Time Management not working? Try Time Leverage

The following article first appeared in the ICAEW’s Finance & Management journal March 2009.

Have you reviewed your own ROI?

If not, 2009 is the year to get your personal assets working more smartly.  Forget the results by volume approach.  Time Management is just about trying to do more. Progress comes, not from saving time, but leveraging it.  Saving is limited to the hours you save; leverage allows you to multiply the effort applied.

Here’s how.

What do you actually want to achieve?

It’s imperative that you understand why you are doing what you are doing.  What’s it all for?  What are your goals?  If you aren’t clear, you need to draw up some well formed outcomes. If you don’t, you are in grave danger of being efficient rather than effective. Efficiency is getting things done. Effectiveness is getting things done, to worthwhile effect, that take you towards your goals. What you do is infinitely more important than how you do it.  Efficiency is irrelevant unless applied to the right things.

Pareto and Parkinson

Remember the 80/20 principle?  If

80% of sales/profits come from 20% of products/customers or

80% of the effects flow from 20% of the causes

then

Which 20% of your activities contribute to 80% of your results?

And then there’s Parkinson’s Law: a task expands to fill the time allocated.  How much do you get done in the week before your holiday?

Use these laws together as the bedrock of your leverage strategy.  Identify the critical tasks that contribute most to your goals and then set deadlines.

What else?

Modelling

Instead of trial and error get some role models.  It’s not easy to find one person who embodies all your values, beliefs and aspirations, so put together an inspirational composite.  How do they get results?  What patterns and behaviours do they use?  Look, learn and model.

States of the Mind

Discover what psychologists call flow.  Also known as being ‘in the zone’, flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what they are doing, driven by energized focus. An extremely productive state, you’re at your most creative, sharpest, problem solving best and producing your highest performance.  Flow’s greatest foe is interruption; so bag some blocks of protected time.

Mindfulness is the act of consciously paying attention, in the present, on purpose and non-judgmentally. The opposite of being on “automatic pilot’’, mindfulness is efficient, reduces repetition and aids retention and understanding.  Plus the ability to notice what is going on, as it arises, also fosters flexibility in stressful situations.

Learning/thinking styles

Once you understand your preferred styles you can leverage them.  Are you a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner? Do you like to get stuck-in or read and plan first?  What are your dominant types of intelligence?  Are you using mind friendly techniques like mind maps to optimise your learning, understanding and retention of knowledge?

It’s time to work on the job, not just in the job

Time leverage involves some up-front investment.  It’s natural to want to conserve resources but if you don’t make that investment you’ll lock yourself into the old way of doing things:

‘if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got’.

Leverage is the art of getting more done with the same, or less, effort.  How far will take you in 2009?

Carol McLachlan, FCA is a chartered accountant, executive coach and NLP practitioner.  She’s the founder of www.theaccountantscoach.com supporting finance professionals, both individuals and organisations, in a multitude of development areas:  career planning, work-life balance, time management, performance enhancement, communication.  For more professional and personal development tips, sign up for your free monthly newsletter at info@theaccountantscoach.com

Model Internal Audit Activity Charter

MISSION AND SCOPE OF WORK

The mission of the internal auditing department is to provide independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve the organization’s operations.  It helps the organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.

The scope of work of the internal auditing department is to determine whether the organization’s network of risk management, control, and governance processes, as designed and represented by management, is adequate and functioning in a manner to ensure:

• Risks are appropriately identified and managed.
• Interaction with the various governance groups occurs as needed.
• Significant financial, managerial, and operating information is accurate, reliable, and timely.
• Employee’s actions are in compliance with policies, standards, procedures, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Resources are acquired economically, used efficiently, and adequately protected.
• Programs, plans, and objectives are achieved.
• Quality and continuous improvement are fostered in the organization’s control process.
• Significant legislative or regulatory issues impacting the organization are recognized and addressed properly.

Opportunities for improving management control, profitability, and the organization’s image may be identified during audits. They will be communicated to the appropriate level of management.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The chief audit executive (CAE), in the discharge of his/her duties, shall be accountable to management and the audit committee to:

• Provide annually an assessment on the adequacy and effectiveness of the organization’s processes for controlling its activities and managing its risks in the areas set forth under the mission and scope of work.
• Report significant issues related to the processes for controlling the activities of the organization and its affiliates, including potential improvements to those processes, and provide information concerning such issues through resolution.
• Provide information periodically on the status and results of the annual audit plan and the sufficiency of department resources.
• Coordinate with and provide oversight of other control and monitoring functions (risk management, compliance, security, legal, ethics, environmental, external audit).

INDEPENDENCE

To provide for the independence of the internal auditing department, its personnel report to the CAE, who reports administratively to the chief executive officer and functionally to the board and audit committee in a manner outlined in the above section on Accountability.  It will include as part of its reports to the audit committee a regular report on internal audit personnel.

