Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Management Tip of the Day: 3 Ways to Keep Your Brain in Shape

The notion that we lose brain cells as we age has thankfully been disproved. But to continue to harness your brain power on the job, you need to keep your brain cells in good shape. Here are three ways to make sure your brain stays healthy:
  1. Keep working. Most modern jobs involve multi-layered thinking, problem-solving, and socializing, all of which are good exercises for the brain.
  2. Seek out new ideas and people. Get out of your thinking comfort zone and search for new ideas and people that rattle established brain patterns and challenge you to think in new ways.
  3. Breathe. Like the heart, the brain needs oxygen and blood flow. The current star in brain science research is exercise. So get up and move around.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Management Tip of the Day: Elevate Performance without Waiting for a Crisis

Crises often motivate people to achieve new levels of performance. Since you likely don't want to operate in crisis-mode, how can you access the hidden reserves in your company without waiting for a disaster? Tap into the three factors always present in a crisis response:
  1. Urgency. People feel motivated when they know time matters. Set clear goals and clear consequences if the goals are not achieved. Don't run fire drills, however; people know false urgency when they see it.
  2. Empathy. People want to feel emotionally connected to what they're doing. Show employees how their work will matter to others — their coworkers or your customers.
  3. Innovation. In a crisis, there's no time or patience for red tape. Remove unnecessary organizational obstacles to being innovative. Get rid of the time-consuming processes that would be the first to go in a crisis.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Management Tip of the Day: Turn a Flaw into a Distinguishing Feature

A hotel with no AC, mosquito-filled rooms, and no room service might appear to be flawed — unless the hotel is an eco-tourism destination. Then those flaws become part of the "eco" experience. Many successful products and services sacrifice one feature (performance or style) in the name of another (simplicity, affordability, or convenience). Many customers appreciate these trade-offs. Next time you are worried about your product's flaw, think about how that imperfection can be transformed into a distinguishing feature. Find customers who appreciate what they get because of that flaw: low cost, an easy-to-use product, or a unique experience.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The new Japanese consumer

from: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_new_Japanese_consumer_2548




The attitudes and behavior of Japanese consumers are shifting dramatically, presenting opportunities and challenges for companies in the world's second-largest retail market.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

物联网

from: http://china.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_Internet_of_Things_2538


更多物品中被嵌入传感器,从而获得了通讯能力。由此构成的信息网络能够创造新的业务模式,改进业务流程,并降低成本和风险。

中国对互联网的痴迷

from http://china.mckinseyquarterly.com/Chinas_Internet_obsession_2546

在中国最大的60个城市中,人们把自己70%的闲暇时间都花在上网冲浪上。其结果可能是消费市场地震式的变化。

一个国家,多个市场 ——用麦肯锡城市群方法瞄准中国消费者


用麦肯锡城市群(ClusterMap)方法,去区别对待中国的不同城市,将800多个中国城市划分为若干个城市群,关注它们在收入水平、地理位置、城市间的经济联系和贸易往来诸多方面的区别和差异、以及城市中消费者共同的消费态度和偏好等。

Shanghai's Rise Threatens Hong Kong - BusinessWeek

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2010/gb20100315_086640.htm?link_position=link12


(Bloomberg) — Donald Tsang, consider yourself shanghaied.

It happened on March 5, as Hong Kong's chief executive visited Beijing. There, local media confronted Tsang with a Bloomberg News article pointing out that Shanghai's economy exceeded the size of Hong Kong's for the first time in at least three decades.

Tsang's retort was predictable: Shanghai's rise is "not a threat." Here is mine: Who are you kidding?

For years now, Hong Kong has argued the city's uniqueness enshrined its prosperity. Its rule of law, economic freedoms and role as the gateway to China have trumped concerns such as long- term relevance and bad air quality. Also, investors haven't made lots of money betting against Hong Kong.


Yet the day Hong Kong has long pooh-poohed is here. Shanghai is rapidly regaining its position as China's dominant financial center. And investors betting on Hong Kong's once- indisputable place in Asia should think again.

Financial Secretary John Tsang said last week that Hong Kong is at the early stage of a recovery. Its economy is growing at about 2.6 percent — not bad in a global context. The problem is the longer-term picture.

