Labor Unions in Oman: An Emerging Issue in Human Resources Management

I vividly remember a conversation I had with my friend said back in 2002. His loud voice still echoes in my head. I found him sarcastically asking what? Labor unions in Oman! You must be kidding.

His attitude was not surprising to me particularly that labor unions was not actually the norm back then. However, the reality has changed and it is no longer a taboo to form one at the moment. In fact this issue has become the talk of the town, a trend in the field of Human Resources Management everyone is keen to unveil its mystery.

What exactly is a labor union? As defined in the ministerial decision number 59/2010” a labor union is an organization of employees in a particular company, industry or activity that work together to achieve common goals.”. In Oman,  labour Unions may work to defend employees’ rights improve their financial and social situations, represent them in work related matters and educate them about the effective ways of collective bargaining with employers.

As a seed labor unions have emerged in the realm of Human Resources Management as a result of several factors such as:

•         The expansion of the economy.
•         Globalization which induced foreign investment.
•       Increasing awareness on labor rights and
•      The implementation of international human resources best practices and policies.
•     Several steps have paved the way for the establishment of labor unions in Oman until they became a tangible reality in the corporate world and become one of the tools to nourish effective employee communication and bring about a conducive employee relation between the parties of production. These initiatives can be summarized in the following:
•      Reviewing the applied labour law before 2003 .
•         Introducing a new labour law based on royal decree no 35/2003.
•         Allowing the workers to form representative committees to protect their interests, defend their rights and represent them in all of their work related matters.
•         Permitting the representative committee to form a principal committee to represent them in the local, regional and international meetings.
•        Establishing the General Representative Committee in 2005.
•         Introducing certain amendment in Oman Labor Law to facilitate the establishment of labor union based on Royal Decree 74/2006.
•        Establishing a general federation for the Sultanate workers to represent them in local, regional and international meeting and conferences. For instances it represent them in the social dialogue committee which combines representative from government and employers to promote a better work culture that work in line with the international standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

In order to establish a labour union there should be at least twenty five members to officially form a union. Applications for forming labour unions should be submitted to the ministry of manpower the department of labour unions organization. Once the labour union is officially registered, its members form the union’s general assembly, out of which its management is elected for four years to manage the affairs of  the union within thirty days of its registration at the ministry of manpower. The organizational structure of a labor union consists of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer. For eligibility of becoming a member the worker should be not less than eighteen years of age. He or she should not be convicted in a crime not to mention being registered in another labor union. The union can join a general union such as that in the same sector or industry.

Like any new experience we explore in life labor union as an impetus have several challenges to overcome such as the following:

•        Financial constrains as they are depending on members fees.
•         All the members are quite inexperienced in labor union and area of collective bargaining .
•         Some companies deal with Labor Union with apprehension.
•         Some talented and experienced employees refrain from joining the labor union because they do not want to upset their superiors and be in the bad books of their company

All in all labor unions in Oman might be in its infancy stage, but they were born to last. There are 112 registered labor unions which serve private sector employees both citizens and expatriates, Such a noticeable change dictates that both employers and employees be aware of the law and gauge their decisions accordingly rather than resorting to arbitrary actions.

As another spill over labor union should be empowered by the employers so that an environment full of trust, transparency and empowerment prevails.

A Salute to a Role Model Manager

I was down in LuLu hypermarket along with my wife to get some groceries done. After we finished we headed towards the cashiers but to our dismay people were making long lines all over the available cashier’s counters. As we were joining the crowd people were grumbling with frustrations. One was saying why should these cashier counters be closed? Others were sarcastically taunting that women lost their privilege today referring to a specific counter which was allocated for women only, to facilitate things for them as a culture sensitive gesture but was closed on that particular day.

