2 Lists You Should Look at Every Morning

Now is a good time to pause, prioritize, and focus. Make two lists:

List 1: Your Focus List (the road ahead)

What are you trying to achieve? What makes you happy? What's important to you? Design your time around those things. Because time is your one limited resource and no matter how hard you try you can't work 25/8.

List 2: Your Ignore List (the distractions)

To succeed in using your time wisely, you have to ask the equally important but often avoided complementary questions: what are you willing not to achieve? What doesn't make you happy? What's not important to you? What gets in the way?

Read the full article @ 2 Lists..

Centralized & Decentralized Organizational Structure

In a centralized organizational structure, decision-making authority is concentrated at the top, and only a few people are responsible for making decisions and creating the organization's policies. In a decentralized organization, authority is delegated to all levels of management and throughout the organization. An organization's degree of centralization or decentralization depends on the extent of decision-making power that is distributed throughout all levels.

Features

• An organization's structure and its degree of centralization or decentralization depends on a number of factors, including the size of the organization and its geographic dispersion. In a very large and diversified organization, it is unlikely that a handful of people will possess all the resources to achieve all goals and objectives of the enterprise. As a result, it becomes impractical to concentrate power and decision-making authority at the top. Similarly in a geographically-dispersed organization, a centralized approach will not be the most efficient, as the people with the most authority will be unable to directly supervise operations on a day-to-day basis.

Advantages of Centralization

• The most apparent advantages of centralization are an organization's ability to closely control operations, provide a uniform set of policies, practices and procedures throughout the organization, and better use the knowledge of centralized experts. In a small organization, operations are likely to be not as diversified, and top management may realistically possess the skills and expertise required to manage all facets of business. In such a centralized environment, actions of individuals are also better aligned with management's prescribed policies, as the rules emanate from a single source, and there is little ambiguity.

Advantages of Decentralization

• Decentralization is a common trait of forward-thinking organizations. A decentralized organizational structure allows faster decision-making and better adaptability to local conditions and context. In a large organization, a high degree of centralization would lead to inefficiency as all actions would have to be approved and cleared by top management. Decentralization also enables an organization to better adapt to conditions by delegating authority to those who are physically present and active in a particular project or operation. Another important advantage is management grooming. In a decentralized organization, managers at lower levels gain relevant experience, which improves quality of human resources.

Delegating

• The extent of delegation distinguishes a centralized organizational structure from a decentralized one. The first task in delegating is to choose appropriate delegates, based on a fair and objective evaluation of individual skill sets, and their relevance to responsibilities. Efficient delegation happens when delegates clearly see the outcome of their efforts, and how it fits into the organization and its goals. Modern business thinking also contends that delegates should be aware of performance measures and expected results, and should be recognized for achievements.

Delegation & Empowerment

• Delegation is a traditional management model concept, whereas empowerment belongs to the new management model, and both are integral parts of a decentralized organization. Delegation only thrusts authority on individuals, and overlooks aspects such as motivation and will to achieve the task. Empowerment on the other hand replaces authority with ownership, and considers unique capabilities of the individual, such as initiative and efficacy, rather than just roles and responsibilities.

Google's Organizational Structure

According to Fortune and All Business magazines, Google is the fourth-most admired company in the United States. Google was also listed as the top company to work for in both 2007 and 2008. The main reason for this employee admiration is Google’s cross-functional organizational structure, which the company maintains though stellar leadership and innovative management techniques.

History

• Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google has always operated on the motto, “Don’t be evil.” This moral code helps to guide employees because Google only holds them accountable to management to a degree. To keep the spirit of innovation the company was founded on, Google employees are mostly accountable to themselves. They have the freedom to spend 70 percent of their time on current assignments, 20 percent on related projects of their choosing, and 10 percent on new projects in any area they desire.

Features

• The “70-20-10 rule” represents a managerial guideline, but it also authorizes the employees to take risks. Google executives encourage employees and managers to work directly with each other, instead of through more formal channels. The executives work closely with employees and other departments in a form of cross-functional management. Google’s open communication contributes to the organizational structure and their idea policy is one of the most substantial managerial features. It gives the staff a sense that they contribute to the company’s business objectives.

