Sep 27, 2008

Aglaonema, Anthurium, Adenium, Euphorbia, Anggrek, dan Bunga Lain

Dulu saat-saat senggang, sehabis kerja sempat waktu habis untuk hobi bunga. Seiring kesibukan, bunga-bunga tersayang mulai merana..... Padahal dulu sudah banyak yg nawar, tapi sayang tak dilepas. Berikut koleksi beberapa bunga mulai dari aglaonema, anthurium, kamboja jepang, bunga gurun, lidah mertua dll




Anthurium, Anggrek, Sansievera, dll



Sep 22, 2008

The Road Not Taken


Sebuah Puisi Favorit. Bercerita tentang:
1. Sebuah jalan pilihan yang tidak biasa diambil oleh orang kebanyakan.
2. Didalamnya terkandung makna kebebasan memilih.
3. Di dalamnya terkandung makna sebuah ketetapan hati, bahwa apapun resikonya, sebuah pilihan adalah pilihan dg segala konsekuensinya.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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Puisi ini terasa mengesankan sekali, mungkin karena pada beberapa hal mencerminkan ' a jouney of my life'

Sep 20, 2008

Dilemma of life


You are in the middle of a stormy sea. The situation is so dangerous that you must reduce the load and burden of the ship in order that the ship doesn’t sink. There are 8 items that you must consider throwing to the sea or all of them must sink.

1. your old and sick wife
2. your very old mother
3. your only baby
4. your sexy and beautiful secretary
5. your boss
6. a big box full of gold
7. navigation devices
8. a lot of important documents

Prioritize which one you should throw the first, second, third,…. and finally the last. Don't forget to give your best reason for every choice of yours!!

Sep 12, 2008

GRATIS (ALL YOU CAN GET FROM INTERNET)

Kurang lebih empat tahun lalu, sekitar jam 20.00 malam, telpon di rumah berdering. Di seberang sana seorang Ibu rekan kantor (nama tidak disebutkan untuk menghindari praduga macem-macem) meminta tolong, jika saya mempunyai buku tentang Pantun dan contoh-contohnya.

Rupanya si anak dapat tugas dari sekolah untuk membuat pantun.

Saya katakan,” Mbak, kalau buku Pantun aku nggak punya, tapi kalau contoh pantun, bisa saya carikan. Sekitar 30 menit lagi tolong diambil di rumah ya!”

Ku buka internet dan browsing di search engine. Ku tulis kata PANTUN di search engine. Ratusan website!!!. Tinggal Klik website yang sesuai permintaan. Copy. Buka Microsoft Word. Paste!. Print! Jadi.

Tiga puluh menit kemudian, si dia datang dengan terheran-heran sambil bertanya kok cepet sekali nyarinya? Ngetiknya? Ngopinya? Ngeprintnya? Dan nya, nya yg lain. Kubiarkan dia penuh tanda Tanya.

Cerita diatas true story yg merupakan contoh betapa Internet memberi banyak.
Jika anda punya waktu, search kata atau kalimat yang mengandung kata “gratis” pakai mesin pencari apa saja di internet, maka anda akan mendapatkan ratusan, ribuan ( bahkan mungkin jutaan kali yaaaa) tawaran gratis. Gratisan tersebut bisa berupa barang (buku, brosur, dll), Jasa, Soft File (ebook), program, game, informasi, dan masih banyak kategori lainnya.

Yang lebih menarik, tidak hanya kuantitas gratisan yang ditawarkan, tapi kualitas Gratisan di Internet semakin hari semakin luar biasa. Khususnya terkait dengan Ilmu Pengetahuan dan Informasi,……. sungguh internet sebuah asset berharga yang tiada ternilai. Jadi jika anda belum bisa memanfaatkan internet, jangan marah jika si Upik kelas 4 SD berkata “HARI GINNNIIIII BELUM BUKA INTERNEETTTTTTTT!!!!!! APA KATA DUNIA?

