| Home » Management Articles |
| |
Management Articles |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Recruitment - Do You Know What Youre Looking For? |
| The time will come when you'll need to interview someone to join your business or your existing team. If you work in a large organisation then this could be someone from inside the company. You might even be the owner of a small business and about to start your first employee. Whatever the situation, you're going to have to make a decision about whether this person is suitable for the job or not.
I'm aware that in some organisations a middle manager may have a new team member picked for them. T More.. |
| Read more About Recruitment - Do You Know What Youre Looking For? |
|
| |
| Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For |
| Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a new player on the team. Would you walk up to someone in the street and say - "I want you to come and play for my team. I'll train you to become the best player in the country." Sounds a bit ridiculous doesn't it?
What you'd probably do is watch players in other teams. On the other hand, you might decide to find some young player that you could develop for your team. So you'd spend some time looking for players in schools and colleges.
What is i More.. |
| Read more About Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For |
|
| |
| Recruitment - Pick People Who Think |
| Old style management doesn't encourage personal mind control, employees aren't encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it's still prevalent in many businesses today.
It's evident in many of the organisations that I work with that there's a culture of - "I'm the boss - I tell you what to do - you don't question it."
The successful manager doesn't react that way, he or she employs people who think; people with a mind of their own who More.. |
| Read more About Recruitment - Pick People Who Think |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Offshore This! (Outsourcing Tech Support Overseas) |
| So I call my telephone company and someone picks up 15,000 miles away. I asked the rep where she's from. She said, "I am from Mary-Land sir. How may I give you excellent service today?" The accent was? American... in a high society 19th century ultra-polite sort of way.
"Mary Land?" My brain's editing booth could not screen the snickers in time.
"Yes sir? this is correct sir." She pushed to the next level. "Yes, Mary Land, sir, on thee eastern seaboard. How may I give you excellent service?"
More.. |
| Read more About Offshore This! (Outsourcing Tech Support Overseas) |
|
| |
| Computer Consulting Profit Secrets |
| Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are you having trouble growing your computer consulting company's profits?
If so, then you must learn how to focus on your computer consulting firm's profit and bottom line.
In this article, we'll look at 7 profit secrets and strategies you can use in your computer consulting business, to ensure that you are able to balance your clients' small business IT needs against your own computer consulting company's profitability challenges.
Origins More.. |
| Read more About Computer Consulting Profit Secrets |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Too Much Time Treating Symptoms |
| A man drives down the highway each day on his way to work. On Monday he gets a flat tire. Like anyone else, he takes his lumps, changes his tire, and moves on.
One month later, almost to the day, the same darn thing happens. Just his luck. Only this time, its raining and he is forced to return home after changing his tire because he had gotten his new suit filthy in the process.
Convinced that he's hitting a string of rotten luck, the man buys a good raincoat, and develops a faster routine for More.. |
| Read more About Too Much Time Treating Symptoms |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Best Workplaces |
| The Best Workplaces report (Financial Times, April 28, 2005) notes many factors in common with Managing Creativity and Innovation.
Material reward is not the sole factor in determining satisfaction. Microsoft UK offers acupuncture and deep tissue massages. OC&C Strategy consultants offer skiing trips and Computer Future Solutions have BMWs and Porsches as company cars. Yet people rarely mentioned these perks when they rated their company.
This is because satisfaction is also related to i) More.. |
| Read more About Best Workplaces |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Lack of Operations Manuals Stunting Your Growth? |
| Lack of Operations Manuals stunting your growth?
CONTENTS:
1. Do you lack functional Operations Manuals?
2. Use a SYSTEM to write your Operations Manuals!
3. Yes, but my people just don't/won't write stuff down!
4. But people WILL write stuff down - if ...
5. Call to Action.
1. Do you lack functional Operations Manuals?
Great businesses depend on systems, not people.
That's because you can duplicate systems, but not people.
