Archive for August, 2008
80sCommercialVault asked:
Ok, this isn’t a commercial, I’m branching out! This is the Halloween episode of the short-lived supernatural comedy “Free Spirit” which ran for half a season on ABC. It’s probably most notable for featuring a young Alyson Hannigan (Willow from “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”).
The premise of the show is that a witch (Corinne Bohrer) is sent to be the housekeeper of a mortal family. The kids know she’s a Witch, the dad is clueless. Hilarity ensues! This episode, “Hallowinnie”, aired on October 29th, 1989. A notable guest star is Jenny Lewis, playing the lead “Deb” Chris. Lewis is probably best known for her role as Haley in “The Wizard” and now as the lead singer of the band Rilo Kiley.
Before anybody asks, no…I don’t have any other episodes of this (I actually did have one other, but unfortunately, I haven’t seen the tape it was on in a good 10 years)
Chris Marshall asked:
One of the highlights of a holiday abroad is the opportunity to stock up on items such as cigarettes, alcohol and perfume – collectively known as “duty free” goods. Duty free items have no state, local or provincial taxes, federal import duties, or any other type of taxation added to the cost of the item that you are buying – which makes them cheaper. Sometimes certain items can be considerably cheaper and we can be tempted to stock up but there are restrictions in place governing just how many duty free items we can bring back from our holidays.
Travelling back from outside the EU
When travelling from a non-EU country (including the Canary Islands, the Channel islands and Gibraltar) you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:
- 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
- 60cc of perfume
- 2 litres of still table wine
- 250cc of eau de toilette
- 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs *such as port or sherry and
- 145 pounds worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs
If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone on your return to the UK. If you do not, you are breaking the law and you may be prosecuted.
In addition:
- If you are under 17 you cannot have the tobacco and alcohol allowances
- You are entitled to these allowances only if you travel with the goods and do not sell them
- If you bring in something worth more than the limit of 145 pounds, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above 145 pounds
- You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. You will have to pay charges on the full value of the item
- If you are bringing back any duty-free or tax-free goods you bought when you left the UK, these count as part of your allowance
Travelling back from inside the EU
If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you.
Own use includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.
The EU Countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden, The UK (but not the Channel Islands).
Though the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, goods from any area of Cyprus not under effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as non-EU imports.
Although Gibraltar is part of the EU, it is outside the Community Customs territory. The Customs allowances for outside the EU therefore apply.
There are special rules for cigarettes and some tobacco products from some EU countries. If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and Customs officers have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a Customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about:
- the type and quantity of goods you have bought
- why you bought them
- how you paid for them
- whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed
- how often you travel
- how much you normally smoke or drink or
- any other relevant circumstances
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:
- 3200 cigarettes
- 200 cigars
- 400 cigarillos
- 3kg tobacco
- 110 litres of beer
- 90 litres of wine
- 10 litres of spirits
- 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry)
The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation.
If they are satisfied that the goods are for a commercial purpose they may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you.
If you are caught selling alcohol or tobacco goods they may be seized, and for a serious offence you could get up to seven years in prison.
The country where you buy tobacco goods may have its own laws on how much you can buy or have in your possession, and what documents you need. If in doubt, check with that country’s authorities before you buy.
If you let a coach, ferry or aircraft store your goods while travelling back to the UK you must make sure when you arrive in the UK that you collect the exact goods you bought.
From some EU countries there are limits on the amount of tobacco products you can bring back without paying UK duty.
From CZECH REPUBLIC – 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos
From ESTONIA – 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
From HUNGARY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, POLAND, SLOVAKIA OR SLOVENIA – 200 cigarettes*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
If you have tobacco products over these limits you should speak to a Customs officer in the red channel or on the red point phone.
One of the highlights of a holiday abroad is the opportunity to stock up on items such as cigarettes, alcohol and perfume – collectively known as “duty free” goods. Duty free items have no state, local or provincial taxes, federal import duties, or any other type of taxation added to the cost of the item that you are buying – which makes them cheaper. Sometimes certain items can be considerably cheaper and we can be tempted to stock up but there are restrictions in place governing just how many duty free items we can bring back from our holidays.
