How Motivated are YOU?

Motivation keeps you going. Below points guide you on motivation:
      Clarify your goals – Have a clear mission under your current position. Know the targets that you need to achieve as an employee of the firm. These objectives can be found either in your job contract or your job offer letter. If you fail to have any of these, then having a one-on-one meeting with your supervisor will definitely help.
 Design a strategy – Once the goals are known, formulate these into a practical and achievable flow chart. Here is where your discipline in terms of achieving these goals is crucial. One has to constantly review this plan of goals and achievements.
 Reward yourself – Reap the fruits of your success. By giving this treat to yourself, you will be motivated to move ahead in your plan of action.
 Learn the act of balancing – Motivation is not always work related. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with hard work results in motivation. Pursuing your hobbies and interests gives rise to positivity in your attitude as well as thoughts. It gives us a sense of satisfaction. Therefore, indulge yourself in leisure activities, to let your mind relax.
Motivation Matrix
The above mentioned points can also be utilised by formulating a motivation matrix. The Motivation Matrix is a self-assessment tool to help you articulate your work strengths, areas for development, low motivation, and potential burn-out areas.  
The Four Quadrants
The matrix consists of four quadrants that need to be filled. The figure below shows us the skills that you need to fill in each of the quadrant.
skills/interests you are drawn to and excel at or do well: these are your 'best work skills' skills/interests you are drawn to
but not (yet) your best work 
skills: 'development opportunities'
skills/interests you don't like to pursue; not best work or development skills: 'low fuelling skills" skills/interests you excel at or do 
well but don't like to pursue: (in 
excess can become 'burn-out skills')


One needs to carefully fill in the required skills that he/she comprises of in each of the above quadrants. After completing the matrix, you need to do a time review. An estimation of how much time is being spent on each of these quadrants needs to be noted. Often people are surprised to note that they are spending more time in their top left (Best Work Skills Area) than they had thought. Other people find that they are spending most of their time in the bottom right quadrant (Potential Burn-Out Skill Area), which validates their current efforts to find new roles or opportunities, or explains their dissatisfaction. For some, the role they’re in does not include enough opportunity for development (Development Opportunities Area). Some will use the information from the Development section to sharpen their job search strategy. The tool is a self-assessment guide to see where you are now, where you’ve been and where you’d like to go next.  


A Self-Assessment Questionnaire to Measure your Motivational Level
 I can sum up in a sentence the core values of my company
 I know what is expected of my team
 I know how my success is measured
 I am proud to work for my company
 I see a future for myself in this company
 There is a clear and effective system of appraisal and career development
 I feel valued by my company
 The company's internal image is consistent with its external one. (When I see an advert for my company it is consistent with my experience of that company)
 I know what this company's unique selling point is. (I know what makes it different to the competition)
 I feel my job is understood by those in my company
 I enjoy coming to work partly because of the people
 I get support and encouragement from my team mates
 I do not have to compete unfairly with the rest of the team
 Information is shared freely within the team
 I do not feel there are secrets in our team
 I am proud to be a part of this department
 I respect my boss
 I am not threatened by my team mates. I want them to be the best they can be. 
 I have the opportunity to develop new skills
 Poor performance is not tolerated. No one "gets away with" under-performing
 The majority of my time (80% plus) is spent doing valuable work
 I do not have to attend unnecessary meetings
 Those meetings I do attend are well run and achieve agreed outcomes.
 I usually finish work at a reasonable time. 
 Our computer systems work well. We are rarely prevented from working by technological breakdowns
 We have clear systems for referring up. I can safely ask someone above me if I am not sure of what to do myself
 Noise and other distractions are minimal
 I can turn off my phone or divert to voicemail in order to complete urgent or important tasks
 I do not feel constrained by too many unnecessary rules
 My work environment is suited to the work I have to do. I have the space and facilities to do my job
 I leave the office when my work is complete. I do not feel compelled to stay just because others are still there
 I feel we are all treated fairly. I do not see or experience favouritism
 I feel acknowledged publicly for my successes. 
 Any constructive criticism is given in private
 There are no clear "factions" in our company 
 I always feel I can express my opinion without fear of being marginalised or losing favour
 I feel I can talk openly about my future and ambitions
 While I may be "loyal" I do not feel obligated to my employers. I have not been "bought" by a large salary, extra benefits or any other career advantages. 
 My feelings and opinions are often asked for and listened to, no matter what my position in the company hierarchy
 I am not afraid to make mistakes. I am encouraged to learn from my experiences but they are not held against me later on.


