Author : Donna Johnson Edwards
When I was little I had a piggy bank complete with a requisite combination lock (needed to keep my younger brother from pilfering). Each week, on Friday night when I got my 50 cent allowance, I would lock myself in my bedroom, twist and turn the combination until I got it right and then I counted my prized stash of cash. I always knew exactly how much it would amount to, but I counted it nonetheless. My brother, on the other hand, never used his piggy bank; he put his quarters in his pockets and generally lost them within a few days.Over time, I began to earn more money through babysitting and odd jobs, but the ritual never changed – lock the door, open the safe and re-count my money. As I reflect, I think about the time I wasted re-counting my money but I also remember the delight I experienced each time as I dreamed and planned how to spend my dough! It would have been great to push a button and have a "piggy bank statement" printed at any time confirming that my money was where it should be and how much I had available. It would have been better still to earn "piggy interest" on my quarters! That would be real optimization!These memories came flooding back to me when I was pondering the topic of IT Asset Management and how ineffectively some businesses track and manage PCs and other IT equipment. Demands for increased staff productivity and greater return on IT investments have pushed the need for better asset management and vital solutions.Recently, I sat in the office of a large organization discussing this very subject with an IT manager. When I asked him if he had ever analyzed the use of software in his organization his reply was "We don't really care if the software deployed on our standard image is used or not, it's just easier to support if we give everyone all of the applications."I shook my head; I've heard this rational before, in fact, I've used it myself in the past. What I've learned since then has changed my way of thinking regarding costs and efficiencies.Some IT managers believe that software licensing concerns are simplest to address by using a standard corporate image (a PC configured with standard software applications deployed to all users within the corporation). While it may seem simpler, one must ask "what happens to standardization once that PC has been delivered to the end user?" I'll tell you, in many organizations the end user immediately begins to alter the standard image to the point there is no longer any homogeny within the business assets.My second question is this, "why pay for software that isn't needed or used?" Besides, why on earth would you continue to pay expensive maintenance on software that isn't beneficial to the company? Experts estimate that optimizing maintenance contracts can save a business from 5% to 15%. When was the last time you got a budget or salary increase in the 5-15% range?According to The Gartner Group, "enterprises that fail to integrate usage and inventory data to manage its software assets will overbuy licenses for 60% of their portfolio and still be non-compliant on 30%." With proper usage information, managers can make informed and more effective decisions about the needs of end users as well as the use of resources.For example, one company recently monitored employee use of a particularly expensive software package. They discovered that, although the product was licensed and deployed to all users, only about 2/3 of the staff ever used it. In addition, it was discovered that an inexpensive emulator was a suitable replacement for all but the core power users. The results were savings of nearly a million dollars! I would say, certainly in this case, that end-user usage information can be very valuable to an IT manager. What's more, these are the types of savings that would make any CEO dance the rumba!Additionally, Gartner experts estimate that up to 30% of an IT budget could be saved by effective IT asset management. Further, that 70% of organizations have a 30% discrepancy between planned and actual IT inventory. Ouch that hurts! Why not use that 30% to increase budgets for training, salaries, upgrades and new projects?Besides software licensing and maintenance agreement savings, there are a host of additional benefits stemming from successful IT asset management. Every IT manager would benefit from saving time and effort expended planning for technology upgrades of any size. For years, most of us have tracked our assets in a spreadsheet, desperately hoping that it contained fairly accurate information.When it came time to prepare for an upgrade, usually the low man on the totem pole (or an outside temp) was tasked with verifying the accuracy of the spreadsheet data. This method generally entailed walking from machine to machine checking against a list of criteria. The entire endeavor was painfully slow, dreadfully inaccurate and miserably inefficient, but hey - great exercise for the temp!Once the data was gathered, a manual method was used to determine which machines needed what hardware and software. Once that task was completed one could price out the upgrades, prepare a budget for management approval and hope there wasn't noticeable margin of error. Yea, sure – better add 10% just in case!I really like living in the new millennium, the whole exercise of gathering data on IT assets has been revolutionized. Now, in a matter of a few mouse clicks, a good asset management application can provide up to the minute information needed to plan for an upgrade. Not only can these tools provide information on hardware, but also software versions, patches, etc. Having accurate data available in a dynamic system proves to be a huge forecasting timesaver and can also be used, among other things, to reduce virus incidents by identifying systems that are at risk. Besides planning for upgrades, simply keeping track of assets that seem to forever grow legs and walk away on their own can be a daunting task.Another bright spot for IT managers who use asset management tools effectively is improved efficiency at the help desk. IDC reported that downtime can be reduced by 10% and person hours on recovery can be reduced by 22% for businesses that practice good asset management. I read another figure that touted a 25% reduction in average help desk call time. This enables the closing of more trouble tickets per day and gets end users back to work faster.I certainly remember the days when a help desk call started out with questions such as "What type of PC do you have? What version of Windows are you running? Did you install anything new recently?" And if you're laughing now, it's because you know the answer is always "NO! I haven't installed anything!" End users never admit to installing or doing something that could have possibly caused their system to misbehave!With today's tools, support staff can easily view hardware and software configurations without any end user interaction thus saving time on each and every support call. Having this IT "x-ray vision" debunks the myth that standard images are easier to support because a standard image generally fails to remain standard after deployment. Being able to see what has happened to morph that PC really does make support easier and faster!Secondly, most good tools will provide a "history" or a "change" flag that can clearly identify what software changes have been made that might have triggered the problem. This feature can also be enlisted to enforce policies prohibiting users from installing unauthorized software onto their assigned systems. In the event of serious troubles, these records can provide valuable forensic evidence.Moreover, good asset management tools and techniques can actually prevent the need for a support call in the first place by allowing for proactive PC management. If a flaw or vulnerability is identified in a particular software version, those affected PCs can easily be identified, isolated and a fix or patch pushed out before the problem erupts.This proactive approach certainly beats the tar out of the "old fashioned" method of grab a disk and run when a caller reports a system failure. And it truly beats hearing the words "it's going to be a long night, better order in dinner, we've got to touch every machine before we can go home." How many pizza dinners in a row can your digestive system actually tolerate?In general, businesses will see significant benefit from using an efficient asset management tool (in addition to an effective underlying process) in the areas of software licensing, maintenance costs, lease and contract management, support and help desk efficiencies, reduction in vulnerabilities and even with asset disposal concerns. (See my earlier article regarding IT asset disposal for a list of those worries!)To get the most out of an asset management tool, carefully research the array of products available. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish by merely selecting the least expensive or most widely recognized products. Every IT environment is unique and requires tools that can adapt to, or blend with, those specific needs.To get started on the selection process, create a company-wide team to evaluate asset management tools. Enlist the input from each department that has any role in relation to IT assets. The team should include members from finance, purchasing, accounting, IT, security, training, risk management, etc.A good tool can and should help manage assets throughout the entire lifecycle – cradle to grave. Consider what tool features would make it easier, faster and more accurate to budget, purchase, receive, deliver, upgrade, support, use and retire an IT asset. Once your team is in place, create a list of the top 25 features and benefits desired in a tool. Create a list of tool vendors offering products that meet your criteria and arrange for an on-site demo of the product for the whole team (not just IT).At this point, hopefully, between face to face meetings with the vendor, the demo, addressing compatibility issues and pricing options, a short list of tools will emerge. Arrange for an on-site evaluation of at least two, perhaps three of the preferred tools. Assign specific roles to each team member in the evaluation process to ensure that all functions are fully experienced.Once a tool has been selected, don't dare cheap out on training! At least one, preferably two, staff members should receive thorough training on the use and support of the product. Consider hiring an experienced professional to install, configure and document the program. Lost time due to inexperienced staff struggling to learn a product can quickly sabotage any project. Further, an experienced professional will be able to optimize the tool configuration and reporting functions.An asset management tool can be a costly investment for any organization, but one which if installed properly and used efficiently, will provide for reduced cost of ownership for IT assets and such tools generally provide a positive return on investment within 12-24 months as well. When you add the benefits of increased staff efficiency and reduction of risk into the mix, the justifications for the expense will be well founded.What is being done to manage IT assets in your organization? Are you continually tossing your IT budget dollars into metaphorical pockets or are you keeping accurate tabs on those valuables? Moreover, what has been done to not only track and manage the IT assets, but to optimize the return on those investments?Donna Johnson Edwards has more than 20 years' experience implementing and managing IT projects for companies including the Federal Judiciary, IBM/Lotus and Hamilton Beach Proctor-Silex, where she was the senior member of the New Enterprise Technology Team.Her clients include Fortune 100, 500 and 1,000 companies as well as not-for-profit entities. Her background includes both the technical and the business aspects of IT projects.
Keyword : it asset management,asset management consulting,it management consulting,it consulting services
วันเสาร์ที่ 23 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2551
Use "Flex Meetings" To Improve Communication & Increase Productivity
Author : Robert Bacal
Meetings are expensive. The more people at a meeting, and the more time spent the more expensive. That's one reason why meeting planning and management is so important particularly when we've moved to a more team based system of work. Effective meeting management is important for more than just the basic cost issues. If meetings are unnecessary, or unwieldy, people at the meetings get bored, frustrated, and start to find ways of avoiding attending.There's an interesting way of managing meetings so that they are less wasteful of time, and less likely to engender frustration on the part of those attending. Before I tell you about the "flex meeting", here are some basic principles:1) We want the right people at meetings. That means that people attending a particular meeting should either have a NEED to be there, or a desire to be there. If people want to be there cut don't need to be there, then they should have the option of attending, provided their attendance won't impede the meeting.2) We want to minimize unnecessary time spent at meetings due to both cost and frustration issues.3)We do not want to restrict access to meeting content or participation without good reason.The Flex MeetingThe "flex meeting" actually has two separate parts to it. The first we call the core issues component. The core issue component includes agenda items that all meeting attendees NEED to know about, or need to be involved with. In other words, we put the mandatory and important items in the core issue part of the meeting.The second part of the meeting is the non-core issues component. We reserve this time for discussion about less critical issues, that may be of interest to only some of the attendees. Some of these may be important to SOME people, and totally irrelevant to others.So, those are the parts. The core issues component is put at the beginning of the meeting. All potential participants are notified that attendance is expected for THAT PARTICULAR PART of the meeting. Consistent with good meeting management, time limits can be set for agenda items. Once the core issues have been covered, there is a break in the meeting, a coffee break, perhaps.At that point the meeting attendance becomes discretionary. Those that want to participate in discussion of the non-core issues return, while those that feel their time could best be used elsewhere can choose to be elsewhere.The idea behind the flex meeting is to make sure that the right people are at the meeting at the right time. We want "just the right" arrangement. We don't want people sitting through two hours of discussion that has no value to them, or where they can't contribute value. We also don't want people missing critical "core" information.An added benefit of the flex meeting is that it empowers staff to decide where they can best allocate their time, and it is structured to take into account core, critical issues, and less critical ones.If you try this method, you may find that your meetings are shorter, more efficient, and less frustrating. Keep in mind that ANY meeting format should have a clear agenda established before hand and use standard meeting practices to ensure the meeting stays on course and on time.(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.Robert Bacal is a noted performance management author, consultant and trainer, and is the author of a number of books published by McGraw-Hill including Performance Management - A Briefcase Book, Manager's Guide to Performance Reviews and Perfect Phrases For Performance Reviews.Robert has created The Business and Strategic Planning Resource Center at http://work911.com/planningmaster/ where you will find hundreds of articles on all aspects of planning -- from strategic planning, planning effective meetings, financial planning, disaster recovery, through to career planning.In addtion to these planning resources, he has created similar free sites on customer service, conflict management, relationship improvement. To access a complete index of resources, go to http://work911.com/sitemaps
Keyword : meetings, managing meetings, effective meetings, shorter meetings, planning, planning meetings
Meetings are expensive. The more people at a meeting, and the more time spent the more expensive. That's one reason why meeting planning and management is so important particularly when we've moved to a more team based system of work. Effective meeting management is important for more than just the basic cost issues. If meetings are unnecessary, or unwieldy, people at the meetings get bored, frustrated, and start to find ways of avoiding attending.There's an interesting way of managing meetings so that they are less wasteful of time, and less likely to engender frustration on the part of those attending. Before I tell you about the "flex meeting", here are some basic principles:1) We want the right people at meetings. That means that people attending a particular meeting should either have a NEED to be there, or a desire to be there. If people want to be there cut don't need to be there, then they should have the option of attending, provided their attendance won't impede the meeting.2) We want to minimize unnecessary time spent at meetings due to both cost and frustration issues.3)We do not want to restrict access to meeting content or participation without good reason.The Flex MeetingThe "flex meeting" actually has two separate parts to it. The first we call the core issues component. The core issue component includes agenda items that all meeting attendees NEED to know about, or need to be involved with. In other words, we put the mandatory and important items in the core issue part of the meeting.The second part of the meeting is the non-core issues component. We reserve this time for discussion about less critical issues, that may be of interest to only some of the attendees. Some of these may be important to SOME people, and totally irrelevant to others.So, those are the parts. The core issues component is put at the beginning of the meeting. All potential participants are notified that attendance is expected for THAT PARTICULAR PART of the meeting. Consistent with good meeting management, time limits can be set for agenda items. Once the core issues have been covered, there is a break in the meeting, a coffee break, perhaps.At that point the meeting attendance becomes discretionary. Those that want to participate in discussion of the non-core issues return, while those that feel their time could best be used elsewhere can choose to be elsewhere.The idea behind the flex meeting is to make sure that the right people are at the meeting at the right time. We want "just the right" arrangement. We don't want people sitting through two hours of discussion that has no value to them, or where they can't contribute value. We also don't want people missing critical "core" information.An added benefit of the flex meeting is that it empowers staff to decide where they can best allocate their time, and it is structured to take into account core, critical issues, and less critical ones.If you try this method, you may find that your meetings are shorter, more efficient, and less frustrating. Keep in mind that ANY meeting format should have a clear agenda established before hand and use standard meeting practices to ensure the meeting stays on course and on time.(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.Robert Bacal is a noted performance management author, consultant and trainer, and is the author of a number of books published by McGraw-Hill including Performance Management - A Briefcase Book, Manager's Guide to Performance Reviews and Perfect Phrases For Performance Reviews.Robert has created The Business and Strategic Planning Resource Center at http://work911.com/planningmaster/ where you will find hundreds of articles on all aspects of planning -- from strategic planning, planning effective meetings, financial planning, disaster recovery, through to career planning.In addtion to these planning resources, he has created similar free sites on customer service, conflict management, relationship improvement. To access a complete index of resources, go to http://work911.com/sitemaps
Keyword : meetings, managing meetings, effective meetings, shorter meetings, planning, planning meetings
Positive Discipline - The Hot Stove Rule
Author : Christopher J Thomas
Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at less than 60 % of their potential. Basic management skills training is guaranteed to change all this and at such little costIntroductionThe word discipline has a negative sound as we immediately think of authority and punishment. However, there is another more constructive way to think about this, which we can call – POSITIVE DISCIPLINE.Positive discipline is all about creating an orderly environment where people can conduct themselves to agreed standards of behavior to the benefit of everyone. In this way we avoid unnecessary conflict and potential accidents.Most family groups establish an atmosphere of Positive Discipline, which protects individual's rights but also develops harmony in the family. Positive Discipline is also an excellent learning medium for our children, which allows them to develop in a safe environment.NEGATIVE DISCIPLINE is conflictive by nature and is damaging to group harmony. A potential negative discipline situation occurs when rules are disobeyed or when they are clearly accepted reluctantly.Discipline line The first step is to establish and maintain a reasonable, but firm discipline line.TOO HIGH - People are insulted. Productivity drops.TOO LOW - People take liberties. Productivity drops.This line must be a well-defined set of behavior standards that you expect all employees to abide by and support. It is also important to ensure that these standards, rules or regulations are well-communicated and everyone is fully aware of them. This will tell an employee what is expected and what is not permitted.