Travelling back from outside the EU
When travelling from a non-EU country (including the Canary Islands, the Channel islands and Gibraltar) you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:
- 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
- 60cc of perfume
- 2 litres of still table wine
- 250cc of eau de toilette
- 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs *such as port or sherry and
- 145 pounds worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs
If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone on your return to the UK. If you do not, you are breaking the law and you may be prosecuted.
In addition:
- If you are under 17 you cannot have the tobacco and alcohol allowances
- You are entitled to these allowances only if you travel with the goods and do not sell them
- If you bring in something worth more than the limit of 145 pounds, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above 145 pounds
- You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. You will have to pay charges on the full value of the item
- If you are bringing back any duty-free or tax-free goods you bought when you left the UK, these count as part of your allowance
Travelling back from inside the EU
If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you.
Own use includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.
The EU Countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden, The UK (but not the Channel Islands).
Though the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, goods from any area of Cyprus not under effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as non-EU imports.
Although Gibraltar is part of the EU, it is outside the Community Customs territory. The Customs allowances for outside the EU therefore apply.
There are special rules for cigarettes and some tobacco products from some EU countries. If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and Customs officers have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a Customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about:
- the type and quantity of goods you have bought
- why you bought them
- how you paid for them
- whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed
- how often you travel
- how much you normally smoke or drink or
- any other relevant circumstances
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:
- 3200 cigarettes
- 200 cigars
- 400 cigarillos
- 3kg tobacco
- 110 litres of beer
- 90 litres of wine
- 10 litres of spirits
- 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry)
The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation.
If they are satisfied that the goods are for a commercial purpose they may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you.
If you are caught selling alcohol or tobacco goods they may be seized, and for a serious offence you could get up to seven years in prison.
The country where you buy tobacco goods may have its own laws on how much you can buy or have in your possession, and what documents you need. If in doubt, check with that country’s authorities before you buy.
If you let a coach, ferry or aircraft store your goods while travelling back to the UK you must make sure when you arrive in the UK that you collect the exact goods you bought.
From some EU countries there are limits on the amount of tobacco products you can bring back without paying UK duty.
From CZECH REPUBLIC – 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos
From ESTONIA – 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
From HUNGARY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, POLAND, SLOVAKIA OR SLOVENIA – 200 cigarettes*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
If you have tobacco products over these limits you should speak to a Customs officer in the red channel or on the red point phone.
Francis Hosein asked:
Free online psychic reading is given to you when you are ready to hear and make a change to getting what you want.
Knowing your questions
Having an idea of what you what to solve as questions and putting them in priority can help you stay on track and get the most out of the reading.
Taking your time
It is helpful for you to take your time and not rush through the questions for you may miss some opportunities to ask follow up questions to the answers that were already given.
Your emotions
If you are in a bad mood it is not helpful for you to have a reading because no matter what the psychic says and you have already judging the reading it will not help you.
Being open
It is important for you to be open once you have chosen the psychic for you.
This helps you have a better reading because spirit only purpose is to help you.
Taking what you need
You may take in only what you need and what you can processes at the moment of the reading and that is why it is good for you to have some form of recording so that you can go back and listen again and again to get more out of the reading.
Respect
Spirit will give to you what you nee and what is beneficial for you.
If you are not align to win the lottery, they cannot give you the numbers
until you change you.
Probable future
Events are probable future and not written in stone and spirit guides can help you to have the best outcome that is beneficial for you.
Opening yourself and trusting that is what you need to hear at the moment can be helpful in trusting in spirit.
Accepting change
It may take you days or weeks before you can process the information you receive so allow yourself time to make small changes that will reinforce the new you.
Conclusion: Free online psychic reading can be helpful to you in directing you to the place that will be most valuable for your life journey.
Free online psychic reading is given to you when you are ready to hear and make a change to getting what you want.
Knowing your questions
Having an idea of what you what to solve as questions and putting them in priority can help you stay on track and get the most out of the reading.
Taking your time
It is helpful for you to take your time and not rush through the questions for you may miss some opportunities to ask follow up questions to the answers that were already given.
Your emotions
If you are in a bad mood it is not helpful for you to have a reading because no matter what the psychic says and you have already judging the reading it will not help you.
Being open
It is important for you to be open once you have chosen the psychic for you.
This helps you have a better reading because spirit only purpose is to help you.
