Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Using The Internet To Find Workers

his article will give you some great tips for using the Internet to find employees that work well in your business.

Make sure you pay attention to everything discussed here because it's important when using the net for employee searching.

Our world is becoming more digitized every day, and online venues can be great places to look for good help. However,you will need to be sure you tailor your message to attract the kind of help you need, and you should be prepared to weed out quite a few applicants who don't understand what you're looking for, no matter how carefully you word your job listing.

With online ads, the "where" matters more than it does for print classifieds. In most cases, a free online classified will not generate much interest. You can check with your local paper to see if they have a website with a classified section, many of them do, and listing on them is less costly than print; in some cases it's free. Job boards and forums are another good place to post classifieds, because job seekers can search listings by location and generally employers can post for free.

Typically, you can include a lot more information in an online help-wanted ad than in a print classified ad. Here are some tips on writing effective employment ads for online forums and classified sections:

1. Keep your language clear and concise. Use action words to describe what you're looking for, both to ensure job seekers understand, and to portray your company as a great place to work.

2. Create a detailed job description, so the candidates know exactly what is expected of them. This will also help to reduce the number of unqualified applicants you receive.

3. Target the forums and message boards where you're most likely to get qualified candidates. There are plenty of places online where like minds gather, and the more closely the people who will see your message are to your industry, the better the applications you'll receive.

4. Job banks are a great place to start. Places like Monster Jobs and Yahoo hot jobs attract a large number of job-seekers from many different areas, so you will probably get local talent and interest there.

5. Remember, you want your company to look good, so be sure to list any benefits and perks, including a great work environment.

6. Don't forget to include contact information! Make sure it's easy for potential employees to respond to your ad, the job market is fiercely competitive, and there are plenty of other companies waiting to get the best employees for themselves.

You now have a bunch of tips for safely using the Internet to locate potential employees. Make sure that you use all of these strategies so that you have the best chance of getting a great employee.

What to Look For When Looking For An Employee

This section will give you all of the tools you need for properly evaluating an employee.

What makes a good employee? There are several things you can look for during the application and interview processes that will help to ensure you hire good people the first time. The screening process should start with the initial application or resume.

One step you definitely shouldn't skip is the background check.Though there may be a small cost involved in this, it's important to make sure anyone you are considering hiring has supplied you with accurate information, and doesn't have a criminal background (or has sufficient record of dismissal).

Here are a few alarming statistics from HireRight, a company that verifies resume information and conducts background checks:

1. 10 percent of applications and resumes contain serious background misrepresentation

2. 30 percent of job applicants exaggerate accomplishments to look good on paper

3. 34 percent of applications and resumes contain outright lies regarding ability, education, and experience.

As you can see, background checks are an important step in the hiring process.

Nice people make the best employees. In general, they are fast learners, easy to teach, and fun to be around. If it comes down to choosing between an exceptionally qualified and rude candidate, or a nice one who may need a bit of extra training to get up to speed, it's in your best interests to choose the nice person every time.

Other than being nice, what qualities should good employees possess? Here are a few examples of qualities and characteristics to look for:

1. Responsibility: Seek people who will see their tasks through to the end, and will claim responsibility for their work and their actions on the job.

2. Initiative: Does the candidate demonstrate an interest in self-starting? Look for someone who will find something to do when they run out of work, rather than someone who'll wait to be told what to do, and then rush through the assignment.

3. Discipline: Good employees are able to focus and complete a task or assignment thoroughly.

4. Positive: The best employees are generally cheerful, even when working on an assignment they don't particularly enjoy.

5. Consistent: Look for employers who are dependable, show up on time, and will put in extra effort when necessary to finish the job.

6. Empathetic: Your employees should be able to recognize when coworkers or customers are having trouble, and be courteous and aware of their needs.

7. Modest: Look for people who give credit where credit is due, and don't try to claim all the recognition for the work of the team.

This set of tricks for evaluating employees before you actually hire them should give you an extremely high chance of finding that perfect employee.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Leadership Secrets for Great Meetings with just the right number

Ineffective and poorly- run meetings serve as one of the top talent and time wasters. Develop the skill to run a tight, highly focused meeting with just the right number and kind of people in attendance and your stature as a leader rises.

First, figure out what is the specific outcome of the meeting and start with that as the written objective. Give your meeting a name that even states the “objective”. Next, ask yourself who has the greatest information or talent and should be at the meeting. Figure the personnel cost for the meeting. For example, if an employee has an average annual salary of $50,000, the per hour cost for that one person is $96 per hour. (This includes salary plus benefits and general company overhead). You can extrapolate other salary costs from this base. Here are other tips to make this meeting move from average to great:

(1) Put a specific time frame on the meeting and start on time. If people show up late, create some fun—but telling— response for tardiness. In one organization, the latecomer has to sing to everyone. In another, the latecomer buys cokes for everyone. In another, the latecomer is given a scarlet “L” on a tent card. In Saturn Automotive plant meetings, if the door is closed, you are late and an alarm rings if you try to enter.

