Essential Office Skills

Feedback Essentials

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Deciding When and How to Deliver Feedback
Timing is everything
In some ways, knowing when to give feedback is easier than you may realize; you just have to train yourself to recognize the most appropriate moments. Offer feedback when the following types of situations arise:
1 When good work, successful projects, and resourceful behavior need to be recognized. Positive feedback is not given often enough, and yet its benefits can be great.
2 When the probability of successfully improving a person's skills is high. Skills that can be learned are more easily changed than a person's habits or personality.
3 When a problem cannot be ignored; that is, when the person's behavior has a negative impact on the team or organization.

Timing feedback well
People tend to give feedback right away, in an impromptu manner. An immediate response can be useful because the incident is fresh in everyone's minds. However, there is an inherent danger in reacting quickly: You may react before you have all the necessary facts and information, or while people's feelings are still too turbulent. Feedback under these circumstances may be damaging. Therefore, it is best to be sensitive to the situation when deciding exactly when to give feedback. There are no hard and fast rules about timing feedback, so it is best to be flexible.

For example:
1 You may decide to provide feedback as soon as you can after you observe the behavior you want to correct or reinforce if you have all the necessary information—and that the recipient would be open to it.
2 You may need to pause long enough to gather all the necessary information before discussing an issue.
3 If the behavior you observed was particularly upsetting, you may need to give everyone (including yourself) time to calm down.
The right time to deliver feedback depends on the situation and on the recipient. Try to determine whether the person is ready to accept your message; otherwise, the feedback might not be heard.


Prepare for formal feedback sessions
How can you maximize the effectiveness of your formal feedback sessions? Prepare by considering these four principles.

Key Idea
Most of the feedback you give will probably be on-the-go responses to immediate situations. However, setting up a formal feedback session can provide a more orderly process for learning and growth.

In these situations, take the time to do your homework beforehand to ensure that the session goes smoothly. During your preparation phase, think through the ways in which differences in gender, race, age, and communication style may lead to different perspectives on an issue. Be attentive to the ways in which these factors may play a crucial role in how your message is received, and in how you might be able to bridge gaps.

For example, consider adapting your method of giving feedback to the communication style you think would be most comfortable for the recipient.

Take these actions to prepare for a formal feedback session:
1 Gather all the data, facts, and information you need to present an objective view of the issue.
2 Consider the recipient's point of view when planning what you are going to say. Try to understand who the person is, and how he or she wants to grow.
3 Anticipate the person's response to the feedback you will provide.
4 Separate feedback from formal performance evaluations.

Feedback sessions versus performance evaluations
Be aware that a formal feedback session is not the same as a performance evaluation meeting. While both are useful tools in a manager's arsenal, they have different purposes. The focus of a performance evaluation is to review an employee's past work, while the emphasis of a feedback session is on looking to the future and determining how the employee can grow.

Feedback sessions are conducted by two (or sometimes more) people on an as-needed basis, whereas formal performance appraisals are conducted between supervisors and their direct reports at regular intervals (usually every six months or at least once a year).

Feedback Essentials.

Hey Guys from today we will learn about feedback, why this is Important and what are the things we should keep in mind while giving and Receiving Feedback. Hope this Column will help in some or the other way to improve in profession life. This topic will continue for several days, we will discuss in detail about the Feedback.

What Is Feedback?
In business, feedback is simply the sharing of observations about job performance or work-related behaviors. For many people, however, the word feedback connotes judgment, so that neither giver nor receiver looks forward to feedback moments.
But feedback shouldn't be a judgment about another person. Instead, it is meant to be an objective message about behavior and its consequences, either to recognize a job well done or to suggest how to improve performance. If delivered successfully, feedback should encourage the recipient to move forward by learning, growing, and changing in a positive direction.

The goals of feedback
"It takes two to speak the truth – one to speak and another to hear."—Henry David Thoreau

You can give feedback in different directions: up to those to whom you report, down to those you manage, and laterally to your colleagues. And you may receive feedback from any of these directions as well. Viewed from this multidirectional perspective, feedback is an important contributor to organizational learning.
The goal of giving positive feedback is to reinforce preferred behaviors or patterns of problem solving. The goal of corrective feedback, on the other hand, is to change and improve unsatisfactory behavior or introduce more productive work patterns.