Taking what you need
You may take in only what you need and what you can processes at the moment of the reading and that is why it is good for you to have some form of recording so that you can go back and listen again and again to get more out of the reading.
Respect
Spirit will give to you what you nee and what is beneficial for you.
If you are not align to win the lottery, they cannot give you the numbers
until you change you.
Probable future
Events are probable future and not written in stone and spirit guides can help you to have the best outcome that is beneficial for you.
Opening yourself and trusting that is what you need to hear at the moment can be helpful in trusting in spirit.
Accepting change
It may take you days or weeks before you can process the information you receive so allow yourself time to make small changes that will reinforce the new you.
Conclusion: Free online psychic reading can be helpful to you in directing you to the place that will be most valuable for your life journey.
Theodore T- Bag- Bagwell asked:
I think is a NY artsy girl with a bohemian life and a very strange taste for clothing, who listen to Coldplay, MOBY, Bjork and stuff like that. In what do you think when you hear free spirit?
I think is a NY artsy girl with a bohemian life and a very strange taste for clothing, who listen to Coldplay, MOBY, Bjork and stuff like that. In what do you think when you hear free spirit?
George Monte asked:
I guess every one of you gets at least 2-3 promotional e-mail each day, advertising great products “for free”. Sounds familiar? Is it a marketing trick to get your attention or can you really get free products?
They do it hoping that you’ll stop your browsing and stay there to take a second look at what is highlighted as a total free product and by the way your eyes will scroll over to other goods which cost full price. It’s a kind of a sophisticated trap. Imagine a store keeper who hangs a big sign on one of the items he shows in the display window. He hopes too that you’ll enter his shop and see many other goods and buy one of those who costs full price.
The innocent buyer, in the case of the selling site on the Internet, must stop for a moment and think before he is pushing the button and confirm his purchase: what is hiding behind those “free” deals. What is really happening behind the scene? How come a business proprietor can offer his clients “free” merchandise? A business is a business and it must gain profits in order to survive. There is an absurd here. What are the answers to solve this contradiction?
1. The customer is not going to pay for the product but he is going to pay for the shipment. For the shipment he’ll pay a triple price and the total amount will cover the product regular cost.
2. The product quality will be very poor. On the computer screen it will appear as a big, massive, shining and worth a fortune! Just like they do it in the mail shopping catalogues. When you’ll get it at home it will be small, fragile, dwindling and worth nothing.
3. When the customer starts the purchasing process he’ll find it long and exhausting. It is done deliberately. He wouldn’t be able to finish the procedure unless he is passing through several screens. In every screen he’ll be offered full price accessories and will be asked to upgrade his original quest for extra money. The poor sucker is happy with the free main product he is considering to be the best bargain of his life and for some lousy extra bucks he is not going to give it up! But the naïve guy is forgetting the basics laws of economy: The proprietor can’t loose! He sold the customer those accessories and upgrades for much more money than the regular cost of the product alone.
4. The one who invented the trick of “free” deals new very good the psychological mechanism of many of us. Some of us have this sense of guilt when we get a free gift. We have an urge to pay something in return. So we compensate the site owner by buying some other items, for which we are paying outrages prices.
5. Who really pay for the “free” products? The customers? The proprietor? No. The employees who are manufacturing those products – they pay the price. They earn less money comparing to what they could earn if products were sold for their full price, covering all production costs and leaving some margins for a nice profit. Living according to the true spirit of capitalism we would like to believe that fair and honest factory’s owners would have paid their workers according to their marketing success. But if they give it for nothing – what is left for the workers?
So think twice when you see a “free” sign.
I’m working in an online print shop which is forced to give some of its products for free. We have to do it because other online print shops do it. If we want to compete and survive – we have to do it too. I am wondering around our working stations and see the look in our workers eyes when they are working for a job they know that is for “free”. They fill as if someone is spitting on their work. You have to see their shinning eyes when they are working for a full price project when they know that someone else is appreciating their skills and capabilities.
Big business owners can reduce prices, in some cases to zero, absorbing it with profits from other areas of their vast range of businesses. On their way to success and dominate the market they run over small businesses. They take an advantage of the mass proffering quantity above quality.