RESPONSIBILITY

The CAE and staff of the internal auditing department have responsibility to:

• Develop a flexible annual audit plan using appropriate risk-based methodology, including any risks or control concerns identified by management, and submit that plan to the audit committee for review and approval.
• Implement the annual audit plan, as approved, including, and as appropriate, any special tasks or projects requested by management and the audit committee.
• Maintain a professional audit staff with sufficient knowledge, skills, experience, and professional certifications to meet the requirements of this Charter.
• Establish a quality assurance program by which the CAE assures the operation of internal auditing activities.
• Perform consulting services, beyond internal auditing’s assurance services, to assist management in meeting its objectives.  Examples may include facilitation, process design, training, and advisory services.
• Evaluate and assess significant merging/consolidating functions and new or changing services, processes, operations, and control processes coincident with their development, implementation, and/or expansion.
• Issue periodic reports to the audit committee and management summarizing results of audit activities.
• Keep the audit committee informed of emerging trends and successful practices in internal auditing.
• Provide a list of significant measurement goals and results to the audit committee.
• Assist in the investigation of significant suspected fraudulent activities within the organization and notify management and the audit committee of the results.
• Consider the scope of work of the external auditors and regulators, as appropriate, for the purpose of providing optimal audit coverage to the organization at a reasonable overall cost.

AUTHORITY

The CAE and staff of the internal auditing department are authorized to:

• Have unrestricted access to all functions, records, property, and personnel.
• Have full and free access to the audit committee.
• Allocate resources, set frequencies, select subjects, determine scopes of work, and apply the techniques required to accomplish audit objectives.
• Obtain the necessary assistance of personnel in units of the organization where they perform audits, as well as other specialized services from within or outside the organization.

The CAE and staff of the internal auditing department are not authorized to:

• Perform any operational duties for the organization or its affiliates.
• Initiate or approve accounting transactions external to the internal auditing department.
• Direct the activities of any organization employee not employed by the internal auditing department, except to the extent such employees have been appropriately assigned to auditing teams or to otherwise assist the internal auditors.

STANDARDS OF AUDIT PRACTICE

The internal auditing department will meet or exceed the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing of The Institute of Internal Auditors.

_________________________________

Chief Audit Executive

_________________________________

Chief Executive Officer

_________________________________

Audit Committee Chair

___________________________

Dated

Internal Audit Staff – PT. Lippo General Insurance, Tbk

URGENTLY  REQUIRED A fast growing General Insurance Company with supported by strong capital base as a subsidiary of Lippo Group, is looking for qualified candidates with very strong analytical thinking, result oriented, innovative and good interpersonal skills to fulfill challenging position as :

Internal Audit Staff Requirements : – Male/ Female – Degree (S1) majoring in Acccounting – Excellent interpersonal and communication skill – Fluent in English – Fast learner – Location : Karawaci, Tangerang Please send your resume and photograph to: recruitment@lippoinsurance.com Sumber : Jobsdb.com



CIA EXAM CONTENT

Home / Certification / Certified Internal Auditor / CIA Exam Content / Part 1 – The Internal Audit Activity’s Role in Governance, Risk, and Control

A. Comply with The IIA’s Attribute Standards (15-25%) (P)

1. Define purpose, authority, and responsibility of the internal audit activity
   a.  Determine if the purpose, authority, and responsibility of the internal audit
   activity are clearly documented and approved
   b.  Determine if the purpose, authority, and responsibility of the internal audit
   activity are communicated to the engagement clients
   c.  Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose, authority, and responsibility
   of the internal audit activity
2. Maintain independence and objectivity
   a.  Foster independence
   1) Understand organizational independence
   2) Recognize the importance of organizational independence
   3) Determine if the internal audit activity is properly aligned to achieve organizational independence
   b.  Foster objectivity
   1) Establish policies to promote objectivity
   2) Assess individual objectivity
   3) Maintain individual objectivity
   4) Recognize and mitigate impairments to independence and objectivity
3. Determine if the required knowledge, skills, and competencies are available
   a.  Understand the knowledge, skills, and competencies that an internal
   auditor needs to possess
   b.  Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to fulfill the
   responsibilities of the internal audit activity
4. Develop and/or procure necessary knowledge, skills and competencies
   collectively required by the internal audit activity
5. Exercise due professional care
6. Promote continuing professional development
   a.  Develop and implement a plan for continuing professional
   development for internal audit staff
   b.  Enhance individual competency through continuing professional
   development
7. Promote quality assurance and improvement of the internal audit activity
   a.  Establish and maintain a quality assurance and improvement program
   b.  Monitor the effectiveness of the quality assurance and improvement
   program
   c.  Report the results of the quality assurance and improvement program
   to the board or other governing body
   d.  Conduct quality assurance procedures and recommend improvements
   to the performance of the internal audit activity
8. Abide by and promote compliance with The IIA Code of Ethics

B. Establish a Risk-based Plan to Determine the Priorities of the Internal Audit Activity (15-25%) (P)

1. Establish a framework for assessing risk
2. Use the framework to:
   a.  Identify sources of potential engagements (e.g., audit universe,
   management request, regulatory mandate)
   b.  Assess organization-wide risk
   c.  Solicit potential engagement topics from various sources
   d.  Collect and analyze data on proposed engagements
   e.  Rank and validate risk priorities
3. Identify internal audit resource requirements
4. Coordinate the internal audit activity’s efforts with:
   a.  External auditor
   b.  Regulatory oversight bodies
   c.  Other internal assurance functions (e.g., health and safety department)
5. Select engagements.
   a.  Participate in the engagement selection process
   b.  Select engagements
   c.  Communicate and obtain approval of the engagement plan from board

