Technical : April 2020

Thursday, April 30, 2020

MS Office and Email: About MS Office

MS Office or Microsoft Office is a suite of computer programs developed by Microsoft Although meant for all users, it offers different versions that cater specifically to students, home users and business users. All the programs are compatible with both, Windows and Macintosh.

Most Popular Office Products

Some of the most popular and universally used MS Office applications are:

Microsoft Word: Allows users to type text and add images to a document.
Microsoft Exel: Allows users to enter data into a spreadsheet and create calculations and graphs.
Microsoft PowerPoint: Allows users to add text, pictures and media and create slideshows and presentations.
Microsoft outlook: Allows users to send and receive email.
Microsoft Outlook: Allows users toake drawings and notes with the feel of the pen on paper
Microsoft Access: Allows users to store data over many tables.

Why Choose Microsoft Outlook?

A popular email management choice especially in the workplace, Microsoft Outlook also includes an address book, notebook, web browser and calendar. Some major benefits of this program are:

Integrated search function: You can use keywords to search for data across all Outlook programs.
Enhanced security: Your email is safe from gathered, junk mail and phishing website email.
Email syncing: Sync your mail with your calendar, contact list, notes in One Note and..... your phone!
Offline access to email: No Internet? No problem! Write ema8ls offline and send them when you're connected again.

Computer and Internet basics: Basic Parts of a Computer

Computer and Internet basics: Basic Parts of a Computer

Central Processing Unit (CPU) : The brain of the computer. It interprets and carries out program instructions.
Hard Drive: A device that stored large amounts of data.
Monitor : The device that contains the computer screen where the information is visually displayed.
Mouse : A hand-held device used to point to items on the monitor.
Speakers: Devices that enable you to hear sound from the computer.
Printer: A device that converts output from a computer into printed paper documents.

Basic Parts of a Keyboard

Arrow keys: Press these keys to move your cursor.
Space bar: Adds a space.
Enter / Return : Moves your cursing to a new line.
Shift: Press this key if you want to type a capital letter or the upper symbol of a key.
Caps Lock: Press this key if you want all the letters you type to be capital letters. Press it again to revert back to typing lowercase letters.
Backspace : Deletes everything to the left of your cursor.

Basic Internet Terms

The Internet : A vast, international collection of computer networks that transfers information.
The World Wide Web: A system that lets you access information on the Internet.
Website: A location on the World Wide Web (and Internet) that contains information about a specific topic.
Homepage: Provides information about a website and directs you to other pages on that website.
Link/Hyperlink: A highlighted or underlined icon, graphic, or text that takes you to another file or object.
Web Address/URL: The address for a website.
Address Box: A box in the browser window where you can type in web address.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Stress Management: What is Stress?

We say we are 'stressed' when we feel overloaded and unsure of aur well-being can be defined as a stress. It is important to note that stress can be good and bad. While good stress keeps us going, negative stress undermines our mental and physical health. This is why it is so important to manage negative stress effectively.

Causes of Stress

Stress can be caused by internal and external factors.

Internal causes of stress6

Constant worry
Rigid thinking
Unrealistic expectations
Pessimism
Negative self-talk
All in OR all out attitude

External causes of stress

Major life changes
Difficulties with relationships
Having too much to do
Difficulties at work or in school
Financial diff6
Worrying about one's children and/or family

Symptoms of Stress6

Stress can manifest itself in numerous ways. Take a look at the cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural symptoms of stress.

Cognitive Symptoms

Memory problems
Concentration issues
Lack of judgement
Pessimism
Anxiety
Constant worrying

Emotional Symptoms

Depression
Agitation
Irritability
Loneliness
Anxiety
Anger

Physical Symptoms

Aches and pains
Diarrhoea or constipation
Nausea
Dizziness
Chest pain and/or rapid heartbeat
Frequent cold or flu like feelings

Behavioural Symptoms

Increase or decrease in appetite
Over sleeping or not sleeping enough
Withdrawing socially
Ignoring responsibilities
Consumption of alcohol or cigarettes
Nervous habits like nail biting and pacing

Tips to Manage Stress

The following tips can help you manage your stress better:

Note down the different ways in which you can handle them various sources of your stress.
Remember that you cannot control everything, but you can control how you respond.
Discuss your feelings, opinions and beliefs rather than reacting angrily, defensively or passively.
Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga or tai chi when you start feeling stressed.
Devote a part of your day towards exercise.
Eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy foods especially those containing large amounts of sugar .
Plan your day so that you can manage your time better, with less stress.
Say no to Peoria and things when required.
Schedule time to pursue your hobbies and interests.
Ensure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Reduce your caffeine intake.
Increase the time spent with family and friends.

Anger Management: What is Anger Management?

Anger management is the process of:

Learning to recognize the signs that you, or someone else, is becoming angry
Taking the best course of action to calm down the situation in a positive way

Anger management does not suppressing anger.

Importance of Anger Management

Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion. In fact, when managed the right way, anger can be considered a healthy emotion. However, if it is not kept in check, anger can make us act inappropriate and can lead to us saying or doing things that we will likely later regret.

Extreme anger can:

Hurt you physically: It leads to heart disease, diabetes, a weakened immune system insomnia, and high blood pressure.
Hurt you mentally: It can cloud your thinking and lead to stress, depression and mental health issues.
Hurt your career: It can result in alienating your colleagues, bosses, clients and lead to the loss of respect.
Hurt your relationships: It makes it hard for your family and friends to trust you, be honest with you and feel comfortable around you.

This is why anger management ,or managing anger appropriately, is so important.

Anger Management Strategies

Here are some strategiesbthat can help you control your anger:

Strategy 1: Relaxation

Something as simple as breathing deeply and looking at relaxing images works wonders on calming down angry feelings.