(2) Develop good facilitation skills, making sure everyone participates and is heard from

(3) Summarize questions, outcomes, actions. Summarize frequently

(4) Have the names of who should attend on the agenda, which is sent out at least 48 hours in advance.

(5) Create a “parking lot” notebook. If an issue is brought up that is not on the agenda but might be addressed at another time, write it down so it can be tackled.

(6) Consider a stand-up meeting. To move people through quickly, have no chairs in the meeting room. It’s amazing how quickly people can get work done when there is no place to sit.

(7) At the end of the meeting, and as a way of staying focused and practicing continuous improvement of meeting management, tell the group the personnel cost of the meeting and if the money could have been spent more wisely in another format?

(8) Make sure a summary of the meeting is sent to the participants along with any action items or next steps, a due date, and the person or groups to which they are assigned. (9) To break a meeting routine, you might consider beginning by asking people to come prepared to tell the group about some person whom they want to acknowledge for outstanding service. Starting off by highlighting positive performance—particularly of unsung employees—is a powerful gesture.

(9) Don’t forget to say thank you. Time is the only true non-renewable, irreplaceable resource. When people give you their time, they gave you a piece of their lives.


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Business Expansion Plan For Small Entrepreneurs

Every small business will eventually feel the heat and find the need for expansion. The time will come when the small plans that worked when first starting the business may no longer be sufficient.

Understanding What to Expand

The buzzword 'business expansion' may be catchy to outsiders but as a business owner you need to understand precisely what to expand in order that the scarce resources that you do have are optimized.

1. You feel increasing personnel helps increase production to meet growing demand.

2. Maximized labor can't cope with the market demand and you have identified that automating business operations would both reduce costs and increase efficiency.

3. International demand cannot be met as the business is operating now. Diverse markets need localized service points.

4. You need to keep more inventory on hand because price fluctuations don't allow just-in-time procurement. You are contemplating using a warehouse facility for storage.

5. Your supply chain is hard pressed; it is difficult to manage with the existing logistics operation.

The need for expansion can be a combination of above and you know well that you can hardly push it any further without expanding.

Planning Your Business Expansion

Having identified the exact nature of the expansion needed, the next step is careful planning. Let's examine each of the above cases.

1. Increasing personnel doesn't require increased funds. Payroll can be taken care of from the increased revenue from the business.

2. Automated machinery calls for extra skills for operating it. Ideally, you would train a few of your best people to operate the machines or hire extra personnel. Normally, the company that was used to procure the machinery will also provide training as needed. Y

3. Opening localized service points need not be by buying or renting real estate unless you have explored the possibility of outsourcing. This is where having a website comes in handy. The Internet is by far the best way to reach overseas clients. Also, using this method, your business will be open 24/7.

4. Constructing or leasing a new warehouse will increase your asset base but not without a huge investment. You should critically analyze if you can get by with the existing space, maximized by using retractable storage racks, thereby creating more space within your existing warehouse.

5. There is no substitute for augmenting logistics. Your options are either contracting out the supply chain or managing logistics yourself.

Knowing when and how to expand your business is essential for continued success. If you find that you are struggling to keep up with demand, and certain operations are continually pressed for time, then expansion is an option that you will want to carefully consider.

Time Management for Business Owners

It is important for business owners to make the most of every minute of the day. After all, you are trying to grow your company into something special. For this reason, time management is very important.

Do you manage your time everyday with a high degree of efficiency? If so, you do not have anything to worry about as you are probably on the right track. Of course, there is always room for improvement. Even if you think you are using your time wisely, you never know when a few changes here and there could make a big difference.

As the owner you need to learn how to become the best time manager in your company. You are in charge of everybody from your right hand man down to the newest employee on your payroll. For this reason, the way you manage your time is very important.

Fortunately, there are ways to increase your time management proficiency. Not to mention the fact that practice makes perfect. Once you are in the habit of making the most of your time, you will continue to do so day after day without even thinking about it.

How do you feel about your time management skills? If you have any room for improvement, and you probably do, now is the time to do something about it. Soon enough you will find yourself working more efficiently and having more time available than ever. This is sure to make you a better business owner, while helping to increase profits.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Secrets To Leadership Exposed

Much has been written about leadership: rules, pointers, styles, and biographies of inspiring leaders throughout world history.

But there are certain leadership ideas that we ourselves fail to recognize and realize in the course of reading books. Here is a short list of things you thought you knew about leadership.

1. Leaders come in different flavors.

There are different types of leaders and you will probably encounter more than one type in your lifetime. Formal leaders are those we elect into positions or offices such as the senators, congressmen, and presidents of the local clubs.

Informal leaders or those we look up to by virtue of their wisdom and experience such as in the case of the elders of a tribe, or our grandparents; or by virtue of their expertise and contribution on a given field such as Albert Einstein in the field of Theoretical Physics and Leonardo da Vinci in the field of the Arts.

