BisNis-ZonE

Company culture

2009-08-30T18:51:00.001-07:00

Every company has its own particular culture: acceptable or unacceptable ways of doing things. Company culture can involve how people communicate with each other within the company, or what spoken or unspoken rules there are concerning behaviour.

These can be as simple as whether or not you can wander around the office chatting to people – or whether you should maintain quiet most of the time, whether or not you can eat at your desk, and how you greet people.

The problem with company culture is that these rules aren't generally written down and you need to learn them "on the job". If you're not careful, you can end up unknowingly "breaking the rules".

Here are some of my own company culture "gaffes":

- heating up spicy food in the microwave and sending the aroma of chicken amok throughout the building (not appreciated by some of my more traditional colleagues).

- laughing with my colleagues in an open-plan office and getting nasty stares from my supervisor.

- not using "Mr" with my boss, but calling him by his first name. Then using "Mr" with his son, when I should have used his first name.

These may only be "small" things, but they can count for a lot. Here are some ways to avoid unintentionally breaking the rules.

1. Be observant
- What forms of communication do people use? Titles and surnames, or first names?
- How formal is the communication between colleagues and between colleagues and bosses? Do people chat to each other, or use email / memos?
- How personal or impersonal is the office? Do people have photos of family members or children on their desks, or is the office purely functional?
- What do people talk about? Is it only company business, or do they also share personal information?

2. Be flexible
You need to be able to fit in with your colleagues to have a harmonious environment. This might mean being as flexible as possible in the first few days regarding company time. Ask when it's convenient for you to take your lunch break (rather than just "downing tools" at the allotted time) and avoid giving the impression that you're clock-watching.

3. Be aware of what you say
It isn't appropriate to give out too much personal information at first. Get to know your colleagues gradually and stick to safe topics at first, such as family life, where you live, hobbies etc. Don't pass on gossip and don't make negative comparisons with your previous company.

4. Ask about "rules" and general practice
Can we… (use the internet?)
What's the company policy on…?
Do you have any particular guidelines about / for…
Is it OK if I…..?

Business communication etiquette

2009-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

We can use an increasing number of communication tools to keep in touch with our business partners. From the most formal letters to the most informal messaging, we can decide the best way to communicate depending on our relationship with the person, and the formality and urgency of the situation. But it's not always easy to know how to use these new tools. With no style manual or user guide to help us, how do we know if the way we communicate is appropriate?

Here are some etiquette tips for using new communication tools.

Email
Many people are bombarded with emails at work, so your important or urgent email needs to stand out from all the others.

- Make sure you use a descriptive subject heading and not just a Re:Re:Re type heading.
- Don't send spam or forward "pyramid" emails (the ones asking you to forward it onto all your contacts).
- Don't use email to push your religious or political beliefs.
- Wait at least a few days before you follow up an email and give the recipient time to respond.
- Send longer, clearer emails with all the information your reader needs, rather than numerous, shorter emails that will fill up an inbox.
- Use bullet points and white space in your email to help the reader scan for information.
- Remember to send attachments if you say you're going to send them!

Twitter
A great marketing tool for your products and services, and also one of the most immediate ways to stay in contact. But make sure that what you tweet is useful, and remember that you are taking part in an informal conversation. It's not just you shouting at everyone else in the twittersphere!

- Balance your tweets. Don't just market your products, but answer questions, pass on tidbits and so on.
- Don't tweet stuff that's banal or uninteresting.
- Limit your tweets. If you send out too many updates each day, your important messages probably won't stand out.
- Learn txt language and abbreviations for common words.
- RT or use the @name to show that you are passing something along or replying to someone else.
- Highlight and share information from other people to help the conversation.

IM
The fastest way to communicate apart from the phone or face-to-face.

- Wait at least a few seconds for your partner to reply. Don't forget that people on IM are generally multi-tasking and may be on the phone or away from their desk.
- Say goodbye before you sign off and close the application. Phrases like "Nice chatting, catch up later", or "Need to go – will speak later" are ways to show you need to sign off.

Phone
One phone conversation can eliminate 30 emails. You know you've got the person's attention, and you can probably solve more problems in a short phone call than you can with email.

But if English isn't your first language, you may worry that you'll make mistakes on the phone. Check these articles and posts for help with telephoning: Making telephone calls, Managing phone calls, Using a mobile phone, and Phrasal verbs for phoning.

Menunggu 'resolusi' ekonomi setelah tahun berganti

2009-01-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

oleh : Arief Budisusilo

Baru saja tahun berganti. Hari ini kita melalui Tahun Baru 2009 dengan setumpuk tantangan dan potensi kesulitan. Biangnya, apa lagi kalau bukan krisis ekonomi di Amerika Serikat, yang merongrong ekspektasi konsumen dan perusahaan menjelang tutup tahun 2008.

Banyak negara, tak terkecuali Indonesia, menelan dampak tidak nyaman akibat krisis di negeri biang keladi kapitalisme global itu. Di banyak negara, kini problem pengangguran seakan meledak sejalan dengan seberapa "cepat dan dalam" terpapar dampak krisis finansial global itu.

