Wimske's blog

What makes me NOT want to leave a company/client/shop

2008-10-07T14:19:00.002+02:00

One of my friends pointed me to this blogpost from Derik Whittaker,... very obviously but not always as evident.

Many times while you are doing the whole interview dance the company will ask you why you left a former company or client. But how often do they ask you what you need/want to not leave your NEXT place? Sure some times they may ask what makes you happy, or what type of place do you like. But how often to they ask you point blank, what can WE do, what can WE provided for you not to leave this company (assuming you were to hire on)?

Allow my voice to be heard
Put me in a position to succeed
Put me in a position to make a difference
Make effective communication must be priority
Manager that will battle to the death for their team
Team members that challenge me
Cool technology

success quote

2008-05-19T21:30:00.001+02:00

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. -Bill Cosby

How To Deal With Difficult Employees

2008-04-21T22:57:00.003+02:00

Evaluate:
It is important when dealing with difficult employees to act quickly. Often you will need to act almost immediately to neutralize a dangerous situation. However, it is always appropriate to think before you act. Clearly if an employee comes to work with a gun, you will need to act more quickly than when someone complains that another employee is always taking credit for her work. In either case, take the appropriate amount of time to evaluate the situation before you act. You don't want to make it worse.

Recognize:
that most employees can be "difficult" from time to time. This can be caused by stress on the job or away from it. Some employees are difficult more often than others. It is not always your least-productive employees who are difficult. So take a moment to evaluate each situation for the unique situation it is.

Do your homework:
Always act on facts. Don't base your actions on gossip or rumor. The person spreading the gossip is a difficult employee in their own way. If you have not seen the inappropriate behavior yourself, look into it. Ask the people reportedly involved. Collect all the facts you can before you act.
Don't use the fact that you haven't seen the inappropriate behavior as an excuse to delay doing something. It is important to act promptly.

Make sure you aren't part of the problem:
It will be much more difficult to remain calm and impartial in confronting the difficult behavior if you are partly responsible. If that's the case, be sure you acknowledge your role in it, at least to yourself.

Develop a plan:
You're a manager. You know the value of planning. This situation is no different. You need to plan the timing of the confrontation. You need to select a quiet, private place where you won't be interrupted. You need to decide whether you need to have others, like an HR representative, present in the meeting. Plan the confrontation and then make it happen.
When you have prepared, it is time to act. You do not need to act impulsively, but you must act quickly. The longer an inappropriate behavior is allowed to continue, the harder it will be to change it or stop it.

Confront the problem:
Don't put it off. It may not be pleasant, but it's an important part of your job. It will not "fix itself". It can only get worse. You have planned this confrontation. Now you need to execute.

Deal with the behavior, not the person:
Your goal is to develop a solution, not to "win". Focus on the inappropriate behavior; don't attack the person.

Use "I" statements like "I need everybody on the team here on time so we can meet our goals" rather than "you" statements like "you are always late".
Don't assume the inappropriate behavior is caused by negative intent. It may be from fear, confusion, lack of motivation, personal problems, etc.
Give the other person a chance to develop a solution to the problem. They are more likely to "own" the solution if they are at least partially responsible for developing it.

Try to draw out the reasons behind the behavior:
As you talk with the difficult employee, actively listen to what they say. Stay calm and stay positive, but remain impartial and non-judgmental. Ask leading questions that can't be answered in one or two words. Don't interrupt.
When you do respond to the difficult employee, remain calm. Summarize back to them what they just said, "so what I understand you are saying is", so they know you are actually listening to them.

If you can find out from the difficult employee what the real source of the inappropriate behavior is, you have a much better chance of finding a solution.

Coming to a Solution:
The desired result from confronting a difficult employee's inappropriate behavior is an agreed upon solution. You know that this inappropriate behavior will continue unless you and the employee agree on a solution. The employee needs to know what is inappropriate about their behavior and they also need to know what is appropriate behavior. The need for a manager to communicate clearly is always high. It is especially important in these situations. Make very sure the employee understands the requirements and the consequences.

STAR method for answering interview questions

2008-03-19T08:57:00.002+01:00

Situation * Task * Action * Result

Include these elements to tell a compelling story about what you have done that demonstrates your transferable skills.
The STAR method works best for behavior-based questions that begin with "Tell me about a time when…" or "Describe a situation when…," but this approach is good to use whenever you find yourself sharing an example in response to a question.

Situation: "Recently, I completed a project that involved working with a team…."

Task: "...our task was to implement an emergency preparedness plan for our department."

Action: "My role was to inform staff about the procedures we needed to follow in case of an emergency that required us to evacuate our office. I did this in several ways: by emailing everyone and sending an attachment describing the evacuation plan, exit route, and designated meeting place; by creating a colorful visual display on the bulletin board in our staff work room; and by taking everyone through a hands-on exercise during a staff meeting."

Result: "The result was that when the University conducted a drill for the entire campus, the staff in our office assembled at our pre-arranged meeting place quickly and without hesitation."

Make sure to focus on what your role was when you are describing a team project. Don't forget to give a result or outcome. Even if the outcome wasn't positive, be prepared to discuss what you learned and what you would have done differently.

Personality theories, types and tests

2008-01-30T20:53:00.000+01:00

personality types, behavioural styles theories, personality and testing systems - for self-awareness, self-development, motivation, management, and recruitment

Motivation, management, communications, relationships - focused on yourself or others - are a lot more effective when you understand yourself, and the people you seek to motivate or manage or develop or help.

Developing understanding of personality typology, personality traits, thinking styles and learning styles theories is also a very useful way to improve your knowledge of motivation and behaviour of self and others, in the workplace and beyond.

Understanding personality types is helpful for appreciating that while people are different, everyone has a value, and special strengths and qualities, and that everyone should be treated with care and respect. The relevance of love and spirituality - especially at work - is easier to see and explain when we understand that differences in people are usually personality-based. People very rarely set out to cause upset - they just behave differently because they are different.

Put yourself out there

2007-12-17T20:30:00.000+01:00

Take a risk. When it comes to connecting with others, challenge yourself outside your comfort zone.
Although this may go against the grain in traditional corporations, initiate emotional engagement with other people, and maybe even a bit of physical contact - within acceptable boundaries of course. It's safest with someone of the same gender, unless you know the other person well.
Physical contact is an immensely powerful thing. Many people really enjoy a good hug - in fact sometimes it's the only cure when people are upset or angry. Physical contact does however carry certain risks in the workplace because of the risks misinterpreting signals, so if in doubt don't use it. Nevertheless there are times when you can trust your instincts and reach out to people in this way, even if it's a gentle touch on the arm, or a pat on the back.

Being friendly though is perfectly safe. Go out of your way to greet a colleague you haven't seen in a while. Be the first to say hello. Never ignore someone because you think they ignored you first - they probably never even noticed you because they were still thinking about the big game last night, or whether they left the oven on.

The world is full of people who wait for the other person to initiate contact. No wonder people don't generally communicate well - they are all too busy thinking they've been ignored, when in fact nothing can be further from the truth.
Everyone longs for the other person to initiate content and give them a big friendly smile.
And that's the way it starts - then you do begin to do it more often, and then other people try it too because they see it's safe and nobody dies, and before long everyone on the floor is happy to make the first move, then it spreads to the whole building. Because everyone realises it's okay to be open and friendly.

Individuals at all levels of an organization welcome being treated as a full person, not just a workmate or a phone extension, or an email address.

So put yourself out there: approach people as people - in a genuinely friendly way - be affectionate and caring - through hugs and pats when it's okay, or simply through a big warm smile.

CIOs Are Looking for Soft Skills

2007-12-09T06:54:00.000+01:00

In a survey (from may 2007) by technology recruiters Robert Half, they poled 1,400 CIOs. CIOs were asked, “In which of the following areas do you think your IT staff could most use improvement?”

Technical abilities............................................................ 25%
Project management skills.................................................. 23%
Verbal and written communication abilities............................... 15%
Organizational skills.......................................................... 14%
Interpersonal skills............................................................ 12%
None/no improvements needed.............................................. 3%
Other/don't know.............................................................. 8%

While “technical abilities” were ranked first as a single classification, the combination of verbal and written abilities, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills, in other words those abilities that are typically thought of as “soft skills,” accounted for 41% of the areas that need improvement.
“Technology changes rapidly, making it crucial for IT staff to constantly learn new skills to keep pace with industry advancements,” said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “While it’s ultimately up to the individual to keep his or her technical abilities current, the best employers invest in ongoing professional development for employees at all levels. Professional development programs also can aid a company’s recruitment and retention efforts. In today’s competitive IT hiring market, employees want to work for firms that encourage them to build new skills and assume more challenging responsibilities.”We all know that technical professionals need solid technical skills, and most organizations budget for training programs that help technical pros keep pace with industry advancement. However, in order to take advantage of the technical skills, CIOs are beginning to recognize that they need to upgrade the soft skills of their teams as well.

Decibel Management

2007-12-07T12:19:00.000+01:00

Never heard about it? Well me neither but most of you probably know what I mean. Who has had a manager who never listened to what you wanted or needed. A manager who loves to speak without listening to what others have to tell. Someone who makes more noise than sense?

From now on I’ll call it “Decibel Management”

Be an Early Bird and a Late Bloomer.

2007-11-25T20:47:00.001+01:00

Never be late. At a networking event the ten minutes before things get under way and the ten minutes after are the real golden moments. So arrive 15 minutes early and stay 15 minutes late.

Creating a Culture of High Engagement and Performance

2007-11-13T17:02:00.000+01:00

“The talented employee may join a company
because of its charismatic leaders, its
generous benefits, and its world-class training
programs, but how long that employee stays
and how productive they are while they are
there is determined by their relationship with
their immediate supervisor.”

Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman
First, Break All the Rules

Self Management Checklist

2007-11-11T22:10:00.000+01:00

In business world, many people do not need to manage or organise their tasks. Their manager or project manager assigns specific tasks with specific deadlines for them to meet. Many people work effectively in this environment - they produce their work on time with high quality. However this environment may make them to rely on someone to manage the time and tasks for them, which may lead to their failure on other parts in their life. The following article may ease this difficulty. The Counselling Services in University of Victoria has come up with 12 points on how to self-manage yourself and projects. The list is like a mini-project management course - but it is more personal and easier to catch on:

Specify a clear goal you want to accomplish.
Specify when you’ll do it.
Record your hit rate.
Make a public commitment.
Add an explicit penalty for failure, if you need to.
Think small.
Specify the amount of product you’re going to produce.
Get a timer that beeps every five minutes and chart whether you’re on task, if you find yourself drifting off too much.
Arrange for regular contact with your monitor, daily or weekly as needed.
Arrange for your friend to monitor your graphing as well as your goal attainment.
Get rid of distractions.
Recycle.

University of Victoria

Don't Waste Part of Your Team

2007-11-08T22:46:00.000+01:00

When you start managing, you learn that every member of your team is important. You try to treat them equally. You want to give them all the same information so they work at peak efficiency. The higher you go the bigger your team gets and before long your team is no longer all located in the same location. This makes it harder to keep everyone "on the same page".

Wasting Talent
When part of your team doesn't get the same information as the others, it is harder for them to do their jobs as well. If they get a key memo, but not until after everyone else has seen it, they may do something different before they get the memo. If you send a two page plan to all your team leads outlining the new strategy they can move ahead as a team. But if there is some ambiguity in the plan and you explain that to one team lead, but not to the others, there is a real chance that they will waste effort executing the plan differently. Perhaps they will overlap. Maybe they will allow gaps. Either way they won't be as effective as if you had gotten them all the same information so they were all “on the same page".

Things To Avoid

Differential Information Flow
When you tell people in office more or sooner than those in the field or in other branches, you reduce efficiency.
Uneven Appreciation
Don't give more weight to suggestions from people in your office than to those in the field. Nothing will destroy morale faster.
Preferential Promotion
The fact that you see the people in the home office more, and see more of the work they do, does not make them better or more productive. If this causes you to promote them faster, or give them the more desirable assignments, you make it more difficult for the different parts of the team to work together.

Better Choices
You want to take full advantage of the talents of all the members of our team. You cannot afford to let any of that talent to be wasted because you don't treat them equally.

Plan Your Communications
You need to develop a plan for how you are going to make sure all your communications get delivered to all your people at the same time and in the same degree of detail. The plan will vary depending on your particular circumstances: your company, your job, where the rest of your team is located, etc. The important thing is to have a plan you can stick with under normal circumstances, but during periods of stress as well.
Schedule Meetings
Hold regular meetings to give you an opportunity to tell everyone at the same time. Use conference calls to include those in remote offices. If you can use a video conferencing system, do that too. A lot more information is conveyed visually than verbally.
Get Feedback
Ask your direct reports in the remote offices if they feel connected. Are they getting the same message in the same detail at the same time as their peers who are physically closer to you? If they aren't, they can suggest changes so they are getting the same information flow.
Review Your Promotions
Take a look at the promotions you have made and the commendations you have issued. Are they weighted toward the people in the home office? Are there valid reasons for that? Fix any discrepancies you find.

The job is hard enough without you making it harder on yourself buy wasting some of the talent available to you. Don't let distance blind you to the value of some of your team. Make sure you give equal importance to all the members of your team regardless of where they are located and you will be more successful as a manager.

Play Well With Others:

2007-08-31T14:49:00.000+02:00

Develop Effective Work Relationships
You can submarine your career and work relationships by the actions you take and the behaviors you exhibit at work. No matter your education, your experience, or your title, if you can't play well with others, you will never accomplish your work mission.

Effective work relationships form the cornerstone for success and satisfaction with your job and your career.
How important are effective work relationships?
Effective work relationships form the basis for promotion, pay increases, goal accomplishment, and job satisfaction.

source

Tough Conversations : Part 2

2007-08-17T15:34:00.000+02:00

The Constructive Conversation:
In one of the modules of the course we discussed a four step process that will assist you in practicing behaviors that lead to a constructive conversation.

The Four Step Process is as follows :
- Analyze the situation
- Plan your message
- Conduct the conversation
- Follow up.

PREPARATION:

Analyze the situation
-Is there a performance gap
-What is the gap?
-What is known and not known?
-What action is required?
Plan your message
-Consult HR
-General Information
-Concerns
-Solutions
-Expectations
-Consequences

APPLICATION:

Conduct the conversation
-Book a time and meeting room
-Anticipate possible emotional reactions
-Ask open-ended questions
-State clear consequences
-Keep it simple
Follow up
-Document and monitor action plan/perfomance improvement
-Provide support without removing responsibility

Tough Conversations : Part1

2007-07-13T11:49:00.000+02:00

Last week I was on a training about tough conversations,...what I've learned ->

What makes a conversation tough?

5 Aspects of Tough conversations:

Dealing with unpredictable employee emotions
solution : prepare yourself
Dealing with your anxiety and discomfort
solution : accept being uncomfortable, don't avoid
Discussing difficult topics.
solution : be prepared, get facts
Reconciling different perceptions
solution : Keep in mind following point to get to the real issue
- different info because we notice things differntly,have access to different info
- different interpretations because we're influenced by past experiences,...
- conclusions reflect our self interest because we look for information to support our views
Facing confrontation
solution : can be an opportunity to learn, isn't always negative, may be uncomfortable,..

Company Culture

2007-07-08T21:44:00.000+02:00

What It Is And How To Change It
Company Culture

A culture is the values and practices shared by the members of the group. Company Culture, therefore, is the shared values and practices of the company's employees.

Company culture is important because it can make or break your company. Companies with an adaptive culture that is aligned to their business goals routinely outperform their competitors. Some studies report the difference at 200% or more. To achieve results like this for your organization, you have to figure out what your culture is, decide what it should be, and move everyone toward the desired culture.

Company cultures evolve and they change over time. As employee leave the company and replacements are hired the company culture will change. If it is a strong culture, it may not change much.

However, since each new employee brings their own values and practices to the group the culture will change, at least a little. As the company matures from a startup to a more established company, the company culture will change. As the environment in which the company operates (the laws, regulations, business climate, etc.) changes, the company culture will also change.

Assess The Company Culture
There are many ways to assess your company culture. There are consultants who will do it for you, for a fee. The easiest way to assess your company's culture is to look around. How do the employees act; what do they do? Look for common behaviors and visible symbols.
Listen. Listen to your employees, your suppliers, and your customers. Pay attention to what is written about your company, in print and online. These will also give you clues as to what your company's culture really is.

Determine The Desired Company Culture
Before you can change the company culture, you have to decide what you want the company culture to look like in the future. Different companies in different industries will have different cultures. Look at what kind of a culture will work best for your organization in its desired future state. Review your mission, vision and values and make sure the company culture you are designing supports them.
Here are some characteristics of company cultures that others have used successfully.

Mission clarity
Employee commitment
Fully empowered employees
High integrity workplace
Strong trust relationships
Highly effective leadership
Effective systems and processes
Performance-based compensation and reward programs
Customer-focused
Effective 360-degree communications
Commitment to learning and skill development
Emphasis on recruiting and retaining outstanding employees
High degree of adaptability
High accountability standards
Demonstrated support for innovation

Align The Company Culture
You need to align your company culture with your strategic goals if it isn't already.
Develop a specific action plan that can leverage the good things in your current culture and correct the unaligned areas.

Brainstorm improvements in your formal policies and daily practices.
Develop models of the desired actions and behaviors.
Communicate the new culture to all employees and then
over-communicate the new culture and its actions to everyone.

Only a company culture that is aligned with your goals, one that helps you anticipate and adapt to change, will help you achieve superior performance over the long run.

Benefits of an Open Door Policy:

2007-06-18T22:57:00.000+02:00

An Open Door Policy for all employees? This means, literally, that every manager's door is open to every employee. The purpose of an open door policy is to encourage open communication, feedback, and discussion about any matter of importance to an employee. An open door policy means that employees are free to talk with any manager at any time.

By helping to solve problems, managers benefit by gaining valuable insight into possible problems with existing methods, procedures, and approaches. While there may not be an easy answer or solution to every concern, your company's employees have the opportunity at all times, through the open door policy, to be heard.

Delegate, Don't Just Dump

2007-06-06T22:51:00.000+02:00

Most managers don't know how to delegate. That's not really surprising, because no one ever delegated anything to them. How else are they going to learn?

Many times, managers dump their work onto someone else, but there is a big difference between delegating and dumping. When you delegate something to a subordinate it should serve two purposes.

First, it must lighten your load so you can concentrate on more important issues.
Second, it must help the receiver learn and grow.

When you delegate, as opposed to dumping, you give the other person the same authority to complete the task as if you had done it yourself. If the task means signing a requisition, the person to whom you delegated the task must have the same authority to sign that requisition as you have. That doesn't mean you delegate all your authority to that individual, only that you have to give them the authority to do what you would have been able to do.

For instance, if you can sign requisitions up to €10,000 and the delegated task means signing a requisition for €2,000, the person to whom you delegated must be able to sign that €2,000 requisition, but not necessarily one for €3,000.

Remember, though, that you can delegate the authority, but you cannot delegate the responsibility. It is up to you to see that the person is adequately trained before you delegate to them and is adequately supervised after you delegate. They won't necessarily do it the same way you would have, and they probably won't do it as well to begin with. That doesn't matter. Keep them from making any major blunders as they get the feel of the task and you will have successfully delegated. You will have lightened your load and you will have helped one of your people develop further.

WHAT IS SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP?

2007-05-22T21:53:00.000+02:00

After reading the "One minute manager" of Kenneth Blanchard i found this paragraph one of the most interesting,...