If your business can't duplicate salable results, it won't survive. More.. |
| Read more About Lack of Operations Manuals Stunting Your Growth? |
|
| |
| Turnover is Not a Problem |
| "Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like that, they obviously haven't worked in the real world and certainly have never had to run a company." Well, let me assure you. In my past I've not only run companies, but spent many years in one of the most notorious industries for turnover - the restaurant industry.
Don't get me wrong, I understand and appreciate the challenges that turnover creates. Turnover causes a drop in productivity, lower profits, inconsistent quality, and certainly c More.. |
| Read more About Turnover is Not a Problem |
|
| |
| ISO 9001 Compliant Program: Steps to Build |
| Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However, all of that effort can represent a significant shift for a business - from quantity to quality. And this could make sure your business gets the desired results.
Shift Focus to Performance
Developing, implementing and maintaining your ISO 9001 program can be crucial to the core issues of a business. The focus is designed to help:
Satisfy customer requirements for compliance
Increase profits with more contracts
Save money th More.. |
| Read more About ISO 9001 Compliant Program: Steps to Build |
|
| |
| The Challenges of Human Resource Management |
| Introduction
The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources.
With the increase in competition, locally or More.. |
| Read more About The Challenges of Human Resource Management |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| The New Five Truths of Employee Motivation |
| Motivation is a term that is so widely used, yet many managers know little about how it really works. But it doesn't have to be confusing-in fact, it's quite simple. Treat your employees as valuable assets and you will reap the rewards. Here are five truths to pay attention to in motivating your workforce.
Most managers think money is the top motivator-but, it's not.Sure compensation is important, but most employees consider it a right-an exchange for the work they do. Rather, they want is to b More.. |
| Read more About The New Five Truths of Employee Motivation |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Time Management Tip: Stop Micro-Managing Employees |
| If I was a fly on the wall what would I hear your employees say? Would it something like this? "They won't allow me to make even the simplest decisions." "The red tape here makes it very difficult for me to do my job." "Management has to sign off on everything; they don't trust me."
A big time waster for managers is micro-managing - paying extreme attention to small details and not giving people the authority to do their job. If it is such a time waster why do so many managers get hooked into m More.. |
| Read more About Time Management Tip: Stop Micro-Managing Employees |
|
| |
| When Change Is In the Wind...Heads Up! |
| In these days of takeovers and mergers, of downsizings and lean management, chances are that you are going to be caught in a job upheaval at least once in your career. Probably more than once!
Change in the wind may come like an invigorating breeze on a hot humid night. For instance, your boss is promoted to a new job and you have to get used to reporting to someone new, who turns out to be even better. But change also can come as a spark before the forest fire, when an outside takeover of your More.. |
| Read more About When Change Is In the Wind...Heads Up! |
|
| |
| Planning a Productive Retreat |
| What value is there in leadership or team-building retreats? Just consider the following.
An executive committee of an association, deliberating on strategic planning issues, identified "who we are" in terms of their membership. By focusing on the challenges and opportunities represented by certain membership segments, the committee created specific strategic initiatives for the upcoming year.
A 17 person CPA firm structured their most recent annual meeting to encourage greater teamwork by ad More.. |
| Read more About Planning a Productive Retreat |
|
| |
| Money, Motivation, Success and Who? |
| It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and I was settingup to do the opening keynote for the conference. For somereason--I have no idea why--the sound man thought his tenyear old daughter would enjoy my presentation. He'd broughther with him to work.
Watching her father wiring this and plugging in that,the girl was soon as bored as only a ten year old can be. Eventually, she sauntered over to me.
"So who are you?" she demanded.
"I'm Barry Maher."
