent services.
• Increases Respect And Reduces Conflict - Disagreements are likely to occur in a
formal business setting. However, employees who act professionally and respect each
other's boundaries rarely get into arguments that can only be settled slowly. The
business also advantages diverse situations where business professionals and their
clients have a variety of viewpoints and opinions.
• Foster And Uphold Accountability - Professionally written corporate
reports, business strategies, and other communications aid in maintaining the degree
of service accountability for businesses.
• Builds Self-respect And Those In Authority - Respect for superiors, customers, and
co-workers is fostered via it. For example, maintaining a professional tone limits
dazzling and improper personal talks that can be considered rude.
Difference Between Profession And Professionalism
While a profession is a career or occupation that allows a person to earn a living,
professionalism encompasses every facet of a profession's practice. Crucial differences
between the two are:
Profession Professionalism
It is a field of study or a career. It is a set of accepted behavior at the workplace.
It is limited and specified to
However, it applies to any job.
particular fields.
Profession Professionalism
Examples are medicine, law, and Example – showing respect, working on time, and
accounting. accepting accountability.
Professionalism vs Ethics vs Personalism
While professionalism is a person's conduct that exhibits honor, honesty, and politeness
toward those competing with them in their work area, the morally right and wrong conduct
norms refer to ethics. At the same time, personalism holds that personhood is the source of all
reality and worth. Some of the critical differences among them are:
Professionalism Ethics Personalism
It is the moral values set Personalism is the mentality and
It is the conduct of the
by society and business behavior of someone self-centered, wants
employee within a work
as a standard of to "win" at any cost, and treats others
environment.
behavior. with disdain and disrespect.
It focuses on the
It focuses on the behavior
differences between It focuses on self-development and
and demeanor of the
right and wrong, good growth.
employee.
and bad.
Governs the behavior of
Governs human
professionals at the Governs momentarily win.
character.
workplace.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Company policies and procedures are a set of internal guidelines that establish the rules and
expectations of your company. They help you communicate to employees what they can
and can’t do, and how they should do it.
Let’s start with the basics:
Policies: a framework of rules and regulations in your company. They establish guidelines for
how potential issues are managed and they align an organization’s vision and values with its
day-to-day operations. Examples of company policies include employee conduct policies,
dress code, attendance policies, equal opportunity policies, and other areas related to the
terms and conditions of employment.
Procedures: the processes by which employees should deal with potential breaches of
company policies. For example, if they witness discrimination, how they should report it.
Each policy you create should:
• set out the aim of the policy
• explain why the policy was developed
• list who the policy applies to
• set out what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior
• set out the consequences of not complying with the policy
What is the Purpose of Company Policies and Procedures?
Think of your company policies and procedures as the rules of conduct of the
organization which outline the responsibilities of both employees and employers. They
aim to both protect the legal rights of employees and the business interests of employers.
They also communicate the values and vision of your organization, ensuring your employees
understand exactly what is expected of them in certain situations.
This usually includes:
• General company rules on the most appropriate way to behave (dress codes, social
media policies, smartphone use, etc.)
• Guidance for handling common scenarios (codes of conduct, attendance and leave,
remote work, travel and expenses, etc.)
• Legal issues (harassment and discrimination, etc.)
• Provisions for compliance with state and federal laws (Family and Medical Leave Act,
Disabilities Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, etc.)
• Internal work standards and regulations (health and safety rules, breaks, smoking
rules, etc.)
• Guidelines for the fair treatment of employees (benefits and compensation policy, paid
time off, bereavement, etc.)
The Importance of Policies and Procedures in the Workplace
Formal policies and procedures are essential for ensuring consistency and clarity in
any organization. They establish a clear framework, enabling employees to understand
expectations, responsibilities, and the correct protocols to follow. This reduces
confusion, improves productivity, and enhances workplace harmony.
1. Clear Communication of Organizational Values and Expectations
Formalized policies communicate the organization’s values, goals, and standards to all
employees. By documenting individual and team responsibilities, the organization
minimizes misunderstandings and sets a benchmark for acceptable behavior. This
 approach leads to better alignment and a shared understanding of what it means to be
a part of your organization.
2. Efficiency and Reduced HR Issues
Policies reduce the need for repeated discussions on common issues, minimizing HR’s
time spent resolving disputes or clarifying expectations. With clear guidelines,
employees can make informed decisions without micromanaging, thus boosting
overall efficiency and giving them time to work on more complex tasks.
3. Enhanced Compliance and External Perception
Implementing robust policies helps ensure that the organization adheres to legal
requirements and industry regulations. Additionally, they project a professional image,
demonstrating that the business is organized, responsible, and reliable, which can
strengthen external partnerships and build public trust.
How to Create Company Policies and Procedures
• Establish your goals for each policy and explain these goals to your employees.
Design an HR strategy to clarify your direction with each policy and create an annual
HR plan to guide your HR department in line with your mission and values.
• Write and review your policies. Make sure your policies cover the basics and address
any questions that employees might have. Get your legal department to make sure
everything is in line. Establish a pilot group of employees to review your policies and
give feedback. Make adjustments where necessary.
• Get management support. This is a crucial step as if your managers aren’t on board
then it will be much harder to implement and communicate your policies to
employees.
• Implement your policies and distribute them to employees. Depending on the size of
your company and your HR to employee ratio, you can do this individually, in small
groups, or at a company-wide meeting. Give digital or paper copies of all policies to
all employees and get them to sign a document confirming they have received and
understood them.
• Include policies in your employee handbook and make sure all new starters are
given a copy during their onboarding phase. If you have a company intranet, include
copies there also so that all employees have access at all times.
• Review and update your policies on a regular basis to make sure they are in line with
any changes to federal, state, and company regulations. You should also update them
whenever there are any organizational shifts, as part of your change management plan.
Which Company Policies and Procedures to Include
The company policies and procedures you include in your employee handbook will depend
on a number of factors, including the size of your company and the nature of your
business. You also need to ensure compliance with government labor laws, including
the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and
the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), amongst others.

Employee Conduct Policy

An employee conduct policy defines your expectations about how your employees should
behave. It usually outlines aspects including proper dress code, use of social media and
smartphones, acceptable behavior in the workplace, and social norms. Your employee code of
conduct policy should reflect your vision, core values, and the overall culture of your
organization.

Time Off and Attendance Policy

A time off and attendance policy outlines your rules and guidelines relating to work
schedules and absences. It should define how your employees should schedule paid or
unpaid time off or notify their managers of absences or late arrivals. It should also establish
the consequences of failing to adhere to absence procedures.
Workplace Health, Safety & Security Policy
A health and safety policy is essential. It defines rules and guidelines so that your
employees work in a safe environment that doesn’t compromise their health. It also protects
you as an employer from potential accidents and safety incidents that could land you in court.
For example, your policy should clearly define the procedure for completing an incident
report so that any potential incidents are well documented.
Aside from protecting you and your employees, a security policy helps you protect your
physical and intellectual property as well. For example, you could include guidelines for
the use of ID cards to enter your building and best practices for signing out company laptops
or smartphones.

Equal Opportunities Policy

Finally, an equal opportunities policy can help you promote fair treatment in the workplace.
This includes the use of anti-discrimination and affirmative action policies that discourage
inappropriate behavior at all levels of your company. You could also outline any diversity
initiatives or workplace harassment training your company offers to send a clear message that
keeping your employees safe and treating them fairly is a top priority for you.