C. Understand the Internal Audit Activity’s Role in Organizational Governance (10-20%) (P)

1. Obtain board’s approval of audit charter
2. Communicate plan of engagements
3. Report significant audit issues
4. Communicate key performance indicators to board on a regular basis
5. Discuss areas of significant risk
6. Support board in enterprise-wide risk assessment
7. Review positioning of the internal audit function within the risk management framework within the organization
8. Monitor compliance with the corporate code of conduct/business practices
9. Report on the effectiveness of the control framework
10. Assist board in assessing the independence of the external auditor
11. Assess ethical climate of the board
12. Assess ethical climate of the organization
13. Assess compliance with policies in specific areas (e.g., derivatives)
14. Assess organization’s reporting mechanism to the board
15. Conduct follow-up and report on management response to regulatory body reviews
16. Conduct follow-up and report on management response to external audit
17. Assess the adequacy of the performance measurement system, achievement of corporate objective
18. Support a culture of fraud awareness and encourage the reporting of improprieties

D. Perform Other Internal Audit Roles and Responsibilities (0-10%) (P)

1. Ethics/Compliance
   a.  Investigate and recommend resolution for ethics/compliance complaints
   b.  Determine disposition of ethics violations
   c.  Foster healthy ethical climate
   d.  Maintain and administer business conduct policy (e.g., conflict of interest)
   e.  Report on compliance
2. Risk Management
   a.  Develop and implement an organization-wide risk and control framework
   b.  Coordinate enterprise-wide risk assessment
   c.  Report corporate risk assessment to board
   d.  Review business continuity planning process
3. Privacy
   a.  Determine privacy vulnerabilities
   b.  Report on compliance
4. Information or physical security
   a.  Determine security vulnerabilities
   b.  Determine disposition of security violations
   c.  Report on compliance

E. Governance, Risk, and Control Knowledge Elements (15-25%)

1. Corporate governance principles (A)
2. Alternative control frameworks (A)
3. Risk vocabulary and concepts (P)
4. Risk management techniques (P)
5. Risk/control implications of different organizational structures (P)
6. Risk/control implications of different leadership styles (A)
7. Change management (A)
8. Conflict management (A)
9. Management control techniques (P)
10. Types of control (e.g., preventive, detective, input, output) (P)

F. Plan Engagements (15-25%) (P)

1. Initiate preliminary communication with engagement client
2. Conduct a preliminary survey of the area of engagement
   a.  Obtain input from engagement client
   b.  Perform analytical reviews
   c.  Perform benchmarking
   d.  Conduct interviews
   e.  Review prior audit reports and other relevant documentation
   f.  Map processes
   g.  Develop checklists
3. Complete a detailed risk assessment of the area (prioritize or evaluate risk/control factors)
4. Coordinate audit engagement efforts with
   a.  External auditor
   b.  Regulatory oversight bodies
5. Establish/refine engagement objectives and identify/finalize the scope of engagement
6. Identify or develop criteria for assurance engagements (criteria against which to audit)
7. Consider the potential for fraud when planning an engagement
   a.  Be knowledgeable of the risk factors and red flags of fraud
   b.  Identify common types of fraud associated with the engagement area
   c.  Determine if risk of fraud requires special consideration when
   conducting an engagement
8. Determine engagement procedures
9. Determine the level of staff and resources needed for the engagement
10. Establish adequate planning and supervision of the engagement
11. Prepare engagement work program

P=Candidates must exhibit proficiency (thorough understanding and ability to apply concepts) in these topic areas.
A=Candidates must exhibit awareness (knowledge of terminology and fundamentals) in these topic areas.

Home / Certification / Certified Internal Auditor / CIA Exam Content / Part 2 – Conducting the Internal Audit Engagement

A. Conduct Engagements (25-35%) (P)

1. Research and apply appropriate standards:
   a.  IIA Professional Practices Framework (Code of Ethics, Standards,
   Practice Advisories)
   b.  Other professional, legal, and regulatory standards
2. Maintain an awareness of the potential for fraud when conducting an engagement
   a.  Notice indicators or symptoms of fraud
   b.  Design appropriate engagement steps to address significant risk
   of fraud
   c.  Employ audit tests to detect fraud
   d.  Determine if any suspected fraud merits investigation
3. Collect data
4. Evaluate the relevance, sufficiency, and competence of evidence
5. Analyze and interpret data
6. Develop work papers
7. Review work papers
8. Communicate interim progress
9. Draw conclusions
10. Develop recommendations when appropriate
11. Report engagement results
    a.  Conduct exit conference
    b.  Prepare report or other communication
    c.  Approve engagement report
    d.  Determine distribution of report
    e.  Obtain management response to report
12. Conduct client satisfaction survey
13. Complete performance appraisals of engagement staff

B. Conduct Specific Engagements (25-35%) (P)

1. Conduct assurance engagements
   a.  Fraud investigation
   1)  Determine appropriate parties to be involved with investigation
   2)  Establish facts and extent of fraud (e.g., interviews, interrogations
   and data analysis)
   3)  Report outcomes to appropriate parties
   4)  Complete a process review to improve controls to prevent fraud
   and recommend changes
   b.  Risk and control self-assessment
   1)  Facilitated approach
   (a)  Client-facilitated
   (b)  Audit-facilitated
   2)  Questionnaire approach
   3)  Self-certification approach
   c.  Audits of third parties and contract auditing
   d.  Quality audit engagements
   e.  Due diligence audit engagements
   f.   Security audit engagements
   g.   Privacy audit engagements
   h.   Performance (key performance indicators) audit engagements
   i.   Operational (efficiency and effectiveness) audit engagements
   j.   Financial audit engagements
   k.   Information technology (IT) audit engagements
   1)  Operating systems
   (a)  Mainframe
   (b)  Workstations
   (c)  Server
   2)  Application development
   (a)  Application authentication
   (b)  Systems development methodology
   (c)  Change control
   (d)  End user computing
   3)  Data and network communications/connections (e.g., LAN, VAN,
   and WAN)
   4)  Voice communications
   5)  System security (e.g., firewalls, access control)
   6)  Contingency planning
   7)  Databases
   8)  Functional areas of IT operations (e.g., data center operations)
   9)  Web infrastructure
   10) Software licensing
   11) Electronic funds transfer (EFT)/Electronic data interchange (EDI)
   12) e-Commerce
   13) Information protection (e.g., viruses, privacy)
   14) Encryption
   15) Enterprise-wide resource planning (ERP) software (e.g., SAP R/3)
   l.  Compliance audit engagements
2. Conduct consulting engagements
   a.  Internal control training
   b.  Business process review
   c.  Benchmarking
   d.  Information technology (IT) and systems development
   e.  Design of performance measurement systems

