Building Business

Manage the Information Avalanche

Gone are the days of regular rhythms for reviewing performance, plans, and strategies. Now, most leaders receive a constant stream of data about customers, operations, markets, competitors, and more. Here are three ways to handle the information free-for-all:

· Focus on a few key indicators. Don't try to absorb everything. Pay attention to what matters and enables you to take action.

· Differentiate opinion from data. Don't take one person's word as truth. People may observe the same event and interpret it differently based on their own biases.

· Use information as a basis for dialogue. Take advantage of your team to help you sort through and interpret information. Ask for their thoughts on trends they see in the data stream.

If You're a New Manager, Get Bossy

Common wisdom is that the best managers are collaborative. After all, nobody likes to be bossed around. But that's not true for rookie managers. New leaders who are perceived as having low status — because of their age, education, or experience — lead better when they tell subordinates what to do. If as a new manager you sense that your team doesn't yet have confidence in you, you're better off setting the agenda, establishing clear direction, and putting people to work on what you think needs to be done. Only after you have established your authority should you introduce a more collaborative style.

Find Your Willpower

Mustering willpower is a struggle for almost everyone — and it's getting harder. Today, more distractions make it difficult to focus on your goals. To keep yourself on track, try the following:

· Practice small. By reminding yourself to sit up straight, you train the same mental muscle needed to quit smoking or lose weight. Practice small exercises in self-control, and your overall willpower will benefit.

· Take on one task at a time. If you try to accomplish everything, you'll likely give up on all of it. Instead, choose one thing to tackle. Once successful, move on to the next.

· Monitor, monitor, monitor. The more you track your progress on something (and ask others to help you track it) the more likely you are to stay on task.

Don't Take that Coffee Break

Most people assume it's good to take a few breaks during the day — grab a coffee, make a personal call, check Facebook — and then return to work refreshed. But those non-work related breaks may be making you more tired and distracted. Detaching from work is only beneficial if it's over a longer period of time. If you need a break — and we all do — try writing out a to-do list or giving a colleague a compliment instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage or listening to music. If you do something work-related during those brief times you'll be more engaged and energized. At the end of the day, you can punch out and pursue those non-work conversations and hobbies.

Hire for Passion, Not Just Talent

People are more creative when they feel passionate about their work. Whether they are driven by interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, or a sense of personal challenge, they are more likely to take risks, look for multiple solutions to a problem, and seek out the best one rather than the easiest. These are the people you want on your team. Get to know potential hires as thoroughly as possible, even before you have an opening for them. Ask them why they do what they do, what disappointments they've had, what their dream jobs would be. Look for fire in their eyes as they talk about the work itself, and listen for a deep desire to do something that hasn't been done before. When you talk to their references, listen for mentions of passion.

Use Social Media to Boost Your Job Search

More and more people are finding jobs via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. These media aren't changing how we look for jobs, they are simply rebooting the traditional habits of successful job hunters and making them easier. To boost your job search:

· Build a better network. You used to pester people for their business cards at conferences and mixers. Twitter offers a better alternative. Lots of recruiters, hiring managers, and industry leaders hang out on Twitter, swapping job leads and industry updates.

· Share evidence of your good work. Rather than dragging your portfolio to an interview, high-traffic sites such as YouTube and Pinterest can help you showcase your work. Recruiters increasingly prowl the web to look for the best candidates.

Turn Obstacles into Assets

Successful people work with what they have to achieve their goals. This includes surprises, obstacles, and even disappointments. Next time you face a challenge, think about how it can help you. Use negative feedback to gauge whether to invest more resources or pull the plug before it's too late. Take your boss' rejection of your idea as a chance to come up with a better one that she will love. Use discouraging market research findings about your product to develop a feature that customers can't live without. Instead of setbacks, see these events as gifts and make them work for you.

Keep Your Job Search a Secret

Looking for a job while you already have one can be stressful, especially in the age of social media when privacy is scarce. Here are three ways to keep your search to yourself:

· Don't tell anyone. You may be close with certain coworkers, but your secret will only stay secret if you're religious about keeping it to yourself.

· Network carefully. When reaching out to others, you don't need to spill the beans. Instead of "Hi, I'm Amy Gallo and I'm looking for a job," say something like, "I'm doing well at my current position and I'm always entertaining options for what's next."

· Wait for the offer. If you know your manager will react negatively, it's best to wait until after you have an offer in hand to inform her.

Increase Profits by Streamlining Your Company

As a business becomes more complex, it gets difficult to trace costs. If you aren't sure where your company is making money — or losing it — follow these two steps to simplify:

· Analyze profitability by offering or market. There are often large profit disparities among lines ofbusiness, brands, products, and customers. Knowing exactly where you're making money and how is the first step to making more of it.

· Make sure each brand and SKU is pulling its weight. Most complex companies have many brands or SKUs that contribute little to the bottom line. By targeting profitable ones and cutting the rest loose, you can free up significant capacity with negligible loss in revenue and volume.

Stop Email Overload

Do you have thousands of messages in your inbox, and receive hundreds more every day? Welcome to the club. Instead of being overwhelmed by email, take these steps to regain control:

· Turn off the spigot. Unsubscribe to irrelevant e-newsletters and turn off Facebook or Twitter notifications. Consider whether colleagues are copying you on too many emails. If so, ask to only be updated with final decisions.

· Keep a clean inbox. It's easier to handle incoming messages without clutter staring back at you. Create a new folder called "Old Inbox" and put all your messages in there. Then when new email comes in, sort it right away.

· Take an occasional break. Disconnect from all things digital once in a while. Take an email sabbatical next time you go on vacation.

Turn Adversaries into Allies

Anyone who has faced rivals at work — bosses who take all the credit, team members who undermine things — knows how difficult it is to ignore them. Instead, turn your adversaries into collaborators by following these three steps:

· Redirect. Try to channel your rival's negative emotions away from you by bringing up something you have in common, or talking about the source of the tension in a favorable light.

· Reciprocate. Give up something of value to your rival — help complete a project or divulge important information — so you are poised to ask for something in return.