I work in the marketing department of a big online print shop (called DCP-Print.com). From the way I know we are working on the free promotional offers, I can only hope more and more businesses will have the same intentions as us. Some companies, and we are one of them, are not giving away quality just for the sake of offering free products. We took an educated decision to invest the costs of the free products in order to gain better relationships with our customers. Sounds like a fair deal, right?
I guess every one of you gets at least 2-3 promotional e-mail each day, advertising great products “for free”. Sounds familiar? Is it a marketing trick to get your attention or can you really get free products?
They do it hoping that you’ll stop your browsing and stay there to take a second look at what is highlighted as a total free product and by the way your eyes will scroll over to other goods which cost full price. It’s a kind of a sophisticated trap. Imagine a store keeper who hangs a big sign on one of the items he shows in the display window. He hopes too that you’ll enter his shop and see many other goods and buy one of those who costs full price.
The innocent buyer, in the case of the selling site on the Internet, must stop for a moment and think before he is pushing the button and confirm his purchase: what is hiding behind those “free” deals. What is really happening behind the scene? How come a business proprietor can offer his clients “free” merchandise? A business is a business and it must gain profits in order to survive. There is an absurd here. What are the answers to solve this contradiction?
1. The customer is not going to pay for the product but he is going to pay for the shipment. For the shipment he’ll pay a triple price and the total amount will cover the product regular cost.
2. The product quality will be very poor. On the computer screen it will appear as a big, massive, shining and worth a fortune! Just like they do it in the mail shopping catalogues. When you’ll get it at home it will be small, fragile, dwindling and worth nothing.
3. When the customer starts the purchasing process he’ll find it long and exhausting. It is done deliberately. He wouldn’t be able to finish the procedure unless he is passing through several screens. In every screen he’ll be offered full price accessories and will be asked to upgrade his original quest for extra money. The poor sucker is happy with the free main product he is considering to be the best bargain of his life and for some lousy extra bucks he is not going to give it up! But the naïve guy is forgetting the basics laws of economy: The proprietor can’t loose! He sold the customer those accessories and upgrades for much more money than the regular cost of the product alone.
4. The one who invented the trick of “free” deals new very good the psychological mechanism of many of us. Some of us have this sense of guilt when we get a free gift. We have an urge to pay something in return. So we compensate the site owner by buying some other items, for which we are paying outrages prices.
5. Who really pay for the “free” products? The customers? The proprietor? No. The employees who are manufacturing those products – they pay the price. They earn less money comparing to what they could earn if products were sold for their full price, covering all production costs and leaving some margins for a nice profit. Living according to the true spirit of capitalism we would like to believe that fair and honest factory’s owners would have paid their workers according to their marketing success. But if they give it for nothing – what is left for the workers?
So think twice when you see a “free” sign.
I’m working in an online print shop which is forced to give some of its products for free. We have to do it because other online print shops do it. If we want to compete and survive – we have to do it too. I am wondering around our working stations and see the look in our workers eyes when they are working for a job they know that is for “free”. They fill as if someone is spitting on their work. You have to see their shinning eyes when they are working for a full price project when they know that someone else is appreciating their skills and capabilities.
Big business owners can reduce prices, in some cases to zero, absorbing it with profits from other areas of their vast range of businesses. On their way to success and dominate the market they run over small businesses. They take an advantage of the mass proffering quantity above quality.
I work in the marketing department of a big online print shop (called DCP-Print.com). From the way I know we are working on the free promotional offers, I can only hope more and more businesses will have the same intentions as us. Some companies, and we are one of them, are not giving away quality just for the sake of offering free products. We took an educated decision to invest the costs of the free products in order to gain better relationships with our customers. Sounds like a fair deal, right?
Francis Hosein asked:
A free psychic reading is intended to help you learn more about how to solve the problem you have if you are ready to follow through with the psychic’s advice.
Defining your problem
Throughout your daily life you may have some problems such as your mission in life, relationship, family, or financial problems that you may need clear and precise answers that would bring about a solution to this problem that has been their for some time.
Choosing the right psychic
Not all psychics are made equal and not all have the same talent.
When you go to see a psychic and you are clear about your problem a free psychic reading can help to put you on track to solving your problem.
Depending on the type of psychic you go to it can be helpful or not.
