Should we stop Email ?

In some ways, advance high-tech tools and software have evolved in a way that almost “kill us” or place the skilled working staff in a bind. Just look at the email conundrum. From the moment you reach office early in the morning, it seems the inbox is calling your name. And if you’re like most of us, you will reply the mails pretty quickly. It’s literally painful or you just feel uneasy not to download your email the moment you arrive at your desk in the morning. But once you’ve processed 50 to 100 emails, you probably have ruined your brain alertness or activity for higher level tasks that are going to create more productivity and output value.


A recent study done for HP found that “infomania” — a term connected with addiction to email and texting — could lower your IQ by twice as much as smoking. Moreover, email can raise the levels of adrenaline in your brain by constantly introducing new stimuli into your day. When those levels get too high, complex thinking may be more difficult, making it difficult for you to make decisions and solve problems — which is the main roles for people like us, managers.

Likely our brain’s capacity for decision-making evolved at a time when you had lesser stress or less to think about. Therefore, we may need to rethink and how to take control of our daily life with the potential of having our work activity flooded with more emails than required and not forgetting the nuisance of receiving unwanted spams, adverts, junk mails,etc. We need to :

Control our Inbox -

Try not to start your day downloading new mail automatically or, at the very least, turn off any alert system. Preferably, set a time to check for messages manually — preferably later in the day, after you’ve used your brainpower for more important stuff and project issues,etc.

Emails should be short, concise, and used only when a conversation is not an option. The easier communication is to digest, the more likely it is that the messages will be delivered effectively.

Some colleagues seem unable to help themselves. They send too many long emails; they gossip or forward jokes. Get them to divert their personal chatter online by allowing them to use social media at work (even if it’s just at set times of the day). Or the company has to step in and do something about access to external emails or limit the staff from engaging in unproductive stuff. I educate everyone who I communicate with and as a result, the emails I do receive are pertinent to me. I restructure those emails, copy them into ongoing documents, and try to keep my inbox low, create rules to purge those unwanted spams,etc,,

If you’re reaching a breaking point and if you need to,simply wipe your inbox to start afresh, but before you do it, scan through and make sure important ones are archive for action later. It seems drastic, but it can work. Send a message to all contacts letting them know what you’re planning. Try planning a new regime of folders and information-sharing disciplines

Relook at your prioritizing mails -

To help you prioritize, start by setting clear goals. Prioritizing is one of the brain’s most energy-hungry processes. That means it’s best done when your mind is fresh and well rested. Allocate time to order your thoughts —it won’t break the back of the work you need to cover.

Blindside the data -

Break down complex information into sub-groups. Once you’ve determined a goal, you can “chunk” your work into groups to achieve it. You can also do this with your to-do lists.

People are generally very bad at estimating when they’ll finish their own work, but good at guessing for others. So gauge your timing by using someone else’s experience. You’ll be less stressed if you’re realistic about your workload.

Try handle less -

To handle less, we should delegate more. Too many senior staff can’t resist the temptation personally to get involved in everything that’s affecting his department or section. But effective delegation means limiting the amount of information you have to process, as well as empowering those around you. Make use of your intelligent staff around you and get briefing and updates periodically.

Switch off -

Many managers feel they can’t shut off. In most cases, it just erodes your focus. You need time to synthesize information and generate real intelligence. That takes discipline, of course, but it’s useful to stop thinking when you are stuck on a project so your brain can recover. You do need to switch off and rebalance your brain chemistry if you’re going to come up with new ideas or solutions

Mistakes senior officers make with e-mail....

1. Using vague terms. Be clear about the subject, and update the subject heading line if needed.

2. Avoid using the BCC line. One of them is bound to reply all and your belittle act will be noticed one of these days.

3. Clean up the mail threads before adding to the mess and confusion with your next new reply.

4. Use of poor grammar and style. Do try to write in a professional way and not use broken English or Singlish…….

5. Avoid writing long winded e-mails. You may find people will not respond as your long email will either irritate or they do not have time to read.

6. Writing needlessly long, bulky paragraphs. Write in digestible para if you need to and be short and itemized so that readers find it easy to read and understand.

7. Do not forget mail courtesies. Always be polite and mention the “thank you” in public; but criticize,if need, in private one-to-one.

8. Other forms of communication might be better. You do still have a phone, right?

9. E-mail is legal document. An e-mail you write today is evidence in court and could be used as evidence in disputed cases.

Your CV’s should not reflect these ……

1. Do avoid “cartoon” effect . Use standard format, do not use weird fonts or unnecessary photo images in your resume. It makes your resume “overdone” and strange.

2. Omit the references. Including references on the resume itself says that you needed it for filling up the gaps, or you just don’t understand how proper the system works. Provide references only upon request.

3. Don’t write “stories”. Try to write in bullets and short, impactful sentence fragments that tell your experience and capability with a minimum of reading.