Your score: 


35-40 There is very little to zap your motivation. If you are still feeling de-motivated it may be time to move on or perhaps the company needs to introduce more incentives for staff. 


25-35 There are some obvious "motivation zappers" present in your workplace. With your team leader or a group of other employees, consider ways to reduce the impact of these. 


0-25 Motivation is probably low in your workplace. Much could be done to improve your working environment. The good news is that some simple changes could make a huge difference.

How to Choose your Career, Job, and Company

Different companies offer different benefits. Every career or job in the Middle East has something different to offer. Marketing jobs vary from organization to organization, as do engineering jobs, sales jobs, IT jobs. That is why deciding where you want to work and what job you want to do can be so confusing.


Choosing between two competent job offers can be difficult. One has to consider a number of details about the job profile, growth opportunities, the corporate worth of the company, the pay package, and the benefits, among others.

Here are a few tips that can help you to make the right decision for you:

1. Identify your skills and interests: It is very important to choose a career based upon your interests and skills. When you pursue a career that is based upon your interests, you stay motivated at work. When you pursue a career that is based on your skills, you are more likely to be successful. Write a list of the things that you like to do and the things that you are good at, especially those that are relevant to a career or profession. The attributes that you list will help you to zero in on a few specific career options.

2. Utilise a career advisor: An objective opinion can help you sort through any confusion. Many times we fail to realize our strengths and weaknesses. The guidance of a career counselor might be just what you need to find your path.

3. Take some time to think: A hasty career decision could lead to future regret. Think about the consequences of a job before accepting it. Take some time off and weigh your options in terms of futuristic value. Thinking leads to choosing the best career option.

4. Online research: Internet is the best tool to dig out any kind of information. Do an in-depth study on the career options that you’re considering. This will give you a fair idea of the growth prospects, job responsibilities, and probable salary packages in the kind of career that you have chosen for yourself.

5. Speak to people: Alongside your internet research, talking to industry professionals will give you a clear idea of how things function in reality. These people can be from the industry that you are looking to join, or even human resource professionals who can give you a clearer picture of the current situation.

6. Job security: Security is a significant aspect to consider, especially in current economic times. Be reasonable while choosing your career option or the organization you choose to work for. Check on the background or history of the firm and position that you’re applying for in order to ensure that you will be able to keep the job once you earn it.

Every job has its own set of requirements. It is up to you to decide whether these requirements suit you or not. A decision related to your work and career should not be taken lightly. Any wrong step may lead you into de-motivation, poor quality of life, or even unemployment.

For further queries on career related issues, log in to http://www.careertunity.com/

Assess your training requirements

Every job has its own set of training requirements. A sales job will differ in its training needs from that of an engineering job, whereas an IT job will differ in its on-the-job training from that of a marketing job.

Training means an activity that leads to skilled behaviour and optimum knowledge of the professional industry you’re in. Any kind of training leads to increased awareness and opens windows of opportunity in the existing world of knowledge and skills.

It is essential that you as a worker in the organisation carefully consider your training needs. A training need is a gap between what you already know and what you need to know so you can fulfil your job responsibilities and duties effectively. It can also be a subject you would like to learn more about.

To carry out this assessment of training needs, you need to determine the current level of knowledge and skill you possess. After this is done, you need to specify what attitude and expertise is required to perform your job tasks.

This assessment of training needs can be done in many ways, such as:
• Self-assessment: This involves listing both the duties you’re good at performing and areas where you lack professionalism and need training. This could be a software program or the company’s brand standards, depending upon your line of work.

• Discussions with your colleagues/industry experts: This helps to a large extent in terms of exposing yourself to the newest trends in the market. By discussing the areas in which you need training or any sort of exposure with your colleagues or industry professionals, you come to know the latest trends in the market that you ought to be considering. With this sort of exposure you can probe your training department for specialized training.

• Discussions with line managers/seniors: Have a meeting with your boss and discuss the prospects for areas in which you need training. It always helps to keep your boss in the loop and well-informed in terms of the kind of training you need for career growth, as well as for providing better service to customers.

• Appraisals: This is a good time to review and put forward the kind of training you might need.

• Online portals: There are thousands of web portals that can give you an idea of the kind of professional training available for your job. Many times this training can be done through an online course.

• Training institutes: In case your company fails to provide you with the skilled training you’re looking for, there are many training institutes that offer specialized training, depending upon your job profile.

The source and need of your training will vary. However, you have to make sure that the training is carried out by an experienced professional and on the basis of your requirements as an industry worker. It should serve the purpose of your contribution, in terms of enhanced services and standards.

For further queries or requirements on any kind of professional training, log on to www.careertunity.com