C. Monitor Engagement Outcomes (5-15%) (P)

1. Determine appropriate follow-up activity by the internal audit activity
2. Identify appropriate method to monitor engagement outcomes
3. Conduct follow-up activity
4. Communicate monitoring plan and results

D. Fraud Knowledge Elements (5-15%)

1. Discovery sampling (A)
2. Interrogation techniques (A)
3. Forensic auditing (A)
4. Use of computers in analyzing data (P)
5. Red flag (P)
6. Types of fraud (P)

E. Engagement Tools (15-25%)

1. Sampling (A)
   a.  Nonstatistical (judgmental)
   b.  Statistical
2. Statistical analyses (process control techniques) (A)
3. Data gathering tools (P)
   a.  Interviewing
   b. Questionnaires
   c. Checklists
4. Analytical review techniques (P)
   a.  Ratio estimation
   b.  Variance analysis (e.g., budget vs. actual)
   c.  Other reasonableness tests
5. Observation (P)
6. Problem solving (P)
7. Risk and control self-assessment (CSA) (A)
8. Computerized audit tools and techniques (P)
   a.  Embedded audit modules
   b.  Data extraction techniques
   c.  Generalized audit software (e.g., ACL, IDEA)
   d.  Spreadsheet analysis
   e.  Automated work papers (e.g., Lotus Notes, Auditor Assistant)
9. Process mapping including flowcharting (P)

P=Candidates must exhibit proficiency (thorough understanding and ability to apply concepts) in these topic areas.
A=Candidates must exhibit awareness (knowledge of terminology and fundamentals) in these topic areas.

Home / Certification / Certified Internal Auditor / CIA Exam Content / Part 3 – Business Analysis and Information Technology

A. Business Processes (15-25%)

1. Quality management (e.g., TQM) (A)
2. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) framework (A)
3. Forecasting (A)
4. Project management techniques (P)
5. Business process analysis (e.g., workflow analysis and bottleneck management, theory of constraints) (P)
6. Inventory management techniques and concepts (P)
7. Marketing – pricing objectives and policies (A)
8. Marketing – supply chain management (A)
9. Human Resources (Individual performance management and measurement; supervision; environmental factors that affect performance; facilitation techniques; personnel sourcing/staffing; training and development; safety) (P)
10. Balanced scorecard (A)

B. Financial Accounting and Finance (15-25%)

1. Basic concepts and underlying principles of financial accounting (e.g., statements, terminology, relationships) (P)
2. Intermediate concepts of financial accounting (e.g., bonds, leases, pensions, intangible assets, R&D) (A)
3. Advanced concepts of financial accounting (e.g., consolidation, partnerships, foreign currency transactions) (A)
4. Financial statement analysis (P)
5. Cost of capital evaluation (A)
6. Types of debt and equity (A)
7. Financial instruments (e.g., derivatives) (A)
8. Cash management (treasury functions) (A)
9. Valuation models (A)
   a. Inventory valuation
   b. Business valuation
10. Business development life cycles (A)

C. Managerial Accounting (10-20%)

1. Cost concepts (e.g., absorption, variable, fixed) (P)
2. Capital budgeting (A)
3. Operating budget (P)
4. Transfer pricing (A)
5. Cost-volume-profit analysis (A)
6. Relevant cost (A)
7. Costing systems (e.g., activity-based, standard) (A)
8. Responsibility accounting (A)

D. Regulatory, Legal, and Economics (5-15%) (A)

1. Impact of government legislation and regulation on business
2. Trade legislation and regulations
3. Taxation schemes
4. Contracts
5. Nature and rules of legal evidence
6. Key economic indicators

E. Information Technology – IT (30-40%) (A)

1. Control frameworks (e.g., COBIT)
2. Data and network communications/connections (e.g., LAN, VAN, and WAN)
3. Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
4. e-Commerce
5. Electronic data interchange (EDI)
6. Functional areas of IT operations (e.g., data center operations)
7. Encryption
8. Information protection (e.g. viruses, privacy)
9. Evaluate investment in IT (cost of ownership)
10. Enterprise-wide resource planning (ERP) software (e.g., SAP R/3)
11. Operating systems
12. Application development
13. Voice communications
14. Contingency planning
15. Systems security (e.g. firewalls, access control)
16. Databases
17. Software licensing
18. Web infrastructure

P=Candidates must exhibit proficiency (thorough understanding and ability to apply concepts) in these topic areas.
A=Candidates must exhibit awareness (knowledge of terminology and fundamentals) in these topic areas.