Overwhelmingly unimpressed, she asked, "And who t More.. |
| Read more About Money, Motivation, Success and Who? |
|
| |
| Document management : A dream of paperless office |
| What is document management: When we think about "Document Management" we usually see a picture of paperless office. It is not an easy task to make an office paperless due to several existing problems based on Industrial needs. Even it is very much difficult to make a shop paperless using document management. Document management is about to manage the document in such a way so that it can be within our reach whenever needed in the desired form without wasting extra time and space. Since computer More.. |
| Read more About Document management : A dream of paperless office |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| How to Prepare for Your Companys Financial Future |
| Sooner or later, most business owners need to look for outside financing. Whether it's a line of credit with a bank to handle predictable cash crunches or a significant capital investment to improve plant and equipment, virtually every business will need access to additional funds at some point in its life.
But the time to start thinking about how to make the best impression with bankers and private investors ideally begins long before you schedule an appointment to discuss your financing needs More.. |
| Read more About How to Prepare for Your Companys Financial Future |
|
| |
| Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation |
| Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now a major workplace issue that has invaded our not for profit organisations. Take the following example.
Cheryl was the General Manager of a Not for Profit organisation in a major Australian City providing specialist supervision for young adults. She had recently received complaints of intimidation and harassment against a supervisor by an employee.
Imagine her surprise when within a week she received 3 more complaints from 3 other employe More.. |
| Read more About Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation |
|
| |
| Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections |
| The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you can follow to increase the amount of in-house long term care collections your facility collects.
1] Have A Defined Long Term Care Collection Policy
One of the major causes of delinquent nursing home receivables is that the facility has not clearly defined to its residents/responsible parties and business office staff when the accounts are to be paid. If you are currently 'playing-it-by-ear', and have no consistent guideli More.. |
| Read more About Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Managers? Biggest Blunders |
| Nobody's perfect, including the boss. Managers, we polled recently, acknowledged making a number of mistakes, from not recognizing staff accomplishments to inadequate communication to poor hiring decisions. Here is a sampling.
Withholding praise was a problem cited by many:
"I didn't give recognition to someone who turned out to be one of my best employees and soon lost her."
"I didn't give credit when it was due to individuals who made major contributions."
"I failed to acknowledge someone who More.. |
| Read more About Managers? Biggest Blunders |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water |
| Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and, worst of all, some ask questions that can get them into legal hot water.
Every recruiter, hiring manager, executive, and department manager must realize that asking the wrong questions or making improper inquiries can lead to discrimination or wrongful-discharge lawsuits. These suits can be won or lost based on statements made during the interview process. To stay out of hot water:
Avoid these seemingly non-threatening ques More.. |
| Read more About Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water |
|
| |
| Why Training Fails |
| Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of theparticipants will ask, "Where's my boss?"
And I say, "Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings."
Then the person laughs. "My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyonein our company. And without our manager's support, no one will use this."
This is bad because if no one uses the ideas presented in a workshop, the client willconclude that training doesn't work. And then the company might aband More.. |
| Read more About Why Training Fails |
|
| |
| Another Use for Meetings |
| Every meeting is a laboratory where you can observe and learn important thingsabout the people who attend. In fact, you can use meetings to identify people whomerit being promoted into leadership positions. Watch for:
Is it planned?
Effective leaders always begin with clearly defined goals and then prepare plans forachieving them. They have the courage to set a direction and then make changes asnew information becomes available. They communicate with candor knowing thatpeople perform at their More.. |
| Read more About Another Use for Meetings |
|
| |
| Employee Turnover: Is It Eating Up Your Profits? |
| Keeping the cost of doing business down, yet providing a quality product or service, is one of the most critical components of success for today's leader. What many fail to realize is that employee turnover can represent a very substantial price tag to a company's productivity and its bottom line.
Turnover is costly - just how costly? Research studies have shown that the cost of replacing a professional or managerial employee runs 1.5 to 3.0 times his or her annual salary. And it can cost up to More.. |
| Read more About Employee Turnover: Is It Eating Up Your Profits? |
|
| |
| Quality Hiring: Are You Doing It Right? |
| Quality hiring is more than running ads, screening, interviewing and checking references. It is a series of specific procedures that can bring in top candidates or create bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Here are six ways to enhance the entire recruitment process.
