By Martin Haworth
Employees never feel comfortable under a boss who doesn't trust them or whom they don't trust. In the absence of mutual trust productivity falls as the employees get into politics, covering their backs and other counterproductive activity.
Not trusting each other will affect morale, which leads to a deterioration in customer satisfaction as the focus shifts from the business needs to internal wrangling.
So, let's look at some key qualities a manager must possess to develop trust.
1. Effective Communication
A manager must communicate well to build strong relationships with their people. In difficult times, employees might think no news as bad news, so a manager must keep in close touch. Lack of communication reduces trust; being open with information creates it.
2. Trust Others and They Will Trust You
A manager must develop an ability to trust others and create an environment of trust throughout the workplace. Really, it is better to assume the trustworthiness of employees to start with, rather than waiting for them to earn it. Team members find it much easier to trust their manager if they feel trusted themselves.
3. Honesty In Everything
Being open and honest is a key ingredient for generating trust. When you are open about your vision, actions and intentions, you will usually generate strong support. Both good and bad news should be openly shared, reducing gossip and internal politics. By admitting mistakes and not trying to cover them up, shows any manager to be a normal human being, just like everyone else!
4. Establish Strong Business Ethics
Managers should create a moral value system for the workplace. Teams which have a common ethics are healthier, resourceful, adaptable and productive because of the common root of their consistent value systems.
5. Keep Your Word
By making actions visible and fulfilling commitments, managers become trusted. Failing on promises is insincere and causes tensions. A manager needs to deliver actions visibly, to ensure everyone is aware that they can be depended upon.
6. Be Consistent
In the process of building trust, being consistent and predictable is very important. If the behavioral pattern changes from to week to week, trusting it becomes difficult. Your people get twitchy and uncomfortable when plans and expectations change too much.
7. Be Easily Available
Your team members need to able to get to you when they need to. Whilst there may be times when, for purposes of doing your own work, you need to remain undisturbed, there needs to be a balance. You are the manager and they will need you for specific involvement in day to day activities.
8. Maintaining Confidences
Employees who you manage must be able to confide in you sensitive information, express concern and share problems. People need to know that you can keep this confidential when they need you to. Sometimes these can be personal matters and in such cases this becomes even more important.
9. Language Matters
Watching your language is crucial. By avoiding using the "us" and "them" figures of speech and sticking with "we" wherever possible, your team will bond better with you. Your language should be clear and simple, because everyone interprets what is said differently - so you need to speak plainly for everyone to understand.
10. Creating Social Time
Having informal social interactions with the team enhances the trust building procedure. In context, social interactions are a big opportunity for success for any good manager.
To make a team which works together efficiently, requires the abundant presence of mutual trust. By consistently thinking of and working on trust building, any manager will reap long-lasting positive benefits.
(c) 2008 Martin Haworth is the author of Super Successful Manager, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level. You can get a sample lesson for free at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Management Tips - How to Give Effective Feedback
By Duncan Brodie
One of the areas where managers come are criticised is for not giving employees regular and useful feedback. There might be a whole host of reasons why feedback does not happen on a regular basis.
For example:
• The manager is focussed too much on task
• The manager has never had much feedback themselves so does not recognise the value
• The manager quite simply does not set aside enough time for managing
Given the value of feedback, what are the top tips for giving feedback?
Tip 1: Do it as a matter of routine
One of the easiest ways of ensuring that you give effective feedback is to make it something you do routinely. Build it into your schedule and make a point of looking out for things on which to provide feedback.
Tip 2: Be specific
Whenever you give feedback, aim to be as specific as possible with your feedback. Often, people say things like something was good. While this might be nice to hear it is not very useful. On the other hand if you can point to the specific action or behaviour that was good, the recipient of the feedback can use this strength in the future.
Tip 3: Know the preferences of the feedback recipient
People in the team have different preferences and part of your job as a manager is to know them and respond to them appropriately. For example, some will appreciate an e-mail; others will appreciate being praised verbally in front of the whole team, while others will want to get praise one to one.
Tip 4: Be yourself
It is important to be yourself rather than putting on an act. People will see through the latter and will value the feedback less.
Tip 5: Deal with all aspects of feedback
The chances are that you will be providing positive feedback to most people, most of the time. There will on the other hand situations where you will have to deal with feedback that is negative. It is important that you are as ready and willing to deal with the difficult stuff as you are the good stuff.
Bottom Line- Giving feedback can be a huge source of motivation and personal development for team members. So what do you need to be doing differently to give more effective feedback?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.
With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
He invites you to take the first step to leadership success by signing up for his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php
One of the areas where managers come are criticised is for not giving employees regular and useful feedback. There might be a whole host of reasons why feedback does not happen on a regular basis.
For example:
• The manager is focussed too much on task
• The manager has never had much feedback themselves so does not recognise the value
• The manager quite simply does not set aside enough time for managing
Given the value of feedback, what are the top tips for giving feedback?
Tip 1: Do it as a matter of routine
One of the easiest ways of ensuring that you give effective feedback is to make it something you do routinely. Build it into your schedule and make a point of looking out for things on which to provide feedback.
Tip 2: Be specific
Whenever you give feedback, aim to be as specific as possible with your feedback. Often, people say things like something was good. While this might be nice to hear it is not very useful. On the other hand if you can point to the specific action or behaviour that was good, the recipient of the feedback can use this strength in the future.
Tip 3: Know the preferences of the feedback recipient
People in the team have different preferences and part of your job as a manager is to know them and respond to them appropriately. For example, some will appreciate an e-mail; others will appreciate being praised verbally in front of the whole team, while others will want to get praise one to one.
Tip 4: Be yourself
It is important to be yourself rather than putting on an act. People will see through the latter and will value the feedback less.
Tip 5: Deal with all aspects of feedback
The chances are that you will be providing positive feedback to most people, most of the time. There will on the other hand situations where you will have to deal with feedback that is negative. It is important that you are as ready and willing to deal with the difficult stuff as you are the good stuff.
Bottom Line- Giving feedback can be a huge source of motivation and personal development for team members. So what do you need to be doing differently to give more effective feedback?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.
With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
He invites you to take the first step to leadership success by signing up for his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php
What it Takes to Become a Great Manager
By Tony Jacowski
Self Evaluation
The key to becoming a great manager is to know yourself. This is imperative, as it helps you to evaluate your weaknesses and strengths even before you get to work.
It is impractical for you to handle day-to-day business operations if you cannot manage your employees - and for that reason, it's important that you know your temperament and management style.
This will help you make any adjustments that you need to make, so that you interact with your employees in the best possible way; an approach that will foster good relations among everyone.
Hire the Best
When you have to hire staff, you should hire the best-qualified people for the positions that you have to fill, even if that means paying them more. Having a superior team will push your own efforts as a manager further, while a team that is not superior will not measure up to your expectations - or those of your superiors.
Interaction Is the Key
Remember that you are a manager - you are not competing with your subordinates. Make sure that you relate to your employees and that they know they can come to you if they have a problem.
When you come up with new ideas or thoughts about the business that affects them, get their opinion and hear what they think. This will stimulate them and make them react positively to the responsibilities that they are assigned to.
Delegate
Being a great manager means knowing when to pass on work to others. You aren't superman, and you can't do everything yourself. There comes a time when you have to trust your employees to do the work that you are paying them to do.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, so you know that they can handle.
Accountability
As a manager, you are generally accountable for how well or bad your team performs. Therefore, you should know that if they fail, the team has failed as a whole - not them, not you, but all of you. If someone on your team fails, everyone must take responsibility, especially you.
Avoid harsh blame games that might prove costly later.
Above all, a good manger always knows where they are coming from and going to. Develop the habit of always being ahead in terms of the direction your organization is heading.
Think and plan ahead, do your research, and always be alert to new issues that affect the long-term performance of your team. In the long run, how well your team performs (or doesn't) will determine your success as a manager.
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
Self Evaluation
The key to becoming a great manager is to know yourself. This is imperative, as it helps you to evaluate your weaknesses and strengths even before you get to work.
It is impractical for you to handle day-to-day business operations if you cannot manage your employees - and for that reason, it's important that you know your temperament and management style.
This will help you make any adjustments that you need to make, so that you interact with your employees in the best possible way; an approach that will foster good relations among everyone.
Hire the Best
When you have to hire staff, you should hire the best-qualified people for the positions that you have to fill, even if that means paying them more. Having a superior team will push your own efforts as a manager further, while a team that is not superior will not measure up to your expectations - or those of your superiors.
Interaction Is the Key
Remember that you are a manager - you are not competing with your subordinates. Make sure that you relate to your employees and that they know they can come to you if they have a problem.
When you come up with new ideas or thoughts about the business that affects them, get their opinion and hear what they think. This will stimulate them and make them react positively to the responsibilities that they are assigned to.
Delegate
Being a great manager means knowing when to pass on work to others. You aren't superman, and you can't do everything yourself. There comes a time when you have to trust your employees to do the work that you are paying them to do.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, so you know that they can handle.
Accountability
As a manager, you are generally accountable for how well or bad your team performs. Therefore, you should know that if they fail, the team has failed as a whole - not them, not you, but all of you. If someone on your team fails, everyone must take responsibility, especially you.
Avoid harsh blame games that might prove costly later.
Above all, a good manger always knows where they are coming from and going to. Develop the habit of always being ahead in terms of the direction your organization is heading.
Think and plan ahead, do your research, and always be alert to new issues that affect the long-term performance of your team. In the long run, how well your team performs (or doesn't) will determine your success as a manager.