CORE VALUES
• Core values are a set of personal or professional beliefs that guide in decision making,
aiding in personal growth and goal development.
• Reflecting on personal motivations, qualities admired in others, desired work culture
and future goals can help you identify your core values.
• Once identified, core values can be utilised in various ways such as including them on
your resume, aligning them with potential employers during job searches, discussing
them in job interviews, and applying them in the workplace to advance one's career.

Benefits of Company Core Values

Here are some of the top benefits of company core values you must be aware of:
Differentiate the Company
When you know what exactly your business stands for, you unknowingly portray a unique
identity in front of others. This way, every person associated with your company including
employees, customers, and future candidates will know their beliefs, thereby helping the
company to become more competitive as a place to work and in the market.
Enhanced Hiring Results
Believe it or not, candidates want to work in organizations whose core values are like them. If
you can put across your values clearly, you can effortlessly find perfect candidates for your
team. This, in turn, makes your business more efficient.
Influenced Workforce
When you follow a set of rules, it will help your entire workforce to shape their work
accordingly. This means, your employees will be encouraged to do better. It also turns
criticism from employees into a matter of living up to those values instead of an attack on the
person. Decide a few keywords that describe your values. Make sure the keywords you pick
clearly describe your culture and how your people should work to reach your goals.
Smoother Decision-Making
It can be easier to make decisions when you know what a company stands for. Say, if making
good products is your core value, then anything that isn’t up to par must be thrown away.
Improved Bottom Line
Core beliefs should never be changed, if possible. When you set cultural standards for
yourself, you should stick to them no matter what. When you do this, things go better in
marketing, hiring, and making products. This, in turn, will affect the overall success of your
business.
Promotes Togetherness
Everyone works together towards a shared goal when everyone follows the same rules. This
brings everyone in the workplace together. So, your business plan should be in line with your
core values.
Ensures Consistency
Practicing core values tells everyone in your organization what is and isn’t okay. Your team
won’t act or produce the same results if that standard isn’t written down, supported, and
followed.
Characteristics of Core values
1. Fundamental Beliefs: Core values are the fundamentals of what is good, what is
beautiful, and what is important which we hold dear. They define who we are
generally and interfere in the different parts of life both positively and negatively.
2. Guiding Principles: The ethical core values are governing principles that are
essential in ensuring conformity to organizational conduct and decision-making. They
are the sets of norms and values that give people and organizations the ability to make
choices, which subsequently helps them to keep a vision-based focus.
3. Consistency: Codes of conduct, for example, are often stable and generating, so they
are not affected by the dynamic nature of the situation or the environment. They
maintain not only the consistency of individuals but also society and business as well.
4. Alignment: The ideological components should run parallel to the mission and
objectives of an individual or an organization. These represent agents of solidarity and
upholding values among such groups, thus, defining their identity and aspiration for a
common cause.
5. Influence on Culture: Values define the overall culture and power of the identity of
every organization, motivating habits, structure, and peer relationships among
employees. They serve to define minimum levels of behaviour that people in an
organization should adhere to interact and behave appropriately with others.
Different groups of people manifest values that are unique to their individual beliefs, cultural
practices, and priorities for the organization. Some common examples include:
1. Integrity: The integrity of the enterprise will be sustained through the adherence to
honesty, transparency, and ethical norms in all actions.
2. Respect: Placing a premium on clinging to diversities, safeguarding affinity without
discrimination, and embracing of other life perspectives.
3. Responsibility: Owning a piece of the transition, fulfilment of responsibility, and
adding up to the social welfare.
4. Excellence: Achieving constant advancement, quality, high standards, and different
business endeavours.
5. Collaboration: Through togetherness, together functioning, and developing good
relations between members, the team can reach much more than the individuals alone
ever could.
6. Innovation: Fostering of imagination, inquisitiveness, and resourcefulness as the
avenue for the development of beneficial socioeconomic transformations.
Importance of Core Values
1. Guidance in Decision Making: The core values are the spiritual compass that guides
the decision-making process. The core values of individuals and organizations can be
used as the basis for making choices that are in line with the principles and beliefs of
those people or organizations when they are faced with difficult situations or
uncertainty.
2. Clarity of Purpose: Core values provide people with a guiding light to determine and
understand what matters most to them and their organizations. They can, therefore,
distinguish what is worthwhile and important for them and focus their efforts and
resources on the goals that reflect their values, which in turn brings a higher level of
satisfaction and accomplishment.
3. Consistency in Behavior: Core values define the standard for a company’s behaviour
and actions. In an organization where all the members are united in the values they
share, it creates a culture of trust, respect, and reliability as all the members know the
expectations and how to relate with others.
4. Building Trust and Reputation: Adherence to the core values is the way to create a
trustworthy and credible image before stakeholders such as customers, employees,
partners, and the community. When organizations are transparent and authentic in
their behaviour, they gain credibility, trust, and the support of others.
 5. Resilience and Adaptability: Core values become the basis of stability and resilience
that help us move forward during times of change or uncertainty. Through the
application of principles, people and organizations can better deal with challenges and
setbacks by remaining true to their values despite the arduous circumstances.
6. Alignment and Cohesion: Core values equalize the efforts of individuals and teams
through a shared purpose and vision. When all of the team members have the same
values, it creates an environment where people feel connected to each other and this
leads to the enhancement of collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
7. Personal and Organizational Growth: Following the set of principles helps an
individual and the company to develop. Through the pursuit of values like excellence,
innovation, and continuous progress, people and institutions can compete with
themselves to learn, develop, and exploit their whole potential.