Home / Certification / Certified Internal Auditor / CIA Exam Content / Part 4 – Business Management Skills

A. Strategic Management (20-30%) (A)

1. Global analytical techniques
   a.  Structural analysis of industries
   b.  Competitive strategies (e.g., Porter’s model)
   c.  Competitive analysis
   d.  Market signals
   e.  Industry evolution
2. Industry environments
   a.  Competitive strategies related to:
   1)  Fragmented industries
   2)  Emerging industries
   3)  Declining industries
   b.  Competition in global industries
   1)  Sources/impediments
   2)  Evolution of global markets
   3)  Strategic alternatives
   4)  Trends affecting competition
3. Strategic decisions
   a.  Analysis of integration strategies
   b.  Capacity expansion
   c.  Entry into new businesses
4. Portfolio techniques of competitive analysis
5. Product life cycles

B. Global Business Environments (15-25%) (A)

1. Cultural/legal/political environments
   a.   Balancing global requirements and local imperatives
   b.   Global mindsets (personal characteristics/competencies)
   c.   Sources and methods for managing complexities and contradictions
   d.   Managing multicultural teams
2. Economic/financial environments
   a.   Global, multinational, international, and multilocal compared and contrasted
   b.   Requirements for entering the global market place
   c.   Creating organizational adaptability
   d.   Managing training and development

C. Organizational Behavior (15-25%) (A)

1. Motivation
   a.  Relevance and implication of various theories
   b.  Impact of job design, rewards, work schedules, etc.
2. Communication
   a.  The process
   b.  Organizational dynamics
   c.  Impact of computerization
3. Performance
   a.  Productivity
   b.  Effectiveness
4. Structure
   a.  Centralized/decentralized
   b.  Departmentalization
   c.  New configurations (e.g., hourglass, cluster, network)

D. Management Skills (20-30%) (A)

1. Group dynamics
   a.  Traits (e.g., cohesiveness, roles, norms, groupthink)
   b.  Stages of group development
   c.  Organizational politics
   d.  Criteria and determinants of effectiveness
2. Team building
   a.  Methods used in team building
   b.  Assessing team performance
3. Leadership skills
   a.  Theories compared and contrasted
   b.  Leadership grid (topology of leadership styles)
   c.  Mentoring
4. Personal time management

E. Negotiating (5-15%) (A)

1. Conflict resolution
   a.  Competitive/cooperative
   b.  Compromise, forcing, smoothing, etc.
2. Added-value negotiating
   a.  Description
   b.  Specific steps

P=Candidates must exhibit proficiency (thorough understanding and ability to apply concepts) in these topic areas.
A=Candidates must exhibit awareness (knowledge of terminology and fundamentals) in these topic areas.

RUNNING ON EMPTY?

Dear <$salutation$>

Whoopee! It’s gone. January, farewell, the accountant’s hell, season
of deadlines, screaming fits and stimulant-fuelled all-nighters: our pressure cooker month. At last the pressure’s off and we can
sit back and…what?

Go on working like crazy, that’s what – because February’s just January without deadlines.

So how do you maintain momentum when there’s no pressure?

Well, firstly, you do sit back. Have a weekend off: you’ve earned it! Then get straight back into the saddle, and if you feel no pressure urging you onwards, create some!

No, I didn’t say create some stress, I said create some pressure. Create yourself tight schedules to work to, because if you don’t Parkinson will kick in and your tasks will ‘expand to fill the time available’. And be sure you’re being effective, not just efficient, or you’ll end up doing things which are pointless, even though you do them brilliantly. Speaking of which, remember what we’ve already learned about brilliance and perfectionism: keep them in perspective. Performers will spend hours practising a single bar of music but, hey, making the coffee’s just making the coffee!

Remember nothing succeeds like success: if you feel you’re on top of things, you will be. So ensure you have specific goals and targets. Keeping Pareto in mind, know which 80% of your goals are best served by the crucial 20% of your activities. De-chunk your tasks: break them down into smaller tasks which you can see disappear as you complete them. And anything you do, learn to love it: find the fun! What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, writes Nietzsche.

Here’s a list of extra tips to boost self-motivation.

• Mix with motivated people.
• Never cease learning: always read, watch, listen.
• Be positive: find solutions not problems.
• Don’t think: do! If you’re stuck, do something else!
• Know your own enthusiasm patterns.
• Chart progress: you’ll nurture something you see grow.
• Help others.
• Accept that sometimes life is tough.
• Don’t work nonstop: take breaks.
• Cherish your motivators: pictures of baby seals, jelly babies, Mozart, whatever. If it fuels you, have some.
• Don’t procrastinate.
• To beat writer’s block writers simply write. Rather than nothing, do something!
• Reflect on Zig Ziglar: People often tell me that motivation doesn’t last and I tell them that bathing doesn’t either. That’s why I recommend it daily.

Need a little more help?
Just email me at info@theaccountantscoach.com
and book a complimentary telephone consultation.
theaccountantscoach.com,
I’m here to help!

PROCRASTINATE? ME? CAN’T IT WAIT?

Dear <$salutation$>

Ah yes, our old friend, procrastination. Thief of time, wrecker of careers, mother of painful regret:

‘If only I’d…’

We’re here again because, once you’ve fixed your goals and deadlines,
you’ve got to make them stick: as emphasised in recent newsletters! So let’s identify the enemy.

Today, tomorrow, sometime, never is how procrastination works. Something needs doing today (ha-ha!) but you delay until tomorrow (maybe) or sometime (likelier) hoping that, magically, you’ll never need to do it (fat chance).

We all do this to some degree, although we’re mostly adult enough to know we’re fooling ourselves. So please don’t tell me, ‘Procrastination is a sign of genius; look at Leonardo da Vinci’.
Why not? Two reasons: (1) Leonardo was troubled by his procrastinating, and (2) you’re (probably) no Leonardo.

