A leader's role is to focus on those areas of operation where he or she can deliver the greatest value and this requires huge shifts in perspective of the role. Leaders differ from managers in terms of accountability. Whilst a leader is accountable for the strategic growth of the organisation and the delivery of results, a manager is more responsible of delivery of shorter-term results through people. These are, of course, generalisations and roles vary. Developing others through delegation i More..

Instantly Uncover Your Corporate Culture

Best Definition of "Corporate Culture" If you ask 10 people to define "organizational culture," you will get 11 different answers! Fortunately, from my consulting and writing on leadership and organizational change, I created my definition of organizational culture: "Corporate culture is how every employee knows she or he must act - even if no one is watching." Knowing your company's culture proves crucial for multiple reasons, including: + Only organizational changes that fit into your co More..

Choices in Appointing International Managers

Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how to deploy international managers. The costs of making the wrong choice are heavy both economically and in the emotional and physical toll it can take on employees and the impact it can have on the overseas branch. Traditionally companies have required managers to accept foreign postings of, perhaps, several years' duration. Such postings mean upheaval for the manager's entire family-schools, dual career issues, isolation-a More..

I Said Pareto Chart? Not Potato Chart!

Does this sound familiar? You were hired for the new management position. You were tasked to turn the numbers around. You take some time reviewing the current situation. Now it's time to take a look at the current processes and get your staff together to analyze the data. You tell them that you want to brainstorm; work on a few mind maps, whip out a couple Ishikawa's to get started and then have them bring Pareto charts relative to their respective functions. One of your department heads looks More..

Hidden Consultants Within Your Organization

You've all heard the old joke about a consultant being someone who uses your watch to tell you the time, and then steals your watch. There's some truth to the story: consultant recommendations are often the same things that your employees or customers have been telling you all along. But while you will listen to a consultant, you don't listen to your employees and customers. Why is that? Why do companies pay more attention to consultants then they do to employees or customers? And what should yo More..

Rules for Running a Meeting

As an experienced manager, I can announce without a doubt that the primary reason for lack of effectiveness in the contemporary business world is that people don't follow the rules for running a meeting.Thousands meetings are conducted each day and most of the meeting chairmen have not even heard of the rules for running a meeting. Therefore, the following article includes a brief description of the basic rules for running a meeting. 1. Planning - planning is probably the most important of the More..

Making Powerful Requests That Launch People Into Action

Do you ever wonder why people do not simply do the things that you want them to do? Well, instead of waiting for things to happen, decide to take responsibility for making them happen. The way to do this is often as simple as making an appropriate request. Requests are the engine that drives action. To the extent that you become proficient in making requests that people understand to be in their best interests, they will comply with your wishes and honor your requests.To the extent that your re More..

The 6 Steps to Six Sigma

Step 1 Get the proper level of Six Sigma expertise at the executive level of the company. If the top leaders don't understand the advanced six sigma principles, the company has no shot to attain total quality. This will probably require a hefty budget, entailing the hiring of several high-priced consultants for long periods of time. The consultants need to observe and gather data about the companies operations, and show the executives how to interpret the data. Step 2 Get the staff involved. More..

Oasis in a Cash Flow Desert - Four Resources That Increase Small Business Capital Streams

For small business owners, an enthusiastic vision for smooth, steady growth can become nothing more than a mirage once company cash flow problems begin to heat up. Most will struggle with the timing of payment from clients or customers at some point, all while attempting to pay their own bills in a timely fashion. With all of the best laid plans for rapid flowing cash streams evaporating down to just a gurgle in the ditch, the potential risk of joining the ninety-percent of businesses that fail More..

The Importance of Business GoalsFor you to get where you want to go, there are four key steps for you to take. They are not difficult, but they are vital.

For you to get where you want to go, there are four key steps for you to take. They are not difficult, but they are vital. Commonly known as the GROW model, the four stages are as follows:- G stands for Goals Being clear about where you want to get to is absolutely critical. You MUST know where you are intending to get to, by identifying your goals and being very precise about them. Use SMART goals - this is a useful description which is great to remember. S - is for Specific Be really c More..

