Thursday, December 31, 2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

How To Rise Fast At Work: A True Story

via Hacker News on 12/22/09

This is a true story about two acquaintances of mine. One knew instinctively exactly how to get ahead in the workplace. The other thought he knew--and was dead wrong. Most of us would probably behave pretty much the way the latter did. I believe their experiences hold lessons for all of us.

The first of them, the successful one, I'll call Mark. Mark got a degree in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business in the spring of 2006 and landed a job as an analyst at a small investment firm in New York. Given the cutthroat atmosphere of his business school classes, Mark was fairly certain that his first foray into the working world of finance would be a high intensity, high-competition experience.

Though his organization was small, he realized that to rise within the ranks he would have to find some way to differentiate himself among his peers. He figured there were two traditional ways he could try to do so. He could strive to perform his tasks faster and better than his peers and hope to be recognized for doing a better job, or he could schmooze his way to the top by identifying the most important people in the organization and trying to win their favor.

However, he wasn't a self-promoter by nature, and he also wasn't sure he could outpace other people at the kind of work in Excel spreadsheets he'd be doing. He decided that before deciding which course to take, he'd need to learn all he could about the company he was working for.

From day one, Mark asked people questions about what they were working on, who they were working with and how they got their work done. It didn't matter if a person was junior or senior, administrative assistant or lead investor. He simply wanted to know what he could about what they did and the organization he was working for.

Once he had a clear sense of all of the moving parts within the company, he began to see ways its operations could be improved. Making those improvements lay outside his job description, but he believed it made sense to fix what he could easily fix, drawing on the understanding he was gathering of how the people in the organization operated.

At first the improvements Mark made were far from glamorous. In fact his peers derided him for wasting his time on actions they said would never increase his bonus. He began ordering lunch for the investment group's weekly meeting and making sure office supplies were ordered on time and in the right quantities. It was obvious he didn't mind pitching in where help was needed, and his supervisors began to notice his work ethic. They saw him making sure that people got the tools that they needed to do their jobs efficiently. And they saw everyone benefiting.

Without being a natural networker and without competing, Mark had begun networking organically. People appreciated what he did because it wasn't based on self-promotion and because it genuinely helped them.

Eventually, as Mark learned more about the needs of the organization, he realized that some of the changes that needed to be made would be easier if new tools and skills were used to complete certain tasks. Not one to let down the team, he began teaching himself new Excel functions and other software programs in the evenings. Soon he was an expert at Excel, the go-to person in his investment group and responsible for getting his peers up to speed on new techniques. In effect he was managing.

As one of very few people at the company who fully understood both internal administrative needs and external investor requirements, he began to be included in strategic meetings regarding compliance, new software and the streamlining of processes to make the organization as a whole more effective. And so a non-self-promoting, non-competing newbie found himself managing and training his peers. He was exceeding performance expectations for his role with the newly acquired skills and expertise and was being recognized as a strategic thinker and leader within the organization. He was promoted to senior analyst by the end of his first year and received a bonus 50% bigger than any of his peers got.

Mark achieved all this by seeking to know and assist the organization as a whole rather than by directly competing to promote himself at the expense of others. He helped everyone do their jobs better and thereby became a natural facilitator, expert and, finally, leader.

Meanwhile, Mark's co-worker Ted--whose name I have also changed--took a different, more traditional path. He worked like a maniac to try to show that he was better than Mark and all the other analysts.

When he started, he wasn't sure how talented the other analysts were, but he figured that if he stayed in the office later and spent less time on unimportant things like eating lunch, he would probably be able to do a better job than at least most of them. He kept an eye on what they worked on (except for that dunce Mark, who wasted time ordering lunches) and made sure to take note of how he could make a case for taking over some of their work.

He networked aggressively. He dropped in to see members of senior management in their offices to express his eagerness to take on more work. He made sure to mention tasks he had already completed and to let them know of relevant courses he had taken in college that likely qualified him for added responsibility.