Some psychic specialize in clairvoyant, clairsentience, pass life regression, astrology, numerology, talking to the dead and there are those that has many other psychic gifts you may even ask them if they use tarot cards.
Some psychics do combine some of these techniques when doing a reading.
Writing your question
Writing down your question different ways may give you a chance to say it the right way, it may also help you to be clear what type of question you wish to share with the psychic.
First choice
Your objective would be to get all the questions that are important to be ask first, for example about your health, job or love relationship.
Right frame of thinking
When you get a free psychic reading it is in your best value for you to open to the vibration of spirit so they can help you get the most out of the reading.
Conclusion :Free psychic reading will always be around to help you gain greater insights into yourself and how to accept healing.
A free psychic reading is intended to help you learn more about how to solve the problem you have if you are ready to follow through with the psychic’s advice.
Defining your problem
Throughout your daily life you may have some problems such as your mission in life, relationship, family, or financial problems that you may need clear and precise answers that would bring about a solution to this problem that has been their for some time.
Choosing the right psychic
Not all psychics are made equal and not all have the same talent.
When you go to see a psychic and you are clear about your problem a free psychic reading can help to put you on track to solving your problem.
Depending on the type of psychic you go to it can be helpful or not.
Some psychic specialize in clairvoyant, clairsentience, pass life regression, astrology, numerology, talking to the dead and there are those that has many other psychic gifts you may even ask them if they use tarot cards.
Some psychics do combine some of these techniques when doing a reading.
Writing your question
Writing down your question different ways may give you a chance to say it the right way, it may also help you to be clear what type of question you wish to share with the psychic.
First choice
Your objective would be to get all the questions that are important to be ask first, for example about your health, job or love relationship.
Right frame of thinking
When you get a free psychic reading it is in your best value for you to open to the vibration of spirit so they can help you get the most out of the reading.
Conclusion :Free psychic reading will always be around to help you gain greater insights into yourself and how to accept healing.
Abbey Road is being repaired 
asked:
I never knew what they ment.
asked: I never knew what they ment.
Prof.M.S.Rao asked:
(STRENGTH IN SYNERGY)TEAM SPIRIT
BY PROF. M.SRINIVASA RAO
Andrew Carnegie said, “Team work is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results”.
Formation of homogeneous group out of heterogeneous for achieving organizational goals and objectives can be defined as team work. Working in teams is a fun and frolic. Team work touches upon our hidden talents. It is here people communicate more freely and work together in a team resulting in more efficient and effective results. It is nothing but synergy of strengths of diversified people. Every individual is blessed with unique qualities, abilities, talents and skills and when they work in teams with passion, we can expect unique results. Although numerically one plus one is two, but in team work it gives rise to more than two. It is here where people of diversified backgrounds and faculties come together to do their best forgetting their egos, differences of opinions, views and ideas so as to keep the objectives of the team paramount. Effective team work develops team spirit, flexibility, openness, adjustability and adaptability.
Characteristics of an Effective Team:
Basically a team must possess four elements such as purpose, duration, structure and membership. The leader or the manager must be very clear in his or her goals and objectives to avoid ambiguity. He or she must be a risk taker for conducting such an exercise. Creation of conducive and relaxed climate is an imperative to get desired results. The entire members are to be interdependent and independent to make the team building exercise relevant. There should be a provision for positive and creative ideas. All members must be free to air their opinions and ideas. There has to be collective responsibility and accountability.
How to Build an Effective Team?
It is basically the team leader or manager who should create. He must know group behavior and must be good at group psychology. He must build the team so as to achieve the organizational goals and objectives which are measurable, realistic and attainable. He needs to be an excellent jockey till the race is completed. Resolving conflicts in the team, encouraging relevant meetings, sharing goals and objectives, creating a conducive climate, clear demarcation of the roles and responsibilities , providing adequate training, strengthening bottom lines, communicating effectively and efficiently – a powerful team can be built. There is a team facilitator who provides required guidance and support to the team members. An efficient team member can become a successful team facilitator and then as a team leader. The leader must build members who believe in smart work rather than hard work.