Function

• Instead of setting goals for them, Google’s management helps their employees meet the objectives that the employees set for themselves. The company sees its managers as leaders who facilitate inspiration and empower employees. Google’s management function controls employee responsibility in similar way to the United States government, through a series of checks and balances. All employees set out and evaluate goals on a quarterly basis. Although Google’s management makes suggestions, employees use metrics that they choose themselves to measure their progress toward their goals. Supervisors act as managers to ensure that the employees meet their own goals, but employees see them as leaders because the employees themselves set the benchmarks.

Effects

• The company’s leadership allows employees to change the parameters of their jobs when needed. Employees are encouraged to be their own leaders, evaluate their jobs and then propose better ways to do their jobs. Google’s leaders want their employees to “think out loud,” and have open discussions about their goals and plans for achievement. The structure promotes corporate transparency because employees are able to witness and contribute to the leadership function. As a result, almost every employee has access to almost any managerial meeting. Google’s management realizes that every employee has a stake in the company and employees in turn feel a responsibility for the outcome of the company’s projects.

Benefits

• Google’s methods attract top talent because their management focuses on controlling through shared vision. Where many company’s have bureaucratic and linear controls, Google allows employees to set and maintain their own standards. These open policies translate into a distinctive corporate structure that inspires good nature and guidance. Employees love to work at Google, but not just because of perks such as flexible work time and bonuses, they also love the work that comes from the cross-functional leadership structure.

Organizational Structure Benefits

Organizational structures are formal systems of relationships that exist within a business. Organizational structures allow management to monitor and control the business process while facilitating working relationships among employees from top to bottom. Different types of organizational structures include functional structure, divisional structure, matrix structure, hierarchical or tall structure, and horizontal or flat structure

Benefits

• The structure of an organization is meant to complement the company's business goals and objectives. It is also the foundation of the company's culture and as such affects employee behavior, performance, motivation and cooperation. Effective organizational structures are adaptive to process requirements and possible changes while trying to optimize the results of the input of manpower and resources. Organizational structures should allow for flexibility, encourage employee creativity and effectively utilize the skills and abilities of the workforce.

Functional Structure

• A functional organizational structure groups employees based on the positions they hold or by the tasks they perform. The benefits of structuring employees by common job titles and activities include better communication among specialists, increased teamwork and shared knowledge, and it allows for quicker decision-making.

1. Divisional Structure

   • A divisional structure can group employees by product divisions, geographic divisions or market divisions. The advantages of divisional structures include higher quality products and customer service because of specialization, facilitated communication and teamwork within divisions and encouragement of hands-on problem-solving. In addition, it is easier for upper management to evaluate and reward employees through the increased job accountability inherent in divisional organizational structures.

   Matrix Structure

   • Matrix structures group employees by a combination of positions held, tasks performed and product divisions. A matrix structure results in employees having multiple bosses, facilitates product development through innovation and creativity, improves communication and teamwork among divisions and increases responsibility and freedom of employees.

   Hierarchical and Horizontal Structures

   • Hierarchical organizational structures are common for larger, more complex companies with greater process standardization; flatter, more horizontally structured organizations are more common for smaller, start-up companies focused on creativity and innovation. Communication and decision-making is more efficient and quicker in horizontally structured organizations compared with communicating up each level of the hierarchy. Also, the decentralization of a flatter structure allows for greater job responsibility and motivation.

   Warning

   • If an organizational structure doesn't fit the company's goals and objectives, it can hinder cooperation and, therefore, the completion of tasks, resulting in slower cycle times and the inefficient use of resources.

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

01. Give up your need to always be right.
02. Give up your need for control. 

03. Give up on blame. 

04. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. 

05. Give up your limiting beliefs 

06. Give up complaining. 

07. Give up the luxury of criticism.  

08. Give up your need to impress others.  

09. Give up your resistance to change. 

10. Give up labels. 

11. Give up on your fears. 

12. Give up your excuses. 

13. Give up the past

14. Give up attachment. 

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. 

For simple explanation for the 15 Things, please follow the link....
 Be Happy ....