The Situational Leadership method from Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey holds that managers must use different leadership styles depending on the situation. The model allows you to analyze the needs of the situation you're in, and then use the most appropriate leadership style. Depending on employees' competences in their task areas and commitment to their tasks, your leadership style should vary from one person to another. You may even lead the same person one way sometimes, and another way at other times. Blanchard and Hersey characterized leadership style in terms of the amount of direction and of support that the leader gives to his or her followers, and so created a simple matrix (figure).

Leadership Behavior of the Leader
· S1 - Telling / Directing
- High task focus, low relationship focus - leaders define the roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one-way. For people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started.

· S2 - Selling / Coaching
- High task focus, high relationship focus - leaders still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower. Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more two-way. For people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build their self-esteem, and involvement in decision-making to restore their commitment.

· S3 - Participating / Supporting
- Low task focus, high relationship focus - leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower. For people who have competence, but lack confidence or motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation.

· S4 - Delegating
- Low task focus, low relationship focus - leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved. For people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by themselves with little supervision or support.

Effective leaders are versatile in being able to move around the matrix according to the situation, so there is no style that is always right. However, we tend to have a preferred style, and in applying Situational Leadership you need to know which one that is for you.

emotional intelligence (EQ)

2007-05-09T21:33:00.000+02:00

emotional intelligence theory (EQ - Emotional Quotient)

Emotional Intelligence - EQ - is a relatively recent behavioural model, rising to prominence with Daniel Goleman's 1995 Book called 'Emotional Intelligence'. The early Emotional Intelligence theory was originally developed during the 1970's and 80's by the work and writings of psychologists Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John Mayer (New Hampshire). Emotional Intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because the EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess people's behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more.

The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of emotional intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring eseential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow.

emotional intelligence - two aspects
This is the essential premise of EQ: to be successful requires the effective awareness, control and management of one's own emotions, and those of other people. EQ embraces two aspects of intelligence:

Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behaviour and all.
Understanding others, and their feelings.

emotional intelligence - the five domains

Knowing your emotions.
Managing your own emotions.
Motivating yourself.
Recognising and understanding other people's emotions.
Managing relationships, ie., managing the emotions of others.

By developing our Emotional Intelligence in these areas and the five EQ domains we can become more productive and successful at what we do, and help others to be more productive and successful too. The process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony.

Top 10 ideas about what employees want from work

2007-05-06T08:58:00.000+02:00

Every person has different reasons for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person. But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something obtained from work impacts morale, employee motivation, and the quality of life. To create positive employee motivation, treat employees as if they matter - because employees matter. These ideas will help you fulfill what people want from work and create employee motivation.

What People Want From Work
Some people work for personal fulfillment; others work for love of what they do. Others work to accomplish goals and to feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves. The bottom line is that we all work for money and for reasons too individual to assign similarities to all workers.
How to Demonstrate Respect at Work
Ask anyone in your workplace what treatment they most want at work. They will likely top their list with the desire to be treated with dignity and respect. You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too.
Provide Feedback That Has an Impact
Make your feedback have the impact it deserves by the manner and approach you use to deliver feedback. Your feedback can make a difference to people if you can avoid a defensive response.
Top Ten Ways to Show Appreciation
You can tell your colleagues, coworkers and staff how much you value them and their contribution any day of the year. Trust me. No occasion is necessary. In fact, small surprises and tokens of your appreciation spread throughout the year help the people in your work life feel valued all year long.
Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret
Without it, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier.
Provide Motivational Employee Recognition
You can avoid the employee recognition traps that: single out one or a few employees who are mysteriously selected for the recognition; sap the morale of the many who failed to win, place, or even show; confuse people who meet the criteria yet were not selected; or sought votes or other personalized, subjective criteria to determine winners.
Employee Recognition Rocks
Employee recognition is limited in most organizations. Employees complain about the lack of recognition regularly. Managers ask, “Why should I recognize or thank him? He’s just doing his job.” And, life at work is busy, busy, busy. These factors combine to create work places that fail to provide recognition for employees. Managers who prioritize employee recognition understand the power of recognition.
Top Ten Ways to Retain Your Great Employees
Key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of your business. Managers readily agree that their role is key in retaining your best employees to ensure business success. If managers can cite this fact so well, why do many behave in ways that so frequently encourage great employees to quit their job?
Team Building and Delegation: How and When to Empower People
Employee involvement is creating an environment in which people have an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. Team building occurs when the manager knows when to tell, sell, consult, join, or delegate to staff. For employee involvement and empowerment, both team building and delegation rule.
Build a Mentoring Culture
What does it take to develop people? More than writing “equal opportunity” into your organization’s mission statement. More than sending someone to a training class. More than hard work on the part of employees. What development does take is people who are willing to listen and help their colleagues. Development takes coaches, guides and advocates. People development needs mentors.

How To Manage Older Workers ;-)

2007-05-03T13:18:00.000+02:00

The work force is aging as baby boomer move toward retirement. Gen X managers need to learn how to motivate and manage this talent pool of older workers. Both generations have very different views of the other and will need to learn how the other generation operates. It is up to the managers, Gen X or otherwise, to take the lead and create the climate in which older workers will remain engaged and productive.

Here's How:

Throw out all your assumptions.
You may think older workers are harder workers or that they are difficult to train. Get rid of your stereotypes. Your older workers are individuals just like everyone else in your group. Treat them as such.
Remember the range of ages.
You wouldn't treat a seasoned manager of 35 the same as a 21-year old right out of college. Don't think the 15 year gap is any less in your older workers. A worker at 55 and a worker at 70 have different goals and needs. As a manager, you may need to look at groups getting ready to retire (55-62), retirement age and still working (62-70), and older worker who want to keep active or who need to work (70+). Each group presents different management challenges.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Don't assume that the older worker knows what you expect of them. They don't have the same background as you. Be very clear what you want done and what the measurements of completion and of success will be. "Bill, take care of that for me" is not enough. Try "Bill, I need you to prepare the department's budget for the next fiscal year. Use the numbers from last year and add 10% on everything except training which should go up 15%. I need it by Tuesday".
Value their life experience.
Your older worker have been around. They have seen a lot. They have done a lot. Recognize the value of this experience. Learn from it. Encourage the younger members of your team to learn from it. The lessons from the "school of hard knocks" are invaluable.
Train them.
Older workers need training as much as younger workers - just as much, just as often. The subject of the training may be different, but the need is the same. And don't believe that older workers can't be trained. They are just as receptive as their younger peers.
Meet their security needs.
Older workers probably need benefits more than the younger workers. They need medical coverage, vision care, and financial planning. Make sure your company's benefits plan meets their needs too.
Motivate them.
Any manager's key job is to motivate their employees. Older workers have different motivational "hot buttons" than their younger counterparts. Opportunity for advancement is probably less important than the recognition of a job well done, but see step #1 above.
You don't have to "be the boss".
The older workers grew up in a hierarchical society. They know you are the boss. Most of them were bosses at some point too. Get on with leading the department and don't waste time posturing. It won't impress them anyway. They've seen it all before.
Be flexible.
Your older workers, depending on age group (see #2 above) may want flexible hours or a shorter work week. For those of them that need that, be willing to be flexible. You need their talent and technical skill so do what you need to to keep it available. Do not, however, assume that all older workers want to go home early. Some may be motivated by working the same long, hard hours that they have always done.
Use them as mentors.
Let them coach and encourage the younger workers. Most older workers have a wealth of knowledge and experience that they would love to pass on. Give them the opportunity to do so and your entire organization will benefit.

First Day Manual for Managers

2007-04-22T22:05:00.000+02:00

Interesting article i read,...

Whether you are a first time manager or a manager stating a new job there are things you need to know and do on your first day. A First Day Manual for Managers summarizes them for you and provides links to additional detail for those items you choose for more in depth study.

Planning - time management

2007-04-16T16:50:00.000+02:00

Use this time management story to show how planning is the key to time management.

Start with a bucket, some big rocks enough to fill it, some small stones, some sand and water.

Put the big rocks in the bucket - is it full?
Put the small stones in around the big rocks - is it full?
Put the sand in and give it a shake - is it full?
Put the water in. Now it's full.

The point is: unless you put the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all.

In other words: Plan time-slots for your big issues before anything else, or the inevitable sand and water issues will fill up your days and you won't fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn't necessarily have to be a work task - it could be your child's sports-day, or a holiday).

the bath and the bucket story (lateral thinking, making assumptions, dangers of judging people)

2007-04-16T16:44:00.000+02:00

Given the title (on the subject of buckets..) and its quick simple message.
The story illustrates lateral thinking, narrow-mindedness, the risks of making assumptions, and judging people and situations:

A party of suppliers was being given a tour of a mental hospital.
One of the visitors had made some very insulting remarks about the patients.
After the tour the visitors were introduced to various members of staff in the canteen.
The rude visitor chatted to one of the security staff, Bill, a kindly and wise ex-policeman.

"Are they all raving loonies in here then?" said the rude man.
"Only the ones who fail the test," said Bill.
"What's the test?" said the man.
"Well, we show them a bath full of water, a bucket, a jug and an egg-cup, and we ask them what's the quickest way to empty the bath," said Bill.
"Oh I see, simple - the normal ones know it's the bucket, right?"
"No actually," said Bill, "The normal ones say pull out the plug. Should I check when there's a bed free for you?"

Cold calling tips

2007-04-11T14:57:00.000+02:00

Yesterday i was following a course about cold calling,... this is my opinion

Cold Calling Is Still An Effective Sales Tactic If Done Right
The obituary for cold calling is premature. While in the perfect world, your phone would be ringing off the hook all day with clients offering you business, the reality is that if you want business, you need to go after it, and cold calling is an effective sales tactic if it's done properly.

But many small business people would rather spend an entire day in a dentist's chair than go cold calling. Does the thought of cold calling makes your stomach drop to your toes? These cold calling tips won't eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.

Focus on the goal when cold calling.
Research your markets and prospects.
Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.
What should be in the opening statement of your cold call?
Prepare a script for the rest of your cold call.
Ask for an appointment at a specific time when cold calling.
Remember that gatekeepers are your allies not your foes.
Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible.
Be persistent when cold calling.
...