Sep 10, 2008

Gaya Berpikir Kita (Klik untuk tes diri anda)


Gaya Berpikir

1. Sekuensial Konkret
2. Sekuensial Abstrak
3. Acak Abstrak
4. Acak Konkret

Keterangan:

1. Sekuensial Konkret
Pemikir sekuensial konkret berpegang pada kenyataan (yang nyata-nyata aja, ogah mikir yang nggak jelas juntrungannya) dan teratur (kayak serdadu, pagi jam segini kudu ngapain, entar setengah siang kudu ngapain, agak sorean dikit kudu ngapain, udah jelas jadwalnya).
Mereka biasanya sangat teliti, detail, memperhatikan dan mengingat realitas dengan mudah, kejadian-kejadian, informasi, rumus-rumus dan aturan-aturan yang njelimet dengan mudah mereka ingat.

Catatan atau makalah adalah cara baik bagi orang-orang ini untuk belajar. Mereka sangat suka pengarahan dan prosedur khusus. Karena kebanyakan dunia bisnis diatur dengan cara ini, mereka menjadi orang-orang bisnis yang sangat baik.
Seorang pemikir sekuensial konkret cenderung untuk memilih liburan yg pernah dilakukan sebelumnya,pergi ke tempat yang sama, memilih biro perjalanan yang sama, dan melakukan aktivitas yang sama. Kapan dan kemana akan pergi, berapa lama akan tinggal, berapa banyak uang yang akan dihabiskan semua sudah direncanakan, mungkin dengan memasukan uang ke dalam amplop yang terpisah untuk setiap keperluan.

2. Acak Konkret
Pemikir tipe ini mempunyai sikap eksperimental (suka coba-coba, trial and error) yang diiringi dengan perilaku yang kurang terstruktur. Mereka lebih berorientasi pada proses dari pada hasil, proyek-proyek yang mereka kerjakan seringkali tidak berjalan sesuai dengan yang mereka rencanakan, karena waktu-nya habis untuk mengerjakan sesuatu yang tidak direncanakan karena terlalu meng-ekspore permasalahan-permasalahan yang muncul. Mereka yang berfikir tipe ini, enggak suka diatur dan cenderung ogah mikir yang rumit-rumit.

3. Acak Abstrak.
Mereka yang berfikir Acak Abstrak dunianya diselubungi perasaan dan emosi. Mereka tertarik pada nuansa dan sebagian lagi cenderung pada mistisme (berbakat jadi dukun).

Kebalikan dengan yang yang sekuensial konkret, mereka yang berfikir acak abstrak merasa terkekang jika berada di lingkungan yang sangat teratur,sehingga mereka akan tersiksa jika bekerja di bank, asuransi atau perusahaan sejenis. Mereka senang dng ketidakteraturan dan menyukai berhubungan dng orang-orang. Walaupun orang-orang tipe ini cukup banyak jumlahnya, namun dunia tidak akan berjalan dengan gaya ini.

Bertolak belakang dengan sekuensial konkret, mereka yang berfikir Acak abstrak, jika berlibur mungkin akan pergi ke suatu tempat yang belum pernah dikunjungi, tempat yang pernah diceritakan oleh seseorang dengan sangat menarik dan mengagumkan.

Mereka tidak akan menentukan pilihan berlibur berdasarkan brosur. Pemikir acak abstrak akan mengajak teman-teman bila berlibur, meraka ingin liburan mereka tidak teratur, dan begitu tiba ditempat liburan, akan melakukan apa saja yang terasa menyenangkan pada saat itu. Makanya mereka yang berfikir Acak Abstrak enggak cocok kalo liburan bareng sama yang sekuensial konkret, bisa-bisa cakar-cakaran.

4. Sekuensial Abstrak.
Filosof dan ilmuwan peneliti ternama mempunyai cara berfikir tipe ini, mereka berfikir dalam konsep dan menganalis informasi. Dunia mereka dunia teori metafisis dan pemikiran abstrak. Mereka sangat menghargai orang-orang dan peristiwa-peristiwa yang teratur rapi. Proses berfikir mereka logis, rasional dan intelektual. Aktivitas favorit mereka adalah membaca, dan jika mereka mengerjakan sesuatu mereka akan melakukan dan memikirkan secara mendalam. Mereka ingin mengetahui sebab-sebab dibalik akibat dan memahami teori-teori dan konsepnya. Biasanya mereka lebih suka bekerja sendiri dari berkelompok.

