Can you think. Can corporate credit cards affect your credit? Lack of resources to solve problems

1) What is religion in the broad and narrow sense of the word? Is it possible, in your opinion, to give such a definition of it, which will equally suit both believers and atheists? Why?

2) Describe the role of religion in the life of a person, society, state. What is the moral force of religion?

3) What is world religion? What is the essence of the discussion about the number of world religions? What do you think, what criteria are used by those experts who name more than three world religions?

4) What role have world religions played and are playing in the history of mankind?

5) What role does the religious factor play in contemporary conflicts? Is it possible to say that often it is only a pretext for starting an armed confrontation?

Describe the main forms of the relationship between man and society. 4. What is the historical process? 5. How do you understand the connection of the past, present and future in the history of countries and peoples? Give examples. 6. Based on knowledge of history, literature, other subjects, give examples that characterize the role of the people in the historical process. 7. Is it true that a worldview can have not only an individual, but also a social group, a nation, historical era? Explain your opinion, confirm it with examples. 8. Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky (1841-1911) wrote that knowledge of the past is “not only a need for a thinking mind, but also an essential condition for conscious and correct activity,” because it gives that eye of the situation, then flair of the minute, which protect a person "both from inertia and from haste." And then he gives advice: “Determining the tasks and direction of our activities, each of us must be at least a little historian in order to become a conscious and conscientiously acting citizen.” What is the significance of these thoughts of V. O. Klyuchevsky for our days? 9. The word "civilization" and derivatives from it can mean: a) good manners, the ability to behave in society ("he was a completely civilized young man, with excellent manners and manners"); b) the stage of social development following savagery and barbarism; c) the state of society that recognizes the values ​​of peace, economic prosperity, freedom, legality (“in a civilized society there is no place for violence, crime, violation of the law, disrespect for human rights”); d) a set of manifestations of culture (“ancient civilization is a unique culture that underlies the European culture of subsequent eras”); e) a set of unique economic, social, political, spiritual, moral, psychological, value and other structures that distinguish one historical community of people from others (“the economy, power system, values, lifestyle and psychology of people of the Middle Ages distinguished this civilization from ancient or modern"). Which of these meanings are directly related to the characteristics of the historical process? Apply these propositions to the analysis of specific societies known to you.

Most likely, employees hide a lot of valuable information from you. About a project that goes wrong or about a negligent manager. They do not share their thoughts on how to increase sales or improve processes. According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR), it doesn't matter how open you are as a leader. Most subordinates would rather remain silent than question your undertakings or come up with new ideas.

And that's the case even if you think you're in politics" open doors". Just remember: how often do subordinates come to you, to your territory, to reveal the truth as it is? Even if you encouraged them to do so. In fact, they are afraid - justifiably or not - that you will take their remarks personally or consider such an act a manifestation of the “know-it-all syndrome”.

Managers have different means to encourage dialogue with the team: all sorts of surveys of the working atmosphere, collective feedback sessions. This can improve communication in both directions, although most often it does not work. People are simply afraid possible consequences and do not believe in the possibility of change.

Fear factor

You don't have to be a tyrant to instill fear in people. Thinking of yourself as an open person, to whom everyone should come with problems, you are rather making a mistake. Especially if you rely on popular practices from our list:

Trust in anonymous feedback

The promise of anonymity is a common method for obtaining honest feedback. Suggestion mailboxes, hotlines, corporate ombudsmen, satisfaction surveys all serve the same purpose. The logic is simple: if no one knows the author of the statement, negative consequences are excluded, so that people can speak freely.

There are at least three flaws in this reasoning.

First, anonymity emphasizes the danger of voicing thoughts and increases fear. The practice of anonymity has a very specific connotation: “It is not safe to openly share your thoughts here, so we have created such a channel for obtaining the necessary information.”

Second, anonymity can lead to witch hunts. Quite often, executives want to know who the author of the negative feedback is.

The third and probably the most important flaw is the inability to solve the described problem if it is not known where the signal came from. Suppose we receive information that the leader is behaving aggressively, incompetently, and so on. Neither the Human Resources nor the Ombudsman will be able to assess the extent of the problem, identify its causes and formulate recommendations. On the other hand, if the complaint is related to a specific incident, it is quite easy to calculate its source, so there can be no talk of real anonymity.