It is essential to set a discipline line that is achievable and effective in the real world. The key success factors are:ConsistentWell communicatedReasonable and justifiableFlexibleImmediacyThere are many aspects to positive discipline and the following is an interesting one.The "Hot Stove Rule"However well you handle discipline it remains an unpleasant task that often causes resentment. The challenge to the supervisor is to apply the necessary disciplinary action so that it minimizes damage to individuals and to the manager himself.A really effective way to incorporate all the rules that are described above is to adopt the hot stove rule. When you touch a hot stove, the reaction is immediate, with warning, consistent, and impersonal.
For example:The burn is immediate; there is no doubt about the cause and effectThere was advance communication, since everyone knows what happens if you touch a stove when it's red hotThe result is consistent; whoever touches a hot stove will always get burnedThe result is impersonal because whoever touches a hot stove is burned. The burn was caused by the act of touching the stove, not because of who the person is. Discipline should be directed against the act and not against the person.The comparison between the "hot stove rule" and disciplinary action is obvious.Chris Thomas is the author of the Managers Toolbox training material located at http://www.managers-toolbox.com and runs the very successful Basic Management Course for new leaders and supervisors.
Keyword : positive discipline, hot stove principle, management techniques, management style, manager training
Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at less than 60 % of their potential. Basic management skills training is guaranteed to change all this and at such little costIntroductionThe word discipline has a negative sound as we immediately think of authority and punishment. However, there is another more constructive way to think about this, which we can call – POSITIVE DISCIPLINE.Positive discipline is all about creating an orderly environment where people can conduct themselves to agreed standards of behavior to the benefit of everyone. In this way we avoid unnecessary conflict and potential accidents.Most family groups establish an atmosphere of Positive Discipline, which protects individual's rights but also develops harmony in the family. Positive Discipline is also an excellent learning medium for our children, which allows them to develop in a safe environment.NEGATIVE DISCIPLINE is conflictive by nature and is damaging to group harmony. A potential negative discipline situation occurs when rules are disobeyed or when they are clearly accepted reluctantly.Discipline line The first step is to establish and maintain a reasonable, but firm discipline line.TOO HIGH - People are insulted. Productivity drops.TOO LOW - People take liberties. Productivity drops.This line must be a well-defined set of behavior standards that you expect all employees to abide by and support. It is also important to ensure that these standards, rules or regulations are well-communicated and everyone is fully aware of them. This will tell an employee what is expected and what is not permitted.
It is essential to set a discipline line that is achievable and effective in the real world. The key success factors are:ConsistentWell communicatedReasonable and justifiableFlexibleImmediacyThere are many aspects to positive discipline and the following is an interesting one.The "Hot Stove Rule"However well you handle discipline it remains an unpleasant task that often causes resentment. The challenge to the supervisor is to apply the necessary disciplinary action so that it minimizes damage to individuals and to the manager himself.A really effective way to incorporate all the rules that are described above is to adopt the hot stove rule. When you touch a hot stove, the reaction is immediate, with warning, consistent, and impersonal.
For example:The burn is immediate; there is no doubt about the cause and effectThere was advance communication, since everyone knows what happens if you touch a stove when it's red hotThe result is consistent; whoever touches a hot stove will always get burnedThe result is impersonal because whoever touches a hot stove is burned. The burn was caused by the act of touching the stove, not because of who the person is. Discipline should be directed against the act and not against the person.The comparison between the "hot stove rule" and disciplinary action is obvious.Chris Thomas is the author of the Managers Toolbox training material located at http://www.managers-toolbox.com and runs the very successful Basic Management Course for new leaders and supervisors.
Keyword : positive discipline, hot stove principle, management techniques, management style, manager training
Experience Isn't Necessarily What It's Cracked Up to Be!
Author : Graeme Nichol
Isn't it always interesting to hear somebody say "yeah, we tried that, didn't work…"When it was tried; what were the conditions surrounding the business? How was it implemented? How were staff trained? Most questions are never answered with any clarity and real understanding. No real analysis of the changes failure or success was ever done. Meaning that an opportunity to learn was lost.We all learn by our experiences, from walking to riding bicycles, trial and error and a few bruises and scrapes. We take actions and observe the results. What would we think if we made a decision and never saw the consequence of it? This could be the case if the results are far out into the future or in a distant part of a larger system.Kinda like sending an e-mail or fax and never really knowing if it got to the intended recipient! Yeah, that does happen. Fire and forget!This in a larger extent is the problem facing businesses and organizations. We learn best from experience but often we don't directly experience the consequences of our most important decisions.Promoting staff, introducing new computer systems and hardware, new facilities, etc are typical of decisions that don't leave much chance for trial and error learning.Cycles may be longer than job tenure and we all have short memories. We have seen examples of this in student enrolment at colleges when there is a surplus of a typical field, say lawyers. Enrollment drops and students switch to other fields. As the cycle runs its course another shortage develops. It's much like the "buy high, sell low" philosophy so students should look at entering a field when few are entering it to be at the gate when the next shortage is evident. Seems obvious now that I mentioned it doesn't it?What tends to happen is that businesses form functional silos to allow managers to get a handle on their decisions and their impact. These silos often end up leading to fiefdoms which stop the free flow of information across the silos. Then process management is introduced to allow information to travel across silos, such as 'order to cash.' This has not proved to really break the silos but does open information flow. Still leaving room for improvement in understanding decisions and their actions.So the question is; Are we really learning form our experiences? Very large organizations have developed complex management cockpits and dashboards to try and learn from their decisions. So unless you're working for one of the large companies with budgets nearing the GDP of a small nation, the results of your decisions may not be what you think they are.Your 'experience' may be leading you and your business astray.Graeme Nichol, MBA, principal (http://www.arcturusadvisors.com), has worked on 4 continents gaining experience through Big Six consulting companies and boutique firms. Including; Business strategy, project management, change management, systems thinking, developing learning organizations, team development, productivity and quality improvement, and large scale ERP implementations.At Arcturus Advisors we work with business leaders and their teams to get everybody on the same page pulling in the same direction to improve results. We get you to focus on a shared vision and agree on how to achieve it. We get team members to value and respect the individual members and achieve results that far exceed individual contribution.
Keyword : Systems thinking, organizational development, learning, execution, results, vision, assumptions,
Isn't it always interesting to hear somebody say "yeah, we tried that, didn't work…"When it was tried; what were the conditions surrounding the business? How was it implemented? How were staff trained? Most questions are never answered with any clarity and real understanding. No real analysis of the changes failure or success was ever done. Meaning that an opportunity to learn was lost.We all learn by our experiences, from walking to riding bicycles, trial and error and a few bruises and scrapes. We take actions and observe the results. What would we think if we made a decision and never saw the consequence of it? This could be the case if the results are far out into the future or in a distant part of a larger system.Kinda like sending an e-mail or fax and never really knowing if it got to the intended recipient! Yeah, that does happen. Fire and forget!This in a larger extent is the problem facing businesses and organizations. We learn best from experience but often we don't directly experience the consequences of our most important decisions.Promoting staff, introducing new computer systems and hardware, new facilities, etc are typical of decisions that don't leave much chance for trial and error learning.Cycles may be longer than job tenure and we all have short memories. We have seen examples of this in student enrolment at colleges when there is a surplus of a typical field, say lawyers. Enrollment drops and students switch to other fields. As the cycle runs its course another shortage develops. It's much like the "buy high, sell low" philosophy so students should look at entering a field when few are entering it to be at the gate when the next shortage is evident. Seems obvious now that I mentioned it doesn't it?What tends to happen is that businesses form functional silos to allow managers to get a handle on their decisions and their impact. These silos often end up leading to fiefdoms which stop the free flow of information across the silos. Then process management is introduced to allow information to travel across silos, such as 'order to cash.' This has not proved to really break the silos but does open information flow. Still leaving room for improvement in understanding decisions and their actions.So the question is; Are we really learning form our experiences? Very large organizations have developed complex management cockpits and dashboards to try and learn from their decisions. So unless you're working for one of the large companies with budgets nearing the GDP of a small nation, the results of your decisions may not be what you think they are.Your 'experience' may be leading you and your business astray.Graeme Nichol, MBA, principal (http://www.arcturusadvisors.com), has worked on 4 continents gaining experience through Big Six consulting companies and boutique firms. Including; Business strategy, project management, change management, systems thinking, developing learning organizations, team development, productivity and quality improvement, and large scale ERP implementations.At Arcturus Advisors we work with business leaders and their teams to get everybody on the same page pulling in the same direction to improve results. We get you to focus on a shared vision and agree on how to achieve it. We get team members to value and respect the individual members and achieve results that far exceed individual contribution.
Keyword : Systems thinking, organizational development, learning, execution, results, vision, assumptions,
Performance Appraisal - What IS The Point? From Blaming To Better Performance
Author : Robert Bacal
Probably the most misused and abused and disused management tool in history is the performance appraisal. It's the strangest thing. Ask managers or human resources staff whether they think performance appraisal is an important thing to do, and you'll find they usually agree. "Of course it is", is the common response. If you ask why it's important, they will tell you and tell you and tell you. But they don't tell you the right thing!The odd thing is that they often don't get done, and managers, supervisors and employees hate the darned things. Human resource professionals spend a lot of time whipping people into doing them, while managers look for a variety of reasons to delay and delay. Why is that?It's uncomfortable to do performance appraisals. But why is it uncomfortable? Because people undertake them for the wrong reasons and wrong perspective, which ends up putting the manager and the employee on different "sides". Appraisals are used for determining pay increases, who gets let go, and who gets promoted. Often they are used to focus on what people have done wrong.So what is the point of performance appraisals? Here's a starting point that actually works. The most important purpose or goal of the appraisal is to improve performance in the future...and not just for the employee. Managers can get valuable information from employees to help them make employee's jobs more productive. Work units and organizations can identify problems that interfere with everyone's work.If we shift from affixing blame, to identifying barriers to performance we begin to remove the fear and dread people have about these "appraisals". When we focus on the present and the future, we change our focus to what's been to what can be better tomorrw.An appraisal that works involves a number of things, but first and foremost is the process of identifying what has gotten in the way of better performance (regardless of the level of performance), and how manager and employee can work together in the future, to improve it. It's really that simple.When managers put away the "blaming stick" in appraisals and move to a cooperative, dialogue approach, the whole process can become more comfortable and effective. Because, it puts the manager and employee on the same side, and working towards the same goals, getting better and better.Sure, we do use appraisals for a number of reasons but if we are going to get real value out of the time and energy we put into them, we have to look at the process in a more constructive way. And, bottom line, that's making performance better.(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.Robert Bacal is a noted performance management author, consultant and trainer, and is the author of a number of books published by McGraw-Hill including Performance Management - A Briefcase Book, Manager's Guide to Performance Reviews, Perfect Phrases For Setting Performance Goals, and the best seller, Perfect Phrases For Performance Reviews. For more free information and help with performance management, reviews, and appraisals, visit the Performance Management & Appraisal Help Center at http://performance-appraisals.orgIn addition to over 800 articles on performance related subjects, you will find tools to help with diagnosing performance, using progressive discipline, and setting objectives at http://performance-appraisals.org/learnto .
Keyword : performance appraisals, employee reviews, annual reviews, performance management
Probably the most misused and abused and disused management tool in history is the performance appraisal. It's the strangest thing. Ask managers or human resources staff whether they think performance appraisal is an important thing to do, and you'll find they usually agree. "Of course it is", is the common response. If you ask why it's important, they will tell you and tell you and tell you. But they don't tell you the right thing!The odd thing is that they often don't get done, and managers, supervisors and employees hate the darned things. Human resource professionals spend a lot of time whipping people into doing them, while managers look for a variety of reasons to delay and delay. Why is that?It's uncomfortable to do performance appraisals. But why is it uncomfortable? Because people undertake them for the wrong reasons and wrong perspective, which ends up putting the manager and the employee on different "sides". Appraisals are used for determining pay increases, who gets let go, and who gets promoted. Often they are used to focus on what people have done wrong.So what is the point of performance appraisals? Here's a starting point that actually works. The most important purpose or goal of the appraisal is to improve performance in the future...and not just for the employee. Managers can get valuable information from employees to help them make employee's jobs more productive. Work units and organizations can identify problems that interfere with everyone's work.If we shift from affixing blame, to identifying barriers to performance we begin to remove the fear and dread people have about these "appraisals". When we focus on the present and the future, we change our focus to what's been to what can be better tomorrw.An appraisal that works involves a number of things, but first and foremost is the process of identifying what has gotten in the way of better performance (regardless of the level of performance), and how manager and employee can work together in the future, to improve it. It's really that simple.When managers put away the "blaming stick" in appraisals and move to a cooperative, dialogue approach, the whole process can become more comfortable and effective. Because, it puts the manager and employee on the same side, and working towards the same goals, getting better and better.Sure, we do use appraisals for a number of reasons but if we are going to get real value out of the time and energy we put into them, we have to look at the process in a more constructive way. And, bottom line, that's making performance better.(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.Robert Bacal is a noted performance management author, consultant and trainer, and is the author of a number of books published by McGraw-Hill including Performance Management - A Briefcase Book, Manager's Guide to Performance Reviews, Perfect Phrases For Setting Performance Goals, and the best seller, Perfect Phrases For Performance Reviews. For more free information and help with performance management, reviews, and appraisals, visit the Performance Management & Appraisal Help Center at http://performance-appraisals.orgIn addition to over 800 articles on performance related subjects, you will find tools to help with diagnosing performance, using progressive discipline, and setting objectives at http://performance-appraisals.org/learnto .
Keyword : performance appraisals, employee reviews, annual reviews, performance management
Benchmarking Your Way To Success
Author : Rick Johnson
Bench MarkingWhat is bench marking all about? Benchmarking is the process of observation and validation of procedures and practices that the most successful companies employ. They set the standard for success. Who has the best customer service, inventory management, pricing systems, logistics, warehouse management or sales effectiveness process? Any business process can be benchmarked. Once we identify the winners, benchmarking is the means to figure out how the winner got to be the best. This provides insight to help determine what we have to do to reach those standards. Bench marking is a best practice. Best practice is not about opinions. You have a bunch of opinions on best practices, I have opinions on best practice and I have the confidence of my convictions. I am an old sales guy. I know that I am right. Why? Because it just feels right. That is not what Best Practice is about. Best Practice bench marking says -- I am going to go out and compare myself to businesses that are similar to mine and look at somebody that does better then I. I am going to take a look at what they do and if I find a Best Practice, I'll bring it back and apply it. Most business processes are common and very similar throughout wholesale distribution."Benchmarking is a best practice tool. It is the process of identifying, understanding and duplicating proven practices from organizations that have consistently performed in the upper quartile of performance to improve your own businesses performance."So, who do you bench mark against?A common mistake many people make when beginning a bench marking initiative is that they only look within their own industry to find a benchmarking candidate. This in itself will not negate your effort to the point of making it valueless. You already have a tremendous amount of knowledge about your own industry. The benchmarking objective should be to find a company or companies that have a proven record of success specifically in the area that is the subject of your benchmarking activity. This means that you must focus on a specific area, process or practice that you are trying to improve. Bench marking an entire company, although interesting and helpful, will not allow you the time or focus to specifically address issues, processes and practices that are specific areas of desired improvement within your company.Peter Drucker described Wholesale distribution as a dark continent of the American economy. It is the main thing that made us different then communism. Wholesale distribution wasn't even legal in the Soviet Union or Russia until Boris Yeltsin was elected president. Seven percent of our GDP, 1 out of every 20 jobs in the United States is an employee of a wholesale distributor. So, don't go thinking that distribution is like some little second string thing, just the middle man, Five percent of all the employment in this country is involved in wholesale distribution. Distribution is not in the backwater of the economy. We are the Dark Continent. We aren't some invisible thing because wholesale distributors touch everything.There are 300,000 firms with an average size of $8 million in revenue.