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
Learning About Project Management
By James M Peterson
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing one's resources. It involves acting as a manager for a specific project, as opposed to a general and continuing mission. A project manager is responsible for the successful competition of a task, regardless of how other circumstances affect that task. The great responsibility of this position means that it is only for the most dedicated of workers.
This is how project management is understood in the business world. In order to succeed as a project manager, workers require technical skills specific to their industry (such as computer manufacturing or programming). They also need a proper understanding of business skills, such as separate management philosophy. A worker who understands the field gets specifics on scope, quality, time, and budget. Such a task also demands a proper understanding of finances, psychometrics, materials and supplies, energy, communication, and logistics.
As such, education is an important part of project management. The prospective project manager must learn computer certification, along with the related business skills. Fortunately, there are many ways to get this education. Training organizations and seminars provide the necessary instruction. The Knowledge Solutions International Company is an example of this. The company teaches computer certification along with related business skills to promising students. The school uses conferencing technology and other methods of effective communication. Remember that the more you know, the more you can help others, and the more money you can make in the long run. Visit TrainWithKSI.com on the web for more information.
The Knowledge Solutions International Company trains people in the field of project management. For more information, or to sign up, visit http://www.trainwithksi.com.
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing one's resources. It involves acting as a manager for a specific project, as opposed to a general and continuing mission. A project manager is responsible for the successful competition of a task, regardless of how other circumstances affect that task. The great responsibility of this position means that it is only for the most dedicated of workers.
This is how project management is understood in the business world. In order to succeed as a project manager, workers require technical skills specific to their industry (such as computer manufacturing or programming). They also need a proper understanding of business skills, such as separate management philosophy. A worker who understands the field gets specifics on scope, quality, time, and budget. Such a task also demands a proper understanding of finances, psychometrics, materials and supplies, energy, communication, and logistics.
As such, education is an important part of project management. The prospective project manager must learn computer certification, along with the related business skills. Fortunately, there are many ways to get this education. Training organizations and seminars provide the necessary instruction. The Knowledge Solutions International Company is an example of this. The company teaches computer certification along with related business skills to promising students. The school uses conferencing technology and other methods of effective communication. Remember that the more you know, the more you can help others, and the more money you can make in the long run. Visit TrainWithKSI.com on the web for more information.
The Knowledge Solutions International Company trains people in the field of project management. For more information, or to sign up, visit http://www.trainwithksi.com.
Management Vs Leadership
By Dr. Mario Barrett, Ph.D.
Management versus leadership, what's the difference? Is there a difference? Well, there has always been a difference, but people have not always known how to communicate the difference between the two, which is why in many instances, the terms are expressed in an indistinguishable fashion. However, a leader's role and a manager's role within any organizational setting is not interchangeable. This is not to say that an individual cannot possess the attributes of both, but do realize that their functions and outlooks pertaining to the existing paradigm/status quo (policies, practices, norms, standards, and rules) are very different.
In a nutshell, leaders can be seen as revolutionaries, change agents, and paradigm shifters. Their role is to get people with similar views and ideas together, in a inspirational and collaborative way in order to accomplish a given task or goal. Of most importance however, is that leaders often operate outside or in-opposition to, the parameters set by the existing paradigm/status quo in order to achieve their goals. This sometimes rebellious nature often brings about new and innovative ideas and ways of doing things that shifts or changes the existing paradigm/status quo.
Managers on the other hand, are also tasked with accomplishing goals, but they often confine themselves within the parameters of the existing paradigm/status quo. Managers often utilize people as well to achieve outcomes, but more often in a less inspirational and collaborative way. Therefore, it can be said that while managers are required to meet incremental outcomes, they are still dutiful gatekeepers of the existing paradigm/status quo. In contrast, leaders often identify and challenge the non-productiveness and inefficiency of the existing paradigm/status quo, creating a seemingly oppositional and chaotic environment that can yield innovative and wondrous outcomes that probably would not have been achieved within the existing paradigm/status quo that had been in place prior to the challenge.
Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.
Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com) and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com).
Management versus leadership, what's the difference? Is there a difference? Well, there has always been a difference, but people have not always known how to communicate the difference between the two, which is why in many instances, the terms are expressed in an indistinguishable fashion. However, a leader's role and a manager's role within any organizational setting is not interchangeable. This is not to say that an individual cannot possess the attributes of both, but do realize that their functions and outlooks pertaining to the existing paradigm/status quo (policies, practices, norms, standards, and rules) are very different.
In a nutshell, leaders can be seen as revolutionaries, change agents, and paradigm shifters. Their role is to get people with similar views and ideas together, in a inspirational and collaborative way in order to accomplish a given task or goal. Of most importance however, is that leaders often operate outside or in-opposition to, the parameters set by the existing paradigm/status quo in order to achieve their goals. This sometimes rebellious nature often brings about new and innovative ideas and ways of doing things that shifts or changes the existing paradigm/status quo.
Managers on the other hand, are also tasked with accomplishing goals, but they often confine themselves within the parameters of the existing paradigm/status quo. Managers often utilize people as well to achieve outcomes, but more often in a less inspirational and collaborative way. Therefore, it can be said that while managers are required to meet incremental outcomes, they are still dutiful gatekeepers of the existing paradigm/status quo. In contrast, leaders often identify and challenge the non-productiveness and inefficiency of the existing paradigm/status quo, creating a seemingly oppositional and chaotic environment that can yield innovative and wondrous outcomes that probably would not have been achieved within the existing paradigm/status quo that had been in place prior to the challenge.
Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.
Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com) and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com).
Managing People - The Key Ingredients of Successful Staff Appraisal
By Duncan Brodie
If you are a manager, chances are you will have to undertake staff appraisals or staff performance reviews on at least an annual basis. Done well, the se staff appraisals can be a great source of motivation. So what are the key ingredients of successful staff appraisal?
Ingredient 1: Planning
If you are going to have a successful staff appraisal you need to allow time for planning. This planning time needs to be made available to the manager who is carrying out the appraisal and the employee who is being appraised. By allowing the employee and yourself the time to prepare, you lay the foundations for a highly successful appraisal.
Ingredient 2: Listen more
If you are the manager who is carrying out the appraisal you should be listening more than you speak. As a rule of thumb I suggest that the person who is appraising spends about 70% of the time listening and 30% speaking.
Ingredient 3: Specific feedback
As the manager you will need to give feedback on what the employee is doing well and what they can do better. The more specific you are with your feedback the more benefit it will be for the employee. Vague feedback just creates confusion.
Ingredient 4: Comprehensive agenda
Make sure that your agenda is comprehensive. As I minimum I recommend that you include:
• The appraisal purpose
• Employee self assessment of performance
• Manager feedback on performance
• Development plans
• Career plans
• Objectives for next period
Ingredient 5: Sufficient time
Allow sufficient time for each employee's appraisal. I suggest blocking out two hours and making sure that you have some space in your calendar immediately before and after the appraisal. If you do not demonstrate the importance of the appraisal to employees, how can you expect them to take you seriously?
Bottom Line - Done well, appraisals can be a great source of motivation. What ingredients do you need to work on to more effectively appraise employees?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) invites you to take the first step to being more effective as a manager or leader by signing up for his free e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php
If you are a manager, chances are you will have to undertake staff appraisals or staff performance reviews on at least an annual basis. Done well, the se staff appraisals can be a great source of motivation. So what are the key ingredients of successful staff appraisal?
Ingredient 1: Planning
If you are going to have a successful staff appraisal you need to allow time for planning. This planning time needs to be made available to the manager who is carrying out the appraisal and the employee who is being appraised. By allowing the employee and yourself the time to prepare, you lay the foundations for a highly successful appraisal.
Ingredient 2: Listen more
If you are the manager who is carrying out the appraisal you should be listening more than you speak. As a rule of thumb I suggest that the person who is appraising spends about 70% of the time listening and 30% speaking.
Ingredient 3: Specific feedback
As the manager you will need to give feedback on what the employee is doing well and what they can do better. The more specific you are with your feedback the more benefit it will be for the employee. Vague feedback just creates confusion.
Ingredient 4: Comprehensive agenda
Make sure that your agenda is comprehensive. As I minimum I recommend that you include:
• The appraisal purpose
• Employee self assessment of performance
• Manager feedback on performance
• Development plans
• Career plans
• Objectives for next period
Ingredient 5: Sufficient time
Allow sufficient time for each employee's appraisal. I suggest blocking out two hours and making sure that you have some space in your calendar immediately before and after the appraisal. If you do not demonstrate the importance of the appraisal to employees, how can you expect them to take you seriously?
Bottom Line - Done well, appraisals can be a great source of motivation. What ingredients do you need to work on to more effectively appraise employees?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) invites you to take the first step to being more effective as a manager or leader by signing up for his free e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Success Skills For Managers - Consulting With Your Boss
By Susan Berry
If you are are a manager in industry or government, your employer may be hiring more and more outside consultants as planning or project advisors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Employment of management analysts is expected to grow 22 percent over the 2006-16 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations, as industry and government increasingly rely on outside expertise to improve the performance of their organizations."
When your boss needs expert advice in your field, would he or she turn to you first?
Becoming the Internal Consultant of Choice for your boss has many benefits:
Benefits to You:
As you participate in organizational fact finding, definition of desired results, and planning, you give your department or team a voice in deciding whether and how outside consultants are assigned to tasks or projects that affect your work. This encourages effective coordination of inside and outside resources.
As you investigate what your Bass wants to achieve, you gain a broader perspective of the organization's strategy, current situation, and resources. You become familiar with the Big Picture of organizational challenges as the context for mapping the way ahead. This is the viewpoint of a leader.
As you consult with your Boss on upcoming challenges, you can identify his or her expectations of your department (and you!). This "early warning" can help you organize to meet new needs, and communicate the leadership rationale for change to those you supervise.