Try this simple breathing exerciee:

Take a deep breath from your diaphragm (don't breathe from your chest)
Visualize your breath coming up from your stomach
Keep repeating a calming word like 'relax'or 'take it easy'(remember to keep breathing deeply while repeating the word)
Picture a relaxing moment (this can be from your memory or your imagination)
Follow this relaxation technique daily, especially when you realize that you're starting to feel angry.

Strategy 2: Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring means changing theanner in which you think. Anger can make you curse, swear, exaggerate and act very dramatically. When this happens, force yourself to replace your angry thoughts with more logical ones. For instance, instead of thinking. 'Everything is ruined ' change your mindset and tell yourself It's not the end of the world and getting angry won't solve this '.

Strategy 3: Problem Solving

Getting angry about a problem that you cannot control is a perfectly natural response. Sometimes, try as you may, there may not be a solution to the difficulty you are feces with. In such cases, stop focusing on solving the problem, and instead focus on handling and facing the problem. Remind yourself that you will do your best to deal with the situation, but that you will not blame yourself if you don't get the solution you desire.

Strategy 4: Better Communication

When you're angry, it is very easy to jump to inaccurate conclusions. In this case, you need to force yourself to stop reading, and think carefully about what you want to say, before saying it. Avoid saying the first thing that enters your head. Force yourself to listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Then think about the conversation before responding.

Strategy 5: Changing Your Environment

If you find that your environment I stayed cause of your angar ,try and give yourself a break from your surroundings. Make an active decision to schedule some personal time for yourself, especially on days that are very hectic and stressful. Having even a brief amount of quiet or alone time is sure to help calm you down.

Tips for Anger Management

The following tips will help you keep your anger in check:

Take some time to collect your thoughts before you speak out in anger
Express the reason for your anger in an assertive, but non-confrintational manner ones you have calmed down. Do some from of physical exercise like running or walking briskly when you feel yourself getting angry.
Make short breaks part of your daily routine, especially during days that are stressful.
Focus on how to solve a problem that's making you angry, rather than focusing on the fact that the problem is making you angry.

Time management :what is time management

Time management is the process organizing your time, and deciding how to allocate your time between different activities. Good time management is the difference between working smart (getting more done in less time) and working hard (working for more time to get more done).
Effective time management leads to an efficient work output, even when you are faced with tight deadlines and high pressure situations. On the other hand, not managing your time effectively results in inefficient output and increases stress and anxiety.

Benefits of time management

Time management can lead to huge benefits like:

Greater productively
Better professional reputation
Higher chances for career advancement
Higher efficiency
Reduced stress
Greater opportunities to achieve goals

Not managing time effectively can results in undesirable consequences likr:

Missing deadlines
Substandard work quality
Stalled career
Inefficient work output
Poor professional reputation
Increase in stress and anxiety

Traits of effective time managers

Some trails of effective time managers are:

They begin projects early
They set daily objectives
They modify planes if required, to achieve better results
They are flexible and open -minded
They inform people in advance if their help will be required
They know how to say no
They break tasks into steps with specific deadlines
They continually review long term goals
They think of alternate solutions if and when required
They ask for help when required
They create backup plans

Effective time management techniques

You can manage your time better by putting in practice certain time management techniques. Some helpful tips are:

Plan out your day as well as plan for interruptions. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to figure out your time plan. In your plan, schedule some some time for interruptions.
Put up a "do not disturb"sing when you absolutely have a complete a certain amount of work.
Close your mind to all distraction. Train yourself to egnore ringing phones, don't replay to chat massages and disconnate from social media sites.
Delegate your work .tjis will not only help your work get done faster, but will also show you the unique skills and abilities of those around you.
Stop procrastinating. Remind yourself that procrastinating typically arises due to the fear of failure or the belief that you cannot do things as perfectly as you wish to do them.
Prioritize. List each task to be completed in order of its urgency or importance level.then focus on completing each task one by one.
Maintain a long of your work activities. Analyse the long to help you understand how efficient you are, and how much time is wasted every day.
Create time management goals to reduce time wastage.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Creativity & Innovation: What is Creativity

Creativity means thinking outside the box. It means viewing this in new or from different perspectives, and producing. Simply having an idea makes you imaginative, not creative However, having an idea and acting on it makes you creative.

Characteristics of Highly Creative People

Some characteristics of creative people are:

They are imaginative and playful
They see issues from different angles
They notice small details
They have very little tolerance for boredom
They detest rules and routine
They love to daydream They are very curious

What is Innovation?

There are many different definitions of innovation. In simple terms, innovation means turning an idea into a solution that adds value. It can also mean adding value by implementing a new product, service or process, or significantly improving on an existing product, service or process.

Characteristics of Highly Innovative People

Some characteristics of highly innovative people are:

They embrace doing things differently
They don't believe in taking shortcuts
They are not afraid to be unconventional
They are highly proactive and persistent
They are organized, cautious and risk-averse

Honestly and work ethics:what is honestly?

Honestly is the quality of being fair and truthfully. It means speaking and acting in a manner that inspires trust. A person who is described as honest is seen as truthfull ansincere ,and as someone who is not deceitful or devious and doesn't steal or cheat. There are two dimensions of honestly-one is honestly in communication and the other is honestly in conduct.
Honestly is an extremely important train because it results in peace of mind and builds relationships that are based on trust. Being dishonest, on the other hand results in anxiety and leads to relationships full of destrust and conflict.