Ted didn't know--or care--what anyone outside the investment team did. The senior managers were the people to impress, and his fellow analysts were the people to keep ahead of. He sometimes had a hard time getting the administrative team's help in closing trades, but he didn't let that stop him. In fact, he'd often mention his disappointment with administrative staffers at his interruptions--er, meetings--with senior managers.

By the time bonus season rolled around, Ted felt sure he'd be the first analyst promoted. After all, he was the fastest at what he did and had the closest relationships with senior managers. To his shock and disappointment, he was passed over for that first promotion. He received a bonus, but he got no more than most of the other analysts. What had happened? Had they somehow managed to be just as fast as him?

What Ted had failed to realize was that everyone hired as an analyst was talented and bright. They all got their jobs done, and they all did them very well. Sure, working harder and faster got him noticed, but only for doing more of the same.

Although Ted was learning to do his job more speedily, he wasn't learning to do anything else. At no point was he facilitating, managing or leading--activities that could recommend him for advancement. More important, he had been asking his managers for more responsibility rather than taking on responsibilities organically and showing that he could handle them.

In the classroom his approach would have worked well. Instead of interrupting management, he would have been regularly visiting professors during office hours. His focus on his assigned tasks above all else would have made him a star student with the best grades in the class. Mission accomplished.

At work, on the other hand, Ted was still a top performer at what he did, but he was a hamster on a wheel trying to stay ahead of all the other bright and capable employees. Even worse, he was always worried about new competition. He was caught in an unending cycle of stress.

Let's examine what Mark did right that set him apart from Ted--and from everyone else starting out at the company.

1. Understanding how things work. His first move when he began his job was to learn as much as he could about the organization he was working for. He was driven more by curiosity and a desire to comprehend what he had gotten himself into than by ambition to outperform his peers. As a result, he quickly got to know people and their roles, without conveying any sense that he was just trying to promote himself.

2. Knowing what everyone does and how they do it. By asking questions about others rather than selling himself, Mark came to know more about the organization than some members of senior management. As a result, he became a go-to person for figuring out the best ways to get things done.

Note: When you're not comfortable speaking with a higher-up you don't really know, a simple e-mail can do the trick. Introduce yourself and let the person know that you're new and trying to get a full grasp of the organization, and you'd just like a quick sentence or two about what each person does. This is likely to work best at small to medium-size organizations. At larger organizations, the company Intranet can often help you get a handle on things, though how they work on paper and how they work in practice can sometimes be very different. At the smallest organizations, simple observation is often enough for learning who does what and how.

3. Learning where gaps exist and conveying to others how to fill them. No one else in Mark's peer group took the time to learn much about the company beyond their own responsibilities. They were too busy competing (and in some cases schmoozing). Mark, having a sense of how everyone got their jobs done, he was able to make recommendations at meetings based on observations that he alone had been able to come up with. He wasn't psychic; he was just paying attention.

4. Identifying solutions to organizational problems and making quick fixes. Being privy to how things actually worked, Mark was able to identify problems and propose solutions. Most people had no idea that the problems even were problems. They were too busy within their own roles to notice. Mark's ability to propose solutions gave him an edge as a strategic thinker as he made quick, easy changes that were obvious to him as an observer but often not so obvious to those lost in their specific duties.

5. Being unafraid of unglamorous work, and pitching in where help is needed. Mark's path to success began with humbly ordering lunches. But that gave him a chance to spend a few minutes each week getting a sense of everyone's schedules and making conversation. Sure, remarks by his co-workers made him fear at first that he'd get pigeon-holed as the lunch guy, but his purposeful weekly access to senior management gave him a moment to mention any thoughts he had on the latest financial news. And anyway, ordering lunches was just one of many items on Mark's problem-solving agenda. It took only a few minutes, so it didn't keep him from his other work; it was easy to eventually delegate to someone else (making him look like more of a manager); and it established him as down-to-earth and thoughtful as well as bright, making him well-liked at all levels.

