Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
New Year Resolution
A new year is a good time to leave behind the past and reflect on what's ahead, and perhaps make some big decisions. There’s a saying, “If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time.” It's true, which makes setting New Year's resolutions a very sensible activity. Nothing could be accomplished in one day and therefore setting Resolutions should be nothing more than the starting point. Life has a funny way of throwing unexpected things at us, and flexibility is required to tackle the difficult times ahead. The simple rule is that – don’t expect too much. Things that will make you a better human being and help you lead a more comforting life should be made the New Year resolutions. The bottom line is that – change for the better in the coming year!
“Then give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you.” Madeline Bridges, from Life's Mirror
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
LPO Prospects
Hi guys, thinking of LPO or Legal Process Outsourcing we just come across e-discovery as the most lucrative work and most of the Indian LPO's just concentrate on this. But I think outsourcing companies can also look into the other areas which are outsourced such as:
- Preparation of pleadings and correspondence
- Legal transcription
- Transcription of recorded statements
- File organization
- Litigation preparation
- Database input for document management
- Work with experts in preparation and retrieval of reference materials
- Deposition summaries
- Verification of information given by clients and/or witnesses
- Draft discovery requests and responses
- Preparation of trial notebooks
- Arrange for blow-ups and visual aids
- Chronologies of events
- Organization and review of voluminous document production
- Medical records reviews, summaries and chronologies
- Review of medical bills and records for provider errors
- Prepare and issue subpoenas
- Copy and deliver records
So, Come on!!!! The wild is for you to tame. Give it a shot.
Do we need to give a thought on this?
Well, I think our office is one of the best among its contemporaries, when considering the administration and management. It’s amazing how we take everything for granted.... Do we know why people take everything for granted…. Well, I believe it is because they hold the (mistaken) belief that somehow, someway -- they are 'entitled' to whatever comes their way....
“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.” — Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States.
Chanakya says, “One doing whatever pleases him does not achieve anything”.
There is a certain manner that we are expected to behave in the workplace. These mannerisms are called workplace etiquette. When a person steps into his office, he is supposed to leave everything else behind and put on a professional face. Hopefully, the following tips will not only help one make a good impression, but will also help him/her advance in his/her career.
- Extended Breaks - One of the most annoying things for other employees or for managers and supervisors is employees taking extended breaks. Never extend the breaks. It does not make the right impression.
- Tardiness - Being late to work on a given day may be excused. But making it a hobby should be given a serious thought.
- Loud Behavior - There are people around us who are trying to work. They do not need disturbances like loud talking or completely irrelevant discussions. Respect other people and their work. We are not only disturbing them by talking loudly, but we are not showing them respect.
- Being Untidy - We need to keep our workstation clean and also the other areas such as the cafeteria, conference room and of course the rest rooms.
WOMEN & WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Over the past twenty-five years, there has been a substantial increase in work which is felt to be due, in part, by information technology and by an intense, competitive work environment. Long-term loyalty and a "sense of corporate community" have been eroded by a PERFORMANCE CULTURE that expects more and more from their employees yet offers little security in return.
Many people are experiencing burnout due to overwork and increased stress. This condition is seen in nearly all occupations from blue collar workers to upper management. A recent study for the CENTER FOR WORK-LIFE POLICY shows that globally eighty-one percent say their JOBS ARE AFFECTING THEIR HEALTH. Over the past decade, a rise in workplace violence, an increase in levels of absenteeism, as well as rising workers compensation claims are all evidence of an UNHEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
Stress and work-life balance
The timetable of a working woman makes one tired just by looking at it. A typical day would start at 5 a.m. and end after dinner time. The hard work can be compounded by the presence of demanding in-laws, children's illnesses and deadlines to be met at work. A woman in this situation always feels guilty that she is not doing enough for her children and her family, suffers from a feeling of inadequacy and is also found wanting by colleagues and bosses at work, and husband and in-laws at home. The children feel that their mother is not at home for them. Colleagues are usually unsympathetic. The husband often feels that he is being neglected. Classically, housework is not considered work at all, but just something a woman does, naturally; so it is rare that anybody in the family appreciates what the woman is doing for the home and understands why she is tired and irritable.
Steven L. Sauter, Chief of the Applied Psychology and Ergonomics Branch of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati, Ohio, states that recent studies show that "the workplace has become the single greatest source of stress". Michael Feuerstein, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences at Bethesda Naval Hospital states, "We're seeing a greater increase in work-related neuroskeletal disorders from a combination of stress and ergonomic stressors".