Qualities of Honest People

Honest individuals have certain distinct characteristics. Some common qualities among honest people are:

They don't worry about what others think of them.they believe in being themselves _they don't bother about whether they are liked or disliked for their personalities.
They stand up for their beliefs. They want think twice about giving their honest opinion, even if they are aware that their point of view lies with the minority.
They are think skinned. This means they are not affected by others judging them harshly for their honest opinions.
They forge trusting, meaningful and healthy friendships. Honest people usually surround themselves with honest friends. They have falth that their friends will be truthful and upfront with them at all times.
They are trusted by their peers. They are seen as people who can be counted on for truthful and objective feedback and advice.

Importance of Honestly in Entrepreneurs

One of the most important characteristics of entrepreneurs is honestly. When entrepreneurs are honest with their customers, employers and investors, it shows that they respect those that they work with. It is also important that entrepreneurs remain honest with themselves.

Let's look at how being honest would lead to great benefits for entrepreneurs.

Honestly and customers: When entrepreneurs are honest with their customers it leads to stronger relationships, which in turn results in business growth and a stronger customer network.
Honestly and employees :when entrepreneurs build honest relationship with their employees, it leads to more transparency in the workplace, which results in higher work performance and better results.
Honestly and investors:for entrepreneurs, being honest with investors means not only sharing strengths but also candidly disclosing current and potential weaknesses, problems areas and solution strategies. Keep in mind that investors have a lot of experience with start -ups and are aware that all new companies have problems. Claiming that everything is perfectly fine and running smoothly is a red flag for most investors.
Honestly with oneself : The consequences of being dishonest with oneself can lead to dire results, especially in the case of entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs to succeed, it is critical that they remain realistic about their situation at all times, and accurately judge every aspect of their enterprise for what it truly is.

What are work ethics?

Being ethical in the workplace means displaying values like honestly, integrity and respect in all your decisions and communncations.it means not it means not displaying negative qualities like lying, eating and stealing.

Workplace ethics play a big role in the possibilities of a company. It is an crucial to an enterprise as high morale and teamwork. This is why most companies lay down specific workplace ethics guidelines that must compulsorily be followed by their employees.

These guidelines are typically outlined in a company's employee handbook.

Elements of a strong work ethic

An entrepreneur must display strong work ethics, as well as hire only those individuals who of a strong work ethic are:

Professionalism :This involves everything from how you present yourself in a corporate setting to the manner in which you treat others in the workplace.
Respectfulness :This means remaining poised and diplomatic regardless of how stressful or volatile a situation is.
Dependability :This mean always keeping your word, whether it's arriving on time for a meeting or delivering work on time.
Dedication : This means refusing to quit until the designated work is done, and completing the work at the highest possible level of excellence.
Determination : This means embracing obstacles as challenges rather than letting them stop you, and pushing ahead with purpose and resilience to get the desired results.
Accountability : ccountability : This means taking responsibility for your actions and the consequences of your actions, and not making excuses for your mistakes.
Humility : This means acknowledging everyone's efforts and had work, and sharing the credit for accomplishments.

How to Foster a Good Work Ethic?

As an entrepreneur, it is important that you clearly define the kind of behaviour that you expect from each and every team member in the workplace. You should make it clear that you expect employees to display positive work ethics like:

Honestly : All work assigned to a person should be done with honesty, without any deceit or lies.
Good attitude : All team member should be optimistic, energetic, and positive.
Reliability : Employees should show up where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be there.
Good work habits: Employees should always be well groomed, never use inappropriate language, conduct themselves professionally at all times and so on.
Initiative : Doing the bare minimum is not enough. Every team member needs to be proactive and show initiative.
Trustworthiness : Trust is non-negotiable. If an employee cannot be trusted, it's time to and themselves.
Integrity : Each and every team member should be completely ethical and must display above board behaviour at all times.
Efficiency : Efficient employees help a company grow while inefficient employees result in a waste of time and resources.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Self-Analysis - Attitude, Achievement Motivation

To truly achieve your full potential, you need to take a deep look inside yourself and find out what kind of person you really are. This attempt to understand your personality is known as self -analysis. Assessing yourself in this manner will help you grow, and will also help you to identify areas within yourself that need to be further developed, changed or eliminated. You can better understand yourself by taking a deep look at what motivates you, what your ,what your attitude is like, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.

What is Motivation?

Very simply put, motivation is your reason for acting or behaving in a certain manner. It is important to understand that not everyone is motivated by the same desires - people are motivated by many, many different things. We can understand this better by looking at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Famous Erica psychologist Abraham Marlow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people have five types of needs, ranging from very basic needs (called physiological needs) to more important needs that are required for self -growth (called self -actualization needs). Between the physiological and self -actualization needs are three other needs -safety needs, belongingness and love needs, and esteem needs. These needs are usually shown as a pyramid with five levels and are known as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

As you can see from the pyramid, the lowest level depicts the most basic needs. Maslow believed that our behaviour is motivated by our basic needs, until those needs are met Once they are fulfilled, we move to the next level and are noticed by the next level of needs. Let's understand this better with an example.
Rupa comes from a very poor family. She never has enough food, water, warmth pr rest. According to Maslow, until Rupa is sure that she will get these basic needs, she will not even think about the next level of needs - he safety needs. But, once Rupa is confident that her basic needs will be met, she will move to the next level, and her behaviour will then be motivated by her need for security and safety. Once these new needs are met, Rupa will once again move to the next level, and be motivated by her need for relationship and friends. Once this need is satisfied, Rupa will then focus on the fourth level of needs - her esteem needs, after which she will move up to the fifth and last level of needs - the desire to achieve her full potential.

Understanding Achievement Motivation

We now know that people are motivated by basic, psychological and self - fulfilment needs. However, certain people are also motivated by the achievement of highly challenging accomplishments. This is known as Achievement Motivation, or 'need for achievement'. The level of motivation achievement in a person differs from individual to individual. It is important that entrepreneurs have a high level of achievement motivation - a deep desire to accomplish something important and unique. It is equally important that they hire people who are also highly motivated by challenges and success.