There is a subtle difference between smart work and hard work. For instance, there are two teams each containing three members and are asked to cut two different trees of same size shape and width. The members of team A immediately took their axes and started cutting the tree at the root as the time frame fixed is one hour for both to complete the task. Whereas the members of the team B took around 15 minutes to grind their axes and then they began cutting the tree. And they could cut it with in 15 minutes of starting the activity and finished with in 30 minutes by cutting at the base of the tree. The team A began cutting the tree but failed to do with in an hour and took more than that to fell the tree. Here the difference between the team A and B is: The team A did not plan well, coordinate well and on the other hand they worked very hard but could not achieve the result with in the time frame. It is a clear indication of hard work and their sincerity can not be questioned. Where as the team B, planned well, coordinated properly, ground their axes, worked smartly and got the result much before the deadline. It is a clear indication of smart work. And in this growing technological and competitive world it is not the hard work but the smart work that counts.
Merits of Team Work:
According to Herb Kelleher of South West Airlines – “Team play is a fundamental concept ….. If you want to succeed, if you want to win, you have to play as a team.”
The results can be maximized and expedited due to the strength in synergy. When the team members consult one another during the process, they learn to come out openly and learn to respect others’ ideas. Members start believing with each other shedding their inhibitions and hesitations. The outcome will be in exponential proportions. There will be supplementary and complementary of skills and abilities. At times, the team members come out with ideas which they themselves never thought of, from their subconscious minds. The member also realizes his strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis other members and tries to overcome his weaknesses and strengthens his strengths.
People working in teams develop using two letter word ‘we’ instead of one letter word ‘I’. Stephen Covey, in his book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effectively People’ wrote about the terminology of synergy and it is one of the greatest habits across the successful people in the world.
Working in groups or teams promotes esprit de corps (loyalty), camaraderie, and problem solving ability. People, when work in teams develop the ability to resolve the conflicts amicably. Due to the physical proximity in teams, the members derive job satisfaction by various means and they gradually develop multitasking abilities. By way of discussions and dialogues, bags of information are generated and team members become more knowledgeable. It is here cooperation replaces competition with in the team members. Ability to stay focused is an efficient trait; the members tend to hit the bulls’ eye accurately. No repetition of the work takes place as all are aware of what is going on right under their noses.
Employee turn over is thorny issue in all sectors of the industry and it can be minimized by inculcating team spirit as people do not feel to quit their organizations when they develop good relations with their colleagues. Optimum utilization of time and available resources can be ensured. There will be enhancement of qualitative work and the recognition of hidden potential amongst the employees.
Team Spirit as a Skill Tested In Interviews:
When the students go for employment, the employers look for the team spirit. The employers will be on the look out for this trait and they try to examine whether the candidate possesses this characteristic. Non possession becomes a major liability and the candidate gets rejected. The psychologists and other interviewing officers try to find out this ability by posing questions from different directions and dimensions and when the candidate demonstrates constantly then only there is a possibility to get into the slot. All organizations whether it is civil or military organizations lays great emphasis on this quality.
Soft skills are a cluster of many skills and abilities and it is said that possession of team spirit is one of the major skills. In order to inculcate this quality, the students must learn to work in teams’ right from their childhood itself by participating in sports, cultural activities, in academic careers to avoid displeasure at the time of interviews. To put it in the words of Stephen Covey, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”.
T H E E N D
(STRENGTH IN SYNERGY)TEAM SPIRIT
BY PROF. M.SRINIVASA RAO
Andrew Carnegie said, “Team work is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results”.
Formation of homogeneous group out of heterogeneous for achieving organizational goals and objectives can be defined as team work. Working in teams is a fun and frolic. Team work touches upon our hidden talents. It is here people communicate more freely and work together in a team resulting in more efficient and effective results. It is nothing but synergy of strengths of diversified people. Every individual is blessed with unique qualities, abilities, talents and skills and when they work in teams with passion, we can expect unique results. Although numerically one plus one is two, but in team work it gives rise to more than two. It is here where people of diversified backgrounds and faculties come together to do their best forgetting their egos, differences of opinions, views and ideas so as to keep the objectives of the team paramount. Effective team work develops team spirit, flexibility, openness, adjustability and adaptability.
Characteristics of an Effective Team:
Basically a team must possess four elements such as purpose, duration, structure and membership. The leader or the manager must be very clear in his or her goals and objectives to avoid ambiguity. He or she must be a risk taker for conducting such an exercise. Creation of conducive and relaxed climate is an imperative to get desired results. The entire members are to be interdependent and independent to make the team building exercise relevant. There should be a provision for positive and creative ideas. All members must be free to air their opinions and ideas. There has to be collective responsibility and accountability.