Finding Common Ground Through Consensus Decision-Making

It's clear to me that a workplace is a better place when employees truly work in teams, but the most familiar team models we have are those that are created to win wars and games. We have a commander or a coach who gives orders, and the soldiers or the players use those instructions to defeat the opponent. Mediator Bill Ury says, "People are realizing that adversarial, win?lose attitudes in an increasingly interdependent world, where I depend on you and you depend on me, just don't work anymore. More..

Motivation - You Get What You Reward

There's a programme currently running on BBC Television in the UK called - "Little Angels." It's a series that offers help and advice to parents who're experiencing behaviour difficulties with their children. I'm sure there are similar programmes in other parts of the world. The children are often out of control, won't do what they're told and generally dominate the family. Part of the programme shows the parent dealing with the child while receiving instruction from a clinical psychologist thr More..

Team Motivation - Tough Enough to Care

Sir Alex Ferguson has just celebrated his 1000 game in charge of Manchester United, probably the world's most successful soccer team. I have a great deal of respect for Sir Alex as a man manager. However, I always feel that he's misrepresented in the media. The press portrays him as this big, bad, angry guy who manages his team by aggression, bullying, shouting and throwing teacups and football boots around the room. I don't think there's any doubt that he does get angry when his team aren't p More..

Get It Done! Soft Skills not Hard Tools are Required

If your organization has people, then interpersonal skills are needed. I work with companies that are on a path they call the lean journey. Whatever you call it, it's based on the Toyota Production System. Some manufacturers embraced it and it became known as Lean Manufacturing, expanded into the Lean Office or Lean Enterprise. During this transformation the approach became focused on tools, but Toyota's approach is about people. The focus of Lean Manufacturing training has been on technical s More..

What Cross-cultural Training Can Do for You

International business is more complex than ever before. Success in every sector is now seen in global terms. Yet success in working with colleagues from different cultures is no easy goal. In order to connect, we have to communicate effectively and we can only do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding and trust. Cross-cultural training helps you understand the underlying cultural values that drive behaviour-you first understand your own cultural background and then other people' More..

Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors

Most executives view offshore outsourcing most of all as a source of cost reducing. The greatest savings are expected to come from lower labor cost and reduced project timelines. However offshore outsourcing also creates new challenges and expenses for the organization involved. Those may include vendor selection costs, legal costs, costs of transition and many others. That is why despite the evidence of possible major up-front cost savings many outsourcing vendors have yet to prove that they ar More..

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Employee Ideas Achieve Work Life Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency. Organizations that enjoy a high satisfaction level in this area will normally exhibit a low rate of absenteeism and experience higher employee retention. Evaluating this competency is helpful in understanding issues relating to a workforce th More..

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Organizational Structure of Our Growing Business

This article relates to the organizational structure competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It shows how structural concerns can affect the typical employee workday, as well as feelings towards your organization's management hierarchy and reporting structure. A healthy organizational structure is one that arranges the activities of the enterprise in such a way that they contribute to the goals of the organization. Specifically, this competency looks to see if your emplo More..

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Workplace Ethics: Reaching the Highest Standard

This article relates to the Ethics in the Workplace competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It gives examples of how employees and customers consider ethical behavior and sound values an integral part of your organization. This competency covers a variety of topics like customer treatment, employee professionalism, and expected/acceptable organizational behaviors. At a high level, this competency will investigate the standards by which your employees treat your customers, co-workers, More..

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Ideas for Everyday Training

This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of a group of team leaders who worked together to find ways to use information sharing and communication to provide valuable employee training. A Gallup poll conducted in 1998 reported that eight out of 10 employees said they would be more likely to stay with their present employer if they were offered more or better training. Specifically, the questions included in this compe More..