And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first. ;-)

Tell people what you want, not how to do it.

2007-04-02T21:35:00.000+02:00

This really works ;-)
Some people like it others don't, most of them prefer the first.

You will find people more responsive and less defensive if you can give them guidance not instructions. You will also see more initiative, more innovation, and more of an ownership attitude from them develop over time.

Fix the problem, not the blame.

2007-04-02T21:33:00.000+02:00

It is far more productive, and less expensive, to figure out what to do to fix a problem that has come up than it is to waste time trying to decide who's fault it was.

Be on time for ALL your appointments!

2007-03-26T21:27:00.001+02:00

I hate it when people are late for an appointement,... some people even don't show up.

If you schedule a meeting, set a time to visit with a client, or tell a friend you'll meet them for a working breakfast you have to be there at the time you set or you will lose their respect. If your dispatcher tells a client the serviceman will be there at 1pm, make sure he is. It's just common courtesy, but it will really help your business.

Time Management Tip

2007-03-26T21:17:00.000+02:00

It's not how hard you work, it's what you get done.
Anybody can work hard, and most people do. The really successful people focus on accomplishing results not on effort expended.

Retire

2007-03-20T15:57:00.000+01:00

This is when you know you have been successful. When employees see your company as the employer of choice, they will join you. When they recognize you as a good boss and a real leader, they will stay around. As long as you continue to inspire, motivate, and challenge them, they will continue to contribute at the high levels you need in order to beat your competition. They will be long-term employees; even staying with you and your company until they retire. They will refer other quality employees to your company, including their relatives. You will attract and retain second and even third generation employees.

Along the way, you will have had some of the most creative employees, some of the most productive employees, and the lowest employee costs in your market. You will be able to spend the money you save in this way on other key competitive elements, including raises and bonuses for all employees – even yourself.

Admire

2007-03-20T15:55:00.000+01:00

Once you have hired the best employees and have challenged and motivated them, you can not relax. The biggest mistake a manager can make is to ignore employees. The same attention you paid to their work assignments, to their satisfaction levels, to their sense of being part of a great team needs to continue for as long as they are in your group. As soon as you start to slack off, their satisfaction and motivation decreases. If you don't do something, they will become disenchanted and will leave. They will become part of the "employee turnover" statistic you were trying to avoid.

You want TGIM (thank goodness it's Monday) employees not TGIF (thank goodness it's Friday) ones.
Give them positive feedback as much as you can, even if it's just a good word.
Provide appropriate rewards and recognition for jobs done well.
Create referral programs and reward your employees for referring other employee candidates "who are just as great as you".

Inspire

2007-03-20T15:53:00.000+01:00

Once you have recruited the best employees to come to work on your team, the hard part begins. You have to inspire them to perform to their capabilities. You have to challenge and motivate them. That is where you will get their best effort and their creativity that will help your organization excel.

Make them welcome. Make them feel like part of the team from the first day
Set goals for them that are hard, but can be achieved. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Be a leader, not just a manager.

Hire

2007-03-20T15:51:00.000+01:00

This first step is probably the most important. It is important to hire the best people you can find. This is not a time to be cheap. The cost of replacing a bad hire far exceeds the marginal additional cost of hiring the best person in the first place.

Hire talent, not just trainable skills. Skills can be taught to a talented employee. A skilled employee can not just be given talent.
Improve your interviewing skills. Often this can be as simple as knowing what questions to ask during the hiring process.
Make your company a place people want to come to and work for. Company culture can be a powerful recruiting tool. Make sure yours reflects the goals the company wants to achieve.

Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire

2007-03-20T15:46:00.000+01:00

A condensed Employee Life Cycle
Today I saw a chart of a 12-step Employee Life Cycle. Maybe Human Resources professionals need that much detail, but functional managers don't. Here is a four-step, condensed employee life cycle plan that tells you everything you need to know.

Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire
An employee life cycle is the steps the employees go through from the time they enter a company until they leave. Often Human Resources professionals focus their attention on the steps in this process in hopes of making an impact on the company's bottom line. That is a good thing for them to do. Their goal is to reduce the company's cost per employee hired.

Unfortunately, they aren't the ones who really make a difference – managers are. People don't really work for companies; they work for a boss. To the extent that you can be a good boss, you can keep employees, keep them happy, and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover.

In the process, you will make your own job easier and increase your value to the company.

Employees are one of a company's largest expenses these days Unlike other major capital costs (buildings, machinery, technology, etc.) human capital is highly volatile. You, as a manager, are in a key position to reduce that volatility using the condensed employee life cycle of HIAR (pronounced hire) - Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire.

source

Managing Work Expectations -- Transforming Attitudes

2007-03-14T14:50:00.000+01:00

Work expectations are those things people consider likely to happen in their job situation, either now or in the future. Whether spoken or unspoken, met or unmet, expectations have a powerful impact on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and play a key role in driving our attitudes.
Research shows that people who have clearly defined, well-communicated expectations find more satisfaction and success in their work than people whose expectations go unspoken or unrealized.

Organizations that employ satisfied, successful people reap the rewards of increased productivity and reduced turnover.

Leadership development tips

2007-02-27T13:44:00.000+01:00

While leadership is easy to explain, leadership is not so easy to practise. Leadership is about behaviour first, skills second. Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect them, rather than the skills they possess. Leadership is different to management. Management relies more on planning, organisational and communications skills. Leadership relies on management skills too, but more so on qualities such as integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, confidence, positivity, wisdom, determination, compassion and sensitivity. Some people are born more naturally to leadership than others. Most people don't seek to be a leader. Those who want to be a leader can develop leadership ability.

Leadership can be performed with different styles. Some leaders have one style, which is right for certain situations and wrong for others. Some leaders can adapt and use different leadership styles for given situations.

Here's an Excellent 30 minute BBC Radio 4 Discussion about Modern Leadership - (first broadcast 2 Sept 2006). The discussion highlights the need for effective modern leaders to have emotional strength and sensitivity, far beyond traditional ideas of more limited autocratic leadership styles.

Philosophy is the platform on which great leadership is built. Get the philosophy right, and the foundation is strong. Ignore the philosophy and all that follows here will be built on sand. Different leaders have different ideas about leadership. Here's Jack Welch's perspective, which even though quite modern compared to many leaders, is nevertheless based on quite traditional leadership principles.

leadership tips - jack welch style..
Jack Welch, respected business leader and writer is quoted as proposing these fundamental leadership principles (notably these principles are expanded in his 2001 book 'Jack: Straight From The Gut'):

There is only one way - the straight way. It sets the tone of the organisation.
Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere, has to offer; transfer learning across your organisation.
Get the right people in the right jobs - it is more important than developing a strategy.
An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage.
Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count.
Legitimate self-confidence is a winner - the true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open.
Business has to be fun - celebrations energise and organisation.
Never underestimate the other guy.
Understand where real value is added and put your best people there.
Know when to meddle and when to let go - this is pure instinct.

As a leader, your main priority is to get the job done, whatever the job is. Leaders make things happen by:

knowing your objectives and having a plan how to achieve them
building a team committed to achieving the objectives
helping each team member to give their best efforts

As a leader you must know yourself. Know your own strengths and weaknesses, so that you can build the best team around you.

However - always remember the philosophical platform - this ethical platform is not a technique or a process - it's the foundation on which all the techniques and methodologies are based.

Plan carefully, with your people where appropriate, how you will achieve your aims. You may have to redefine or develop your own new aims and priorities. Leadership can be daunting for many people simply because no-one else is issuing the aims - leadership often means you have to create your own from a blank sheet of paper. Set and agree clear standards. Keep the right balance between 'doing' yourself and managing others 'to do'.

Build teams. Ensure you look after people and that communications and relationships are good. Select good people and help them to develop. Develop people via training and experience, particularly by agreeing objectives and responsibilities that will interest and stretch them, and always support people while they strive to improve and take on extra tasks. Follow the rules about delegation closely - this process is crucial. Ensure that your managers are applying the same principles. Good leadership principles must cascade down through the whole organisation. This means that if you are leading a large organisation you must check that the processes for managing, communicating and developing people are in place and working properly.

Communication is critical. Listen, consult, involve, explain why as well as what needs to be done

Some leaders lead by example and are very 'hands on'; others are more distanced and let their people do it. Whatever - your example is paramount - the way you work and conduct yourself will be the most you can possibly expect from your people. If you set low standards you are to blame for low standards in your people.

"... Praise loudly, blame softly." (Catherine the Great). Follow this maxim.

If you seek one singlemost important behaviour that will rapidly earn you respect and trust among your people, this is it: Always give your people the credit for your achievements and successes. Never take the credit yourself - even if it's all down to you, which would be unlikely anyway. You must however take the blame and accept responsibility for any failings or mistakes that your people make. Never never never publicly blame another person for a failing. Their failing is your responsibility - true leadership offers is no hiding place for a true leader.

Take time to listen to and really understand people. Walk the job. Ask and learn about what people do and think, and how they think improvements can be made.

Accentuate the positive. Express things in terms of what should be done, not what should not be done. If you accentuate the negative, people are more likely to veer towards it. Like the mother who left her five-year-old for a minute unsupervised in the kitchen, saying as she left the room, "...don't you go putting those beans up your nose..."

Have faith in people to do great things - given space and air and time, everyone can achieve more than they hope for. Provide people with relevant interesting opportunities, with proper measures and rewards and they will more than repay your faith.

Take difficult decisions bravely, and be truthful and sensitive when you implement them.

Constantly seek to learn from the people around you - they will teach you more about yourself than anything else. They will also tell you 90% of what you need to know to achieve your business goals.

Embrace change, but not for change's sake. Begin to plan your own succession as soon as you take up your new post, and in this regard, ensure that the only promises you ever make are those that you can guarantee to deliver.

What direction will IT take in 2007?

2007-01-29T16:51:00.000+01:00

By: Clive Longbottom

Nice article I read,...