Taking the initiative to discover your Boss's outcomes, and to discuss options for action can build your credibility, lay the foundation for mutual trust, and demonstrate your value as a partner in planning and performance management.
Benefits to Your Boss:
As an internal consultant, you already know and understand your organization. At first, external consultants do not. They must spend the initial phase of their work gaining insights that you already have. You can save your Boss time and money as you provide an "inside-out" view of resources and realities that may influence current performance and new initiatives.
Your understanding of and access to staff on the front line can help the Boss consider and align their interests with overall strategy as plans develop. Representing staff interests well, and keeping staff informed of plans can boost morale and encourage execution of strategy.
Your familiarity with customer concerns and priorities can ensure that solutions are aligned with what the market wants.
Producing results is the bottom line for your organization and your Boss. If you want to be part of the solutions that your Boss is seeking, it may be time to promote yourself to Internal Consultant.
For further information on how to develop your own consulting strategy, see our blog at http://www.consultingtipsandtools.com, or visit our training information site at http://www.aligned4results.com
From Susan Berry and Randy Thomas- The "Working Together" Team
Copyright 2008 Aligned for Results LLC by S. Berry and R. Thomas, All rights reserved.
You are free to reproduce this article as long as 1) no changes are made, 2) the title, authors' names, tag line, and the copyright notice are retained without changes, and 3) all links remain intact and active.
If you are are a manager in industry or government, your employer may be hiring more and more outside consultants as planning or project advisors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Employment of management analysts is expected to grow 22 percent over the 2006-16 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations, as industry and government increasingly rely on outside expertise to improve the performance of their organizations."
When your boss needs expert advice in your field, would he or she turn to you first?
Becoming the Internal Consultant of Choice for your boss has many benefits:
Benefits to You:
As you participate in organizational fact finding, definition of desired results, and planning, you give your department or team a voice in deciding whether and how outside consultants are assigned to tasks or projects that affect your work. This encourages effective coordination of inside and outside resources.
As you investigate what your Bass wants to achieve, you gain a broader perspective of the organization's strategy, current situation, and resources. You become familiar with the Big Picture of organizational challenges as the context for mapping the way ahead. This is the viewpoint of a leader.
As you consult with your Boss on upcoming challenges, you can identify his or her expectations of your department (and you!). This "early warning" can help you organize to meet new needs, and communicate the leadership rationale for change to those you supervise.
Taking the initiative to discover your Boss's outcomes, and to discuss options for action can build your credibility, lay the foundation for mutual trust, and demonstrate your value as a partner in planning and performance management.
Benefits to Your Boss:
As an internal consultant, you already know and understand your organization. At first, external consultants do not. They must spend the initial phase of their work gaining insights that you already have. You can save your Boss time and money as you provide an "inside-out" view of resources and realities that may influence current performance and new initiatives.
Your understanding of and access to staff on the front line can help the Boss consider and align their interests with overall strategy as plans develop. Representing staff interests well, and keeping staff informed of plans can boost morale and encourage execution of strategy.
Your familiarity with customer concerns and priorities can ensure that solutions are aligned with what the market wants.
Producing results is the bottom line for your organization and your Boss. If you want to be part of the solutions that your Boss is seeking, it may be time to promote yourself to Internal Consultant.
For further information on how to develop your own consulting strategy, see our blog at http://www.consultingtipsandtools.com, or visit our training information site at http://www.aligned4results.com
From Susan Berry and Randy Thomas- The "Working Together" Team
Copyright 2008 Aligned for Results LLC by S. Berry and R. Thomas, All rights reserved.
You are free to reproduce this article as long as 1) no changes are made, 2) the title, authors' names, tag line, and the copyright notice are retained without changes, and 3) all links remain intact and active.
What is Operations Management Optimization?
By Gaurabh H Jain
Operations management, in essence, is the management of production and services with the overall goal of quality performance. Operations managers are constantly thinking about how they can optimize work flow and resource utilization. A better flow of operations means less cost, increased productivity, and more time to focus on customer needs and planning new projects.
There are many operations management articles on the web available to managers to help them improve and refine their business practices, can visit www.positive-idea.com Here are some crucial business areas that operations management articles focus on.
Procurement
Choosing your vendors is an important part of the operations management process because if your suppliers are unreliable, this can cause major delays in your supply chain. There are many operations management articles online that can help you choose your vendors properly to ensure that you receive your consignments on time, at right place, and at the right price.
Manpower
Some operations management articles expound on manpower management. Particularly for large operations, this can be a daunting task. Delegating tasks according to skill level and experience, evaluation, compensation, designing safely policies, and composing a good working atmosphere are just some of the responsibilities of the operations manager.
Production
This aspect of operations management involves decisions on how to utilize your resources efficiently. Production strategy can vary depending on market conditions, and your supply chain can be producing more of one product at one point and more of another product at another point.
Operations management quality control Learn how to ensure that your company makes no compromises on quality of products and services. Researching on up-to-date operations management articles will help you keep up with the latest in quality standards and quality management techniques, foe help visit www.change-ur-mind.com This way you can always compare and contrast your own products and services to what else is out in the market.
Inventory
Managing your inventory properly will increase efficiency and ensure that you are optimizing your resources. Many operations management articles have been written on how to decide on what is a proper base stock which can meet fluctuation in demand. Knowing how to build your inventory level optimally as your company grows is also a valuable skill.
Logistics and transportation
Designing an effective logistics and transportation management strategy is critical in order to ensure that your materials are available at the best price and delivered on time and at the right place. Numerous operations management articles have been written solely on this subject.
Facilities management
Operations managers must also be housekeepers. They need to make sure that all equipment is maintained well and working optimally, and that the premises are well lit and well kept. This will help foster a productive and healthy working environment.
By reading up regularly on these important topics and other aspects of operations management, operations managers can always ensure that they are running an up-to-trend working environment and following the latest practices and procedures. More operations management articles on these topics can be readily found on any operations management website.
http://www.change-ur-mind.com
http://www.positive-idea.com
Operations management, in essence, is the management of production and services with the overall goal of quality performance. Operations managers are constantly thinking about how they can optimize work flow and resource utilization. A better flow of operations means less cost, increased productivity, and more time to focus on customer needs and planning new projects.
There are many operations management articles on the web available to managers to help them improve and refine their business practices, can visit www.positive-idea.com Here are some crucial business areas that operations management articles focus on.
Procurement
Choosing your vendors is an important part of the operations management process because if your suppliers are unreliable, this can cause major delays in your supply chain. There are many operations management articles online that can help you choose your vendors properly to ensure that you receive your consignments on time, at right place, and at the right price.
Manpower
Some operations management articles expound on manpower management. Particularly for large operations, this can be a daunting task. Delegating tasks according to skill level and experience, evaluation, compensation, designing safely policies, and composing a good working atmosphere are just some of the responsibilities of the operations manager.
Production
This aspect of operations management involves decisions on how to utilize your resources efficiently. Production strategy can vary depending on market conditions, and your supply chain can be producing more of one product at one point and more of another product at another point.
Operations management quality control Learn how to ensure that your company makes no compromises on quality of products and services. Researching on up-to-date operations management articles will help you keep up with the latest in quality standards and quality management techniques, foe help visit www.change-ur-mind.com This way you can always compare and contrast your own products and services to what else is out in the market.
Inventory
Managing your inventory properly will increase efficiency and ensure that you are optimizing your resources. Many operations management articles have been written on how to decide on what is a proper base stock which can meet fluctuation in demand. Knowing how to build your inventory level optimally as your company grows is also a valuable skill.
Logistics and transportation
Designing an effective logistics and transportation management strategy is critical in order to ensure that your materials are available at the best price and delivered on time and at the right place. Numerous operations management articles have been written solely on this subject.
Facilities management
Operations managers must also be housekeepers. They need to make sure that all equipment is maintained well and working optimally, and that the premises are well lit and well kept. This will help foster a productive and healthy working environment.
By reading up regularly on these important topics and other aspects of operations management, operations managers can always ensure that they are running an up-to-trend working environment and following the latest practices and procedures. More operations management articles on these topics can be readily found on any operations management website.
http://www.change-ur-mind.com
http://www.positive-idea.com
How Helpful Are Management Consultants For Businessmen?
By James Gordon
Beginning of business needs so much resources and planning. The person who needs to do a business might have a vague idea of what he wants to achieve. But most often how this has to be done is the intriguing factor for many who seeks to do a business. Management consulting firms emerges as a blessing for such kind of entrepreneurs who are willing to utilize their wealth for bringing prosperity. Management consultants guides one through every process of management, most importantly strategic planning. Management planning consultants helps to overcome many hindrance that might occur in the various stages of business implementation.
Management consultancy in recent times has become so organized that they provide specific management professionals to even very concentrated niches on business. Active involvement of professional management consultants reduces unnecessary overheads and reduces the burden from the businessmen. Since skilled and fine tuned inputs are rendered the efficiency ratio tends to the highest possible. Management consulting firms handles the documentation of the projects and which is the major and most rewarding service offered. Since project management is in much of a demand most management consultants are concentrated and specializing on project management consultancy.
On a general basis management consulting firms offer services like business undertaking for the existing business houses. This is normally done on a profit sharing basis. These management consulting firms makes sure better management by right kind of staff and management resources and overlook optimal utilization of available resources. These firms are good for those who think big about business.
James Gordon writes management articles for a number of websites including Vijyoti School of Communications and corporate learning. Vijyoti is a management consultancy firm and hr consultancy.
