Bullet-Points Tips: October 2011

Monday 24 October 2011

Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a 'Management Strategy', developed in 1986 by a reputed company - Motorola - in USA. Some basic and important information about Six Sigma:-

Six Sigma is a set of practices to improve processes in any industry, be it manufacturing or service.
Six Sigma & Sigma 6 - both are different. Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys, produced by a multinational and Board-game Company - Hasbro - in USA.
Six Sigma is based on PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), an interactive four-step management method for the control and improvement of products or services.
It is ideal for large organisations to implement Six Sigma. Companies with a manpower of strength of less than 500 are not suited to Six Sigma implementation.
Six Sigma & Kaizen - both focus on Quality Improvement. Sig Sigma strives for 'breakthrough improvement' but Kaizen (a Japanese Management Technique) strives for 'continuous improvement'.
To support Six Sigma, four classes of software are used. (i) Analysis Tools (ii) Programme Management Tools (iii) Collaboration Tools & (iv) Data Collection Tools.
Six Sigma utilises many Quality Management Tools like 5 Whys, Variance Analysis, Control Chart, Pareto Analysis etc.
Main difference between Six Sigma & TQM is the approach. TQM - a management approach - aims at long term success through customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma is a methodology and a popular tool for large businesses.

Nurse provides nursing care to patients in hospital, nursing home, or similar health care centers. A Nurse could be General Duty Nurse, Medical Staff Nurse, Staff Nurse & Registered Nurse. Typical functions of a Nurse include:-

Preparing equipment and aiding physical during treatments and examination of patients.
Observing patient, records significant conditions and reactions, and notifies patient's condition and reaction to drugs, treatments and significant incidents.
Taking temperatures, pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs to detect deviations from normal and determines progress of patient.
May rotate among various clinical services of institution, such as obstetrics, surgery, orthopedics, outpatient and admitting pediatrics, psychiatry, and tuberculosis.
Preparing rooms, sterile instruments, equipment and supplies, and hand items to Surgeon/Obstetrician, or other medical practitioner.
Arranging beds, bathing and feeding patients.
Serving as leader for group of personnel rendering nursing care to number of patients.

How to Find If Somebody Is Lying

There are often cues and signs that a person may be lying. There may also be understandable reasons for the lie. How to find out if someone is lying?:-

Look for Body Language to know someone is lying, such as not looking you in the eye while speaking to you, acting nervous or uncomfortable.
Listen for inconsistencies in what the person tells you, such as different stories at different times.
Notice if the person constantly resists answering any of your questions. Extreme defensiveness could mean that he or she is hiding something.
If the person accuses you of lying or being deceitful when you are not, this reflects the accuser's own underlying beahviour which he or she is projecting onto you.
If you are not sure whether someone is lying, do not jump to conclusions. Try to get some evidence to back up your intuitive feeling.
Consider asking directly if the person has lied to you. Many people feel bad getting caught lying and find it a relief to finally be honest.
Try to understand and listen to the person's reasons for lying. Is his or her intention is, not to hurt you or afraid you would be angry or upset?

Make Small Room Looks Bigger

Simple ways to make small room looks large:-

Open up the room by maximizing views of the outdoors and adjoining rooms.
Paint the walls light in color.
Ensure room is well-illuminatied to enhance the sense of adequate space.
Paint moldings, doors and the like in the same color as the walls.
Minimise decorative objects or ornaments on the table top.
Rooms have a greater sense of space with white ceilings.
Run linear flooring such as wood strips and ceramic tile on the diagonal. This creates the longest straight lines possible in the room.
Use the same flooring material throughout the space to unify it and make it seem more expansive.
Select ceramic tile that is oversized - even in small bathrooms.
Place furniture that is scaled appropriately to the room. A oversize sofa will consume too much space in a small room.
Decorate windows simply.

Functions of a Sales Manager

Manages Staffing, Training, and Performance Evaluations to develop and control Sales Program of area of establishment:-

Sales Manager's position is the first level of management and may have supervisors reporting to it.
Co-ordinates sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals.
Advises dealers, distributors, and clients concerning sales and advertising techniques.
Assigns sales territory to sales personnel.
Analyses sales statistics to formulate policy and to assist dealers in promoting sales.
Reviews market analyses to determine customer needs, volume potential, price schedules, and discount rates, and develops sales campaigns.
Recommends product simplification and standardization to eliminate unprofitable items from sales line.
Represents Company at industry association meetings to promote product.
Plays role of liaison between sales and other departments.
Hold sales meetings.
Analyses and controls expenditures of division to conform to budgetary requirements.
Prepares periodic sales reports showing sales volume and potential sales.

Delivering a Speech

Mastering your tone and Body Language is the formula for a successful delivery of your speech. Here are the tips:-

Approach the stage confidently and place your notes in a place where you can see them easily.
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Look at the audience, pause and begin speaking.
Set the tone in your introduction with appropriate facial Expressions and diction, and a specific mood.
Make eye contact with people in different parts of the audience, including the back row.
Pause briefly after you state key points to allow the audience time to absorb the information.
Allow natural and relaxed hand gestures and facial expressions to emphasize certain points.
Pronounce your words clearly and vary your rate, pitch and volume to keep the delivery lively.
Refresh your memory by periodically glancing at your notes, but avoid reading from your notes directly unless you are reading a long quotation.
Close your speech by thanking the audience and then confidently exiting the stage.