As we bid farewell to 2006 and begin to see the realities of 2007 (ie, no real change to the problems we had in 2006), I thought I would have a look at what could change 2007 into a more interesting year in the IT space.

First, wouldn't it be great to get more IT and line of business people working together? For this to happen we need to change the nomenclatures used, and provide enabling technologies that allow business processes to be matched with technical capabilities, and vice versa. Sounds like a job for service oriented architectures (SOA).

Second, I would like to see greater harmony within the supplier community.

Third, I would like to see the death of the massively overpriced mobile data plan.

Fourth, I would like to see much greater use of networking at home.

...

read more

Lost in translation?

2007-01-16T11:25:00.000+01:00

I recently read a very interesting article about the overkill of communication channels.

Thanks to e-mail, BlackBerrys, and text messaging, the face-to-face encounter is becoming a dying art. Here's why you should revive it.
One day in a week without email is a good start to revive the face-to-face encounter ;-)

Why Dogs Wag Their Tails

2007-01-08T16:39:00.000+01:00

If you've ever known a particular dog at all well, you've probably been amazed at how easy it is to guess a dog's mood, even though dogs can't speak. Perhaps what's more amazing is that it's so difficult to guess a person's mood, even though humans can speak...

While we steer by our own insides, people around us steer by our outsides. When we conceal how we feel, or when we pretend to feel what we don't, we deprive others of information they could use to adjust their behavior. When our insides and our outsides are different enough, danger is always near.

We can learn a lot about communicating feelings by paying attention to our dogs.

Let the people around you know how you're doing
Dogs wag their tails to make sure everyone around them knows how they feel, even when nothing much is happening. When you conceal your feelings, the people around you must make something up, and they often get it wrong. Why leave it to them?

Expand your feelings vocabulary
Dogs are very expressive. To describe their feelings, they adjust their tail-wagging frequency, tail-wagging amplitude, and even their tail curl.How many different smiles do you have? How many ways do you know to tell someone that you feel hurt or offended, or to ask for what you need to put things right?

Send consistent messages
Dogs also use facial expressions, ear position, posture and vocalization to communicate. Usually all these messages are consistent, and when they aren't, the dog is saying "I have many different feelings."When we conceal or pretend, a little bit of truth leaks out, and we confuse the people around us. When we drop the concealment and pretense, consistency is easier.
Perhaps you have a dog, or you have a friend who does. Spend some time with him or her - just you and the dog. Go for a walk together (the dog will not object). Laze around. Play. Notice how easily the dog communicates feelings. Soon, you'll be doing it too. Effortlessly.

soft-skills training

2007-01-02T11:09:00.000+01:00

Soft skills are the underlying principles that trademark a company for professionalism and excellent customer service. They provide differentiation between all the cookie-cutter look-alikes and play a vital role in customer loyalty. In today's working environment, where customers and employees are demanding more, instilling the use of soft skills in your team members is something you simply can't survive without.

When it's time to focus on soft-skills training as a tool to improve performance, leadership potential, and bottom line organizational success, consider the following:

1. Start Slowly
Instead of getting a large number of people in a room and preaching to them about their soft skills - move slowly. Introduce the concept with an informative and fun workshop. The program should also be designed to enhance their skills.

2. Involve Your People From the Start
Involve as many employees as you can on the decision to create a program, what to include within the program, and how to maintain the program. People support what they help create. Engage them, give them the possibility to make changes with your training curriculum, do a pilot program with key people, and use the pilot program as an introduction to the group.

3. Hire Expert Help
Coaches and Organizational Consultants are experts in building rapport and establishing the right culture for these initiatives. With the right culture and the appropriate training, managers can continue the task of training and cultivating good relationships. (viafoon)

4. Recognize Individual Achievement
There is so much talk about teamwork today that we forget to emphasize how important it is to praise individual achievement as well. From time to time praise your stars. Recognizing personal contributions to the team is an excellent morale booster.

5. Discover the Group's Soft-Skill Identity
All people are not the same, so their soft skills and strengths are not the same either. Once you know who you have on your team, leverage their strengths and differences because these are the facts that will help distinguish you and your organization from the competition. Illustrate how they can leverage each other's strengths inside the team to develop a new group "identity."

The essence of your business is your people. Making soft-skills development a priority will bring your team to a new level because it focuses directly on them. By allowing the human aspect of your employees to shine through, you are encouraging them to do what comes naturally to them. Don't overlook these all-important skills when evaluating areas of improvement for your team. Find a way to incorporate soft skills into your leadership development programs and see results immediately.

CIO New Year's Resolutions, 2007

2006-12-30T20:17:00.000+01:00

According Gartner :

Growing demands for business growth and agility, rapid development of consumer technology, availability of new infrastructure tools and accelerating evolution of IT organizations will make 2007 a dynamic and challenging year in IT management. IT leaders should adopt these 10 actions in 2007.

Trust Your Instincts - But Rely On Thinking

2006-12-26T23:36:00.000+01:00

Many methods exist for making decisions. We have tools like decision-making grids and root-cause analysis. We have trusted friends and advisory boards.
We also have gut instinct and rational thinking. At the personal level, some prefer instinct while others like rational thinking. But why not use both?

By itself, instinct can be incredible. It's what sparks our imagination, enables our creativity, and takes us to new heights.

An example of being tricked by gut intuition is making a hiring decision based on instinct alone. The new person seems like the perfect fit - for a while. But before long he falls off the pedestal and his true colors show through.

Instinct is not error-proof, and that's why we benefit by using rational thinking. An example of this might be a businessman who is presented with the perfect business deal.
If he relied on gut instinct alone he would jump on it in a heartbeat.
But, after researching the deal more thoroughly, he discovers that if he engages the deal at the present time he would exhaust all of his current resources.
His instinct was right on the money. But rational thinking showed that the timing was not right, and he averted a catastrophic decision.

Don't get me wrong. We need to trust our instincts. They're powerful and can open many opportunities for us. But for optimal decisions we should weigh our instinct against our rational thinking.

Use tools, techniques, and advisors to help. But if advisors aren't available and you have a tough choice to make, consider the following two simple steps to help you make sure you're doing the right thing:

Take some time and map out your reasons for action.
Then map out the ripple effects of NOT taking action.

Bottom line:
trust your gut instinct; but also think things through.
With that combination you're probably making some pretty good decisions.

Three Powerful Ways to Prevent Boss From Hell Experiences

2006-12-22T15:35:00.000+01:00

They don't work all the time :-) , but they work often enough to make things a little more bearable if you're burdened with a Boss from Hell.

Here are three:

1. Make him look good
Pretty much all bosses, including Bosses from Hell, respond well when you do and say things that make them look good.
Let them take the credit for the good things you do. Even better - give them the credit for your successes.
Don't worry about people not recognizing who's really doing the work. They know ;-).

2. Make him feel important
Want to have some fun with your boss? Praise him. Make an offhand comment about how much you've learned from him, or how good he is at something.
Then sit back an watch how his attitude toward you changes!

3. Don't talk about problems without already having a solution
Bosses these days are under a lot of stress relative to a decade ago. And every time someone comes up and says, "Boss, we have a problem," the stress just increases.
As the stress increases, of course, so does the Boss from Hell behavior.
Next time there is a 'problem,' make sure you tell your boss about it, along with a possible solution. For example: "Boss, we have a problem. I was thinking maybe we should do ... to fix it."
Assuming your idea is a good one, your boss will appreciate the effort.

By the way - don't feel that you have to wait for a bad boss to come around to try these techniques out. Good bosses will appreciate them as well.

Have fun!

SIX WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR NONVERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

2006-12-21T16:26:00.000+01:00

It is not only what you say that is important, but it's how you say it that can make the difference . Nonverbal messages are an essential component of communication in a conversation.

We should be aware of nonverbal behavior for three major reasons:

An awareness of nonverbal behavior will allow you to become better receivers of your partners' messages.
You will become a better sender of signals that reinforce learning.
This mode of communication increases the degree of the perceived psychological closeness between speaker and listener.

Some major areas of nonverbal behaviors to explore are:

Eye contact
Facial expressions
Gestures
Posture and body orientation
Proximity
Paralinguistics
Humor

Eye contact:
Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye contact with audiences increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credibility.

Facial expressions:
Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits:

Happiness
Friendliness
Warmth
Liking
Affiliation

Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and the audience will react favorably and learn more.

Gestures:
If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring, stiff and unanimated. A lively and animated speaking style captures the audiences' attention, makes the material more interesting, facilitates learning and provides a bit of entertainment. Head nods, a form of gestures, communicate positive reinforcement and indicate that you are listening.

Posture and body orientation:
You communicate numerous messages by the way you walk, talk, stand and sit. Standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Furthermore, interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided; it communicates disinterest to your class.

Proximity:
Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with audience. You should look for signals of discomfort . Some of these are:

Rocking
Leg swinging
Tapping
Gaze aversion

Typically, in large college classes space invasion is not a problem. In fact, there is usually too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for the audience to speak.

Paralinguistics:
This facet of nonverbal communication includes such vocal elements as:

Tone
Pitch
Rhythm
Timbre
Loudness
Inflection

For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms is of instructors who speak in a monotone. Listeners perceive these instructors as boring and dull. Students report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to teachers who have not learned to modulate their voices.

Humor:
Humor is often overlooked as a speaking tool, and it is too often not encouraged in. Laughter releases stress and tension for both speaker and audience. You should develop the ability to laugh at yourself and encourage the audience to do the same. It fosters a friendly room environment that facilitates learning. (I play soccer and if our team felt/is successful I always observe the presence of good humor in the locker room.)

Obviously, adequate knowledge of the subject matter is crucial to your success; however, it's not the only crucial element. Creating a climate that facilitates learning and retention demands good nonverbal and verbal skills. To improve your nonverbal skills, record your speaking on video tape. Then ask a colleague in communications to suggest refinements.