· Reason. Explain that not working together cooperatively could mean lost opportunities. Most people are highly motivated to avoid a loss.

Keep Gen-Xers Engaged

Generation X may be a smaller population than Baby Boomers or Millennials, but it wields great influence in today's organizations. People in this generation are the all-important bench strength for aging leadership. To keep them around, here's how to keep them engaged.

· Develop corporate chameleons. Gen-Xers like to continually learn. Rotate promising employees through different functions on a regular schedule. This will keep things fresh and prep them for leadership roles that require broad experience.

· Bring them out of the shadows. Put Xers in charge of high-visibility projects to spotlight their abilities, or partner them with Baby Boomers who can enhance their careers.

· Test their wings. Many Xers have an entrepreneurial spirit. Foster this interest by letting them take responsibility for a company-sponsored venture.

Stop Getting Bad Advice

People love to give advice. While it's useful to hear what others think, sometimes they give off-target or foolish guidance. Here are a few ways to increase your odds of getting good input:

· Target your requests. Don't ask whoever is available. Create a list of people who have access to relevant resources, information, and experience on your problem and approach them first.

· Frame your question. Figure out what you need before asking for input. Know what information would be useful to hear and help explore gaps in your thinking.

· Redirect the conversation. If the person offering advice jumps to erroneous conclusions, redirect them. Most people will not be offended when politely refocused.

Respond Thoughtfully to Online Customer Feedback

Whether you're a small company or a Fortune 500, customer feedback matters. But it can be tough to navigate online feedback. Which reviews are valuable and which are unreliable? Consider the following when dealing with the negative ones:

· Seek a solution. Post a response and offer a way to turn the situation around. Always extend an olive branch if you can.

· Don't treat all comments equally. Anonymous reviews should never receive the same attention as authored comments.

· Invite comments. If you're open to hearing input, you're more likely to hear positive things. Create forums for discussions about products or services, allow customers to post video testimonials, and keep social media lines open.

Build a Better Business Case

When building a business case, many managers pick an early solution and fail to explore additional possibilities. Others fail to consider the status quo as an alternative. To avoid these traps, bring together the people who will be affected by the outcome of your proposal — these may be customers, frontline workers, or managers in other departments. Ask them to brainstorm alternatives. To generate as many ideas as possible, record everything without judgment or discussing pros and cons. Once you have a full list, move on to assessing which are feasible.

Use Pulse Meetings to Track Projects

As a project manager, you need to actively monitor progress to keep your team on the right path. One way to do that is to hold short pulse meetings where team members share brief status updates on their activities. These can be held face-to-face or virtually. Limit the meetings to 10 minutes and discuss only the tasks started or finished since the last. If the team identifies any problems or risks, don't try to solve them then and there. Schedule a separate working session with the appropriate people to resolve the issue. Hold pulse meetings on a weekly basis unless your project is in crisis mode. Then, you'll need to take the pulse more often.

Know When to Give Up on Your Goals

Setting goals and sticking to them is important. But you should also occasionally reevaluate your goals. Quitting isn't fun, but sometimes it's necessary. Here are two warning signs that it might be time to abandon your goal:

· Your goals have adverse consequences. If you've committed to going to the gym every morning but find that you're too tired to be productive the rest of the day, something needs to give. In these cases, adjust the goal itself or at least how you go about achieving it.

· Your goals impede other objectives. Most people have several goals — getting healthy, spending time with family, making more sales calls, etc. If one of your goals is preventing you from reaching another one, decide which is more important.

Use the Power of Pause When Speaking

Whenever effective public speakers end a sentence or phrase, they usually pause. This gives listeners time to absorb their words. Nervous presenters often do the opposite: The stress of being in front of an audience causes them to speak faster and faster, rushing past the pauses. Whether you're speaking to a large group of strangers or a small room full of colleagues, give your audience a moment to take in your information. Create a pause by dropping your voice at the ends of your phrases instead of raising it, which avoids the dreaded "Valley Girl" effect. Concentrate on dropping your voice and you'll not only sound more authoritative, but you'll add those essential pauses.

How to Reach Your Enemy

Having enemies in the workplace is often destructive. Ideally you should try to work with your rival instead of against him. But if your collaborative efforts fail, try one of these strategies instead:

· Find a common ally. Seek a third party whom your enemy trusts. A common ally may convince him of the benefits of working with you.

· Wait for the right time. Sometimes people need time and space before they can see your side. Put off communication until the right opportunity presents itself.

· Recognize when to go elsewhere. The effort of converting a rival is sometimes so great that you're better off focusing your energy on another relationship.

When to Share Bad News

When you're privy to information that your team isn't, should you share the news or protect your employees? When deciding whether to divulge bad news, do these things first:

· Know your tendency. We all have a preferred approach when it comes to privacy. Some keep things quiet, while others are more open. Understand your bias and find a middle ground.

· Question your motives. Whether you're eager to share news or resisting a conversation, question your motives. Are you feeling guilty about harboring information? Are you afraid of people getting angry?

· Tend toward transparency. Lean toward transparency if possible. As long as you're not violating company policy, give your team the bad news — especially if it's going to impact their work.

Manage the Information Avalanche

Gone are the days of regular rhythms for reviewing performance, plans, and strategies. Now, most leaders receive a constant stream of data about customers, operations, markets, competitors, and more. Here are three ways to handle the information free-for-all:

· Focus on a few key indicators. Don't try to absorb everything. Pay attention to what matters and enables you to take action.

· Differentiate opinion from data. Don't take one person's word as truth. People may observe the same event and interpret it differently based on their own biases.

· Use information as a basis for dialogue. Take advantage of your team to help you sort through and interpret information. Ask for their thoughts on trends they see in the data stream.

If You're a New Manager, Get Bossy

Common wisdom is that the best managers are collaborative. After all, nobody likes to be bossed around. But that's not true for rookie managers. New leaders who are perceived as having low status — because of their age, education, or experience — lead better when they tell subordinates what to do. If as a new manager you sense that your team doesn't yet have confidence in you, you're better off setting the agenda, establishing clear direction, and putting people to work on what you think needs to be done. Only after you have established your authority should you introduce a more collaborative style.