Overcoming Shyness

Everyone feels shy sometimes, but being too shy can hamper many aspects of your life. How to overcome shyness?:-

Determine why you are shy? Are you afraid of what someone might say about your physical appearance? There is an underlying reason for who you react in situations.
Act as if you are not shy. Behave as if you are expressing confidence. Stand up straight and speak confidently.
Practice making eye contact and smiling when you interact with others.
Have casual conversations with strangers about the weather or current events or sports.
Look good and limit opportunities for being self-critical.
Decrease your fear of rejection by imagining the worst possible outcome.
Watching friends or even strangers who are not shy is a good way to learn some tips from them.
Develop a positive feeling about yourself. Do not get frustrated.
Keep in mind that your goal is to meet people who will like you for who you are.

Memory Techniques

Scores of Books, videos, websites and seminars are devoted to memory enhancement. The following steps summarise the main points of most techniques:-

Make sure you are alert and attentive before trying to memorize anything.
Instead of memorising, try to understand the material, if it requires deeper comprehension.
Look for larger patterns or ideas, and organize pieces of information into meaningful groups.
Links the new bit of knowledge with what you already know. Place what you learn into context with the rest of your knowledge, looking for relationships with ideas.
Engage your visual and auditory senses by using drawings, charts or music to aid memory. Creating a memorable mental picture will help you to memorise.
Use devices such as formulas or rhymes that serve as memory aids.
Repeat and review what you have learned as may times as you can.
Apply it or use it in conversation, as continual practice is the key to remembering things in the long term.

How To Work Efficiently?

Simple tips for performing efficiently at your work:-

Keep your desk and your files well-organised. Avoid wasting time searching for documents.
Go through your inbox at the beginning of each workday. Either throw away, file or follow up on each document.
Prioritize a list of the tasks with most important to least.
Delegate tasks to your subordinates, if possible.
Do one work at a time.
Reduce paperwork by storing important information on your system or electronic organiser.
Plan carefully to ensure that a job is fully and properly completed.
Schedule time to avoid constant interruptions.
Take breaks. A short walk or quick lunch away from the office will increase your overall productivity for the rest of the day.
Before leaving for the day, clean your desk and shortlist the tasks you will need to complete the next day.
Try not to take work home.

Functions of a Chemical Engineer

The Overview of a Chemical Engineer - Designing equipment and developing processes for manufacturing chemicals and related products utilising principles and technology of chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering and related physical and natural sciences. The typical functions of a Chemical Engineer are:-

Applying principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals.
Planning and testing methods of manufacturing products and treating the by-products.
Conducting research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing process.
Utilizing computer technology to optimise all phases of research and production.
Designing, planning layout and supervising workers engaged in contructing, controlling, and improving equipment to carry out chemical process on a commercial scale.
Analysing operating procedures and equipment and machinery functions to reduce processing time and cost.
Designing equipment to control movement, storage, and packing of solids, liquids, and gases.

Protect Your PC/Laptop

If you think your Computer / Laptop may be infected, take all necessary steps to clear your system:-

Be cautious while downloading files and ensure files are safe and secure to download with anti-virus software.
Do not open email attachments unless you are expecting them.
Be cautious of email messages and attachments.
Obtain an anti-virus program.
Scan your system on daily-basis with your anti-virus software.
Search the web for information regarding your specific virus.
Follow the instructions you find on deleting the virus manually.
Run another virus scan to make sure the virus was dealt with properly.
Employ extra caution when you receive attachments that end in the commonly used extensions .doc, .exe, .com, .xls or .ppt.
Generally, deleting the file that caused the virus is not sufficient to eliminate the problem, since many viruses can create new files or corrupt existing files.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement helps you and your employees focus on a common goal and give everyone a benchmark to measure performance:-

Include everybody whose perception of your company matters. Collect as many ideas as you can.
Think and define carefully about your company and its role in the industry and community.
State the things to which you are dedicated. Dedication to quality, your customers, your success, employees, business ethics etc.
Assess the value of your product. Use written questionnaire to poll your customers, suppliers and others about the benefits of and ideals behind your product.
Set up a small committee to go through the ideas you have collected and incorporate them into your company's mission statement.
Give the mission statement high visibility. People will see it every day and be reminded of what their work means.
Be realistic. Set standards that are reasonable and reachable by you and your employees.

Writing a Business Plan

Every business should have business plan. Investors and lenders get business plans every day. Most plans get a cursory look before they are either discarded or kept for further review. Business Plan is a road map for the future. Here are the simple steps to write a Business Plan:-

Be sure to gather all the information for your Business Plan before you start writing it.
Organise the information on your Company, Product or Service, Customers, Market, Competitors and Potential Risks.
Organise your research in outline form, then start writing.
The first section of your plan should be Executive Summary - a two page description of elements covered in details later.
Describe your Company, its purpose, skills you and your Management Team have.
Explain your Product or Service. How you will provide it to the customers? Costs involved and supply sources.
Detail about the market you are entering, general trends, market segment, target customers, customers' buying habits and an analysis of Competition.
Lay out Marketing Plan. Explain your Marketing Strategies and costs involved.
Detail your yearly revenue projections and your expenses.
Limit the plan to less than 50 pages.
A Business Plan is a never ending process. As your business grows, update your business plan projections.