CUSTOMER CARE
Customer care is when companies treat their customers with respect and kindness and build
an emotional connection with them. It’s something that can—and should—be handled by
everyone on the team, not just a customer service representative or a customer success
manager.
Customer experience vs. customer service
Customer experience, customer service, and customer care are sometimes used
interchangeably. Each has the same ultimate goal—increasing satisfaction and retention—but
some key differences distinguish them.
Customer service (or customer support) is the act of helping customers in their discovery, use,
and troubleshooting of a product or service. It also includes the processes that enable a good
customer service experience. Customer experience encompasses the entire customer journey
with a brand, from pre-purchase to post-purchase. It may or may not include contacting
customer service or receiving customer care.
The elements of customer care include:
(From most expensive interactions to least)
Field service / on-site visit: This is where a member of staff will visit a business or home to
offer a particular service. This might be to fix your satellite TV, build your new Peloton bike,
or fix your car because it has broken down.
In-branch / in-store: When a customer comes to your branch or store to use a particular
service. For example, going into a bank branch to discuss renewing their mortgage.
Phone call: Customers are routed through to agents in a contact center who can resolve their
issues. The best customer care teams free up agent time and resources through self-service, so
they can focus on the priority issues and make the best use of their time.
Live chat: Rather than calling up, customers can choose to solve their problems through a
live (text) chat platform. These can have high satisfaction rates, and agents can even handle
two to three conversations at one time.
Chatbot: An automated self-service feature, chatbots can answer everyday questions so
agents don’t have to.
User forums (peer-to-peer support): A space for users to share problems and solutions.
Self-service portal: Manage your own accounts, without help from an agent. For example,
this might be a bank account portal for you to check your bank balance, transfer money, or
make a payment.
FAQs/Help pages: This is the first line of defense in your customer care program. These
pages can divert traffic away from your contact center and solve simple, everyday queries.
Benefits of great customer care
Benefits include:
• Improved customer loyalty / reduced churn – a positive customer experience
means customers are more likely to return
• Improved brand perception – Meet your customers’ needs and not only will they
have a positive perception of your brand, but they’re more likely to tell friends and
family.
• Higher revenue / increased LTV – Higher customer loyalty, and more opportunities
to upsell will increase your customer lifetime value and boost your bottom line.
Importance of customer service
1. Retain your customers
Good customer service always helps retain your customers. It is what keeps your customers
coming back for more purchases. Retaining customers increases your revenue and it’s also
much cheaper to keep a customer than to try to gain a new one. You can retain your customers
by offering personalized experiences, convenience, and attentive customer service.
2. Encourage customer loyalty
Customer loyalty is a customer’s commitment to your business or to your brand. A loyal
customer will always select your business over another brand and this helps to eliminate your
competition. Without a doubt, loyal customers are a very valuable asset for a business to
have. Repeat customers almost always purchase more and more often.
3. Build a strong culture and reputation
A strong culture and reputation goes a long way for any brand. The culture is the psychology,
attitudes, and beliefs that influence a brand experience. The story of your company and how
your team members engage with it is what develops culture and reputation.
4. Get referrals
Where do you go when you have a problem? You turn to your network of family and friends.
Whether you're looking for a new car, a doctor, or a realtor, you reach out to the people that
you trust. The importance of referrals is undeniable.
5. Boost sales
Implement an effective customer service approach in order to boost sales at your company.
You can accomplish this by quickly handling any issues that arise and ensuring that your
customers are treated in a special way. Let them know that they are appreciated. You might
even offer discounts, free samples, and promotions.
6. Upsell products
Upselling is when you offer the customer a high priced option or an add-on to the product
they are buying. For example, you can add a warranty to a product ,or you can introduce a
newer, larger screen to TV that a customer is already looking at.
7. Improve employee happiness
While you may think that providing great customer service only makes the customer happy,
it’s important to note that a good customer service system can boost employee happiness as
well. This is because happier customers tend to lead to happier employees. Positive
professional relationships facilitate happiness for both parties, whereas upset or confused
customers can lead to employee stress and burnout.

8. Remain competitive in the marketplace

Good customer service can be a valuable selling point for your business. After all, if two
companies offer a similar product but one provides much better customer service than the
other, which company do you think more consumers will choose?
Qualities of a good customer Service
1. Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s emotions and perspective.
Delivering a good customer experience requires tapping into their headspace to fulfill
their needs. It means reading cues and anticipating what they want. The outcome of
empathy can look like treating customers kindly when they enter your restaurant,
allowing for refunds within 30 days, and assisting them in their decision-making process.
2. Problem solving
Being able to solve problems is key to customer service. If a customer contacts the
business with an issue or complaint, the employee needs to figure out why they are
experiencing the problem and how to fix it. Solving the problem at hand may require you
to be patient and respectful as they explain the problem. You should possess adequate
technical knowledge to help the customer resolve the issue, and help them prevent it in
the future.
3. Communication
Communication can occur in many forms, through various channels, penetrating
customers through in-person interactions, the instruction manual, and social media copy.
Effective communication is utilizing clear and concise language when educating
customers on products and company policies, so that they feel confident making a
purchase and feel that they’ll be supported even after the purchase. When speaking with
customers in person, body language should be positive, refraining from mumbling or
crossing the arms and looking bored.
4. Active listening
Every conversation requires a listener and a speaker. Listening to a customer’s questions
and concerns and responding in a way that makes them feel heard paves the way forward
to a solution. The use of verbal cues like “mmm,” paraphrasing, and clarifying with
questions, are all part of the practice of active listening.
5. Technical knowledge
As a customer service professional, you’ll want to be familiar with technical and industry
knowledge to help customers make informed decisions and troubleshoot any issues.
Representatives should be up-to-date on all product specifications, the purchasing
process, product or service usage, and company policies. Plus, technical knowledge is
helpful if you’re trying to upsell a product or service because you’ll be able to list out the
features of the newest edition.
6. Patience
Patience comes in handy when dealing with customers, especially if they are angry,
resentful, or rude. A heated argument with a customer can diminish your brand reputation,
especially given the star rating systems on Google Maps, Yelp, or Glassdoor, where your
business might be listed. Practicing compassion can help you deliver a positive customer
 experience. Your presence and actions can lift someone’s spirits instead of making a bad
situation worse.
7. Tenacity
Tenacity, the ability to remain doggedly persistent throughout a difficult situation, is a
quality often overlooked but very important in customer service. Along with patience and
developing a thick skin when working in customer service, tenacity is required to get the
job done thoroughly and accurately. Customers appreciate it when service professionals
walk them through the process when they need help. They are more likely to continue
doing business with you if you have ensured customer satisfaction.
8. Adaptability
Customers want to be able to reach a business on nearly every platform. Their channel of
communication might change depending on the situation. That means your customer
service needs to be adaptable. Sometimes, the same customer will contact a business
through different channels each time. Integrating customer information with a customer
relationship management (CRM) system helps to streamline inquiries from multiple
channels. It also helps to be accommodating to the different backgrounds and
personalities of your customers.
9. Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is a useful customer service skill in problem solving. Finding innovative
and quick ways to solve the problem can decrease time with each customer so that you
can help more customers in a day. It requires being familiar with different departments
within a business and referring customers if needed. Developing creative approaches to
problem solving is a skill that can be sharpened while on the job.
10. Positive attitude
Maintaining a positive approach to customer service can be difficult if your customers are
frustrated with your product or service. A rule of thumb is to stay calm and try to meet the
customer where they are, to empathize with their situation and why they might be upset.
Driving customers away with a negative attitude will only cause more pain for the
business, as it can lead to a poor reputation and a decrease in sales.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Customer feedback is the information, insights, issues, and input shared by your community
about their experiences with your company, product, or services. This feedback guides
improvements of the customer experience and can empower positive change in any business
— even (and especially) when it’s negative.
Examples of customer feedback include:
• Customer service feedback
• Surveys
• Reviews
• Sales or customer success feedback
• Social media posts
• Comments
• Support ticket spikes
• Returns

Customer feedback methods

Direct feedback
This involves asking for feedback via a survey, through digital, in-app, email, interactive
voice recordings (IVR), and chat channels.