While such an atmosphere was prevailing all over the place a tall smiling man in a suit appeared all of a sudden. He was silently moving around directing his team members to focus on their customers’ satisfaction. He started to open most of the closed cashier counters to ease the situation. The positive impact on the grumbling crowds was so evident. They rushed towards the newly opened cashiers as if they saw a drop of water in the middle of a desert. Not only he was hovering all over the numerous cashier counters injecting that inspiration touch to all of his cashiers, he gave them moral support to handle their laborious daily task. Besides he was helping them bagging the customers’ groceries to effectively use time and speed up the process and manage this crisis. He insisted on planting a broad smile on his customers’ face and erasing the negative effect which penetrated them while they were waiting for their turn in the congested lines.

His sincere and enthusiastic spirit as manager had a positive spill over on his team members who were in full gear working in harmony to ease the situation.

This manager’s action was not limited to that but he was also flashing a smile at his customers whenever he got a chance and was chatting with them as if he knew them for many years.

Such approached snatched the customers from their grumbling attitude and paved the way for them to appreciate his attitude and sincerity in serving them to the best of his ability. His exhibited skills in changing their perception earned him the required customer satisfaction. This practical situation brought to mind the role of an effective manager as quoted by the late management guru Peter F. Drucker who was referred to as “The Father of Modern Management who said” The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager”.
Yes of course it took a gesture of leadership to uplift the spirit of the staff to defy the odds and gather their courage to deliver the required tasks. As human we all need to feel that we are important and this manager with his excellent people skill knew how to turn a bleak situation to a memorable event. It is because of the show that he orchestrated that my pen was restless tell I have inked that show of courage through which he faced the situation and tamed his angry clientele to ensure that they leave their favorable grocery venue with a broad smile. Such sincere and earnest people deserve reflection so a very well deserved salute to that role model manager.

Empowering the Voice of the People

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s annual Royal Speech at the Oman Council is an eagerly awaited event by Omanis and Residents alike. It is a guide to highlight the way forward. It is a pause to share the joy of achievements with the citizens, a moment to highlight the challenges to the people transparently, a call to gear up the efforts and roll up the sleeves to make them a tangible reality.

It is through the solid values and principles that Oman illustrated the epic of its modernity under the far sighted and wise leadership of his Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said who acceded the thrown on 23^rd of July 1970. Ever since, Oman has progressed from good to great.

This year’s Royal speech was phenomenal. It has left no doubt that our development experience is an Omani breakthrough.  It a seed that has emanated from the womb of the Omani soil. This seed was carefully nourished by a visionary leader with unmatched sacrifices. Hence, as the days pass by it was destined to bloom and flourish. It was able to bear the test of time and accommodate the accelerated changes that are taking place within the local, regional and global environment and capture the scientific and technological advancement on a sound and solid ground.

The Royal Speech has attracted a lot of attention and admiration for a leader who won the hearts and souls of his people and the respect of the regional and international community. His Majesty has illustrated beyond any doubt his everlasting affinity to Oman and its people. In fact his human touch has sprouted out to reflect his concern for humanity at large.

His Majesty’s loud cry from Husin Alshomook in the Wilayat of Manah on 31^st of October 2011 signified the triumph of sincerity and honesty. It has celebrated the consistent efforts in our quest for further development and modernity and set the floor for the various options for further participation and engagement of people from all parts of Oman and motivated them to join hands and share the responsibility of building their country.

His majesty's words are still engraved in the hearts of each Omani when he promised to build modern Oman. His Majesty said " I will proceed as quickly as possible to transform your life into a prosperous one with a bright future. Every one of you must play his part towards this goal. Our country in the past was famous and strong. If we work in unity and cooperation, we will regenerate that glorious past and we will take a respectable place in the world."
 As we celebrate our Forty One National Day what do we have to say? Was the promise fulfilled? Are we proud to be Omanis?  Is Oman known to the external World? Can we actually shrug our shoulders with pride when we are asked where we from are and respond with an assuring smile that we are From Oman?