Getting to Know People - The Ed Principle

2006-12-17T19:26:00.000+01:00

Instead of trying to be interestING (focusing on the ‘ing’) be interestED (focus on the ‘ed’) in the person you are talking with. You don’t have to worry about what you will say (except for your brief pitch which comes later). In fact, you can make it a goal to talk as little as possible, I promise you will be remembered as a marvelous conversationalist. Memorize this phrase: ‘Tell me more about...’ and use it! Just relax, be yourself and listen.

A way to think about priorities and focus

2006-12-17T19:18:00.000+01:00

“It's not what's happening to you now or what has
happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather,
it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to
you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine
your ultimate destiny.”

GUBU

2006-12-03T10:34:00.000+01:00

Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, and Unprecedented.
GUBU is a sort of maxim of political and corporate infamy, effectively invented by Charles, J Haughey, Taoiseach of Ireland (Prime Minister) for three separate terms between 1979-92. Charles Haughey became embroiled in several outrageous scandals related to abuse of his position and financial affairs, and when questioned on one occasion prior to his eventual fall from grace he responded that the accusations were "...grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, and unprecedented..."

GUBU has since become a popular acronym in Ireland, and I just want to post it here because the underlying meaning and message is obviously transferable to all sorts of corporate and political so-called leaders, who abuse their power and insult the intelligence and tolerance of ordinary people, and then shamelessly deny their shortcomings and deceit with the GUBU defence. (Ack S Doherty)

Agile Software Development

2006-11-16T10:25:00.000+01:00

Before you can build a team that rocks, you must first become agile. If you don't already know whan an Agile team is, let me help:
An Agile software development team can add features in any order and can release a working version of the product at any iteration.

read more

Leadership development tip

2006-11-14T14:09:00.000+01:00

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do NOT care who gets the credit." (President Harry S Truman)

SPIN Selling - Hurt & Rescue

2006-10-27T16:27:00.000+02:00

Last week i was following a course about selling given by Peter Watson. One of the techniques we used in one of our workshops was SPIN.

Overall, the method, like many other approaches, is a 'hurt and rescue' approach. You find their problem and 'hurt' them by exposing the terrible things that might happen (spot the use of tension). Then you rescue them with your product.

The four question types are described below.

Situation questions
In big sales, minimize the small talk and focus on finding background detail that can be used to make sense of the buyer's business situation. Context creates meaning. This is about understanding the wider context before you zoom into the details.

Problem questions
Ask questions to uncover problems which your product can address. If you are selling tractors, ask about maintenance costs, breakdowns and so on. If you are selling life insurance, ask about how many dependents the person has.
A trap here is to dive straight into presenting the benefits of what you are selling. You may know the problem, but they do not! Going straight to the sales pitch will just get you objections.

Implication questions
Instead of telling them the problem they have (which is also likely to raise objections), the goal is now to get them to see (and feel!) the problem. By asking questions which draw out the implications of the problem, they get to feel the pain that will drive them towards your product. This is the 'hurt' of Hurt and Rescue.

For example, the person selling tractors might ask about implications of unplowed fields whilst the life insurance salesperson could carefully ask what would happen to the children if the target person died or became very ill.

Need-Payoff questions
Having hurt the target person with your implications, you now give them a straw to grasp at by asking how their pain could be resolved. With careful questions, you can get them to the state where they are asking for your product even before you show it to them. This is a very neat 'rescue' of Hurt and Rescue, where they either rescue themselves or ask you to rescue them.

For example, the tractor sales person can ask how much better the tractor was like when it was new, or whether any of the farmer's neighbors have solved problems of old and problematic tractors. The insurance sales person could ask questions that build pictures of the target person's children being safe and secure whatever curve-balls the world might throw at the family.

Baby talk: 8 easy and fun ways to improve your baby's language skills

2006-10-17T09:00:00.000+02:00

29 september 2006 - 13.30u A little princess was born.

This day I became the proud father of Celine,... a day i'll never forget!
In trying to understand what she means when she's smiling/crying/guguing/gagagaing i found this interesting article.

Here are some things you can do to support your child’s language development:

1. Respond to your baby’s cries.
2. Have "conversations" with your baby.
3. Talk naturally with your baby throughout your time with her.
4. Extend her language and describe what you see her doing.
5. Talk to your baby about what you are doing with her.
6. Talk about your own actions as well.
7. Sing songs or tell her stories.
8. Read books.

Enjoy language with your baby. ;-)

Isolation and intuition team exercises

2006-09-27T08:41:00.000+02:00

isolation and intuition team exercises (relationships, bullying and harassment, diversity, intuitive demonstrations)

Here are two simple ideas for groups which can each be developed and adapted to suit local situations.
Split very large groups into teams of ten to twenty people.

exercise 1 - isolation
The task demonstrates the feelings that a person experiences when isolated or subject to victimisation, group rejection, etc. As such it supports the teaching of positive human interaction principles, and laws relating to equality, diversity and harassment.
Ask the team(s) to nominate a person among each team to be the 'victim', who must then stand away from the rest of the team, while the team members stare and sneer at the unfortunate isolated 'victim'. For very grown-up people you can allow mild criticism directed at the 'victim' (nothing too upsetting or personal please). In any event be careful, and do you best to ensure that the first 'victim' is not the most vulnerable member of the team. Preferably it should be the most confident or senior member, and better still the team's boss. Ensure every team member that wishes to is able to experience being the victim. The review should focus on how 'victims' felt while isolated and being subjected to the staring or worse by the rest of the team. The exercise demonstrates the power of group animosity towards isolated individuals. If appropriate and helpful you can of course end the activity with a big group hug to show that everyone is actually still friends. (Hugging incidentally demonstrates well the power of relationships at the positive end of the scale of human interaction and behaviour.

exercise 2 - intuition
Aside from the lessons from exercise 1 relating to victimisation, the above activity also highlights the significance of intuitive feelings, which although difficult to measure and articulate, are extremely significant in relationships, teams and organisations. This next exercise augments the first one to further illustrate the power of intuition and feelings that resides in each of us.
Using the same or similar team(s) in terms of size, then split the team(s) into two halves. One half of the team (called 'the watched') should stand facing a wall unable to see the other half of the team (called 'the watchers') which should stand together, several or many yards away from 'the watched'.

The watchers then decide among themselves which person to stare at in 'the watched' half of the team (for say 30 seconds per 'target' person). The watchers can change whom they stare at and if so should make rough notes about timings for the review. After an initial review you can change the sides to ensure everyone experiences watching and being watched.
Of course 'the watched' half of the team won't know which one is being stared at... or will they?
In the reviews you will find out if any of 'the watched' people were able to tell intuitively who was being stared at, even though 'the watchers' were out of sight. Also discuss generally how 'the watched' and 'the watchers' felt, such as sensations of discomfort or disadvantage among 'the watched', and perhaps opposite feelings among the watchers, all of which can support learning about relationships and human interaction. For review also is the possibility that some people in the teams are more receptive and interested in the activity than others, which invites debate about whether some people are more naturally intuitive than others, which is generally believed to be so, and the implications of preferences either way.

Experiments (and many people's own experience) indicate that many people have an instinctive or intuitive sense of being watched, and although there is no guarantee that your own activities will produce clear and remarkable scientific results, the exercise will prompt interesting feelings, discussion and an unusual diversion into the subject of intuitive powers.

Four reasons not to talk too much

2006-09-20T11:40:00.000+02:00

This is nothing new but just to remind you how important it is:
The Best Way To Increase Your Sales Is To Talk Half As Much And Listen Twice As Much

Here are four reasons not to talk too much.

You can't listen when you're talking.
You can't take notes when you're talking.
You can't learn when you're talking
You can't think creatively about what you're going to say next when you're talking.

Customer Relationship Management

2006-09-08T11:07:00.000+02:00

CRM - principles, strategy, solutions, applications, systems, software, and ideas for effective customer relationship management

Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, is an essential part of modern business management.

What is Customer Relationship Management, or CRM?
Customer Relationship Management concerns the relationship between the organization and its customers. Customers are the lifeblood of any organization be it a global corporation with thousands of employees and a multi-billion turnover, or a sole trader with a handful of regular customers.
Customer Relationship Management is the same in principle for these two examples - it is the scope of CRM which can vary drastically.

CRM focuses on the relationship
Successful organizations use three steps to build customer relationships:

determine mutually satisfying goals between organization and customers
establish and maintain customer rapport
produce positive feelings in the organization and the customers

CRM conditions
The organization and the customers both have sets of conditions to consider when building the relationship, such as wants and needs of both parties;

organizations need to make a profit to survive and grow
customers want good service, a quality product and an acceptable price

Good CRM can influence both sets of conditions.

Listening tip:

2006-08-25T15:21:00.000+02:00

Quote from Dale Carnegie:
"A professional networker is someone who attentively listens...

to a subject he knows everything about...

told by someone who knows nothing about it".

Networking success tip:

2006-08-24T10:15:00.000+02:00

Help others to help you. Be specific!
Help others to get their questions as specific as possible.
Be clear about what you want and need.
Be short.
Be strong.
Ask with the expectation that you'll receive what you want.
Give people the opportunity to respond.
Ask in such a way that people see the opportunities for you and the importance of their reaction.

Networking:

2006-08-24T09:33:00.000+02:00

Networking is a game that is always played by two parties and in the long run. You reap what you've sawn. So start sowing (offering) so you can reap more and faster!

cv surveys and key points

2006-08-22T16:32:00.000+02:00

These statistics relating to CV's and interviews were published in the Guardian in July 2006. The survey quoted the sources: Cubiks HR, IRS, and IAG.