Indirect feedback
This is feedback you gather from operational data, as you try to understand customer
behavior. This includes analyzing:
• Bounce rates
• Time spent on page
• Abandoned calls
• Basket size
• First contact resolution ratio
• Product returns
• Renewal rates
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Customer feedback surveys

Developing a useful customer survey may be more challenging than you think. There are a
ton of questions you could ask customers
Email and customer contact forms
Email is one of the easiest ways to gather candid customer feedback. Because it’s a support
channel for most companies, you can use each interaction as an opportunity to gather
feedback.
Customer interviews
Customer interviews help businesses get a better sense of customer behavior, their feelings,
and the solutions they’re looking for.
The goal during a customer interview is to uncover the problem(s) the customer is facing and
fix it with a solution. You can structure interviews in two ways:
• Planned interviews are set up in advance with predetermined questions that pertain to
an interaction with your industry or business.
• Ad hoc interviews are real-time, in-the-moment conversations with the customer
about specific experiences and events.
Customer focus groups
A customer focus group is an in-person meetup with customers to discuss their wants, needs,
and perceptions. Focus groups can help businesses navigate a range of issues, such as brand
messaging, product solutions, and strategic decisions. Customer focus groups are quick,
simple, and inexpensive. Plus, customers can collaborate and build on one another’s thoughts,
helping to stimulate the conversation further than if it was a one-on-one meeting.
Social listening
Social media has become an increasingly important channel for customer service, and it’s
quickly become one of the best ways to get customer feedback. While comments on social
media channels tend to be honest, they’re not always positive. But this doesn’t mean
companies should abandon popular platforms.
Online reviews
There’s a lot of untapped potential in the online review. Whether you gather and display
customer product feedback on your company’s e-commerce site, or track customer reviews of
experiences and services on a third-party review

CUSTOMER OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Customer outreach is the process of identifying what types of clients you want to sign for
your agency and then creating a plan to make yourself known to them.
Successful customer outreach benefits
1. Brand authority and awareness
Brand authority and awareness are the standout benefits of a successful outreach strategy. The
more people you impress with your outreach, the more exposure your brand gets.
Ultimately, people share their thoughts with others, and customers who have good things to
say about a business get the word of mouth going.
2. Increased revenue
Conversions lead to sales, and businesses grow, having more room to reinvest money in
various marketing campaigns, including outreach.
It's also worth pointing out that more revenue attracts attention from investors who are more
likely to invest in a healthy business.
3. Customer loyalty
Great outreach leads to customer loyalty. Your messages aren't just cold emails, for instance.
Nurturing relationships with current customers and making them happy are critical as well.
Reach out to them and offer exclusive discounts. Create a newsletter that covers bits that
might interest your audience. Take advantage of every asset you can to encourage customer
loyalty.
4. Potential for new long-term relationships
A successful outreach strategy could lead to business opportunities. A customer may turn out
to be a valuable asset for future opportunities ventures. Don’tDo not discard it as a possibility.
The whole idea is akin to influencer marketing. You are not reaching out to social media
celebrities directly, but if you find potential partners and build relationships, there's room for
ways to collaborate and build a stronger presence.
5. More customer feedback
Releasing a new product or looking for ways to upgrade your current goods can be tricky. It's
where reaching out to customers and asking for feedback is handy.
Honest shoppers are less likely to be biased. Not to mention that they also bring different
perspectives, sharing ideas you would not find anywhere.
6. Chance to promote content
You could use your outreach strategy as a channel if you collaborate with content creators and
want to strengthen your relationship by promoting their content.
Similarly, it doesn't have to be content from others. Driving traffic to your own website via
outreach marketing can be worthwhile. benefit. Some pages are harder to rank organically,
and outreach could be the solution to drive traffic to such pages.
7. Lead generation
Generate leads via outreach. In a competitive market, engaging prospects without a good
outreach strategy is tricky.Each potential customer has specific problems. You can treat
the lead generation aspect as a learning experience. The offers you submit to prospects work
as valuable references to determine which areas need improvement in your overall outreach
strategy.
Successful outreach strategy
Customer outreach strategies are a set of practices that help a business grow by engaging
potential, active, and passive customers. Although their origins can be traced to being revenue
and sales-focused, many organizations have recalibrated their efforts to focus on customer
satisfaction, brand credibility, and user experience in the past decade.
Over time, the methods and processes of customer outreach have evolved as well. From
physical mail to emails, and today, to digital marketing, the concept and principle have stood
the test of time. That is one of the reasons why businesses all over the world turned to the
tried and the tested in times of uncertainty and volatility.
Elements of a successful outreach strategy:
• 1 Clear outreach goals
While it might seem like an obvious step, but considering the number of campaigns that miss
it, it is worth reiterating. Spend some time to list what exactly are the goals of the entire
campaign and what will be the subsequent focus areas? Is it to just get more links, visibility,
media coverage, brand mention, getting positive reviews, or all of these? Then break them
down into sub-goals, the action, the tools, and the timeline.
Setting clear goals helps segment the prospect and audience lists effectively and makes
engagement with them much more manageable. It will also help build and segment sets of
audiences in the absence of face-to-face engagement in today's world. Depending on which
stage of the customer cycle they are in, a segregated approach that aims to achieve varied
goals with different customers can do wonders. Segmentation also makes it easier to run
email marketing and remarketing campaigns with remarkable accuracy and ease.
• 2 Unique and authentic offering
All outreach efforts must present a demonstrably valuable offer that is unique and helps stand
out from the competition. Always engage customers with the intention to delight them by
going one step further than they expect. In practice this means, giving them something of
value even if they've just read your blog or discovered your website, or extending their free
trial, or providing complimentary discounts. The goal is to make the customer feel valued and
build trust.
Thankfully, there are a variety of interesting mediums and formats to establish such a sense of
connection with the customers. Traditionally, live events, like discussions, interviews, fireside
chats, and chat shows have been used to communicate authentically with audiences. These
formats, although still popular, have given way to virtual events, like webinars, round table
discussions, and digital conferences over the past year.
• 3 Multi-channel approach
As stated above, different channels and mediums have been used for outreach over the
decades. Many organizations tend to stick to one platform (say email or social media) for
customer engagement. However, today's business landscape demands a multi-channel
approach that involves visual, audio-visual, textual and other forms of experiences. Building
a multi-channel approach provides more stability and reduces vulnerabilities.
• 4 Personalization
Trust is the foundation of customer outreach, and the first step to building trust is to make the
audience feel safe and understood. This is usually done by small yet extremely significant
steps, like personalized and thoughtful communication. Focusing on building a one-on-one
connection with the most valuable customers will increase loyalty and may even turn them
into brand advocates.
• 5 Following-up the right way
Following-up with customers is a crucial part of customer outreach, but if overdone, the
entire exercise can backfire horrendously. On average, people receive 121 emails every day,
and the last thing they want to see is another reminder or follow-up. Trying too hard to get
their attention might even lead to un-subscription or negative brand association. Thus,
following up at the right frequency and in the right manner is indispensable for the success of
the campaign.
• 6 Automate processes
There are a variety of outreach automation tools that boost productivity and help manage the
execution. Jobs that require repetitive tasks, like sending follow-up emails or reminders about
soon-expiring discounts, can be outsourced to AI-driven tools that come equipped with a
variety of features. Tools that help with customer relationship management, lead
management, and email marketing are particularly helpful.
Automating parts of the customer outreach process using smart tools integrates digital
engagement with lead and prospecting objectives as well. Targeting and connecting with the
right prospect in the digital world has never been easier. A variety of lead generation and sales
prospecting tools, alongside the increasing influence of social media and content marketing,
has made customer outreach an innovative and creative process.
• 7 Data-driven insights
To assess which parts of the campaign are working and which ones require improvement,
tracking the response and engagement of different tactics is crucial. While many automation
tools offer monitoring features as well, there are specialized tracking solutions that provide
comprehensive insights into customer behavior and interaction.
Sophisticated tools and processes have been devised using modern technology to serve
pointed analytical functions. Some of these are:
Sales intelligence: Pooling and using the data of prospects and customers through different
channels to bolster marketing, lead generation, and conversion.
Technographic segmentation: Set of tools and practices to identify and analyze customer
characteristic and preferences using marketing segmentation.
Firmographics: Segmentation of prospect organizations; akin to the concept of
demographics of people, but for organizations.