Find Your Willpower

Mustering willpower is a struggle for almost everyone — and it's getting harder. Today, more distractions make it difficult to focus on your goals. To keep yourself on track, try the following:

· Practice small. By reminding yourself to sit up straight, you train the same mental muscle needed to quit smoking or lose weight. Practice small exercises in self-control, and your overall willpower will benefit.

· Take on one task at a time. If you try to accomplish everything, you'll likely give up on all of it. Instead, choose one thing to tackle. Once successful, move on to the next.

· Monitor, monitor, monitor. The more you track your progress on something (and ask others to help you track it) the more likely you are to stay on task.

Don't Take that Coffee Break

Most people assume it's good to take a few breaks during the day — grab a coffee, make a personal call, check Facebook — and then return to work refreshed. But those non-work related breaks may be making you more tired and distracted. Detaching from work is only beneficial if it's over a longer period of time. If you need a break — and we all do — try writing out a to-do list or giving a colleague a compliment instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage or listening to music. If you do something work-related during those brief times you'll be more engaged and energized. At the end of the day, you can punch out and pursue those non-work conversations and hobbies.

Hire for Passion, Not Just Talent

People are more creative when they feel passionate about their work. Whether they are driven by interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, or a sense of personal challenge, they are more likely to take risks, look for multiple solutions to a problem, and seek out the best one rather than the easiest. These are the people you want on your team. Get to know potential hires as thoroughly as possible, even before you have an opening for them. Ask them why they do what they do, what disappointments they've had, what their dream jobs would be. Look for fire in their eyes as they talk about the work itself, and listen for a deep desire to do something that hasn't been done before. When you talk to their references, listen for mentions of passion.

Use Social Media to Boost Your Job Search

More and more people are finding jobs via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. These media aren't changing how we look for jobs, they are simply rebooting the traditional habits of successful job hunters and making them easier. To boost your job search:

· Build a better network. You used to pester people for their business cards at conferences and mixers. Twitter offers a better alternative. Lots of recruiters, hiring managers, and industry leaders hang out on Twitter, swapping job leads and industry updates.

· Share evidence of your good work. Rather than dragging your portfolio to an interview, high-traffic sites such as YouTube and Pinterest can help you showcase your work. Recruiters increasingly prowl the web to look for the best candidates.

Turn Obstacles into Assets

Successful people work with what they have to achieve their goals. This includes surprises, obstacles, and even disappointments. Next time you face a challenge, think about how it can help you. Use negative feedback to gauge whether to invest more resources or pull the plug before it's too late. Take your boss' rejection of your idea as a chance to come up with a better one that she will love. Use discouraging market research findings about your product to develop a feature that customers can't live without. Instead of setbacks, see these events as gifts and make them work for you.

Keep Your Job Search a Secret

Looking for a job while you already have one can be stressful, especially in the age of social media when privacy is scarce. Here are three ways to keep your search to yourself:

· Don't tell anyone. You may be close with certain coworkers, but your secret will only stay secret if you're religious about keeping it to yourself.

· Network carefully. When reaching out to others, you don't need to spill the beans. Instead of "Hi, I'm Amy Gallo and I'm looking for a job," say something like, "I'm doing well at my current position and I'm always entertaining options for what's next."

· Wait for the offer. If you know your manager will react negatively, it's best to wait until after you have an offer in hand to inform her.

Increase Profits by Streamlining Your Company

As a business becomes more complex, it gets difficult to trace costs. If you aren't sure where your company is making money — or losing it — follow these two steps to simplify:

· Analyze profitability by offering or market. There are often large profit disparities among lines ofbusiness, brands, products, and customers. Knowing exactly where you're making money and how is the first step to making more of it.

· Make sure each brand and SKU is pulling its weight. Most complex companies have many brands or SKUs that contribute little to the bottom line. By targeting profitable ones and cutting the rest loose, you can free up significant capacity with negligible loss in revenue and volume.

Stop Email Overload

Do you have thousands of messages in your inbox, and receive hundreds more every day? Welcome to the club. Instead of being overwhelmed by email, take these steps to regain control:

· Turn off the spigot. Unsubscribe to irrelevant e-newsletters and turn off Facebook or Twitter notifications. Consider whether colleagues are copying you on too many emails. If so, ask to only be updated with final decisions.

· Keep a clean inbox. It's easier to handle incoming messages without clutter staring back at you. Create a new folder called "Old Inbox" and put all your messages in there. Then when new email comes in, sort it right away.

· Take an occasional break. Disconnect from all things digital once in a while. Take an email sabbatical next time you go on vacation.

Turn Adversaries into Allies

Anyone who has faced rivals at work — bosses who take all the credit, team members who undermine things — knows how difficult it is to ignore them. Instead, turn your adversaries into collaborators by following these three steps:

· Redirect. Try to channel your rival's negative emotions away from you by bringing up something you have in common, or talking about the source of the tension in a favorable light.

· Reciprocate. Give up something of value to your rival — help complete a project or divulge important information — so you are poised to ask for something in return.

· Reason. Explain that not working together cooperatively could mean lost opportunities. Most people are highly motivated to avoid a loss.

Keep Gen-Xers Engaged

Generation X may be a smaller population than Baby Boomers or Millennials, but it wields great influence in today's organizations. People in this generation are the all-important bench strength for aging leadership. To keep them around, here's how to keep them engaged.

· Develop corporate chameleons. Gen-Xers like to continually learn. Rotate promising employees through different functions on a regular schedule. This will keep things fresh and prep them for leadership roles that require broad experience.

· Bring them out of the shadows. Put Xers in charge of high-visibility projects to spotlight their abilities, or partner them with Baby Boomers who can enhance their careers.

· Test their wings. Many Xers have an entrepreneurial spirit. Foster this interest by letting them take responsibility for a company-sponsored venture.