What Motivates You?

What are the things that really motivate you? List down five things that really motivate you Remember to answer honestly!

I am motivated by:

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Characteristics of Entrepreneurs with Achievement Motivation

Entrepreneurs with achievement motivation can be described as follows :

Unafraid to take risks for personal accomplishment
Love being challenged
Future -oriented
Flexible and adaptive
Value negative feedback more than positive feedback
Very persistent when it comes to achieving goals
Extremely courageous
Highly creative and innovative
Restless - constantly looking to achieve more
Feel personally responsible for solving problems

Think about it:

How many of these traits do you have?
Can you think of entrepreneurs who display these traits?

What is Attitude?

Now that we understand why motivations is so important for self - analysis, let's look at the role our attitude plays in better understanding ourselves. Attitude can be described as your tendency (positive or negative), to think and feel about someone or something. Attitude is the foundation for success in every aspect of life. Our attitude can be our best friend or our worst enemy. In other words:

Now that we understand why motivation is so important for self-analysis, let's look at the role our attitude plays in better understanding ourselves. Attitude can be described as your tendency (positive or negative), to think and feel about someone or something. Attitude is the foundation for success in every aspect of life. Our attitude can be our best friend or our worst enemy. On other words:

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude. "

When you start a business, you are sure to encounter a wide variety of emotions, from difficult times and failures Ringwood tomes and successes. Your attitude is what will see you through the tough times and guide you towards success. Attitude is also infections. It affects everyone around you, from your customers to your employees to your investors. A positive attitude help build confidence in the workplace while a negative attitude is likely to result in the deprivation of your people.

How to Cultivate a Positive Attitude?

The good news is attitude is a choice

So, it possible to improve, control and change our attitude, if we decide we want to!

The following tips helpbfoster a positive mindset:

Remember that you control your attitude, not the other way around
Devote at least 15 minutes a day towards reading, watching or listening to something positive
Avoid negative people who only complain and stop complaining yourself
Expand your vocabulary with positive words and delete negative phrases from your mind
Be appreciative and focus on what's good in yourself, in your life, and in otgersv
Stop thinking of yourself as a victim and start being proactive
Imagine yourself succeeding and achieving your goals

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

Another way to analyse yourself is by honestly identifying your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you see your strengths to your best advantage and ruduce your weaknesses.

Note down all your strengths and weaknesses in the two columns below. Remember to be honest with yourself!

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Safety:tips to design a safe workplace

Every employer is obligated to ensure that his workplace follows the highest possible safety protocol. When setting up a business, owners must make it a point to;

Use ergonomically designed furniture and equipment to avoid stooping and twisting
Provide mechanical aids to avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects
Have protective equipment on hand for hazardous jobs
Designate emergency exits and ensure they are easily accessible
Set down health codes and ensure they are implemented
Follow the practice of regular safety infections in and around the workplace
Ensure regular building inspections are conducted
Get expert advice on workplace safety and follow it

Non-negotiable employee safety habits

Every employer is obligated to ensure that his workplace follows the highest possible safety protocol. When setting up a business, owners must make it a point to :

Immediately report unsafe condition to a supervisor
Recognize and report safety hazards that could lead to slips, trips and falls
Report all injuries and accident to a supervisor
Wear the correct protective equipment when required
Learn how to correctly use equipment provided for safely purposes
Be aware of and avoid actions that could endanger other people
Take rest breaks during the day and some time off from work during the week

Health, Habits, Hygiene: What is Health

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), health is a "State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. " This means being healthy does not simply mean not being unhealthy -it also means you need to be at peace emotionally, and feel fit physically. For example, you cannot say you are healthy simply because you do not have any physical ailments like a cold or cough.

You also need to think about whether you are feeling calm, relaxed and happy.

Common Health Issues

Some common health issues are:

Allergies
Asthma
Skin Disorders
Depression and Anxiety
Diabetes
Cough, Cold, Sore Throat
Difficulty Sleeping
Obesity

Prevent Health Issues

Taking measures to prevent I'll health is always better than curing a disease or sickness. You can stay healthy by:

Eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts
Cutting back on unhealthy and sugary foods
Drinking enough water everyday
Not smoking or drinking alcohol
Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week
Taking vaccinations when required
Practicing yoga exercises and meditation

How many of these health standards do you follow? Tich the ones that apply to you.

Get minimum 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
Avoid checking email first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed at night.
Don't skip meals - eat regular meals at correct meal times.
Read a little bit every single day.
Eat more home cooked food than junk food.
Stand more than you at.
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and have at least 8 glasses of water through the day.
Go to the doctor and dentist for regular check-ups.
Exercise for 30 limited at least 5 days a week .
Avoid consuming lots of aerated beverages .

What is Hygiene?

As per the World Health Organizetion (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases. "In other words, hygiene means ensuring that you do whatever is required to keep your surrounding clean, so that you reduce the chances of spreading germs and diseases.

For instance, think about the kitchen in your home. Good hygiene means ensuring that the kitchen is always slick and span, the food is put away, dishes are washed and dustbins are not overflowing with garbage. Doing all this will reduce the chances of attracting pests like rats or cockroaches, and prevent the growth of fungus and other bacteria, which could spend disease.

How many of these health standards do you follow? Tick the ones that apply to you.

Have a bath or shower every day with soap - and wash your hair with shampoo 2-3 times a week.
Wear a fresh pair of clean undergarments every day.
Brush your teeth in the morning and before going to bed
Cut your fingernails and toenails regularly.
Wash your hands with soap after going to the toilet.
Use an anti-perspirant deodorant on your underarms if you sweat a lot.
Wash your hands with soap before cooking or eating.
Stay home when you are sick, so other people don't catch what you have.
Wash dirty clothes with laundry soap before wearing them again.
Cover your nose with a tissue/your hand when coughing or sneezing.