Untuk melihat gaya pikir anda, klik judul diatas atau silahkan download di download area.

Sep 9, 2008

Old Journey




The Pygmalion Effect at the Workplace


If you tell a Teacher of Mathematics that his new pupils are smart and children of choice, automatically the teacher will become more motivated. In class, he or she will teach items more difficult than usual, give rather more complex practice, be more careful in teaching and replying to questions and also do other actions which support. The students who get greater attention and trust from their new teacher will learn more intensively and with more quality in class.

It's not a problem of whether in fact the pupils are bright or tardy. The essential thing in this phenomenon is that the trust of the teacher in the students' potential will at the end produce students that really have potential. This unique phenomenon in man, indicating that the expectation given to another person will become a reality, is known as the "Pygmalion Effect".
An ancient Greek mythology narrates that Pygmalion is a person who is always positive in his thinking in responding to every problem. When children steal apples in the garden, Pygmalion said, "Pity these Children, they lack education and have not enough food at home." When field [in] muddy down town and people grouse, he/she say, "Fortunately other field [do] not as muddy as this." Et cetera. He had never taken the bad side of other persons and circumstances he was facing. On the contrary he always tried to imagine the good sides of others and circumstances he faced.

Up to now the name of Pygmalion is recalled to depict a way of thinking which is positive. If we think positively concerning someone or situation, often the result will really become positive. But, from various further researches which related to the Pygmalion Effect, the fact is also found that if we think the opposite way (negatively) a negative chain of consequences will arise so that the impact will tend to be negative.

Does this effect also take place at the workplace? The research of D Brian McNatt found that this human phenomenon also applies in all areas including for workers at their workplaces. It was concluded that the expectation given, be it to subordinates, fellow workers or superior is something which can create bad or good reality depending on that expectation. In other words, someone's performance tends to go up or go down, for one thing, depending on the expectation received.

Following is an example from some research reports concerning the Pygmalion Effect: A research with 2.874 respondents from different job areas involving Supervisors and Workers. All work areas were divided into two groups. The Supervisor of both groups was told positive information concerning group one while regarding group two he (the same Supervisor) was not given information about anything though in fact both groups have the same quality. The research result in general indicated that the first group has better performance than the second group.

It was further found that the Pygmalion Effect does not only apply to just positive effect, but also for negative expectation. It is even estimated that your negative expectation toward others or the environment around has stronger effect than positive expectation, meaning that the possibility of negative expectation becoming a fact is bigger than positive expectation. In daily working life often we find examples as the following: If a subordinate assumes his superior less brotherly, the superior will really be unfriendly, or on the contrary; if we assume that the staff do not work well, he or she finally will never succeed in our eyes.
Our thought and expectation often affect us as fulfilling prophecy or a forecast becoming fact, either negative or positive. Pygmalion Effect reminds us to be positive thinking always toward others and the environment. The Pygmalion pattern of thinking is to think, construe and hope only what is good concerning someone or situation so that the counter-return also will be good to us. Thus, ensure that you are a Pygmalion!!!

Sep 6, 2008

Teka-Teki Kepribadian


Jika kita amati sifat/ kepribadian dari pekerja disekeliling kita, akan terlihat betapa hampir setiap dari mereka berbeda satu sama lain. Ada yang cenderung pemikir sedang dilain tempat ada yang periang. Ada atasan yang gampang marah, sedang di tempat lain sabar bukan kepalang. Saat tertentu kita lihat meja kerja yang bersih mengkilat sedangkan meja sampingnya penuh file tak beraturan. Ada yang tidak bisa bekerja tanpa detail, sedang yang lain cukup dengan gambaran umum. Ada yang sering tertawa terbahak-bahak, atau ada juga yang senyum pun terlihat berhati-hati.