Stop Getting Bad Advice

People love to give advice. While it's useful to hear what others think, sometimes they give off-target or foolish guidance. Here are a few ways to increase your odds of getting good input:

· Target your requests. Don't ask whoever is available. Create a list of people who have access to relevant resources, information, and experience on your problem and approach them first.

· Frame your question. Figure out what you need before asking for input. Know what information would be useful to hear and help explore gaps in your thinking.

· Redirect the conversation. If the person offering advice jumps to erroneous conclusions, redirect them. Most people will not be offended when politely refocused.

Respond Thoughtfully to Online Customer Feedback

Whether you're a small company or a Fortune 500, customer feedback matters. But it can be tough to navigate online feedback. Which reviews are valuable and which are unreliable? Consider the following when dealing with the negative ones:

· Seek a solution. Post a response and offer a way to turn the situation around. Always extend an olive branch if you can.

· Don't treat all comments equally. Anonymous reviews should never receive the same attention as authored comments.

· Invite comments. If you're open to hearing input, you're more likely to hear positive things. Create forums for discussions about products or services, allow customers to post video testimonials, and keep social media lines open.

Build a Better Business Case

When building a business case, many managers pick an early solution and fail to explore additional possibilities. Others fail to consider the status quo as an alternative. To avoid these traps, bring together the people who will be affected by the outcome of your proposal — these may be customers, frontline workers, or managers in other departments. Ask them to brainstorm alternatives. To generate as many ideas as possible, record everything without judgment or discussing pros and cons. Once you have a full list, move on to assessing which are feasible.

Use Pulse Meetings to Track Projects

As a project manager, you need to actively monitor progress to keep your team on the right path. One way to do that is to hold short pulse meetings where team members share brief status updates on their activities. These can be held face-to-face or virtually. Limit the meetings to 10 minutes and discuss only the tasks started or finished since the last. If the team identifies any problems or risks, don't try to solve them then and there. Schedule a separate working session with the appropriate people to resolve the issue. Hold pulse meetings on a weekly basis unless your project is in crisis mode. Then, you'll need to take the pulse more often.

Know When to Give Up on Your Goals

Setting goals and sticking to them is important. But you should also occasionally reevaluate your goals. Quitting isn't fun, but sometimes it's necessary. Here are two warning signs that it might be time to abandon your goal:

· Your goals have adverse consequences. If you've committed to going to the gym every morning but find that you're too tired to be productive the rest of the day, something needs to give. In these cases, adjust the goal itself or at least how you go about achieving it.

· Your goals impede other objectives. Most people have several goals — getting healthy, spending time with family, making more sales calls, etc. If one of your goals is preventing you from reaching another one, decide which is more important.

Use the Power of Pause When Speaking

Whenever effective public speakers end a sentence or phrase, they usually pause. This gives listeners time to absorb their words. Nervous presenters often do the opposite: The stress of being in front of an audience causes them to speak faster and faster, rushing past the pauses. Whether you're speaking to a large group of strangers or a small room full of colleagues, give your audience a moment to take in your information. Create a pause by dropping your voice at the ends of your phrases instead of raising it, which avoids the dreaded "Valley Girl" effect. Concentrate on dropping your voice and you'll not only sound more authoritative, but you'll add those essential pauses.

How to Reach Your Enemy

Having enemies in the workplace is often destructive. Ideally you should try to work with your rival instead of against him. But if your collaborative efforts fail, try one of these strategies instead:

· Find a common ally. Seek a third party whom your enemy trusts. A common ally may convince him of the benefits of working with you.

· Wait for the right time. Sometimes people need time and space before they can see your side. Put off communication until the right opportunity presents itself.

· Recognize when to go elsewhere. The effort of converting a rival is sometimes so great that you're better off focusing your energy on another relationship.

When to Share Bad News

When you're privy to information that your team isn't, should you share the news or protect your employees? When deciding whether to divulge bad news, do these things first:

· Know your tendency. We all have a preferred approach when it comes to privacy. Some keep things quiet, while others are more open. Understand your bias and find a middle ground.

· Question your motives. Whether you're eager to share news or resisting a conversation, question your motives. Are you feeling guilty about harboring information? Are you afraid of people getting angry?

· Tend toward transparency. Lean toward transparency if possible. As long as you're not violating company policy, give your team the bad news — especially if it's going to impact their work.

Trust Your Gut

Most of us are taught to defer to authority. As a result, we tend to disregard our internal compasses. But your instincts are often right. Here is how to counter your conditioning and question authority:

· Listen to your inner voice. Take a moment to breathe and consider what is going on. Ask yourself, "Are there other ways to approach this assignment?"

· Constructively question. Ask your boss, customer, or client: Why do we do it this way? Would you be open to different ways? Can we experiment?

· Reflect. Whether you've followed along or pushed for an alternative, think about what happened. Remember what it felt like to go against authority and think about how you might handle it differently in the future.

Turn Your Employees into Company Advocates

Loyal, passionate employees benefit a company as much as dedicated customers. They stay longer, work more creatively, and go the extra mile. So how do you turn employees into advocates for your company and its work?

· Throw out the annual employee survey. They're unwieldy and unreliable. Survey employees often, but just ask a few simple questions. Try: How likely would you be to recommend this company to a friend as a place to work? How likely would you be to recommend the company's products or services to a potential customer?

· Give employees unfiltered customer feedback. When frontline employees hear directly from customers they respond. Positive feedback inspires them to keep up the good work. Criticism often motivates them to improve their performance.

La Gran Recesión

Este video nos muestra el funcionamiento del sistema financiero de forma clara, planteando los problemas que pueden surgir y han aparecido. Gracias a él podrás conocer la terminología y conceptos relativos a un sistema que es tan importante en el mundo.

Trabajos

Un muchacho termina el Bachillerato y no tiene ganas de estudiar más.

Como el padre es un tipo influyente y de dinero, le presiona:

- ¿Ah? ¿No quieres estudiar, hijo? Bueno, yo no mantengo vagos, así que vas a trabajar. ¿Estamos?

