Category: Kharcha paani

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Kharcha paani

5 ways to ‘read’ your employees

You’ll know what your employees are like if you observe, communicate and listen constantly for information and read the signs.
by Reyna Mathur

Consider this situation: you are the leader of a team of young trainees, and you are entrusted with the job of finding out the strengths of each person and fit them to the correct role. How do you achieve this? Do you take one-on-one interviews and ask them point blank what role they would like to do? Or do you opt for a more creative approach to find the answers more effectively?

HR professional Mayank Shetty advises, “The best way is to get the team together for a tea session in the canteen, where we would all get to know each other’s names and break the ice. Then I would suggest a bonding activity like going for a film.” He suggests that putting a new group in a situation where they have to share information with each other and even possibly pay for travel, food and entertainment goes a long way in telling the leader about each person. “For instance, I would notice at once if somebody is unwilling to pay for food, or is not forthcoming with information when asked which film they want to see. I would also note if somebody takes more initiative and plans for the whole group.”

You might want to note these 5 potential ‘red flags’ in your employees:

1. Reserved, uncommunicative employees. There may be at least one person on the staff who is silent most of the times and prefers to be by himself even in a group. Many people suffer from shyness which is often mistaken for aloofness. Try and get the person to speak up more, but don’t get pushy. It is normal for new joinees to be quieter than the rest of the staff, but if the employee has been with the office for over six months and still does not have an office friend, it means that the person functions best when left alone and should not be forced to participate unless ready.

2. The ‘funny’ employee. Every group has at least one ‘office clown’ who can be relied on to keep the atmosphere light. This person will have a joke ready for every situation. However, observe the person’s interpersonal communication with others – does he or she make hurtful comments about the others under the guise of a joke? Does he or she make racist, sexist or obscene comments that may embarrass others? You should clearly indicate that any hurtful or vulgar conversation will not be tolerated in the office. On the other hand, if the employee is also seemingly popular with the staff on an individual level, it means he or she is a good listener and employs humour to make friends.

3. The backlog employee. Your staff will have one person who habitually carries today’s tasks over to the next working day. Observe this person’s working habits for a while to judge why this happens. It might be as simple as plain procrastination, or it may be that the person is so burdened with tasks that he or she runs out of time to complete them. Speak to them if you find that he or she doesn’t finish the work out of laziness. If you need to reassign duties to this employee, do it at the earliest before the backlog increases. If necessary, team up this person with another team member who is finicky about finishing all tasks on deadline.

4. The give-me-everybody’s-work employee. Some members of the staff like to assist others on their projects, but very soon find themselves in a situation where they are doing all the work. This sort of employee is unable to say ‘no’ and hence, gets taken advantage of by the others. Clamp down on this situation at once, and take the employee aside to know why they are doing work outside their own ambit of duties. At this point, they should be able to communicate their problem areas clearly with you, provided you create a non-threatening discussion environment. If they still cannot speak up after gently probing, it simply means that they lack the gumption to defend themselves. You should think twice before putting this person in charge of a team or a project.

5. The ‘It’s not my problem’ employee. This kind of employee cannot be a team player, because he or she does not believe in rolling up their sleeves and getting down to completing the job. Their overall outlook is that they will do only as much as they are paid to do, and will categorically refuse to assist another team member or own up responsibility for an issue. This employee will also refuse to work beyond the stipulated working hours and make excuses to skip all-nighters. The best way to get this person to be productive is to put him or her in charge of a project and convey that the team’s progress will reflect in his KRAs.

(Picture courtesy www.wsj.com. Image is used for representational purpose only)

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Learn

Mumbai gets country’s first digital training centre for the disabled

Helen Keller Institute and NASSCOM join hands for country’s first NDLM centre to impart digital literacy training to the disabled.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deaf-blind (HKIDB) and NASSCOM Foundation yesterday jointly opened India’s first ever NDLM centre dedicated to training Persons with Disabilities in Digital Literacy. This will also be the first NDLM centre based out of Mumbai.

HKIDB will facilitate the training infrastructure and the trainers at the centre. Special care has been taken to make sure that it remains accessible to Persons with Disabilities. The computers inside the centre have been loaded with the latest accessibility hardware and software like Job Access with Speech (JAWS), speakers, mics, power braillers – braille keyboards and braille embosser (braille printer) etc. The course material has been fully tested for W3C level 2 accessibility level.