How to Build an Effective Team?
It is basically the team leader or manager who should create. He must know group behavior and must be good at group psychology. He must build the team so as to achieve the organizational goals and objectives which are measurable, realistic and attainable. He needs to be an excellent jockey till the race is completed. Resolving conflicts in the team, encouraging relevant meetings, sharing goals and objectives, creating a conducive climate, clear demarcation of the roles and responsibilities , providing adequate training, strengthening bottom lines, communicating effectively and efficiently – a powerful team can be built. There is a team facilitator who provides required guidance and support to the team members. An efficient team member can become a successful team facilitator and then as a team leader. The leader must build members who believe in smart work rather than hard work.
There is a subtle difference between smart work and hard work. For instance, there are two teams each containing three members and are asked to cut two different trees of same size shape and width. The members of team A immediately took their axes and started cutting the tree at the root as the time frame fixed is one hour for both to complete the task. Whereas the members of the team B took around 15 minutes to grind their axes and then they began cutting the tree. And they could cut it with in 15 minutes of starting the activity and finished with in 30 minutes by cutting at the base of the tree. The team A began cutting the tree but failed to do with in an hour and took more than that to fell the tree. Here the difference between the team A and B is: The team A did not plan well, coordinate well and on the other hand they worked very hard but could not achieve the result with in the time frame. It is a clear indication of hard work and their sincerity can not be questioned. Where as the team B, planned well, coordinated properly, ground their axes, worked smartly and got the result much before the deadline. It is a clear indication of smart work. And in this growing technological and competitive world it is not the hard work but the smart work that counts.
Merits of Team Work:
According to Herb Kelleher of South West Airlines – “Team play is a fundamental concept ….. If you want to succeed, if you want to win, you have to play as a team.”
The results can be maximized and expedited due to the strength in synergy. When the team members consult one another during the process, they learn to come out openly and learn to respect others’ ideas. Members start believing with each other shedding their inhibitions and hesitations. The outcome will be in exponential proportions. There will be supplementary and complementary of skills and abilities. At times, the team members come out with ideas which they themselves never thought of, from their subconscious minds. The member also realizes his strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis other members and tries to overcome his weaknesses and strengthens his strengths.
People working in teams develop using two letter word ‘we’ instead of one letter word ‘I’. Stephen Covey, in his book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effectively People’ wrote about the terminology of synergy and it is one of the greatest habits across the successful people in the world.
Working in groups or teams promotes esprit de corps (loyalty), camaraderie, and problem solving ability. People, when work in teams develop the ability to resolve the conflicts amicably. Due to the physical proximity in teams, the members derive job satisfaction by various means and they gradually develop multitasking abilities. By way of discussions and dialogues, bags of information are generated and team members become more knowledgeable. It is here cooperation replaces competition with in the team members. Ability to stay focused is an efficient trait; the members tend to hit the bulls’ eye accurately. No repetition of the work takes place as all are aware of what is going on right under their noses.
Employee turn over is thorny issue in all sectors of the industry and it can be minimized by inculcating team spirit as people do not feel to quit their organizations when they develop good relations with their colleagues. Optimum utilization of time and available resources can be ensured. There will be enhancement of qualitative work and the recognition of hidden potential amongst the employees.
Team Spirit as a Skill Tested In Interviews:
When the students go for employment, the employers look for the team spirit. The employers will be on the look out for this trait and they try to examine whether the candidate possesses this characteristic. Non possession becomes a major liability and the candidate gets rejected. The psychologists and other interviewing officers try to find out this ability by posing questions from different directions and dimensions and when the candidate demonstrates constantly then only there is a possibility to get into the slot. All organizations whether it is civil or military organizations lays great emphasis on this quality.
Soft skills are a cluster of many skills and abilities and it is said that possession of team spirit is one of the major skills. In order to inculcate this quality, the students must learn to work in teams’ right from their childhood itself by participating in sports, cultural activities, in academic careers to avoid displeasure at the time of interviews. To put it in the words of Stephen Covey, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”.
T H E E N D
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