Joint Accountability: Another Key for Your Effectiveness

I once was part of a group of management professors who often taught in executive development seminars. Other non-management professors in the school ran these. Occasionally these non-management professors would approach someone else in the management group to express their concerns about our teaching - they wouldn't approach the person who had taught for them. For example, if I had taught the session, the professor - let's call him Larry - would approach my colleague Dick and tell him that he More..

Small Business Outsourcing: An Introduction

Outsourcing is the delegation of a business process to an external service provider. The service provider will then be responsible for the day-to-day running and maintenance of the delegated process. Before outsourcing an IT function, look at your firm's own goals and culture. Price might be a key consideration, but a valuable outsourcing firm is more a business partner than a service provider. Such a partner should lend a level of expertise to your small business that builds upon internal know More..

How to get an Audiences Attention

A trainer dryly discussing how to motivate people in an organization basically has just another "point-by-point" presentation. But suppose that he mounts the podium and begins to speak. Suddenly, a phone on the lectern rings. He ignores it at first, trying to continue. Finally he gives up, excuses himself and answers it. It is an engineer (off-stage voice) with a series of questions relating to the organization and the lecture topic. Although the presenter protests that this is "highly irregular More..

How to Create a Trusting Manager-Employee Relationship

BUILDING TRUST AS A MANAGER:1. Be reliable. Follow through on things. Keep your promises. 2. Have ethics. Telling your people the truth and don't reveal their confidences. Being fair and honest with employees. 3. Show respect for your employees. Treat them as adults and show appreciation for their ideas and for the work they do. BUILDING MORE TRUST: 1. Know and care about your employees and their families. Be sure they feel you see them as people as well as employees. 2. Involve employees in pl More..

Creating a Team Working Environment

TEAM DECISION MAKING: Managers who invite participation believe that people directly affected by a decision should be involved in making that decision. The effort is toward joint, cooperative decision making. The aim is to give employees a chance to have a say about things that affect them. This means giving them more control over their own work and giving up some of your own power and control. THE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATION: As a supervisor you'd like your people to work hard. You'd like to have More..

The Three-Dimensional Communication System

Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message is ever just words or rational thoughts. Every interchange between you and another person has and takes place at the following three intimately related levels, or dimensions, of being: emotional, physical, and rational. Any attempt to communicate will succeed if all of these dimensions are adhered to. Knowledge of this three-dimensional nature is the foundation of training. You can't get much closer to real understandi More..

The Idol-Makers

The end of the television season in May included the usual array of cliffhangers on shows like "Alias," the departure of Noah Wylie from "ER" and the finale of the highly-rated "Everybody Loves Raymond" after 210 episodes. On the last day of "Sweeps," more than 29 million people tuned in to see the crowning of the fourth "American Idol." With a recording contract and the key to a private jet in hand, Carrie Underwood, a 22-year-old college student from Oklahoma, said her victory was "the best n More..

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What Makes a Good Appraisal Interview?

WHAT MAKES A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW? Here is a tip for supervisors that will contribute to a successful appraisal interview. Give advance notice. Employees like to have advance notice of the appraisal session so that they can think about the past evaluation period from their own perspective. The prepared employee may have any number of things to share about management, the department, or organization, or barriers to their effectiveness. Also, the employee who comes to the session with a list More..

Performance Evaluations Can Be Beneficial

THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW MEETING: It's a fact - most supervisors and employees have negative feelings toward performance appraisals and appraisal interviews. It's often necessary to shift people's thinking from the perception that the interview is a time of judgment to the perspective that supervisors can provide support and direction to employees who want to improve their productivity and be involved in the process. Most employees, after all, wish to work effectively. Few can tolerate the notion More..

Training Adults, Not Teaching Children

Adults are vulnerable to personal and professional embarrassment from poor performance in the training program. Poor performance in the classroom may become the basis for personnel decisions by supervisors or the source of ridicule by peers. Economic benefits or promotion may be associated with the training program, creating a feeling of pressure to succeed. The way you handle these fears will largely determine the effectiveness and usefulness of your training program. To fail to recognize that More..

