Hiring employees is a huge responsibility. Before hiring anyone,be sure to carefully analyze your needs in terms of extraassistance. Once you've gotten through the hiring process, there's still muchmore you must do now that you've become an employer. If you'relike most small business owners, you just don't have time to doall you're supposed to be doing when it comes to managing youremployees. The article aims to outline five steps you can take right now tobetter manage your employees. Failure More..

Protect Your Computer System with a Comprehensive Security Policy

The most difficult part of creating a Security Policy for your business is determining what, exactly, to include in it. Never heard of a Security Policy before? You're not alone. But whether you are the only employee in your company or you have a small staff working for you, you need to learn what a Security Policy is, and then you need to create one. In much the same way that a personnel policy informs employees of things like vacation time accrual, performance review schedule and other person More..

Knowledge Management - Lessons Learned and How To Identify Them

Many organisations use the term "lessons learned" to describe the way in which they avoid repeating mistakes, or ensure that they build on past successes, yet a lesson can only be applied if it has been successfully identified, and captured first. Even in "learning organisations" who profess to be good at knowledge management and knowledge sharing, the process for identifying lessons learned can lacks rigour or depth. All too often, lessons end up as "motherhood and apple pie" statements, and en More..

Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System

How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. However, these systems can be fraught with difficulty in their implementation, and often end up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telepho More..

Project Heroes

Project heroes. We've all heard of them. Some of us have even seen them. A project is in jeopardy. This guy (or gal) comes out of nowhere, analyzes the situation, tells you exactly what the problem is, and then goes on to fix it before you can even update your project plan! Some project managers place a high level of trust in project heroes. As a result, their superman (or superwoman) is assigned to the most fascinating projects and their technical decisions and sizings are never challenged. In More..

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Knowledge Management - Keys to Successful Communities of Practice (Networks)

How can I make my community of practice truly effective? How can I prevent my network becoming a "notwork"? Communities of practice (networks) lie at the heart of successful knowledge management in most organisations. They are the lifeblood of informal exchanges of knowledge. Typically, communities go through a series of stages as they develop. This article, drawn from a best-selling knowledge management fieldbook by its author, identifies the key steps involved in creating and sustaining a su More..

Forecasting Support Costs

Did you know that maintenance accounts for 50% to 80% of the overall product cost? Well, it does! And while most project managers are fairly good at sizing new product features, many are terrible at estimating the effort required to support a product once it becomes generally available. As a result, maintenance projects are inadequately staffed, companies can't respond to customer requests in a timely manner, and products never reach payback. This article presents a methodology to help you gues More..

Internal Communication: 12 Essential Elements

There are 12 essential elements of a successful internal communications strategy: 1. Effective employee-directed communications must be led from the top Effective communications require the active commitment and endorsement of senior managers. It is not enough simply to develop a 'vision statement' or formulate in general terms the values by which the company lives. Behaviour is what counts. Managers must be seen to behave in a manner that is consistent with the ethos they are promoting. 2. T More..

People Skills: Eight Essential People Skills

Being able to communicate effectively with others requires people skills, and here's eight essential ones: 1. Understanding people People not only come in all shapes and sizes, but they come with different personality types as well. You may want to brush up on how to communicate with the four main personality types by reading this article. Indeed, dedicated students of communication could do little better than purchase Bem Allen's excellent introduction to personality types, 'Personality Theor More..

Communication in Business

Effective communication in business is not about creating the perfect PowerPoint presentation. It's not about writing the perfectly-pitched report. It's not even about assiduously alliterating {smile}. Sometimes effectively communicating in business can hinge on something really simple-the habits you bring to your interactions with others. As we all know, we all have habitual behaviours that we carry around with us and use unconsciously. It could be the "um" you sandwich between every fourth w More..

Knowledge Management: More Than Just Know-how!

People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's a world of difference! Systems vendors are falling over themselves to sell you so-called "integrated knowledge management solutions", but these are rarely more than glorified information management systems with go-faster stripes. If we fail to understand knowledge in all its facets, then there is a danger that in doing so we miss out on the most valuable aspects of knowledge management and end up delivering a system- More..