Recognize the importance of feedback
Want to fine-tune your team's performance? Start by recognizing the value of giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Key Idea
When you give constructive feedback to others, you are:
1 Reinforcing or encouraging a more effective way of working
2 Redirecting a behavior or pointing out a more productive path of action
3 Ensuring appropriate standards are set for individual and team performance
4 Helping the recipient to prepare for better performance
It is important that your feedback be framed in positive terms, as negativity will make it less effective.

When you receive constructive feedback from others, take advantage of those opportunities to:
1 Better understand the impact of your behavior and choices on others
2 Gain new perspectives on work flow
3 Show you value their opinions and trust their judgment
4 Establish measurable goals for yourself
Providing effective feedback is a skill that comes into play not only when completing the day-to-day work that must get done, but also during coaching sessions and performance assessments.

to be contd....

Exciting Places to Visit Around Bangalore this Weekend

This weekend, pack your bags and plan a trip to these 4 exciting spots from Bangalore– Innovative Film city, Yelagiri Hills, Hogenakkal falls or Shivanasamudram falls Planning a weekend getaway or a day trip from Bangalore can be exciting and confusing at the same time. Everyone’s been there done that or has an opinion. The best option would then be to narrow down your choices based on the type of destination, budget and distance.

1.Innovative Film City
Innovative Film City is an amusement park located in Bidadi, about 50 Kilometers outside Bangalore. It is one of the new theme parks that arrived in Bangalore in 2008Don’t be fooled by the name though. This theme park has attractions such as a wax museum, dinosaur museum, a special section called ‘Cartoon city’ for kids, a mirror maze, 4D movies and more. Tickets are a bit pricey though. You’ll have to shell out between Rs 300 – Rs 1000 per person depending on what attraction you want to see inside. There are decent food courts where you can have your lunch or grab a bite.
If you want to spend a fun weekend with your friends or family, Innovative film city is definitely worth a visit. Leave early and you can spend a whole day here.

Duration: 1 day
Approximate Budget / person: Rs 500 – Rs 1000
Distance : 50 Kms
Which route is it on: Bangalore – Mysore highway
How to reach : by bus, car, bike
Road condition: good



2.Yelagiri Hills – Getaway from the city madness
This less popular hill-station is located near Krishnagiri town on the Bangalore-Chennai national highway. It is about 150 kilometers from Bangalore and around 250 Kilometers from Chennai.

Yelagiri Hills is not your typical touristy destination; this place is meant for those who wish to getaway from the regular monotony of the cities to just relax for a couple of days. The hill station is at a height of about 900 meters (around 3000 feet) and the weather is pleasant all year round.

The main attractions are a lake where you can go boating, Swamimalai – a trek of 3 Kms uphill takes you to a small temple and panoramic views of the mountains.

There are plenty of hotels (many which call themselves as resorts) in Yelagiri. Tariffs start from about Rs 400 and goes upto Rs 4000 for cottages. Book at least a week in advance. The hotels get crowded during weekend and holidays.

Duration: 1 – 2 days
Approximate budget / person: Rs 1000 – Rs 2000
How to reach: by cars, taxis, buses, train (until Jolarpettai or Tirupattur) Road condition: good

3.Hogenakkal Falls
Hogenakkal literally means smoking rocks (in Tamil). The falls comprise of a numer of smaller waterfalls that make up the beauty of the place. Hogenakkal is located in Dharmapuri district and is about 120 Kms from Bangalore. Perfect for a day-trip, you can drive to here over a Saturday and get a day’s off to unwind.

The most popular activity in Hogenakkal is the hot oil massage. For about Rs 50, local masseurs give you a 5-minute full body massage. Though it seems quick, this short duration is enough to loosen tight spots in your body. After the massage, a quick shower under the falls is considered to be therapeutic.
You can also take a ride in the famous ‘theppa’ or coracle boats which take you around the Kaveri river that forms Hogenakkal falls. You can also taste local delicacies of fried fish, paniyaram (rice cakes) or Poli (Indian sweet).

Staying options are minimal in Hogenakkal. Hotel Tamilnadu, run by the Tamilnadu tourism department, is the only decent one in town. During the tourist season (September – January) you may need to book in advance. You can also stay in Dharmapuri where staying options are better. From Dharmapuri it is a 50 Kms drive to Hogenakkal.

