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TIPS OF THE MONTH

Self Investment

How to build your employment value

• Suppose you are an office employee, in whatever level you are assigned, you will be running the risk of losing your job if you do not follow the trends and do not consider that self investment is necessary to keep up with the tremendous change in office routines.

To be in demand

• Office support staff need the skills to do graphics for presentations, manage complex communication systems, need strategic thinking and employ all efforts to work more efficiently.
  
• If you are a middle manager, you need more knowledge and skills of office management in dealing with unpredictable events in such instability of political and economical situations. Possible strikes due to increased demand of employees will have a significant impact on product delay or service distribution, let alone financial risks.
  
• If you are an entrepreneur – you will lose your money. If you are an employee your career is at risk.
  
• If you are a manager, you have to be ready in dealing with unexpected events inside and outside your organization. Be prepared with handling issues and crisis management.

Organization reputation is number one, but your personal integrity is somewhat dominant. You will lose your chance of getting a higher position just because you pay no attention to your ‘personal enterprise’ – your employment value.

• Today’s career is frightening, like a game with the unexpected moves and rules, often random, twists and turns. A mistake can mean that game : your career – is over.

If you are not ready to leave your present job in the next three years, you need to learn the tips from C.D. Peterson in his book Staying in Demand, on how to increase your self investment

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COMMUNICATION

Public Speaking

How to deal with difficult audience

Dealing with different people is an art, dealing with a difficult audience is a real challenge.
Before you make a presentation, you need to know some strategy on how to face your audience. Try to understand the type and apply these tips:

• Positive type
  This type is a great help in your discussion, use them frequently
  
• Talkative type
  Intervene tactfully and limit their speaking time
  
• Persistent type
  Avoid the trap, never get involved in an argument. Respond tactfully
  
• Arrogant type
  Let the audience deal with their theories and viewpoints
  Review them and answer the questions gently
  
• Uncooperative type
  Recognize their knowledge and experience, use them wherever possible
  
• Intellectually superior type
  Listen and consider, but do not criticize. Use Yes But technique

You can be an effective speaker if you care for your : Appearance, Posture, Gestures, Eye Contact and Facial Expressions because experts say that we gather information by Sight (87%), Hearing (7%), Smell (3,5%), Touch (1,5%), Taste (1%)

Source :
The Art of Effective Communication, Charles J. Margerison

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

Many young people enter public relations careers without really knowing what public relations is and does.
The following are ordinary comments when they are asked.

• I like people, i like to communicate with many different and prominent people
• I like to appear in public, that makes me popular
• I like camera, tv, all broadcasting – that’s exciting
• I like to serve and entertain other people

There is nothing wrong with their expressions, but if you really want to pursue your career in public relations you had better prepare yourself academically and professionally. That is the best way to do it unless you add more problem images to the public relations profession in Indonesia.

1. Ask yourself if you are a good communicator. Can you communicate well with others orally and in writing? Can you speak and write easily?
2. Be honest to yourself : Do you have the ability to be the agent of change? Do you have the power to influence people? Do they listen to you?
3. Do you know the essentials of public relations?

Here are some basic requirements for success in public relations (Cutlip, 2000)

• Skill – skills for producing effective writing and persuasive speaking
• Knowledge – in depth knowledge of various media, the understanding of management process
• Abilities – problem solving, decision making. Ability to handle people and generate confidence. Assume responsibility
• Qualities – work with common sense, emotional stability. You should have drive and enthusiasm, a wide range of interest and intellectual curiosity, be tolerant of frustration and a good listener.

Basically, public relations practitioners should possess a combination of these knowledge, abilities and skill on how to communicate, organize, get on with people, personal integrity, imagination and style.

• Contact the Editor on email : ananto@indosat.net.id for online free personal consultation on pursuing careers in public relations. Email will be answered to those who give name, position and complete address.

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MARKETING

Personal networking:
A direct marketing technique.

It is accepted as the most effective of the job search methods. Many job seekers and others who are looking for opportunities are using this method. Experts advise targeting to focus on the best probable sources of job leads. They no longer recommend ‘stranger’ as a prospective candidate until he or she has a special track record.

The old rules of networking emphasize that

1. Everybody is a potential network member
2. Always be ready to network instantly
3. Keep records on everyone you meet
4. Put a tickler on your records
5. Stay in touch with everybody

Today, people recognize that old rules are no longer effective, they can do little to help you ‘STAY IN DEMAND’. Most networks end up as little more than piles of business cards with never ending commitment.


Networks now need to be managed by new rules:

• View your network as a long term commitment
• Carefully pick network members who can help you and whom you can help
• Build quality relationships, not quantity contacts.
• Produce results for your network members and let them know how to produce results for you.
• Start your network through friends, family and others who know you and who will actively help.

Source:
Staying in Demand, C.D. Peterson

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HUMAN RESOURCE

In the recent report on the international human resource management, the need for education and communication has added to another facet to change management. In a research of ten countries the project team found out that training in communicating with staff is widespread, reflecting the importance of the subject.
So far, however, managers continue to prove reluctant to communicate with employees on financial and strategic issues.

According to the report:

• Managers seem to concentrate on feeding themselves and each other with information, neglecting the important task of taking their staff and organization with them’.