Both formal and informal leaders practice a combination of leadership styles.
- Lewin's three basic leadership styles ;authoritative, participative, and delegative
- Likert's four leadership styles ;exploitive authoritative, benevolent authoritative, consultative, and participative
- Goleman's six emotional leadership styles - visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding.

2. Leadership is a process of becoming.

Although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential. So like learning how to ride a bicycle, you can also learn how to become a leader and hone your leadership abilities.

Knowledge on leadership theories and skills may be formally gained by enrolling in leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences. Daily interactions with people provide the opportunity to observe and practice leadership theories.

Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, gain leadership insights, and thus furthering the cycle of learning. You do not become a leader in one day and just stop. Life-long learning is important in becoming a good leader for each day brings new experiences that put your knowledge, skills, and attitude to a test.

3. Leadership starts with you.

The best way to develop leadership qualities is to apply it to your own life. As an adage goes 'action speaks louder than words.' Leaders are always in the limelight.

Keep in mind that your credibility as a leader depends much on your actions: your interaction with your family, friends, and co-workers; your way of managing your personal and organizational responsibilities; and even the way you talk with the newspaper vendor across the street. Repeated actions become habits.

Habits in turn form a person's character. Steven Covey's book entitled 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides good insights on how you can achieve personal leadership.

4. Leadership is shared.

Leadership is not the sole responsibility of one person, but rather a shared responsibility among members of an emerging team.

A leader belongs to a group. Each member has responsibilities to fulfill. Formal leadership positions are merely added responsibilities aside from their responsibilities as members of the team.

Effective leadership requires members to do their share of work. Starting as a mere group of individuals, members and leaders work towards the formation of an effective team. In this light, social interaction plays a major role in leadership.

To learn how to work together requires a great deal of trust between and among leaders and members of an emerging team. Trust is built upon actions and not merely on words. When mutual respect exists, trust is fostered and confidence is built.

5. Leadership styles depend on the situation.

How come dictatorship works for Singapore but not in the United States of America? Aside from culture, beliefs, value system, and form of government, the current situation of a nation also affects the leadership styles used by its formal leaders.

There is no rule that only one style can be used. Most of the time, leaders employ a combination of leadership styles depending on the situation. In emergency situations such as periods of war and calamity, decision-making is a matter of life and death.

Thus, a nation's leader cannot afford to consult with all departments to arrive at crucial decisions. The case is of course different in times of peace and order -different sectors and other branches of government can freely interact and participate in governance.

Another case in point is in leading organizations. When the staffs are highly motivated and competent, a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles of leadership is most appropriate.

But if the staffs have low competence and low commitment, a combination of high coaching, high supporting, and high directing behavior from organizational leaders is required.

Now that you are reminded of these things, keep in mind that there are always ideas that we think we already know; concepts we take for granted, but are actually the most useful insights on leadership.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Recession Advice - How Vehicle Tracking can improve Fleet Efficiency

ehicle tracking systems have been available to fleet managers for some time and despite an initially slow uptake in the technology, they have now become very popular amongst those who run commercial fleets. Not only do they give fleet managers peace of mind knowing that they have the exact location of every vehicle in their fleet at any one time - they can also improve fleet efficiency too, an important factor during a time of economic hardship.

A GPS tracker works by using a triangulating algorithm to give the precise location of the vehicle it is fitted to. This information is fed through to a remote-operating centre, which can then chart the location of every vehicle in the fleet. Through this mapping system, fleet managers can prioritise routes or re-allocate a vehicle to a pick-up, minimising the time that the customer waits for their collection and maximising efficiency. The utility services and network companies running fleets of mobile engineers are also finding this system extremely useful, as it allows them to allocate call-outs to the nearest available vehicle. Courier and delivery services have been using vehicle tracking systems for several years and were the first organisations to really appreciate the benefits of such a system.

Vehicle tracking systems don't just relay information on a vehicle's location, though. Good quality systems can also provide fleet management professionals with additional information such as the speed of a vehicle. Speeding is an extremely inefficient operation as increased speed invariably means increased fuel consumption. Major fleets that have used these systems have been able to reduce their annual fuel bills by up to 40% just through the information provided by vehicle tracking systems.

By spending a little company capital at the outset, a GPS vehicle tracking system can help facilitate effective scheduling, which results in a reduction in the amount of time vehicles are standing idle or not being used at optimum efficiency. They can also reduce delivery time delays and improve supply chain management by enabling fleet managers to prioritise routes. This leads to better customer relations as fleet managers are able to give their customers more accurate estimated arrival times.

Another saving comes in a more unexpected area. Fleet insurance policies can be cripplingly expensive, particularly for small and medium sized companies. However, insurers now regard vehicle tracking devices as a major force in the fight against vehicle theft and offer substantial policy discounts for fleets with GPS trackers fitted. Faster recovery times of stolen vehicles, a reduction in the potential damage to stolen vans and cars by thieves and eliminating the need to hire replacement vehicles to cover the shortfall left as a result of a vehicle theft all add up to a considerable annual saving.