The new objectives highlighted within HM’s Royal Speech on the 31^st of October, 2011 leave no doubt that the leader has so big ambitions and dreams. He has the interest of Oman and the prosperity of its citizens as an ongoing concern.

Inaugurating the fifth term of the Council of Oman His Majesty’s Royal speech touched upon the following realms of concerns:

·         Oman’s Shura experiment and the incremental approach with which the Sultanate has nourished it to empower its citizens to elect their representatives and support the Shura Council members to be the voice of the people. The gradual manner gave a firm foundation and stable pillars that has ensured its natural growth. The Road from the idea of a consultative Council to the current state of the Shura Council has witnessed many improvements that last of which is giving the members to choose the President of the Shura Council and his two deputies without any interference from the government. The Council was also bolstered with legislative and auditing powers. All these initiatives will undoubtedly fulfil its aspirations of contributing more effectively to the decision-making process for the higher interest of the country and citizens.

·         The Royal Speech reiterated and affirmed his Majesty’s continued attention to the development of human resources as a cornerstone of every development and a pivotal component around which all types of development revolve as their ultimate goal is the happiness of the individual, providing him with a means of decent living and guaranteeing his security and safety. This objective takes into consideration the need to undergo a comprehensive review for the education system so that it can accommodate the needs of the hour and result on equipping the students with the needed knowledge, skills and attitude that will enable them to live up to the expectation and able to adapt to the ongoing trends. The quest for developing the human resources will also focus on the youth since they are the present and future of the nation. The government endeavoured to provide them with education, training, qualifications and employment opportunities. Highlighting that the upcoming era will take that attention to greater heights by way of providing more opportunities to the youth in order to consolidate their gain in knowledge strengthen their talents in creation and production and increase their participation in the comprehensive development march.

·         Stressing that the right of the citizens to express their opinion is guaranteed by the State’s laws and regulations in order for them to come forward with their constructive ideas. His Majesty warned that such freedom should refrain from monopolization and radicalism. He reiterated that inflexibility, extremism and immoderation are opposite to all this and societies which adopt such ideas only carry within themselves the seeds of their eventual destruction. He encouraged the people to resort of the principles and values of their society by saying “We were born in this country with the natural disposition of tolerance, good conduct, rejection of bitterness, warding off sedition and abiding by customs and values based on fraternity, cooperation and love among all”. He recommended that these good traits and high values to be  inculcated in the younger generation from the inception at home, in schools, mosques, clubs and other educational and nurturing venues to furnish a fence, protecting them from falling into the abyss of intruding ideas that call for violence, extremism, hatred, fanaticism, being opinionated and non-acceptance of others, as well as other extreme ideas and opinions that lead to the tearing up of society, draining its vital powers and leaving it in ruins and utter destruction, God forbid.

·         Stressing on the fact that government work is a responsibility before it is considered a prestige and recognition HM stressed that it should be carried out with total disregard for personal interests and with complete honesty for the service of the community, and it should never countenance corruption. He affirmed that corruption will not be allowed in any shape or form; we instruct our government to take all necessary measures to prevent it and we direct all the audit authorities to fulfil their duties resolutely in this regard with the full force of the law, away from doubt and uncertainties, since justice must take its course and become our goal and objective.

·         He reiterated his support for the judiciary and its independence is a duty to which we have committed ourselves, and we recognise that it is imperative to respect its decisions without favouritism, as all are equal before the law.

·         Adopting a clear policy based on cooperation with all in accordance with the firm principles of mutual respect, encouragement of dialogue and rejection of violence in tackling issues, in order to come up with communities where fraternisation and stability prevail, which will enable nations to continue their development march and achieve their objectives of progress and prosperity in an atmosphere of security, free of disturbances, and encourage the implementation of economic and social plans and programmes in accordance with priorities dictated by public interests.

·         Adopting balanced economic policies to preserve our gains and boost our economic plans and be able to adapt to prevailing circumstances of the global market.