The companies that you need to bench mark against should be companies of comparable size. It is not the product, it is not the industry, it is companies in wholesale distribution of similar size and scale. You have very different problems once you have multiple branches then you do when your warehouse is staffed by a man and a dog. So, first of all if you are going to do bench marking, against what do you bench mark yourself? Secondly, out of 300,000 firms, how do you decide who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? ROTA is probably one of the measurement terms that cuts across all lines of wholesale trade. ROTA is the Return On Total Assets. In other words, you could grow sales a lot if you doubled your inventory. How about if you made your terms 30/60/never? You would probably get a lot more sales, but what happens to your assets? Your assets explode. The effectiveness of a wholesale distributor fundamentally is measured by their financial return.If you plan to initiate a bench marking process in your organization your biggest return in the shortest period of time might be to focus on three specific areas that are generally the most complex for distributors that are growing. Those three areas are:* Markets* Customers* SegmentationMuch can be learned about operations, logistics, technology, purchasing and inventory management but the biggest bang for your buck on your first bench marking adventure lies in focusing on the three categories listed.Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He's also a published book author with four titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales" and a fiction novel "Shattered Innocence." Rick's next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership
Keyword : Benchmarking, management, best practice, executive management, success,
Bench MarkingWhat is bench marking all about? Benchmarking is the process of observation and validation of procedures and practices that the most successful companies employ. They set the standard for success. Who has the best customer service, inventory management, pricing systems, logistics, warehouse management or sales effectiveness process? Any business process can be benchmarked. Once we identify the winners, benchmarking is the means to figure out how the winner got to be the best. This provides insight to help determine what we have to do to reach those standards. Bench marking is a best practice. Best practice is not about opinions. You have a bunch of opinions on best practices, I have opinions on best practice and I have the confidence of my convictions. I am an old sales guy. I know that I am right. Why? Because it just feels right. That is not what Best Practice is about. Best Practice bench marking says -- I am going to go out and compare myself to businesses that are similar to mine and look at somebody that does better then I. I am going to take a look at what they do and if I find a Best Practice, I'll bring it back and apply it. Most business processes are common and very similar throughout wholesale distribution."Benchmarking is a best practice tool. It is the process of identifying, understanding and duplicating proven practices from organizations that have consistently performed in the upper quartile of performance to improve your own businesses performance."So, who do you bench mark against?A common mistake many people make when beginning a bench marking initiative is that they only look within their own industry to find a benchmarking candidate. This in itself will not negate your effort to the point of making it valueless. You already have a tremendous amount of knowledge about your own industry. The benchmarking objective should be to find a company or companies that have a proven record of success specifically in the area that is the subject of your benchmarking activity. This means that you must focus on a specific area, process or practice that you are trying to improve. Bench marking an entire company, although interesting and helpful, will not allow you the time or focus to specifically address issues, processes and practices that are specific areas of desired improvement within your company.Peter Drucker described Wholesale distribution as a dark continent of the American economy. It is the main thing that made us different then communism. Wholesale distribution wasn't even legal in the Soviet Union or Russia until Boris Yeltsin was elected president. Seven percent of our GDP, 1 out of every 20 jobs in the United States is an employee of a wholesale distributor. So, don't go thinking that distribution is like some little second string thing, just the middle man, Five percent of all the employment in this country is involved in wholesale distribution. Distribution is not in the backwater of the economy. We are the Dark Continent. We aren't some invisible thing because wholesale distributors touch everything.There are 300,000 firms with an average size of $8 million in revenue.
The companies that you need to bench mark against should be companies of comparable size. It is not the product, it is not the industry, it is companies in wholesale distribution of similar size and scale. You have very different problems once you have multiple branches then you do when your warehouse is staffed by a man and a dog. So, first of all if you are going to do bench marking, against what do you bench mark yourself? Secondly, out of 300,000 firms, how do you decide who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? ROTA is probably one of the measurement terms that cuts across all lines of wholesale trade. ROTA is the Return On Total Assets. In other words, you could grow sales a lot if you doubled your inventory. How about if you made your terms 30/60/never? You would probably get a lot more sales, but what happens to your assets? Your assets explode. The effectiveness of a wholesale distributor fundamentally is measured by their financial return.If you plan to initiate a bench marking process in your organization your biggest return in the shortest period of time might be to focus on three specific areas that are generally the most complex for distributors that are growing. Those three areas are:* Markets* Customers* SegmentationMuch can be learned about operations, logistics, technology, purchasing and inventory management but the biggest bang for your buck on your first bench marking adventure lies in focusing on the three categories listed.Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He's also a published book author with four titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales" and a fiction novel "Shattered Innocence." Rick's next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership
Keyword : Benchmarking, management, best practice, executive management, success,
Still More Problem-Solving Success Tips
Author : Jeanne Sawyer
he ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy. Here's another set of tips and reminders to help you solve messy problems quickly and easily.** Identify and fix the right root causes.Complicated problems have multiple root causes, probably more than you can fix in a reasonable amount of time. Don't waste time or money on causes that are either insignificant in impact or only peripheral causes of the problem you're trying to fix.** Choose solutions that are effective—and implement the solution completely.Identifying the right root causes is necessary, but unless you then implement a solution, you still have a problem. Double-check to be sure your solution plan really will eliminate the causes you've identified, and then execute the plan. It's easy to get distracted by other projects once you get to the implementation phase and never finish.** Reward prevention. Although it's generally understood that it costs more to deal with crises than to prevent them, many companies do not recognize and reward those who push past the symptoms to the root causes, preventing future occurrences. If you want to focus on prevention, be sure to reward those who do it successfully.** Have the courage to say "no" when appropriate. If you believe the problem can't be solved in the time-frame allowed or with the resources available, your best option is to say so right away. Accepting an assignment that you believe is impossible is setting yourself up for failure. Do, however, choose your strategy for how you refuse to take on the project: gather evidence, explain what it will take to accomplish the desired results, etc.** Meet your commitments. Do what you promise and don't promise what you can't deliver. Meeting commitments strengthens relationships and builds trust. You need both to solve messy problems. If the situation changes and you do have to change a commitment, let everyone know as soon right away so they can make appropriate changes to their own plans.copyright 2005. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients
solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational
disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are
excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving
Problems Permanently. Find out about it, and get more free information on
problem solving at her web site:
he ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy. Here's another set of tips and reminders to help you solve messy problems quickly and easily.** Identify and fix the right root causes.Complicated problems have multiple root causes, probably more than you can fix in a reasonable amount of time. Don't waste time or money on causes that are either insignificant in impact or only peripheral causes of the problem you're trying to fix.** Choose solutions that are effective—and implement the solution completely.Identifying the right root causes is necessary, but unless you then implement a solution, you still have a problem. Double-check to be sure your solution plan really will eliminate the causes you've identified, and then execute the plan. It's easy to get distracted by other projects once you get to the implementation phase and never finish.** Reward prevention. Although it's generally understood that it costs more to deal with crises than to prevent them, many companies do not recognize and reward those who push past the symptoms to the root causes, preventing future occurrences. If you want to focus on prevention, be sure to reward those who do it successfully.** Have the courage to say "no" when appropriate. If you believe the problem can't be solved in the time-frame allowed or with the resources available, your best option is to say so right away. Accepting an assignment that you believe is impossible is setting yourself up for failure. Do, however, choose your strategy for how you refuse to take on the project: gather evidence, explain what it will take to accomplish the desired results, etc.** Meet your commitments. Do what you promise and don't promise what you can't deliver. Meeting commitments strengthens relationships and builds trust. You need both to solve messy problems. If the situation changes and you do have to change a commitment, let everyone know as soon right away so they can make appropriate changes to their own plans.copyright 2005. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients
solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational
disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are
excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving
Problems Permanently. Find out about it, and get more free information on
problem solving at her web site:
http://www.sawyerpartnership.com/.
Keyword : problem solving,business,root cause analysis,project management,teamwork,process improvement,tips
Building a Practice On Purpose Series Part #2 - When Life Purpose is About More than What You Do
Author : Brad Swift
In our last installment of this series, I wrote:"If you think your life purpose is "being a veterinarian (or any other job, career, profession or primary role in life)" I invite you to think again, because as we'll explore further in this series, a life purpose is something that encompasses ALL of your life, not just a part of it, no matter how important that part is. And your life purpose isn't what you DO. It's more about who you are, what you value most in life, and what you see possible for the world. But we'll get further into that in one of our future installments."Well, this is the installment where we'll explore both the commonly help perspective of what a life purpose is that I call the Cultural Perspective and the Life On Purpose Perspective. While this will take an open mind and a willingness to try on a new way of viewing life and living on purpose, I believe you will find it well worth the effort. Here goes.In interviewing literally thousands of people through the last 10 years and asking them, "What do you think a life purpose is?" I found that a high percentage of the responses had a common theme to them which was:"A life purpose is what I'm here to DO while I'm alive."The key word is 'do.' When we think from this perspective we often equate our job, career or profession as our life purpose, or we view some primary role in life such as being a good parent, spouse or community member as our life purpose.But how can any of these be our life purpose since none of them encompass all of our life? It's what I call a case of mistaken identity which has led many us into a life filled with doing, doing, doing, in an effort to fulfill our misidentified life purpose, and in the process burning a lot of us out.So, let's try on another way to view what a life purpose is. The Life On Purpose Perspective suggests that a life purpose is the context, vessel or container into which we pour our life, and that this context is what then shapes our life -- ALL OF OUR LIFE. In other words, once we've clarified our life purpose from this perspective, it has the power to shape our thoughts, decisions, choices, what we say and all that we do!While this is a somewhat subtle distinction, it's one that thousands of people who have tried it on have found very rich and rewarding, but let me give you and example that will help make this more real and practical for you.I love coaching, writing and speaking, and I love being the 'Chief Visionary Officer' of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. Yet, none of these things that I do is my life purpose. I also love being a dad to my daughter, Amber, and a caring husband to my wife, Ann, yet once again these are not my life purpose.My life purpose -- the context that shapes all of my life is to live a purposeful, passionate, and playful life of service, a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity and spiritual serenity. And coaching, writing, speaking, envisioning for Life On Purpose, parenting and loving my wife are all ways that I get to EXPRESS this life purpose. In other words, it's this life purpose that shapes what I do.So, let me conclude this installment by once again repeating the questions:Do you know with crystal clarity your true purpose?What do you say your life purpose is?Being able to answer this last one with crystal clarity is key to building a practice on purpose.As the founder of Life On Purpose Institute, Dr. W. Bradford Swift empowers people to live true to their life purpose through writing, public speaking, and coaching professional people to design businesses on purpose. Send questions to bswift@lifeonpurpose.com or visit http://www.practiceonpurpose.comDr. Brad Swift founded Life On Purpose Institute in 1996 with the vision of creating a World On Purpose by assisting people like yourself to clarify their life purpose & live true to it. Determine how on or off purpose your life is with the fun & insightful Self Test at:
http://lifeonpurpose.com/_forms/self-test.php?source=ezart
In our last installment of this series, I wrote:"If you think your life purpose is "being a veterinarian (or any other job, career, profession or primary role in life)" I invite you to think again, because as we'll explore further in this series, a life purpose is something that encompasses ALL of your life, not just a part of it, no matter how important that part is. And your life purpose isn't what you DO. It's more about who you are, what you value most in life, and what you see possible for the world. But we'll get further into that in one of our future installments."Well, this is the installment where we'll explore both the commonly help perspective of what a life purpose is that I call the Cultural Perspective and the Life On Purpose Perspective. While this will take an open mind and a willingness to try on a new way of viewing life and living on purpose, I believe you will find it well worth the effort. Here goes.In interviewing literally thousands of people through the last 10 years and asking them, "What do you think a life purpose is?" I found that a high percentage of the responses had a common theme to them which was:"A life purpose is what I'm here to DO while I'm alive."The key word is 'do.' When we think from this perspective we often equate our job, career or profession as our life purpose, or we view some primary role in life such as being a good parent, spouse or community member as our life purpose.But how can any of these be our life purpose since none of them encompass all of our life? It's what I call a case of mistaken identity which has led many us into a life filled with doing, doing, doing, in an effort to fulfill our misidentified life purpose, and in the process burning a lot of us out.So, let's try on another way to view what a life purpose is. The Life On Purpose Perspective suggests that a life purpose is the context, vessel or container into which we pour our life, and that this context is what then shapes our life -- ALL OF OUR LIFE. In other words, once we've clarified our life purpose from this perspective, it has the power to shape our thoughts, decisions, choices, what we say and all that we do!While this is a somewhat subtle distinction, it's one that thousands of people who have tried it on have found very rich and rewarding, but let me give you and example that will help make this more real and practical for you.I love coaching, writing and speaking, and I love being the 'Chief Visionary Officer' of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. Yet, none of these things that I do is my life purpose. I also love being a dad to my daughter, Amber, and a caring husband to my wife, Ann, yet once again these are not my life purpose.My life purpose -- the context that shapes all of my life is to live a purposeful, passionate, and playful life of service, a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity and spiritual serenity. And coaching, writing, speaking, envisioning for Life On Purpose, parenting and loving my wife are all ways that I get to EXPRESS this life purpose. In other words, it's this life purpose that shapes what I do.So, let me conclude this installment by once again repeating the questions:Do you know with crystal clarity your true purpose?What do you say your life purpose is?Being able to answer this last one with crystal clarity is key to building a practice on purpose.As the founder of Life On Purpose Institute, Dr. W. Bradford Swift empowers people to live true to their life purpose through writing, public speaking, and coaching professional people to design businesses on purpose. Send questions to bswift@lifeonpurpose.com or visit http://www.practiceonpurpose.comDr. Brad Swift founded Life On Purpose Institute in 1996 with the vision of creating a World On Purpose by assisting people like yourself to clarify their life purpose & live true to it. Determine how on or off purpose your life is with the fun & insightful Self Test at:
http://lifeonpurpose.com/_forms/self-test.php?source=ezart
Inspire yourself with a fr.ee subscription to Purposeful Pondering Ezine:
http://lifeonpurpose.com/index.php?dir=_ezines&task=view-ezines
Keyword : business coach,living on purpose,
The Difference Between Managers and Leaders
Author : Eric Garner
It is often difficult to understand the difference between managers and leaders. Do managers lead? Do leaders manage? To understand how these two concepts are distinct yet different, here are 7 ways to understand them.1. Course and Steering. The word "leadership" comes from the Old English word "lad" for a "course". A "lode" is a vein that leads or guides to ore; a lodestone is a magnetic stone that guides; the lode-star is the name for the star that guides sailors, the Pole star. The word "management" comes from the Latin word "manus", the hand, from which we also get "maintenance" and "mainstay". Leadership guides by setting a ship's course. Management keeps a hand on the tiller.2. Growth and Survival. Organisations are no different from any other living organism: they need both to survive and grow. Survival is necessary in order to meet the basic requirements of life: in individuals, food, water and shelter; in organisations, a profit, customers, premises, and work. Growth is also necessary so that, like the individual person, an organisation can make the most of what it is capable of. The maintenance of the organisation is essentially a management function: measuring, looking back, assessing, taking stock, taking careful decisions. Taking the organisation into areas of growth, change and development, to make the most of it, is what leadership is all about.3. Resources and Potential. Management measures what it can count and see. A person in the enterprise is described by their name and title, measured by their output, listed in the database according to their skills and added in the accounts under the heading "manpower resources". Management deals with the past and how people performed to date. Leadership,on the other hand, sees people as capable of things you cannot measure and doing things they never thought possible. It deals with the future and how people could perform if their potential were realised.4. Left and Right Brains. The left hemisphere of the brain is the seat of our logical and rational thinking. The right brain is the seat of our imaginative, creative and emotional thinking. While these two sides are distinct, they also work best when whole. The left brain is an analogy for management. It deals with what can be counted; detail; control; domination; worldly interests; action; analysis; measurement; and order. The right brain is an analogy for leadership. It deals with what cannot be counted; seeing things as a whole; synthesis; possibilities; belief; vision; artistry; intuition; and imagination.5. The Seven S's. Richard Pascale says that the processes that take place in organisations fall under seven "S" headings: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, staff, skills and style. The functions of strategy, structure, and systems are the hard S's and the proper concern of managers because they deal with things or technology. The functions of staff, skills, style, and shared values are the soft S's and the proper concern of leaders because they deal with people.6. Art and Science. John Adair in his book "Leadership" compares management and leadership to the old dichotomy of Art and Science. Managers are of the mind, accurate, calculated, routine, statistical, methodical. Management is a science. Leaders are of the spirit, compounded of personality and vision. Leadership is an art. Managers are necessary; leaders are essential.7. Short-Term and Long. When an organisation thinks about now and the near-future, it thinks of itself as a production unit. It sees the problems it might face as technical problems needing technical answers. When an organisation thinks about the distant future, it thinks about building, learning and growing. It seeks to identify and develop its opportunities. It defines itself by what it is, not by what it does. The difference between short-term and long-term thinking is the difference between an organisation that holds on tight to what it has and an organisation that stays loose and lets things grow. Organisations that need quick fixes rely on managers. Organisations that want to grow rely on leaders.The difference between management and leadership is like the difference between male and female, sun and moon, night and day, fat and thin, hot and cold, coming and going, and so on. They are two sides to the same coin. In being the one, we see the other. While different and distinct, they are parts of the whole: essential contrasts, that in contrasting, make clearer the other.© Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.comFor instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download your FREE personal copies of our training software. And while you're there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!