Vehicle tracking systems can also tell a fleet manager if vehicles are being used out of hours by drivers for their own, personal use. Technically, this could be regarded as misappropriation of a company vehicle and can cost firms a great deal of money over the course of a year. If a driver knows that their movements are being plotted by a remote GPS tracking device, then he or she will be less inclined to use a company vehicle inappropriately. Again, this all adds up to savings for the company.

In a time of recession, every business is looking for ways to improve productivity, efficiency and cut costs. Although it may seem strange to advocate spending money on a complex vehicle tracking system during these lean times, the long-term savings these systems represent are financially prudent and an essential part of effective fleet management.

Managing People the Right Way

Whether you're the manager of two people at a manufacturing plant or 50 people with a Wall Street address, the rules of good management are the same. One of the most important items in Management 101 to address is:

• People work with you, not for you.

When introducing a team member in your department, kindly introduce them as: "I'd like to introduce you to Joanne. She works with me in Quality Control." This will leave a lasting impression on people above your title as they quickly realize you're a dedicated team player, recognizing the value of the great people who work with you. Additionally, it will give "Joanne" a boost, knowing that she is valuable to you and the company and promotes her feelings of self worth. No one is a "subordinate" of yours…leave that for the military!

Another critical tip which many management people forget is:

• Share your knowledge and background experiences with everyone who works with you.

Too many managers simply assign work for the people entrusted to them. Think of where you started…not at the top, I'll bet! Give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are just as intelligent and worthy as you. More times than not, taking the time to share the whole picture of the project and where everyone fits into it will obtain the final results sooner and make you look like a bigger person. Failure to honor their questions, instead keeping everything "close to the vest", only shows a manager's insecurity. Unless you're associated with the FBI or CIA, there is no reason not to share your knowledge. Your staff will succeed and gain much under your direction, and it will filter through the grapevine that you're a fantastic person to work with which, of course, will tell upper management that you're ready for the next step up.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sales Process

The theory of sales process improvement focuses on several aspects, all of which will make your company a bigger success. The fundamentals of the sales process involve much of which revolves around both customer and company satisfaction; therefore it can be a premium to invest in some sales process consulting to make a stronger work environment. Sales process improvement is beneficial for any company, and it is highly recommended by many to stress the importance of the sales process to your sales team staff.

The sales process can be dealt with in various manners. The key is to develop strategies which work to meet the individual needs of your clients.

One of the best tools for sales process improvement is to really focus on those with whom you wish to work, and who conversely choose to work with you. Stop wasting time on others who are not going to be won over by your products.

Have your advertising and public relations appeal to a wide audience. Yes, focus upon your target; however, do not limit the demographics of that audience. Make your marketing appealing to all.

Tweak your communication and presentation skills so that these never fail you. Have ready information about your company at all times. Remain current about product knowledge, and be able to communicate clearly with your clients and prospects.

Sales process consulting will further encourage your business to train and hire only the best in your field. Let your company develop a reputation as the best by putting your well-educated staff in the field. Business will certainly follow.

Finally, really utilize the strategies stressed in sales process improvement. Put the methods into practice and you are sure to see increases in revenues.

The sales process is tough. Businesses are forever devising new ways for sales process improvement. With just the right sales process improvement, however, you are sure to head straight to the top.

Sales Manager Coaching

Sales management training with coaching is the ideal program to foster new creativity in your company. A sales manager coaching reps can have great success stories to relate to the team; furthermore, sales manager coaching is fabulous for introducing fresh ideas to team members. Sales management training with coaching can also be a way to spark new team work and communication among staff. Sales manager coaching will assure the very best company leaders. With a sales manager coaching reps, valuable information can be shared, much of which will work to increase your company's revenues and profits.

Sales management training with coaching can be utilized within your company in several different manners.

However the transition from that of a sales team member or even a manager to that of a sales manager coaching reps can be a difficult transition for some if you do not take the right steps.

A program such as this will generate conversation among team members who may have never had opportunities to work together.

A sales manager coaching reps should further be able to relate war stories for his reps. This will encourage teambuilding, communication, and can even demonstrate sales techniques that can work for others.

Sales management training with coaching will also provide managers with the ability to determine the sales skills of others on the staff, and to help them make any necessary improvements.

Sales management training with coaching can further be a useful tool for soliciting feedback from your staff. They may become at ease with informing you of any problems in the field with a sales manager coaching reps at the helm.

A sales manager coaching reps will do wonderful things for your company. Implementing a policy that supports sales management training with coaching is quite beneficial. Overall, you can find many benefits for your business with sales manager coaching in place.

Keyword Articles: http://www.keywordarticles.org

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Diversity, Management, The Marketplace And Bottomline Profits

At the beginning of every business consultation I more than often spend some time talking about why companies exist. i.e. to provide products and services via specific marketing channels to end users. The challenge is to identify the relevant channels to market which relate to the target end user customer, other major factors such as compelling value propositions, branding and category marketing all have a bearing on the final strategy decisions.