See how healthy and hygienic you are, by giving yourself 1point for every ticked statement! Then take a look at what your score means.

Your Score

0-7/20 : You need to work a lot harder to stay fit and time! Make it a point to practice good habits daily and see how much better you feel!

7-14/20: Not bad, but there is scope for improvement! Try and add a few more good habits to your daily routine.

14-20/20: Great job! Keep up the good work! Your body and mind thank you!

We have already discussed the important of following good hygiene and health practices for ourselves. But, it is not enough for us to be healthy and hygienic. We must also extend this standard to our homes, our industry surrounding and to our country as a whole.

What are Habits?

A habit is a behaviour that is repeated frequently .all of us have good habits and bad habits make us, " This it is so important that you make good habits a way of life, and consciously avoid practicing bad habits.

Some good habits that you should make part of your daily routine are:

Always having a positive attitude
Making exercise a part of your daily
Reading motivational and inspirational stories
Smiling Make it a habit to smile as often as possible
Making time for family and friends
Going to bed early and waking up early

Some bad habits that you should quit immediately are:

Skipping breakfast
Snacking frequently even when you are not hungry
Eating too much fattening and sugary food
Smoking, drinking alcohol and doing drugs
Spending more money than you are afford
Worrying about unimportant issues
Staying up late and waking up late

Personal Strengths & Value Systems / Unit Object

At the end of unit, participant will be able to:

Explain the meaning of health
List common health issues
Discuss tips to prevent common health issues
Explain the meaning of hygiene
Discuss the purpose of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan
Explain the meaning of habit
Discuss ways to set up a safe work environment
Discuss critical safety habits to be followed by employees
Explain the importance of self-analysis
Discuss motivation with the help of Marlow's Hierarchy of Needs
Discuss the meaning of achievement motivation
List the characteristics of entrepreneurs with achievement motivation
List the different factor that motivate you
Discuss the role of attitude in self -analysis
Discuss how to maintain a positive attitude
List your strengths and weaknesses
Discuss the qualities of honest people
Describe the importance of honesty in entrepreneurs
Discuss the elements of a strong work ethic
Discuss how to foster a good work ethic
List the characteristics of highly creative people
List the characteristics of highly innovative people
Discuss the benefits of time Manegment
List the traits of effective time managers
Discribe effective time management technique
Discuss the importance of anger management
Describe anger management strategies
Discuss tips for anger manegment
Discuss the causes of stress
Discuss the symptoms of stress
Discuss tips for stress management

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Employability & Entrepreneurship skills / Key Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

Explain the meaning of health
List common health issues
Discuss tips to prevent common health issues
Explain the meaning of hygiene
Discuss the purpose of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan
Explain the meaning of habit
Discuss ways to set up a safe work environment
Discuss critical safety habits to be followed by employees
Explain the importance of self-analysis
Discuss motivation with the help of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Discuss the meaning of achievement motivation
List the characteristics of entrepre neural with achievement motivation
List the different factors that motivate you
Discuss the role of attitude in self - analysis
Discuss how to maintain a positive attitude
List your strengths and weaknesses
Discuss the qualities of honest people
Describe the importance of honesty in entrepreneurs
Discuss the elements of a strong work ethic
Discuss how to foster a good work ethic
List the characteristics of highly creative people
List the characteristics of highly innovative people
Discuss the benefits of time management
List the traits of effective time managers
Describe effective time management technique
Discuss the importance of anger management
Describe anger management strategies
Discuss tips for anger management
Discuss the causes of stress
Discuss the symptoms of stress
Discuss tips for stress managemant
Identify the basic parts of a computer
Identify the basic parts of a keyboard
Recall basic computer terminology
Recall the functions of basic computer keys
Discuss the main applications of NS Office
Discuss the benefits of Microsoft Outlook
Discuss the different types of e-commerce
List the benefits of e-commerce for retailers and customers
Discuss how the Digital Indea campaign will hell boots e-commerce in india
Describe how you will sell a product or service on an e-commerce platform
Discuss the importance of saving money
Discuss the benefits of saving money
Discuss the main types of bank accounts
Describe the process of opening a bank account
Differentiate between fixed and variable costs
Describe the main types of investment options
Describe the different types of insurance products
Describe the different types of taxes
Discuss the uses of online banking
Discuss the main types of electronic funds transfers
Discuss the steps to prepare for an interview
Discuss the steps to create an effective Resume
Discuss the most frequently asked interview questions
Discuss how to answer the most frequently asked interview questions
Discuss the basic work place terminology
Discuss the concept of entrepreneurship
Discuss the importance of entrepreneurship
Describe the characteristics of an entrepreneur
Discribe the different types of enterprises
List the qualities of effective leader
Discuss the benefits of effective leader ship
List the traits of an effective team
Discuss the importance of listening effectively
Discuss how to listen effectively
Discuss the importance of speaking effectively
Discuss how to speak effectively
Discuss how to solve problems
List important problem solving traits
Discuss ways to assess problem solving skills
Discuss the importance of negotiation
Discuss how to negotiate
Discuss how to identify new business opportunities
Discuss how to identify business opportunities within your business
Explain the meaning of entrepreneur
Describe the different types of entrepreneurs
List the characteristics of entrepreneurs
Recall entrepreneur success stories
Discuss the entrepreneurial process
Discuss the entrepreneurship ecosystem
Discuss the purpose of the Make in india campaign
Discuss key aches to promote entrepreneurs
Discuss the relationship between entrepreurship and risk appetite
Discuss the relationship between entrepreneurship and resilience
Describe the characteristics of resilient entrepreneur
Discuss how to deal with failure
Discuss hoe market research is carried out
Describe the 4 PS of marketing
Discuss the important of idea generation
Recall basic business terminology
Discuss the need of CRM
Discuss the benefits of CRM
Discuss the need for networking
Discuss the benefits of networking
Discuss the importance of setting goals
Differentiate between short-term, medium -team and long - term goals
Discuss how to write a business plan
Explain the financial planning process
Discuss ways toanage your risk
Describe the procedure and formalities for applying for bank finance
Discuss how to manage your own enterprise
List important questions that every entrepreneur should ask before starting an enterprise