Remedies can be indicated by pinpointing causes, and in the case of procrastination causes can be as serious as depression or attention deficit disorder. With particular relevance to recent newsletters, however, causes include a lack of clear goals, poor prioritising and a collapse of willpower arising from misplaced perfectionism. The following are also common.

• Weak motivation.
• Lack of skills.
• Poor time management.
• Low energy or poor health.
• Fear of the task, its consequences, even of success.
• Addiction to last-minute adrenalin rushes.
• A delusion that procrastination endears you to others.
• A further delusion that you work better that way.
• You’re buried by jobs only you can do.

In the last-mentioned instance, you could simply train someone else. But consider too the following solutions.

• ‘Just get the file out’ is an approach I recommend and use.
• Just make an easy start. Need to do the washing-up? Just run the tap – and suddenly you’ve finished the job!
• Compile a ‘for and against’ list, itemising the risks and consequences involved in not doing a job.
• Impose a deadline on yourself and offer yourself a reward for meeting it.
• De-chunk the tasks you have on. Break them down into segments and get some of the simpler boxes ticked right away!
• Go public. Tell people you’re going to do it and so commit yourself.
• Avoid procrastinators like the plague!

And remember: whatever the activity, if you do it today and you enjoy it, you can do it again today and double your fun!
Carpe diem!

Need a little more help?
Just email me at info@theaccountantscoach.com and book a complimentary telephone consultation.
theaccountantscoach.com, I’m here to help!

Deteksi Dini Crisis-Management di Unit Bisnis

Sejumlah pertanyaan ini seringkali terabaikan saat Risk Surveyor. Maklum mereka lebih banyak memeriksa dan bertanya hanya pada aspek resiko fisik saja. Khususnya masalah Fire Prevention. Padahal, senyatanya aspek-aspek potensial gangguan operasional bisa terjadi disebabkan oleh sejumlah aspek resiko lainnya diluar Operasitional Risk.

Kami lebih senang menyebut sejumlah daftar pertanyaan ini sebagai deteksi dini dari fungsi kontrol Crisis Management di unit bisnis. Boleh juga ini disebut sebagai Risk-Control Operational Safety Audit.

OPERATIONAL RISK :

1. Siapkah unit bisnis menjalankan Peak Time Management untuk Sabtu, Minggu, Tanggal Merah dan peak season ?
2. Adakah complain di unit bisnis ini disampaikan via komunitas webblog yang ada di kota ini ? Sudahkah di-check ?
3. Apakah BCP telah disosialisasikan kepada seluruh personil Supervisor, Security dan staf Risk Control Team di Unit Kerja ?
4. Apakah copy daftar jaga piket malam unit bisnis ini dimiliki Komandan Security Building ?
5. Apakah Ketua Regu Security perusahaan memiliki no HP & Telp Komandan Security Building ?
6. Apakah Teknisi perusahaan memiliki no HP & Telp Maintenance Building Manager ?
7. Adakah kebocoran air atau air limbah di dalam dari luar area sudah ditindaklanjuti ?
8. Apakah ada stock barang di luar perusahaan dalam container atau menyewa tempat tersendiri di luar unit bisnis ?
9. Seberapa sering kasus copet terjadi di unit bisnis dalam 6 bulan terakhir ? Bagaimana program antisipasinya ?
10. Apakah ada bazaar yang berlokasi di luar unit bisnis atau di luar kota ? Apakah aspek keamanan & keselamatannya telah dipersipkan secara seksama, matang dan sungguh-sungguh ? Apakah ada complain (termasuk surat pembaca) atas kehadiran bazaar tersebut dari pedagang local / masyarakat setempat ?
11. Apakah ibu kantin dan karyawan yang memasok makanan/minuman/jajanan telah membaca BCP/ Business Continuity Plan?
12. Apakah traffic, sales, EBIT, shringkage semester ini lebih baik berturut-turut selama 3 tahun tarakhir ?
13. Apakah dalam 3 bulan terakhir, tidak ada kasus kehilangan handphone karyawan ?
14. Apakah ada peletakan-peletakan barang di duckting ?
15. Apakah rolling door berfungsi baik & tidak mudah dibuka ?
16. Apakah Material Visual & Promosi (Autopole/Telescopic Poles) kuat dan tidak membahayakan pengunjung.
17. Saran dan masukan apa saja untuk Risk Control Team / Crisis Management untuk peningkatan kinerja dan support untuk unit kerja ?
18. Apakah ada hal yang tidak lazim atau tidak sesuai prosedur selama proses pemindahan atau penjualan fixed asset ?
19. Apakah sudah ada standar baku untuk penanganan complain customer baik secara langsung, menulis pada kotak saran, email dan complain di surat pembaca ?
20. Complain tentang apa yang paling sering disampaikan Customer dalam 3 bulan terakhir ?

MAINTENANCE & PROJECT RISK :

1. Apakah disain pengamanan eskalator sudah aman, nyaman dan ergonomik ? Apakah sisirnya lengkap ?
2. Apakah kelayakan lift dan eskalator masih berlaku ?
3. Apakah pasca renovasi regrouping listrik OK ?
4. Apakah konstruksi gudang arsip dan stockroom aman, baik dan kuat ?
5. Apakah pasca major renovation, APAR tersedia secara proporsional ?
6. Apakah Electricity Audit sudah dilakukan dan sudah ditindaklanjuti ?
7. Apakah semua neon box milik supplier sudah diperiksa oleh teknisi sebelum di pasang di area ?
8. Apakah beban terpasang dan beban terpakai listrik telah sesuai dengan beban ideal ?
9. Apakah Personil Teknisi sudah mendapat Basic Training dari Maintenance Dept.