El padre, que es un hombre con mucho dinero, metido en la política y con influencias, dada su larga trayectoria, trata de conseguirle un empleo y habla con una de sus compañeras de partido que están en este momento en el gabinete, y le dice:

- Manolo, ¿Te acuerdas de mi hijo? Bueno, pues fíjate que terminó el Bachillerato y no quiere estudiar el jodido muchacho. Si puedes, necesitaría ya un puesto como para que empiece a trabajar, mientras decide si va a seguir estudiando una carrera... El asunto es que quiero que haga algo, no ande vagueando y esté todo el día en casa sin hacer nada. Y así a ver si se compone y hace algo de provecho. ¿Me explico?

A los tres días llama Manolo:

- Enrique, ya está. Le conseguí un trabajo como asesor del presidente del partido. Unos 18000 € al mes, ¿está muy bien verdad?

- ¡No, no me jodas Manolo! ¡Es una locura!, acaba de empezar. Tiene que comenzar desde abajo, si empieza ganando tanto dinero va a ser peor.

A los dos días, de nuevo Manolo:

- Enrique, ya lo tengo. Le conseguí un cargo de asistente privado de un diputado. El sueldo es más modesto, de 8000 € al mes.

- ¡No, Manolo!, ¡acaba de salir del instituto! No quiero que la vida se le haga tan fácil de entrada. Quiero que sienta la necesidad de estudiar. ¿Me entiendes?

Al otro día:

- Enrique, ahora sí... Jefe de compras en la delegación del Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio, ya está, claro que el sueldo es muy bajo... Serán 6000 € nada más.

- Pero Manolo, ¡por favor! Consígueme algo más modesto. Está empezando... Algo de unos 1200 € - 1500 €.

- No, eso es imposible, Enrique.

- ¿Por qué? - Tendría que ser un cargo de maestro, y esos cargos son por concurso, necesita: currículum, inglés, título universitario, haber hecho al menos un máster o un posgrado en el extranjero, haber hecho méritos, estar afiliado a un sindicato de maestros, aprobar el examen de oposición... Y por supuesto, experiencia previa. Está jodido, Enrique, está jodido. Trabajos así no se encuentran fácilmente...

Apply now

You Can't Get It All Done

If you're like most people, you're overwhelmed with how much you have to do and frustrated by all the things you can't finish. The reality is that there isn't enough time to do it all. Once you admit that, you can explicitly choose what you are going to do. Instead of letting things haphazardly fall through the cracks, you can intentionally push unimportant things aside and focus on the things that matter. Don't instantly react to the needs that land on your desk; make deliberate choices that will move you toward your goals. You also need to make conscious decisions about what not to do.

3 Ways to Handle a Colleague You Dislike

Working with a difficult person can be distracting and draining. Next time a colleague irritates you to no end, try these three things:

· Manage your reaction. If someone annoys you, don't focus on his behavior. Focus on how you react, which is usually the only thing you can control.

· Keep it to yourself. Emotions are contagious, so complaining about a co-worker can bring everyone down. And it can reflect negatively on you. If you must vent, do it outside the office.

· Work together. It's counterintuitive, but by spending more time together you may develop empathy for your colleague. You might discover reasons for his behavior: stress at home, pressure from his boss, etc.

Introverts: Network in Your Own Way

Networking is essential to thriving in business. But if you're an introvert with a natural aversion to groups and talking with strangers, what can you do? Try these things:

· Focus on individuals. Group interactions can drain introverts. Spend your networking time having one-on-one conversations.

· Rethink how you reach out. Introverts often hesitate to introduce themselves, but social media makes it easier. Reach out via LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Facebook to people before events. This pre-introduction may put you at ease.

· Re-energize. Take time between networking events to recharge. Take a walk or find 30 minutes alone.

Perfect Your Pitch

Elevator pitches aren't just for start-ups. They are helpful in job interviews, networking events, presentations, or any time you need to quickly explain your case. Instead of stumbling when asked, "What does your company do?" prepare an effective pitch that outlines win-win goals and launches a deeper relationship. Grab the listeners' attention with a smart hook, and then convince them of the mutual benefits you could provide. End by suggesting a follow-up and converting a chance meeting into an opportunity. Speak in terms your audience can relate to. And communicate with the passion that comes from knowing that this opportunity may never come again.

Even High Performers Need Feedback

Some managers assume their star employees don't need feedback. They're clearly doing a good job and they don't need to improve, right? Wrong. Even your top performers need input to stay engaged, focused, and motivated. Frequently give your stars both positive and negative feedback. Tell them how much you appreciate their good work. Identify and share development areas, even if there are only a few. Talk with your stars about how they might achieve the next level of performance. And, don't miss the opportunity to solicit input on how you are doing as a manager. Ask questions such as "How can I help you improve?" or "What can our organization do to support your great work?"

End a Mentoring Relationship Before It Dies

It's easy for a mentoring relationship to outlive its worth. You get into a groove, you enjoy the stimulating conversations, and you're learning. But sometimes you have to move on to move up. Set goals and assess whether you have achieved them. Once you have, it might be time to find a new mentor to help you with your next set of challenges. Thank your mentor for all her help and ask permission to use her as a reference when you're scouting for the next one. Keep in touch with your past mentors even after the relationships officially end.

Make Service Easy for Your Customers

The notion of going above and beyond customer needs is so entrenched that managers rarely question it. But delighting your customers may be a waste of time and energy. In fact, most customers just want simple, quick solutions to their problems, and your company should make that possible. Think about the service initiatives you have underway. Question whether they are focused on reducing customer effort or adding unnecessary bells and whistles. Start with frontline employees since they likely interact with customers the most. Make sure they have the skills, permission, and the incentive to reduce customer effort.

Practice Being a Leader

Leadership is not an innate trait that you're born with. It can be learned. The key is to practice before you have the official title. Start by focusing on the choices you make now, such as who to put on your team or what vendor to use for your project. Recognize that you likely don't know everything. Making decisions based on incomplete information is a skill that every leader must master. Once you've acted, ask yourself: Was that the right decision? Could you have done something differently? This will get you comfortable with making decisions, acting upon them, and reflecting on their outcomes. Then, learn from your inevitable mistakes. You will build knowledge and skills as you work up to the larger decisions with broader consequences that all leaders have to make.