Beginning of business needs so much resources and planning. The person who needs to do a business might have a vague idea of what he wants to achieve. But most often how this has to be done is the intriguing factor for many who seeks to do a business. Management consulting firms emerges as a blessing for such kind of entrepreneurs who are willing to utilize their wealth for bringing prosperity. Management consultants guides one through every process of management, most importantly strategic planning. Management planning consultants helps to overcome many hindrance that might occur in the various stages of business implementation.
Management consultancy in recent times has become so organized that they provide specific management professionals to even very concentrated niches on business. Active involvement of professional management consultants reduces unnecessary overheads and reduces the burden from the businessmen. Since skilled and fine tuned inputs are rendered the efficiency ratio tends to the highest possible. Management consulting firms handles the documentation of the projects and which is the major and most rewarding service offered. Since project management is in much of a demand most management consultants are concentrated and specializing on project management consultancy.
On a general basis management consulting firms offer services like business undertaking for the existing business houses. This is normally done on a profit sharing basis. These management consulting firms makes sure better management by right kind of staff and management resources and overlook optimal utilization of available resources. These firms are good for those who think big about business.
James Gordon writes management articles for a number of websites including Vijyoti School of Communications and corporate learning. Vijyoti is a management consultancy firm and hr consultancy.
Third Party Qualification - Streamlining Compliance Management
By Trevor A. Bouchard
The practice of third party qualification is not a new concept but with the recent fledgling economy and under staffed purchasing departments, more companies are considering third party qualification as a viable alternative. Organizations large are making a shift in an attempt to leverage recent technological advancements and an emerging third party vendor qualification market to minimize potential exposures and avoid lowering their bench marks of quality, while staying competitive in today's economy.
Traditional Challenges Businesses and organizations requiring the services of multiple companies have historically expended thousands of dollars annually to manage their internally generated lists with varying degrees of success in the attempt to adequately manage risk. Companies set standards to which vendors must adhere, allocate company overhead and employees to the task of reviewing individual vendor files to ensure files are complete, accurate and updated. The complete process, sometimes requiring multiple full-time employees, is a labour intensive activity and a major cost centre that can hinder financial performance of whatever business unit it falls under. Due to the cost associated with internal compliance management and vendor qualification many organizations in an effort to streamline and cut cost have decreased the number of purchasing managers they have on staff. As a result purchasing agents are becoming overworked and subsequently everywhere you turn the media is filled with reports of steps being missed via mismanagement, neglect and conflict of interest cases.
These miscues are a top-line; mission-critical challenge that requires the attention and commitment of senior-level executives and administrators as well as the dedicated allocation of carefully targeted resources. If executed improperly organizations are faced with conflict of interest liabilities and cost-inefficiencies, both recognized and hidden. Although in some verticals new regulations and internal conflict of interest policies and new document management software is being developed, implementation of these new solutions are being rolled out at an absorbent cost and barrier to entry is excluding some smaller organizations.
Existing top-down policies and procedures fail to provide a viable, verifiable solution for many organizations. As the need for conflict of interest transparency and document management intensifies, management and suppliers face unprecedented demands on their ability to identify, monitor and document these potentially high-risk relationships. Existing policies and procedures for board and administrator level compliance are insufficient. Disparate, incompatible stand-alone systems, where they exist, have proven difficult to implement and costly to integrate, offering little assurance of reliable compliance and no guarantee of the level playing field these requirements seek to establish.
Third Party Solutions and Why They Work! There is a new solution emerging which is proving to be a mutually beneficial business model in the independent vendor management segment of the software services marketplace, and this systematic solution holds tremendous promise for application to the growing demands for conflict of interest compliance and the ease in which purchasing agents can access integral documents. The two-pronged nature of the solution tackles the need for organizations to provide greater transparency into their business relationships on the one hand, and the vested interest of outside vendors and services providers to comply with these transparency requirements in order to do business with these major customers on the other. The solution demands an integrated, system-level approach.
Comprehensive compliance with emerging conflict of interest regulations will require both sides of the customer/supplier equation to work together in assuring across-the-board integration of constantly changing data and rapidly evolving systems upgrades.
While no centralized system-wide solution capable of managing the expanding and evolving challenges of the conflict of interest compliance problem currently exists, this unique business model has fragmented representation across many regions and is slowly proving itself to be a viable foundation for the development of such a full scale solution.
In comparison to current practices at many organizations, third party technology rich solutions offer businesses a more comprehensive and up-to-date vendor list that has enhanced document visibility and increased risk management while providing a significant cost savings. The element of with-in arms reach is taken out of play and many companies can help reduce their exposure to missed steps, mismanagement, and neglect and conflict of interest cases.
In Summary To address the growing complexity of vendor management and the need to capture, evaluate and monitor conflict of interest disclosures, organizations alike need to work together to build upon the capabilities of vendor relationship management systems to create a centralized all-encompassing solution that ensures conflict of interest compliance.
This article was written by Trevor A. Bouchard President & CEO of Quick
Contractors.com Inc.
For more information go to: http://www.QuickContractors.com
The practice of third party qualification is not a new concept but with the recent fledgling economy and under staffed purchasing departments, more companies are considering third party qualification as a viable alternative. Organizations large are making a shift in an attempt to leverage recent technological advancements and an emerging third party vendor qualification market to minimize potential exposures and avoid lowering their bench marks of quality, while staying competitive in today's economy.
Traditional Challenges Businesses and organizations requiring the services of multiple companies have historically expended thousands of dollars annually to manage their internally generated lists with varying degrees of success in the attempt to adequately manage risk. Companies set standards to which vendors must adhere, allocate company overhead and employees to the task of reviewing individual vendor files to ensure files are complete, accurate and updated. The complete process, sometimes requiring multiple full-time employees, is a labour intensive activity and a major cost centre that can hinder financial performance of whatever business unit it falls under. Due to the cost associated with internal compliance management and vendor qualification many organizations in an effort to streamline and cut cost have decreased the number of purchasing managers they have on staff. As a result purchasing agents are becoming overworked and subsequently everywhere you turn the media is filled with reports of steps being missed via mismanagement, neglect and conflict of interest cases.
These miscues are a top-line; mission-critical challenge that requires the attention and commitment of senior-level executives and administrators as well as the dedicated allocation of carefully targeted resources. If executed improperly organizations are faced with conflict of interest liabilities and cost-inefficiencies, both recognized and hidden. Although in some verticals new regulations and internal conflict of interest policies and new document management software is being developed, implementation of these new solutions are being rolled out at an absorbent cost and barrier to entry is excluding some smaller organizations.
Existing top-down policies and procedures fail to provide a viable, verifiable solution for many organizations. As the need for conflict of interest transparency and document management intensifies, management and suppliers face unprecedented demands on their ability to identify, monitor and document these potentially high-risk relationships. Existing policies and procedures for board and administrator level compliance are insufficient. Disparate, incompatible stand-alone systems, where they exist, have proven difficult to implement and costly to integrate, offering little assurance of reliable compliance and no guarantee of the level playing field these requirements seek to establish.
Third Party Solutions and Why They Work! There is a new solution emerging which is proving to be a mutually beneficial business model in the independent vendor management segment of the software services marketplace, and this systematic solution holds tremendous promise for application to the growing demands for conflict of interest compliance and the ease in which purchasing agents can access integral documents. The two-pronged nature of the solution tackles the need for organizations to provide greater transparency into their business relationships on the one hand, and the vested interest of outside vendors and services providers to comply with these transparency requirements in order to do business with these major customers on the other. The solution demands an integrated, system-level approach.
Comprehensive compliance with emerging conflict of interest regulations will require both sides of the customer/supplier equation to work together in assuring across-the-board integration of constantly changing data and rapidly evolving systems upgrades.
While no centralized system-wide solution capable of managing the expanding and evolving challenges of the conflict of interest compliance problem currently exists, this unique business model has fragmented representation across many regions and is slowly proving itself to be a viable foundation for the development of such a full scale solution.
In comparison to current practices at many organizations, third party technology rich solutions offer businesses a more comprehensive and up-to-date vendor list that has enhanced document visibility and increased risk management while providing a significant cost savings. The element of with-in arms reach is taken out of play and many companies can help reduce their exposure to missed steps, mismanagement, and neglect and conflict of interest cases.
In Summary To address the growing complexity of vendor management and the need to capture, evaluate and monitor conflict of interest disclosures, organizations alike need to work together to build upon the capabilities of vendor relationship management systems to create a centralized all-encompassing solution that ensures conflict of interest compliance.
This article was written by Trevor A. Bouchard President & CEO of Quick
Contractors.com Inc.
For more information go to: http://www.QuickContractors.com
The Number 1 Essential Tip For Effective Management
By Summer N Banks
The world of business has turned upside down. CEOs are tripping over their feet to find the best possible way to stop the doors of their dream business from closing, never to reopen again. In tough economic times, the effective manager is one who knows how to stimulate the consumer and make money regardless of the financial status of the nation.
There is Money to be Made!
Rest assured, there is money out there to be made no matter what type of business your management staff is running. From food service to cleaning services, major retailers to mom and pop stores, the money is waiting to become your next month of profit. How do you tap into this free money? Your management staff needs to work effectively, responsibly and on the level of the patrons frequenting your business establishment.
The most common mistake managers make is thinking they are above the hard day's work. The consumer does not want to see a leader in a suit and tie, walking around a business barking orders. The effective manager will treat the consumer just like a small child. By kneeling down and making the consumer believe the manager understands the trials and tribulations of living paycheck to paycheck, the consumer will believe in that manager and the sale will be closed.
The effective manager is selling more than products and services. They are selling the idea that everyone is in the same financial boat. Once the consumer believes in the management staff, the sales will increase and the business will climb out of the red and back into the black!
Do you really want cheap articles? I think you want articles that are well written and researched! You need the content, I have the time! Let's change the Internet.