Here, Forbes magazine's latest billionaires list is worth considering. The headlines in Asia focused on "Superman." That would be Li Ka-shing, whose fortune jumped 30 percent to $21 billion over the last year. It was deemed good news; Li is often portrayed as personifying Hong Kong's ups and downs.

CHINA'S BILLIONAIRES


The real story, though, was the wealth boom on the mainland. For the first time, mainland China has the most billionaires outside the U.S.

Perhaps that's as it should be, given China's 1.3 billion- person population. A similar argument can be made about gross domestic product. Shanghai has about 19 million people to Hong Kong's 7 million. According to 2008 figures, Hong Kong's per- capita GDP is $30,977; Shanghai's is $10,713.

Yet the trajectory is clear. Even if China grows more slowly in the next few years, its need for a middleman economy like Hong Kong's is dwindling. Shanghai is now China's biggest port and stock-market operator.

HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's biggest bank, may soon be the first foreign company to list in Shanghai. Policy makers there are wooing more overseas issuers seduced by China's potential. That dynamic is likely to siphon off capital that might otherwise gravitate to Hong Kong.

HONG KONG'S ROLE


Really, how much longer will bankers, investors and corporate executives feel the need to stop by Hong Kong on the way to China? Over time, going directly to the source of demand makes far more sense.

As more and more buildings appear in China, there may be less support for Hong Kong's all-important real-estate market. Economic growth might become more restrained and the city's credit rating could easily take a long-term hit.

There are, of course, reasons to hedge one's bets on China. Overheating risks abound as officials in Beijing grapple with the biggest increases in consumer prices in 16 months. Real interest rates are now negative, something that may skew incentives to spending. As household savings are eroded, consumers may react by purchasing property and stocks. The result could be new bubbles.

SHANGHAI'S DAY


China's currency is another impediment. Until the yuan is fully convertible, its international use will be limited. For many, that leaves Hong Kong serving as a test bed for such transactions. The city ranked No. 3, compared with Shanghai's 10th place, in the September Global Financial Centers Index, compiled by consultants Z/Yen Group.

Shanghai's day is coming faster than many appreciate. It surpassed Hong Kong seven years earlier than projected by the government-backed Hong Kong Trade Development Council in a 2001 report. As Shanghai replicates Hong Kong's strengths, Hong Kong will only become less relevant.

It's not just Shanghai, but also Shenzhen. Sitting just north of Hong Kong, the booming city's population is already bigger. The skyscraper-strewn city is attracting capital that a couple of years ago might have gone to Hong Kong. And this forgets the several other cities dotted around China looking to become the next Shanghai or Shenzhen.

CATALYST EFFECT


If there's a silver lining here it's the catalyst effect. Shanghai makes it harder for Hong Kong to continue resting on its laurels. It's no longer enough to rely on the arts and theme parks such as Disneyland and Ocean Park to boost growth. Walt Disney Co., by the way, is now moving into Shanghai.

A better idea would be to empower entrepreneurs who will not only create jobs but bring more buzz. Each year, the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, which publish the annual Index of Economic Freedom, rank Hong Kong as the freest economy — perfect conditions for such entrepreneurs.

True, the city features the free entry of foreign capital, a first-world legal system and low taxes. It's also an economy of oligarchs; a handful of tycoons tower over it. Their dominance sucks up much of the innovative oxygen that could enliven the bottom half of the economy.

Unless China falters, Shanghai will be a growing problem for Hong Kong. That should concern investors betting on the city's future.

To contact the writer of this column: William Pesek in Tokyo at wpesek@bloomberg.net

William Pesek is a Tokyo-based columnist for Bloomberg News, providing opinions and commentary on economics, business, markets, and politics throughout the region. His columns routinely appear in theInternational Herald Tribune, The Australian, The Straits Times, The Japan Times and many other publications around Asia and the globe. He writes a monthly column for Bloomberg Markets magazine and is a regular on Bloomberg Television. The opinions expressed are his own.