The survey findings serve both to remind job applicants and interviewers of warnings, opportunities and critical aspects of CV's and related preparation and approach for job interviews.
The statistics also provide a basis for formulating some very useful pointers for CV's and job interviews:
Apparently 86% of interviewers think CV's and application forms (we assume all CV's and application forms) are not wholly truthful, whereas separately it seems that 35% of CV's are actually factually correct, although (for some reason, not actually explained) this apparently reduces to 23% for CV's belonging to women aged 31-35. The precise source of these statistics is not made clear, but the interesting point that comes from all this is that people who are truthful, and can convince the interviewer as such, will place themselves in an advantageous minority group, since the majority of interviews involve CV's which contain lies, and/or are perceived by interviewers to do so.
So if you want to have an edge over most other CV's and applicants, tell the truth. (For what it's worth this confirms what I've observed over the years - an honest solid applicant will always be preferred to a dishonest 'star' - integrity is considered to be a significantly vital factor among all good quality employers.)
It seems that only 8% of interviewers believe that academic qualifications reliably indicate future performance in the job. This confirms that for all but the most academically-dependent roles (NASA scientists, brain surgeons, heads of university faculty, etc), it's important to emphasise strengths such as relevant achievements, capability and attitude, and appreciation of what is required to make a difference in the role, rather putting a lot of emphasis on academic qualifications.
Combined with the first point, these findings also confirm that lying about qualifications on a CV and/or in an interview is a completely daft thing to do, because seemingly most interviewers won't believe you (moreover, 66% of interviewers say that they check up on professional qualifications, and 56% check academic qualifications), and hardly any interviewers regard qualifications as the most significant factor anyway.

N.B. This does not mean that you should not bother with training, self-improvement, and striving for new professional or academic qualifications, which are helpful for personal growth and for increasing your range and depth of capabilities. The point is simply that there are far more important things than qualifications in CV's and interviews.

Next is a crucial factor in CV's and interviews that's easy to prepare for:
Apparently 59% of employers say they have to withdraw job offers after receiving poor references about successful applicants. The survey doesn't say what percentage of applications are affected, but we can presume that it's a significant number if 59% of employers mentioned it as being a problem. This means that lots of people are failing to prepare their references properly. It also means that some people who are initially unsuccessful stand a chance to be offered the job because the preferred applicant was found to be rather less than they claimed to be, but only of course if the second-choice applicant's references check out well. Given the high incidence of rejection due to references, this will inevitably create a sensitivity among interviewers and a desire to avoid the disappointment and time-wasting nuisance of receiving a poor reference about a chosen candidate.

Thus there is an opportunity for applicants to increase their value (as perceived by the interviewer), to be the first-choice candidate, or failing that to be reliable second-choice candidate, by:

emphasising the availability of good reliable references on the CV
taking good printed references to the interview and
ensuring that reliable referees are prepared and able to provide excellent references when asked by the interviewer, should (when) the job is offered

The survey findings also state that 85% of interviewers seek references from at least one previous employer, which is further confirmation of the need to cover this whole area professionally and reliably.

According to the research, these are the most common CV inaccuracies (presumably from the perspective of interviewers):

employment dates (length of, dates from and to)
job titles
gaps between employment
qualifications, and surprisingly,
undeclared directorships

This is all very interesting because again it shows the opportunities for applicants to sharpen up the reliability and truthfulness of their CV's in certain key areas. It shows that interviewers will be sensitive to, and therefore on the lookout for inaccuracies, distortions omissions and funny smells generally in these areas, so again, be honest and consistent.

On which point, rather than spend time trying to create a 'believable' web of deceit (which most interviewers will see though at some stage anyway with the result that your your credibility will be shot to pieces, along with the opportunity or job offer), spend your time instead thinking about what you learned from the things you are trying to hide, and be proud to have the courage to be honest about your past. If you lie about it then it will continue to hang around your neck as a failure. If you hold your head high and be honest, then you will gain respect, and in many cases the interviewer will conclude that you have learned from your experience, especially if you explain how and why this is so. Remember, lots of interviewers will have considered hiding or distorting things in their own CV's - nobody's perfect; and in fact the most impressive people in life and work are generally those who've learned from and accepted their experiences, rather than denying that they ever happened.

Whatever way you look at this, it makes sense to be truthful - firstly to yourself - be proud that you have learned from your mistakes and that you have the courage to admit them.

Don't try to hide failures, mistakes or shortcomings - accept them, learn from them, seek to improve on them, and explain why and how this is so.

And as important as anything else - don't let people judge you, and don't work for anyone who does, because they will make your life a misery.

Your integrity, honesty and commitment are extremely valuable in today's world - so work only for an employer who respects you for having these qualities, and don't lower yourself to work for anyone who will not.

David McClelland's needs-based motivational model

2006-08-09T13:44:00.000+02:00

These needs are found to varying degrees in all workers and managers, and this mix of motivational needs characterises a person's or manager's style and behaviour, both in terms of being motivated, and in the management and motivation others.

the need for achievement (n-ach)
The n-ach person is 'achievement motivated' and therefore seeks achievement, attainment of realistic but challenging goals, and advancement in the job. There is a strong need for feedback as to achievement and progress, and a need for a sense of accomplishment.

the need for authority and power (n-pow)
The n-pow person is 'authority motivated'. This driver produces a need to be influential, effective and to make an impact. There is a strong need to lead and for their ideas to prevail. There is also motivation and need towards increasing personal status and prestige.

the need for affiliation (n-affil)
The n-affil person is 'affiliation motivated', and has a need for friendly relationships and is motivated towards interaction with other people. The affiliation driver produces motivation and need to be liked and held in popular regard. These people are team players.

Sources + Human motivation(David McClelland-1988)

KEY

2006-07-27T07:25:00.000+02:00

Keep Extending Yourself.
Coaching and motivational maxim.
A reminder of the importance of striving to improve yourself and always to be seeking new challenges.

The 80/20 Rule?

2006-07-14T09:01:00.000+02:00

We all have heard about the "80/20 Rule"

I wondered where it came from who invented it?

Answer:
the 80/20 Rule
Known by various names, including The Pareto Principle, The Pareto Law, Pareto's Law, The 80/20 Rule, The 80:20 Rule, Pareto Theory, The Principle of Least Effort, The Principle of Imbalance, The 80-20 Principle, The Rule of the Vital Few and other combinations of these expressions.

The Pareto Principle (at a simple level) suggests that where two related data sets or groups exist (typically cause and effect, or input and output):

"80 percent of output is produced by 20 percent of input."
or alternatively
"80 percent of outcomes are from 20 percent of causes"
or alternatively
"80 percent of contribution comes from 20 percent of the potential contribution available"

There is no definitive Pareto 'quote' as such - the above are my own simplified interpretations of Pareto's 80-20 Rule. The Pareto Principle is a model or theory, and an extremely useful model at that. It has endless applications - in management, social study and demographics, all types of distribution analysis, and business and financial planning and evaluation.

In actual fact the Pareto Principle does not say that the 80:20 ratio applies to every situation, and neither is the model based on a ratio in which the two figures must add to make 100.

And even where a situation does contain a 80:20 correlation other ratios might be more significant, for example:

99:22 (illustrating that even greater concentration than 80:20 and therefore significance at the 'top-end') or
5:50 (ie, just 5% results or benefit coming from 50% of the input or causes or contributors, obviously indicating an enormous amount of ineffectual activity or content).

The reasons why 80:20 has become the 'standard' are:

the 80-20 correlation was the first to be discovered
80-20 remains the most striking and commonly occurring ratio
and since its discovery, the 80:20 ratio has always been used as the name and basic illustration of the Pareto theory.

Here are some examples of Pareto's Law as it applies to various situations. According to the Pareto Principle, it will generally the case (broadly - remember it's a guide not a scientific certainty), that within any given scenario or system or organisation:

80 percent of results come from 20 percent of efforts
80 percent of activity will require 20 percent of resources
80 percent of usage is by 20 percent of users
80 percent of the difficulty in achieving something lies in 20 percent of the challenge
80 percent of revenue comes from 20 percent of customers
80 percent of problems come from 20 percent of causes
80 percent of profit comes from 20 percent of the product range
80 percent of complaints come from 20 percent of customers
80 percent of sales will come from 20 percent of sales people
80 percent of corporate pollution comes from 20 percent of corporations
80 percent of work absence is due to 20 percent of staff
80 percent of road traffic accidents are cause by 20 percent of drivers
80 percent of a restaurant's turnover comes from 20 percent of its menu
80 percent of your time spent on this website will be spent on 20 percent of this website
and so on..

Remember for any particular situation the precise ratio can and probably will be different to 80:20, but the principle will apply nevertheless, and in many cases the actual ratio will not be far away from the 80:20 general rule.

Such a principle is extremely useful in planning, analysis, trouble-shooting, problem-solving and decision-making, and change management, especially when broad initial judgements have to be made, and especially when propositions need checking. Many complex business disasters could easily have been averted if the instigators had thought to refer to the Pareto Principle as a 'sanity check' early on. Pareto's Law is a tremendously powerful model, all the more effective because it's so simple and easy.

For example, consider an organisation which persists in directing its activities equally across its entire product range when perhaps 95% of its profits derive from just 10% of the products, and/or perhaps a mere 2% of its profits come from 60% of its product range. Imagine the wasted effort... Instead, by carrying out a quick simple 'Pareto analysis' and discovering these statistics, the decision-makers could see at a glance clearly where to direct their efforts, and probably too could see a whole lot of products that could be discontinued. The same effect can be seen in markets, services, product content, resources, etc; indeed any situation where an 'output:input' or 'effect:cause' relationship exists.

Pareto's Principle is named after the man who first discovered and described the '80:20' phenomenon, Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian economist and sociologist. Pareto was born in Paris, and became Professor of Political Economy at Lausanne in 1893. An academic, Pareto was fascinated by social and political statistics and trends, and the mathematical interpretation of socio-economic systems.

An exciting exploration into "Your Personality" and IQ

2006-07-10T07:38:00.000+02:00

Last week I started reading "Let's connect!" by Jan Vermeiren.
If you have some questions about your job, relationship, personality, IQ, Passion,... this is the place2Be.
On www.allthetests.com you can check your knowledge in particular disciplines - here you are, anxious about your new relationship - don’t hesitate and test your second half, just in a mood to relax on a lazy sunny afternoon - a perfect fun test collection is waiting for you. Looking for a job but don't know what you exactly want?What about testing your Intelligence Quotient?