Keep Your Cool When Getting Feedback

No one likes to hear that they aren't performing well. Yet, everyone can improve. Next time you receive constructive feedback, do these three things:

· Relax. It's understandable to be nervous during a feedback session. The other person holds all the power. Accept this imbalance and be easy on yourself.

· Expect to be surprised. You're likely to hear something that you weren't aware of. Perhaps something was a bigger deal than you thought, or something you thought was resolved wasn't.

· Don't be defensive. Even if you disagree, hold your tongue. Instead of defending yourself, ask questions. Once you've cooled down, you can always follow up.

Run a Decisive Project Meeting

To keep momentum in a project, you need to run great meetings. Make your next project meeting productive with these three guidelines:

· Restate the meeting's purpose. Even if you think everyone knows it, it helps to remind them and sharpen the group's focus.

· Include everyone. If one or two people dominate the conversation and others are shy about leaping in, draw out new people by saying, "Thanks for those ideas, Carl. What are your thoughts about this problem, Megan?"

· End well. Close the meeting with an action plan and a clear time frame. State the decisions the group has made, who owns what, and when they need to report back to the team.

Regain Your Focus

Multitasking may speed you through your to-do list, but it also makes you more likely to make mistakes and less likely to retain information. Here are three ways to focus:

· Think good thoughts. Positive emotions improve the brain's executive function and encourage creative and strategic thinking. Improve your emotional balance by actively thinking about things that make you happy.

· Ban distractions. Be aware of what steals your attention. When disrupted, make a conscious choice to return to the task at hand.

· Leave things behind. When you turn to a new task, part of your brain is still thinking about the last one. Before starting something new, go for a walk, climb stairs, or do some deep breathing to clear your head.

Need a Mentor? Forget the Expert

When people early in their careers seek mentors, they often target those with a depth of experience. But experts can't teach you everything. And, often they are so far removed from your day-to-day work that they can't help you solve problems. Select at least one mentor with only a few more years of experience than you. Someone who has recently walked in your shoes can give you practical, relevant advice on the challenges you face. She may also give you insight into what's coming in your career and the types of challenges you'll be up against next.

Develop a Strategy the Smart Way

Strategic planning fails when it has fuzzy objectives, too many people, and a rushed schedule. When your company faces uncertainty and needs to develop a strategy fast, do it the right way:

· Define the challenge. Your leadership team can't settle on a path forward unless everyone agrees on the problem you're trying to solve. Once you are aligned, focus on core questions and avoid meandering discussions.

· Identify the destination. Define the future state and how to get there. Don't try to please everyone; make the hard choices that lead to a clear strategy.

· Develop options. Changes in the marketplace are inevitable. Come up with alternative approaches that let you to respond to uncertain events.

Take Harsh Criticism in Stride

Whether it's an office rival or a well-intended colleague, someone will likely say something punitive or hurtful to you at some point in your career. When it happens, remember:

· Don't respond right away. Resist the temptation to snap back. There is no use in getting angry or creating a nasty paper trail. Take time to cool off and then reply cordially.

· Determine if you're overreacting. Ask yourself whether the comment was really that bad. Sometimes a thoughtful offer to help can seem like an insult.

· Forgive, but remember. Don't hold a grudge, but keep in mind that if you are ever asked for a reference about the person, you can give a frank answer.

Focus on a Problem, Not Your Passion

When it comes to careers, we're told to follow our passions. But you might find greater satisfaction if you work on big problems. Whether it's an issue in education, health care, climate change, poverty, or technology; figure out how you can contribute to a solution. Choose a problem that you care about — even personally — and let this dilemma be your compass. Get out of the office, meet people who are affected by the problem, and connect with those working in this area. Doing so shifts your attention from yourself to others. By becoming less focused on yourself, you might become happier with your work.

Expand Your Mentoring Network

One great mentor can help you, especially early in your career. But as you progress you need a network of mentors who can broaden your perspective and grant access to new opportunities. Build your mentoring network by creating a personal relationship map. Identify the people you need help from to be successful in your current job and everyone who might help you advance your career. Ask yourself which of those individuals you need to know better. Leverage your current mentors to provide introductions and to fill you in on people's backgrounds, interests, and current projects. With that information, you can make meaningful connections by offering relevant expertise or ideas, or finding other ways to assist.

Position Yourself for that Promotion

Becoming a top candidate for promotion doesn't happen overnight. You have to build a track record of proven performance and demonstrate the skills required for the job. Consider the following strategies to propel yourself to the top of the list:

· Gather information. Find out which factors the decision makers consider when judging an employee for promotion and see how you measure up.

· Use your job to demonstrate skills. Make sure you can display the necessary capabilities in your current position. If not, work with your boss to develop a needed skill and make sure senior leaders notice.

· Get feedback on your presence. Ability to project confidence is a key factor in promotion decisions. Seek candid feedback to understand how others perceive you.

Boost Your Presentation with Great Visuals

Most people respond better to visuals than the spoken word alone. But, not all visuals enhance a presentation: Inaccessible graphs or nonsensical clip art will detract from your message. To create visual aids that give your presentation impact, engage your audience, and make your points stick, follow these rules:

· Keep them simple. If your audience can't understand the visual within 30 seconds, remove it.

· Don't get too artistic. Only use graphics and icons to reinforce key concepts. Don't try to pretty up the presentation with irrelevant pictures.

· Edit heavily. Each slide or handout sheet should only convey one concept. Include no more than six lines of text, or else it's no longer a visual.

Use Your 118 Seconds Wisely

The average length of an elevator ride in New York City is 118 seconds. If you use that as a guide, it means you've got less than two minutes to deliver a winning elevator pitch for your amazing new idea—wherever you are. Start by grabbing your prospect's attention in the first few seconds. Convey who you are and describe what your business offers. Focus on what's in it for the person you're pitching. Be sure to describe exactly what separates you from everyone else that sells the same product or service. If you hook her in, you might get to continue the discussion when you arrive at her floor.