Appraisal Interviews: What To Say & How To Say It

STEPS TOWARDS A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW: Don't say: "You just don't seem to care about doing a good job." "You seem to be more interested in scoring points against Charlie than in working with him." "You're too defensive." Do: Stick to behavior. say, "Here's what I saw," or, "Here's what I heard you say." Here is some advice for supervisors that will contribute to a successful appraisal interview. 1. Stick to goals. Measure performance against previously discussed and agreed upon goals. 2. Do More..

Performance Evaluation: How To Create Change

STEPS TOWARDS GIVING A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW: Give specific feedback. Statements such as, "You're doing a good job" and "You'd better shape up" are almost without value unless accompanied by specific feedback on what the employee is to continue doing or to stop doing. If you evaluate with the word "positive," describe how the employee manifests that characteristic. If you say that the employee "shows initiative," talk about specific occasions on which the employee did indeed take the initiati More..

How to Coach Your Emplyees and Increase Motivation

It is easy to spot the difference between a work team that is "motivated" and one that just goes through the motions. The motivated team produces at or above the level expected by top management, has only occasional absences or tardiness, and low employee turnover. The second group has trouble meeting its goals, greater absenteeism, and higher turnover. In addition, members of the latter work team may be more apt to argue with one another or to band together against their supervisor. Can a super More..

Dissenion Down On The Cubicle Farm

How content and satisfied are American employees? Not very! According to Corinne Maier, a psychotherapist and author of "Bonjour Laziness," corporate cubicle inhabitants are anything but tranquil and joyous. These natives are truly restless. This French writer quotes a Gallup study of employed American professionals showing that: 1. Some 17% claim to be "actively disengaged" in their jobs, close possibly to acts of sabatoge, some rather subtle. 2. And 54% claim to be "not engaged" More..

Inspirational Power ( Part 1 )

The Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing,Some Key Traits for Greater Effectiveness Probably, the greatest challenge to marketing management in the next five Years will be to change quick and fast enough, in order to keep pace with new technologies, new markets and new corporate values According to the definition of the AMA, "Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways More..

How to Manage Your Most Valuable Assets - People?

People management and leadership has become a major topic of conversation in today's market place and have assumed mythical qualities. Managing you people is not that difficult if you are willing to invest one thing in their development; YOU. The emotional cost and some simple training and mentoring can see you be a successful leader and manager. As a previous CEO of companies (before starting Biz Momentum) I proved this time and time again and often baffled and confounded those that wanted to More..

Performance Management Made Easy

Performance Management is a process that both employer and employee often fear! Why is this so! There is much misinformation about the performance management process and performance appraisals in management circles today. We often think that best practice demands that we must performance appraise 'no matter what'. This is not true. Best practice can involve many other mechanisms that ensure employee compliance and monitoring. The performance process can be propagated by intellectuals who them More..

Hows Your HUB?

Marketing gurus are always coming up with new lingo but oftentimes they are restating the old tried and true concepts in new terms. Marketing students from the 70's and 80's will be familiar with the acronym USP. USP stands for your "Unique Selling Position" and it should be the cornerstone of your marketing. Today they use a different acronym and talk about your HUB. HUB is a good one because just like the hub of a wheel, the image is that your HUB is at the center of your all of your marketin More..

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Are Your Marketing Pieces Up to Date?

The other day someone asked me for one of my informational brochures. As I was giving her the piece I stated that if I were printing these today it would be a little different. The piece was only about two months old and already the way I wanted to communicate things had changed slightly. Then I got to thinking. If I were to print informational brochures six months from now, they would probably be a little different too. Don't get me wrong. I am a big believer in consistency of marketing. Howeve More..

On the Road to Assertiveness

Learning to be assertive takes time, courage and the ability to recognize the situation for what is really is. You want to get something done, and you need another's help. You can request it, you can demand it, or you can sit back and hope that it happens. The first behavior is an example of assertion, or standing up for your own rights without violating the rights of others. The second is aggression; you are standing up for your rights, but violating another's right to voluntary action. The th More..