All these guiding torches eliminate any misconception and put it clear that Oman is moving from good to great. It is empowering all its fabric of it society to participate in the quest of development. It is empowering the voice of the people through wider scope of participation in the decision making process and ensuring the right to express their opinions to mirror their creative ideas to enrich the process of developing Oman to greater heights. His Majesty’s noble gesture of thanking all those who has contributed in building modern Omanis and residents is a real motivating touch that will lead them to exert more efforts. Recognizing of the role that the private Sector has exhibited in the development process and that which is expected from it in the future was another motivational touch as well.

Highlighting the need to cooperate and collaborate between all the elements of the society to ensure efficient and effective use of the resources was a call to use the power of the team as a vehicle to maximize the profit.

Anger One Letter Shy to Danger

Of late his irritation became noticeable. My friend Hilal is not the same person we all know. His smile faded away. It seems that he formed a habit of getting irritated for the slightest thing. The minute you construct a dialogue with him, he erupts with anger like a volcano. All you could see is his frowning face as if you are confronted by a hungry tiger. On the other hand, all you could hear is shouting, screaming, threatening and intimidation as if you are listening to a thunderstorm roaring in the sky, shaking you from within.

Such an angry attitude is not limited to him. Anger as a phenomena seems to be plaguing our society yet we all fail to realize that anger is one letter shy to danger.

As an emotion, anger could be a mild irritation or an intense fury and rage. Once it gets out of hand it can cost you your job, personal relationships, and your life as well.

We can actually extract vivid examples of anger from our personal notes.  If we walk down our memories we can recall images of angry people.  Images of Friends or relatives who were cursing and back answering each other rudely will be crystal clear before us.  In some cases the scene got dramatized and ended up with fist fighting and physical abuse.

Let us take a moment and imagine ourselves driving. The road is so congested. Tension is swarming all over the place. Drivers are honking loudly with anger. In between, so many gestures are exhibited. The hand movements indicate hostile intentions. The eye contact is so focused with irritation. Facial expression speaks louder than words. In a blink of an eye the road witnesses a battle after another. Some battles are packaged with stubbornness. Some drivers challenge each other recklessly. Each one doesn’t want the other to bypass him as if they own the road. The situation gets so boiled to a point of no return. Such an angry attitude does not lead to anywhere. As a kiss of death it leads to a tragic accident rendering them paralyzed or wrapped in their coffin. Such a sorry ending leaves behind a deep scar in the hearts of their relatives and love ones who will be bitterly grieving their early departure for ever.

 The work place is another venue for angry situations. You could see a boss yelling at his subordinate for a simple reason. Other staff could be staring at him with dismay or even listening to his vulgar and intimidating language. What message is he sending to them as a leader? Does his behavior reflect that his organization committed to its people? Was his feedback to motivate or de-motivate his subordinate? What would he loose if he or she was sensitive toward their staff and gave them a constructive feedback? What trust exist among such a team?

In order to reinforce the despicable impact of anger you can stretch your imagination to angry situations at home or even our reaction while dealing with our kids. You can visualize how horrible anger could get when you ask yourselves how many families were shattered due to a hasty swing of anger?

So what are some contributing factors for anger. Well actually anger could be caused by a specific person, memories of traumatic or enraging events as well as  worrying about your personal problems.   

Charles Spielberger a psychologist specialized in the study of anger reveals that when you get angry, your heart rate, blood pressure, levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and nor-adrenaline go up. As a matter of fact, anger many ailments that could affect our health negatively. It could lead to hypertension, high blood pressure, depression. It can even be the root cause of heart attack.

Have we asked ourselves what is the end result of anger. Whenever I remember the story of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) stressing the need to refrain from anger to the person who came seeking his advice, the thought provoking story illustrates the magnitude of the calamity that anger brings about. Although the man was advised to refrain from anger in the first request, to his dismay when he repeated his request for an advice again and again avoiding anger was an automatic and spontaneous feedback. The same recommendation was repeated for the second and third times.