Summer Banks is ready to provide your site and your business with great Internet content!
The world of business has turned upside down. CEOs are tripping over their feet to find the best possible way to stop the doors of their dream business from closing, never to reopen again. In tough economic times, the effective manager is one who knows how to stimulate the consumer and make money regardless of the financial status of the nation.
There is Money to be Made!
Rest assured, there is money out there to be made no matter what type of business your management staff is running. From food service to cleaning services, major retailers to mom and pop stores, the money is waiting to become your next month of profit. How do you tap into this free money? Your management staff needs to work effectively, responsibly and on the level of the patrons frequenting your business establishment.
The most common mistake managers make is thinking they are above the hard day's work. The consumer does not want to see a leader in a suit and tie, walking around a business barking orders. The effective manager will treat the consumer just like a small child. By kneeling down and making the consumer believe the manager understands the trials and tribulations of living paycheck to paycheck, the consumer will believe in that manager and the sale will be closed.
The effective manager is selling more than products and services. They are selling the idea that everyone is in the same financial boat. Once the consumer believes in the management staff, the sales will increase and the business will climb out of the red and back into the black!
Do you really want cheap articles? I think you want articles that are well written and researched! You need the content, I have the time! Let's change the Internet.
Summer Banks is ready to provide your site and your business with great Internet content!
Improve Employee Performance by Focusing on Working Relationships
By Barbara Brown
Sometimes the way to encourage employees to do something you want is to focus on WHO they will be working with. In other words, people like to work with people they like, admire, respect, etc. So the next time you encounter a situation where someone is resisting doing something, explain how doing what you want will allow them to work with someone they want. Consider these five examples:
1. A Friend: Maybe there is a possibility of working with someone who is (or was) a friend or valued associate. Highlight this relationship when talking to employees. Explain how doing something you want might offer opportunities for working with someone they want.
2. An Intelligent Colleague: Some employees value working with people whom they view as intelligent or smart. If that's the case, focus on this possible connection when you talk about workloads or contributions.
3. A Powerful Colleague: Some employees are sensitive to situations that offer a chance to work with powerful people. Explain how the assignment or a change in performance might offer a chance to network with influential people.
4. A Well-Respected Colleague: Certain employees command a high level of respect from others. Some employees will leap at the opportunity to work with that person. Highlight this interaction during your discussion about tasks or performance.
5. A Nice Employee: People like to work with nice people. Think about what you want employees to do and the personalities of the employees who they will be interacting with. Link positive performance to opportunities to work with friendly people.
Remember, People Work With People
People represent a constant in work environments. As such, they influence the performance and behaviors of others. Many times that influence is negative, with employees saying, "I don't want to work on that project because John (or Jane) will be participating." But sometimes it's positive, with employees feeling excited about who they will be working with. Your role is to be proactive and use this information as a strategy to encourage greater cooperation and contributions. Start with these five working relationships.
Barbara Brown, PhD shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. Her E-Books contain phrases and examples for discussing performance, improving performance, and reinforcing performance. Her E-Courses provide strategies for motivating employees to cooperate and contribute.
Click on "FREE STUFF" at her website to download tools to manage performance discussions.
Website: http://www.LinkToResults.net
Email: Barbara@LinkToResults.net
Sometimes the way to encourage employees to do something you want is to focus on WHO they will be working with. In other words, people like to work with people they like, admire, respect, etc. So the next time you encounter a situation where someone is resisting doing something, explain how doing what you want will allow them to work with someone they want. Consider these five examples:
1. A Friend: Maybe there is a possibility of working with someone who is (or was) a friend or valued associate. Highlight this relationship when talking to employees. Explain how doing something you want might offer opportunities for working with someone they want.
2. An Intelligent Colleague: Some employees value working with people whom they view as intelligent or smart. If that's the case, focus on this possible connection when you talk about workloads or contributions.
3. A Powerful Colleague: Some employees are sensitive to situations that offer a chance to work with powerful people. Explain how the assignment or a change in performance might offer a chance to network with influential people.
4. A Well-Respected Colleague: Certain employees command a high level of respect from others. Some employees will leap at the opportunity to work with that person. Highlight this interaction during your discussion about tasks or performance.
5. A Nice Employee: People like to work with nice people. Think about what you want employees to do and the personalities of the employees who they will be interacting with. Link positive performance to opportunities to work with friendly people.
Remember, People Work With People
People represent a constant in work environments. As such, they influence the performance and behaviors of others. Many times that influence is negative, with employees saying, "I don't want to work on that project because John (or Jane) will be participating." But sometimes it's positive, with employees feeling excited about who they will be working with. Your role is to be proactive and use this information as a strategy to encourage greater cooperation and contributions. Start with these five working relationships.
Barbara Brown, PhD shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. Her E-Books contain phrases and examples for discussing performance, improving performance, and reinforcing performance. Her E-Courses provide strategies for motivating employees to cooperate and contribute.
Click on "FREE STUFF" at her website to download tools to manage performance discussions.
Website: http://www.LinkToResults.net
Email: Barbara@LinkToResults.net
Project Management Training - Warning Signs That You Need One
By Jessica Parklane
When projects do not make it to deadlines, there are many things going on behind the scenes. As an accidental manager, you are tasked to keep the boat on an even keel with few resources and people. Project management training can help you man the ship effectively and take on more projects.
When Do You Need Project Management Training?
The boss has tossed you a small scale project, which turns out to be a titanic assignment for you because you do not have the skills to manage different capabilities and organize the whole show. Yet you take on the task hoping you pass muster and reap accolades for a job well done. You are one of the thousands of befuddled managers needing project management training.
Here is why you need project management training: * You cannot produce a credible project plan * Your project goes helter-skelter in different directions * Your risk management techniques are outdated or implausible * You cannot estimate work schedule confidently * Your monitoring tools are inadequate or inapplicable * You cannot run a motivated team * You lack leadership skills
Can tell your boss no? Or do you take the project and hit the books because your boss expects you to effectively run a project with few people and resources, on a tight schedule, and get maximum results?
What Is Project Management Training?
The project management training educates project managers to foresee dangers that may derail project plans and activities. They should be able to minimize risks and solve problems head on to make sure that the project is completed successfully notwithstanding the risks. If you had the opportunity to have this training early on, no projects would be too big or difficult to handle.
The training also takes up management of IT skills when overseeing a project. This is a convenient and faster way to keep tabs of what is happening to all actors participating in the project. Instead of lugging journals, logbooks, and calendars, you log on to your PC and look at the worksheets of everybody to check how the work is going.
Knowing the IT part of project management training is just an aspect, but the bigger picture is effectively managing resources and meeting the project deadline because extended or delayed project activities incur more expenses, and the company loses revenues.
Why is the Project Management Training Important?
Projects, big or small, need a good manager to keep the project going on schedule. There is the competition to think about and the revenues to be earned from the project. During the course of the project, there will be slip ups or the project may go full steam ahead; a good manager will answer the following questions: * What factors contributed to the success and failure of the project? * What were the frequent problems that cropped up and why? * How much resources were used and how were these used? * Were resources available at the right time or not, and why? * Were the skills required available and competent? * What were the lessons learned? * Were all aspects of project implementation documented accurately? * Did management respond to issues quickly?
Project management training will help you see the big picture. The questions mentioned earlier are your guideposts to become an effective manager; hence, the training is important on two counts - career advancement and project success. Need you ask more?
Don't pass up project management training. You can always get PMI exam prep to help you hurdle your PMI exam. Get more details from threeo.ca now.
When projects do not make it to deadlines, there are many things going on behind the scenes. As an accidental manager, you are tasked to keep the boat on an even keel with few resources and people. Project management training can help you man the ship effectively and take on more projects.
When Do You Need Project Management Training?
The boss has tossed you a small scale project, which turns out to be a titanic assignment for you because you do not have the skills to manage different capabilities and organize the whole show. Yet you take on the task hoping you pass muster and reap accolades for a job well done. You are one of the thousands of befuddled managers needing project management training.
Here is why you need project management training: * You cannot produce a credible project plan * Your project goes helter-skelter in different directions * Your risk management techniques are outdated or implausible * You cannot estimate work schedule confidently * Your monitoring tools are inadequate or inapplicable * You cannot run a motivated team * You lack leadership skills
Can tell your boss no? Or do you take the project and hit the books because your boss expects you to effectively run a project with few people and resources, on a tight schedule, and get maximum results?
What Is Project Management Training?
The project management training educates project managers to foresee dangers that may derail project plans and activities. They should be able to minimize risks and solve problems head on to make sure that the project is completed successfully notwithstanding the risks. If you had the opportunity to have this training early on, no projects would be too big or difficult to handle.
The training also takes up management of IT skills when overseeing a project. This is a convenient and faster way to keep tabs of what is happening to all actors participating in the project. Instead of lugging journals, logbooks, and calendars, you log on to your PC and look at the worksheets of everybody to check how the work is going.
Knowing the IT part of project management training is just an aspect, but the bigger picture is effectively managing resources and meeting the project deadline because extended or delayed project activities incur more expenses, and the company loses revenues.
Why is the Project Management Training Important?
Projects, big or small, need a good manager to keep the project going on schedule. There is the competition to think about and the revenues to be earned from the project. During the course of the project, there will be slip ups or the project may go full steam ahead; a good manager will answer the following questions: * What factors contributed to the success and failure of the project? * What were the frequent problems that cropped up and why? * How much resources were used and how were these used? * Were resources available at the right time or not, and why? * Were the skills required available and competent? * What were the lessons learned? * Were all aspects of project implementation documented accurately? * Did management respond to issues quickly?