Thursday, April 8, 2010

Management Tip of the Day: 4 Tools to Keep Star Performers During Tough Times

With unemployment rates so high, you may think that your employees have no option but to stay with your company. That is a dangerous assumption. As we move into recovery, employees — especially star performers — are likely to start weighing their options. Use these four tools to keep your stars where they are:
  • Praise. It is the most inexpensive and underutilized tool out there. When your stars do something right, say thank you.
  • Challenging assignments. Give your top performers the opportunity to work on new projects that build their skills and give them a chance to shine.
  • Development opportunities. Find inexpensive ways to deepen your stars' skills such as providing mentors or opportunities to teach others.
  • Non-monetary perks. Most top performers crave things that are intangible and easy to provide, such as flexibility, better work/life balance, or more autonomy.

让你少奋斗5年的9条经典忠告 - 事业规划-世界经理人论坛

让你少奋斗5年的9条经典忠告 - 事业规划-世界经理人论坛

成功等不急你翻N次跟头,再爬起来继续勇敢折腾。对于胸怀梦想的80后们,步步为营才是职场王道。职场经典9忠告,让你少奋斗5年。

第一:停留在心灵的舒适区域内是不可以原谅的。

每个人都有一个舒适区域,在这个区域内是很自我的,不愿意被打扰,不愿意和陌生的面孔交谈,不愿意被人指责,不愿意按照规定的时限做事,不愿意主动的去关心别人,不愿意去思考别人还有什么没有想到......

这在学生时代是很容易被理解的,有时候这样的同学还跟“冷酷”“个性”这些字眼沾边,算作是褒义。然而在工作之后,你要极力改变这一现状。否则,你会很快变成鸡尾酒会上唯一没有人理睬的对象,或是很快因为压力而内分泌失调。但是,如果你能很快打破之前学生期所处的舒适区域,比别人更快的处理好业务、人际、舆论之间的关系,那就能很快的脱颖而出。

第二:不要把不确定之类的话语放在嘴边。尤其是和上级谈论工作的时候。

我十分痛恨听到的一句话是:“我晚些时候会把这个文件发给所有的人”;因为这往往预示着我必须时刻提醒他不要忘记。

第三:不要拖延工作

很多人喜欢在学习和玩耍之间先选择后者,然后在最后时间一次性赶工把考试要复习的东西突击完成。但是在工作中请不要养成这样的习惯,因为工作是永远做不完的,容不得你“突击”。又或者,当你在徘徊和彷徨如何实施的时候,你的领导已经看不下去,自己去做了。这是一个危险的信号。

第四:不要认为理论上可以实施就大功告成了!

这点太重要了,往往当真正实施的人开始做了才会发现计划完全等于鬼话。如果不亲自实践,做计划的人会早晚被实施的鄙视。永远需要提升自己的办实事的能力,而不是空谈。

第五:不要让别人等你

在任何情况下都不要让别人放下手头的工作来等你。在大学中可能只是同寝室的人的几句半开玩笑的抱怨,在工作上很可能导致你的潜在合作伙伴的丢失。

你在做一个工作的同时要知道别人的进度,而永远不要落后。

第六:不要认为细节不重要

在大学里,往往做事粗枝大叶,看看差不多就行了。相反,在企业里管理的精髓就在于将简单的事情做到细节。一个慌忙寻找保险箱钥匙的动作就很有可能丧失你晋升财务主管的机会。

第七:不要表现得消极,仅仅因为你所做的事情不是你的兴趣所在。

很显然,在学生时代,当做到自己喜欢的时候,我们会花200%的精力去创造,但如果是枯燥的事务,我们便懒得理睬,最好能有办法应付过去。但在工作上,80%你所做的事情都是繁琐而看似机械的,如果仅仅为此而表现的闷闷不乐,那么你会郁闷更久。要知道你的上司已经为这个项目够烦恼了,你还想让他看到你的表情吗?

第八:绝对不要把改善工作能力仅寄托在公司培训上。


人绝对不可能经过一次培训就脱胎换骨。相反,集体培训上学到的东西往往是最用不上的信息。就像食堂烧大锅菜一样,总没有你最想吃的菜,因为这样做容易,并且不容易得罪人。

很多学生很看重所选的公司有没有培训,这说明,你不但不知道这个公司做什么,你甚至不知道怎样学习这些技能。

第九:不要推卸责任

推卸责任是害怕的条件反射。不要认为别人看不出这点。

© 世界经理人