Mulai dari Amerika sendiri, Eropa hingga Asia, ekspektasi terhadap lonjakan pengangguran amat mengganggu permintaan konsumsi. Konsumen berjaga-jaga dengan menyimpan uang tunai guna menghadapi situasi yang lebih buruk.

Isu pengangguran ini menjadi menonjol, karena berkaitan dengan ekspektasi atas belanja konsumen, yang berkaitan dengan permintaan atas barang dan jasa yang dihasilkan perusahaan. Ini seperti mata rantai yang saling bertautan, dan dapat menimbulkan efek spiral jika siklusnya tidak coba dihentikan...more

german save egyptian ship

2008-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

AP - A German military helicopter chased away pirates on Thursday who were trying to board an Egyptian ship...more

'Santa' opens fire at Calif. party; 3 dead (AP)

2008-12-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

AP - A man dressed as Santa Claus opened fire at a Christmas Eve party in a suburban Los...more

Pope decries selfishness in economic crisis (AP)

2008-12-25T06:15:00.000-08:00

Yahoo News Photo (25-12-2008 20:12:38)
AP - Pope Benedict XVI warned in his Christmas message Thursday that the world was headed toward ruin if...more

Pakistan: Car bomb kills 1 near border with India (AP)

2008-12-24T02:58:00.000-08:00

AP - Suspected Islamist militants detonated a car bomb in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, killing...more

Jadwal Pertandingan Super Liga Berubah

2008-12-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

Jadwal pertandingan Super Liga berubah karena PSSI akan menarik pemain untuk mengikuti pemusatan latihan persiapan menghadapi kejuaraan Pra...more

Complete Prolyte set for Dutch top artist Jan Smit

2008-12-24T02:54:00.000-08:00

Dutch pop star Jan Smit is touring the Netherlands to promote his latest album. Prolyte supplied the complete staging and trussing set....more

Music China acknowledged as Asia’s largest music industry event

2008-12-24T02:32:00.000-08:00

Music China, Asia’s most recognised musical instrument show will take place 13 – 16 October 2009 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre...more

Growing Healthier Tomato Plants

2008-12-22T02:46:00.000-08:00

July 14, 2004

If you've ever tried to grow your own flowers or vegetables, you know that gardening is an art as much as it is a science. The science part just took a step forward, at least for tomatoes.

The way a tomato plant grows depends on how a farmer mulches and fertilizes it, say researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They've uncovered some unexpected details about the biochemistry that goes into producing the juicy red fruit....http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040714/Note3.asp

Vitamin D-licious Mushrooms

2008-12-22T02:11:00.000-08:00

Vitamin D-licious Mushrooms

Dec. 3, 2008

Scientists have figured out that exposing portabella mushrooms to sunlight can boost the fungis' vitamin D amounts.

red_moon_rise/iStockphoto

Over the past few years the sun has gotten a bad rap. Too much sunshine can put you at risk for skin cancer. And an overdose of sun can also lead to nasty sunburns, or even heatstroke.

But the sun isn’t always bad for the body. Scientists have known for years that the sun is a great source of vitamin D. This vitamin naturally boosts the immune system, your body’s defense against disease. Now mushrooms bathed in ultraviolet (UV) light — like that from the sun — can help you get some of this valuable vitamin. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20081203/Note3.asp

PLANNING INCOME AND EXPENSE

2008-12-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

PLANNING INCOME AND EXPENSE
EVERY MONTH
By: Safir Senduk

From IndoExchange.com

In my previous article, I said that there are several things to help your finance every month :

Plan your income and expense every month

Do the plan strictly

Have reserves fund

Take some insurances

This article will discuss point 1 and 2.

Plan your income and expense every month

Starting right now, plan when you will get your salary, how much its amount, and when you will spend your money, what the posts and how much the amount of expenses. The plan called Budget.

In example, you will receive this much on your salary on 27th, then from that amount you will use this much for this expense, that amount for that expense, and so on. So, if you make a budget first, you will detect on the first place whether there will be deficit or not in the middle of the month. If yes, you can revise the budget to avoid deficit. www.perencanakeuangan.com/files/EveryMonth.html

Financial Management

2008-12-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

A SECRET OF
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
By: Safir Senduk

From IndoExchange.com

A huge earning is usually considered for measuring the wealth of someone. However, why do so many people with huge income frequently end up running out of money in the middle or at the end of the month? What is the problem?

If you have a job now, do you remember the first one you ever had? Usually, the first experience on work is the most unforgettable experience.

Let's take an example. Anto was still living with his family until he got a job at the age of 23, as a clerk in a trading company. At that time, he had just graduated. Although he had to go through a probationary period, Anto was so excited when he knew that he would get his first salary. His salary was Rp 600,000, which he would receive on the 27th. http://www.perencanakeuangan.com/files/Secret.html