SOCIAL, MARKET & REPUTATIONAL RISK :

1. Surat Kabar Apa yang sekarang menjadi acuan bagi kalangan bisnis (website, telp.) ?
2. Dua surat kabar apa yang sekarang menjadi acuan bagi masyarakat umum di kota ini ?
3. Radio apa saja yang sering menyiarkan siaran live on air ?
4. Adakah issue SARA di dalam building dan lingkungan building dalam 6 bulan terakhir ?
5. Apakah ada poster yang barbau SARA/Pornografi ?
6. Apakah Pole Sign, Sinage dan Billboard telah sesuai warna dan disainnya, serta kuat konstruksinya ?
7. Apakah ada pengaduan layanan pelanggan yang disampaikan via YLKI/LSM kepada unit bisnis dlm 6 bulan terakhir ?
8. Apakah unit bisnis sudah bebas stiker partai / LSM ?
9. Apakah ada awak unit bisnis yang terkena razia malam saat pulang malam ?
10. Apakah ada kasus kehilangan barang di area parkir mobil 6 bulan terakhir ? Apakah harga parkir wajar dan sesuai harga parkir di pasaran ?
11. Apakah ada serikat pekerja pada management building ?
12. Adakah tenant gathering dilakukan secara periodik oleh BM ?
13. Apakah BM melakukan upaya repotioning atau upaya-2 lain untuk meningkatkan keunggulan bersaing ?
14. Apakah zoning dan grouping di area BM telah sesuai dengan target market ?
15. Apakah logo perusahaan menyala hingga tutup unit bisnis ?
16. Apakah ada plesetan/lelucon/gurauan terhadap brand (logo, simbol atau gambar) tertentu yang sudah dipatenkan atau milik (resmi) perusahaan lain yang menimbulkan kesan penghinaan atau pelecehan ?

REGULATORY RISK :

1. Apakah ada Perda yang dirasakan menghambat operasional unit bisnis ?
2. Apakah ada pelanggaran terhadap Perda yang menyangkut pihak ketiga atau Building Management yang belum atau tidak ditindaklanjuti ?
3. Apakah ada Organisasi Massa / LSM yang dirasakan mengganggu operasional unit bisnis ?
4. Apakah ada complain/tuntutan/sweeping berkait dengan Lisensi IT ? Apakah SC sudah memastikan tidak ada program komputer yang illegal ?
5. Apakah ada complain berkait dengan kandungan berbahaya dalam produk Toys ?
6. Apakah semua produk kosmetik/parfum telah dilengkapai dengan keterangan brand asli, ijin depkes dan ijin edar ?
7. Apakah area kerja dan area penjualan bebas dari gambar unsur pornografi, SARA atau “gambar terlarang” ?
8. Apakah Pimpinan Unit Kerja dilibatkan dalam perpanjangan MOU untuk melengkapi kekurangan-2 sebelumnya ?

HR RISK :

1. Apakah Perjanjian Kerja Bersama atau Peraturan Perusahaan sudah mengakomodasi kebutuhan mayoritas seluruh pemangku kepentingan ?
2. Apakah pemberian sanksi (SP1, SP2, SP3, dlsb) sudah sesuai dengan jenis atau criteria kesalahannya, dan apakah sudah dikonfirmasi kepada HR Regional dan Regional Manager ?
3. Apakah pemberian SP atau sanksi administrative lainnya sudah ditembuskan kepada HRD Pusat ?
4. Apakah penegakan disiplin, tata tertib, peraturan perusahaan dan Code of Conduct sudah benar-benar ditegakkan ?
5. Apakah di Unit Kerja tidak ada dualisme kepemimpinan antara Pimpinan Cabang (Store Manager) dengan Wakil Pimpinan Cabang (Assisstant Store Manager)
6. Apakah “Kebijakan Pintu Terbuka” sudah diterapkan kepada seluruh jenjang level dan seluruh karyawan tanpa terkecuali untuk menampung seluruh aspirasi, keluh kesah, kebutuhan dan tuntutan operasional ?
7. Apakah “karyawan sulit yang kontra produktif” sudah diawasi, dibina dan diberdayakan secara khusus tanpa harus kehilangan energi dan fokus pimpinan kepada target-target penting perusahaan ?
8. Apakah ada SMS Gelap atau Surat Kaleng dalam 6 bulan terakhir kepada Manajer, Asisten Manajer dan Staf lain ?
9. Apakah kasus saling mengabsensikan benar-benar tidak dilakukan oleh satu orang karyawan pun, dan terutama tidak terjadi di level staf Supervisor atau jabatan yang lebih tinggi ?
10. Apakah ada proyek penelitian atau magang di unit kerja yang belum dilaporkan kepada HRD ?
11. Apakah pemberlakuan akses terbatas bagi karyawan magang atau karyawan yang sedang melakukan penelitian sudah disampaikan secara benar, jelas, dan lengkap? Apakah larangan membawa USB, disket, CD, foto atau alat rekam / alat foto sudah diberlakukan pada karyawan magang atau karyawan yang sedang melakukan penelitian?
12. Apakah ”pengurus union/serikat pekerja/ikatan karyawan” sudah dibarukan 2 tahun sekali ?
13. Apakah ada serikat pekerja dalam unit bisnis yang tidak kooperatif dengan Manajemen Cabang ?
14. Apakah ada penunggakan Jamsostek dalam 6 bulan terakhir ?
15. Apakah ada pemutihan pada keuangan Koperasi 6 bulan terakhir ?
16. Adakah MOU berkait dengan hubungan industrial dibuatkan aturan tambahannya guna meningkatkan kesidiplinan karyawan kontrak ?
17. Apakah semua perijinan HR telah diselesaikan ?
18. Adakah issue berbau SARA ?
19. Apakah Branch Manager atau Store Manager dan HR Supervisor sudah melakukan penelitian secara periodik minimal sebulan sekali kepada semua bagian bahwa tidak ada terjadi kasus pelecehan seksual di dalam dan lingkungan kerja perusahaan ?
20. Apakah Manajer HRD memberlakukan daftar cekal bagi SPG/SPB/BA “nakal” antar cabang & regional ?
21. Apakah kebijakan mengenai SPG Hamil Tidak Mengambil Cuti sudah disampaikan secara tertulis dan dengan penjelasan secara lengkap dan jelas oleh HR Supervisor sehingga dapat difahami dan dimengerti secara penuh oleh SPG yang bersangkutan ?