6. Identifying linkages, for himself and others. One benefit of knowing the inner workings of an organization is that you can see how the parts interact. Once you see that, you're equipped to facilitate interactions across functions and groups--and you've got an important tool of a strategizer and leader, who has to absorb the whole picture in a situation before he can make effective and appropriate decisions. Furthermore, understanding the linkages that affect your job function makes you more productive and effective without actually working any harder.

The somewhat accidental approach Mark took to his job is hardly the only way to achieve career advancement, but it does give the lie to the assumption that the best or only way ahead is the one most of us have pursued ever since the first grade.

Avril David is an energy and environment analyst for Project Performance Corporation, a global management consulting firm, and a freelance writer on topics related to careers, energy, climate policy and green business.


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Thursday, December 24, 2009

The thief who fucking stole my ipod

  1. Happened on the crowded rush hours
  2. Experienced - happen last shorter than 3 second, one slip into my pant pocket then remove. I can feel someone touch me when the train arrived the platform. 
  3. Target victim - I last used my ipod on the platform while waiting. He/she must been prepared to move near me. 

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Avatar is so good, I'm going to watch it again in 3D

It might not make you cry like Titanic. It more than that.

That's not only about human. It's about the nature , the best of
mankind conflicted with the worst human nature.

What we wanted to be and what we are doing now.

The leisure we having is it sustainable ? What can stop us?anyhow I'll
go to watch it again TOMORROW!

One day I'll made the same thing that change the world pov.

Nick
Sent from iPod touch

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

From the movie "UP" - Real !

They made a real & life size character from the Pixer movie "UP"!

via Aziz is Bored on 12/15/09

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Type of flux in Welding consumable (Electrode)

Type of flux in Welding consumable (Electrode)

1.      Ilmenite type
This is the electrode containing ilmenite ore, iron sand etc., by about 30% of the flux and is placed in between acidic type and high titanium oxides in terms of flux components. It has particularly well developed and most widely been used in Japan.

It has slag of relatively high fluidity, intense arc, deep penetration, good slag covering and fine neat waves of beads.

2.      Lime Titania Type
This is the electrode with the flux containing titanium oxide by 30% and basic substance such as calcium carbonate by 20%, its arc is rather mild and its weld penetration is shallower than that of ilmenite type electrode.

It is suited for all position welding but is especially good for flat and vertical up fillet welding.

3.      High cellulose Type
This is the electrode with the flux containing organic substances by 20% which generate much gas in combustion to shield weld metal; hence this electrode is called as gas shield type electrode.

Its arc is intense, weld penetration deep and the amount of slag small, so that it is especially suited for vertical down and flat welding position. But its excessive spatter and rather coarse waves of beads restrict its used to light structure.

4.      High Titanium oxides type
This is the electrode with the flux containing much titanium oxides. Its arc mild and spatter little. Its slag is highly viscous. Its shallow weld penetration allows welding of thin sheets of steel. It is also used for light structures.

5.      Low Hydrogen type
The flux used for this electrode consists in basic substance such as calcium carbonate. Flux generates little hydrogen in combustion, and carbon dioxide gas generated upon decomposition of basic carbonate which shields the arc.

Therefore possibility of crack occurrence of weld metal is small when applied to especially thick steel plate, high tensile steel, low-alloy steel and medium carbon steel.

Even though the arc is unstable and molten droplets large compared with the electrode of other flux types. It is well suited for welding important structures for its high ductility and tenacity as well as the high tensile strength.

6.      Iron Powder, Titania Type
This is the electrode with the flux of high titanium oxides added with a large amount of iron powder, and has higher efficiency than the electrode with the flux of high titanium oxide type. But its use is restricted to the welding positions of flat and horizontal fillet.