Formal invitation to dialogue

By itself, the principle of openness is passive. All the same, people need to get to you and initiate a dialogue themselves. A frightening prospect.

At one of the Fortune 500 insurance companies, the "field" workers had a very pleasant manager. He showed a genuine interest in the problems of subordinates and even took certain actions to eliminate difficulties. But the call center employees were still in no hurry to come to him with suggestions for improving the sales script, increasing efficiency and cross-selling. Why? Because his office was on another floor, behind four closed doors and guarded by three secretaries. Several hundred subordinates almost never saw their leader. They did not have the feeling that they knew each other sufficiently and had the right to freely address him.

You can object: “But people come to me”! And you will be right, however, there may be things and reasons with which they will not come to you, believing that it is not safe.

Symbols of power

Consciously or not, but most likely, you are spreading “vibes of power” around you. And they can force subordinates to remain silent.

What do you do when a subordinate enters your office? For example, lean back in your chair and cross your palms at the back of your head. You think that this is a relaxed and friendly posture, but in fact at this moment you dominate.

Or maybe you are sitting at a huge oak table, in an expensive ergonomic chair? At the same time, visitors are offered a much less comfortable and inexpensive chair of a smaller size? Even if your intentions are pure, you somehow remind subordinates who is in charge here and who should be feared.

futility factor

In most of the companies that HBR dealt with, the main reason for withholding ideas and anxiety was not even fear of the authorities, but the belief in the futility of their own actions.

The familiar approach “why am I going to bathe?” often provoked by the leaders themselves:

Bad role model

If the leader is not inclined to openly express his opinion, subordinates will definitely notice this.

If you do not broadcast the aspirations of your people upstairs, pre-filter their requests, your workers will stop shaking the air in vain. The same thing will happen if you remain silent in meetings when everyone knows there are pressing issues and ideas worth voicing. With formal power comes the obligation to be the "voice" of one's subordinates. Duty to take certain actions on their behalf. If you don’t do this, serve as the strongest demotivator for your own team.

When you don't know what you want to hear

Leaders respond best to ideas that resonate with their own thoughts. As a rule, there is nothing wrong with this. In the end, the manager needs to focus on priority points. At the same time, it is difficult to admit that this or that idea did not catch on. As a result, the effect of “pseudo-participation” is created: the ritual of “listening” is reproduced, but there is no intention to do anything.

If the topic of the meeting is too long, all your “catch” will have little to do with what you really want to accomplish. Do not indicate what kind of thoughts you want to hear, and most of what has been said will turn out to be elementary unnecessary. In this way, you will inform employees that it is useless to express ideas.

Lack of resources to solve problems

The leaders of universities, financial companies, large enterprises in retail and other areas are happy to spend thousands and even millions of dollars to collect information and ideas. And then no one, not a single person is engaged in the study and analysis of the collected data, not to mention the creation of a standard process for their evaluation.

Allocating huge resources to collecting ideas, and then not getting acquainted and not implementing at least some of them is a gross mistake. The most powerful message is that the ideas and efforts of employees are not able to change anything.

Yes, it is not easy to talk to subordinates, but it is possible. HBR believes that this can be achieved in the following ways:

Feedback should become commonplace

If you regularly seek the opinion of employees and hold face-to-face meetings, the exchange of ideas ceases to be a daunting event. Hold regular meetings with subordinates and do not cancel them if you cannot formulate an agenda.

Dedicate an entire meeting to feedback from employees. Tell the team the focus of the meeting (such as a brainstorming or planning session) and tell them what problems or opportunities you would like to discuss. At the same time, explain to your people that they do not need to prepare a fully developed argument for each proposal in advance. And as soon as the first daredevil finishes his speech, thank him and publicly recognize the value of his contribution to the common cause. Especially if he criticizes the existing order of things. At the end of the meeting, be sure to implement at least one idea or solve one problem from among those voiced. And be sure to express public gratitude to the author.

Transparency and openness

Transparency of feedback will reduce the level of fears and increase the involvement of employees. At a healthcare company, the VP of Quality put together a six-week plan to capture and implement process improvement ideas in key areas. She planned three separate phases: two weeks to collect ideas through an online platform; two weeks to assess the impact and feasibility of ideas; two weeks - for setting priorities, forming a timeline and a corporate-wide announcement of the project.