The negative impact of anger leaves no doubt that we should not respond to those who irritate us with anger. Laws, social norms, and common sense restrict us from such reaction. Therefore, it is better that to control our anger before it turns to danger. To effectively manage our anger we can resort to the following tips:

·      Do some physical exercise as a release i.e walking, get on a bike or other sport. This will help alleviate our stress level.

·      Listen to music to relax our mind and calm you down.

·      Try the soothing power of water (take a shower, swim or simply splash your hands in a basin with cool water.

·      Resort to Prayer to bring about solace and tranquility.

·      Take a few minutes to meditate.

·      Count to ten and then take a deep breath as if you are cleansing your system.

·      Keep an anger journal or diary so that you can note down your angry moments and construct an inner conversation with yourself to explore other options.

·      Talk to someone you trust after all two brains are better than one.

·      Use humor for laughter can immediately change the way you feel.

Let us keep in mind that life is a gift that ought to be celebrated. Sharing a quality time with the family or enjoying a laughter is far better than getting ourselves worked out for silly things.

Let us pay attention to honing our emotional and social intelligence so that we can be in a better position to manager our angry situations effectively. Anger as a behavior cannot be eliminated hundred percent but being able to address it in a positive manner will always be signified as an act of wisdom. At the end of the day holding on to anger is like grabbing a hot coal. With the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. So why do you want to get burned when you know that you have other options.

The Persevering Coffee Vendor

Salim the coffee vendor sets a lucid example of perseverance. He roams like a butterfly all over Mattruah Souq in search of his clients. Serving Omani Qahwa has been his profession for more than five decades.

Salim’s affinity to  Muttrah Souq (market) made him a noticeable figure. A symbol, that adds value to the mystic touch of the place. His memory stores different aspects of the history of the place. It is at this Souq that he came across so many faces that have passed by here at different intervals from all walks of life.

His day starts at dawn. He prepares his Qahwa after performing his fajir prayer. Once it is ready he pours it in a kettle and hits the road towards Mattruah Souq.

Watching him walking with his kettle in one hand and a bucket in the other makes you feel you are in a presence of a persevering man. A man, who embraces patience as a vehicle to success. One who believes action speaks louder than words. His pride made him insists on earning his bread by the sweat of his eye brow.

The rhythmic tone of his Qahwa cups attracts the attention of the people who come across his way. They cannot help but shift their direction towards him. They become curious to discover the mystery of the old man.

Once, I was in Mattrah Souq along with my wife. I saw many people approach him from different directions.  I went close to him and said Al salam ualikum. Waalikum alsalam came the answer. Can you give me two cups of Qahwa? He swiftly handed me the cups with a big smile. I passed one to my wife and sat beside him to sip mine. I asked what is your name ? My name is Salim bin Shunoon  Alakhzami  came the answer. I starred at his smiling face and asked  him where are you from? I am from a village called Saia close to Qurriat came the reply. The conversation went on question after another. I asked how long has he been serving Qahwa? He took a deep breath as if he was rewinding his memory and said for more five decades now.

While I was chatting with him many of his Omani, Indian and Pakistani customers greeted him and asked for a cup Qahwa. You see them surrounding him as  a beehives. Chatting and joking without any barriers.  A Dutchman came close to him and greeted us with a smiling face. He said hello. Salim said hello you good and asked him if he cared for a cup of Qahwa. The Dutch smiled and gave him an assuring okay. Salim poured Qahwa and handed him a cup.

The Dutch was surprised the cup was not filled. He did not know that this has a cultural norm behind it. He kept sipping Qahwa and Salim was handing him one cup after another.

He did not know the trick of the trade. Suddenly he saw another client shakes the coffee cup in a clock wise manner a sign which made the old man quit serving him.