Keyword : leadership, management, definition of leadership, definition of management, steering, courses, growt
It is often difficult to understand the difference between managers and leaders. Do managers lead? Do leaders manage? To understand how these two concepts are distinct yet different, here are 7 ways to understand them.1. Course and Steering. The word "leadership" comes from the Old English word "lad" for a "course". A "lode" is a vein that leads or guides to ore; a lodestone is a magnetic stone that guides; the lode-star is the name for the star that guides sailors, the Pole star. The word "management" comes from the Latin word "manus", the hand, from which we also get "maintenance" and "mainstay". Leadership guides by setting a ship's course. Management keeps a hand on the tiller.2. Growth and Survival. Organisations are no different from any other living organism: they need both to survive and grow. Survival is necessary in order to meet the basic requirements of life: in individuals, food, water and shelter; in organisations, a profit, customers, premises, and work. Growth is also necessary so that, like the individual person, an organisation can make the most of what it is capable of. The maintenance of the organisation is essentially a management function: measuring, looking back, assessing, taking stock, taking careful decisions. Taking the organisation into areas of growth, change and development, to make the most of it, is what leadership is all about.3. Resources and Potential. Management measures what it can count and see. A person in the enterprise is described by their name and title, measured by their output, listed in the database according to their skills and added in the accounts under the heading "manpower resources". Management deals with the past and how people performed to date. Leadership,on the other hand, sees people as capable of things you cannot measure and doing things they never thought possible. It deals with the future and how people could perform if their potential were realised.4. Left and Right Brains. The left hemisphere of the brain is the seat of our logical and rational thinking. The right brain is the seat of our imaginative, creative and emotional thinking. While these two sides are distinct, they also work best when whole. The left brain is an analogy for management. It deals with what can be counted; detail; control; domination; worldly interests; action; analysis; measurement; and order. The right brain is an analogy for leadership. It deals with what cannot be counted; seeing things as a whole; synthesis; possibilities; belief; vision; artistry; intuition; and imagination.5. The Seven S's. Richard Pascale says that the processes that take place in organisations fall under seven "S" headings: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, staff, skills and style. The functions of strategy, structure, and systems are the hard S's and the proper concern of managers because they deal with things or technology. The functions of staff, skills, style, and shared values are the soft S's and the proper concern of leaders because they deal with people.6. Art and Science. John Adair in his book "Leadership" compares management and leadership to the old dichotomy of Art and Science. Managers are of the mind, accurate, calculated, routine, statistical, methodical. Management is a science. Leaders are of the spirit, compounded of personality and vision. Leadership is an art. Managers are necessary; leaders are essential.7. Short-Term and Long. When an organisation thinks about now and the near-future, it thinks of itself as a production unit. It sees the problems it might face as technical problems needing technical answers. When an organisation thinks about the distant future, it thinks about building, learning and growing. It seeks to identify and develop its opportunities. It defines itself by what it is, not by what it does. The difference between short-term and long-term thinking is the difference between an organisation that holds on tight to what it has and an organisation that stays loose and lets things grow. Organisations that need quick fixes rely on managers. Organisations that want to grow rely on leaders.The difference between management and leadership is like the difference between male and female, sun and moon, night and day, fat and thin, hot and cold, coming and going, and so on. They are two sides to the same coin. In being the one, we see the other. While different and distinct, they are parts of the whole: essential contrasts, that in contrasting, make clearer the other.© Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.comFor instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download your FREE personal copies of our training software. And while you're there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!
Keyword : leadership, management, definition of leadership, definition of management, steering, courses, growt
Getting Started with Quality Management
Author : Rodney Robbins
One of the best places to start in creating a quality management system, is at the bottom. Don't start writing mission statements and policies. Everybody is all for baseball and apple pie, until you throw a dollar at them. Don't start with procedures that tell who is responsible for this and what they are authorized to do about that. I like written procedures, but they still don't get to the heart of day to day operations. No, I believe you need to start creating your quality management system with good old fashioned written work instructions.Work instructions read like cookie recipes. They usually include a list of supplies (ingredients) for a particular job, plus detailed guidance on how to do the work (oven temperature and baking time). Work instructions are needed for all those mundane, day-to-day jobs that must be done correctly, in a certain order, without mistakes or else! There are no specific requirements for written work instructions in most quality management systems like ISO 9000 2000. Not because work instructions aren't useful, but because they vary so much from one company to the next.Use your written work instructions to train operators, supervisors and managers. Use them for testing and for internal audits. Use your work instructions for breaking down jobs, making improvements and rolling those improvements out to all shifts and divisions. In short, use your work instructions to make sure the work that must be done, gets done right.About the AuthorRodney Robbins is a long time quality and safety manager with a creative streak and a bottom line attitude. You can learn more about his products at http://www.lulu.com/rodneyrobbins including a novel, cartoons, a business tip booklet and soon, audio programs on creating impressive quality management systems that work.
Keyword : business,management,quality,qms,iso,iso 9000,iso 9000 2000,rodney,robbins,quality management
One of the best places to start in creating a quality management system, is at the bottom. Don't start writing mission statements and policies. Everybody is all for baseball and apple pie, until you throw a dollar at them. Don't start with procedures that tell who is responsible for this and what they are authorized to do about that. I like written procedures, but they still don't get to the heart of day to day operations. No, I believe you need to start creating your quality management system with good old fashioned written work instructions.Work instructions read like cookie recipes. They usually include a list of supplies (ingredients) for a particular job, plus detailed guidance on how to do the work (oven temperature and baking time). Work instructions are needed for all those mundane, day-to-day jobs that must be done correctly, in a certain order, without mistakes or else! There are no specific requirements for written work instructions in most quality management systems like ISO 9000 2000. Not because work instructions aren't useful, but because they vary so much from one company to the next.Use your written work instructions to train operators, supervisors and managers. Use them for testing and for internal audits. Use your work instructions for breaking down jobs, making improvements and rolling those improvements out to all shifts and divisions. In short, use your work instructions to make sure the work that must be done, gets done right.About the AuthorRodney Robbins is a long time quality and safety manager with a creative streak and a bottom line attitude. You can learn more about his products at http://www.lulu.com/rodneyrobbins including a novel, cartoons, a business tip booklet and soon, audio programs on creating impressive quality management systems that work.
Keyword : business,management,quality,qms,iso,iso 9000,iso 9000 2000,rodney,robbins,quality management
The 5 Things You Can Do To Fail As a New Leader
Author : Kreg Enderson
Your first opportunity as a leader brings a whole new life for you. You're making more money, have more responsibility, and are in the "inner circle" of your organization. So I thought I would share with you 5 things you can do to fail as a leader. These are more common then you may think.First, continue to socialize with team members as you did before (assuming you were promoted from within the company). This will ensure that you are never actually perceived as a leader, and will keep team members from thinking of you as anything other than someone that can do them favors and let them get away with things with no consequence.Second, share everything with your team, even confidential information. Every new leader I know, including myself, has or will use the phrase "you can't tell anyone this". Famous last words that will come back at you in a short amount of time. Because you are such good friends with your team, you can "trust" them to keep what you tell them confidential.Third, do everything yourself and keep the "power" of knowledge to yourself. Your were promoted because you did most activities very well as a team member, so that must be the best way to be successful as a leader, do it all yourself. Do not train and empower others to learn what you do, otherwise you will no longer be needed. Besides, it would take you longer to teach someone than to just do it yourself.Fourth, now that you are in charge, people "have" to do what I say because I am a "manager". With my title comes the great power and everyone moves as I command. Forget about all that "touchy feely" stuff about telling people why and getting feedback from the team. I am the manager and I know what is best for everyone.And finally, because I am the leader, I have to know more than anyone else. When someone comes to me with a question, I must always have the answer. It is never OK to tell my team members that I do not know, but will get back to them.OK…..just to close on a positive note. 1) As a new leader it is important that you remove yourself from most of the social circles to the team members. You just cannot be "one of the guys" and still perform your job as a leader. It will come back to bite you. 2) You will learn the hard way that when you are a leader, you have information about things that just cannot be shared with team members, It is "assumed" that you are not sharing, and most of the time team members will use the same line "don't tell anyone" as they pass it along. 3) Your role as the leader is to accomplish things through others. Delegation is critical to your success. And, by teaching your team most things you do, you are making your team more self-sufficient and improving your chances of promotion. 4) Leadership is about inspiring others to "want" to perform well, not to force them to. 5) It is OK to not know everything. The best leaders will learn what they really need to know, and surround themselves with others that are "experts" in specific areas.Kreg Enderson is a certified leadership coach and mentor that is on a mission to help new leaders learn to be "people focused" leaders.Kreg can be reached via the website at http://www.LeadershipMentor.net
Keyword : new supervisor, new leader, new manager, manager, leader, supervisor
Your first opportunity as a leader brings a whole new life for you. You're making more money, have more responsibility, and are in the "inner circle" of your organization. So I thought I would share with you 5 things you can do to fail as a leader. These are more common then you may think.First, continue to socialize with team members as you did before (assuming you were promoted from within the company). This will ensure that you are never actually perceived as a leader, and will keep team members from thinking of you as anything other than someone that can do them favors and let them get away with things with no consequence.Second, share everything with your team, even confidential information. Every new leader I know, including myself, has or will use the phrase "you can't tell anyone this". Famous last words that will come back at you in a short amount of time. Because you are such good friends with your team, you can "trust" them to keep what you tell them confidential.Third, do everything yourself and keep the "power" of knowledge to yourself. Your were promoted because you did most activities very well as a team member, so that must be the best way to be successful as a leader, do it all yourself. Do not train and empower others to learn what you do, otherwise you will no longer be needed. Besides, it would take you longer to teach someone than to just do it yourself.Fourth, now that you are in charge, people "have" to do what I say because I am a "manager". With my title comes the great power and everyone moves as I command. Forget about all that "touchy feely" stuff about telling people why and getting feedback from the team. I am the manager and I know what is best for everyone.And finally, because I am the leader, I have to know more than anyone else. When someone comes to me with a question, I must always have the answer. It is never OK to tell my team members that I do not know, but will get back to them.OK…..just to close on a positive note. 1) As a new leader it is important that you remove yourself from most of the social circles to the team members. You just cannot be "one of the guys" and still perform your job as a leader. It will come back to bite you. 2) You will learn the hard way that when you are a leader, you have information about things that just cannot be shared with team members, It is "assumed" that you are not sharing, and most of the time team members will use the same line "don't tell anyone" as they pass it along. 3) Your role as the leader is to accomplish things through others. Delegation is critical to your success. And, by teaching your team most things you do, you are making your team more self-sufficient and improving your chances of promotion. 4) Leadership is about inspiring others to "want" to perform well, not to force them to. 5) It is OK to not know everything. The best leaders will learn what they really need to know, and surround themselves with others that are "experts" in specific areas.Kreg Enderson is a certified leadership coach and mentor that is on a mission to help new leaders learn to be "people focused" leaders.Kreg can be reached via the website at http://www.LeadershipMentor.net
Keyword : new supervisor, new leader, new manager, manager, leader, supervisor
Basel II and Operational Risk - A Primer
Author : Stanley Epstein
The operational risk requirements of Basel II (International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards) place a heavy emphasis on the identification, assessment, monitoring and control of operational risk. The ultimate requirement for reserving capital against operational losses are closely linked to the actions that a bank needs to take to manage these risks. Keeping a banks capital allocation against Operational Risks is a hands-on business, based on controlling and mitigating risk.Credit risk is well catered for in exceptional detail. Credit risks are clearly understood by all players, for credit is the reason why banks exist. In the current mad scramble to meet the Basel II requirements, credit risks have been getting the lion's share of attention while far less attention has been given to the operational risk issues. Basel II is more than just reserving capital against credit and operational risk. Now for the first time, banks have to take into account the operational risk aspects as well.To start with, Basel II provides a range of options for determining the capital requirements of credit and operational risks. This allows banks and bank supervisors the opportunity to select the most appropriate option for their operations and their financial market infrastructure. Additionally, allowance is made for a limited degree of national discretion in the way in which each of these options may be applied.Based on the Basel II requirements, I summarize briefly what needs to be done to effectively implement the operational risk aspects of this important international standard.The starting point is the board of the bank and the creation of an appropriate "Risk Management Policy". It should be remembered that bank boards generally do not have members with operations experience. Very often board members are drawn from business areas within the bank whose primary concern is revenue generation. Operational risk controls cost money and generally reduce profits – which means that they are not really a popular boardroom subject. Bank boards need to be educated and coaxed into the role they have to play in the mitigation of Operational Risk.To effectively implement operational risk controls it is first necessary to identify the risks and then to establish appropriate written board policies and procedures to reduce these. These policies are the foundation for the development of risk control measures and need to be established for the whole range of operational issues including products, processing, IT & security and business continuity.Risk mitigation can only be effective if a centralized risk management unit controls the whole risk reduction process. Most banks internal risk functions are fragmented and split over numerous areas (such as IT security, internal audit, physical security etc.) that tends to render a common risk policy ineffective. A critical element in the whole approach to operational risk control is the centralization of this function at a director level within the bank.Once the appropriate policies are in place the next step is to undertake a risk assessment. Risk assessment is the process that identifies and evaluates the internal and external factors that could adversely affect the achievement of a banking organization's operational, information and compliance objectives. In the full sense of the word this should cover all the risks such as credit, market, liquidity and operational risk. For our purposes we limit our focus on operational risk alone. Under Basel II operational risk is defined as "… the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events". This definition includes legal risk, but excludes strategic and reputational risk.Basel II is specific on the actions that need to be taken in operational risk management. These actions are based on international risk containment standards, most of which have been developed through the Bank for International Settlements. There is a strong emphasis on detailed definitions and documentation relating to the use of the methods, the development of policies and their implementation. There is less focus on technology and more on doing.Once the Risk Assessment has been completed the previously defined risk reduction policies need to be implemented.Implementing Basel II is not a once off operation. It is an ongoing process aimed at limiting a bank's exposure to risks. In the operational area reducing and containing operational risks so as to control the amount of capital that will have to be reserved. This ongoing process can only be achieved through the following steps;•Fine-tune Operational Risk controls – New products, process and techniques will need to be brought under appropriate controls. Existing controls will need to be reviewed and changed where necessary.•Feedback on Policy – Experience will indicate whether the Operational Risk policy is both effective and appropriate. This may result in the need to refine the Policy and the Controls over time.Stanley Epstein is a Principal Associate and Director of Citadel Advantage Ltd., a consultancy dealing in bank operations and specializing in Operations Risk and Payment Systems. Further information and details can be found at http://www.citadeladvantage.com.
