Business skills - Time management

Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.

Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.

Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.

Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.

Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.

The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.

The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.

The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.

The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.

The career aspect involves school and work.

The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.

The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.

Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do list for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.

Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.

A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.

One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often.

A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.

Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.

Each and everyone of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.

Learning to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.

Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.

Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.

Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.

Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.

Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.

These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.

As the say personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.

From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.

Practical money skill for life - selling

According to Rich Dad series, one of the important skills to learn is selling. I decided that I wanted to learn selling. This is because I realized the fact that I am always selling my ideas and information to someone everyday whether I like it or not. Selling is part and parcel of life!

For examples, if I were to do a presentation, I would be selling the presented information to the audience. If I were to be in a discussion, I would be selling my views and ideas to the rest of people in the meeting. If I were to go for job interview, I would be selling to my prospective employer that I am capable of doing the job. If I were to negotiate for more time, I would be selling to the party that this assignment need more time.

How should I go about learning selling skill? Of course the best option is to have a coach to guide me. If I cannot get any, then this is my own learning formula. My idea on learning any skill is a three steps process. Firstly, I will read and listen to the theories on the skill that I will like to master. Secondly, I will experiment or practice the skill based on theories that I have learned. Thirdly, I will reflect on the practical experiences gained so as to learn from mistakes. I will make adjustments if necessary until I get a satisfactory result.

As I could not find a coach, I took actions based on my own learning formula. I bought a few books on how to do sales. In addition, I enrolled myself in a few courses and seminars. The information in the courses and seminars completely blow me away. I wished that I had learned all these things in school.

One of interesting things that I have learned is the part on building rapport with your prospect. To build a rapport with a new acquaintance, there are a few things that I can do so that I have a higher chance of success.

Firstly, I have to observe how fast or how slow or how loud or how soft that person speaks. I may start the conversation by introducing myself first and then politely ask him to do an introduction of himself. Then I will observe his speech. If he speaks fast, I will follow suit and speak fast. If he speaks slowly, I will follow suit and speak slowly. If he speaks softly, I will follow suit and speak slowly. If he speaks loudly, I will follow suit and speak loudly. Basically, the idea here is to let him feel that I am like him since we have a common tone of speech.

Secondly, I will observe the language that he uses as he goes along. Alternatively, I will ask him whether he prefer to speak another language that we both know. If he speaks English, then I will speak English. If he prefers Mandarin, then I will speak Mandarin. The idea here is to let him feel that I am like him since we both prefer the same language

Thirdly, I will observe his body language. If he stands comfortably while talking to me, then I will stand comfortably too. If he stands straight in full attention while talking to me, then I will do the same. If he sits back and relax while talking to me, then I will do the same. If he sits up straight while talking to me, then I will do the same. Again, the idea here is to let him feel that I am like him. This idea will form the basis for a good rapport.

Another interesting thing that I have learned is the power of cold call. Basically for every ten cold calls that I have made, one prospect will likely to become my customer. The ratio may various from person to person. Some people have better ratio. Maybe out of every 10 strangers that they cold called, they get will get about 2 customers. Some people have poorer ratio. Maybe out of every 20 strangers that they had approached, they will only get 1 customer.

In conclusion, I realized that selling skills is not just about selling something to someone. It is all about networking and relationship building. If I apply these ideas one-step further in my life, I am basically enhancing my rapport with colleagues, friends and loved ones. If I apply the power of cold calls to get to know people during seminars and events, I will gain more friends eventually.

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