Managing After Downsizing

So, you survived the downsizing. Your company did something that will probably show minimal, if any, return -- and will make your job as a manager a living hell. Your life has changed dramatically. People on your staff are frightened, fearful that they may be next to go. They will lie low hoping that they can be spared the next swing of the ax. (You may be feeling the same thing as well.) Teamwork will decrease as people begin to view the person next to them as a threat to that increasingly scar More..

Proven Secrets to Keeping Your People and Increasing Your Profits

Why are people changing jobs so quickly these days? Here are a few reasons why: They have a boring job therefore they feel they are not achieving anything. They have no leader to follow. They feel unappreciated. They work long hours and want a life. They are not paid what they are worth. The above reasons are not taken from any figures or facts stated in publications and general media. This is what the people themselves tell me. They are the words from the coal face, real people?managers More..

Knowledge Management - Leadership Behaviours Which Encourage Knowledge-Sharing

The concept of knowledge management or knowledge sharing makes intellectual sense to the leadership teams in most organisations. Why wouldn't we want to learn from our successes and failures, and translate that learning into value? However, there is often a gap between the conceptual understanding, and their own behaviours as leaders - and that can be a problem? How do you engage leaders both intellectually and emotionally, in a way which will make a difference to their day-to-day behaviours? I More..

What Personal Assistants Really Want

What would happen if the personal assistants in your organisation were away for a week? How would it affect the running of your business or department? How would it affect you?personally? If you are fortunate to have a personal assistant whom you heavily rely on to assist you, in most instances you would find yourself run ragged if they were absent for longer than a day. This week I spoke with two clients who were in the situation where their p.a.'s had been on holiday and these clients' lives More..

Your Blueprint For Business Success

Before you start your own business one of the first things you need to do is draw up your business plan. This is your blueprint for success. Your business plan states the purpose of your business. It never ceases to amaze me that so few businesses have any type of written business plan. Because without one, you have very little, if any, chance of success. The day-to-day details and problems of running a business will often take your mind away from the prime thrust of your business. This can and More..

9 Strategies for Writing Accounts Payable Procedures

The Cash to Cash Cycle Part Four of Series Next: Complete Cash to Cash Cycle The white flag is just a nose away?toward the Million dollar prize in cash savings for your business? So far, in Inventory and Accounts Receivable, we've found $250,000 each in cash savings. Then we found another 250K in Sales and Marketing. And so, now, Accounts Payable is the final process within the Cash to cash Cycle - and also the final $250,000. The cash cycle is undoubtedly the single most important process t More..

How to Meet Quality Standards with ISO 9001

In today's hectic business environment, it is vital that we are all on the same page, right? But how do we know if we meet those standards? Business owners and executives can avoid the uncertainty, and that's where ISO 9001 certification comes in. Standardizing Quality Systems The ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, was established in 1947 to develop international standards for everything from electronics to management systems. Having over 13,000 standards currently in plac More..

Steps to Build ISO 9001 Compliant Program

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 Policy and Procedures 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 More..

Auditing Improves Effective Planning

Speak of operations assessment, and we'll hear its significant value. Speak of an audit, and we'll run for the nearest emergency exit. There's no difference between the two, yet that word audit chills us. But is an audit really designed to help us or hurt us? Improve Performance with Auditing Problems most often arise from poor planning. Sometimes we're uncertain if we're tackling the correct issues and dealing with them the right way. However, we can improve our assumptions about processes an More..

ISO 9001 Registration - 8 Steps for Success

You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted the audit. So how do you register your company as ISO 9001 conformant? And how can you be sure you're getting the most value for your investment? Here's how the process works. Certifying Your Company and Quality System After your company's ISO 9001 audit, you will want to register your company's quality system to show that you've met the requirements. And to do this effectively, you will need to follow eight essential steps. 1. Fin More..

Five Problem-Solving Success Tips

The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy. From the time we're little kids, we're taught to solve problems by trial and error. That's fine if the problem is as simple as a burned out light bulb. When the problem is a muddle of business, technical and political problems, we need something that helps us untangle the mess. Unless you're Harry Potter, treating a mess like a burned out light bulb is as effective as wishing for magic. Fort More..

Do You Really Care What People Think?