Keyword : Basel II, Operational Risk, Risk Management, Bank Board
The operational risk requirements of Basel II (International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards) place a heavy emphasis on the identification, assessment, monitoring and control of operational risk. The ultimate requirement for reserving capital against operational losses are closely linked to the actions that a bank needs to take to manage these risks. Keeping a banks capital allocation against Operational Risks is a hands-on business, based on controlling and mitigating risk.Credit risk is well catered for in exceptional detail. Credit risks are clearly understood by all players, for credit is the reason why banks exist. In the current mad scramble to meet the Basel II requirements, credit risks have been getting the lion's share of attention while far less attention has been given to the operational risk issues. Basel II is more than just reserving capital against credit and operational risk. Now for the first time, banks have to take into account the operational risk aspects as well.To start with, Basel II provides a range of options for determining the capital requirements of credit and operational risks. This allows banks and bank supervisors the opportunity to select the most appropriate option for their operations and their financial market infrastructure. Additionally, allowance is made for a limited degree of national discretion in the way in which each of these options may be applied.Based on the Basel II requirements, I summarize briefly what needs to be done to effectively implement the operational risk aspects of this important international standard.The starting point is the board of the bank and the creation of an appropriate "Risk Management Policy". It should be remembered that bank boards generally do not have members with operations experience. Very often board members are drawn from business areas within the bank whose primary concern is revenue generation. Operational risk controls cost money and generally reduce profits – which means that they are not really a popular boardroom subject. Bank boards need to be educated and coaxed into the role they have to play in the mitigation of Operational Risk.To effectively implement operational risk controls it is first necessary to identify the risks and then to establish appropriate written board policies and procedures to reduce these. These policies are the foundation for the development of risk control measures and need to be established for the whole range of operational issues including products, processing, IT & security and business continuity.Risk mitigation can only be effective if a centralized risk management unit controls the whole risk reduction process. Most banks internal risk functions are fragmented and split over numerous areas (such as IT security, internal audit, physical security etc.) that tends to render a common risk policy ineffective. A critical element in the whole approach to operational risk control is the centralization of this function at a director level within the bank.Once the appropriate policies are in place the next step is to undertake a risk assessment. Risk assessment is the process that identifies and evaluates the internal and external factors that could adversely affect the achievement of a banking organization's operational, information and compliance objectives. In the full sense of the word this should cover all the risks such as credit, market, liquidity and operational risk. For our purposes we limit our focus on operational risk alone. Under Basel II operational risk is defined as "… the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events". This definition includes legal risk, but excludes strategic and reputational risk.Basel II is specific on the actions that need to be taken in operational risk management. These actions are based on international risk containment standards, most of which have been developed through the Bank for International Settlements. There is a strong emphasis on detailed definitions and documentation relating to the use of the methods, the development of policies and their implementation. There is less focus on technology and more on doing.Once the Risk Assessment has been completed the previously defined risk reduction policies need to be implemented.Implementing Basel II is not a once off operation. It is an ongoing process aimed at limiting a bank's exposure to risks. In the operational area reducing and containing operational risks so as to control the amount of capital that will have to be reserved. This ongoing process can only be achieved through the following steps;•Fine-tune Operational Risk controls – New products, process and techniques will need to be brought under appropriate controls. Existing controls will need to be reviewed and changed where necessary.•Feedback on Policy – Experience will indicate whether the Operational Risk policy is both effective and appropriate. This may result in the need to refine the Policy and the Controls over time.Stanley Epstein is a Principal Associate and Director of Citadel Advantage Ltd., a consultancy dealing in bank operations and specializing in Operations Risk and Payment Systems. Further information and details can be found at http://www.citadeladvantage.com.
Keyword : Basel II, Operational Risk, Risk Management, Bank Board
Business Architecture & Management - What You Need to Know
Author : Hans Bool
Architecture is (normally) about buildings, cities and infrastructure (and the like). You can see it around you and everybody has an opinion about it. You either like the style of that building or you don't and all the nuances in between.Business is less visible but also there – everybody has an opinion about it. You should make more profits, cut your costs, build an infrastructure and construct an organization that formalizes the (human) interaction, etc, etc.If we do all that, why bother about calling it business architecture? Well you shouldn't but some concepts will help you with issues that most managers are dealing with:
Coherence. How do we make sure that what we invent on one end will fit with a solution at the other end.
Balance. How do we know whether we are using all our talents and not only a small part of them.
Overview. What the hell are we doing anyhow. Our business have become so complex that I'm wondering if all elements point in the same direction to meet that goal.So architecture can help us. The nice thing about architecture is that you can look at one company and discuss about STYLE, FUNCTION and MATERIAL or construction. Three elements you continue to see (in recurring patterns).
Style is the most important, because it drives your business. It is not only the driving force behind marketing, but also behind, sales, production, human resources and IT. So if you have found your style, the first problem - of coherence - has being dealt with.Up for the next one.© 2005 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : business architecture, coherence
Architecture is (normally) about buildings, cities and infrastructure (and the like). You can see it around you and everybody has an opinion about it. You either like the style of that building or you don't and all the nuances in between.Business is less visible but also there – everybody has an opinion about it. You should make more profits, cut your costs, build an infrastructure and construct an organization that formalizes the (human) interaction, etc, etc.If we do all that, why bother about calling it business architecture? Well you shouldn't but some concepts will help you with issues that most managers are dealing with:
Coherence. How do we make sure that what we invent on one end will fit with a solution at the other end.
Balance. How do we know whether we are using all our talents and not only a small part of them.
Overview. What the hell are we doing anyhow. Our business have become so complex that I'm wondering if all elements point in the same direction to meet that goal.So architecture can help us. The nice thing about architecture is that you can look at one company and discuss about STYLE, FUNCTION and MATERIAL or construction. Three elements you continue to see (in recurring patterns).
Style is the most important, because it drives your business. It is not only the driving force behind marketing, but also behind, sales, production, human resources and IT. So if you have found your style, the first problem - of coherence - has being dealt with.Up for the next one.© 2005 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : business architecture, coherence
Guidelines for Energetic Meetings
Author : Jeanie Marshall
Everyone has a unique perspective of what constitutes an "energetic meeting." Some may believe that an energetic meeting must be lively and fast-paced; others may believe that a meeting is energetic when they leave feeling energized and uplifted.Regardless of your own personal viewpoint of energetic meetings, you can increase the likelihood that your meetings will be more satisfying by encouraging your group to adopt certain procedures as standard. Here are some key procedures, if you want participation in your energetic meetings.Clarify Purpose. A group's clear purpose right from its beginning helps all other considerations and actions to become clearer.Establish Climate for Sharing. When possible, arrange for participant comfort. Here are suggestions to consider:
Provide name tags if the group is large or filled with strangers;
Place chairs for all to see each other;
Allow everyone the opportunity to speak;
Protect the rights of individuals to have dissenting opinions and to change their opinions.
Explain Ground Rules. Let group members know what is expected; check their understanding and acceptance of procedures. Ask if they have questions about certain ground rules or give them choices that help them to interpret the ground rules. If the group is new, be certain that the members are involved in establishing these rules.Set Goal(s). Develop meeting goals with the group and refer to them as the meeting progresses. As goals are reached, be certain that specific individuals and the group as a whole are acknowledged and applauded.Reveal Agenda. Announce items to be covered and the meeting's structure and process. Written agendas emphasize meeting focus and hold participants' attention. When practical, allow group members to participate in agenda setting. Agendas distributed in advance allow participants to think through important items so the meeting is more productive and meaningful.Be Task-oriented. Focus on the task and not on personalities or irrelevant issues. Be careful, though, not to be so task-oriented that the group overlooks or short-changes interpersonal relationships.Listen to All. Acknowledge group members and their ideas. Not all ideas must be pursued, used, or evaluated, but all need to be received. Leaders and participants take the first step in showing that they are listening by giving direct eye contact to the speaker. Calling participants by name and referring to the comments they have made are indications that group members are listening to each other.Monitor the Energy. If the vitality of the group wanes, notice and take actions to work with lowered energy. Sometimes it is appropriate to slow down, suggest silence, or take a break. Other times, it is appropriate to take an action that uplifts the energy.Reflect Together on both Process and Task. Periodically, talk with each other about perceptions of a meeting or a series of meetings. Ask participants if they are satisfied or want to suggest changes. You might from time to time suggest changes to test a group's willingness to look at itself. Without a specific time devoted to reflection, groups — both participants and leaders — can make assumptions about satisfaction of others.Embrace an Intention of Empowerment. Decide that every meeting is an opportunity for everyone to be empowered. You can meet the opportunity with vitality and inspiration.As you conduct and attend meetings, you need to use good sense. Each group, each meeting is unique. Experiment to find the techniques and style that produce the most productive results for each meeting.Copyright © 1993, 2005 Marshall House. All rights reserved. You may save this article, send it to a friend, or reprint it in your online publications, provided the article remains complete and this information is attached. Jeanie Marshall is the author of the book on which this article is based, "Energetic Meetings," which is available at Amazon.com and through the Voice of Jeanie Marshall web site, http://www.jmvoice.com/books-by-jeanie.html
Keyword : Energetic Meetings,Empowerment,Group Effectveness,Energy,Group Participation,Confidence,Vitality
Everyone has a unique perspective of what constitutes an "energetic meeting." Some may believe that an energetic meeting must be lively and fast-paced; others may believe that a meeting is energetic when they leave feeling energized and uplifted.Regardless of your own personal viewpoint of energetic meetings, you can increase the likelihood that your meetings will be more satisfying by encouraging your group to adopt certain procedures as standard. Here are some key procedures, if you want participation in your energetic meetings.Clarify Purpose. A group's clear purpose right from its beginning helps all other considerations and actions to become clearer.Establish Climate for Sharing. When possible, arrange for participant comfort. Here are suggestions to consider:
Provide name tags if the group is large or filled with strangers;
Place chairs for all to see each other;
Allow everyone the opportunity to speak;
Protect the rights of individuals to have dissenting opinions and to change their opinions.
Explain Ground Rules. Let group members know what is expected; check their understanding and acceptance of procedures. Ask if they have questions about certain ground rules or give them choices that help them to interpret the ground rules. If the group is new, be certain that the members are involved in establishing these rules.Set Goal(s). Develop meeting goals with the group and refer to them as the meeting progresses. As goals are reached, be certain that specific individuals and the group as a whole are acknowledged and applauded.Reveal Agenda. Announce items to be covered and the meeting's structure and process. Written agendas emphasize meeting focus and hold participants' attention. When practical, allow group members to participate in agenda setting. Agendas distributed in advance allow participants to think through important items so the meeting is more productive and meaningful.Be Task-oriented. Focus on the task and not on personalities or irrelevant issues. Be careful, though, not to be so task-oriented that the group overlooks or short-changes interpersonal relationships.Listen to All. Acknowledge group members and their ideas. Not all ideas must be pursued, used, or evaluated, but all need to be received. Leaders and participants take the first step in showing that they are listening by giving direct eye contact to the speaker. Calling participants by name and referring to the comments they have made are indications that group members are listening to each other.Monitor the Energy. If the vitality of the group wanes, notice and take actions to work with lowered energy. Sometimes it is appropriate to slow down, suggest silence, or take a break. Other times, it is appropriate to take an action that uplifts the energy.Reflect Together on both Process and Task. Periodically, talk with each other about perceptions of a meeting or a series of meetings. Ask participants if they are satisfied or want to suggest changes. You might from time to time suggest changes to test a group's willingness to look at itself. Without a specific time devoted to reflection, groups — both participants and leaders — can make assumptions about satisfaction of others.Embrace an Intention of Empowerment. Decide that every meeting is an opportunity for everyone to be empowered. You can meet the opportunity with vitality and inspiration.As you conduct and attend meetings, you need to use good sense. Each group, each meeting is unique. Experiment to find the techniques and style that produce the most productive results for each meeting.Copyright © 1993, 2005 Marshall House. All rights reserved. You may save this article, send it to a friend, or reprint it in your online publications, provided the article remains complete and this information is attached. Jeanie Marshall is the author of the book on which this article is based, "Energetic Meetings," which is available at Amazon.com and through the Voice of Jeanie Marshall web site, http://www.jmvoice.com/books-by-jeanie.html
Keyword : Energetic Meetings,Empowerment,Group Effectveness,Energy,Group Participation,Confidence,Vitality
Fighting Fires at Work
Author : Jeanie Marshall
Out in the forest or in our neighborhood, we recognize a firefighter rather easily: a heavily-clad person, holding a fire hose, walking up or down a ladder, or performing some other tasks that reduce or end a conflagration.Managers, consultants, and others are often expected to be "fire fighters." Here we do not wear hip boots — although, come to think of it, this is a rather nifty idea. The water we apply to the fire is taken from our pool of resources and skills. We use ladders to reach our goals and comprehend the hierarchy. Fire fighting in organizations usually means solving crisis problems or calming interpersonal flare ups.As a customer, I recently had a series of problems (fires) while working with a plant manager in a small company. I tried all the strategies I know as a consultant and manager and conflict mediator. I even resorted to complaining about him to his secretary — I shamelessly admit that I stooped that low. She responded with a trace of empathy with me, as she rose to his defense. She mentioned how hard he works. With that comment, visions came to my mind of the cat I had in childhood who chased his tail. He worked hard — no question about that! He usually did not reach his goal, but when he did, he hurt himself.In thinking of this plant manager as a fire fighter, here is the scenario that leaps to view in my mind: With limited facts, he looks like a fire fighter because he fights fires. With additional facts, we discover that when no one is watching, he sets the fires that make him look like a hero when he douses the flame. So, the truth is he is an arsonist!I do not want to imply that all organizational fires are set intentionally by the firefighters or by anyone. Many occur by internal combustion. Or carelessness. Or ignorance. Or because something needs to be burned.Inside or outside organizations, fires and firefighting offer a range of possibilities and growth opportunities. Fires and firefighting can be planned or unplanned. Fires can be destructive and/or purifying. Fighting fires can be draining and/or satisfying.What is your fire? Are you a firefighter? An arsonist? Burned? Fired up? On fire?Copyright © 2006 Marshall House Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment.
Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com
Keyword : Management,Confidence,Empowerment,Personal Development,Problem Solving,Managing Solutions
Out in the forest or in our neighborhood, we recognize a firefighter rather easily: a heavily-clad person, holding a fire hose, walking up or down a ladder, or performing some other tasks that reduce or end a conflagration.Managers, consultants, and others are often expected to be "fire fighters." Here we do not wear hip boots — although, come to think of it, this is a rather nifty idea. The water we apply to the fire is taken from our pool of resources and skills. We use ladders to reach our goals and comprehend the hierarchy. Fire fighting in organizations usually means solving crisis problems or calming interpersonal flare ups.As a customer, I recently had a series of problems (fires) while working with a plant manager in a small company. I tried all the strategies I know as a consultant and manager and conflict mediator. I even resorted to complaining about him to his secretary — I shamelessly admit that I stooped that low. She responded with a trace of empathy with me, as she rose to his defense. She mentioned how hard he works. With that comment, visions came to my mind of the cat I had in childhood who chased his tail. He worked hard — no question about that! He usually did not reach his goal, but when he did, he hurt himself.In thinking of this plant manager as a fire fighter, here is the scenario that leaps to view in my mind: With limited facts, he looks like a fire fighter because he fights fires. With additional facts, we discover that when no one is watching, he sets the fires that make him look like a hero when he douses the flame. So, the truth is he is an arsonist!I do not want to imply that all organizational fires are set intentionally by the firefighters or by anyone. Many occur by internal combustion. Or carelessness. Or ignorance. Or because something needs to be burned.Inside or outside organizations, fires and firefighting offer a range of possibilities and growth opportunities. Fires and firefighting can be planned or unplanned. Fires can be destructive and/or purifying. Fighting fires can be draining and/or satisfying.What is your fire? Are you a firefighter? An arsonist? Burned? Fired up? On fire?Copyright © 2006 Marshall House Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment.
Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com
Keyword : Management,Confidence,Empowerment,Personal Development,Problem Solving,Managing Solutions
New Year
Author : Mike Shannon
2006. When I was a kid growing up thinking of the year 2006 was like dreaming about living in Star Trek times. And in some ways, compared to the 60's we are living in Star Trek times. Personal computers, PDAs, cell phones, DVDs, iPods, the internet, broadband and other great technologies were only a dream back then. Heck, even some old technologies like color TV, cassette tapes and VHS recorders were far from being incorporated into our daily lives. In some ways we were living in the stone age compared to today.But all of these new technologies have come at a price to the small business owner and high level manager. We need to be connected all the time. People need to be able to reach us via phone. We must produce more and more every year. We must be able to multitask. How can we do it all?Organization! That is the key. We must be organized at all times. We must be able to deal with all of the email and paperwork that hits our desk. We must know where we are supposed to be and with whom we are supposed to be in contact. Missing appointments and letting business fall through the cracks is a no-no.Do you have a system of organization? Is your contact database up to date? Is your calendar clean? Can you handle the hundreds of emails you receive each week or do you do a mass deletion when your in-box gets too full? Can you process the paper that hits your desk or do you have stacks of paper all around your office or work area? These are a few questions to consider as you start the new year with intentions of making it the most productive year yet.Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: http://www.ShamrockCoaching.com.
Keyword : business, management, organization, productivity, paperwork
2006. When I was a kid growing up thinking of the year 2006 was like dreaming about living in Star Trek times. And in some ways, compared to the 60's we are living in Star Trek times. Personal computers, PDAs, cell phones, DVDs, iPods, the internet, broadband and other great technologies were only a dream back then. Heck, even some old technologies like color TV, cassette tapes and VHS recorders were far from being incorporated into our daily lives. In some ways we were living in the stone age compared to today.But all of these new technologies have come at a price to the small business owner and high level manager. We need to be connected all the time. People need to be able to reach us via phone. We must produce more and more every year. We must be able to multitask. How can we do it all?Organization! That is the key. We must be organized at all times. We must be able to deal with all of the email and paperwork that hits our desk. We must know where we are supposed to be and with whom we are supposed to be in contact. Missing appointments and letting business fall through the cracks is a no-no.Do you have a system of organization? Is your contact database up to date? Is your calendar clean? Can you handle the hundreds of emails you receive each week or do you do a mass deletion when your in-box gets too full? Can you process the paper that hits your desk or do you have stacks of paper all around your office or work area? These are a few questions to consider as you start the new year with intentions of making it the most productive year yet.Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: http://www.ShamrockCoaching.com.
Keyword : business, management, organization, productivity, paperwork
The Use of Goals - Friend or Foe?
Author : Megan Tough
As a society we are achievement driven, recognized for our tangible contributions to the world. The examples of this are everywhere: At school we are praised for doing well at tests and reading to certain levels. At work we are rewarded for achieving specific objectives. On the sporting field our athletes are heralded for their victories. Public organisations are required to share their goals with the world. The penalties for failing to achieve them are collapsing share prices and reduced investment. The message is clear – it is good to achieve.Intrinsic in our achievement driven approach is the use of goals to articulate and define what our achievements are to be. We can all think of our own goals, even if we have not taken the trouble to write them down (this is a sin in the world of goal achievement!). And for the most part, setting and striving for goals is a widely used and useful process. It does drive behaviour and encourage people to do things that they may otherwise not. Setting goals can provide clarity and direction, focus efforts and harness the power of groups.But the inevitable result of goals not being achieved is a sense of failure – we did not do what we committed to, we have personally failed in our efforts. This feeling may persist even when factors outside of our control influenced the outcome of the goal. For many, our internal definitions of success are bound up in our achievement of goals. If I get this job or buy this house or make this team then I am a success. Therefore not reaching a goal makes us "unsuccessful". It is this aspect of goals that causes the most damage. All of us at some time will "fail" to achieve a goal. Is there a different approach to take?Perhaps the most powerful framework to change is your definition of success. If you currently measure your level of success against benchmarks such as what work you do and/or what you have, try the following exercise. Complete this sentence: "I know I am successful when…….". Start by finding three ways to complete the sentence that aren't work related and don't involve having material things. The statements need to be more about who you are. Some examples:I know I am successful when I wake up looking forward to every day
I know I am successful when my children make me laugh
I know I am successful when my energy levels are through the roof.Changing your personal measures of success is a great way to alleviate the pressure of achieving certain goals. Even if you don't get that promotion or buy that house, you are still a successful person by your own definitions.Another way to take the pressure off achieving goals is to actually give them up. Instead of focusing on the end goal itself, think about what you can do each day that will take you one step closer to where you want to be. For example, for many months I had a goal of leaving my paid employment to begin coaching full time. I would set a date for myself, extend it, and extend it again. Finally I decided that as long as I was taking positive steps each week towards starting and building my business, that I would know the right time to resign from my job. The pressure of resigning by a certain date was gone, but I was still taking positive action every week.I don't mean to invalidate the process of using goals. Goal setting is an extremely useful tool for many people in many situations. But if your goal list is too long or you have goals that drain your energy, consider redefining your measure of success or dropping certain goals for a while. Feel the freedom!complete potential is here to help you make more of your business. More profits, more income, more of what you want. Remove obstacles to growth and create new opportunities. To get more practical business strategies and tips, sign up to our ezine - Profits for Professionals - at http://www.completepotential.com
Keyword : Achievements,goals,powerful,pressure
As a society we are achievement driven, recognized for our tangible contributions to the world. The examples of this are everywhere: At school we are praised for doing well at tests and reading to certain levels. At work we are rewarded for achieving specific objectives. On the sporting field our athletes are heralded for their victories. Public organisations are required to share their goals with the world. The penalties for failing to achieve them are collapsing share prices and reduced investment. The message is clear – it is good to achieve.Intrinsic in our achievement driven approach is the use of goals to articulate and define what our achievements are to be. We can all think of our own goals, even if we have not taken the trouble to write them down (this is a sin in the world of goal achievement!). And for the most part, setting and striving for goals is a widely used and useful process. It does drive behaviour and encourage people to do things that they may otherwise not. Setting goals can provide clarity and direction, focus efforts and harness the power of groups.But the inevitable result of goals not being achieved is a sense of failure – we did not do what we committed to, we have personally failed in our efforts. This feeling may persist even when factors outside of our control influenced the outcome of the goal. For many, our internal definitions of success are bound up in our achievement of goals. If I get this job or buy this house or make this team then I am a success. Therefore not reaching a goal makes us "unsuccessful". It is this aspect of goals that causes the most damage. All of us at some time will "fail" to achieve a goal. Is there a different approach to take?Perhaps the most powerful framework to change is your definition of success. If you currently measure your level of success against benchmarks such as what work you do and/or what you have, try the following exercise. Complete this sentence: "I know I am successful when…….". Start by finding three ways to complete the sentence that aren't work related and don't involve having material things. The statements need to be more about who you are. Some examples:I know I am successful when I wake up looking forward to every day
I know I am successful when my children make me laugh
I know I am successful when my energy levels are through the roof.Changing your personal measures of success is a great way to alleviate the pressure of achieving certain goals. Even if you don't get that promotion or buy that house, you are still a successful person by your own definitions.Another way to take the pressure off achieving goals is to actually give them up. Instead of focusing on the end goal itself, think about what you can do each day that will take you one step closer to where you want to be. For example, for many months I had a goal of leaving my paid employment to begin coaching full time. I would set a date for myself, extend it, and extend it again. Finally I decided that as long as I was taking positive steps each week towards starting and building my business, that I would know the right time to resign from my job. The pressure of resigning by a certain date was gone, but I was still taking positive action every week.I don't mean to invalidate the process of using goals. Goal setting is an extremely useful tool for many people in many situations. But if your goal list is too long or you have goals that drain your energy, consider redefining your measure of success or dropping certain goals for a while. Feel the freedom!complete potential is here to help you make more of your business. More profits, more income, more of what you want. Remove obstacles to growth and create new opportunities. To get more practical business strategies and tips, sign up to our ezine - Profits for Professionals - at http://www.completepotential.com
Keyword : Achievements,goals,powerful,pressure
Surviving Product Management
Author : Louis Columbus
The best lessons learned come from actual experience. Having been a product manager for products as diverse as hosted applications to printers, these are the lessons I've learned and I hope they are useful to you. With a healthy dose of humility from lessons learned, here are my recommendations for surviving and excelling at product management:Essentials of Product Management• Passion for your products and their success matters more than organizational power. The role of a product manager is full of opportunities to find passion for the product today, its future roadmap, sales strategies, finding and growing a sales champion, and working with and supporting service. In short the best product managers I've worked with have a passion for their products and their success. They rarely coerce cooperation through formal power by invoking a VP or C-level executives' name or position, but their passion and intensity earn them respect. Passion is the fuel of the best product managers; it propels them past doing "just enough" to get by to delivering exceptional work, projects and results.• Manage expectations aggressively. In some companies product managers are considered the final authority on future product enhancements, current and future pricing, launch dates, PR and lead generation efforts, even which analyst firms are subscribed to. With this much authority, sales, channel management, operations, production – in short every affected group in a company – looks to product management to make commitments on products to respond to competitive pressure or capitalize on market opportunities. If your company has an Intranet post the product roadmap and product management plans, in detail by product, there for everyone to view. Deviating from product roadmap for special orders needs to be communicated aggressively, as do pricing moves and product direction.• Resolve to know your competitors better than industry analysts do. Get to know your competitors and become an expert in every aspect of their business. If you haven't already, get 10Qs and other filings from the SEC for publicly available companies, and for all competitors run a D&B report every three months to see how their business is going. Take the hardest-hitting competitive points and publish it to your direct sales force including inside sales. Take the trending data and publish it for your indirect partners and keep the best competitive analysis for your direct sales force. Publish how-to-sell-against papers on each competitor every six months to capture the current knowledge you have of them for both direct and indirect channels.• Pricing competitive analysis deserves its own effort. When managing high-volume products like PCs, laptops or accessories, having a constant view of how your pricing measures up relative to competitors is easily accomplished by checking competitors' and their channel partners' websites. Tracking your competitor's price relative to your own on a daily basis delivers the data necessary to fight for price moves and lower per unit costs from purchasing, procurement or operations. Consider hiring a couple of interns from a local university to do the daily analysis and establishing trending graphs and presentations. Hiring them for twenty hours a week, working the first half of each day of the week, works well. Pricing from competitors is typically re-vamped nightly with website refreshes, so having interns capture this data during the first hours of the day gives you visibility into pricing moves immediately.• The first 90 days in a product management role is critical. This is the time the best product managers I've seen get their reputations established, start delivering on projects, show their strengths and weaknesses, develop alliances, and set expectations for the next year or two. It's critical during this time to avoid being isolated and getting buried quickly in e-mails and distractions. The best product managers are those that get out to the departments they will need to work with in the future, building alliances, starting to earn trust, and getting to know where product management is positioned in the company and what its true role is. During interview cycles you get the org chart view, it's time to get the real view now.Reaching out to departments you will work with includes Sales, Marketing, Service, Engineering, Production, Operations and the customer base. Get out and see at least three to five customers if you can, coordinating this with Sales, and also spend time with the internal "customers" you will have, going as far as to publish your project list for everyone who is relying on you. Work to deliver projects before their deadline and ask frequently for feedback. The goal during this first 90 days is to become part of the fabric of the company and spend much time learning the organization and where its' most pressing needs are before going after huge projects.• Grow sales champions, even if it means you have to do pre-sales support. Sales and product management often have a cordial yet distant relationship in companies because on the one hand product management needs Sales to run up the most critical metrics there are, and Sales needs product management for product information and support. Pre-sales support is avoided by many product management staffs because it becomes all-consuming. But structuring pre-sales support in terms of escalation of the best opportunities coming to product management for face-time with product experts is critical to grow links with Sales and eventually grow a sales champion. Just manage your time to make sure this doesn't become an all-consuming job.Making Cross-Functional Teams Work• Credibility is the capital you trade with, start with humility. Passion and credibility go hand-in-hand. Building credibility has to start with a focus on earning respect from engineering, product marketing, sales and other departments you regularly interact with. Building credibility starts by building trust. Trust comes from being transparent. Building credibility takes time, and so often product managers feel they must be the "instant" expert for their products, when building credibility is much better accomplished by admitting what you don't know and asking for help. Humility and honesty gain respect, as does asking for help and being reciprocal about sharing thanks for getting it. Be sure to serve up plenty of recognition to those that help you too, copying their managers on thank you e-mails when members of other departments go out of their way to help you get to your goals. Start laying the foundation for positive relationships where you get the reputation for sharing credit and thank you early and often.• Replace the frequency of cross-functional meetings with an Intranet site. Respect the time of cross-functional team members by distributing marketing, sales and business plans, specifications, and documents via an Intranet site. Distribute links and ask for feedback, and only have cross-functional meetings when there is enough to discuss and it warrants everyone's time. You can also use an Intranet site for managing the approval cycles for documents as well, and if you have an organization that is comprised of team members across a wide geographic region use meetings and conference calls for exceptions and have the workflows on the Intranet site handle the routine tasks.• Create a buzz around new product introductions by creating Champion Awards. In one PC company that had to rely on engineering resources from another project to get its product line built, tested and ready for launch, product management created Champion Awards signed by the Directors of Engineering, Marketing, General Manager for the Division and CEO. These were personalized by product managers and framed, then presented the same week a member of engineering completed a task above and beyond their primary job in support of the product launch. These were presented at cross-functional meetings by Directors of Engineering and Marketing.• Under-commit on launch dates and over-deliver on them. Product introductions are when companies signal to the outside world how coordinated they are internally or not. There's major pressure to move launch dates up from Sales, Channel Management, Marketing, and at times from Operations and Production as well. As much pressure there is to move up a launch date, keep schedules full of at least 20% extra time because the inevitable delays occur.Lessons Learned From Working with Engineering• Share product ownership with your products' engineers. Partner and team with engineering, and specifically spend much time understanding engineering's' perspective on your products. Share ownership for the product and its future, and work to create a cooperative environment with engineering.• Relentlessly pursue product expertise. Becoming a product expert starts by realizing that there is no such thing as an "instant expert" and that by working with engineering to appreciate which decisions they have made on your product and why goes a long way towards giving you a solid foundation to manage your products as effectively as possible.• Be a de facto leader of development via customer and competitive intelligence. This takes much effort, and it is worth it for any product manager to establish their role as delivering in-depth customer and competitive intelligence. Often when the next generation of a product is being developed, engineering needs input on what customers are looking for. By committing to be the leader in terms of customer and competitive intelligence, you can that much more effectively guide product development.Lessons Learned From Working with Product Marketing• Get on top of lead generation performance for your products. Marketing may not have this data, but go after getting it for all product managers so you can start building out what the sales funnel looks like for your products and how many leads are needed at the wide end of the funnel to result in closed sales.• Work with Marketing to understand the sales funnel for your products. See if you can create the sales funnel for your products using Marketing data, and see why some leads drop out of the pipeline.• Get going on a Google AdWords strategy for your products. This is very economical as a lead generation strategy, and push to get AdWords going for your products. Define the specific keywords to include competitors and their products as well. The cost per click can be well under $1.00 and the leads finely tuned.• Have a constant stream of white papers and knowledge going to prospects. This is doubly true in emerging markets where prospects are looking for guidance and insight into what new technologies are working reliably. Prospects want to understand what new technologies mean to them, they don't want messages slammed at them. Educate and be the trusted advisor in new markets, and you'll sell more.• Use industry analysts often. In certain software segments, industry analysts are relied on by IT buyers for their guidance, and as a result they have insights into what is being purchased and why. Get industry analysts to visit your company and present competitive updates once every three to six months. Also get their insights into your product roadmap and direction, making sure an NDA is in place as part of your company's overall relationship with them.Summary & Wrap-UpThe bottom line is that product managers have great potential to make a lasting impact on companies and entire industries through their efforts. Exceptional product managers are marked by a passion to make their products, engineering staffs, and sales persons the stars of their companies, content to be the enablers of accomplishment, the "backstops" of products so to speak. A great product manager is like a great coach; they orchestrate people, resources, and strategies to make their teams successful first and always.http://www.lwcresearch.com