Kenyataan akan keunikan kepribadian manusia seperti diatas pernah dipertanyakan oleh Hippocrates, filosof yang hidup tahun 400 SM (2400 tahun lalu!). Setelah melakukan serangkaian penelitian, disimpulkan bahwa pada dasarnya kepribadian manusia dibagi menjadi empat kepribadian dasar dan kesimpulan itu masih berlaku sampai saat ini.

I. PHLEGMATIS DAMAI (Duduki topinya, dia akan cuek saja)
Cenderung rendah hati, mudah bergaul dan santai, diam, tenang dan mampu, sabar dan seimbang, konsisten, tenang tapi cerdas, simpatik dan baik hati, menyembunyikan emosi, bahagia dengan kehidupan, tidak tergesa-gesa, bisa memilah mana yang baik, pendengar yang baik, tidak suka menyinggung, selera humor menggigit, banyak teman, gampang menaruh iba, serba guna. Di pekerjaan mereka cakap, matang dan mantap, damai dan mudah sepakat, punya kemampuan administrative, penengah masalah, menghindari konflik, baik dibawah tekanan, menemukan cara mudah. Kelemahan mereka adalah cenderung lambat dan malas, pasif, penonton, menolak terlibat, terlalu melindungi diri, kurang cepat mengambil keputusan, penakut dan suka kawatir, pelit, suka memboroskan waktu.

II. SANGUINIS POPULER (Duduki topinya, dia akan menganggapnya lucu & tertawa)
Mereka cenderung berkepribadian menarik, suka berbicara, menghidupkan pesta, mempunyai rasa humor yang hebat, ingatan kuat atas warna, secara fisik memukau pendengar, emosional dan demonstratif, antusias dan ekspresif, tampak menyenangkan, tidak pendendam, periang dan penuh semangat, penuh rasa ingin tahu, baik di panggung, lugu dan polos, hidup realistis, mudah diubah, spontan, berhati tulus. Di pekerjaan mereka cenderung menjadi sukarelawan tugas, memikirkan kegiatan baru, tampak hebat dipermukaan, kreatif dan inovatif, energik dan antusias, menjadi inspirasi, dan mempesona orang lain untuk bekerja. Sedang kelemahannya adalah egois, kekanak-kanakan, suka dipuji, emosi kurang stabil, keinginan yang kurang kuat, kurang disiplin, kurang produktif dan membesar-besarkan.

III.KORELIS KUAT (Duduki topinya, dia akan marah)
Cenderung berbakat memimpin, tahu jawaban yg benar, dinamis dan aktif, perlu perubahan, memperbaiki kesalahan, berkemauan kuat dan tegas, tidak mudah patah semangat, bebas dan mandiri, memancarkan keyakinan, bisa melakukan apa saja. Kelemahannya adalah mudah tersinggung, sangat agresif, gampang marah, selalu benar, mendominasi, arogan, tegaan, sarkastis, dingin tak berperasaan, kurang bekerja sama, tidak terlalu perlu teman, tergesa-gesa, tidak sensitive terhadap detail. Di pekerjaan mereka berorientasi target, melihat dengan gambaran utuh, mau bekerja, unggul dalam keadaan darurat, terorganisasi baik, mencari pemecahan praktis, cepat bertindak, mendelegasikan pekerjaan, orientasi hasil, membuat target, berkembang dengan persaingan, merangsang kegiatan.

IV. MELANKOLIS SEMPURNA (Duduki topinya, dia akan sangat sedih dan kecewa)
Mereka yang bertipe melankolis cenderung mendalam dan penuh pikiran, analitis, serius dan tekun, cenderung jenius, berbakat dan kreatif, artistik atau musikal, menghargai keindahan, hati-hati berteman, setia, perhatian, gampang terharu, filosofis dan puitis, perasa, suka berkorban, penuh kesadaran dan idealis. Di pekerjaan mereka cenderung berorientasi jadwal, perfeksionis/ standar tinggi, rinci, gigih dan cermat, tertib dan terorganisasi, teratur dan rapi, ekonomis, melihat masalah, pemecahan kreatif, menyelesaikan apa yg sudah dimulai, suka diagram, grafik, bagan, daftar. Kelemahannya kurang bisa bergaul, menyendiri, suka mengkritik, berpikiran negatif, curiga, sensitive terhadap detail, emosi berubah-ubah.

