Regardless of where you live, what you do or how old you are, this survey is worth a read!
Sunday is the least common day for car accidents and the most dangerous day to be on the road is Friday, 18 January.
After analysing 1.8 million claims received over the past 15 years, a leading insurer has identified the days when accidents are most likely to occur.
Historically, more accidents happen on 18 January than any other date in the year, while Friday is the most common day of the week for crashes. Unsurprisingly, the date with the least reported incidents is 29 February.
'Long week'
According to the research, the next safest dates are 25 and 26 December, when the roads tend to be very quiet. For the same reason, the report highlights Sunday as the days of the week when accidents are least likely to occur, followed by Saturday. The vast majority of problems happen on weekdays when the roads are busier.
TEN WORST DAYS FOR DRIVING
1. 18 January
2. 20 December
3. 27 October
4. 22 March
5. 20 July
6. 1 October
7. 21 October
8. 1 November
9. 15 December
10. 20 October
It's not surprising to see that the worst day of the week for accidents is a Friday: people are tired after a long week at work and can easily get caught up thinking about their weekend plans instead of the road ahead.
It is less clear, however, why there was such a concentration of incidents on 18 January: it could be that people have a lot on their mind as they haven't been paid for a while, the bills are coming in, and the fun of the festive period is a long and distant memory.
How did you fare on 29 February this year, given that 2008 is a leap year?
Showing posts with label job satisfaction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job satisfaction. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
3 Steps to Handling Stressful Conversations
If you haven’t been involved in one, I’m sure you’ve witnessed a heated conversation between work colleagues in which potentially beneficial discussion gets lost in the tension.
A colleague of mine, Donald Jessep from Profitableteams.com, was describing a heated exchange between Mike, a Financial Controller, and Steve, a Sales Manager. Mike suggested they close one of the company’s branches.
“You can’t do that” was Steve’s retort to Mike’s suggestion. Mike fired back a dirty look and the blood pressure of both men clicked up a notch. Mike’s enthusiasm evaporated and what could have been an idea worth discussing went no further.
If Steve had exercised discipline in applying the three steps of an age-old process there would have been a different outcome to the discussion.
Step 1 — Acknowledge the person. Even if you don’t agree with the comment. Acknowledgment can be a smile or the gift of undivided attention.
Step 2 — Give a reason to explore another angle. The reason has to be plausible, even encouraging to the person who proposed the idea … and free of all judgment.
Step 3 — Ask a question, a high-quality question. A high-quality question demands just the right amount of mental stretch to answer.
They’re simple ideas, but sadly, especially once we become familiar with people we sometimes lack the awareness and discipline to apply them. Highly influential people have this process deeply ingrained and can apply it even under pressure
A colleague of mine, Donald Jessep from Profitableteams.com, was describing a heated exchange between Mike, a Financial Controller, and Steve, a Sales Manager. Mike suggested they close one of the company’s branches.
“You can’t do that” was Steve’s retort to Mike’s suggestion. Mike fired back a dirty look and the blood pressure of both men clicked up a notch. Mike’s enthusiasm evaporated and what could have been an idea worth discussing went no further.
If Steve had exercised discipline in applying the three steps of an age-old process there would have been a different outcome to the discussion.
Step 1 — Acknowledge the person. Even if you don’t agree with the comment. Acknowledgment can be a smile or the gift of undivided attention.
Step 2 — Give a reason to explore another angle. The reason has to be plausible, even encouraging to the person who proposed the idea … and free of all judgment.
Step 3 — Ask a question, a high-quality question. A high-quality question demands just the right amount of mental stretch to answer.
They’re simple ideas, but sadly, especially once we become familiar with people we sometimes lack the awareness and discipline to apply them. Highly influential people have this process deeply ingrained and can apply it even under pressure
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Top 3 Tips to Avoid Entrepreneur-Burnout
Being an entrepreneur is exciting and dynamic. It can also be draining - physically, mentally and emotionally. After the initial boost of activity, some entrepreneurs realise they've simply created a job for themselves - one they work harder in than any job they've ever had before.