4. Don’t leave out the figures. Quantify your accomplishments.

5. Don’t list past responsibilities. No one cares what your last job’s requirements were. Including them may send the message that you don’t understand that your job is to provide value through accomplishments.

6. Do omit objective. Objectives may reflect incorrect presentation and lead to insincerity and specific roles at each company you apply to may not be matching.

7. Spell check. Your CVs should be completely spell checked, free of grammatical errors.

8. Do include your appropriate photoshot. Make sure it is a presentable shot and look professional

9. Don’t get too personal. Don’t include too much information about your personal interests or hobbies unless it’s relevant to the role. Concentrate on job specific.

Insights to a deepwater floater

Basic information and insights to a deepwater floating vessel design

Semi Floater Presentation _ Slides 2_35


Optimisation of Semi rig

Optimisation design of Semi-sub


Floater Presentation _ Spar Tlp Semi Fpso


Floater Presentation _ FPS Pro Cons


Floater Presentation _ NOX PMS

Floater Presentation _ NOX PMS

 Floater Presentation _ DP

Trust in Organization Important ?

When trust exists in an organization, probably everything else is easier to achieve. We all think we know what Trust is from our own experience, but we don't know much about how to improve it. Why? Because we have been taught to look at Trust as if it were a single factor. Do not try to guess what your staff or boss thinks as you may not be always in line with their thoughts and your act against their will may lead to distrust from the staff.


Why Trust is important in an Organization and how important is building a trusting work environment?

Trust is the necessary precursor in any teamwork and they are basically for :

• feeling able to rely upon a person,

• cooperating with and experiencing teamwork within a group,

• taking thoughtful or calculated risks, and

• experiencing believable communication.

Ways to create and preserve trusting relationships in a trust promoting work environment.

• Hire and promote suitable, qualified, experience people, who are capable of forming positive, trusting interpersonal relationships with people who report to them, to supervisory positions. It should not be by favouritism or by providing opportunity to groom if they are inexperience.

• Develop the skills of all employees and especially those of current supervisors and people desiring promotion, in interpersonal relationship building and effectiveness. Be fair and equal to all and no prejudice.

• Keep staff members informed. Provide information as much as you can comfortably divulge as soon.

• Expect supervisors to act with integrity and keep commitments. If you cannot, explain what is happening in the situation without delay. Current behavior and actions are perceived by employees as the basis for predicting future behavior.

• Confront problematic issues in a timely manner. If an employee has excessive absences or spends work time wandering around, it is important to confront the employee about these issues. Other employees will watch and trust you more.

• Protect the interest of all employees in a work group. Do not talk about absent employees, nor allow others to place blame, call names, or point fingers.

• Display competence in supervisory and other work tasks. Know what you are talking about, and if you don’t know—be frank and admit it. Nothing to be shy about not knowing it.

• If you are a supervisor or a team member, set high expectations and act as if you believe staff members are capable of living up to them.

The Human Resources professional has a special role in promoting trust. So do line managers. You coach managers and supervisors about all of the appropriate roles described above in building trust relationships.

Engage in trust building and team building activities only when there is a sincere desire in your organization to create a trusting, empowering, team-oriented work environment. Engaging in these activities for any but honorable reasons is a travesty and a sham. People will know the difference, or they will find out, and then, they will never trust you.


Build Relationship Over Time

Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time. It is not a matter of technique, but of character; we are trusted because of our way of being, not because of our polished exteriors or our expertly crafted communications.

Trust is telling the truth, even when it is difficult, and being truthful, authentic, and trustworthy in your dealings with customers and staff. Can rewarding, mission-serving, life- and work-enhancing actions get any simpler than this? Very very likely not.

Looks like Trust is gone with BP ??

BP CEO TH was so busy defending the company’s handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, he failed to follow manager-in-crisis rule No. 1: Check with your own guys on the inside to make sure your assertions of success are in fact accurate. Or, put a different way: Don’t lie.


During an interview with BBC, he outlined in detail how well BP was handling loss-of-income and other compensation claims filed by Gulf residents. Which would be great, if it were in fact true. This latest gaff is egregious, in large part, because Hayward is so ridiculously self-assured and emphatic as he makes a wildly inaccurate claim.

Here’s what he told BBC :
Well you know what we have done so far is pay every claim that’s been presented to us, and we will continue to do that. You know the most important thing in terms of claims today is to ensure that people who can’t fish today have the wherewithal to feed their families.
And we’ve taken a claims process that has taken 45 days traditionally in the United States and shortened it to 48 hours. It takes 12 seconds when you phone the BP claims line to be put into the process, and be given a number. If you turn up at the claims office, within 48 hours you’re given a check. You take it to a bank and you cash the check. We are going to continue to do that.

Here’s the reality of it all. BP is paying out claims, but not every one — not even close. BP had received 37,000 claims for compensation as of Monday, according to Darryl Willis, the company vice president overseeing the claims process. Of those claims, 18,000 — or about 48 percent — have been paid out for a total of nearly $50 million. BP announced a second round of payments this month, which will bring the total to $84 million.