Keyword : Product management; marketing; product marketing
The best lessons learned come from actual experience. Having been a product manager for products as diverse as hosted applications to printers, these are the lessons I've learned and I hope they are useful to you. With a healthy dose of humility from lessons learned, here are my recommendations for surviving and excelling at product management:Essentials of Product Management• Passion for your products and their success matters more than organizational power. The role of a product manager is full of opportunities to find passion for the product today, its future roadmap, sales strategies, finding and growing a sales champion, and working with and supporting service. In short the best product managers I've worked with have a passion for their products and their success. They rarely coerce cooperation through formal power by invoking a VP or C-level executives' name or position, but their passion and intensity earn them respect. Passion is the fuel of the best product managers; it propels them past doing "just enough" to get by to delivering exceptional work, projects and results.• Manage expectations aggressively. In some companies product managers are considered the final authority on future product enhancements, current and future pricing, launch dates, PR and lead generation efforts, even which analyst firms are subscribed to. With this much authority, sales, channel management, operations, production – in short every affected group in a company – looks to product management to make commitments on products to respond to competitive pressure or capitalize on market opportunities. If your company has an Intranet post the product roadmap and product management plans, in detail by product, there for everyone to view. Deviating from product roadmap for special orders needs to be communicated aggressively, as do pricing moves and product direction.• Resolve to know your competitors better than industry analysts do. Get to know your competitors and become an expert in every aspect of their business. If you haven't already, get 10Qs and other filings from the SEC for publicly available companies, and for all competitors run a D&B report every three months to see how their business is going. Take the hardest-hitting competitive points and publish it to your direct sales force including inside sales. Take the trending data and publish it for your indirect partners and keep the best competitive analysis for your direct sales force. Publish how-to-sell-against papers on each competitor every six months to capture the current knowledge you have of them for both direct and indirect channels.• Pricing competitive analysis deserves its own effort. When managing high-volume products like PCs, laptops or accessories, having a constant view of how your pricing measures up relative to competitors is easily accomplished by checking competitors' and their channel partners' websites. Tracking your competitor's price relative to your own on a daily basis delivers the data necessary to fight for price moves and lower per unit costs from purchasing, procurement or operations. Consider hiring a couple of interns from a local university to do the daily analysis and establishing trending graphs and presentations. Hiring them for twenty hours a week, working the first half of each day of the week, works well. Pricing from competitors is typically re-vamped nightly with website refreshes, so having interns capture this data during the first hours of the day gives you visibility into pricing moves immediately.• The first 90 days in a product management role is critical. This is the time the best product managers I've seen get their reputations established, start delivering on projects, show their strengths and weaknesses, develop alliances, and set expectations for the next year or two. It's critical during this time to avoid being isolated and getting buried quickly in e-mails and distractions. The best product managers are those that get out to the departments they will need to work with in the future, building alliances, starting to earn trust, and getting to know where product management is positioned in the company and what its true role is. During interview cycles you get the org chart view, it's time to get the real view now.Reaching out to departments you will work with includes Sales, Marketing, Service, Engineering, Production, Operations and the customer base. Get out and see at least three to five customers if you can, coordinating this with Sales, and also spend time with the internal "customers" you will have, going as far as to publish your project list for everyone who is relying on you. Work to deliver projects before their deadline and ask frequently for feedback. The goal during this first 90 days is to become part of the fabric of the company and spend much time learning the organization and where its' most pressing needs are before going after huge projects.• Grow sales champions, even if it means you have to do pre-sales support. Sales and product management often have a cordial yet distant relationship in companies because on the one hand product management needs Sales to run up the most critical metrics there are, and Sales needs product management for product information and support. Pre-sales support is avoided by many product management staffs because it becomes all-consuming. But structuring pre-sales support in terms of escalation of the best opportunities coming to product management for face-time with product experts is critical to grow links with Sales and eventually grow a sales champion. Just manage your time to make sure this doesn't become an all-consuming job.Making Cross-Functional Teams Work• Credibility is the capital you trade with, start with humility. Passion and credibility go hand-in-hand. Building credibility has to start with a focus on earning respect from engineering, product marketing, sales and other departments you regularly interact with. Building credibility starts by building trust. Trust comes from being transparent. Building credibility takes time, and so often product managers feel they must be the "instant" expert for their products, when building credibility is much better accomplished by admitting what you don't know and asking for help. Humility and honesty gain respect, as does asking for help and being reciprocal about sharing thanks for getting it. Be sure to serve up plenty of recognition to those that help you too, copying their managers on thank you e-mails when members of other departments go out of their way to help you get to your goals. Start laying the foundation for positive relationships where you get the reputation for sharing credit and thank you early and often.• Replace the frequency of cross-functional meetings with an Intranet site. Respect the time of cross-functional team members by distributing marketing, sales and business plans, specifications, and documents via an Intranet site. Distribute links and ask for feedback, and only have cross-functional meetings when there is enough to discuss and it warrants everyone's time. You can also use an Intranet site for managing the approval cycles for documents as well, and if you have an organization that is comprised of team members across a wide geographic region use meetings and conference calls for exceptions and have the workflows on the Intranet site handle the routine tasks.• Create a buzz around new product introductions by creating Champion Awards. In one PC company that had to rely on engineering resources from another project to get its product line built, tested and ready for launch, product management created Champion Awards signed by the Directors of Engineering, Marketing, General Manager for the Division and CEO. These were personalized by product managers and framed, then presented the same week a member of engineering completed a task above and beyond their primary job in support of the product launch. These were presented at cross-functional meetings by Directors of Engineering and Marketing.• Under-commit on launch dates and over-deliver on them. Product introductions are when companies signal to the outside world how coordinated they are internally or not. There's major pressure to move launch dates up from Sales, Channel Management, Marketing, and at times from Operations and Production as well. As much pressure there is to move up a launch date, keep schedules full of at least 20% extra time because the inevitable delays occur.Lessons Learned From Working with Engineering• Share product ownership with your products' engineers. Partner and team with engineering, and specifically spend much time understanding engineering's' perspective on your products. Share ownership for the product and its future, and work to create a cooperative environment with engineering.• Relentlessly pursue product expertise. Becoming a product expert starts by realizing that there is no such thing as an "instant expert" and that by working with engineering to appreciate which decisions they have made on your product and why goes a long way towards giving you a solid foundation to manage your products as effectively as possible.• Be a de facto leader of development via customer and competitive intelligence. This takes much effort, and it is worth it for any product manager to establish their role as delivering in-depth customer and competitive intelligence. Often when the next generation of a product is being developed, engineering needs input on what customers are looking for. By committing to be the leader in terms of customer and competitive intelligence, you can that much more effectively guide product development.Lessons Learned From Working with Product Marketing• Get on top of lead generation performance for your products. Marketing may not have this data, but go after getting it for all product managers so you can start building out what the sales funnel looks like for your products and how many leads are needed at the wide end of the funnel to result in closed sales.• Work with Marketing to understand the sales funnel for your products. See if you can create the sales funnel for your products using Marketing data, and see why some leads drop out of the pipeline.• Get going on a Google AdWords strategy for your products. This is very economical as a lead generation strategy, and push to get AdWords going for your products. Define the specific keywords to include competitors and their products as well. The cost per click can be well under $1.00 and the leads finely tuned.• Have a constant stream of white papers and knowledge going to prospects. This is doubly true in emerging markets where prospects are looking for guidance and insight into what new technologies are working reliably. Prospects want to understand what new technologies mean to them, they don't want messages slammed at them. Educate and be the trusted advisor in new markets, and you'll sell more.• Use industry analysts often. In certain software segments, industry analysts are relied on by IT buyers for their guidance, and as a result they have insights into what is being purchased and why. Get industry analysts to visit your company and present competitive updates once every three to six months. Also get their insights into your product roadmap and direction, making sure an NDA is in place as part of your company's overall relationship with them.Summary & Wrap-UpThe bottom line is that product managers have great potential to make a lasting impact on companies and entire industries through their efforts. Exceptional product managers are marked by a passion to make their products, engineering staffs, and sales persons the stars of their companies, content to be the enablers of accomplishment, the "backstops" of products so to speak. A great product manager is like a great coach; they orchestrate people, resources, and strategies to make their teams successful first and always.http://www.lwcresearch.com
Keyword : Product management; marketing; product marketing
The Real Guide to Management
Author : Amit Kashman
Chances are you're not very smart. That's not an insult, just statistics. With intelligence, as is true with most things in life, there is a natural bell-shaped distribution. In other words, there is a small number of morons in the world, a small number of geniuses, and a lot of people in between. That works out for me because this article doesn't target the morons (sorry, no hope for you), nor does it target the very smart people (you don't need this article). It does target those in between, which is almost everyone. In this article, I'm going to explain how average managers can become great managers and advance in corporate America.Talk to any martial arts expert and he'll tell you that it is very important to know your weaknesses before heading into combat. If you're missing a leg, doing a flying jump kick may not be the best idea. Likewise, if you want to advance in management, you must know your weaknesses and act accordingly. Even if you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, it by no means prevents you from advancing. You simply have to use different tactics to achieve your goals.So, you're a manager. You want to know what it takes to make it to the top; to win recognition from your peers; to be regarded as successful in your field. You've probably taken a few classes, studied all about planning, executing, delegating, reviewing and analyzing. But for some bizarre reason, although the extra knowledge didn't hurt, it didn't help you move up in the world. It didn't take you to the next level. That's because you're seeing it all wrong.So you want to know the real secret? It's simple. If you're a business owner, then you're a good manager if you delegate absolutely everything, to the point where you need to do virtually zero work. If this is not possible for financial reasons, then the business plan is flawed. If you're a manager working for an employer, the same principle applies, only there's a catch: If you want to hang on to your job, you have two options. The first is to not delegate just enough to make yourself needed. The other is to use various tactics, which I'll describe later, that create the illusion that you are needed. The last method is the preferred one, and the one I describe in detail throughout this article.There are two very important points I want to make: First, perception is reality. Anyone who says differently knows nothing about human behavior. Second, if you work for a company, the only thing that will keep you employed even in the toughest of times is if the top executives have the perception that you are absolutely needed for your department to function properly. They have to believe that if you were gone, the group would fall apart. That can be challenging, because as was discussed above, a truly good manager creates a department that is completely self-sufficient. Thus the challenge is not to simply plan, execute, review and analyze your group, but rather to create a self-sufficient department while maintaining the uninterrupted perception that if you were gone, everything would fall apart.So you want to know specifics. How can you get to the top? Schmooze with those other top executives? Well, look around you. Who are those executives? What are they like? How did they get there? If you ask any company President or Chief Executive, he or she will tell you proudly that their company hires the smartest people in the industry. Now recall the natural distribution – there are very few dumb people, very few brilliant people, and lots of people in between. If you reread the last two sentences, you'll notice a contradiction. It's nice that every company claims to have the best employees, but that is simply not true. It is statistically impossible. By definition, most employees in most companies are mediocre. True, you can segment employees into various seniority levels, but the same principle applies: within senior management, most employees in most companies are mediocre senior managers. To better grasp this concept, ask yourself this: would you like your child to be mediocre? Would you like your child to be average? Would you like your child to be abnormal? Most parents would like to have children who are not mediocre, not average, but who are normal. Unfortunately, that's impossible. By definition, a mediocre person is an average person (a.k.a., a "normal" person). Following that logic, we can deduce that most executives are not handpicked superstars, but rather mediocre senior managers. What really helped most of those mediocre executives get to where they got is their ability to perform their previous functions at relatively satisfactory levels (average skill needed), remain with the company for an extended period of time (average luck needed), and employ various tactics that help them become distinguishable within the company (no skill or luck required).The first two requirements are where the vast majority of decent American workers are. They've performed their job well, they've managed to stay with the company for a substantial period of time, and are generally well-regarded. Yet, it doesn't get them to that next level. The step that most people miss is that required to make them stand out. Before I go into the various methods that will make you stand out, you must remember that these will take time and effort, and if your department is chaotic, you won't have the time needed. The first step then is to streamline the process in your department so that you are virtually not needed. This can be a scary thing for some, especially those who consider themselves "control freaks" (a.k.a., people with low self esteem). The trick is this: Don't create a one-to-one-to-many org chart structure by hiring a supervisor to oversee day to day operations while you oversee that supervisor. Doing this can be dangerous because if times are tough, the company will most likely cut you out because they know there's a supervisor in place who demands a smaller salary and who is keeping the department running just fine. Instead, fill various positions that fill roles within your department as independently as possible. For example, if you currently serve as an authoritative figure who signs off on important tasks, simply hire someone (or designate an existing employee who you trust) to fill that role. Your ultimate goal is to create a one-to-many org chart that has you on top and many direct reports underneath, where each subordinate works as independently as possible.Once you get to that point, you should be able to step back and only become involved when overwhelming problems occur (as a good manager, you should have an employee who is in charge of looking at complex issues that regularly come up, since that is a part of doing business). Your other main responsibility is to have regular update meetings with your staff to make sure things are running smoothly. Beyond those two insignificant duties, you will be free to make yourself distinguishable. The following are tactics you should use:• Get into meetings: Senior executives spend most of their time in meetings (internally or with clients). You must volunteer yourself to join as many meetings as possible. Some may be annoyed at first by your trying to "butt in" everywhere, but sooner or later there will be a perception that you are a significant contributor (especially if you actively use the rest of these tactics). And remember: especially with chief executives, perception is reality.• Dress and look professionally: This may seem obvious, but if you want to reach the top, make sure you are well-groomed, wear expensive clothes, and look as attractive as possible (as attractive as an average looking person such as yourself can look, that is). If you look like a million bucks, you'll soon start earning one.• Be loud: It may seem silly, but it's very true. Senior managers tend to be much louder than their junior counterparts. You must be loud and vocal, especially in meetings. Never mumble. Never stutter. Speak slowly and clearly. You must be known as one of those people who love to hear themselves talk. True, you'll annoy some people, but those people will soon be left behind.• Use choice words: Regularly use positive words like "great", "opportunity", and "value". Also, use words that are generally associated with creative people, such as "out of the box", "innovative", and "pioneering". Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Does it work? You bet it does.• Be accessible: There's a common misperception that top managers shouldn't associate with lower ranking employees. That is not true. You should be friendly and accessible to all employees, from the CEO to the janitor, as long as you remember to present yourself with a certain presidential quality. It's close to being arrogant, but not quite there. You should be able to speak to the lowest ranking employee and make him or her feel like you're deeply interested, yet still maintain a level of superiority. If you're ever unsure how to handle a situation, think of how former President Bill Clinton, who had this quality mastered, would have handled it.• Send the message of manageable chaos: When asked how you're doing, no matter how calm or chaotic things are, always say something like: "Wow, there is so much going on. But it's very exciting". The point is to make people think that your department has a lot of work to do and that things are hectic, but with your leadership, it's staying under control and a positive attitude is maintained. Remember: This could be the farthest thing from the truth, but that doesn't matter. Perception sooner or later becomes reality, whether it wants to or not.• Recap the obvious: In meetings, especially the long ones, there are often heated discussions that go back and forth. Typically, this takes place between a smart individual and an average-to-below average individual. Especially when your boss is present, you should avoid taking sides at first and only fuel the fire a little bit. Then, after a while, it will seem obvious who is right (usually the smart person). When the argument is just about to conclude, stop it short by saying something like: "Look, how about we just...." and complete by recapping what the argument's winner was saying all along. Over time, you will be positioned as the "voice of reason" who "just tends to get it". You'll have to be a little crafty so it isn't too obvious, but this method can yield great rewards.Similar tactics may be followed, as long as they help achieve the goal of creating the perception that you are a top-notch manager. Understand that the point here isn't to be a horrible manager while getting paid heftily. The point is that most chief executives don't understand who truly good managers are (those who delegate everything and create a self-sufficient department). For that reason, if you become a good manager, which means you soon won't have much to do if at all, but do nothing else, top executives will think you do nothing and are therefore expendable. Most people don't notice silent greatness. They only notice heroic greatness. As an analogy, a President who manages to run a tranquil country for a decade will not be seen as powerful as one who creates tension, invites an enemy attack, and then fights a large-scale war that defeats the enemy (while needlessly claiming thousands of lives).Great leaders, whether they lead nations or service departments, should strive for a consistently peaceful and tranquil environment. The challenge for those working under an employer is that the vast majority of top executives use the wrong criteria to evaluate managers' effectiveness. Therefore, while you may be a great manager, if you do nothing else, there will be a perception that you aren't useful. Thus, you should also use the tactics listed above to create the perception that you are a top-notch manager (as it is judged by most executives).As you can see, the strategies described in this article don't require much skill. They don't require much intelligence. If you consistently follow these guidelines, you'll soon find yourself advancing in the company. As you move up or around the company, simply look at the current situation, reorganize it in a way that makes your group self-sufficient, and then focus on making yourself distinguishable. You just might become your company's next CEO.