CUSTOMER RETENTION
Customer retention is a metric that measures customer loyalty, or an organization's ability
to retain customers over time. It identifies the number of loyal customers and can reflect or
predict customer satisfaction, repurchase behavior, customer engagement and emotional ties
to a brand.
8 customer retention strategies
Some best practices and strategies to facilitate customer retention include these eight:
1. Data collection and analysis. Customer data can help organizations learn about
customer preferences and offer better, more personalized service and support.
2. Personalized service. Providing customers with service tailored to their
needs improves CX and fosters loyalty.
3. Trust. Building relationships with customers on trust helps increase brand loyalty and
repeat purchases.
4. Social media. Sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook help organizations reach
out to customers, build relationships and respond to customer support queries.
5. Loyalty incentives. Providing various incentives within a customer retention program
can increase customer loyalty. This can be done through customer loyalty programs or
by offering discounts or credit.
 6. Customer feedback. Gathering feedback from customers lets organizations better
understand customer expectations and customer behavior.
7. Customer support services. Implementing advanced CX tools helps organizations
better respond to customer needs and queries quickly. In addition, encouraging
customers to create online accounts increases their engagement.
8. Customer relationship management tools. CRM tools keep track of customer
journeys and monitor whether each customer has become loyal or recurring.
Benefits of customer retention
Customer retention is one way to measure customer happiness. It also delivers a number of
other benefits:
• Improves customer loyalty. The right approach to customer retention can increase
customer loyalty, which shows up in repeat business and interest in product
extensions.
• Demonstrates customer loyalty. Having a quantitative metric of customer loyalty is
valuable. Investors and other stakeholders often use customer retention to gain insight
into how a business is doing.
• Increases revenue. Happy customers buy more goods and services.
• Improves marketing strategies. Changes in customer retention numbers can help
identify strengths and weaknesses in a business's strategy, leading to potential
improvements.
• Provides a customer acquisition alternative. The high cost of customer
acquisition makes customer retention a cost-effective option.
Challenges of customer retention
Customer retention efforts come with various risks and challenges:
• Over-automated customer engagement. In the effort to engage customers,
companies can overdo the use of technology. Approaches such as chatbots
and marketing automation have their place, but customers often prefer interacting with
real people. Human interaction increases upselling and cross-selling opportunities as
well.
• Lack of long-term communication strategies. One successful interaction with
customers doesn't guarantee they will stick with a business. Organizations need to
build long-term strategies to continually engage customers with follow-up
communications. This requires planning, resources and skilled personnel.
 • Ineffective marketing infrastructure. Setting up the ideal omnichannel marketing
infrastructure and support teams takes time and resources, which might be beyond the
reach of small and midsize businesses.
• Failing to stand out. The competition is fierce when different businesses vie for
potential customers' attention. Success requires sophisticated strategies, creativity,
originality, and a commitment to ongoing experimentation and learning

Future Trends in Customer Care

Here are a few key trends that will shape the future of customer care to keep an eye on in the
coming year:
1. The Rise of AI-powered Self-Service
Customers are increasingly tech-savvy and comfortable using self-service tools. AI-powered
chatbots and virtual assistants can provide 24/7 support, answer frequently asked questions,
and even troubleshoot simple issues. This frees up human agents for more complex inquiries,
enhancing overall efficiency and customer satisfaction. Businesses can prepare by investing
in AI solutions that complement, not replace, human interaction or leverage AI for tasks like
routing inquiries and offering initial troubleshooting steps.
2. The Personalization Imperative
The one-size-fits-all approach is no longer enough. Customers crave personalized
experiences, and this extends to customer care. Leveraging customer data to tailor
interactions, suggest relevant solutions, and remember past preferences will foster stronger
connections and brand loyalty. By implementing a robust Customer relationship management
(CRM) system to collect and analyze customer data, marketers can use this data to
personalize interactions across all touchpoints, from email marketing to social media
engagement.
3. Integrating Messaging Apps
Today's consumers are glued to their mobile devices, and messaging apps are their preferred
communication channels. Businesses that offer customer support via SMS, WhatsApp, or
Facebook Messenger are meeting customers where they are. This provides a convenient and
familiar way for customers to connect, leading to faster resolution times and improved
customer satisfaction. It’s important to train your customer care representatives to effectively
handle inquiries through these channels, ensuring a consistent and positive experience.

4. Proactive Care
Don't wait for customers to reach out with problems. Proactive customer care involves
anticipating customer needs and addressing potential issues before they arise. This can
involve sending follow-up emails after purchases, offering product tutorials, or flagging at-
risk customers based on past interactions. Analyzing customer data to identify potential pain
points or areas where customers might need assistance will prepare your team to develop
proactive communication strategies, such as automated email campaigns or targeted outreach
based on purchase history.
5. The Evolving Role of Customer Care Teams
While technology plays an increasingly important role, human interaction remains vital. The
role of customer care teams will shift towards handling complex inquiries, providing
personalized support, and building relationships with customers. Companies can prepare by
investing in ongoing training and development for customer service teams. Equip them with
the skills to navigate complex situations, use technology effectively, and deliver exceptional
customer experiences.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Training is a short-term process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by which
non-managerial personnel acquire technical knowledge and skills for a definite purpose . It
refers to instruction in is technical and mechanical operations, like operation of some
machines. It is designed primarily for non- managers, It is for a short duration and it is for a
specific job- related purpose.
Development is a long- term educational process utilizing a systematic and organized
procedure by which managerial personnel get conceptual and theoretical knowledge, In other
words, it refers not to technical knowledge and skills in operation but to philosophical and
theoretical educational concepts. It involves broader education and its purpose is long-term
development

Features of Training
1) Training objectives are tied to organization’s business objectives and industry skill
standards.
2) Training objectives are derived from and continuously aligned with the
organizations overall performance objectives and specific job requirements.
3) Training success is tied to the attainment of performance- based measurable
learning objectives that are linked to industry skill standards.
4) Programs are developed with input from management supervisors, and employees
or their representatives.
5) Training curricula, structure, and delivery methods reflect the workplace and its
requirements