Duration: 1- 2 days
Budget / person: Rs 1000
Which route it is on: Bangalore – Krishnagiri (Chennai highway) – Dharmapuri Road condition: Good


4.Talakadu and Shivanasamudram – Submerged in time

Shivanasamudram (sometimes called Shimsha falls) is home to a couple of lovely waterfalls while neighboring Talakadu preserves history in the form of submerged temples. Located about 150 Kms from Bangalore and about 70 Kms from Mysore, Shivanasamudram and Talakadu are both popular picnic and weekend spots. You can reach here after taking a turn after Maddur on the route that goes to Kollegal.
Shivanasamudram Falls actually consists of two separate falls called Gaganachukki and Bharachukki. Shivansamudram is also the site of Karnataka’s first hydroelectric project. Both falls carry the waters of river Kaveri from a height of about 90 meters.

Of the two falls you can enjoy Bharachukki most as it can be reached by a flight of steps near the falls while Gaganachukki falls is off-limits. You can take bath under the falls or spend some time frolicking in the pond near the falls. Both falls are located about 5 Kms between each other. During the monsoon season, the falls are in full flow and present a majestic sight.

Talakad is about 20 Kms from Shivanasamudram is famous for the submerged temples that is believed to emerge once in 12 years. Situated on the banks of the river Kaveri it is now a popular picnic spot aside from being a pilgrimage center.

The temples in Talakadu were built by the Hoysalas who were staunch devotees of Lord Shiva. Five such Shiva temples were built in honour of the god. A fair is held once every 12 years to honor the lord. The last such fair was held in 2006. There is also folklore that Talakad was cursed to turn into a mass of sand by a woman named Alamelamma, in the 16th century.

You can visit Shivanasamudram first and then come to Talakadu, see the temples and go for a swim or just chill out in the waters. Water is shallow, but there are weeds and sharp stones which some may find irritating. Catch the sunset here and head back to Bangalore.

There are no good restaurants in Talakadu. It’s better to pack your lunch and have it in Talakad. You will find a lot of monkeys around, but you can eat if people take turns to guard from the monkeys.

You can fit Shivanasamudram and Talakadu in a 2 day trip – Spend one day in the nearby Ranganathittu bird sanctuary and Srirangapatna and the next day here.
On your way back you can find good number of Dhabas and restaurants outside Maddur on the highway. You can stopover here for dinner while coming back to Bangalore.

Duration: 1 – 2 days
Approximate budget / person: Rs 1000 – Rs 2000
How to reach: by cars, taxis, buses. Private transport is the best option
Road condition: From Bangalore – Maddur, you will find excellent roads.
"The road from Maddur to Shivanasamudram is in a pathetic state."

""So What are you waiting for Pack your Bags and GO""

15 Amazing Ways to Tie Your Sneakers

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. The laces then go straight up and are fed into the next set of eyelets up the shoe 3. The ends are crossed over and are fed under the vertical lace section on the opposite sides of the shoe before going straight up and into the next set of eyelets up the shoe 4. At the top set of eyelets, the laces can once again cross over and pass under the straight section as shown. This not only looks consistent with the rest of the lacing but also forms a High Lace Lock, which tightens the lacing even more firmly.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. The ends are looped back under the lace where it feeds under the side of the shoe 3. The ends are then crossed over each other, then they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe 4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets.

1. The lace runs straight across the second set of eyelets from the top of the shoe 2. Cross the ends over and feed into the fourth set of eyelets, skipping the third set 3. Continue down the shoe, two sets of eyelets at a time 4. At the bottom, run the laces vertically between the bottom and second from bottom eyelets 5. Double back and work your way back up the shoe through the vacant sets of eyelets.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. The left (red) end is spiralled up the left side of the shoe, with the end fed under and emerging from each eyelet 3. The right (orange) lace is spiralled up the right side of the shoe, at each eyelet looping through the left (blue) lace in the middle of the shoe before feeding under and emerging from the next eyelet.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. One end of the lace (orange end) runs straight up the right side, is fed into and runs straight across the second set of eyelets 3. Both ends now run straight up the left side, each skipping one eyelet before feeding in two eyelets higher up 4. Continue running both ends across the shoe, then straight up two eyelets at a time 5. At the top of the shoe, the laces end up on the same side and the shoelace knot is tied at that point.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and the ends are fed into both bottom eyelets 2. One end of the lace (orange end) runs straight up the right side, emerges from and runs straight across the second set of eyelets 3. The other end (red end) runs diagonally underneath and, skipping the2nd set of eyelets, emerges from and runs straight across the 3rd set of eyelets 4. Continue running each lace diagonally across and up 2 sets of eyelets until one end (orange in my example) reaches the top right eyelet 5. The other end (red in my example) then runs straight up the left side to emerge from the top left eyelet.

