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.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)