7.      Iron Powder, Low Hydrogen Type
This is the electrode with the flux of low hydrogen type added with a large amount of iron powder. Its deposition rate is characteristically higher than that of the low hydrogen type. The mechanical quality of weld metal is the same as in the case of low hydrogen type, but its use is restricted to the welding positions of flat and horizontal fillet.

8.      Iron Powder, Iron Oxide type
This is the electrode with the flux containing ferroxide as the major component added with iron powder.
It is used for flat and horizontal fillet weld but customarily mainly for horizontal fillet weld. Its droplets are as spray and the amount of spatter is limited and slag removal is good.

9.      Special Type
This is the electrode with flux which does not belong to any of the aforementioned type. It is suited for all or one of flat, vertical, overhead, horizontal fillet welding positions.

 

Type of Flux

Kobelco Welding Consumable

     Ilmenite

       B-14, B-10, B-17

     Lime Titania

      Z-44

     High cellulose

        KOBE-6010/7010S

     High Titanium oxides

      RB-26

     Low Hydrogen

      LB-52

     Iron Powder, Titania

       Z-43F

     Iron Powder, Low Hydrogen

      LB-52-18

     Iron Powder, Iron Oxide

      Z-27

     Special

 

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Learning about Welding Consumable.

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

WTF?! Pink Gundam!

WTF!!!

The famous Gundam had turn into barbie....

It look like Sonia's Nintendo DS.

What other things that this gundam remind you? Feel free to share with us here.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Junk Food May Be as Addictive as Heroin

I don't think anyone wants to be told they're an addict — the word conjures up images of drugs, uncontrollable needs, and interventions. Oh, and add to that potato chips, cookies, and candy bars. Sound odd? A new study says that eating junk food can fuel an addiction that is on par with what a cocaine or heroin junkie feels.

The study, conducted by the Scripps Research Institute, followed the behavioral patterns of lab rats that were given an unlimited supply of junk food. Over time, the rats had less sensitivity in their brain's pleasure centers and needed to up the amount of high-fat and high-calorie foods they were eating, in effect, to get high. Not surprisingly, the rats got really fat too — doubling their initial weight.

To find out what this study means for people, read more.

To see how dependent the rats became on junk food, the scientists decided to punish them with an electric shock whenever they ate foods high in fat. The rats who had been eating the junk food for at least five days chowed down despite the electric shocks, and rats not exposed to junk food quickly stopped. I can't imagine any kind of food that's good enough to get electrocuted over!

Perhaps the biggest telltale sign happened when the rats were deprived of junk food. Instead of eating the healthy food replacement, they stopped eating altogether, and some went two weeks without food — can you say withdrawals? In the end, scientists concluded that the brain responds to junk food in the same way it responds to drugs.

Obviously, rats aren't people, but scientists say the study may be extremely telling about the effect a person's diet has on their brain. The fear is that a continuous diet high in fat and calories can permanently alter how a person responds to food. Just another reason to put down the doughnuts.

Source: Getty

While I was reading this article , I had a Pringles within my reach....

I'm a Junk food addict... Somebody help!

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Health care in Pantai Cheras

My aunt had denggi fever and got admitted into Cheras Pantai hospital.
It is a private hospital however the service wasn't any where close to
prefect. Especially the nurse quality , I understand every experience
nurse start from inexperience, however Pantai cheras nurse sound like
they are all still in training for me and my aunt.

What happen was, the nurses unable to drain the blood from my aunt
vein without a few attamp , each failure is really painful for my aunt
as you can imagirin the thick needle went into your flesh and the
suction from the needle pull on your internal muscle leaving a bruise
on it. Then repeat the same failure again and again.

Only if the nurse can understand the pain and the mental fear on this
process , I think their current learning curve isn't anywhere shape
enough. Why can't their learn on their mistake? Or do they acknowledge
it is a mistake and cause pain to patient who already in pain?

Nick
Sent from iPod touch

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