The companies which define their target customers the best and deliver their products and services to them via the most appropriate marketing channels are the companies which end up having the most success.

Today's companies with its diverse workforce find themselves in potentially advantageous positions that is, if they harness the marketing capability advantages of the the workforce. Individuals from a particular dimension of Diversity with the relevant marketing expertise may well find themselves in the best placed position to interpret research data, conduct focus groups and talk to end user customer who are like themselves. The challenge is for the organizations is to allow the talent which exists within the various segments of the workforce to bubble up to the surface through recognition and appropriate promotions to be in the positions where they can make relevant decisions as to devising and executing company strategies and tactics.

It is indeed beneficial to all involved to view Diversity in this unemotional fashion i.e. having the best people in the best positions to make the best decisions for the company. This is indeed one of the many challenges facing management today when faced with developing, marketing and delivering products and services to a diverse target end user customer base.

Much of the questions that arise in say developing skincare products to dark skinned women when the majority of skincare products are developed for Caucasian skin may we be more readily answered by individuals who have faced the specific issues all their lives. Skincare is just one of the many examples that could be cited; food is another one wish springs readily to mind where the benefit of the point of view of individuals from specific backgrounds and cultures may well enhance the strategy development process.

The results of fully incorporating Diversity into the fabric of the organization's decision making process by the management team (ably assisted by the Human Resources department) will result in products and services which are more targeted to the desired end user customers and delivered to those customers via appropriate marketing channels.

It is therefore the responsibility of the management team to keep the diverse target end user customer base in mind (where appropriate) and doing so ensure that the teams in place to develop and deliver the company's products and services and best placed to do so. i.e. those teams should ideally have the balance of product development and marketing strategy skills coupled with an understanding of the end user customers of which they are selling to.

For various products and services the input into the product development process may well be seen to benefit greatly with the input of those within the organization who are most closely aligned to the target market customers. Getting these individuals involved in the appropriate decisions making junctures may well provide cherished career development opportunities as well as providing management with valuable interaction with those within the organization from the various dimensions of Diversity.

Experiencing Diversity Whilst Managing In Japan

Whilst working in technology marketing management for one of the largest and most respected computer companies in the world I acted as chair of the European Black and Ethnic Minority employee network as well being involved and liaising with the Diversity team in the United States. Being based in the United Kingdom it was indeed fascinating for me to see how in many respects the corporate Diversity program for my colleagues in the United States was far ahead (years) when compared to the program which we were implementing in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Indeed we have no Affirmation Action here in the United Kingdom and were not affected by some of the political and legislative pressures that were being experienced by my counterparts in the United States.

As my career progressed I was promoted to manage a section of the Far Eastern business based in Japan. I spent most of my time in Japan, about 80% with the rest of my time being spent managing the business in Taiwan, India, Korea and the other countries in the region for which we had business interests. Hearing of my experience with Diversity I was soon contacted by the local Human Resources team in Japan and quickly got involved in the Diversity initiative there.

As I made the comparison between the differences between the Diversity landscape in Europe versus that in the United States and then began to draw the comparison between the picture of Diversity which I was looking at in Japan in comparison to anything I had ever experienced. Indeed, as I saw a time lag between implementation within Europe when compared to the United States and I saw time lag in Japan. However I could not even begin to focus on implementation but more on awareness and the path to implementation had not even been laid as yet.

With the management teams and decision makers being dominated by men largely set in their ways I saw many challenges up ahead. The first challenge was in educating the management team and workforce about Diversity, about the fact that their were different ways of doing things and also that men didn't always have all the answers.

I was frequently surprised as I moved around the company I was working for at the time and; also in meeting other women from some of the other traditional Japanese companies professionally and socially how much talent was being laid to waste. I would meet women with degrees from universities here in the United Kingdom and also in the United States with excellent command of the English language who were working as secretaries. Even more surprising to me at the time was the fact that this was accepted and that they assumed and thought that that was they way that things were.

As things related to this move very slowly in Japan, I worked closely the Human Resources team to give them the benefit of my experience to assist them in raising the awareness of Diversity amongst the management team and the employees. Of course we had to couple the implementation with the tightly integrated customer base of the other Japanese companies who were more traditional than the company for which I was working at the time and who had the traditional management structures of men, men and more men. This lead into the long some unnecessary meetings, drinking sessions and related activities which; were all part of the business structure and; had to be respected as we dealt with interpreting Diversity from the western perspective into the Japanese company culture and the necessary impact of the management, employees and also the customer base.

Is has been a few years since I left the great country of Japan which will also have a special place in my heart. The lesson here for us all is that the implementation of Diversity must be coupled with and interpreted for local cultures and practices as we management folks seek to create inclusive workforces in today's multi location organizations. This leaves open the challenge to us global managers and consultants who manage in cultures which are largely alien to ours.

Discussions are Killing your Business?

Have you ever sat in a meeting where everyone is busy giving their point of view and trying to prove why they are right? Where no one is actually listening or trying to understand other individuals points of view. The alternative meeting format is where everyone listens to and agrees with the meeting leader. No one contributes or adds ideas, they are just compliant.