Pendapat Hippocrates mengingatkan kita bahwa perbedaan kepribadian adalah suatu yang alami. Dengan tahu kelebihan dan kekurangan diri, kita bisa memilah mana yang perlu diperbaiki dan mana yang perlu dipertahankan. Dengan mengetahui kelebihan dan kekurangan masing-masing orang, kita bisa lebih mengerti orang lain, sehingga akan tercipta pergaulan yang lebih baik dengan teman kerja, atasan, bawahan atau dengan siapa saja.

The Power of Humor


A noted and respected speaker was up to the stage to deliver his presentation. As he was climbing up, he stumbled and fell, face first to the stage floor. The audience was dumbfounded and felt an overwhelming tenseness. Unexpectedly, the speaker stood up, dusted off his suit and with an innocent expression said, “Before I continue, are there any questions?” Immediately, the audience roared back in laughter. Using humor, in an instant he was able to regain his composure and control of the situation. Imagine what would happen if the speaker backed down from the stage, lashed at the host or even sulked and went home?

In the last 15 years, people’s perception of humor has changed. In the past, cracking jokes were considered a ridiculous and improper behaviour. Nowadays, humor can be accepted in places that were previously would make people raise their eyebrows, such as in company board rooms. For in reality, light and brilliant humor can produce big results. Stress causes our mind pendulum to swing to one side only. Humor is one of the way to balance the pendulum allowing our psyche to regain its middle position.

1. Humor heals.
Dr. Bernie Siegel and Dr. Patch Adams wrote a book on the power of hope and humor in healing. The story is put into film titled Patch Adams. Another important discovery i.e. laughter can strengthen body’s immunity, relaxes the nerves, calm down anger. For those who would like to have a pleasing face, do not make it habit to sport a sour face, as a sour expression requires more work – in comparison to laughter -- for the facial muscles.


2. Humor as a subtle criticism
Immersed in the dynamics of his own presentation, a consultant has a tendency to ramble on. The audience which were mostly business executives were annoyed, bored and restless. In the middle of the presentation, suddenly the sound system failed, making the consultant to stop his presentation and to ask his audience, “Can the gentleman in the back hear me without the microphone?” To which the gentleman referred to answered, “No!” Suddenly, one of the audience who sat at the front row stood up and said to the gentleman in the back, “I can hear, let us change seat. You in front and I’ll sit in the back.

3. Humor sells.
Selling need not mean to be interpreted physically. These days, ideas sell and even you can sell “yourself.” If you are a marketer, do not hesitate to laugh when it is appropriate, for basically “consumers” like sellers who can make them happy and who have sense of humor. If you are looking for a job, do not put on a tense face during interview.

4. Humor breaks the ice.
One night at a company event, one senior executive was “picked” by the ceremony host to sing. As he could not refuse to do so despite having no sufficient training for singing, he nevertheless went up the stage. After scanning the repertoire book for a suitable song, the high executive sang confidently reading out from the verses displayed in front of him. He was aware that his voice was not much to listen to, out of tune and often leaving the pianist accompanying him behind. He was also aware that the audience clapped their hands out of politeness and to avoid offending him. When he finished singing, he spoke through the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen, should my singing do not please you, that is not due to me, but the light is not bright enough making it difficult for me to read the verses!” The audience who were already felt ill-at-ease, immediately broke into laughter and the event host who was at a loss to find an appropriate comment was relieved. But what is most important, the ice had been broken!

5. Humor brings results.
Alice Dick, Operation Manager of Standard Motors, said: “When I asked a young man on what he wanted in his life, he said, “Your job.” This is the kind of man I would like to hire.

Eventually, homor brings something. Regardless of its need, humor often opens up a way to help us to be in control of that need. Humor diverts anger, creates credibility, increases rating, makes employees happy to work for us, drawing attention, overcome trubles, extend one’s life expectancy, makes us sleep well and makes others happy.