Go to the people

If you really want to know what people think, ask them. Otherwise, you may be contacted when it's too late or too bad. Try not to ignore good offers that don't line up with your current priorities.

And remember, seeking feedback informally is usually much more effective than just being open and waiting for it to come into your hands.

When you need feedback, go to people who know what you don't know. The immediate environment is very similar to you in terms of background, vision of the future and knowledge. New people can tell you how the company works and they will have a fresh look at the strengths and weak sides organizations.

Extinguish the aura of power

If you want the truth, turn down the power of your "aura of power." One of effective ways- communication on the territory that "belongs" to employees.

Of course, some of the conversations will require the privacy of your office. Set up a small table with chairs of the same size and quality so that you can sit next to the visitor and not overwhelm them. The shape of the table also matters. It is easy to dominate sitting behind an oval or rectangular piece of office furniture. But there is no “chief” at the round table. Think about your wardrobe too: do you need a tie for a meeting with the creative team? Your goal is to become one of the members of the collective.

Avoid Ambiguous Signals

In one research organization, management was puzzled when newly hired talented scientists turned out to be far from the most energetic employees.

It turned out that despite the official policy to hire only the best in their field, the company regularly made employees feel like complete idiots. At the first meeting of senior management with newcomers, they were traditionally made fools, and the ideas were criticized. It became obvious that there was an atmosphere in the company where it was not safe to challenge the status quo. Even at informal "creative" meetings, employees were constantly reprimanded for not using the corporate PowerPoint template and not following the word-count rule on a slide. On the one hand, the company boasted that it hired the best personnel, and on the other hand, it immediately drove them into the most severe limits.

Be an example

Most of your subordinates understand that you do not control all the resources and do not make all the decisions necessary to fix their problems. Trying to determine whether it is worth going with the problem to you, they are trying to figure out how capable you are of representing their interests in front of higher management. And they experience an extraordinary surge of inspiration when they personally see how you stand up for their rights.

Unfortunately, this is not always an affordable option. Subordinates cannot always be present during your meetings with superiors. However, you can keep them up to date and involve them directly in further stages of interaction.

For example, instead of letting them suspect you of inaction, let them know that management has expressed uncertainty about some numbers and is not prepared to prioritize this particular issue over others. And then take this person with you to the meeting so that he will provide additional information that is able to convince the higher authorities.

There are many pluses here. First, you show your people that you are committed to representing them. In any case, they will appreciate it, regardless of the result. Secondly, they will better understand the limitations that you and those who stand above you have. Thirdly, in this way they see how things are progressing, and do not remain in obscurity. And this brings us to the last recommendation.

close the circle

Don't want people to think their ideas go straight to the trash? Tell them about your activities and expected results. According to a survey of 35,000 employees in different companies, HBR found that an open circle of information increases the level of employee confidence in the futility of voicing ideas by 30%. However, if the leader had already “closed” this circle in the past, subordinates were 19% more willing to share ideas with him.

Parents, can your children count on your support under any circumstances, in any situation? This question will probably seem silly to you. “Of course, my children can rely on me!” you say.

But do your kids know about it?

In one family, a father ruthlessly criticized a 16-year-old son, disapproved of his ideas, humiliated him and said: “Your body is big, but your mind is small!”

But one evening, the guy accidentally overheard the conversation of his parents and was amazed at the love with which his father talked about him. His father never directly spoke to him about his love, believing that it was not masculine. He thought that it was simply indecent to give his son approval.

Oh, how I would like to take this father by the shoulders, give him a good shake and say that he is wrong. After all, if he does not treat his son differently, he will lose him.

Our Heavenly Father keeps telling us, His sons and daughters, how much He loves us, and God sees nothing wrong with that. “I love you,” says our Heavenly Father, “and therefore I sent my Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins so that we could be one family again!”

In fact, the love of God is the main theme of the Bible. After all, if statements about God's love for man are removed from the pages of the Bible, Holy Scripture will be deprived of a central truth. It will be like a man without a heart.