Project management training will help you see the big picture. The questions mentioned earlier are your guideposts to become an effective manager; hence, the training is important on two counts - career advancement and project success. Need you ask more?
Don't pass up project management training. You can always get PMI exam prep to help you hurdle your PMI exam. Get more details from threeo.ca now.
Common Mistakes When Buying a Business
By Iain Mackintosh
There's no denying it - buying a business creates a real buzz of excitement. The key is to make sure this keenness doesn't cloud your judgment and leave you with a business you don't want, or don't know the full history of. Here are some tips to keep in mind for when you're planning on making a big splash to make sure it's one that you don't regret!
Make Sure You Love the Business You Want
The first point sounds obvious, but don't just buy a business because it's a good deal. To turn a business into a real success story, you have to be passionate about what they do, or the way they do it. If you're passionate about the job, and it can use your skills, the battle is already half won, so be certain it's something you can be excited by before you sign any legal documents.
Be Thorough in Your Checks
When checking on the general health of a business you're interested in, it's tempting just to look at the financial statements and chat to the current owner, but this can hide an awful lot of vital information. You want to get a real understanding of everything about the business - its reputation, market and customers. You want to find out about its employees, debts and competitors. In short, you need to know everything about the business - information that legal documents alone won't be able to fill you in on.
Find Out Why They Are Selling
Sure, it may just be that the owner is retiring or they're bored of the business, but are you certain that's the reason? You want a full explanation - if they're trying to get shot of the business, then you might be thinking the same thing a week after purchasing! Do a little detective work and figure out what the deal is. There's every chance you'll still want to go ahead with the purchase, but forearmed is forewarned. If their reason for selling is a big issue you could knock a substantial amount off of the asking price, leaving you with a better deal when the time comes to sign the legal documents transferring ownership.
Get a Good Business Contract
It's a common misconception that the only important thing to consider in a contract is the price you're paying for the company - the truth is that there's a lot more to it than that, and a bad business contract could really hamper your new purchase's chance of success over the coming years. Make sure your business contract is reasonable in terms of payment scheme, debt encumbrance and intellectual property rights, amongst other things. If these terms go over your head, be sure to hire a solicitor familiar with business purchase law to make sure the contract is sound.
Don't Get Ripped Off
In the spur of the moment, and imagining the competition, it's quite easy to end up overpaying for the business you're targeting. Usually businesses have two pricing models: base (revenue or profit) and a multiplier. It's a really good idea to get a professional evaluation of the company to ensure you don't end up overpaying, before you sign any legal documents.
It goes without saying that signing that business contract and buying a company is a big decision, and there's plenty to go wrong. There's plenty to go right as well of course - especially from an informed, well planned and executed sale. If you follow these tips, you're more likely to be celebrating the latter, rather than bemoaning the former.
Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 UK business documents covering all aspects of business from holiday entitlement to employment contracts. By providing these legal documents (with content provided by leading commercial lawyers, HR and health & safety consultants) at an affordable price, the company intends to help small businesses avoid costly breaches of regulation and legal action.
There's no denying it - buying a business creates a real buzz of excitement. The key is to make sure this keenness doesn't cloud your judgment and leave you with a business you don't want, or don't know the full history of. Here are some tips to keep in mind for when you're planning on making a big splash to make sure it's one that you don't regret!
Make Sure You Love the Business You Want
The first point sounds obvious, but don't just buy a business because it's a good deal. To turn a business into a real success story, you have to be passionate about what they do, or the way they do it. If you're passionate about the job, and it can use your skills, the battle is already half won, so be certain it's something you can be excited by before you sign any legal documents.
Be Thorough in Your Checks
When checking on the general health of a business you're interested in, it's tempting just to look at the financial statements and chat to the current owner, but this can hide an awful lot of vital information. You want to get a real understanding of everything about the business - its reputation, market and customers. You want to find out about its employees, debts and competitors. In short, you need to know everything about the business - information that legal documents alone won't be able to fill you in on.
Find Out Why They Are Selling
Sure, it may just be that the owner is retiring or they're bored of the business, but are you certain that's the reason? You want a full explanation - if they're trying to get shot of the business, then you might be thinking the same thing a week after purchasing! Do a little detective work and figure out what the deal is. There's every chance you'll still want to go ahead with the purchase, but forearmed is forewarned. If their reason for selling is a big issue you could knock a substantial amount off of the asking price, leaving you with a better deal when the time comes to sign the legal documents transferring ownership.
Get a Good Business Contract
It's a common misconception that the only important thing to consider in a contract is the price you're paying for the company - the truth is that there's a lot more to it than that, and a bad business contract could really hamper your new purchase's chance of success over the coming years. Make sure your business contract is reasonable in terms of payment scheme, debt encumbrance and intellectual property rights, amongst other things. If these terms go over your head, be sure to hire a solicitor familiar with business purchase law to make sure the contract is sound.
Don't Get Ripped Off
In the spur of the moment, and imagining the competition, it's quite easy to end up overpaying for the business you're targeting. Usually businesses have two pricing models: base (revenue or profit) and a multiplier. It's a really good idea to get a professional evaluation of the company to ensure you don't end up overpaying, before you sign any legal documents.
It goes without saying that signing that business contract and buying a company is a big decision, and there's plenty to go wrong. There's plenty to go right as well of course - especially from an informed, well planned and executed sale. If you follow these tips, you're more likely to be celebrating the latter, rather than bemoaning the former.
Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 UK business documents covering all aspects of business from holiday entitlement to employment contracts. By providing these legal documents (with content provided by leading commercial lawyers, HR and health & safety consultants) at an affordable price, the company intends to help small businesses avoid costly breaches of regulation and legal action.
Improve Employee Performance by Letting "Talkers" Speak
By Barbara Brown, Ph.D
Do you have one or two employees who like to be "in front" of the crowd? Or perhaps they just like to do more talking than writing. If so, use their passion for speaking as a way to encourage greater cooperation and contributions. How? By highlighting situations where there will be opportunities to speak. Or better yet, by actually making sure they have opportunities to share ideas and talk in public. Consider these four situations:
Situation 1: You want to encourage increased participation in meetings.
Sometimes the way to garner increased and constructive input from "talkers" is to give them a platform at meetings. Provide this opportunity by thinking of a way to give them a visible, but structured, role in some part of the meeting. This might involve opening the meeting, reviewing the agenda, or closing the meeting.
Situation 2: You want to encourage more sharing of expertise.
For employees who talk a lot AND know a lot, find ways to allow them to share their knowledge. If they possess appropriate platform skills, allow them to present a portion of a training class or conduct the entire class. Or consider situations where they might provide training for a group of employees outside the structured classroom.
Situation 3: You want to encourage improved participation in a project.
Some employees resist doing their best when they think that their specific work will be combined with the work of others; leaving no way to distinguish individual contributions. And while you may not be able to eliminate this end result, you might be able to give those who crave some limelight to have a public viewing. Perhaps they could have a regular role in presenting updates to management. Or maybe they could have more specific presentation tasks like identifying problems or describing approaches to solve problems.
Situation 4: You want to encourage more participation in company-sponsored events or extracurricular activities.
Employees who like to be seen may not necessarily relish a "back room or back row" role when you have community meetings, charity events, or company banquets. So whenever possible, think of ways to allow them to be engaged in a way they find useful and enjoyable. Perhaps there will be opportunities for talking about the event before it happens. Or maybe a presentation will be possible during or even after the event.
Even Irritating Behaviors Can Have A Positive Use
Some employees like to talk a lot, while some prefer to say very little. Some abhor making public presentations, while others crave such roles. When these behaviors happen in the extreme, they can be irritating. The key is to not let negative perceptions about certain behaviors prevent you from positively using those behaviors to create more meaningful experiences for employees. And if employees find the job more meaningful, they are more likely to do a better job.
So if you have some employees who love the limelight or love to be heard, give them more of what they love to do.
Barbara Brown, PhD shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. Her E-Books contain phrases and examples for discussing performance, improving performance, and reinforcing performance. Her E-Courses provide strategies for motivating employees to cooperate and contribute.
Click on "FREE STUFF" at her website to download tools to manage performance discussions.
Website: http://www.LinkToResults.net
Email: Barbara@LinkToResults.net
Do you have one or two employees who like to be "in front" of the crowd? Or perhaps they just like to do more talking than writing. If so, use their passion for speaking as a way to encourage greater cooperation and contributions. How? By highlighting situations where there will be opportunities to speak. Or better yet, by actually making sure they have opportunities to share ideas and talk in public. Consider these four situations:
Situation 1: You want to encourage increased participation in meetings.
Sometimes the way to garner increased and constructive input from "talkers" is to give them a platform at meetings. Provide this opportunity by thinking of a way to give them a visible, but structured, role in some part of the meeting. This might involve opening the meeting, reviewing the agenda, or closing the meeting.
Situation 2: You want to encourage more sharing of expertise.
For employees who talk a lot AND know a lot, find ways to allow them to share their knowledge. If they possess appropriate platform skills, allow them to present a portion of a training class or conduct the entire class. Or consider situations where they might provide training for a group of employees outside the structured classroom.
Situation 3: You want to encourage improved participation in a project.
Some employees resist doing their best when they think that their specific work will be combined with the work of others; leaving no way to distinguish individual contributions. And while you may not be able to eliminate this end result, you might be able to give those who crave some limelight to have a public viewing. Perhaps they could have a regular role in presenting updates to management. Or maybe they could have more specific presentation tasks like identifying problems or describing approaches to solve problems.
Situation 4: You want to encourage more participation in company-sponsored events or extracurricular activities.