Time Management and Team Development - The Yes and No of It

Sometimes. In fact making some small changes to the circumstances when we use these two little words, can make all the difference. And it takes practice. Saying 'Yes' More... ...brings help when we are offered it. How often have you turned down support, because it felt easier to say 'No thanks. I'm fine'? How often have you rejected assistance in all sorts of places and circumstances? Sometimes it seems like the thing to do - a force of habit. But saying 'Yes', truly can be a help for you. Bu More..

Project Management, A Forgotten Perspective

Effective project managers know how to get the job done, and get it done right. Success comes not only from wise selection of the team members and utilization of the best project management software tools; effective managers know how to lead, and how to encourage project team members to do their best. This includes clearly setting and communicating project goals, providing proper training and/or equipment, as well as other necessary items and expertise. Effective project management also requires More..

Try It Out On Your Team First

Wow! You're brilliant! You have a great idea. You've looked at it every possible way to find holes in your logic, fallacies in your assumptions. You know it will work and you can't wait to turn your new brainstorm loose then reap the rewards of your genius. I know you're excited but before you unleash your great idea, first try it out on those around you for analysis, discussion, improvements, and (gasp!) criticism. The problem is that the creator of an idea rarely has the mental discipline, th More..

Help for the Meeting-Weary Manager

Most of us have found ourselves working on a team at one time or another. That means we have been asked to attend, and even participate, in lots of meetings. Unfortunately, few of us found these meetings to be particularly effective. Many in fact are a complete waste of valuable time and resources. The difficulty with most meetings is that they are typically planned and run by extroverts, who do not take into account the needs of the introverts. Why is this important? Because a key diffentiatin More..

Conference Calling Can Save Your Sales OrganizationTime and Money!

Conference calling can save you money. There is no doubt that in the sales business, every second counts. Whether it be training, sales meetings, or other needs, pulling your employees away from the sales opportunities even for these important tasks, cuts down on the time they can be making you money. If you take the first step and try using conference calling, you may just find yourself saving money and making money. Let's point out some of the features and benefits of using conference call More..

Communication, Feedback, and Participation: Three Easy Tidbits For Smarter Business

On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication process occurs when the sender or receiver is experiencing stress, anger, or frustration either at work or at home. When a situation is emotionally charged, it is difficult to express yourself clearly and maintain a positive communication relationship. How we communicate can be as important as what we say. Using "I" statements is the most effective technique to counterbalancing an emotional dialogue. "I" statements, help the recei More..

Help Your Employees Prepare for a Performance Appraisal

PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS: Remind employees to give some thought to the purpose of performance appraisal: it is a means to learn from the past, plan for the future, and improve effectiveness and work satisfaction. The performance appraisal discussion is an opportunity to motivate, recognize, and reward your employee. It is a time for you and your employee to share perceptions about the employee's accomplishments during the performance period. It is meant to be More..

Todays Employees and Their New Needs: What You Need to Know

Today's employees are not only interested in security or in pay and fringe benefits. They are often placing increased value on being recognized and involved in reaching personal growth goals. As a supervisor you must be aware of these new values. Keeping your employees' interests and priorities will help you better motivate them to work well. Employees' interests and values are changing. More than ever they expect to participate. They also believe that their skills should be used and that they More..

Improved Communication to Improve Results

Facilitating good communication can make the difference between a well oiled, effective team and disorganization and ambiguity. By following the tips below, you, the supervisor, can take steps toward improving communication with your employees: 1.Sure you're their boss, but people listen better when you show respect and consideration. Remember how you felt in school when the teacher talked down to you? When employees are treated as adults, they are more likely to act like adults. 2. Explain su More..

Using an Appraisal to Benefit Your Organization

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION: Appraisals help spot employees with potential for advancement. Appraisals bring attention to the so-called high-potentials - people who have both the will and the ability to excel in the organization. Appraisals can also aid in the human resource planning of the organization. --Appraisals provide management with a profile of the supervisor. One important incentive for supervisors to do appraisals expertly is that higher management can observe the More..

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