You had better care! Because what people think usually leadsto predictable behaviors that can really affect your business,non-profit or association for better or worse. Look at your employees. If they believe you really don't careabout them, your organization's productivity can take a nosedive. And what about customers? They had better remain convincedof the value of your products and services or off they go to acompetitor. Even prospects constantly need to be made aware of yourproduct and se More..

Improvements In A Large Public Electric Utility In South America

The company decided to develop and implement an improvement program. The main thrust was to propose strategies and alternatives for the implementation of a quality program. Later on, the company declared the "Year of Quality", which kicked off the beginning of an improvement program focusing on providing better service and paying more attention to the customers. That same year, after several internal attempts on the part of the company to carry out such a program, executive management requested More..

Improving Patient Sensitivity in Doctors and Hospital Staff

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION A South Florida hospital. The CEO of the hospital saw the need to provide exceptional customer service to differentiate itself from the competition and avoid being acquired. PROBLEM The hospital was undergoing a series of changes involving personnel, organizational alignment and even an expansion of the property which caused disruption to the entire staff. The attitude of many of the hospital personnel was focusing on the negative aspects of the changes and reflected on r More..

Knowledge Management - Learning Whilst Doing - Facilitating an After Action Review

Introducing a learning culture into organisations can be difficult at times, particularly if the effort required it great and the benefits aren't quickly identifiable. After Action Reviews (known as AARs) are one of the simplest knowledge management techniques, and have been used to great effect in organisations ranging from the US Army, to BP, and even in the development sector in NGOs like TearFund. Their power comes from the fact that they take little time, generate rapid results, and the ap More..

Knowledge Management - Capturing And Structuring Knowledge Into Reusable Assets

Many organizations have an approach for identifying and recording lessons learned, perhaps as part of a post-project review or similar process. Unfortunately, lessons learned reports have a tendency to end up on a shelf gathering dust, or lost in the un-chartered corner of a fileserver somewhere. Let's get real. How many people will really trawl diligently through a number of lessons learned documents in order to glean some key point? The reality is, if you can motivate employees to initiate any More..

Rethinking the CEO-Chairman Split

Traditionally, in American businesses, the same person occupies the role of chairman of the board and chief executive officer, though this is gradually shifting to the European model. In most European, British, and Canadian businesses, the roles are usually split, in an effort to ensure better governance of the company, and in turn bring higher returns to investors. Combining the roles does have its advantages, such giving the CEO multiple perspectives on the company as a result of their multip More..

Develop Your Managers and Keep Your Staff

Following on from the last edition of The Organised Times where we spoke about developing the people in your business, this week we're focussing on the importance of the continual development of your managers. Leadership comes from the top down. Poor management skills is the cause of most employee dissatisfaction and results in their poor performance. The following article by Nathan Chanesman from My Profile is worthwhile reading: Poor management skills lead to poor employee performance It's More..

Develop Your People and Make More Money

What is the no. 1 asset in your business beside yourself? It's your people.Then why is it they often fall to the bottom of the list when it comes to doing anything to help them improve their performance and look after them? If you want your business to run more effectively and/or make more money then you must invest time and energy into your no. 1 asset otherwise you will eventually lose them. The Physiotherapists' Practice With four of us in the family who are all into health and fitness, we More..

How to Hire the Right People

One of the biggest challenges any business owner or manager has is hiring the right people. I've recently discovered a simple, inexpensive yet very effective way which will help you get it right. This week I've asked Nathan Chanesman, Managing Director of Myprofile Pty Ltd. to please explain? "Without quality employees who share your vision and work ethic your business is not going anywhere.So how do you find the "right" employee? We've all experienced hiring the "wrong" person. It's a nightma More..

Five Defining Characteristics of Great CEOs

1. Personal insight. Great CEOs are great leaders. They know themselves and what they stand for. They have been called on all their lives as problem solvers because others know them to be fair and impartial. People respect their opinions and look to them for guidance. Great CEOs are mature as people. They can suffer disappointment more gracefully than others and give others credit for their achievements. They don't come in the office door yelling for something they need. They aren't as concerned More..