Friday, April 24, 2020

Interpersonal skills

The work of a home appliance repair technician is not just technical ; the job role requires the individual to frequently liaison with customers, Additionally, the technician also has to work in malti-disciplinary teams and interact with colleagues and seniors. Therefore, the individual is required to have strong interpersonal skills.
Good relationship with the customers and vendors is vital. However, it is equally important to ensure that the relationship is documented properly, so that the decisions on the relationship can be taken in accordance with it. The following figure shows essentials of interpersonal skills :

Managing vendors and building rapport with customers

In addition to being a skilled technicians, a specialist home appliance repair technician also has to about the role of a good bargainer and become a good face of the organisation - as he was to deal with vendors to close deals and provide on-site customer assistant. The individual has to liaison with customers and vendors and interact with them to understand and explain details provided in the service level agreement.

When dealing with vendors, a home appliance repair technician presents a detailed work requirements and makes self -assessment of the requirements. Talking and deatailing the essentials ,the technician finalized a deal that is mutually beneficial for both the organization and the customers in the long run.

Outside the purview of the organization, home appliance repair technicians are as good as customers judge them to be. It is essential for them to build rapport with the customers to better understand their problems and address them to perfection. The following figure lists the benefits of building rapport with the customers :

Decision Making Skills

Decision making is a difficult skill to hone . Nearly every decision involves some sort of conflict or dissatisfaction. But the difficult part is -decisions have to be made -and a home appliance repair technician generally has to make decisions on the fly.

Dicision making is necessary majorly in case of dissatisfied and difficult customers. There can be an odd situation when the issues at hand are beyond the permissible limits of a technicians profile. This is when decision has to be made whether to take up the query to a superior or just escalate the issue with the vendor.

Behavioural skills

With good comes the bad; this phrase just becomes right when dealing with difficult customers. Most of the time, this may be because of uncontrollable situations such as a manufacturing defect. But, at times this can be related to service or after sales issues. In either case a home appliance repair technician has to keep a cool head and deal with the issues maturely.

The technician should collaborate and communicate clearly the issues to the customer and in some cases if it is necessary, to the superiors. The individual should be able to see the bigger picture while deferring perspective and effectively priorities situations.

A home appliance repair technician working effectively on the field can be professionally groomed to handle situations. The individual should continuously strive for improvement in etiquette while dealing with customers, so that even the most difficult of customers can return with satisfaction and goodwill.

Dealing with customers

Primarily, the home appliance repair technician must listen to the customer, even if the viewpoint is the same - let the customer vent it off. After the customers has finished, the individual must express feeling and apologize for the inconvenience in a supportive way. The technician must provide immediate response to the problem detailed by the customer, if possible. At times, it may mean bending the rules, but customer satisfaction is the key to success and going out of the way can just hit the nail on its head.

Communication skills

Home appliance repair technicians needs to be excellent communicators to ensure their work is properly understood by the customers, colleagues and superiors. The following figure lists the persons with whom they have to communicate :

The technician may also be required to communicate in the local language to understand the customers queries and suggest to them appropriate solutions where service alone would not solve the purpose.

Seeking details to assess the problem and suggesting solution to customer

Each customer will have a different problem and a very different idea of what customer service means. Therefore, to provide approprite customer service, a home appliance repair technician must be able to communicate well to understand the customers needs and provide accurate solution to the problem.
Without details, the technician cannot asses the problem correctly. Also, without being able to provide service on-site, the person is of no use. Thus, it is important to communicate to understand the area of issue properly. A detailed investigation alone will lead the technician to the root of the problem, which will then become easy to solve.

As a customer service representative at the customer's locations, a home appliance repair technician may be required to tell the customer what they want to hear, but that is not a good practice, even though all representative are trained to do so. The correct thing will be to suggest real solutions to the customer. To ensure customer satisfaction, the home appliance repair technician must do the steps as shown in the following figure :

Assisting and education customers about warranty and precautions

A home appliance repair technician on an on-site visit to a customer location must detail the requisites regarding warranty .this will educate the customer on whether the appliance is in warranty or not. The following figure lists some important information that a home appliance repair technician should communicate to the customer :

Interacting with Customers / Introduction

As a home appliance repair technician,there are certain roles that come by default. Yet, the job requisite of the technician remains to install, repair and service home appliances. Since, they are involved largely in maintaining and servicing worn out electrical equipment, they are also known as field technician.

The home appliance repair technician is required to review each electrical component of an appliance after a specific period of time. The idea is to find faults and then rectify them to avoid major failures in the near future.

In the role of a home appliance repair technician, an individual has to fulfil a host of responsibilities. Major responsibilities are as shown in the following figure :

Working with customers

Home appliance repair technicians are required to professionally handle customer service calls, address issues arising from field service visits and ensure customer satisfaction.

Good communication skills can help a technician to build rapport with a customer. Built up trust ensures that the customer can explain the problem in detail. Detailed information can decrease the technicians turnaround time, limiting disturbance in the customers workflow.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Interacting with Co-workers / Interact with Colleagues from Different Functions

A work environment where teamwork is a culture, always yields more results than a low - morale and individual work environment. This is because generally everyone cares about people they work with. Taking onus of an assigned job role and getting it done in collaboration with people from other departments makes an effective work reletionship6and a win-win situation for both.