Mentees, Make Listening Your First Priority

It might be tempting to use your mentoring sessions to impress your mentor—someone who can potentially advance your career. But, most mentors are put off by protégés who do more self-promoting than learning. Listen to your mentor, show humility, and make it clear that you take the counsel seriously. When you get feedback, don't respond with, "Yes, I already knew that." Restate the advice in your own words to make sure you've got it right, and ask questions to clarify. Mentors will often test you by gauging how you respond to feedback; and the better you are at receiving it, the more of it you will get.

Find a Job by Changing the Way You Network

The best way to find a job is through networking. But, don't limit your outreach to close friends and current colleagues. Cast a wide net and reach people beyond your immediate circle. Here are three steps to do that:

· Broadly define your network. You have more contacts than you think. Consider former classmates, former colleagues, clients, and community acquaintances. When you make a contact, ask for introductions to others.

· View discussions as learning opportunities. Approach meetings as conversations, not interviews. Ask about more than jobs. Ask about the industry, how to succeed, and how to position yourself.

· Keep good records. Connecting with many people can be complicated. After each meeting, write down what you learned and what you'll do as a result.

Trabajo de gerente

Cuentan que un gerente muy importante de una conocida multinacional informática tuvo una crisis cardiaca por culpa del trabajo. Fue dado de baja y enviado al campo con el objeto de recuperar las fuerzas y relajarse un poco.


Después de pasar 2 días sin hacer nada, el gerente estaba ya harto de la vida bucólica y pastoril, y se aburría soberanamente. Así que decidió hablar con el granjero que le hospedaba y solicitarle alguna tarea sencillita para pasar el rato y ocupar el tiempo, a la vez que así hacia algo de ejercicio.

Al día siguiente se levantaron temprano, antes de que saliera el sol. El granjero, conocedor de la idiosincrasia de la gente de ciudad, y temiendo algún estropicio irreparable, resolvió asignarle al gerente tareas simples en las que no pudiera causar daño alguno (incluyéndole a él mismo).

'La tarea es muy sencilla.' - dijo el granjero dándole una pala - 'Sólo tiene que recoger el estiércol que hay en el chiquero de los cerdos y repartirlo por el sembrado para abonarlo. Cuando termine venga a verme.'

El granjero era propietario de más de doscientos cerdos, y el estiércol se acumulaba hasta la altura de la rodilla. Así que el hombre estimó que la faena le llevaría al gerente de 2 a 3 días.

Cual fue su sorpresa, cuando al cabo de tres horas apareció el gerente, lleno de estiércol hasta las orejas, sonriente y con cara de satisfecho diciendo 'Ya he terminado.' Viendo que en efecto la tarea estaba terminada, y además con eficiencia el granjero decidió asignarle otra.


'Bien. Hay que sacrificar unos pollos que mañana tienen a recoger los de la carnicería. Basta con cortarles la cabeza.' -dijo dándole un enorme cuchillo - 'Es un poco más complicado, pero seguro que puede hacerlo.' Había más de 1500 pollos para sacrificar, y supuso que el gerente no terminaría hasta bien entrada la noche. Incluso pensó en ayudarle más adelante cuando terminara de recoger la siembra. Apenas habían pasado un par de horas cuando el gerente se presentó ante él, con toda la ropa y la cara manchada de sangre, el cuchillo mellado, y sonriente como un niño el día de los Reyes Magos, diciendo de nuevo 'Ya he terminado.' El granjero no salía de su asombro. ¡Increíble! Él mismo, acostumbrado a la dura vida rural, no lo hubiera hecho mejor: los 1500 pollos estaban amontonados en un lado, y las 1500 cabezas en otro lado.

El granjero se rascó la cabeza pensativo. Llevó al gerente junto a un gran montón de patatas y le dijo: 'Muy bien. Ahora hay que separar las patatas. Las grandes a la derecha y las pequeñas a la izquierda.' Pensó el granjero que en menos de una hora vería otra vez al gerente pidiéndole más trabajo. Pero no fue así. Pasó la hora de comer, la hora de cenar, se hizo de noche, y el gerente no aparecía. Creyendo que algo le habría sucedido, el asustado granjero fue donde había dejado al gerente, y se lo encontró sentado delante del mismo montón de patatas, sin que hubiera separado ninguna.

- ¿Le pasa algo? - preguntó extrañado.

El gerente se volvió con una patata en la mano y le contestó:

- Mire, repartir mierda y cortar cabezas es algo a lo que estoy muy acostumbrado... Pero, ¡esto de tomar decisiones...!

La crisis Nórdica

“El pánico bancario escandinavo de 1990 y la crisis bancaria sueca y finlandesa fue una profunda crisis sistémica de todo el sector financiero de Finlandia, que tuvo lugar principalmente en los años 1991-1993, tras varios años de auge económico basado en el modelo de deuda barata de finales de 1980. Su costo total para los contribuyentes fue de aproximadamente un 8% del PIB finlandés, por lo que es la más grave de las crisis bancarias nórdicas contemporáneas. La crisis se ha atribuido a una combinación de problemas macroeconómicos del entorno, la regulación débil de los bancos y préstamos. La intervención gubernamental incluyó adquisiciones bancarias, la asistencia monetaria directa y garantías temporales del estado hacia los bancos.

Suecia ha tenido un modelo económico único en la era posterior a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que se caracterizaba por una estrecha cooperación entre el gobierno, los sindicatos y las corporaciones. La economía sueca concedía grandes beneficios sociales y universales financiados por los altos impuestos, cerca del 50% del PIB. En la década de 1980, se gesta una burbuja inmobiliaria y financiera impulsada por un rápido incremento en los préstamos. La reestructuración del sistema fiscal combinada con una desaceleración económica internacional en la década de los 1990, causó el estallido de la burbuja. Entre 1990 y 1993 el PIB se redujo en un 5% y el desempleo se disparó, provocando la peor crisis económica en Suecia desde 1930. En 1992 se produjo el desplome de la moneda. El banco central sueco subió la tasa de interés en un esfuerzo infructuoso para defender el cambio fijo de la moneda.