The Bible is very clear that God is on our side, and therefore we can fully rely on Him. Listen to these promises:

"I'm with you; and I will keep you wherever you go…” (Gen. 28:15). “I, I Myself, am your Comforter...” (Isaiah 51:12). "For the Lord your God is coming with you to fight for you against your enemies and to save you..." (Deut. 20:4). “For the Lord delights in His people...” (Ps. 149:4). “See what love the Father has given us, that we may be called and be children of God...” (1 John 3:1). “I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more...” (Jer. 31:34). “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are on their cry...” (Ps. 33:16).

Let me paraphrase these promises of the Lord:

- I'm with you. I will comfort you. I will protect you. I am pleased with you. I love you. I forgive you. I'm always ready to listen to you.

Try to remember when was the last time you told your children about your love? If God constantly reminds us, His children, that He loves us, that we can rely on Him, then we should also try to express our love for our children, we should make efforts to assure them of our love.

What amazing changes can happen in families if fathers and mothers can reassure their children that they love them?! How wonderful it would be if a father, who noticed his daughter's distress, could come up, hug her and say: “I want you to know that you can rely on me completely!” If a mother, every time she sees that her son is upset, could hug him and say: “Don't forget, you can count on my help!”

Let's think about the following seven scenarios:

Scenario #1: Your daughter comes home from school and you ask, "How are you at school?" To which she replies: “Terrible! Masha doesn't talk to me, Galya laughs at me, and Lyuba teases me! Nobody is friends with me! They are all against me."

Now consider three possible answers:

The first option: You do not pay attention to the words of your daughter.

Second option: You remind your daughter that she has quarreled with all family members, and therefore it is not surprising that she does not get along with friends either.

Third option: You tell your daughter: “You can rely on me, tell me everything in order!”

Which of the three options will improve and strengthen your relationship? Which of the three options resonates with God's promise, "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" (Gen. 28:15)?

Scenario #2: Your son comes into the house with tears in his eyes because his comrades tease him. He is very upset.

Option 1: You don't pay attention to him.

Second option: You tell him that he shouldn't be such a nanny.

Third option: You say: “Let's talk. Go, I'll comfort you!"

I understand that it is impossible to run to the child every time he has tears in his eyes, literally burdening him with my consolations. But when children are in trouble, they need to know that you are there, as close as God is, that you can comfort them. The Lord promises: "I, I Myself, am your Comforter..." (Isaiah 51:12).

Scenario #3: Your son is upset because his friends all caught big fish, and no matter how hard he tried, he didn't catch anything. Your daughter has trouble with arithmetic.

Option 1: You don't pay any attention to them.

Second option: You say: “Why are you telling me about this? I've always been a good fisherman" or "I've never had a problem with arithmetic."

Third option: You say: “I will teach you how to fish”, or “Bring me a book on arithmetic, I will try to help you!”
Which of the three options reminds you of God's promise: "For the Lord your God is coming with you to fight for you against your enemies and save you..." (Deut. 20:4).

Scenario #4: Your daughter returned home. She is very excited. Finally, my daughter got a B in arithmetic, despite the fact that arithmetic is rather difficult for her.

Option 1: You don't pay attention to her.

Second option: You say that if she tried even harder, she could get an A.

Third option: You say: “I am very happy! Well done!"

Which of the three options reminds you of God's promise, "For the Lord delights in His people..." (Ps. 149:4)?

Scenario #5: You don't quite like your son's friends. You are worried that he may fall under their bad influence.

The first option: You do not pay attention to the current situation.

Option 2: You remind your son again and again that he must not stray from the straight, narrow path.

Third option: Every day you tell your son: “I love you! I hope you don't do anything that will upset God or family members. If you have questions, if you want to talk, I'm always ready to listen!”
Which of the three options reminds you of God's promise: "See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we may be called and be children of God..." (1 John 3:1)?

Scenario #6: Your opinion differed from the opinion of your daughter, she was rude to you. But later she expressed regret about what had happened and asked for forgiveness.

Option 1: You were silent.

The second option: In response to rudeness, they answered with rudeness.

Third option: You say: “I know that you accidentally flared up, that you did not want to be rude, and I am sure that this will not happen again. I forgive you." Which of the three options resembles the words of God's promise: "I will forgive their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more..." (Jeremiah 31:34)?