Understand their Workload

Developing a culture of teamwork is an important step. Training to work flawlessly as a team is the next step towards building a cross functional communication for pursuing a long -team goal because a close-knit -knit work environment positively affects a team and the individuals. Be it by understanding the stress level and workload of others or by simply participating in small victories they make while overcoming hurdles in day-to-day work, building relationships with people of other departments strengthens an organization in unexpected ways.

Interacting with Co-workers / Interact with Colleagues

The following figure lists the key points to consider while interacting with colleagues:

Share the work load

Meet targets

Maintain good interpersonal relations

Interpersonal Relationship
To maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship, it is important to adhere to the points shown in the following figure :

Interpersonal Relationship

⬇️

Resolve interpersonal conflict and ensure smooth flow of work

Pass on customer complaints to colleagues in respective geographical locations

Assist colleagues to resolve field problems

Every worker works towards a common goal in an organization, still all of them are divided by certain roles and activities and the way they accomplish that objective. Interacting -personal communication - whether formal or informal - is the most common and important key to accomplish productivity and performed social functions in an organization. It defines from and functionality of an organization as all work groups require an active inter - personnel communication to accomplish productivity.

The primary objective of a technician is to understand the process and the health of the communication taking place among the co-qorkers in order to improve it's quality. Doing so enables the technician to comprehend the way groups interact and work. The following figure shows the steps for ensuring spontaneous inter - personal communication:

Analyse communication challenges

Identify gaps

Bridge the gap of communication

A technician should be able to install and repair the home appl6. A technician is supposed to have the skills to :

Know the use and care of the various tools and equipment
Read and interpret complaint sheets and manuals
Use various safety equipment while at work
Apply the knowledge of electrical and electronic components

A workplace that feels like a battlefield requires inclcating a sense of harmony and unity. These are the keys to develop a healthy and competitive environment in any type of an organization. Higher the rank, bigger are the responsibilities and more complex are the problems.

The work group is united by the goals and missions of the organization but, at times, small issues like varied viewpoint plague the work environment. Keeping everyone focused and motivated to work in synergy is what the role of a technician is.

Customer Complaints in the Respective Geographical Area

Serving customers in an organization with a wide spectrum of consumer base poses additional challenges. Maintaining service quality in such cases can be a challenging task, owing to cultural and social diversity. However, such barriers can be overcome in a better way by giving opportunity to a worker hailing from the respective geographical area. Addressing such problems in this way can improve the quality of an organization to implement strategies aimed at improving the service quality. The following images shows segmentation of customer base to collect their complaints accordingly :

Assist Colleagues

Be it work allocation, manpower distribution or identification of area of high responsiveness, healthy communication is the key to improve service quality. Informal communication is what is usually seen to be dominant in most workplaces. People asking for hell from the person sitting at the adjacent desk to troubleshoot an IT issue, rather than consulting an IT person, is one of theost common examples of informal communication. The communication is spontaneous and successful in achieving the goal, paving the way to formal interview - personal communication. Despite having established communication procedures, the informal communications occur in every organization and help in resolving problems and conflicts in real time.

Interacting with Co-workers / Interacting with colleagues / Role of Team Members

A team is formed when a group of people work together with an objective of achieving some goals and targets. Working as a team helps to understand the work and also have a better co-ordination at work. The following figure shows the roles of Team members and their work:

Supervisor

Directs and organizes work

Technician 1

Technician 2 ➡️ Does the work as allocated

Technician 3

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Interacting with Co-workers / Customer's Feedback

A customer is always special for an organization and therefore, the customers feedback is the most important aspect of providing service for an organization.

A technician should take the customer's as shown in the following figure :

Take a feedback from the customer

Shere the feedback with the supervisor

To maximize the potential of work done in an organization, a home appliance repair technician needs to make it a habits to get unbiased feedback from the customers on the designated tasks performed
The customer is always special and the customer's feedback is essential for an organization. The procedure as shown in the following image should be followed :

Customer

Take a feedback from the customer

⬇️

Home Appliance Repair Technician

Share the feedback with the supervisor

⬇️

Supervisor

The time taken to resolve an issue and the difficulties that a customer encountered while communicating the problem should be understood. The misunderstanding observed during the methods of interaction and behavioural aspects also need to be considered in drawing conclusions after each task or problem handing routine. Getting honest feedback from customers help to improve the organizational functioning.

Interacting with Co-workers / Inter -personal Skills

A home appliance repair technician not only needs to be acquainted with all the technical requirement of the appliance, but also needs to have interpersonal skills to solve meagre issues. Communication and the aptitude to solve problems, as and when they occur, is an important skill set which help in the long run. The ability to report problems in accordance with the guidelines and understanding ability of the supervisors and the higher management is preferred
A home appliance repair technician also needs to be skilful enough to resolve personnel grievances tactfully.

Report Problems in Field
Home appliances repair technician needs to report all kind of problems to the supervisors, keeping in mind the code of conduct. Proper communication of any kind of issue in the facility is important as misleading information can complicate the issue further.

Resolve Personnel Issues
The following figure lists methods to resolve personnel issues :

Communicating effectively with the personnel ensure positive feedback in the organization. Two way communication within and beyond the facility is also advised.

All conflicts of interest, misunderstandings and personnel grievances need to be understood and the reported to the higher authority.

Suggestions on resolving the problems is important as it helps the facility staff to concentrate on the job at hand.

Any personal issue or grievance also needs to be attended by the home appliance repair technician himself before pushing the issue through to the supervisors. Managing the personnel is the most important part of team effort aiming towards a unified goal.