Unlike a regular job, you also have more responsibilities, fewer days off and more stress. I've been speaking to an increasing number of entrepreneurs who are burnt out. "I just don't want to work so much, all day, every day, at all hours of the day," one told me in desperation. So how do you overcome this?
There's no magic bullet for entrepreneur burnout. But there are certainly steps you can take to alleviate some of the pain.
1. Use technology to automate as much as possible
It goes without saying that you need systems in your business. I've written about this many times before. You need clear, documented procedures for all your processes. This applies to everything from how to answer the phone to how to pack and send widgets. In addition to this, remember to consider how you can use technology to automate any processes. For example, use email autoresponders to deal with standard product/service enquiries. Automate payments where possible - both incoming and outgoing. Use technology to batch process as much as possible.
2. Outsource or hire someone to do low dollar-value work
Your time is better spent being an entrepreneur than it is on administration, book-keeping or answering the phone. If you're still in the early days of your entrepreneurship journey, you might be hesitant to invest in staff. Or you might simply not be ready to let go of control. However, ask yourself whether you are making the most of your time. The bottom line is that if the work you are doing could be done by someone else at a lower hourly rate than what you can charge per hour, then you should delegate or outsource the function. I used to spend countless hours on my book-keeping until I finally outsourced it. Now, my book-keeper does a better job at my accounts than I ever did - in a fraction of the time.
3. Rethink your business model
This might be a radical idea but it could be worthwhile to rethink your business model. If your income is a direct function of your time, then your business model definitely needs an overhaul - or else you will burn out. Where do you start? Look at other people in a similar business to yours. Talk to a business coach about what you want to achieve. Force yourself to consider other opportunities and ways of structuring your business. This is your chance to be an innovator.
If you don't take steps to avoid entrepreneur burnout, the joy of entrepreneurship can get sucked out of your business. Don't let it happen.
Posted by Valerie Khoo
Unlike a regular job, you also have more responsibilities, fewer days off and more stress. I've been speaking to an increasing number of entrepreneurs who are burnt out. "I just don't want to work so much, all day, every day, at all hours of the day," one told me in desperation. So how do you overcome this?
There's no magic bullet for entrepreneur burnout. But there are certainly steps you can take to alleviate some of the pain.
1. Use technology to automate as much as possible
It goes without saying that you need systems in your business. I've written about this many times before. You need clear, documented procedures for all your processes. This applies to everything from how to answer the phone to how to pack and send widgets. In addition to this, remember to consider how you can use technology to automate any processes. For example, use email autoresponders to deal with standard product/service enquiries. Automate payments where possible - both incoming and outgoing. Use technology to batch process as much as possible.
2. Outsource or hire someone to do low dollar-value work
Your time is better spent being an entrepreneur than it is on administration, book-keeping or answering the phone. If you're still in the early days of your entrepreneurship journey, you might be hesitant to invest in staff. Or you might simply not be ready to let go of control. However, ask yourself whether you are making the most of your time. The bottom line is that if the work you are doing could be done by someone else at a lower hourly rate than what you can charge per hour, then you should delegate or outsource the function. I used to spend countless hours on my book-keeping until I finally outsourced it. Now, my book-keeper does a better job at my accounts than I ever did - in a fraction of the time.
3. Rethink your business model
This might be a radical idea but it could be worthwhile to rethink your business model. If your income is a direct function of your time, then your business model definitely needs an overhaul - or else you will burn out. Where do you start? Look at other people in a similar business to yours. Talk to a business coach about what you want to achieve. Force yourself to consider other opportunities and ways of structuring your business. This is your chance to be an innovator.
If you don't take steps to avoid entrepreneur burnout, the joy of entrepreneurship can get sucked out of your business. Don't let it happen.
Posted by Valerie Khoo
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