Scenario #7: Your son comes running home with some very important news about his friend. He starts to tell you what happened, but you are busy in the kitchen or reading the newspaper.

The first option: You continue to cook or read the newspaper, not paying attention to your son.

Second option: You scold your son for distracting you and advise you never to do anything like that.

The third option: You decide that the kitchen and the newspaper can wait, and your son needs to be paid attention. And so say: "I'm listening to you, tell me what happened." Which of these three options reminds you of God's promise: "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears to their cry..." (Ps. 33:16)?

It is quite obvious that in each scenario the third option is a kind of paraphrase of one of the seven biblical promises. So, we can say that the best answer is the third option. Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me..." (Matt. 12:30). Don't be surprised that sometimes your children have similar feelings towards you.

Dear parents, if you make an effort every day to assure your children of your love, you will be surprised at the effect it will have on your relationship with them. It seems to me that in such a relationship, conflicts between children and parents will resolve themselves, because the family is a place of mutual support and comfort.

Parents who want to be a support for their children wish them success. They want their children to be happy and contented, to have good relationships with others and with the Lord. Words of love and comfort from parents can become those bricks, that mortar, with which you can build a life that is pleasing to God, a life that brings joy.

In conclusion, I would like you to remember someone close to you on whom you can rely. Where do you get such confidence in him? What did this person do for you in particular? What was special about his words?

And now I would like to offer you a few questions that will help determine if you are playing a similar role in the lives of your children, i.e. whether you are the kind of father or mother that children can count on under any circumstances.

- Can your children say: “Whatever happens, I can count on parental understanding and help”?

- Can your daughter say to a friend: “When I am in pain, when everything is not going well with me, first of all I turn to my parents for help. No one else can help me like this"?

- Can your son say to a friend: “When I try, even if I don’t meet all the expectations of my parents, they are always satisfied with my work”?

Can your children assure their friends, “Our parents truly love us. They love us even when we don't deserve their love?

- Can your daughter say to a friend: “When I express regret for an oversight or rudeness, I have no doubt that my parents will forgive me”?

- Can your son be sure: “My parents know how to listen. When I want to talk, they are ready to listen”?

I personally want my children to have the confidence that they can rely on me. When they have difficulties and it seems that the whole world is against them, I want them to know that they always have a refuge, that they can turn to their father. After all, this is how God treats us!

John Peisty
www.cityofgod.org

Find out your fate by deciphering the lines on your own palms. How to do it? The dominant (leading) hand represents your current life and who you are. The other hand reflects personal relationships and emotional aspects.

● Life line

It extends in an arc, starting in the area between the thumb and forefinger and resting on the wrist.
Thick line:
You are full of enthusiasm, rarely get sick and are distinguished by fortitude.
Weak pronounced or broken line:
You react painfully to stress or face health problems.
Intersects with head line:
There is a lot of distrust and negativity in you.
Does not intersect with head line:
You are an independent person, but you do not always know how to empathize.

● Fate line

The line starts at the base of the palm near the wrist and extends towards the middle finger.
Thick and Straight:
Your life is developing very productively.
The line is missing or very thin:
You will either be very dependent, or, on the contrary, have great power over others.
Bifurcated:
If there are two or more of these lines, and they start from different points, this shows that you have a huge potential hidden in you and you can enjoy life.

● Heart line

It starts under the little finger and goes to the index finger, usually ending between the index and middle fingers.
Starts ¼ below the little finger:
You have good mental abilities and average flexibility. You know how to get what you want in love.
Close to little finger:
You tend to close outside world and afraid to give your heart. But if you fall in love, then it is deep and for a long time.
Far from the little finger:
You are a fearless and selfless person.

● Mind line

It shows your ability to think, as well as the chronology of your life. It is located directly above the life line and runs across the entire palm.
Coincides with the life line at the beginning:
The more these lines intersect, the more insecure and negative you are. On the other hand, you are a very stable person.
Long line:
You are dependent or have power over others.
Bifurcated:
If you have two or more lines with different starting points, this is an indication that you are very smart and adaptive.

● Line of love

This is your relationship with the opposite sex, plus communication skills.
More than two:
If you have two or more lines with different starting points, this shows that you have great potential in the field of relationships.
Noticeable and straight line:
You are a very dedicated and reliable partner.
There is no line or it is very thin:
You have to work hard to win love.