Select the right sourcing method.
While the typical sourcing channels include in-house recruiters, employee referral programs, executive search firms, advertising, temporary staffing agencies, campus recruiting and, of course, the inte More.. |
| Read more About Quality Hiring: Are You Doing It Right? |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Effective Meetings - Quick Survey |
| Here's an easy quiz to check the health of your meetings.
1) Who leads your meetings? a) No one, b) Everyone, c) A facilitator
2) What happens to the ideas in your meetings? a) If we had to think of ideas, itwould be work, b) We make fun of them, c) A scribe writes them on a chart pad
3) Are results obtained in your meetings? a) We eat all the donuts, b) And we drinkall of the coffee, c) Yes!
4) Do your meetings have an agenda? a) Is that some kind of cabinet?, b) I saw oneonce in an arti More.. |
| Read more About Effective Meetings - Quick Survey |
|
| |
| Why Would Anyone Hold a Bad Meeting? |
| Pssst, want a stock tip that will make you rich? Okay, here it is: phone a publiccorporation and ask to speak with the CEO.
If a secretary tells you that the CEO expects to be busy in meetings for the next sixhundred years, call your broker and sell the stock short. Any company unable tomanage an activity that should last an hour is on its way down the financial tubes.
Although it's true that senior executives spend much of their time in meetings, youcan bet that a business is in trouble if th More.. |
| Read more About Why Would Anyone Hold a Bad Meeting? |
|
| |
| How to Hold Effective Staff Meetings |
| Many people believe that they conduct effective meetings, when all they really do ishost a party. Or worse, they deliver a monologue. In either case, their meetingsproduce little.
Here's how to hold an effective staff meeting.
1) In general. Keep them short. Most staff meetings should last less than an hour.You want your staff to spend their time working on things that earn money for yourbusiness, not sitting in meetings. Keep them positive. Negative meetings containinsults, ridicule, and atta More.. |
| Read more About How to Hold Effective Staff Meetings |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Jewelry Use by Employees |
| Many companies have dress codes, which include jewelry. Some companies do this because they do not wish to offend customers who are of various faiths by employees who wear necklaces with religious symbols. Others out of practicality as some jewelry can get caught in machinery and cause severe injury or even death. You may wish to have a jewelry policy to prevent loss of your customer base and/or prevent employees from dying, which could inadvertently drive up your commercial insurance costs.
On More.. |
| Read more About Jewelry Use by Employees |
|
| |
| Employee Orientation: The 90 Day Difference |
| Why do some new managers succeed while others fail? It all depends on the first three months - the critical time when the new hire is learning the ropes. The new manager's boss plays a vital role in the orientation process. Here are four strategies to quickly get the new hire up to speed and working productively
Clarify goals and priorities.
What are the performance expectations and deliverables for you and your team? How is performance going to be measured/success evaluated? What are the key b More.. |
| Read more About Employee Orientation: The 90 Day Difference |
|
| |
| You?re Hired, Now Go Home: Managing Workers at a Distance |
| Telecommuting or virtual work opens up a wider net of potential employees for businesses - the disabled, the stay-at-home parent, the student, the retired, the flextime person, etc. However, it also creates unique challenges in hiring, supporting and managing this new group of workers. Here are six tips on managing workers at a distance.
Select the right employees.
These will be people who can both structure and motivate themselves. If past performance doesn't indicate these important traits, u More.. |
| Read more About You?re Hired, Now Go Home: Managing Workers at a Distance |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Empowering Others - Giving Them Some Control |
| It's been a pretty good weekend around the place - not done a lot, but I have done what I've wanted to do - and that makes the difference.
I changed my role when I first left the employed world. Having been a manager for over 25 years. I became a true employee with a manager breathing down my neck. It was the most difficult thing to accept. It wasn't because I could do it better (although, then again...!), more it was that I had just no control at all. And I realised that most people who have j More.. |
| Read more About Empowering Others - Giving Them Some Control |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