Employees who like to be seen may not necessarily relish a "back room or back row" role when you have community meetings, charity events, or company banquets. So whenever possible, think of ways to allow them to be engaged in a way they find useful and enjoyable. Perhaps there will be opportunities for talking about the event before it happens. Or maybe a presentation will be possible during or even after the event.
Even Irritating Behaviors Can Have A Positive Use
Some employees like to talk a lot, while some prefer to say very little. Some abhor making public presentations, while others crave such roles. When these behaviors happen in the extreme, they can be irritating. The key is to not let negative perceptions about certain behaviors prevent you from positively using those behaviors to create more meaningful experiences for employees. And if employees find the job more meaningful, they are more likely to do a better job.
So if you have some employees who love the limelight or love to be heard, give them more of what they love to do.
Barbara Brown, PhD shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. Her E-Books contain phrases and examples for discussing performance, improving performance, and reinforcing performance. Her E-Courses provide strategies for motivating employees to cooperate and contribute.
Click on "FREE STUFF" at her website to download tools to manage performance discussions.
Website: http://www.LinkToResults.net
Email: Barbara@LinkToResults.net
Management - 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Motivating Others
By Duncan Brodie
As a manager you are highly dependent on others to deliver results. Getting results relies on you continually motivating others and get the best from them. From a theoretical perspective this might seem really simple but practically it is much more difficult to do. So what mistakes must you avoid when it comes to motivating others?
Mistake 1: Assuming everyone is like you
If you are a manager or an aspiring manager, you are probably someone who is highly self motivated and gets on with things. It was be easy to fall into a trap of believing that everyone else is just like you. The reality is that different people are motivated in different ways. It is important that you get to know your staff and know what makes them tick. Spend time interacting with people on your team and pay attention to when they are at their best.
Mistake 2: Relying on financial rewards
Everyone needs to earn a living so that they can have somewhere to live and have food on the table. They need sufficient income to do those things. Yet the reality is that money in itself is rarely the main motivator. People spend a huge amount of their life at work so want are interested in things like enjoying the work they do, getting feedback and having the opportunity to grow and develop. Make sure that you do not become completely reliant on financial rewards to motivate.
Mistake 3: Promising something you cannot deliver
People might not be happy if they are told that it is not possible for something to happen at the current time. They will be even more de-motivated if you create an expectation that you are going to deliver something and then fail to make it happen. Always check that you can fulfil any promises you are making to your team before committing.
Mistake 4: Not creating training and development opportunities
There will be a small proportion of people on a team who are happy doing what they are doing and have no real aspirations on developing themselves. The majority of people do want at least to have access to opportunities to training and development. Many managers fall into the trap of believing that providing training and development opportunities relies on having a large budget. The reality is that there are many opportunities out there that cost nothing. For example, free e-courses, podcasts, newsletters, free or low cost continuing professional development events and even the opportunity to work on a special project.
Mistake 5: Not giving feedback
People like to know how they are doing, how they are perceived or viewed by their manager, whether their manager is happy with the work they are doing and where they can improve, to name just a few. Giving feedback to people on a regular basis costs nothing but can be incredibly motivating. Just imagine you had spent 4 hours doing a report, you gave to your boss and heard nothing back about it. How motivated would you be? A simple thank you or acknowledgment for a piece of work done well or even effort can go a long way.
Bottom Line - It is often the simple things that make the difference. So what could you be doing differently to better motivate others and get even better results?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.
With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
You can learn more about Duncan, Goals and Achievements services and products and sign up for his free e-course and newsletter at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/
As a manager you are highly dependent on others to deliver results. Getting results relies on you continually motivating others and get the best from them. From a theoretical perspective this might seem really simple but practically it is much more difficult to do. So what mistakes must you avoid when it comes to motivating others?
Mistake 1: Assuming everyone is like you
If you are a manager or an aspiring manager, you are probably someone who is highly self motivated and gets on with things. It was be easy to fall into a trap of believing that everyone else is just like you. The reality is that different people are motivated in different ways. It is important that you get to know your staff and know what makes them tick. Spend time interacting with people on your team and pay attention to when they are at their best.
Mistake 2: Relying on financial rewards
Everyone needs to earn a living so that they can have somewhere to live and have food on the table. They need sufficient income to do those things. Yet the reality is that money in itself is rarely the main motivator. People spend a huge amount of their life at work so want are interested in things like enjoying the work they do, getting feedback and having the opportunity to grow and develop. Make sure that you do not become completely reliant on financial rewards to motivate.
Mistake 3: Promising something you cannot deliver
People might not be happy if they are told that it is not possible for something to happen at the current time. They will be even more de-motivated if you create an expectation that you are going to deliver something and then fail to make it happen. Always check that you can fulfil any promises you are making to your team before committing.
Mistake 4: Not creating training and development opportunities
There will be a small proportion of people on a team who are happy doing what they are doing and have no real aspirations on developing themselves. The majority of people do want at least to have access to opportunities to training and development. Many managers fall into the trap of believing that providing training and development opportunities relies on having a large budget. The reality is that there are many opportunities out there that cost nothing. For example, free e-courses, podcasts, newsletters, free or low cost continuing professional development events and even the opportunity to work on a special project.
Mistake 5: Not giving feedback
People like to know how they are doing, how they are perceived or viewed by their manager, whether their manager is happy with the work they are doing and where they can improve, to name just a few. Giving feedback to people on a regular basis costs nothing but can be incredibly motivating. Just imagine you had spent 4 hours doing a report, you gave to your boss and heard nothing back about it. How motivated would you be? A simple thank you or acknowledgment for a piece of work done well or even effort can go a long way.
Bottom Line - It is often the simple things that make the difference. So what could you be doing differently to better motivate others and get even better results?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.
With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
You can learn more about Duncan, Goals and Achievements services and products and sign up for his free e-course and newsletter at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/
Management Consulting - The Smartest Business Move You Could Ever Do
By Brian S. Smith
In this testing time businesses have different kinds of needs necessary to grow and develop. There are times when management do not know what to do to take their business to the next level. Some managers may also know what needs to be done but are unsure how to go about doing it. This is where management consulting comes into play and for most businesses they are able to handle all your problems with an optimum solution.
As businesses grow this gives rise to different kinds of problems and brings various complexities. It always pays to hire a management consultant as they have a wider knowledge about industry, business and environmental analysis. Different size and types of business house follow the policy of hiring consultants to give business an optimum solution to the problems businesses faces. This may even lead to the centralising and structuring of the business to make things happen faster as well as smoothly.
Problems like inventory control, legal issues, expenses etc are faced by any business house and these problems can be controlled and regulated if a consultant is hired and this can bring efficiency in the work environment as well.
Why Companies Hire Management Consultants
There are companies that have many operations which are complex and have wide range of transactions taking places. Management consultants are active in every kind of situations and are experienced to deal with large complexities. They are always in touch with the firms operations and have their team working any time on optimising the problems.
1) These management consults are engaged in analysing the work culture and environment of the current market trends and help in expansion and offshore deals.
2) They show you the possibility and benefits of merger and acquisitions and makes sure that you do not get in to loss in any kinds of transactions. They help throughout the process of litigation and legal issues and help you till the end of all formalities.
3) They help you in expansion as well raising funds through various objects like IPO, private placements of investments tools and through venture capitals.
4) They also guide the process of growth and transformation of a business by giving direction and the path that will be taken.
The Expertise of Business Management Consulting
There are few consulting firms which provides services in all the fields but mostly all the companies deals and are specialised in different fields. There are firms like public issue management firms which specialises in their respective fields of market research and finance management etc. These are vertically specialised in their respective field. Some consultants however are specialised in many areas and provide productive solution to many kind of business situations right from marketing to auditing of finance.
Business management consultants and consulting agencies have a very practical and productive approach towards any kind of problem solving and help firms in optimising their business situations and solutions. These companies help the firms for better results and effective growth and development.
Brian S. Smith leads a business consulting firm with over 19 years experience in 20 countries. Brian and his professionals have set the standard for "Best in Class" consulting for small business. The Business Efficiency Group methodology has a foundation built on; People, Process and Technology. Find out how effective business consulting can help you. http://www.indadv.com
In this testing time businesses have different kinds of needs necessary to grow and develop. There are times when management do not know what to do to take their business to the next level. Some managers may also know what needs to be done but are unsure how to go about doing it. This is where management consulting comes into play and for most businesses they are able to handle all your problems with an optimum solution.
As businesses grow this gives rise to different kinds of problems and brings various complexities. It always pays to hire a management consultant as they have a wider knowledge about industry, business and environmental analysis. Different size and types of business house follow the policy of hiring consultants to give business an optimum solution to the problems businesses faces. This may even lead to the centralising and structuring of the business to make things happen faster as well as smoothly.
Problems like inventory control, legal issues, expenses etc are faced by any business house and these problems can be controlled and regulated if a consultant is hired and this can bring efficiency in the work environment as well.
Why Companies Hire Management Consultants
There are companies that have many operations which are complex and have wide range of transactions taking places. Management consultants are active in every kind of situations and are experienced to deal with large complexities. They are always in touch with the firms operations and have their team working any time on optimising the problems.
1) These management consults are engaged in analysing the work culture and environment of the current market trends and help in expansion and offshore deals.
2) They show you the possibility and benefits of merger and acquisitions and makes sure that you do not get in to loss in any kinds of transactions. They help throughout the process of litigation and legal issues and help you till the end of all formalities.
3) They help you in expansion as well raising funds through various objects like IPO, private placements of investments tools and through venture capitals.
4) They also guide the process of growth and transformation of a business by giving direction and the path that will be taken.