It’s not just that BP is behind on its claims. Once again, BP has failed to share information, giving the public another reason not to trust the company. BP has repeatedly denied requests from the Louisiana state government — including the attorney general’s office — to share its claims database or even explain how it decides to grant or deny claims.

And this makes it incredibly difficult for state agencies to look out for the interests of Gulf region workers and businesses. Among the hardest hit, to date, are the growing number of small businesses that have yet to see any money. About 90 percent of the paid out claims have gone to out of work fishermen, and about 10 percent of the payments have made it to small businesses, based on the information available.

Moral of story, do not make up "story"  !

Watch Out Your Net Reputation ! !

Those of you often keep posting your blogs, social networking, professional linking to others like using “Linkedin” are advised to manage your site and upkeeping your net reputation is crucial. And for those who are still in the job hunting days, you need to watch out as your potential hirer may check on your sites to find “tell-tale” signs of any of your “flaws” which may cost you your future landing of a job. Nowadays recruiters may spend some time and use search engine to learn more about candidates and some recruiters had eliminated candidates basing on information they found online and they may judge from there your character,etc. Self-Googling isn't an act of narcissism; it's a smart way to determine whether your online personality jives with how you fit into the potential employer’s portfolio and work environment.
Google ranks content according to relevance--how closely it resembles the search term--and popularity--how many other sites are linking to it. Say, if your name happened to be in a security service blotter or some lover's blog post, let alone a negative article in The Wall Street Journal, you have very little chance of getting that content removed from the Web. Google may not remove content just because you ask it to. Your best option is to overwhelm the bad content with the good, so that your embarrassing links are less likely to rank high. Focus on publishing content about yourself that you can control and do not over publicised and say things that reflect badly on you, portrays yourself in a positive light, never condemn or criticise others. If you are depress, do write something positive to show that you are able to overcome your whatever stresses,etc....
To ramp up your positive image in the Web, start with blogs and social networking sites. Create a profile on LinkedIn where you link with professionals and write about yourself in the third person so that the site will have more relevance in the eyes of a search engine. Don't overdo it on Twitter, since too many Tweets may make prospective employer question your focus at work. You can write about your area of expertise, post your resume and keep track of your professional accomplishments. Show off your expertise by writing guest articles on blogs that are relevant to your industry but be careful not to divulge any proprietary company information, else you get call up to the boss desk..

Web doppelgangers ( double-goer ) may muddle your online reputation. If there are a dozen people with your name, you can step up your search engine optimization efforts by adding more pages to your Web site (to increase relevance), or asking friends to link to your Web site (to increase popularity). If you're convinced that a future employer may confuse you with someone else, mention that person on your blog with a reference such as, "I'm not this Tom Harry, but it seems like he has a good pay position."
Once you've settled into a new job, continue monitoring your Web reputation by setting up a Google Alert with your name. Take the time to build up a positive Web ID. Go ahead and build that content now, before you need it, give that content time to percolate and move its way around the Web.

Tips on your Net reputation

- Aware How Others assess you online
Self-Googling isn't an act of narcissism; it's a smart way to determine whether your online personality jives with how you want the world to view you. Scour the web for mentions of your name.

- Be Prudent
Change your Facebook settings so that you're not inadvertently publicizing your private information, including status updates, photos and shared links

- Use Social sites to Your Advantage
Create a profile on LinkedIn and write about yourself in the third person so that the site will have more relevance in the eyes of a search engine.

- Create and control your web Content
Use free software like WordPress or TypePad to create a blog, where you can write about your area of expertise, post your resume and keep track of your professional accomplishments.

- Position Yourself
Show off your expertise by writing guest articles on blogs that are relevant to your industry.

- Beware of Those with similar names
If there are a dozen people with your name, you can step up your search engine optimization efforts by adding more pages to your web site (to increase relevance), or asking friends to link to your Web site (to increase popularity). If you're convinced that a future employer may confuse you with someone else, mention that person on your blog with a reference such as, "I'm not this Tom Jones, but it seems like he has a cool job."

- Pay Attention to Your Web ID
Set up a Google alert for your name, so you know whenever something new appears online that could affect your online reputation.


More on ways to upkeep your web repute :

• Use your professional name. And if you’re a lady who has taken her husband’s name, do the Facebook trick of including your maiden name to make it easier for colleagues and friends to find you.


• Use a professional photoshot. Not a snapshot while on vacation or using a cheap handphone set with low megapixel.

• Add a Professional Headline. You can find it on the Edit My Profile page. It should be a short and sharp, one-line bio. Never self-profess unemployed in the headline as that may indicate you are desperate.

• Be precise on your past positions. Be specific about what activities you do that best represent your present and future career.

• Describe your Web site or blog. Don’t list the name of the site, which is probably somewhat vague. Get right to the point by describing its function.

• Request recommendations. It’s okay to ask people for recommendations — seek out people that would complement your goals.