Communication skills are still seen as a soft management by practicing managers, particularly in manufacturing, and they are not given sufficient attention in programs of management education and development.

Yet, the ability to communicate and to develop an understanding of how communication can help achieve objectives, are both key management skills, some examples:

• Sense-making
• Listening skills
• Presentation skills
• Media skills
• Self awareness and empathy

Communication is not simply a matter of passing information, but is more concerned with the transference of understanding. Managers have not been found particularly willing or skillful in this task.

Source:
IC’s role in competitiveness and innovation, Jon White

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PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFILE

Find out the phenomena of public relations practice in Indonesia expressed by the participants of Perhumas National Convention held in Yogyakarta, 1998.

• The respondents are members of Perhumas (67%), ISKI (7%), IPRA (5%) The respondents stated that the reasons for practicing public relations : challenge (53%), career development opportunity (41%), promising employment (4%).
• Position : in house practitioners (76%),  Consultant (12%), Academic (12%)
• Work status : Main job (66%), Additional job (30%)
• Monthly salary : less than 2 million rups (52%), 2-4 million (21%), more than 5 million (27%)
• Most of the time spent on : Coordination (37%), Planning (26%), Execution (25%) and Negotiation (12%)
• Most of the respondents were concerned about the ‘amateurism’ of some practitioners. They are very much concerned (59%), No concerned at all (21%), Somewhat concerned (20%)
• On question about the reason that public relations in Indonesia has not developed into an acceptable status like any other profession, the respondents answered that Lack of appreciation from CEO (38%), misperception of this profession (30%), limited qualities of PR practitioners (22%), there is no special requirement to enter this profession (10%)
• Experts in public relations have the opinion that most practitioners tend to use intuition rather than apply public relations procedure in dealing with public relations programs. Somewhat agree (65%), neutral (28%), strongly agree (6%).
• Public relations profession in Indonesia needs proper improvement (60%), and particularly in top management level (54%), specialist (32%) and technician (14%).

Source :
Elizabeth Ananto (1998)
Number of questionnaires distributed 200, returned 113, incomplete 28, n = 85.

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SELF EVALUATION

Compute Your Life Change Risk

Which of these changes in your life – add up the point values of each event

Death of spouse (100), Marital separation (65), death of a close family (63), Personal inquiry or illness (53), Marriage (50), Lost of job (47), Retirement (45), Change in financial status (38), Change to a different kind of work (36), Change in work responsibilities (30), Outstanding personal achievement (28), Trouble with business superiors (23), Change in work hours or conditions (20), Change in social activities (18), Vacation (13)

If your Life Change Units (LCU) total 150-199 you stand a mild chance of incurring some form of illness in the next year. If the total 200-299 LCUs, you have a moderate risk. Over 300 points put you in the group very likely to suffer serious physical or emotional illness.

Source:
News Perspectives in stress Management

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TEST YOURSELF

Communication is a two-way process. Answer these questions and check whether you are an effective communicator.

• Do I know the message of my organization environment?
• Do I contribute actively to the existence of environmental awareness?
• Have I done something to increase the image of my organization?
• Do I know about the flow of information in my organization?
• Do I always look at the eyes of my audience during my presentation?
• Do I change my tone when I give a speech?
• Do I answer in a businesslike manner on the phone?
• Do I make preparation when negotiating on the phone?
• Do I know what kind of image I should build for the organization I work with?

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Careers used to be like trains – employees just sat down and went where the train went. Now careers are like terrain vehicles. Employees need to know how to drive. (Richard Knowdell)

You cannot cross the sea by merely standing and staring at the water. (Rabindranath Tagore)

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they do not quit. (Conrad Hilton)

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PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Indo Pacific

Indo Pacific is a reputation management consultancy established in 1993. We are the fastest growing local corporate communications firm in Jakarta and have grown to become the largest agency in just over six years. We believe this has been achieved due to our commitment to professionalism and excellence in our work, and in the development of strategic and value-added communications programs. We offer a total range of corporate communications, government relations, public affairs, media relations and marketing public relations counseling and service. Indo Pacific presently employs over 65 full time staff and two specialist counselors, providing a range of experience and expertise. Indo Pacific is a joint operation between leading Australian corporate communications consultancy, Stratcom Communique and a local partner.

Indo Pacific is a member of the Media Network Consolidated Group that comprises 12 media and communications companies including nationwide radio stations, media placements, magazine publishing and advertising. Media Network Consolidated is headed by Bapak Pri Sulisto.

With our vision : to be a preferred Indonesian strategic communications consulting firm committed to growth and world class excellence, we value Integrity, Excellence, Professionalism and Caring.

Check us out at :
http://www.indopacific.net
INDO PACIFIC REPUTATION MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
1^st Floor, Heary I Building
Jalan Kemang Selatan Raya 151, Jakarta 12560
PO BOX 4981, JKTM Jakarta 12049 Indonesia

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Respect for Individual Differences

People who respect individual differences know that an office is populated by individuals who look different, act different, grew up in different cultures, but who are just capable and worthwhile. Rather than insisting everyone conform to a while, class-room norm, employees and managers value the richness, diversity and imaginative ideas dissimilar people bring to their jobs. There are no second-class citizens, only human beings of equal worth with special roles and responsibility.

(The Anatomy of a Healthy Company – Roberts H. Rosen, a clinical psychologist)