Training and development encompass organizational processes designed to improve

employees' knowledge, skills, and capabilities. While training concentrates on enhancing
specific job-related competencies, development takes a more expansive, long-term approach
to foster employees' overall growth and potential. These initiatives involve workshops,
courses, on-the-job learning, mentoring, and various methods. The objective is to provide
employees with the necessary tools to excel in their current roles and prepare for the future.
Role of Training
1) Increase in Efficiency/productivity: Training brings about increase in quantity and quality
of goods produced resulting in high productivity. A well- trained employee makes better and
economical use of available resources (material, machines, and equipment).Optimum
utilization of resources results in reduced cost on production and higher profits.
2) Heightened Morale: Training results in increased morale of employees because of
reduction in dissatisfaction at work, reduced complaints, and reduced absenteeism, and
increased interest in work during the post- training period. Heightened morale results in
increased loyalty to the organization.
3) Better Industrial Relations: Training provides a platform for maintaining smooth
industrial relations. Employees develop a feeling that organization is taking care and
interest in them through training programmes.
4) Reduced Supervision and Direction: A trained employee knows what job he has to do and
how to do that job and requires no guidance and supervision. Supervisors can devote their
time to solve more important problems rather than concentrating on consent and regular
supervision.
5) Increasing Organizational Stability and Flexibility: Training provides opportunities for
the employs to learn and acquire skills to work in several departments in an organization.
Training also results in low rate of labor turnover which means high consistency in
organizations in retaining people for long period of time. Low labor turnover means high
organizational stability. Flexibility is ensured because employees may be placed in several
departments over a period of time as they acquire multiplicity of skills through adequate
training.
6) Technical Advances: The pace of the technical advancement is another reason why
training is necessary. The technology is changing so fast that, if a company wants to stay in
the competition it must develop the technical knowledge of its employees through continuous
training.
7) Organizational Complexity: With the emergence of automation and mechanization,
manufacturing of multiple products and by- products, etc., most of the companies have
become complex. This calls for training in the skills of coordination, integration and
adaptabilities to the requirements of growth and expansion
Importance of Training
Training is important for the following reasons:
Increased productivity
Higher employee morale
Less supervision
Less wastage
Easy adaptability
Reduced turnover and absenteeism
Training Methods
Training Approach, On the Job Training methods- On the job training methods- job
instruction training, coaching, job rotation , Job enlargement, syndicate method,
Off the Job Training Methods- Knowledge based methods, Simulation Methods, Experiential
Methods.
Training methods are generally classified by the location of instruction. Training can take
place in various situations, on the job or off the job, in the company or outside the company.
It necessarily involves the use of a number of tools, methods and techniques:
• On the Job training methods
• Off the Job training methods
Training methods depends on the following consideration
• Purpose of training
• Nature of contents
• Level of trainees
Cost Factor
Methods of Training:
1. On-the-job Training (OJT) Methods: This is the most common method of training in
which a trainee is placed on a specific job and taught the skills and knowledge necessary
to perform it.
The advantages of OJT are as follows:
1. On the job method is a flexible method.
2. It is a less expensive method.
3. The trainee is highly motivated and encouraged to learn.
4. Much arrangement for the training is not required.
On-the-job training methods are as follows:
1. Job rotation: This training method involves movement of trainee from one job to
another gain knowledge and experience from different job assignments. This method
helps the trainee understand the problems of other employees.
2. 2. Coaching: Under this method, the trainee is placed under a particular supervisor
who functions as a coach in training and provides feedback to the trainee. Sometimes
the trainee may not get an opportunity to express his ideas.
3. Job instructions: Also known as step-by-step training in which the trainer explains
the way of doing the jobs to the trainee and in case of mistakes, corrects the trainee.
4. Committee assignments: A group of trainees are asked to solve a given organizational
problem by discussing the problem. This helps to improve team work.
5. Internship training: Under this method, instructions through theoretical and practical
aspects are provided to the trainees. Usually, students from the engineering and
commerce colleges receive this type of training for a small stipend.
2. Off-the-job Methods:
On the job training methods have their own limitations, and in order to have the overall
development of employee’s off-the-job training can also be imparted. The methods of
training which are adopted for the development of employees away from the field of the
job are known as off-the-job methods
The following are some of the off-the-job techniques:
1. Case study method: Usually case study deals with any problem confronted by a
business which can be solved by an employee. The trainee is given an opportunity to
analyse the case and come out with all possible solutions. This method can enhance
analytic and critical thinking of an employee.
2. Incident method: Incidents are prepared on the basis of actual situations which
happened in different organizations and each employee in the training group is asked to
make decisions as if it is a real-life situation. Later on, the entire group discusses the
incident and takes decisions related to the incident on the basis of individual and group
decisions.
3. Role play: In this case also a problem situation is simulated asking the employee to
assume the role of a particular person in the situation. The participant interacts with other
participants assuming different roles. The whole play will be recorded and trainee gets an
opportunity to examine their own performance.
4. In-basket method: The employees are given information about an imaginary
company, its activities and products, HR employed and all data related to the firm. The
trainee (employee under training) has to make notes, delegate tasks and prepare
schedules within a specified time. This can develop situational judgments and quick
decision making skills of employees.
5. Business games: According to this method the trainees are divided into groups and
each group has to discuss about various activities and functions of an imaginary
organization. They will discuss and decide about various subjects like production,
promotion, pricing etc. This gives result in co-operative decision making process.
6. Grid training: It is a continuous and phased programme lasting for six years. It
includes phases of planning development, implementation and evaluation. The grid takes
into consideration parameters like concern for people and concern for people.
7. Lectures: This will be a suitable method when the numbers of trainees are quite large.
Lectures can be very much helpful in explaining the concepts and principles very clearly,
and face to face interaction is very much possible.
8. Simulation: Under this method an imaginary situation is created and trainees are
asked to act on it. For e.g., assuming the role of a marketing manager solving the
marketing problems or creating a new strategy etc.
Difference between Training & Development

Basis Training Development

Nature Training is an event Development is a process
Focus Training focuses on Technical, Development focuses on theoretical skill
Mechanical oriented operations and conceptual ideas
Need Training needs = Job requirement - Development needs = Desired group
Existing competencies Dynamism - existing attitude of values
 Emphasis Training is concerned with specific Development is concerned with related
job skills and behavior enhancement of general knowledge and
understanding of non-technical
organization functions
Relevance Training is mostly for non-managers The development is for managers and
executives
Type of job Training focuses on current jobs Development prepares for future jobs
Goals Training focuses on short-term Development focuses long-termaccruals
goals.
Process Training is one- shot deal. Development is a continuous on-going
process
Orientation The training is job-oriented process The development is general in nature and
and is vocational in nature strives to inculcate initiative, enterprise,
creativity, dedication and loyalty
amongst executives
Growth Training may result in enhancement Development may result in personal
opportunity of a particular job skill growth and

CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

Critical Thinking
At its core, critical thinking involves analyzing information and ideas by breaking them down
into smaller components to evaluate their accuracy, validity, relevance, and completeness.
This process allows individuals to question assumptions, evidence, and arguments made by
others and use logical reasoning to make sound decisions.
Furthermore, critical thinking involves identifying biases, stereotypes, and fallacies and
preventing them from influencing our judgment. It is a systematic process that entails
evaluating multiple sources of information and perspectives, weighing up evidence, and
forming an informed opinion based on available facts.
Components of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking comprises several components that play a crucial role in the thinking
process. According to experts, the key components of critical thinking include:
 1. Interpretation - understanding the meaning and significance of information. This
component involves analyzing and interpreting data, identifying patterns and trends,
and drawing conclusions based on the available evidence.
2. Analysis - breaking down complex information into smaller parts to examine their
relationships and distinctions. This component involves identifying the underlying
assumptions and arguments, evaluating the evidence presented, and identifying any
potential biases or fallacies.
3. Evaluation - assessing the strength and validity of arguments and evidence presented.
This component involves evaluating the credibility of sources, weighing up the
evidence presented, and identifying any gaps in the argument.
4. Inference - making logical conclusions based on available information and evidence.
This component involves drawing conclusions based on the available evidence and
identifying any potential implications or consequences.
5. Explanation - presenting a clear and concise rationale for the conclusions drawn.
This component involves communicating the results of the analysis and evaluation in
a clear and concise manner.
6. Self-regulation - monitoring one's own thinking process to overcome biases and
errors. This component involves being aware of one's own biases and assumptions and
actively seeking out new information to challenge those assumptions.
Definition of Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is the process of generating new ideas, possibilities, or solutions that are
original, useful, and novel. It involves breaking away from traditional or conventional
patterns of thinking and exploring alternative perspectives. Creative thinking is characterized
by fluidity, flexibility, and originality. It is a free-flowing mindset that allows individuals to
connect dissimilar ideas and develop innovative concepts that solve problems or meet needs.
Creative thinking is central to innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship.
When we engage in creative thinking, we are tapping into our imagination and exploring the
unknown. We are willing to take risks, challenge assumptions, and embrace ambiguity.
Creative thinking is not just about coming up with wild and crazy ideas; it is about generating
ideas that are both feasible and valuable.
Components of Creative Thinking
Creative thinking comprises several interrelated components, including:
 1. Fluency: This refers to the ability to generate a large number of ideas with ease. The
more ideas we generate, the more likely we are to come up with something truly
innovative.
2. Flexibility: This involves considering different possibilities and perspectives. We
need to be open-minded and willing to explore diverse options in order to generate
truly creative ideas.
3. Originality: This refers to the ability to produce unconventional and unique ideas. We
need to break away from conventional thinking and explore new and uncharted
territories.
4. Elaboration: This involves refining and developing ideas with details and depth. We
need to flesh out our ideas and explore their potential in order to turn them into reality.
5. Imagery: This refers to the ability to visualize and manipulate images or metaphors to
generate ideas. We can use our imagination to create mental images that inspire us and
spark our creativity.
6. Association: This involves connecting seemingly unrelated ideas to form new
concepts. We need to be able to see the connections between different ideas and
concepts in order to generate truly innovative ideas.
Examples of Creative Thinking in Action
Creative thinking is applied in various fields, such as art, design, science, and technology.
Here are some examples of how creative thinking is used:
• An artist creating a new genre of art: By blending traditional and modern
techniques, an artist can create a new style of art that is both unique and captivating.
• A software developer designing a user-friendly interface: By combining cutting-
edge technology with user-centered design principles, a software developer can create
an interface that is both intuitive and efficient.
• A chef creating a unique dish: By combining diverse ingredients and experimenting
with new flavors and textures, a chef can create a dish that is both delicious and
memorable.
• A scientist inventing a new process: By exploring new methods and technologies, a
scientist can invent a new process that has the potential to revolutionize an industry or
even change the world.
Key Differences Between Critical and Creative Thinking
Critical thinking and creative thinking are two distinct modes of thinking that have different
purposes, processes, and outcomes. While critical thinking is focused on evaluating and
analyzing information, creative thinking is aimed at generating new and innovative ideas and
solutions to problems. Let's explore the differences in more detail.
Purpose and Goals
Critical thinking is primarily aimed at evaluating, analyzing, and critiquing information
critically. It involves questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, and identifying biases
and fallacies in arguments. The goal of critical thinking is to arrive at well-reasoned and
informed judgments or decisions based on the available evidence.
On the other hand, creative thinking is focused on generating new and innovative ideas and
solutions to problems. It involves exploring possibilities, making connections, and thinking
outside the box. The goal of creative thinking is to come up with novel and useful ideas that
can lead to innovation and change.
Process and Approach
Critical thinking requires a systematic and rigorous process of analysis and evaluation based
on available evidence and data. It involves breaking down complex information into its
component parts, examining each part critically, and evaluating the evidence and arguments
presented. Critical thinking requires a structured approach that involves identifying and
analyzing arguments, evaluating evidence, and drawing conclusions based on the available
information.
Creative thinking, on the other hand, involves a free-flowing process of divergent thinking
that encourages unconventional ideas and connections. It involves exploring different
perspectives, generating multiple ideas, and making unexpected connections between
seemingly unrelated concepts. Creative thinking requires a more open and exploratory
approach that involves brainstorming, visualizing, and associating ideas.
Skills and Abilities Involved
Critical thinking is associated with skills such as analysis, inference, evaluation, and
reasoning. It requires the ability to identify and evaluate evidence, recognize biases and
assumptions, and draw well-reasoned conclusions based on the available information. Critical
thinking also involves the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Creative thinking requires skills such as imagination, brainstorming, visualization, and
association. It involves the ability to generate new and original ideas, make connections
between seemingly unrelated concepts, and explore different perspectives. Creative thinking
also requires the ability to communicate ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
The Importance of Balancing Critical and Creative Thinking
Benefits of Combining Both Types of Thinking
The integration of critical and creative thinking leads to better problem solving, decision
making, and innovation by combining analysis and creativity. The following are some
benefits of balancing these thinking styles:
• Increase in productivity and efficiency
• Improved communication and teamwork skills
• Better problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Enhancement of individual and organizational creativity and innovation
Strategies for Developing a Balanced Thinking Approach
Developing a balanced thinking approach requires a conscious effort to integrate critical and
creative thinking strategies. Some practical ways of achieving this are:
• Practicing active listening and asking thoughtful questions to clarify and evaluate
information
• Encouraging brainstorming sessions that involve diverse perspectives and ideas
• Challenging personal assumptions and biases and adopting a growth mindset
• Using visualization techniques to generate creative solutions to problems
Real-World Applications of Balanced Thinking
The application of a balanced thinking approach leads to better decision-making processes
and outcomes. Here are some real-world examples:
• A company using a combination of critical analysis and creativity to develop new
products and marketing strategies.
• An individual using critical thinking skills to analyze career opportunities and creative
thinking skills to identify alternative paths.
• A teacher using critical analysis to evaluate student's work and creative thinking to
design engaging lessons that foster innovation and growth.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY MAINSTREAMING

Gender mainstreaming has been embraced internationally as a strategy towards realising
gender equality. It involves the integration of a gender perspective into the preparation,
design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and
spending programmes, with a view to promoting equality between women and men, and
combating discrimination.
Diversity mainstreaming is an adaptation of gender mainstreaming, which has a long history
in international law and policy. Diversity mainstreaming builds diversity into all aspects of
civic engagement and education as part of the “mainstream” rather than being excluded or
treated as an optional add-on component. Diversity Management is a concept that stems
from organisation management. Diversity Management addresses the challenges that arise
when different individuals are supposed to collaborate effectively together.