The centre will have beneficiaries trained on all digital devices, specifically, computers and mobile phones. Once trained, the beneficiaries will be able to send emails, connect on social media, buy from e-commerce websites, and even use the Internet to avail various Government services such as registering for Aadhar cards, ration cards, PAN cards, and others.

On the occasion, Yogesh Desai, CEO, HKIDB said, “Our aim is to develop the Deaf & Deaf-blind into self-sufficient human beings and integrate them into the regular stream of society to perform to the best of their abilities. The NDLM centre will address digital literacy needs of persons with other disabilities also. WE believe that no one is incapable of being taught and no one can do without education.”

Shrikant Sinha, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation said, “Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities has been one of the top priorities for NASSCOM Foundation. We are attempting to close the digital divide by helping Persons with Disability to harness the power of computers and mobiles and develop necessary skills to start using them with confidence.”

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Trends

Mumbai drivers do not let ambulances pass

Nanavati Hospital’s recently conducted mock ambulance drive finds continued apathy from the city’s road traffic towards ambulances rushing patients to hospitals.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The chances of a patient’s survival after a traumatic injury is directly related to how fast (s)he receives emergency care, called as ‘Golden Hour’ in medical parlance. Aimed at providing quality emergency care, Vile-Parle based Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital recently conducted a mock ambulance drive awareness campaign, named as ‘Mujhe Rasta Do’.

The drive was aimed to measure the responsiveness of Mumbai’s drivers in giving way to ambulances in traffic, while also creating awareness about giving way to ambulances so that lives may be saved. 10 ambulances drove to Nanavati Hospital from different locations; the aim was to reach in the shortest possible time.

Said Dr Rajendra Patankar, COO, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, “It is well established that the patient’s chances of survival are greatest if they receive care within a short period of time after a severe injury. In emergency medicine, the Golden Hour is the time period following traumatic injury – a very small duration but with a high possibility of saving a life on providing prompt medical treatment.”

The drill included 10 different ambulances travelling from different locations across the city to reach Nanavati Hospital within the shortest time span. The initiative commenced from 11 am with all ambulances travelling from different locations without patients, but with the siren on. “Other vehicles did not make way for the ambulance to pass by, despite hearing the siren. This creates immense pressure on us to help the patient reach the hospital on time.

“Many times, the ambulance gets blocked in huge traffic creating delay to get the patient admitted in the emergency care unit. People also tried to drive right behind the ambulance thinking that if they followed it, they would also reach faster. This creates further blocks and difficulties,” said one of the ambulance drivers.

Said Maharashtra Health Minister Dr Deepak Sawant, “The State of Maharashtra has recently created a green corridor for a heart transplant. A green corridor between the hospital in Pune to the airport and another one from Mumbai’s Santacruz airport to Mulund was created at a moment’s notice. There is an urgent need to create an ambulance freeway to address the emergency medical care needs within the shortest period of time. The State Health Ministry will definitely work towards such initiatives with the State Road Transport Department.”

(Picture courtesy www.youtube.com)

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Learn

All in one preparation for study abroad

Are you planning to study abroad? Read on to know a few rules for cracking the admissions and moving process.
by Adarsh Khandelwal, Co-founder, Collegify

In recent years, studying abroad has become an increasingly attractive option. While many dream about it, only a few make these dreams a reality.

Planning is the key to the entire process. One can significantly increase his chances of making it to a great university abroad by simply focusing on the right things at the right times. There’s no point of spreading oneself out too thin and resorting to multiple sources at once. You are only likely to be overwhelmed and confused with all that comes toward you. The first thing you need to do is gauge whether a foreign education is for you – academically and otherwise.

Do your research

Talk to students, alumni and possibly professors from the institutions you are considering to acquire an understanding of what you might be getting yourself into. Accordingly, gauge whether you would be interested in pursuing the option further. Next, talk to your parents and make your goals and plans clear to them while explaining to them the details, merits and demerits of the programs. You and your family need to take a hard look at yourselves financially and ascertain whether you will require external financial assistance or not.