Interacting with Co-workers / Spot Process Disruptions and Delays

Delays and disruption are common while working as a technician. Certain guidelines must be followed to resolve issues in case of disruptions and delays.

The following figure lists the general guidelines to follow in such cases

General Guidelines

Ensure current, accurate and detailed records
Practice diligence in maintaining/updating records of major activities, especially those that may lead to delays /disruptions/disputes
Issue formal notifications to the supervisor in case the task is behind schedule
Identify and quantity the exact causes of delay at the time of occurrence
Be aware of financial consequences

The following figure highlights the points which animals employee, a technician, must abide by while interacting with the supervisor:

Plan and organize the assigned work

Complete the assigned task

Work as per the guidelines and targets

Follow the chain of command

Report any threat or discrepancy

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Interacting with Co-workers / Work Process Improvement

To ensure work Proccesor improvement, a technician must adhere to the practices as listed in the following figure :

Achieve zero defect in work

Ensure quality and timely completion of work

Maintain clean and clutter free and clutter free work area

Zero defect in work can be achieved by the ways as shown in the following figure :

Achieving Zero Defect

Do it right the first time

Follow the process and guidelines

Monitor and evaluate progress

Adopt continuous improvement

A technician can maintain quality and achieve timely completion work in the following ways :

Ensure whatever work is done is as per the guidelines and standard of the company
Plan and organize the work for the day
Follow the plan
Inform the supervisor on cas3 of any deviation or emergency

The supervisor shares a plan of action with the technicians to ensure adherence to timelines and quality for the work assigned. Therefore, a supervisor's responsibilities includes the following :

Planning the task
Getting the task done from others
Organizing and controlling work for efficiency
Looking after interpersonal issues

The following figure highlights the points which help the technician in understanding the plan to achieve 100% quality and timely completion of work :

Establish a compliance plan

Build a communication strategy

Develop an effective work schedule

Create a review plan

Test the product

Friday, April 17, 2020

Interacting with Co-workers / Interacting with the Supervisor / Work Requirements

As a home appliance repair technician, one of the major roles and responsibilities is to understand the work requirements. The work requirements include certain responsibilities as shown in the following figure:

Understand the task requirements

Follow the line of authority

Issue on time the tools and the equipment

Keep upto data with new products and developments

Plan, organize and control work for efficiency

Escalate issues of concern to the supervisor

Having a clear picture of the work requirements determines the smooth functioning of the process of installing, maintaining and repairing the appliance.

Any ambiguity in understanding the work requirements defined by the supervisor results in time delays and confusions. A home appliance repair technician must avoid such instances at all costs. Understanding the technical requirement is also equally important so. While replacing faulty modules, a technician should check their warranty and also ensure that no damage has been done to the other hardware.

Once the issue/problem is solved, feedback from the customer is very important. It help to Crete a reference guide for the home appliance repair technician if the same problem creeps up again, having discussions with the supervisor in relation to the problem and it's solution a lot of intangible problems.

Abiding by the work ething is also essential. It means differentiating between the right and the wrong way of doing a job and adopting the right conduct. Work ethics involve certain principles as shown in the following figure :

Following timelines

Working as per standards and guidelines

Following the organizational rules and policies

A field technician needs to take care of all tools and equipment. In addition, work ethics would include the technician taking self - care by using safety tools and equipment and following the safety procedures.

The person may come across a situation that may require escalation of situation to the supervisor, as shown in the following figure:

Inform the Supervisor

About safety breach

About any other serious issue at work

About unethical action

About situation of accident

Interacting with Co-workers / key Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you will be able to :

List the work requirements
Maintain interpersonal skills
Evaluate non-biased feedback
Recognize different functions
Describe interpersonal and decision making skills

Monday, April 13, 2020

Achieve Productivity and Quality as per Company's Norms

To achieve productivity and quality as per company standards, a technician should follow the working instructions given by the company. To achieve productivity and quality practice the following :

Diagnose
Diagnose the problem correctly

Resolve
Repair and show the working of the repaired unit
Suggest solution to the customer as per requirement
Resolve the customer's problem within stipulated time.

Take feedback
Ensure 100% customer satisfaction with the service
Receive the signature of the customer on work completion from
Receive feedback from the customer

Confirmation of Functionality of the Repaired Module

Once the dysfunctional module has been repaired/replaced ,check the new module with testing equipment such as Multimeter and ammeter. This is done to ensure whether the module is working fine with the other parts of the microwave oven. After testing the unit is working properly or not.

Repairing /Replacing of Dysfunctional Module in Microwave Oven

Sometimes only the connections of microwave oven needs to be checked and fixes. This can be done by a home appliance repair technician. But at times, a specialized technical help/support is required to repair internal circuits or fix a fault. If the first level maintenance cannot rectify a fault, then a trained technician is called. If even the trained technician cannot solve the issue, then a specialized technician associated with third - party or vendor is called.
In such a case,the specialized technician removes and replaces the faulty module with a functional unit, either on the second visit or as pre-identified.
In case even the specialized technicians are unable to repair the components or fix the fault, or if the problem is such that cannot be fixed at customer's site, then the faulty module/component is sent to the service centre. The home appliance repair technician then collects the functional module from the service centre and fixes the microwave oven at the customer's site.

Faults and Symptoms of Dysfunctional Microwave Oven

It is important to understand the symptoms of the dysfunctional microwave oven for identifying the faults in it. The following flowchart represents the faults along with their potential causes and solutions :

Problem 1 : Cavity lamp does not light and oven does not operate

Problem 2 : Oven does not operate but cavity lamp lights

Problem 3 : Oven operate for a few minutes and stops/Oven operates and does not stops/Output power is too low when cook is selected /Output power is high when defrost is selected.

Problem 4 : No microwave instsllation

Problem 5 : Fuse blows