The Expertise of Business Management Consulting
There are few consulting firms which provides services in all the fields but mostly all the companies deals and are specialised in different fields. There are firms like public issue management firms which specialises in their respective fields of market research and finance management etc. These are vertically specialised in their respective field. Some consultants however are specialised in many areas and provide productive solution to many kind of business situations right from marketing to auditing of finance.
Business management consultants and consulting agencies have a very practical and productive approach towards any kind of problem solving and help firms in optimising their business situations and solutions. These companies help the firms for better results and effective growth and development.
Brian S. Smith leads a business consulting firm with over 19 years experience in 20 countries. Brian and his professionals have set the standard for "Best in Class" consulting for small business. The Business Efficiency Group methodology has a foundation built on; People, Process and Technology. Find out how effective business consulting can help you. http://www.indadv.com
How to Deal With an Uncooperative Employee
By C Jackson
This can be many manager's worst nightmare - a worker who is difficult and starts to drag down the entire team. In this article, discover the options you have in dealing with such a troublemaker.
The Dangers Of A Troublemaker
A single disruptive influence can be very costly for a team, a department and potentially even an entire company.
The most common type is a slacker. The type of person who does very little work and barely reaches the minimum. In many ways, these are the easiest to "dispose" of and encourage to leave.
But much worse are those who openly argue with management. These are a very serious case and can lead to similar behavior from other employees or, at the very least, lowered morale.
The First Approach - Understanding
With such an employee, the best approach is one of understanding. Arrange a one to one meeting for an hour and openly discuss what is happening. Ask the person what his motivations are - what does he want to do in the long term.
If he is unhappy about anything, explain whether or not it can be changed and show him your point of view. If you are a reasonable person and the employee has obviously been unreasonable then he will surely see the error of his ways.
Offer him a carrot in the form of investment in training and career opportunities and most workers will usually take the bait.
Now the proof is in how well he sticks to the new regime.
The Second Approach - Managing "Out"
If the worker does not respond well to your earlier approach then it is time to get rid of such a disruptive element. He is simply coming in every day to leech off the company at the expense of everyone except himself.
Unfortunately, labor laws are very protective of workers rights so you must be tactful.
By speaking with Human Resources, you can formulate a written plan which will set out his minimum obligations. If he fails to meet these over a period of months then you can legally terminate his contract.
However, if you have a worker that meets these requirements but you feel is still disruptive then you should encourage him to leave by denying him career opportunities and rewarding others in the team. He will probably soon feel that he could be doing better elsewhere and leave of his own accord.
Very rarely, you may be able to come to an agreement to mutually terminate the contract but this will cost you severance pay.
Do you know how to manage people effectively in the real world? Get the no holds barred guide to real management at http://www.HowToBeABoss.com
This can be many manager's worst nightmare - a worker who is difficult and starts to drag down the entire team. In this article, discover the options you have in dealing with such a troublemaker.
The Dangers Of A Troublemaker
A single disruptive influence can be very costly for a team, a department and potentially even an entire company.
The most common type is a slacker. The type of person who does very little work and barely reaches the minimum. In many ways, these are the easiest to "dispose" of and encourage to leave.
But much worse are those who openly argue with management. These are a very serious case and can lead to similar behavior from other employees or, at the very least, lowered morale.
The First Approach - Understanding
With such an employee, the best approach is one of understanding. Arrange a one to one meeting for an hour and openly discuss what is happening. Ask the person what his motivations are - what does he want to do in the long term.
If he is unhappy about anything, explain whether or not it can be changed and show him your point of view. If you are a reasonable person and the employee has obviously been unreasonable then he will surely see the error of his ways.
Offer him a carrot in the form of investment in training and career opportunities and most workers will usually take the bait.
Now the proof is in how well he sticks to the new regime.
The Second Approach - Managing "Out"
If the worker does not respond well to your earlier approach then it is time to get rid of such a disruptive element. He is simply coming in every day to leech off the company at the expense of everyone except himself.
Unfortunately, labor laws are very protective of workers rights so you must be tactful.
By speaking with Human Resources, you can formulate a written plan which will set out his minimum obligations. If he fails to meet these over a period of months then you can legally terminate his contract.
However, if you have a worker that meets these requirements but you feel is still disruptive then you should encourage him to leave by denying him career opportunities and rewarding others in the team. He will probably soon feel that he could be doing better elsewhere and leave of his own accord.
Very rarely, you may be able to come to an agreement to mutually terminate the contract but this will cost you severance pay.
Do you know how to manage people effectively in the real world? Get the no holds barred guide to real management at http://www.HowToBeABoss.com
How to Get the Best Out of Your Workers
By C Jackson
The aim of any manager is to try and get the most out of your workers possible. In technical terms, you want the highest productivity.
From a purely financial point of view (and this is how senior management will often view you), you need to get the most output for every input i.e. spend the least amount on salaries and produce the most money.
So what approach should you take?
Revenue Generating Team
If your team is actively generating revenue such as a sales force or does work with clients, then money should be the main motivator.
In a purely sales driven team, you will probably already have commission in place and this should be motivation enough. One thing that you can try doing is to tweak the basic pay to commission ratio. Increase the amount of commission payable and reduce the basic gradually.
This way, your best workers will earn more and the worst will earn less. You will also motivate those in the middle to succeed.
Support Team
Many job functions are support functions. The workers get paid the same as long as they meet some minimum standard. So how can you increase their output?
One way is to try and incentivize financially in other ways. For example, having a limited bonus scheme based on performance. If your company policy does not allow this then you may be able to do a deal with your partners to obtain coupons or vouchers at some discounted rate and offer them monthly to the star performer.
Non-Financial Incentives
If you cannot offer any kind of financial incentives then you will need to motivate your workers in other ways.
The best way to do this is to formulate a personal development plan for the worker. This is nothing more than an agreed plan of development - you agree to fund training and development (a relatively low cost) in return for their commitments to take on additional responsibilities and achieve set targets.
This carrot and stick approach can work very well and costs very little.
Discover how to effectively manage your employees and exceed your performance targets through smart, low effort management at http://www.HowToBeABoss.com
The aim of any manager is to try and get the most out of your workers possible. In technical terms, you want the highest productivity.
From a purely financial point of view (and this is how senior management will often view you), you need to get the most output for every input i.e. spend the least amount on salaries and produce the most money.
So what approach should you take?
Revenue Generating Team
If your team is actively generating revenue such as a sales force or does work with clients, then money should be the main motivator.
In a purely sales driven team, you will probably already have commission in place and this should be motivation enough. One thing that you can try doing is to tweak the basic pay to commission ratio. Increase the amount of commission payable and reduce the basic gradually.
This way, your best workers will earn more and the worst will earn less. You will also motivate those in the middle to succeed.
Support Team
Many job functions are support functions. The workers get paid the same as long as they meet some minimum standard. So how can you increase their output?
One way is to try and incentivize financially in other ways. For example, having a limited bonus scheme based on performance. If your company policy does not allow this then you may be able to do a deal with your partners to obtain coupons or vouchers at some discounted rate and offer them monthly to the star performer.
Non-Financial Incentives
If you cannot offer any kind of financial incentives then you will need to motivate your workers in other ways.
The best way to do this is to formulate a personal development plan for the worker. This is nothing more than an agreed plan of development - you agree to fund training and development (a relatively low cost) in return for their commitments to take on additional responsibilities and achieve set targets.
This carrot and stick approach can work very well and costs very little.
Discover how to effectively manage your employees and exceed your performance targets through smart, low effort management at http://www.HowToBeABoss.com
Management Basics - Mind Your Own Business
By Hans Bool
If people would mind their own business life would be boring. But it would help organization if employees would mind their own business. The easiest way to manage an organization is by picturing it as a network, hierarchy or other form of small atomic business units; a single employee business. Think of every person in the organization as a solo entrepreneur.
Organizations become more complex because we have forgotten that they are only a set of companies that work under the same umbrella. It is easier to join an organization so that people know each other and they can interact swiftly amongst themselves.
Yet organizations have grown over the last decades and have become more and more complex and some simple basics about management and control have been replaced by all kinds of techniques, methods and inspirational issues that have little to do with the main drive of organizations: to do business.
If you know what your business is, what you are good at, the productive role that fits you best, you will also fit easier in the organization. If everybody's role is clear, than teamwork will follow automatically.
But as organizations become more complex, the attention for ones' personal role seems to become less of a point for management. One could wonder whether we need all that expensive management if people would just know what their own business is. Or, does the manager make it all too complex just to save his job? I don't think that way, but sometimes it looks like it.
Productivity of the organization can only start by employees being productive. And to know how to be productive, try to imagine yourself as being a single company, within the boundaries of a larger organization.
If people would mind their own business life would be boring. But it would help organization if employees would mind their own business. The easiest way to manage an organization is by picturing it as a network, hierarchy or other form of small atomic business units; a single employee business. Think of every person in the organization as a solo entrepreneur.
Organizations become more complex because we have forgotten that they are only a set of companies that work under the same umbrella. It is easier to join an organization so that people know each other and they can interact swiftly amongst themselves.
Yet organizations have grown over the last decades and have become more and more complex and some simple basics about management and control have been replaced by all kinds of techniques, methods and inspirational issues that have little to do with the main drive of organizations: to do business.
If you know what your business is, what you are good at, the productive role that fits you best, you will also fit easier in the organization. If everybody's role is clear, than teamwork will follow automatically.
But as organizations become more complex, the attention for ones' personal role seems to become less of a point for management. One could wonder whether we need all that expensive management if people would just know what their own business is. Or, does the manager make it all too complex just to save his job? I don't think that way, but sometimes it looks like it.
Productivity of the organization can only start by employees being productive. And to know how to be productive, try to imagine yourself as being a single company, within the boundaries of a larger organization.
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