Find professional help

Now that you’re firm on studying abroad, you need to strategise. For this, find an educational consultant who understands you and your goals and is committed to helping you realise them. The ideal counsellor will give you a comprehensive understanding of the application process, help you identify the best institutions for you, and assist you with the preparation of a timeline for standardized tests (SATs, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) and essays. Prepare well for the standardised tests but account for time that may be required for a second or third attempt (with high costs, you should look to avoid them as much as possible). Essays are a crucial component of the application and you will need time to write and perfect multiple drafts.

Build your profile

Universities abroad seek holistically developed individuals, so you’re going to need a lot more than just good test scores and recommendations. You will need to start building your profile from a young age by pursuing your strengths and interests. A typical profile includes project work, summer internships, extra-curricular activities and volunteer work. If you already know where you want to go professionally, you could also start networking with individuals in the industry to understand the skill set required to succeed and begin working on developing those skills. This could help you land valuable summer internships in college that could lead to full-time jobs upon graduation.

The application process

Understand the details of the application process very well. Sometimes, colleges have nuanced differences in their application processes that might need to customise your application accordingly.

Help your school/college understand how to draft transcripts and recommendation letter that would portray you in the best possible light. Don’t hesitate to contact admissions committees with doubts. They are always happy to help and might even share information that may not be on their websites. Not just that, you might also gain an edge over competition by creating some recall value for your self in the committee.

Work on your applications in such a way that you have a month’s time to go over all your details and possibly edit some essays as well. Once satisfied with your work, compile all documents and mail them out or submit them online well in advance of the deadline. An early submission of an application gives you a better chance of being interviewed and sharing a side of yourself you were unable to in the applications. Also, if you achieve or do something significant in the period between submission and decisions, make sure you contact the admissions office and update them.

Once the course begins

Don’t be too hard on yourself when it comes to adjusting socially and making friends. Try – as much as possible – to be yourself. The more you try to put up an appearance, the more awkward and different you will appear to others. It’s okay if you’re not dressed like everyone else, or not in the popular clique. Relationships take time to develop and you can’t expect to forge ties like the ones you had with your friends back home within weeks.

Studying abroad is not about the fun, games, glitz and glamour of being in a first-world country. It is a serious life decision. You’re there for a reason – to grow to become an independent and resilient individual and push yourself to discover and realise the potential that may have never known you had. It is a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity offering exciting experiences ranging from learning about new cultures, speaking a new language, making new friends from diverse socio-economic,political and ethnic backgrounds, to discussing issues you might never have considered. With each of them, you can discover a new side of yourself, but it’s down to you to seize every moment.

(Picture courtesy www.youthincmag.com. Image is used for representational purpose only)

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Kharcha paani

The perils of using credit cards

Do you know what ‘spending limit’ means, or that you may be using your credit card wrongly? Know the pitfalls.
by Reyna Mathur

Credit cards are both the boon and bane of the last century. The idea of a credit card is so entrancing, anybody would be tempted to opt for it. After all, they facilitate spending when your finances are low, or provide you with emergency cash when you really need it.

But people are injudicious with their credit card spends. The credit cards themselves are not harmful, but people’s indiscriminate use of them is. Most users are not even aware of what banks mean when they speak of a ‘credit limit’ on their card, wrongly assuming that the term implies that they have that much spending power per payment cycle.

For the uninitiated, the term ‘spending limit’ implies a loan from the bank or financial institution that has issued you the card. It is not an upper limit to which you can spend, but the maximum amount of money the company will allow you to borrow on that card.

Here are some other facts you should be aware of:

Destroy your credit card once you cancel it
Destroy your credit card once you cancel it

– Many credit card companies will have telemarketers call up people and offer credit cards at no joining charges and no extra fees. If you are inclined to make a purchase, go through the card documents carefully. You will discover several hidden costs that are never mentioned during the promotional call. Agree to the purchase only when you are satisfied that you are not being promised things which are not true or non-existent.

– Some companies send credit cards to your residence or office despite you informing them that you don’t want one. This is an illegal activity and you should not allow it. The companies will also say that the card is free. Eventually, even if you don’t use the card, you will be billed for it. When you receive a credit card under such circumstances, call up the customer care number for that company, have the card cancelled and cut the card into four pieces before mailing it back to the company.