 

 El boom inmobiliario terminó en fracaso. El gobierno se hizo cargo de casi una cuarta parte de los activos bancarios a un alto costo. Esto fue conocido coloquialmente, como la “Solución de Estocolmo”. El sistema de bienestar que había estado creciendo rápidamente desde la década de 1970 no podía sostenerse con una caída del PIB, una disminución del empleo y mayores pagos de asistencia social. En 1994, el déficit presupuestario superó el 15% del PIB. La respuesta del gobierno fue reducir el gasto e instituir una multitud de reformas para mejorar la competitividad de Suecia. Cuando las perspectivas económicas internacionales mejoraron, combinando además un rápido crecimiento en el sector de las telecomunicaciones, Suecia fue capaz de salir de la crisis.

La crisis de la década de 1990 fue vista por algunos como el fin del modelo de bienestar llamado “Svenska modellen”, literalmente, el modelo sueco, ya que había resultado en un gasto no sostenible a largo plazo. La mayor parte de las ventajas del modelo sueco en realidad podían mantenerse por la delicada situación de las economías competidoras que estaban aun poco desarrolladas. Sin embargo, las reformas aplicadas durante la década de los 90 parecen haber creado un modelo en el que amplios beneficios de bienestar se pueden mantener en una economía global.

 

 Según un estudio de Reinhart y Rogoff dedicado a la historia de las crisis bancarias y bursátiles, los grandes derrumbes bancarios a partir de la década de los 70 fueron: España (1977), Noruega (1987), Finlandia (1991), Suecia (1991), Japón (1992), Tailandia, Indonesia, Corea, Malasia y Filipinas en el 1998 y Argentina (2001). En todos estos casos, el derrumbe bancario acaba desembocando en pánicos bursátiles (-55% de caída y 3 años de desarrollo) y en el mercado de la vivienda (-35% de caída y 6 años de desarrollo, en promedio). Sólo en algunos casos estas crisis ocasionan una crisis sistémica que desemboca en una gran recesión”.

Fuente: La Bolsa Evidente: ciclos y relaciones de intermercado. Javier Alfayate, auto ediciones 2010

La gran burbuja de Japón

El estallido de la burbuja inmobiliaria y de activos japoneses de 1990, “keiki baburu” en japonés, fue una burbuja económica iniciada en 1986 hasta 1991, en la que los bienes inmuebles y los precios de las acciones llegaron a alcanzar precios increíblemente exagerados. La locura especulativa comenzó en 1985 con la apreciación del yen frente al dólar, después de lo cual el Banco de Japón tuvo que inyectar liquidez a los mercados crediticios. Además durante los dos años siguientes, el banco central volvió a bajar los tipos de descuento del 5% hasta el 2,5%. Las autoridades económicas de la época quisieron evitar una caída en sus exportaciones devaluando su moneda.

Con un entorno de elevadísimo de ahorro y liquidez abundante, la mayoría de los inversores profesionales y de los novatos se lanzaron a la inversión en bolsa y en bienes inmuebles. El colapso de la burbuja duró más de una década con los precios de las acciones tocando fondo en 2003. La burbuja de precios de los activos japoneses contribuyó a lo que los japoneses se refieren como la década perdida.

En las décadas siguientes a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Japón fomentó el ahorro entre sus ciudadanos. Con más dinero en los bancos, los préstamos y el crédito se hizo más fácil de obtener y con Japón disfrutando de un amplio superávit comercial, el yen se apreció frente a las monedas extranjeras. Esto permitió a las empresas locales invertir en recursos de capital mucho más fácilmente que sus competidores en el extranjero, lo que redujo el precio de los productos fabricados en Japón y amplió el superávit del comercio. Con tanto dinero disponible para la inversión, la especulación era inevitable, sobre todo en la Bolsa de Tokio y en el mercado inmobiliario japonés. El índice de acciones Nikkei225 pasó de 11.500 puntos en 1984 a su máximo histórico el 29 de diciembre de 1989 cuando alcanzó un máximo intradiario de 38,957.44 para cerrar a 38,915.87.

El valor de los terrenos llegó a cotas inimaginables, por ejemplo, el valor de los terrenos para uso residencial en Tokio llegó a valer 150 veces el correspondiente a la zona metropolitana de Nueva York, 35 veces el de París y 16 veces el de Londres. El patrón de la crisis se iba repitiendo y cada vez los bancos eran más laxos a la hora de conceder préstamos. La fase de otoño de Kondratieff se estaba adelantando a pasos agigantados.

 

 Con la economía impulsada por sus altas tasas de reinversión, este crash supuso un golpe particularmente duro. Las inversiones se orientaron cada vez más fuera del país, y las empresas manufactureras perdieron parte de su ventaja tecnológica. Como los productos japoneses se hicieron menos competitivos en el extranjero la tasa de bajo consumo comenzó a hacer mella en la economía, provocando una espiral deflacionaria. El Banco Central de Japón fijó las tasas de interés a aproximadamente cero en un vano intento de reactivar la economía. Cuando esto no logró detener la deflación algunos economistas como Paul Krugman, y algunos políticos japoneses optaron por alcanzar metas de inflación a toda costa al darse cuenta del efecto pernicioso de la deflación prolongada. Según un estudio de “The Economist”, el valor de los locales comerciales cayó incluso más que los activos en bolsa, cerca de un 84% de 1991 hasta 2001.

Corregir el problema del crédito se hizo difícil, ya que el gobierno comenzó a subsidiar y rescatar bancos y empresas en dificultades, creando muchas de las llamadas “empresas zombie“. Es bastante llamativo que esta crisis no se transfiriera a otros entornos o regiones de los alrededores de Japón. Fue una crisis a la japonesa. Quizás su locura especulativa pasó desapercibida para el resto del mundo, que todavía seguía disfrutando de un Wall Street en pleno auge.

Fuente: La Bolsa Evidente: ciclos y relaciones de intermercado. Javier Alfayate, auto ediciones 2010