The Dutch became overjoyed with such discovery as if he had found water in the middle of a desert. He shook his cup in a similar manner. The old man gave him a shrewd smile and asked tamam (is it good)? the Dutch said tamam and left the place after bidding  him good bye.

I carried out my conversation with Salim. I asked how much was a cup of coffee when you started first? He said Ten Baizes but it is fifty Baizes now.  I said what does serving Omani Qahwa means to you?  So many things he said. It means independence as a result, I do not need to beg anyone to take care of my expenses. It means avoiding being lonely. I spend all day mingling with people. Serving them, Joking with them and feel human.  Humanity does not have boundaries after all. It is we who create and magnify them in our heads. I left the Souq full of admiration and respect for such a personality. This man exhibits a living example of positive thinking. His emotional intelligence made him bear the blows of his time.

His perseverance, commitment and devotion for serving Omani Qahwa made him endure the heavy burden of life. His extended years of serving Qahwa made him believes that success is largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. 

On the way back home I asked myself what if everyone follow suit and embrace his persevering spirit to realize his dreams. I am sure each one will live in harmony, peace and congruence with himself.

Ramadan: Revisiting your Desire to Change

Change is normally resisted and not easily accepted. However, it is inevitable and in fact everything is likely to change except change itself. Some people fall in the trap of their wrong assumptions. Rather than motivating themselves. They keep sending the wrong message to their minds. In the process you will see them justifying their lack of interest and willingness to change by any lame excuses.

One day they will say it is too late for me to change after reaching such age or what is the use? and at the top of all that the famous unfulfilled promise of I will do it tomorrow. For them tomorrow never comes simply because there was no true desire to change in the first place. There was a lack of patience to walk on the track of change until they achieve their goals. As a result they end up with constant frustrations.

In fact, they tend to surrender to their frustrations and let it cripple them so they become static and with low morale. They condemn themselves victims of I cannot do it?   

Do not we all come across such attitudes? Even in some instances we find ourselves subject to such bleak thoughts. Is not it time to wake up? If others can do it why cannot we? Perhaps we need to revisit our assumptions, fine tune our genuine desire to do it and be aware of what does it take to make it happening? And ensure that we embrace the right attitude in our quest to make the dream come true.

Change is something personal. Something each one has to take ownership of in order to make it effective and transform it to tangible reality.

As we are living the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan and enjoying the fruitful lessons out of it, we learn and realize what we could do if we put our minds to it. We learn that the power within us needs to be unleashed.

Let us all reflect on ourselves for a moment. Are not we actually practicing self control? Are not we achieving our goals such as praying all the prayers in the mosque, reading the holy Quran on a daily basis, controlling our desires, refraining from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. Are not we managing our mouths from gossiping and hurting others with bad words? Do not we all exert maximum care in selecting the most appropriate ones instead in the process of our daily communication? Why are we able to control our anger in Ramadan? And why can we now embrace forget and forgive spirit and fail afterwards?

These examples and score of others should provoke our thoughts and make us indulge in dialogue with ourselves, resume a true reflection and take that checks and balances. Let us start to ask ourselves where are going right and maintain it? and what loopholes need to be rectified and focused on? What aspect of our life do we need to change. This will definitely vary from one person to another and hence, the road map to reach the goal will vary as well.

Let us all set the right strategy for our personal change and in the process we must realize that change is not likely to take place in a blink of an eye. It takes a true desire, consistency, patience and of course adequate time to achieve our dreams.

I am sure with such ingredients we can make our change programs results driven. After all we owe it to ourselves to be the change we want to see.   

Using Our Eye Contact Skillfully

As an element of nonverbal communication, eye contact plays a vital role in our daily conversation. It sends across messages to the people whom we are talking to.

As Nicholas Boothman puts it “the cheapest, most effective way to connect with others is to look them in the eye”.

During our journey to improve our communication skills, often evaluators remind us to pay attention to eye contact. This feedback should be taken seriously rather than brushed aside and viewed as a mere opinion.