FINANCIAL RISK :

1. Apakah pembatalan sales pada Kartu Loyality Program disertai pembatalan pada jumlah poinnya ?
2. Apakah ada masalah berarti mengenai uang pecahan kecil (Rp 20.000,- kebawah) ?
3. Berapa nilai transaksi fee-nya per penukaran uang kecil tidak melebihi 0,32% ? Adakah perhitungan per nilai transaksinya ?
4. Bagaimana upaya-upaya unit kerja mengamankan proses penukaran uang kecil sudah dilakukan maksimal ?
5. Sudahkah nomor kombinasi brankas dibarukan sehubungan dengan status masuk/keluar personil Manajemen Cabang ?
6. Apakah ada masalah dengan insentif sales performance atau insentif shringkage yang belum diselesaikan ?

Bila seluruh pertanyaan (questionner) ini disampaikan dengan teliti, hampir dapat dipastikan potensi gangguan operasional bisa ditekan secara signifikan. Tak percaya ? Silakan coba, dan review 2 tahun kemudian !

Internal IT Auditor Supervisor – PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur, Tbk

INDOFOOD SUKSES MAKMUR Tbk, PT

Urgently Required

We are the biggest consumer goods company in Indonesia, is currently seeking Indonesia’s young professionals with high motivation and strong determination for the following positions:

Internal IT Auditor Supervisor

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

• Part of Corporate Internal Audit team
• Located in Jakarta, headquarter office
• Focus on IT audit and potentially to lead IT team
• Assist in planning, scoping, assessing risks, developing controls, testing (auditing) related to (not limited to) ITGC and SAP
• Prepare and edit audit reports (observations, recommendations, etc.) that fairly present issues and are written in a clear and concise manner)
• Address findings and recommendations to process owners and management
• During the downtime period, will be given opportunities to assist other teams in conducting Operations / Finance internal audit
• The position will provide the individual with opportunities to travel to both domestic and international. However, as this is a new role, we do not have estimation of travel requirements.

Qualification Required

• Minimum education : Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems / IT / Finance / Accounting
• Minimum of 1 year IT Audit experience is a must
• Big 4 accounting / consulting experience and CISA certified would be an advantage
• Language : Bahasa Indonesia & English
• Specific knowledge of SAP and COBIT is a plus
• Ability to effectively translate IT issues into business risk and impact.
• Leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills to articulate effectively with all levels of management
• Ability to work well in different teams and develop relationships with information technology, finance and operational group

A solid understanding of IT processes and IT General Controls (ITGC) is required. Processes include but are not limited to system development life cycle, change management, user access control, disaster recovery, physical & environmental controls, etc.

If you meet the above requirements and interested with the position, please send your CV (preferable in Word or Adobe format) and latest photograph with position code to :

recruitment@indofood.co.id

Sumber : Jobsdb.com

Audit Supervisor & Staff (AUD) – JS Multi Collection

JS MULTI COLLECTION

START CAREER WITH US

International Franchised Food & Beverages chains are looking for talented candidates for Jakarta Head office operation.

Audit Supervisor & Staff (AUD)

Requirements :

• Female/Male
• Age max 35 years
• Min. SMA
• Min. 1 year experience in similar field
• Computer literate
• Good communication and interpersonal skill
• Result oriented, hard working and able to work under pressure

Forward your complete application to :

Jsmulti_hrd@yahoo.com

Sumber : Jobsdb.com

INTERNAL AUDITOR (Kepala Dept dan Staf) – PT. Timur Jaya Prestasi

TIMUR JAYA PRESTASI, PT

LOWONGAN PEKERJAAN

Perusahaan furniture berorientasi export membutuhkan segera beberapa profesional untuk posisi:

INTERNAL AUDITOR (Kepala Dept dan Staf)

Kualifikasi :

• Pria/Wanita, usia maks. 35 tahun
• Pendidikan min. S1 Akuntansi
• Pengalaman min. 2 tahun di bidang audit, diutamakan yang pernah bekerja di kantor Akuntan
• Dapat bekerja di bawah tekanan dan target oriented
• Lokasi penempatan : Jakarta Barat

Kirimkan surat lamaran dan Daftar Riwayat Hidup ke :

hrd.hpg@highpointoffice.com

Sumber : Jobsdb.com