10 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Consultant

Talk to as many consultants as you can before hiring one. Even if you have one person or firm in mind, interview at least a few others as a sort of due diligence. You'll probably find that each interview helps you focus on the issues you're hiring a consult to help resolve. 1. Most consultants focus on two areas: cutting costs and raising revenues. What do you see as the relationship between the two functions? Which do you do better? Cost cutting is the consultant's usual expertise. It's what More..

What Consultants Want You to Know (But You Never Ask)

I've been both a CEO and a consultant, so I've seen from both perspectives what goes right and what goes wrong when a consultant comes in to a company. Generally the CEO or the manager who hires the consultant tells the consultant what he or she wants. Often the manager is frustrated with something that is happening at the company and expects the consultant will have the expertise to "just fix it". While the manager needs to set the expectations, of course, the consultant rarely gets to voice wh More..

Are You in AWE of Your Employees?

Employers have become so concerned about seeming "unfair" or worse becoming the victims of lawsuits by unhappy ex-employees that they've stopped requiring minimum standards of employees. This can only lead to poor individual and eventually poor company performance. Your best employee performers will resent the fact that you use company money to pay people who aren't up to standard and will reduce their own level of performance or leave. Take back the power in your workplace and set standards of More..

Five Essential Hiring Practices

Recruiting and hiring are often done in haste, leaving the company to repent in the long run. Today, there's a reason to be concerned about negligent hiring. Negligent hiring means you and your company can be sued if one of your hires injures other employees, especially if you could have foreseen a problem but did not do a thorough check of the new employee before hiring. The following list of five essential hiring practices establishes the minimum you should follow: 1. Require outside testing More..

Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business

I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and would lead to immediate or ultimate termination, depending on the nature of the infraction of these hard and fast rules. Here are the behaviors I would not tolerate: 1. Gossip. Rumors can be incredibly disruptive to a company. A lack of information can get rumors started, and frank explanations can usually stop them. However, some employees thr More..

What Your Employees Want You to Know (But You Might Be Afraid to Ask)

This is a challenge for every company owner and manager. You have tremendous plans for growth and expect a lot of your employees. But do you know if the company is meeting your best employees' expectations? Are you providing the type of environment that supports high productivity and high quality? Do you really want to know? If you do, consider creating a Company Performance Review to find out what your company culture really is. Find out how employees feel about their environment and morale at More..

Five Steps to Increase the People Power in Your Business

Take some bold steps and help your employees and business partners open up to real change and help them start thinking again to the longer term. Send a message that you are ready to commit to new ways of thinking and that that includes a commitment to the success of your employees in the changing workplace. 1. Reconsider your company vision. A vision statement uses the future to help analyze the present. It must have a message that everyone from the CEO to the receptionist to your freelance wo More..

A Fast and Simple Way to Update Your Business

You open your computer, the flashing button says, "We have a new update for your software program. Do you wish to update now or later?" You choose the Update Now button and immediately your computer begins to download a new version of the software program. What is the program updating? It's fixing broken parts of the software program; it's adding new features. It does this quickly and easily. Right before your eyes you see the update taking place. You click a button and you have the newest soft More..

Why Half of All Mergers Fail After the Honeymoon Ends

Marriages and corporate mergers in America have at least one thing in common, more than 50 percent end up on the rocks. In fact, according to a McKinsey study, only 23 percent ever recover the costs of walking down the corporate aisle. Another study showed that over 40 percent actually lose shareholder value. These statistics should quell the corporate urge to merge, but, like young lovers, logic seldom gets in the way of romance. A merger between families illustrates the difficulty of creatin More..

The High, High Price of Distrust

A paper manufacturer with over 300 employees once announced that it was planning to move to more spacious and attractive premises thirty miles down the road. When staff members heard the news, they were very apprehensive. Would transport be provided, so that they would be able to commute easily to the new factory? What would workplace facilities be like in the new place - even if the plant itself would be bigger and brighter, maybe working conditions would be inferior? And what about work sc More..

Thoughts on Empowerment

People are empowered when they are given the authority and responsibility to make decisions affecting their work with a minimum of interference and second guessing by others. Empowerment is an overused and under?practiced term. When people are empowered they bring their minds to work. They are engaged in making decisions that affect their part of the business. They take responsibility for their actions. They work free from the petty bureaucratic hassles that diminish value and waste time. They More..

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