– Credit card companies are notorious about money recovery. After a couple of polite reminders, their conduct abruptly changes and verbal abuse begins. If you still fail to clear your dues, they send recovery agents to your office and home to intimidate you.

– The most disastrous thing you can do is overspend on your credit card. Even Rs 10 spent over the pre-set limit can invite huge charges from the card company. Try and stay within your limits, and clear any dues immediately before they start piling up.

– Do not be swayed by the ‘minimum balance’ aspect of your credit card. Most people are tempted to carry forward the balance, which keeps on piling. Before you know it, your finances are in the red and you have a big amount to repay.

– Defaulting on your card payments is a whole different issue. Not only do you have to regroup your resources to pay off the money, it reflects badly on your credit rating as well. This has wider implications when you are trying to get a loan; banks examine your credit history and process or reject your loan application based on how healthy your credit rating is.

(Pictures courtesy www.loanwire.co.uk, www.getoutofdebtoptions.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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Kharcha paani

How to start a home-based bags business

Try these simple steps to operate a steady and flourishing bags and purses business from the comfort of your home.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Many people are fond of bags, and some are extremely fond of making bags for sale. Changing patterns, the introduction of many new blends of fabrics, offbeat styles all combine to make this a very exciting industry indeed.

Here’s how you can get started on your own ‘bags to riches’ journey:

Research your market. With so many established brands already leading the market in sales and design, you don’t want to end up as just one of many others in the business. You will have to do something different to stand out. For this, you will have to take the time to thoroughly research the market that you wish to target, what are the new innovations and what customers look for in a bag or a purse. This research will help you zero in on your line’s USP.

Do not rush this process, and gather as much information as possible. If needed, speak to a person already in the business to gather more inputs.

Select the right name for your products. The name of the product is everything. It must be quirky, memorable and reflective of your personality. After all, you are going to put a lot of yourself in the product’s design and make, so it should define you. Take sufficient time to think about the name of your proposed line of bags. If it is going to have an ethnic theme, you can experiment with a name from an Indian language that embodies your ethos.

Bag componentsScout around for raw material and labour. You must find a vendor who will supply you with raw material for your venture. Make an arrangement to purchase in bulk at wholesale rates. If you are going to venture into the cloth bags category, tie up with a few local tailors who will sell leftover cloth at nominal rates. For a rexine or leather bag business, you must tie up with a tanning company and fix your rates. In the initial days, and if you are adept at patterns and stitching, you could put the bags together yourself. Ideally, you need to find a low-cost vendor who will do this job for you, and he or she should be located near your home so that you save on transport costs. Your job should be to prepare as many designs as possible, and run them past the person who will stitch the bags. Both of you should be on the same page as regards finish, patterns, and design.

Experiment with design. This is a crucial step, because customers are first attracted by a bag’s design before they start looking at details of stitch and functionality. Try for a completely different, never-seen-before design in the niche you are catering to, while keeping the basics intact. For instance, you might design a radical new line of clutches, but you will still have to provide enough space for a wallet, mobile phone and car keys. Also, if you are designing a range of formal office bags and totes, you cannot have very garish colours and childish designs on the product.

Be meticulous about details. Customers are quick to complain if the zips on your bags break quickly, or if the stitches start coming apart after, or if the Making bags at home for a livingclasps don’t work. The big danger is that negative reviews get around very quickly, and you might lose both current and future customers. Instead, test each prototype yourself. If you don’t like the straps of a certain bag, junk them. If you feel the space you created for coins inside a purse is inadequate, create a whole new compartment for loose change. If a clutch tends to change shape after a while, reinforce its base.

Don’t introduce any new product to the market which has not passed your scrutiny.

Price fairly but lower than the competition. Pricing is crucial and mostly instinctive. The basic way to price is to take into account the cost of material, labour, transport and shipping that you bear for each bag, plus your profit margin. While all other factors cannot be changed, you can take a cut on your margin when you launch, so that your products are priced cheaper than your competition’s. The starting days should be about creating a solid customer base, not making profits. Start a points-based customer loyalty programme or have attractive discounts on bulk purchases. When you get more customers, you can increase the prices once a year and even think of shipping out of the city or country.

(Pictures courtesy www.youtube.com, free-stock-illustration.com, www.seasonedhomemaker.com.)

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