1. The lace runs straight across and emerges from the third set of eyelets from the bottom 2. Both ends run straight down and are fed into the second set of eyelets from the bottom 3. Both ends again run straight down and emerge from the bottom set of eyelets 4. Both ends now run straight up along the outside and are fed into the fourth set of eyelets (the first vacant pair) 5. The ends are crossed over each other, then they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe 6. Repeat step (5) until both ends reach the top.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and is fed into rather than emerging from both bottom eyelets 2. The ends are crossed over, then inserted into the next set of eyelets up the shoe 3. This process is repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets and end up inside.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. Skipping two sets of eyelets, cross the ends over and feed into the fourth set of eyelets 3. Both ends now run straight down one eyelet and emerge from the third set of eyelets 4. Continue up the shoe, each time crossing over and going up three sets of eyelets, then straight down to emerge from the next set of eyelets below.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets 2. The ends are twisted together with one complete twist in the middle of the shoe 3. The ends then continue across to the opposite sides, where they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe 4. This process is repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges from both bottom eyelets 2. Cross the ends over and feed into the 4th set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets) 3. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 5th set of eyelets 4. Cross the ends over and feed into the 2nd set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets) 5. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 3rd set of eyelets 6. Cross the ends over, feed under and emerge from the top set of eyelets (skip past 2 sets of eyelets).

1. The lace is run diagonally and emerges from the bottom left and the top right eyelets 2. The top (red) end of the lace is zig-zagged from the top set of eyelets down to the middle eyelets in a similar manner to the Shoe Shop Lacing 3. The bottom (orange) end of the lace is similarly zig-zagged from the bottom set of eyelets up to the middle eyelets.

1. Startwith two pairs of different colour laces, preferably the wide, flat variety (I was lucky to receive two such pairs with my last runners!) 2. With one colour (orange in my example), lace the shoe using either Straight (Fashion) or Straight (Lazy) Lacing 3. With the other colour (red in my example), start at the bottom of the shoe and weave the lace in and out of the other lace until you reach the top 4. Fold around the top lace and head back down, weaving out and in until you reach the bottom 5. Continue across the shoe until you’re out of room or out of lace, whichever comes first 6. Tuck all the loose ends of the laces into the shoe.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges from both bottom eyelets 2. Cross the ends over and feed into the 4th set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets) 3. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 5th set of eyelets 4. Cross the ends over and feed into the 2nd set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets) 5. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 3rd set of eyelets 6. Cross the ends over, feed under and emerge from the top set of eyelets (skip past 2 sets of eyelets).

1. Take two different colour laces, each a tiny bit longer than the correct length for the shoes 2. Cut them not quite in half, but offset by two or three centimetres. See below for how to calculate the difference in length between the two halves 3. Tie one shorter piece of one colour (orangein my example) and one longer piece of the other colour (red in my example) firmly together and trim off the excess. For extra security,add a dab of glue. Use the remaining pieces to make the bi-colour lace for the other shoe 4. Pull the longer (red) end out through the bottom right eyelet, feeding from inside the shoe, until you reach the joining knot 5. Now lace the rest of the shoe as per Straight (Fashion) Lacing.

Animal Needs you This Summer

Summer is here and its going to be equally harsh to the animals around us. Kindly do your tiny bit by keeping a bowl of fresh water out side your balcony or garden. You may say that they can fly, and get the water from neighboring area, but please bear in mind, that all birds have their own territory.

AT 120 DEGREES IN AUSTRALIA , IT WAS SO HOT FOR A WEEK
THAT KOALAS WERE ASKING PEOPLE FOR WATER . IT'S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE.

"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."