● Line of money

It starts at the ring finger.
Long and conspicuous:
You are the type of person who saves money for the future.
There is no line or it is very short:
You are not attached to money, but you work very hard to just have it.
Lots of short lines:
Perhaps you are very careless with money. You spend them a little thoughtlessly on yourself and your friends.
Starts under the little finger and runs to the center of the palm:
The clearer the line, the luckier you are in financial matters. You can very well become a rich person.
It starts under the ring finger and runs to the center of the palm:
Most likely, you will get a family business or a good inheritance!

● Marriage line

It shows how successful you are in marriage and family life generally.
Line going up:
The higher the better. You will have good marriage and great family.
Line going down:
You may have problems in your marriage. Love is not on your priority list.
Forked end:
This is an indicator of divorce and the collapse of relationships.

Do not take such interpretations too seriously. Your palm lines often change depending on the situation, time and environment you are in. However, do not forget to glance at them from time to time!

Whether you travel a lot as part of your job, or make routine purchases on behalf of the company you work for, having a corporate credit card can be extremely convenient. In most cases, you simply assume the cost of the card and the company pays the bills. It's such a common occurrence that many people don't even think about what could go wrong until it's too late.

Despite their common use as a business tool, corporate cards have a hidden flaw. Simply put, if the company does not pay its bills, you may be liable for outstanding payments. Failure to pay can damage your credit score and make it difficult, expensive, or even impossible to get a loan.

The devil is in the details

To make sure you fully understand your corporate card, you need to carefully read the account opening documents. Corporate cards can be issued different ways. In some cases, you will find out that the person to whom the card was issued is responsible for the costs, even if the cardholder's employer is actually the one making the payments. Individual liability means that you are responsible for any and all debts that are at stake.

Some cards have joint responsibility. For them, both the employer and the employee are responsible for the costs. While the employer often pays the tab if it goes unpaid, the employee is stuck with bills.

In other situations, a corporation may be listed as the responsible party. While this is the ideal scenario for most employees, even corporate responsibility can have its limits. Personal fees paid to the card may be excluded from the agreement. And overdue bills can lead to fundraising against an employee and negative credit. Failure to pay by the firm may result in personal liability for costs.

Small business owners should be especially careful. Banks tend to be cautious when lending to small businesses, so credit cards are often issued with commitments that remove the business owner's personal liability for any expenses that the company does not pay (see below). Pros and Cons of Small Business Loan Cards). This is another risk that a small business owner must be willing to take in exchange for the freedom and opportunity to be his/her own boss. If you encounter a problem, The best ways restoring your credit score can help you get back on track.

Payment issues aside, it's important to know that many corporate card issuers do credit checks on employees before issuing a card. This is done because the issuer wants to make sure that the recipient has a history of using credit in a responsible manner. The verification is supported by the employee's credit report and may result in a temporary reduction in the employee's credit score. In many cases, a credit check is of little or no relevance, but if you are in the loan market, a temporary hit to your credit score can cost you money.

Protect myself

Regardless of the type of corporate card you hold, responsible use of a credit card is always the right personal policy. The first step in this process is to read the fine print when registering for the card. This is done so that you understand the responsibility that you accept. If some time has passed since the signing of the card, contact the department accounting or benefits from your employer so that you can access the information you need.

You should also run a credit report on yourself to see how the various corporate cards you hold appear.

The next step is to pay your bills on time. This is easy to do if you are personally responsible for making payments. If your employer processes payments, check your application every month to make sure everything is paid in full and on time.

Outcome

If your name appears on a corporate credit card, it's safe to assume that failing to pay your bills could hurt your credit. For most employees of large corporations, the risk is likely to be minimal. However, it's better to be safe than sorry. To avoid embarrassing and potentially costly mistakes, take your documents and read them before accepting or using your card. At the very least, you will know what type of liability is associated with your card, and where you stand if problems arise.

Even in the best case scenario where your expenses are fully covered by your employer through a credit card that has what is often referred to as commercial or commercial liability, you should still keep an eye on your corporate card balance and make sure it is paid on time and in full. . A little caution can go a long way in protecting your credit score. See more about credit cards. Credit Cards: An Introduction .