Working women are in a state of constant stress which manifests itself in symptoms like feeling weak, tired, irritable, having a headache, body ache, hyperacidity, pain in the abdomen and other gastro-intestinal problems. Problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and employees. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty in concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
Medicines only are not the answer to the problem. The real treatment is to reduce the burden on working women. Measures need to be taken to reduce the level of stress of working women. Here the family, especially the spouse, obviously plays the most crucial role in this. Helping the working woman out with domestic chores and sharing the burden of parenting can often do away with her hyperacidity.
Giving her time to relax, going out for a walk, meeting her friends, and forgetting the home and her office, for a while can be an enormous stress-reliever. The medical fraternity too should recognise the working woman syndrome and consider this aspect when treating her. If the real cause is detected quickly, cures can result not from medicine but from changes in lifestyle.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Yelagiri Tour Report
Hai everyone we were off to a tour to the pleasant Hill Station Yelagiri about 4 hours from Chennai on the 20th of this month. We left at about 7 am and reached there only around 12 noon(Thanks to the late comers.) Straight away we went for the trekking to see the Madheshwar Temple. Man it was really a tiring ride. The computer geeks found it really hard to keep up and out of the 20 only 11 made it to the top.
Malini madam, her brother and Suresh accepted defeat in initial half hour itself. Vijaylaxmi and Suresh’s wife also fell out. Finally the fatso Purushot and a whining Veena was out of breath and Raghu and Ram saw it as a chance to escape.
The sweet couple Prabha and Saravan toiled hard to keep up. And finally me,Arun, Binu ,Gokul Muthu, Monu,Mahadevan and Lokanathan finally emerged the winners with them.
The trek was worth the toil as on top of the hill we found a wonderful cave temple. The temple also has a room for us to meditate. The huge rock roof of the temple provided a chilling climate inside the temple. The scenic beauty was simply outstanding and definitely an experience to reckon with. Man I was really cross with the losers who had missed the chance of a lifetime.
In the trek we came across a bunch of sheep, a small pig and a herd of donkeys. The donkeys were carrying bricks for the renovation of the temple.
Back in the foot of the hill we met up with the loosers and had our food from Hotel Hills.
Then we had a blast of a time in the artificial pond. I boarded a pedal boat with Arun, Veena and Vijaylaxmi. The others took two other pedal boats and a row boat. Half an hour of water war followed. The war left a completely soaked team and everyone was running to the changing room. Arun was in a fix as he didn’t have a spare dress. He was in a Bermuda and banyan and Ram had to go with a lungi.
Our trip back was a fairly memorable one as we were risking our life to 14 hairpin curves, a drunk driver and the deep dark night. We really had a fright as the side of the bus thronged against the side of the road and left the bus with a bare back. We were really relived to get back living.
Then on the way back we opted for a fairly small hotel. I tasted mutton Paya( Leg piece of a lamb) for the first time and we ended up with one third of the bill we had given in the afternoon.
The trip was really enjoyable. But sorry for Malini madam who couldn’t enjoy to the fullest coz of her broken leg.
Find the tour photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mquest2007/MquestYelagiriMarch#
FRIENDSHIP
“FRIENDSHIP” is the most beautiful and the most trustful relationship in the world. True friendship makes one to develop his/her personality, but a fake friendship makes one to degrade him. Many people doesn’t know about the value of Friendship and often misuse the relationship and pretends to be a genuine friend. Today both men and women are leading a mechanical life and they do not have enough time to share their thoughts, therefore it’s good to have true friends at least in the working place. One should choose a good friend who is reliable and trustful and who helps ultimately in solving the problems rather than creating it. Merely talking with others and collecting personal information from them and spreading it to each and everyone is the habit of some fake friends and it is not at all advisable to continue the relationship under the title “Friendship”. One reliable friend is better than to have too many fake friends. Sometimes people are not conscious about the fake friends around them. Sometimes we may forgive enemies but one could not forgive a friend who is not trustworthy. A good friend is one who encourages his friend at difficult times giving hope to succeed in future. Friend in a working place must be more than an ordinary friend because an unreliable person being a friend will create so much trouble both professionally and even personally. One should be very careful and cautious in making new friends in the working atmosphere. Especially women must be more careful and cautious in making friends after knowing the other side (friend). Friend must not only be a friend but sometimes he must be a mother and sometimes he must be a father and sometimes be a good critic. If one has blessed with such qualities then he will be a good friend for all.