The five principles of gender mainstreaming

1. Gender-sensitive language
• Texts referring to or addressing both women and men must make women and men
equally visible. This applies to, amongst others, forms, documents, telephone
directories, texts on the intranet and the internet, advertising for events, folders,
posters and films.
• Attention must also be paid to a gender-sensitive choice of images when preparing
public relations material.
• Leitfaden für geschlechtergerechtes Formulieren und eine diskriminierungsfreie
Bildsprache: 1,4 MB PDF (German)
2. Gender-specific data collection and analysis
• Data must be collected, analysed and presented by gender. Social dimensions, such as
age, ethnicity, income and level of education should also be reflected where possible.
• Gender-specific analysis of the initial situation must provide the basis for all
decisions.
• Gender-sensitive statistics: Making life’s realities visible: 2.4 MB PDF
• Data excellence in the Vienna City Administration: Gender statistics and data on
equality: 155 KB PDF
3. Equal access to and utilisation of services
• Services and products must be assessed as to their different effects on women and
men.
• It is important to identify:
• Who uses the services (women or men or both)?
• Who are the clients (women or men or both)?
• Who are the target groups?
• Do women and men have different needs?
• Are the different circumstances of women and men taken into account when
planning and designing services?
• Have all target groups access to the same sources of information?
• Who benefits most?
 • Which group would suffer most if they could not use the services offered?
• Are the offices providing the service structurally gendered and barrier free,
(i.e. the waiting areas, lighting, access without steps, signage)?
4. Women and men are equally involved in decision making
• There are binding targets for a balanced gender ratio at all levels of decision making.
• Measures and strategies geared towards a balanced gender ratio must be taken at all
levels of decision making.
• This is also important when appointing working groups, project teams, commissions
and advisory boards, as well as when organising events, e.g. when selecting speakers.
• Workplaces must be structurally gendered and barrier free where possible
(e.g. gendered signage, sufficient lighting, avoiding potentially frightening situations
as in poorly accessible basement archives, access without steps, social rooms for
different occupations).

5. Equal treatment is integrated into steering processes

Steering instruments include quality management and gender budgeting, amongst others. It is
important to note that:
• Paying attention to the different circumstances of women and men enhances
• the success rate,
• effectiveness and
• maximum utilisation of staff and funds.
• All targets related to people are defined in terms of full equality and the targets
attained are therefore presented by gender.
• Controlling routine as a matter of course includes gender-specific evaluation of results
and a systematic steering of the gender ratio, in other words, the development and
implementation of (new and adapted) targets, strategies and measures.
Importance
i. Gender mainstreaming ensures that policy-making and legislative work is of higher
quality and has a greater relevance for society, because it makes policies respond more
effectively to the needs of all citizens – women and men, girls and boys.
ii. Gender mainstreaming makes public interventions more effective and ensures that
inequalities are not perpetuated.
 iii. Gender mainstreaming does not only aim to avoid the creation or reinforcement of
inequalities, which can have adverse effects on both women and men.
iv. It also implies analysing the existing situation, with the purpose of identifying
inequalities, and developing policies which aim to redress these inequalities and undo
the mechanisms that caused them.
Advantages of gender mainstreaming

• Law making processes. It justifies the revision of laws and regulations in order to lay a
firm foundation for developing gender equality.
• Gender issues can be addressed on all policy levels from ministries to communities.
• Gender mainstreaming empowers about 50 % of the population, which represents the
strongest labour force, which is at the same time marginalized in many societies.
• Females often show a high degree of responsibility and good skills for capital
management.
• Addressing gender issues has an impact on economic development, poverty reduction,
sustainable management of natural resources the educational sector etc.
• In many cases, women are highly motivated to improve their situation, once gender
mainstreaming measures are applied. From this follows a positive impact on the
development of the society.

Limitations of Gender Mainstreaming

• Traditional norms or religious values can be a major obstacle to develop gender equity,
most of these values change only gradually within long term processes.
• Literacy and knowledge of women is, in some cases very limited. In order to start the
iterative process of gender mainstreaming, basic training for women can be time
consuming and resource intensive.
• In many cases, women lag behind with regard to education and professional skills. As a
result they have fewer or less attractive job opportunities than men, especially for higher
qualified jobs.
• Changing a male biased into a gender-balanced set-up includes a loss of power by men.
It is necessary to convince males of the necessity and benefits of Gender Mainstreaming.
• As a cross-cutting issue, gender issues are often neglected, when priorities focus on other
critical issues (e.g. tackling poverty). Gender issues are often perceived as a fashionable
 catchword in development policies, despite many years of targeting gender issues
specifically.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

personal development
Personal development is self-improvement by making changes that have a positive impact on
all areas of your life and physical and mental well-being. It's a way of achieving your goals
and realising your potential so that you can improve your life and relationships with others.
Many people pursue personal development to improve their lifestyles and skill sets which can
give them other opportunities in life. People may choose certain attributes to focus on such as
communication or interpersonal skills or on living a more mindful, healthier life.There are
several different means of pursuing personal development, such as:
• Self-directed development: This means taking time to teach yourself new skills or
broaden your understanding of a specific topic or issue.
• Personal development (PD) seminars: These are short courses that help people learn
about themselves and grow in their knowledge or skills. They often take place over
one day, though some last longer.
• Personal growth coaching: This involves working with an expert who helps you
explore specific areas in which you want to improve. It also helps you develop the
tools you require to overcome any obstacles you might experience, such as a lack of
confidence or low self-image.
professional development
Professional development is the ongoing process of improving your skills and knowledge to
be able to do your work effectively. It can be informal or formal, short or long-term, done in a
group or individually. Professional development can take place at any point during your
career as you adapt to new technologies and changes in the workplace.For example, if you're
learning how to use software that can help you complete tasks more efficiently, for example
in accounting, professional development would include becoming familiar with it before
using it regularly at work. Another example is presenting in meetings to large groups.
Professional development in this case could mean building your confidence in the workplace
to present at such meetings. There are several different means of pursuing personal
development, such as:
 • Independent learning: This might mean reading books and journals related to your
industry or teaching yourself a new software or tool in your own time.
• Training programmes: Your workplace or an external organisation could run these
programmes, which allow you to gain a good level of understanding about your field
or a specific skill so you can enjoy better opportunities.
• Qualifications: These could include attending evening courses or enrolling in a
university degree to study for a qualification that can improve your earning potential.
Reasons for professional development
Improved efficiency – Professional learning offers the ability to learn new skills, and it also
allows staff the opportunity to learn from one another in the workplace. As other
professionals share experiences, colleagues can see this as a way to pick up new ideas and
perspectives they may have not come across before.
Confidence – Professionals will have more confidence if they are developing professionally,
as they will not feel as though they are missing important skills within their job role. This can
lead to higher degree of engagement and productivity.
Succession – It is beneficial for a business to provide adequate training to those already in the
organisation. If promotion opportunities arise, employers may not have to hire from outside
the business, instead they will have the ability to hire internally. Promoting a long standing
employee is a great way to cut down the knowledge gaps that are inevitable when hiring from
outside the business. It also gives greater confidence to employees that the job they are doing
has progression opportunities.
Reasons Why Organisations Invest in Personal and Professional Development
There are a number of reasons why organisations invest in the personal and professional
development of their employees.
1 Reduce Staff Turnover
Staff stay with an employer longer if they feel they’re valued and the organisation is willing
to invest in developing their skills and experience.
2 Increase Employees’ Confidence
A course or extra training can give an employee the boost of confidence they need to do a
task in their current role or to apply for a new role. Better skills and confidence can reduce
procrastination and increase engagement.
3 Provides Career Direction
Writing out the steps of a professional development plan can give employees a sense of
purpose and direction with their career.