It is such an importance that in our quest to be competent communicators, we should be mindful of our eye contact as it provides social information to the person whom we listen and talk.

Undoubtedly eyes are not only the window to the soul; they furnish feedback to critical questions when you try to connect. For instance they can provide answers to questions such as, is he paying attention to what I am saying? Does he like me? etc.

However, as a process eye contact is a bit tricky. For instance if you use intensive eye contact, you will be viewed as aggressive and will make your partner uncomfortable.

On the other hand, less eye contact reveals a lack of interest in the person who talks to you. It could even reflect shyness or lack of confidence of the speaker because he/she tends to look downward or away during conversation.

In order to improve our eye contact, in my opinion the following may benefit us:

      Be well prepared and know your speech to avoid devoting your energy to remember the sequence of ideas and words. Your projection must be focused on the audience.

      Establish a bond with your audience.  This can be done by selecting one person and talk to him or her personally. You should hold that person’s eyes long enough to establish a visual bond.

      Monitor visual feedback from your audience. You should let your eyes to seek their valuable feedback. This will enable you to gauge their response and adjust accordingly.

Let us remember that eye contact is a very important people skill. It should be viewed as a process of focusing the eyes, thoughts and presence. Besides it establishes connection, enable the self to gain confidence, allow buying time when you have lost the chain of thoughts as well as to keep control.  Maintaining a good eye contact is a mode of capturing your audience and keeping them at ease. Therefore let us use our eye contact skillfully.

Overcoming The Tomorrow Syndrome

Whenever you try to ask him to do certain task, Ali’s readymade answer is disappointing. He calmly nodes his head in agreement and assures you that he will do it tomorrow. You give yourself the liberty to exclaim why does it have to wait until tomorrow? How come he cannot adopt a do now attitude?

Tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year are nothing but lame excuses for Ali’s inculcated procrastination habit.

Such vice is not limited to Ali. It is a behavior we come across so often in our daily life. How many times did you defer an issue hoping that you will tackle it tomorrow?

How many times did you promise your wife, kids, boss, friends or colleagues that you will do a particular thing for them but you kept putting it in the back burner?

Tomorrow and tomorrow but has your tomorrow become a tangible reality?

You go to the doctor and he or she diagnoses you as a case of procrastination syndrome!

What exactly is procrastination? What causes it?  What are the associated problems with procrastination?  And how can we overcome it? 

The word itself comes from the Latin word procrastinatus: pro- (forward) and crastinus (of tomorrow).  It is the deferment or putting-off   an action which requires immediate attention, usually by focusing on some other distraction.

As a sign of weakness procrastination could be attributed to various factors such as stress, being  overwhelmed, Laziness ,Lack of Motivation ,Lack of Discipline Poor Time Management habits, Lack of Skill as well as Perfectionism .

No matter what the root cause for developing such a bad habit we all need to exhibit a true intention to overcome such a hurdle. Unless we take such an initiative its negative impact on our performance will remain unchanged.

But how can we overcome the tendency for Procrastination? Of course effective Time management will do the trick.  As simple as it might sound, this refers to a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals. Among these skills that will lead us to master the art of managing our time are the following:

•             planning,

•             allocating,

•             setting goals,

•             delegation,

•             analysis of time spent,

•             monitoring,

•             organizing,

•             scheduling

•             and prioritizing.

Utilizing this prescription will yield the desired result but it will require true intention, discipline and a lot of patience after all Rome was not made in one day. Remember, nurturing   the habit of procrastination will not take you   forward.  It will only add to your frustration and that of the people around you. Please don’t forget procrastination is the thief of time. Don’t let your time get stolen from you.  Let us not live in the past but act in the present.

Looking forward for your contribution on shedding lights on the issue of procrastination and how it has affected your life and what initiatives have you taken to overcome the  tomorrow syndrome.

