Category: Work at Home

work at home describes any task, job or specialty that can adequately and satisfactorily be performed in the home without creating a hazardous or unsafe environment.

Setting Clear Goals and Objectives

Fashion world descends upon us

Processes

In order to achieve goals there are processes which should be implemented; processes designed to streamline and analyze such goals and objectives so that they are deemed achievable before the first step is taken. It is important, however, to start at the very beginning and with the smallest, most specific part of the goal or objective, making these initial steps the most important in meeting the guidelines.

An objective is a thorough understanding of what action or plan is to be taken and then identifying the anticipated results. Such a plan provides the set of directions intended on making the decision less complicated than it appeared in the early stages or at inception.

Peter Ducker wrote a documentary-style book published in 1954 entitled Practiced Management wherein MBO or Management by Objectives, was introduced. The book outlined a program which consists of simple but very useful processes in order to meet commitments in an organization. The nature of this program is such that it is also be applicable to personal plans.

MBO consists of 5 steps

First – It should be Specific. It is better to accomplish one goal at a time instead of attempting to – or even thinking of – pursuing several plans simultaneously, since a single objective cannot be reached if there are two or more results expected. Fundamental to this step is the need to clarify that which is to be achieved and giving it full attention. It also must be taken as seriously as possible.

Second – It should be Measurable. Many things that are not tangible can be difficult to measure and, by contrast, there are things which are measurable by the mere fact that they include numbers or ratings. Take, for example, that service crews are hard to measure based on how the service was delivered; but if complaints are counted there is then a specific number which can be used to rate the effectiveness of the service.

 

In offices, the number of tasks or assignments that were accomplished is used as basis for measurement. Cooperation, though a very vague word can also be measured by taking survey a subordinates and peers. How fast or slow customer assistance was provided to a certain individual is enough to provide data on how situations can be measured.

However, refrain from the use general terms when making an objective statement, but speak in clear and specific terms, such as: to write, to recite, to perform, to fix, to process, to designate, to purchase, to choose, to reprogram, etc.

Realistic

Third – It should be Attainable. The resources made available provide information on how an objective can be attained, indicating that it must be something derived from fact which being very realistic. Keep in mind, the possibility that certain objectives can indeed be realistic but the time frames in which to reach or accomplish them are not.

So it is better to state objectives that are factual since this promotes motivation; rather than stating an objective taken from belief, as this may result in unexpected (devastating?) failure and lead to a feeling of discouragement and/or despondency.

Fourth – It should be Result-oriented. An objective should be stated clearly so that the expectation is clear. Focus on the end result as this will be a guide in determining whether or not the objective to reach a stated goal is effective and meaningful. Is this objective going to help the individual grow or succeed? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? For it is only after all the plans are completed, reaching the objective can be considered a success.

Fifth – It should be Time Bound. There should be a limitation on all the things needed to be accomplished. This matters, since the root of any plan can be traceable; but it matters also because it is an indication of whether or not the objective is effective enough not to cause unneccessary delay. Of course, as with any goal or objective, there will will always a sense of fulfillment when accomplishing a set of objectives occurs earlier than the deadline.

Chart

In conclusion, developing an objective that is easily measured, can be attained, within a limited time will help in determining if the objective is realistic enough, meaningful, and worthwhile to everyone involved.

A chart or journal can be kept to keep track of any opportunities and strengths that were recognized along the way. This will also indicate the time that was consumed and the length of the objective developed. A successful objective helps motivate the individual or the group involved toward greater achievements.

Woman in a neon triangle

Thinking Positively Out of the Box

Making the cut

How can one person “think outside the box?” First and foremost, thinking outside the box is an activity which should be done independently; but the question which persists is, how? Consider for example, that you are tasked with cutting a cake into eight slices but you must make no more than three cuts. Most people will probably have trouble coming up with a way to accomplish this. But in order to complete such a task, you really do have to change the way you look at the cake and how to cut it.

One method which can be used to complete this particular cake-cutting task is to cut the cake into two equal sizes, then put one half on top of the other. Cut that first stack in half again and stack the other half pieces on top of one another; then cut them a third time. And there it is, eight slices in three cuts! That’s thinking out of the box.

Another example of thinking out of a box is as follows: Here are four words… subtract, multiply, add, decrease… Now which one does not belong to the group? Most people would quickly say that the word “decrease” does not belong. Why? Because all the other three words are mathematical jargons and the latter is not.

However, that would not be thinking out of the box because if you think out of the box, the correct answer would be the word “add” since it only has three letters while all the other words consist of six and more. In other words, thinking out of the box is not necessarily giving the right answer, but the one that shows more creativity.

A prevailing component

The prevailing component in how our minds work is inserting some changes from past experiences and processes. Another good sample is when you are asked to name two days that start with the letter “T”. Your answer would probably be Tuesday and Thursday. Hey, how about Tomorrow and Today? Well, that is out of the box all right.

Some companies try to test a new product and are sure they are getting a particular design at a reasonable cost. They look at things in the business and think that objectives will work just as planned. But these things sound monotonous already because they only think using past patterns.

Patterns are helpful since they help finish tasks such as driving, eating or drinking, but these are the same patterns that make it hard for people to think out of the box and create alternative solutions to a problem; especially when challenged with unwanted data.

Breaking the pattern

One important step which can be taken to break the pattern is trying to reverse patterns, designs or solutions in order to arouse new interest. Take things as they are and turn them inside out, upside down, or simply turn them around and you’ll be surprised with the results. This was Henry Ford’s personal experience. His conventional plan was just to “bring people to work.” He tried to change all this into: “bring work to the people.” The latter plan generated more revenues.

Another way to create other solutions to simple problems and situations is to not think about the subject. If you want to bring about something more creative, think not of the part of the problem itself, but rather, think of people or subjects in motion and then use the abstract formation or design as a stimulus for a new design.

Odd & absurd ideas

Furthermore, in order to think out of the box, you should never shy away from the fact that some of your ideas could really be crazy enough. This could break rigidity of thinking and present a way to sift the harebrained and irrational. This gives the thinker more freedom to think out of the box and reinvent things in a way they have never been arranged before. What you could do is list several odd or absurd ideas about a certain problem.

Letting go of the question will release any stress you are undergoing by trying to “squeeze” out the creative juices. Once you let it go, all the power of the universe is free to find a solution and the solution will come to you when you least expect it.

In more real life scenarios you could think out of the box just for fun. You can practice fun trouble-making stuff without hurting anyone by saying or doing the unexpected. It is important, however, to make sure that you do this first to persons you already know so as avoid conflicts and unnecessary confrontations. Say for example, a buddy asks for the time; automatically you would look at your wrist watch which is a result of the stimulus-response theory.

The genius of crazy

Thinking out of the box, why not say something crazy like, “Oh it’s time for vengeance,” then head toward the door. Watch their reaction as they go into total confusion and trance as you have totally mixed things up in their heads and interrupted their thinking pattern. (Don’t forget to apologize afterwards)

Thinking out of the box, usually known as creative thinking, seeks to design new and really creative arrangement of elements to produce a work of art. Being an out of the box thinker can be a rewarding profession, and while potentially dangerous, it could be one of your strengths in no time. If the herd is going to the right, you go the other way.

Remember that you could be a genius in your own way as your thoughts come from deep reaches and these totally different ideas are clever enough to make a difference in the end. Thinking creatively and out of the box is wild sometimes, but could move you through the growth and self-development process.

Woman in a neon triangle

You’ll be surprised at how easy and differently it will be for you to fix and try to solve problems in ways other than the tried-and-true methods. Let your thinking out of the old box be your guide to a new, better and wonderful approach to life.