In my experience most meeting are either one or the other. But when you think about it, what is the point of most meetings? Meetings are usually held to make decisions. The outcome that most people would want from the meeting is that the BEST decision is made, not that any decision is made, or another sub-committee is formed but that a decision that delivers results is made. Then we move on.

So as we hustle from meeting to meeting being very busy, achieving nothing in the way of measurable results, we land up with yet another sub-committee. All because we have lost the art of dialog. So, the question is; what is the difference between dialog and discussion?

DISCUSSION : Discussion is the way that most people communicate. During discussion we present our ideas and everyone analyzes and dissects them from their different points of view. The purpose of discussion, though, it to make sure you win, or that your point of view is the one that is accepted. During the discussion you will support your idea and give your points more strongly until, eventually, others agree with you. You want to prove that you are right, and the most knowledgeable, as does everyone else in the discussion. Great! With everyone trying to win the argument, no decision is ever made and we eventually need to form a sub-committee to decide. Or the CEO, or team leader, uses his or her divine autocratic right and decides for the team.

DIALOG : Dialog on the other hand is an exploration of ideas. It is not a new form of communication but is the way the ancient Greeks and many so called -primitive- societies are seen to explore ideas. During dialog everyone works together contributing towards the idea. Remember the team is greater than the sum of the parts; therefore more is achieved from the dialog as each persons ideas add to the last. In a dialog no one is trying to win. They are trying to learn and create. They suspend their individual assumptions and explore ideas and issues. It is a free flow of ideas where participants continue to think and watch themselves think. The great physicists Heisenberg, Pauli, Einstein and Bohr described the conversations they had with each other. As we know from history their conversations (dialog) changed traditional physics because what they could achieve as a group exceeded what each could do as individuals. Interesting? So who is -primitive- now?

How do you get your team to dialog? There are 3 conditions needed:

Everyone must suspend their assumptions. Dialog comes to a grinding halt when someone digs in their heels and says -this is the way-. They need to suspend their assumptions to really see where the truth lies. Suspending ones assumptions is not easy, as often they are so deep seated that we dont even know that they are assumptions! Instead, we take them for being the truth.

Team members must be thought of as colleagues and equals. If you manage to think of others as colleagues you will interact as colleagues. Team members will feel less vulnerable and less likely to either want to dominate the discussion or not say anything at all. Thinking of everyone as colleagues can be difficult in a hierarchical workplace environment. Can an individual in authority come down from their lofty position and talk to everyone else as an equal or do they like their elevated position and pontificate wildly?

There should be a facilitator. A facilitator can help ensure that ALL assumptions are suspended. This means questioning statements and beliefs as they are mentioned. They are also important in keeping the dialog moving. As a team gets better at dialog the needs for a facilitator is reduced.

You are closer to achieving dialog when your team meetings are filled with questions. Questions indicate an attempt at understanding. Sit back in your next meeting and see how often a question is asked. No questions = no dialog.

Teams can enter dialog if everyone knows what is expected of them in advance and if they truly want the results created through dialog. Dialog is playful conversation and everyone must be willing to play with new ideas. Who says you cant have fun and grow at the same time?

I hope you can achieve dialog in your teams. Since we became aware of the difference and have been trying to practice dialog we have really had some amazing insights into our business and what we do. We have achieved a whole level of new understandings.

Who knows, maybe there is something amazing that your company could achieve if you all just put your heads together. 1 + 1 = 3 makes a lot of sense!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Offering Positive Feedback On Performance

One of the roles of managers is to provide feedback on performance. If it's given in a constructive way, it makes what's expected from them very clear. It also helps in the area of motivation because it helps them to see where they can improve. Positive feedback is just as helpful as negative feedback. When I say negative feedback I don't mean that you should berate anyone. What I mean is that sometimes what we have to say to a person isn't going to be pleasant for them to hear but it has to be said non the less so they can move forward.

I have heard a lot of managers over the years giving feedback to their staff and a lot made me cringe when I listened to it. When some of that feedback was directed at me I thought 'do you really think that what you are saying is going to make me want to work harder for you'? Luckily I'm a little more thick skinned than most and I shrugged it all of but some would just walk away totally demotivated. I remember one instance where the area manager was giving a 'motivational' talk to our staff. He started off by berating them because of the bad month we were having and he concluded by berating them. By the end of it, a few people resigned on the spot. There is a more productive way to give negative feedback to someone than that!

If you have to give feedback to someone (which you would have to as a manager or a supervisor) you need to think it all through first. a few points you should decide on before you approach someone are:

A better managing tip 1.

Take care that when you are giving feedback, be in a positive frame of mind. It can be difficult to do that but it is a must. when you are in a bad mood, everything can seem worse than it is. If you are like that, give feedback another time.


A better managing tip 2.

You also need to stick to the topic. Don't go from one issue to another as it's hard for someone to absorb too much feedback at once. Do it gradually. if someone has too many things to work on, they will fail.