What would you do if you were in their Shoes?

Change is inevitable. Everything is susceptible to change.  There are massive changes that are taking place around the globe. The Middle East is witnessing unprecedented changes in power.  Each country is dealing with the political turmoil in its own way. The situation in Oman was settled in an exemplary way. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was prompt, decisive and wise in handling the situation.

His farsighted vision and political acumen illustrated that modern Oman with its amazing achievements in the last four decades was meant to last and prosper to greater heights. Among the changes that His Majesty decisively introduced was a wide spectrum of amendment in the council of Ministers.  Several New ministers were assigned to take charges of vital portfolios that are crucial to the Omani economy.  

The new ministers are not tested mortals in their new positions at the helm of the public agency. Many people are still apprehensive about their performance. Such perception has lead to so many speculations and gossips.

The pressing questions are;

·         If you were in their shoes how you would approach your new assignment?

·         What should be your first priorities within the first year in the new seat?

·         How would you assure the public that you are the leader they have been looking for?

As a reader you can imagine yourself as one of these new ministers.  Think about the above mentioned questions and share your views with us.

Besides let us know what are the tools that are available for you to apply in their new assignment? What are the factors that could make or break their bright career in the political arena? How would you go about your personal development plan so that you can acquire the needed competencies for new assignment?

Respected readers, your contribution will certainly enrich our dialogue and provide a momentum for brainstorming these questions. From a theoretical perspective we can borrow certain tools from strategic management, organizational behavior, leadership as well as management particularly dealing with people irrespective of the wide spectrum of differences. In addition one can also bank on his own experience.

Until then, I will be awaiting your objective and constructive views on the above case study.

Are We Listening Effectively

The accelerated changes and the technological advancement that are taking place around us dictate continuous development of our human capital. In their quest for personal development people often focus on expanding their knowledge in their profession but tend to pay deaf ear to honing their soft skills.

Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable. They are intrapersonal and interpersonal skills that determine a person's ability to excel or at least fit in a particular social structure, such as a project team  or a company. These skills include competencies in areas such as emotional intelligence, communication, leadership ability, etiquette, conflict resolution, decision making, self-motivation, self-discipline, persuasion, etc.

Since, the Gulf Countries are embracing nationalization policies of their workforce that is giving priorities for employment to their citizens; I think the issue of honing soft skills will give a competitive leverage for young graduates who are exploring the intricacies of the corporate world. This is of course not to say that the benefits of soft skills are limited to lower Jobs categories. Of course soft skills are qualities that recruiters as well as employers pay a paramount importance to.

The list of soft skills includes a wide range of skills that cannot be listed in this context. However, in the days to come we will discuss certain soft skills. Let us share views on effective listening skill.

Listening is a skill that is very essential for all of us particularly when we are communicating with a person. How would we be able to create a good rapport with the person we are talking to if we are not listening? How would a student understand the lesson if he or she is not paying attention to what is being said?  Why were we given two ears but only one mouth?. This is because the process of listening is twice as hard as talking. It is actually difficult and sometimes requires more mental efforts than speaking requires. Such thought provoking questions will certainly lead to brainstorming the issue of listening as a process through which messages are shared and information is exchanged.

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. Ask questions to clarify certain points.

How many times did you interrupt a speaker before he finishes his talk? Do you think such habit will lead the speaker to think you are interested in his talk will you motivate him to carry on his conversation/? This will not even let you understand the extent of the message and will deprive you a chance to form further questions that can clear your doubts.

So what are the barriers of effective listening? How could we become effective listeners? Why do not we be more conscious about our process of listening so that we can improve our weakness in this area. After all listening takes different shapes and size. It could be between a leader and his subordinates, team members at work, a father and his son , a mother and her daughter or a husband and his wife. Therefore, the quality of your listening will lead to the outcomes.

 Inculcating the skill of being an effective listener is rewarding. Therefore, let us put such a competency as one of our goals.