Posts Tagged ‘Disasters’

Career Management Defined

April 24th, 2010



Career self-management is controlled by the concerned individual and includes certain plans and information applicable for future career decision-making and problem solving. It is comprised of continuously improving the existent conditions at the present work place and preparing yourself for a change. Career self-management and organizational career management are not restricted and can actually help to promote each other.

Common Misconceptions

Listed below are some of the common misconceptions about career management:

o Most people think that the most skilled candidate is likely to be selected. However, this is not true. Candidates with limited qualifications avail of a number of job opportunities because of the way they prepare and present themselves. In short, they self-market themselves in the required manner. Being skilled or qualified is not the only criteria. You must be able to convince the employer that you are the most suitable candidate for the job.

o Most people feel that as long as they already have a job, they don’t really need to work on their careers. Again, this not true. Whether or not you are employed currently, you should be prepared for change, in whatever form. To steer clear of any career-related disasters, you should implement the concept of ‘Perpetual Career Management’ to enhance your career growth.

o Professional education should not stop when you graduate. You should always explore ways to increase your knowledge. You should be constantly updating your skills via journals, seminars and pursuing certifications. These choices should be a part of your consistent career development effort.

o Don’t be under the misconception that your job is secure if you work hard and do a good job. With current mergers, outsourcing, downsizing and an unstable economy, there is no job that is entirely secure. You must be fully responsible for the future prospects of your chosen career.

What Graduates Have In Store For Them

Organizations in the United States and other developed countries have been following a trend of employing only the best university graduates to prepare them for future leadership within the organization. However, apprehensions about the proceeds in investing long-term in career development has led many organizations to wonder if this conventional stress on the management of graduate careers should be continued. Employers are now wondering whether they should promote self-management or whether they should continue with the traditional methods of career management.

Similarly, graduates are also faced with a problem. They need to decide whether they should engage in self-management or whether they need to adhere and prepare for the traditional methods already in use. Organizational commitment is important in shaping the responses to career development practices and in acting as chief indicators of the influence of these practices.

Nevertheless, there has been very little research done to sufficiently investigate the impact of career management practices, in spite of the evidence that these practices are capable of making a positive contribution.

By: Tony Jacowski

What Business Owners Say About Environmental Management

January 28th, 2010

We went to our clients and asked them they why felt they needed and wanted an environmental management system (EMS). We also asked what benefits they had identified.

Every business we asked stated that they needed a management system so that they were able to manage their day to day operations more effectively. This was not always their main reason for starting but by the time they were half way through, all clients recognised that their businesses really benefited from having built their system.

Why they started was based on what they wanted and this was quite varied. Some of the businesses questioned wanted to demonstrate that they really were environmentally conscious in their business operations and they found that their EMS both did this and took this a significant stage further. Some wanted certification to help them access export markets. Others wanted a tool to build a culture of awareness and responsibility throughout their operation. Some wanted a marketing edge. Some were under pressure from regulators and/or community groups and felt that they want to clearly demonstrate their environmental commitment.

The benefits were real improvements to the bottom line coming from less errors and incidents; “a much more efficient business; a deep rooted benefit is a sense of awareness, commitment, and responsibility at all staff levels; creating a dynamic team with one common objective”; a much greater awareness of environmental risks, minimising the risks from changes in their operations; having contingency planning in place and practiced to cope better with disasters and extreme weather; an ability to demonstrate legal compliance; significant eco-efficiencies and improvement in waste management. There are many others. » Read more: What Business Owners Say About Environmental Management

What Business Owners Say About Environmental Management

January 28th, 2010

We went to our clients and asked them they why felt they needed and wanted an environmental management system (EMS). We also asked what benefits they had identified.

Every business we asked stated that they needed a management system so that they were able to manage their day to day operations more effectively. This was not always their main reason for starting but by the time they were half way through, all clients recognised that their businesses really benefited from having built their system.

Why they started was based on what they wanted and this was quite varied. Some of the businesses questioned wanted to demonstrate that they really were environmentally conscious in their business operations and they found that their EMS both did this and took this a significant stage further. Some wanted certification to help them access export markets. Others wanted a tool to build a culture of awareness and responsibility throughout their operation. Some wanted a marketing edge. Some were under pressure from regulators and/or community groups and felt that they want to clearly demonstrate their environmental commitment.

The benefits were real improvements to the bottom line coming from less errors and incidents; “a much more efficient business; a deep rooted benefit is a sense of awareness, commitment, and responsibility at all staff levels; creating a dynamic team with one common objective”; a much greater awareness of environmental risks, minimising the risks from changes in their operations; having contingency planning in place and practiced to cope better with disasters and extreme weather; an ability to demonstrate legal compliance; significant eco-efficiencies and improvement in waste management. There are many others.

Most of the benefits came when they moved beyond just an environmental management plan or a code of practice and built a system with feedback.
Many of the businesses fully integrated all their requirements including their occupational health and safety, quality, traceability and food safety so that they built one simple system that covered all of these.

The secret to having a management system that works for the business is to keep it simple. Keep good records while avoiding unnecessary paper.