A better managing tip 3.

The appropriate time and place is also important. My favorite place for a not too serious discussion was at our downstairs coffee shop. For something of a serious nature, it was either a meeting room or in my office with the door closed.


A better managing tip 4.

It's very important to focus on the behavior and not the person. It's not the person but it's their observable behavior that you are seeking to change. For example, don't say something like 'you are a lazy bum because the paperwork you hand in is always late and untidy. You are a gross little pig'! You should say something like, 'I have noticed that your paperwork is illegible most of the time and mistakes are easily made when it's like that'...or something like that.

Feedback when it's negative is difficult enough to take for some people but when you make it a pleasant experience for someone when they are on the receiving end, then the results will have a positive outcome. You will find that with a little preparation beforehand, being in the right frame of mind and using the appropriate location, this will increase their motivation and excel at their work.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Advantages of Video Training

or employers looking for a new way to present educational and informational tools to their staff, why not consider using a training video? Training videos can be a wonderful teaching tool for your sales team when used correctly, and can add a little vigor to an office which may be down or looking for fresh information. A training video can shake things up and provide new thoughts about old material. So why not consider using these types of training videos to increase the interest for your staff?

First of all a training video can be a new idea for your company in and of itself. It is a different way to present your employees with new information, and a way to take you away from the podium and into the training session itself.

Training videos can not only present well-rounded information for your staff, but they can also help to spark interest in new ideas.

Members of sales teams can be notoriously famous for feeling that there is one way, and that is their way. A training video will give them some different techniques for making sales that will feel new, not forced.

A training video may also open up the floor to discussion. Often team members may feel limited by what they might say after a meeting with you, the employer, at the helm.

A training video can further be a way to communicate new ideas for your company to your sales team without a feeling of dictation.

Training videos can be a way for employees to feel the freedom to open up and speak their minds without fear of being reprimanded or disloyal.

Training videos can be an excellent new presentation tool to use with your staff. A training video can be helpful, informative, and a motivational way to breathe new life into old sales techniques and accounts.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Management Team - Masters or Myth?

Every business has problems. That is why the average life span of a large industrial company is 40 years. Some are learning disabilities where companies are not prepared to learn from their mistakes. They insist on doing the same thing every time. Even when problems occur no one examines the cause of the problem. The problem is an embarrassment that should be swept under the rug and forgotten rather than be used as an opportunity to learn. Handling these dilemmas and disabilities is the Management Team. Below is a quote from the book by Peter Senge:The Fifth Discipline; The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization.- Does this sound like your company? If it does start worrying!

Management Team: Masters or Myth?
Standing forward to do battle with these dilemmas and disabilities is -the management team,- the collection of savvy, experienced managers who represent the organizations different functions and areas of expertise. Together, they are supposed to sort out the complex cross-functional issues that are critical to the organization. What confidence do we have, really, that typical management teams can surmount these learning disabilities?

All too often, teams in business tend to spend their time fighting for turf, avoiding anything that will make them look bad personally, and pretending that everyone is behind the teams collective strategy and maintaining the appearance of a cohesive team. To keep up the image, they seek to squelch disagreement; people with serious reservations avoid stating them publicly, and joint decisions are watered-down compromises reflecting what everyone can live with, or else reflecting one persons view foisted on the group. If there is disagreement, its usually expressed in a manner that lays blame, polarizes opinion, and fails to reveal the underlying differences in assumptions and experience in a way that the team as a whole could learn.

-Most management teams break down under pressure, writes Harvards Chris Argyris; a long time student of learning in management teams. -The team may function quite well with routine issues. But when they confront complex issues that may be embarrassing or threatening, the teamness seems to go to pot.-

Argyris argues that most managers find collective inquiry inherently threatening. School trains us never to admit that we do not know the answer, and most corporations reinforce that lesson by rewarding the people who excel in advocating their views, not inquiring into complex issues. (When was the last time someone was rewarded in your organization for raising difficult questions about the company's current policies rather than solving urgent problems?) Even if we feel uncertain or ignorant, we learn to protect ourselves from the pain of appearing uncertain or ignorant. That very process blocks out any new understandings which might threaten us. The consequence is what Argyris calls -skilled incompetence- a team full of people who are incredibly proficient at keeping themselves from learning.

So how does your company stack up? If your company is learning from both its successes and its failures then there is no need to protect your turf, no need to accept compromise, no need for management to know anything more. In this environment the knowledge that employees have is utilized to the fullest and each member of the management team is there to support the others. They realize that everyone wins if the team succeeds and they also know that a failure is just another term for a learning opportunity.

Wouldn't you like to work in an organization where your opinion counts and where you CAN make a difference in the companies success? Where you dont have to pretend to be busy, or pretend to know everything. So how do you create such an organization? It starts with creating learning individuals in learning teams which then cascade throughout the organization.

Through an effective facilitated process team members learn to work collaboratively, learn from their mistakes and continually challenge their assumptions about reality. Above all they work together as a team to solve problems and improve results.