Keyword : business,management,corporate,leadership,executives,employment,advancement
Chances are you're not very smart. That's not an insult, just statistics. With intelligence, as is true with most things in life, there is a natural bell-shaped distribution. In other words, there is a small number of morons in the world, a small number of geniuses, and a lot of people in between. That works out for me because this article doesn't target the morons (sorry, no hope for you), nor does it target the very smart people (you don't need this article). It does target those in between, which is almost everyone. In this article, I'm going to explain how average managers can become great managers and advance in corporate America.Talk to any martial arts expert and he'll tell you that it is very important to know your weaknesses before heading into combat. If you're missing a leg, doing a flying jump kick may not be the best idea. Likewise, if you want to advance in management, you must know your weaknesses and act accordingly. Even if you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, it by no means prevents you from advancing. You simply have to use different tactics to achieve your goals.So, you're a manager. You want to know what it takes to make it to the top; to win recognition from your peers; to be regarded as successful in your field. You've probably taken a few classes, studied all about planning, executing, delegating, reviewing and analyzing. But for some bizarre reason, although the extra knowledge didn't hurt, it didn't help you move up in the world. It didn't take you to the next level. That's because you're seeing it all wrong.So you want to know the real secret? It's simple. If you're a business owner, then you're a good manager if you delegate absolutely everything, to the point where you need to do virtually zero work. If this is not possible for financial reasons, then the business plan is flawed. If you're a manager working for an employer, the same principle applies, only there's a catch: If you want to hang on to your job, you have two options. The first is to not delegate just enough to make yourself needed. The other is to use various tactics, which I'll describe later, that create the illusion that you are needed. The last method is the preferred one, and the one I describe in detail throughout this article.There are two very important points I want to make: First, perception is reality. Anyone who says differently knows nothing about human behavior. Second, if you work for a company, the only thing that will keep you employed even in the toughest of times is if the top executives have the perception that you are absolutely needed for your department to function properly. They have to believe that if you were gone, the group would fall apart. That can be challenging, because as was discussed above, a truly good manager creates a department that is completely self-sufficient. Thus the challenge is not to simply plan, execute, review and analyze your group, but rather to create a self-sufficient department while maintaining the uninterrupted perception that if you were gone, everything would fall apart.So you want to know specifics. How can you get to the top? Schmooze with those other top executives? Well, look around you. Who are those executives? What are they like? How did they get there? If you ask any company President or Chief Executive, he or she will tell you proudly that their company hires the smartest people in the industry. Now recall the natural distribution – there are very few dumb people, very few brilliant people, and lots of people in between. If you reread the last two sentences, you'll notice a contradiction. It's nice that every company claims to have the best employees, but that is simply not true. It is statistically impossible. By definition, most employees in most companies are mediocre. True, you can segment employees into various seniority levels, but the same principle applies: within senior management, most employees in most companies are mediocre senior managers. To better grasp this concept, ask yourself this: would you like your child to be mediocre? Would you like your child to be average? Would you like your child to be abnormal? Most parents would like to have children who are not mediocre, not average, but who are normal. Unfortunately, that's impossible. By definition, a mediocre person is an average person (a.k.a., a "normal" person). Following that logic, we can deduce that most executives are not handpicked superstars, but rather mediocre senior managers. What really helped most of those mediocre executives get to where they got is their ability to perform their previous functions at relatively satisfactory levels (average skill needed), remain with the company for an extended period of time (average luck needed), and employ various tactics that help them become distinguishable within the company (no skill or luck required).The first two requirements are where the vast majority of decent American workers are. They've performed their job well, they've managed to stay with the company for a substantial period of time, and are generally well-regarded. Yet, it doesn't get them to that next level. The step that most people miss is that required to make them stand out. Before I go into the various methods that will make you stand out, you must remember that these will take time and effort, and if your department is chaotic, you won't have the time needed. The first step then is to streamline the process in your department so that you are virtually not needed. This can be a scary thing for some, especially those who consider themselves "control freaks" (a.k.a., people with low self esteem). The trick is this: Don't create a one-to-one-to-many org chart structure by hiring a supervisor to oversee day to day operations while you oversee that supervisor. Doing this can be dangerous because if times are tough, the company will most likely cut you out because they know there's a supervisor in place who demands a smaller salary and who is keeping the department running just fine. Instead, fill various positions that fill roles within your department as independently as possible. For example, if you currently serve as an authoritative figure who signs off on important tasks, simply hire someone (or designate an existing employee who you trust) to fill that role. Your ultimate goal is to create a one-to-many org chart that has you on top and many direct reports underneath, where each subordinate works as independently as possible.Once you get to that point, you should be able to step back and only become involved when overwhelming problems occur (as a good manager, you should have an employee who is in charge of looking at complex issues that regularly come up, since that is a part of doing business). Your other main responsibility is to have regular update meetings with your staff to make sure things are running smoothly. Beyond those two insignificant duties, you will be free to make yourself distinguishable. The following are tactics you should use:• Get into meetings: Senior executives spend most of their time in meetings (internally or with clients). You must volunteer yourself to join as many meetings as possible. Some may be annoyed at first by your trying to "butt in" everywhere, but sooner or later there will be a perception that you are a significant contributor (especially if you actively use the rest of these tactics). And remember: especially with chief executives, perception is reality.• Dress and look professionally: This may seem obvious, but if you want to reach the top, make sure you are well-groomed, wear expensive clothes, and look as attractive as possible (as attractive as an average looking person such as yourself can look, that is). If you look like a million bucks, you'll soon start earning one.• Be loud: It may seem silly, but it's very true. Senior managers tend to be much louder than their junior counterparts. You must be loud and vocal, especially in meetings. Never mumble. Never stutter. Speak slowly and clearly. You must be known as one of those people who love to hear themselves talk. True, you'll annoy some people, but those people will soon be left behind.• Use choice words: Regularly use positive words like "great", "opportunity", and "value". Also, use words that are generally associated with creative people, such as "out of the box", "innovative", and "pioneering". Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Does it work? You bet it does.• Be accessible: There's a common misperception that top managers shouldn't associate with lower ranking employees. That is not true. You should be friendly and accessible to all employees, from the CEO to the janitor, as long as you remember to present yourself with a certain presidential quality. It's close to being arrogant, but not quite there. You should be able to speak to the lowest ranking employee and make him or her feel like you're deeply interested, yet still maintain a level of superiority. If you're ever unsure how to handle a situation, think of how former President Bill Clinton, who had this quality mastered, would have handled it.• Send the message of manageable chaos: When asked how you're doing, no matter how calm or chaotic things are, always say something like: "Wow, there is so much going on. But it's very exciting". The point is to make people think that your department has a lot of work to do and that things are hectic, but with your leadership, it's staying under control and a positive attitude is maintained. Remember: This could be the farthest thing from the truth, but that doesn't matter. Perception sooner or later becomes reality, whether it wants to or not.• Recap the obvious: In meetings, especially the long ones, there are often heated discussions that go back and forth. Typically, this takes place between a smart individual and an average-to-below average individual. Especially when your boss is present, you should avoid taking sides at first and only fuel the fire a little bit. Then, after a while, it will seem obvious who is right (usually the smart person). When the argument is just about to conclude, stop it short by saying something like: "Look, how about we just...." and complete by recapping what the argument's winner was saying all along. Over time, you will be positioned as the "voice of reason" who "just tends to get it". You'll have to be a little crafty so it isn't too obvious, but this method can yield great rewards.Similar tactics may be followed, as long as they help achieve the goal of creating the perception that you are a top-notch manager. Understand that the point here isn't to be a horrible manager while getting paid heftily. The point is that most chief executives don't understand who truly good managers are (those who delegate everything and create a self-sufficient department). For that reason, if you become a good manager, which means you soon won't have much to do if at all, but do nothing else, top executives will think you do nothing and are therefore expendable. Most people don't notice silent greatness. They only notice heroic greatness. As an analogy, a President who manages to run a tranquil country for a decade will not be seen as powerful as one who creates tension, invites an enemy attack, and then fights a large-scale war that defeats the enemy (while needlessly claiming thousands of lives).Great leaders, whether they lead nations or service departments, should strive for a consistently peaceful and tranquil environment. The challenge for those working under an employer is that the vast majority of top executives use the wrong criteria to evaluate managers' effectiveness. Therefore, while you may be a great manager, if you do nothing else, there will be a perception that you aren't useful. Thus, you should also use the tactics listed above to create the perception that you are a top-notch manager (as it is judged by most executives).As you can see, the strategies described in this article don't require much skill. They don't require much intelligence. If you consistently follow these guidelines, you'll soon find yourself advancing in the company. As you move up or around the company, simply look at the current situation, reorganize it in a way that makes your group self-sufficient, and then focus on making yourself distinguishable. You just might become your company's next CEO.
Keyword : business,management,corporate,leadership,executives,employment,advancement
Management: Leadership And The Use Of Fear As A Motivator
Author : Nick Arrizza, M.D.
There are many organizations that still subscribe to the belief that fear is the best motivator for its employees and that it creates a more robust and competitive entity in the market place.As an executive coach and psychiatrist for over 20 years I wish to dispel this destructive myth once and for all here.What is the true benefit to an organization of using fear as a motivator?Well let me count the ways:1. It creates increased emotional & physical stress for employees.2. This leads to accelerated turnover and burnout of high caliber individuals.3. This leads to a major reduction in creativity and overall performance.4. It leads to employee dissatisfaction and greater resistance to management directives from above.5. This leads to greater management-employee conflict.6. This siphons off creative energy meant to produce revenues into wasteful intra-organizational conflicts that make the organization weak, ineffective, vulnerable and less able to survive.7. Oh yes, last but not least, it leads to an escalation in operating costs through , poor performance, sick leave, health & insurance plans payments, retraining, and other inefficiencies.So with all these benefits why would any manager not want to employ fear as a motivator?Well in fact it is usually the manager's "fear" that is motivating such a choice in the first place. So you see there are serious risks that can literally bring an organization to its knees with such a strategy.There is a better way!It entails each individual working from a place of passion, purpose, creativity, energy, joy, desire, freedom, health, enthusiasm and so on.Unfortunately most organizations are still too afraid to allow such a positive and resilient atmosphere from living within their walls.The fear is, there's that word again, that nothing would get done, correct?Well have it your way then.If you do see the logic in this argument and would like to build a truly resilient organization kindly contact me at the web link below.Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com
Keyword : organizational behaviour, competition, performance, leadership, success, fear, manager stress
There are many organizations that still subscribe to the belief that fear is the best motivator for its employees and that it creates a more robust and competitive entity in the market place.As an executive coach and psychiatrist for over 20 years I wish to dispel this destructive myth once and for all here.What is the true benefit to an organization of using fear as a motivator?Well let me count the ways:1. It creates increased emotional & physical stress for employees.2. This leads to accelerated turnover and burnout of high caliber individuals.3. This leads to a major reduction in creativity and overall performance.4. It leads to employee dissatisfaction and greater resistance to management directives from above.5. This leads to greater management-employee conflict.6. This siphons off creative energy meant to produce revenues into wasteful intra-organizational conflicts that make the organization weak, ineffective, vulnerable and less able to survive.7. Oh yes, last but not least, it leads to an escalation in operating costs through , poor performance, sick leave, health & insurance plans payments, retraining, and other inefficiencies.So with all these benefits why would any manager not want to employ fear as a motivator?Well in fact it is usually the manager's "fear" that is motivating such a choice in the first place. So you see there are serious risks that can literally bring an organization to its knees with such a strategy.There is a better way!It entails each individual working from a place of passion, purpose, creativity, energy, joy, desire, freedom, health, enthusiasm and so on.Unfortunately most organizations are still too afraid to allow such a positive and resilient atmosphere from living within their walls.The fear is, there's that word again, that nothing would get done, correct?Well have it your way then.If you do see the logic in this argument and would like to build a truly resilient organization kindly contact me at the web link below.Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com
Keyword : organizational behaviour, competition, performance, leadership, success, fear, manager stress
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