Take on the challenge today. The results are worth your while and your businesses longevity.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Ten Tips to Help Run a Project Team

In the past, you probably handled lots of projects on your own. But in today's project culture organizations, you will be asked to work on a project team. And if you prove you work well in a team environment, you will be asked to head a project.

Here are ten project management tips: to help you put together and run a successful project team for your organization.

1. Analyze the kinds of skill members you will need before you begin to assemble the team. Don't make judgments until you have considered all the tasks before the team.

2. Choose people for the project not because they have time available or you will comfortable working with them but because they have the right skills. Get their supervisors' support by either personally asking for their support or having your boss or the project's sponsor request these individual's cooperation.

3. Prepare a skills inventory matrix. The x-axis would identify the individuals you have chosen while the y-axis would list responsibilities. Make sure you've covered all the talent needs the project will have.

4. Keep the team's mission upfront from the first day. Members should be clear about the project's mission when they agree to work on the project. You may adapt the mission as you proceed, but you need to be sure that everyone is in agreement with the mission through the life of the project, and any changes to the mission are acceptable to the project's sponsor.

5. Build a team communication plan. Besides meeting ground rules, which should be set at the first meeting, you want to establish communication channels among team members so there can be an exchange of information in a timely and accurate way. If you plan to use reports - either in print or online - define the content, level of detail, and format for the reports. If you plan to use meetings, agree upfront how often they will be held and where, when they will be scheduled, and who will be responsible for agendas, minutes, and other logistics.

6. Besides a group communication plan, meet with each team member to devise a strategy to ensure that information does not fall through a crack. It's amazing how feathers can be ruffled when they get accidentally left out of the loop on key information.

7. During meetings, ask questions to clarify or gather information on topics. Encourage probing and constructive questions. Members shouldn't be embarrassed to say, I didn't understand. Would you please say that in another way so that I can understand?

8. Learn to read between the lines. The message isn't only what the person may be saying. Listen for intent. Is a team member forewarning you about a problem? Perhaps he or she is expressing frustration about either a project task or the project process.

9. Build and maintain reliability by being consistent in what you ask for and what you do. Follow through on commitments, and be clear about how decisions will be made.

10. Be flexible. As project manager, you have the formal authority that comes with the position. That doesn't mean you should dominate the group. Rather, rely on interpersonal skills to get others to cooperate toward achieving common goals.

Great Managers Attract (and Keep) Great Talent

Widespread research suggests that people do not leave organizations; they leave their managers. The implication of this finding is that managers who are respected and seen as supportive of the people who work with them are indispensable to successful organizations. Without them, competent people may leave their current organization in search of better treatment. The resultant costs of recruitment, engagement and subsequent retention can be enormous. Less tangible are the indirect costs associated with the loss of corporate intelligence and the impact on morale.

I ask participants in management workshops to isolate the characteristics of individuals with whom they have worked who they deem to have been exceptional managers. Their answers seldom focus on the educational background or technical capabilities of those people. Instead they emphasize that exceptional managers are passionate, have vision, are caring, treat people supportively, make work fun, challenge people to be their best, provide lots of feedback, listen intently and encourage teamwork. Traditionally, these skills have been labelled, somewhat pejoratively, as the "soft skills". The insinuation is that they are "touchy feely", too mushy for the real world of work and, in some instances, even inappropriate in a "professional" environment. My experience contradicts this and supports the thoughts of Roger Enrico, former CEO and Chair of PepsiCo, who says that "the soft stuff is always harder than the hard stuff".

Successful organizations must invest in developing the skills that are critical for the managers of their people to function effectively. What are they? For many years we have taught managers that they need to provide clear direction, to communicate better, to vary their management style to fit individuals' level of development and to attempt to engage people in the pursuit of the organization's raison d'etre. These skills have certainly helped managers to become more productive. But there is more...

In the mid to late 1990s the topic of emotional intelligence gained prominence in management literature. Research at Harvard suggested that emotional intelligence was at least four times as critical as a predictor of success as either IQ or technical skills. Another study at the Centre for Creative Leadership indicated that for successful managers, emotional intelligence is nearly five times as important as their IQ or technical skills.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to effectively perceive, manage and use one's emotions and to effectively manage emotional connections with other people. While there are eleven components of emotional intelligence, I will only mention a few.

To maximize the contribution of our people and their talents, research into emotional intelligence says that we must support managers as they develop skills in a variety of areas. These include helping managers learn to: assess their strengths and weaknesses; manage their strong impulses; remain optimistic in spite of severe challenges; listen more effectively; become more adaptable to rapidly changing conditions; become more emotionally self-aware; and demonstrate empathy. Managers who refine these skills will be seen as more authentic by those they lead. The outcome will be more people who feel that they are respected and valued by their managers. Under these conditions, people are more likely to be fully engaged in their workplace and to contribute their maximum effort for their manager. They are also less likely to shop the market for other opportunities.

Undoubtedly, effective managers are indispensable to successful organizations.