Software Team Turnover

2006-07-07T09:34:00.000+02:00

Interesting article I read last week: Software Team Turnover: Why Developers Leave (And What You Can Do About It)

Thanks Pieter

WYGIWYD (What You Get Is What You Deserve!)

2006-07-06T07:45:00.000+02:00

We all know WYSIWYG but WYGIWYD???

What You Get Is What You Deserve. A maxim for life and personal responsibility: you get out what you put in - you reap what you sow. WYGIWYD is also a great reminder that people are more likely to perform to their fullest potential when they are given fair reward and recognition. Also relevant for project planning and all matters of investing in people, development, plant and equipment, etc: if you want good results then invest properly and act with integrity. WYGIWYD also emphasises the importance of communicating fully and properly with people whom you expect to produce results of any sort: internal and external staff and suppliers, designers, programmers, writers, etc.

Successful selling goes beyond 'sales training'

2006-06-29T22:55:00.000+02:00

Selling and sales training ideas, courses, programmes, products, etc., are just part of the picture.

Modern selling requires understanding and capabilities that extend way beyond traditional 'sales training' skills.
Modern selling is about life, people, business (and increasingly ethical business and corporate responsibility), communications, behaviour, personality and psychology, self-awareness, attitude and belief.
Selling is about understanding how people and systems work, and enabling good outcomes. (By 'systems' I mean organisations and processes and relationships, not just systems in the sense of tools and IT.)
Sales training of course addresses some of these issues, but not all of them.
So consider and learn about other aspects of modern business, management, and self-development that interest you, and extend this principle to your people if you are a sales manager or coach.
Develop your experience and understanding of organisations, management and business - beyond sales training alone - and you will greatly increase your value and effectiveness to employers and clients, and to the organisational and business world generally.
The more you understand about how people think, how organisations work and how they are managed, the more effective you will be.
Look beyond sales training and selling, and strive to become an enabler and a facilitator of good outcomes.
This is the role of the modern sales-person. It's a highly valuable, sought-after and transferable capability.

How to motivate people?

2006-06-22T07:23:00.000+02:00

The acronym "PRICE" refers to the "P.R.IC.E. Motivation System," which stands for "Pinpointing, Recording, Involvement, Consequences, and Evaluation."

You start with PINPOINTED OBJECTIVES that are easily identifiable and measurable. Then, you check to make sure that they are also realistic, meaningful, simple to understand, and perceived as personally worthwhile by everyone involved in their implementation!
The second step in motivating employees is "RECORD KEEPING." It is essential to establish a score keeping system by which employees and supervisors can tell how fast and how far and in what direction their motivation is taking them!
INVOLVMENT - Making each team player a part of keeping the scores as high as possible!
CONSEQUENCES - Making teamwork an everyday working reality!
EVALUATION - You can consolidate the motivational drive of your work teams and ensure that they will operate at peak performance when you deliver predictable positive consequences!

1990's adapted hierarchy of needs

2006-06-20T07:19:00.000+02:00

In the 1990's 3 steps were added to the hierarchy of needs:

6. Aesthetic needs - appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
7. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
8. Transcendence needs - helping others to achieve self actualization.

The first must be fulfilled to get to the second and so on,... some examples

You can't motivate someone to achieve their sales target (level 4) when they're having problems with their marriage (level 3).

You can't expect someone to work as a team member (level 3) when they're having their house re-possessed (level 2).

Check the Patéo Consulting website for a good visual

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

2006-06-19T14:52:00.000+02:00

Each of us is motivated by needs. Our most basic needs are inborn, having evolved over tens of thousands of years. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs helps to explain how these needs motivate us all.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself.
Only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied are we concerned with the higher order needs of influence and personal development.
Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are swept away, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs.
Maslow's original Hierarchy of Needs model was developed between 1943-1954, and first widely published in Motivation and Personality in 1954. At this time the Hierarchy of Needs model comprised five needs. This original version remains for most people the definitive Hierarchy of Needs.

1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

Are performance appraisals truly beneficial?

2006-06-08T14:23:00.000+02:00

Think about everything that performance appraisals can achieve and contribute to when they are properly managed, for example:

performance measurement - transparent, short, medium and long term
clarifying, defining, redefining priorities and objectives
motivation through agreeing helpful aims and targets
motivation though achievement and feedback
training needs and learning desires - assessment and agreement
identification of personal strengths and direction - including unused hidden strengths
career and succession planning - personal and organisational
team roles clarification and team building
appraisee and manager mutual awareness, understanding and relationship
resolving confusions and misunderstandings
counselling and feedback
manager development - all good managers should be able to conduct appraisals well - it's a fundamental process
the list goes on..

performance appraisals, performance evaluation and assessment of job skills, personality and behaviour

2006-06-08T06:54:00.000+02:00

Last week we had our assignment review. What about it? Is it usefull?
What can we learn from it?

Performance appraisals are essential for the effective management and evaluation of staff. Appraisals help develop individuals, improve organizational performance, and feed into business planning. Formal performance appraisals are generally conducted annually for all staff in the organization.
Each staff member is appraised by their manager. Annual performance appraisals enable management and monitoring of standards, agreeing expectations and objectives, and delegation of responsibilities and tasks. Staff performance appraisals also establish individual training needs and enable organizational training needs analysis and planning. Performance appraisals data feeds into organizational annual pay and grading reviews, and coincides with the business planning for the next trading year.
Performance appraisals generally review each individual's performance against objectives and standards for the trading year, agreed at the previous appraisal meeting. Performance appraisals are also essential for career and succession planning.
Performance appraisals are important for staff motivation, attitude and behaviour development, communicating organizational aims, and fostering positive relationships between management and staff.
Performance appraisals provide a formal, recorded, regular review of an individual's performance, and a plan for future development. In short, performance and job appraisals are vital for managing the performance of people and organizations.

You don't compete only with products anymore, rather with how well you use your people.

2006-06-02T08:15:00.000+02:00

"Why should I train my Soft Skills? I know everything about IT!"

Too often we focus on what employees need to "know" when evaluating and hiring them instead of "who they really are."

I will try to illustrate this with an example.
John was promoted to Technical Project Manager at his consulting company. Some people wondered why John had risen to this level of management. His educational level was lower than others in the firm and his degree wasn't in an area that pertained to consulting. However, one of the strengths that was nowhere on his resume was his ability to be positive in all situations and to naturally motivate people. He was quick to smile and see the positive side of every project. He was generous in praising people and was consistently happy. These were his strengths - his natural attributes. They made up the sum of who John was. These soft skills are just as important as what John knows.

Do You Make Your First Impression Your Best Impression?

2006-05-30T22:37:00.000+02:00

No matter who you are or what you do, the way you dress and present yourself has a major impact on your success.

Within the first three seconds of a new encounter, you are evaluated… even if it is just a glance.
People appraise your visual and behavioral appearance from head to toe. They observe your demeanor, mannerisms, and body language and even assess your grooming and accessories – watch, handbag, briefcase. Within only three seconds, you make an indelible impression. You may intrigue some and disenchant others.
This first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible.

The process works like this:

If you appear to be of comparable business or social level, you are considered suitable for further interaction.
If you appear to be of higher business or social status, you are admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.
If you appear to be of lower business or social standing, you are tolerated but kept at arm's length.
If you are in an interview situation, you can either appear to match the corporate culture or not, ultimately affecting the outcome.

It is human nature to constantly make these appraisals, in business and social environments. You may hardly have said a word, however once this three-second evaluation is over, the content of your speech will not change it. When you make the best possible first impression, you have your audience in the palm of your hand. When you make a poor first impression, you lose your audience’s attention, no matter how hard you scramble to recover it.
You can learn to make a positive and lasting first impression, modify it to suit any situation, and come out a winner. Doing so requires you to assess and identify your personality, physical appearance, lifestyle and goals. Those who do will have the advantage.
Success comes to those with integrity, those that are resourceful, and those that make a fabulous impression!

Global Image Group

Drop your egg meeting instead of reading the complete project plan

2006-05-28T23:00:00.000+02:00

At one of our customers we have a weekly "Leg je ei meeting - Drop your egg meeting" .
Just to let the other team-members know what you've been doing and what you're planning to do, where you've problems with and where you found solutions for. It takes only 20 minutes but everyone stays up to date,...

meeting sequence

2006-05-28T22:57:00.000+02:00

Put the less important issues at the top of the agenda, not the bottom. If you put them on the bottom you may never get to them. Ensure any urgent issues are placed up the agenda. Non-urgent items place down the agenda - if you are going to miss any you can more easily afford to miss these.
Try to achieve a varied sequence - don't put all the heavy controversial items together - mix it up.

meeting outcomes

2006-05-27T18:54:00.000+02:00

Decide what outcome (ie what is the purpose) you seek for each issue, and put this on the agenda alongside the item heading. This is important as people need to know what is expected of them, and each item will be more productive with a clear aim at the outset. Typical outcomes are:

Information
Decision
Discussion
Planning (eg workshop session)
Generating ideas
Getting feedback
Finding solutions
Agreeing (targets, budgets, aims, etc)
Team-building/motivation
Guest speaker - information, initiatives, etc

planning and running effective meetings for business,...

2006-05-25T09:09:00.000+02:00

In my next posts I'll try to reflect on some essential elements to run an effective meeting.
Priorities, Outcomes, Sequence, Timings, Agenda, Date, Time, Venue.

meeting priorities
What is the meeting's purpose? Always have one; otherwise don't have a meeting. Decide the issues for inclusion in the meeting and their relative priority: importance and urgency.
You can avoid the pressure for 'Any Other Business' at the end of the meeting if you circulate a draft agenda in advance of the meeting, and ask for any other items for consideration. ('Any Other Business' often creates a free-for-all session that wastes time, and gives rise to new tricky expectations, which if not managed properly then closes the meeting on a negative note.)

Meetings - basic rules

2006-05-23T08:00:00.000+02:00

Very simple,.. but I think a lot of people still don't know!

plan - use the agenda as a planning tool
circulate agenda in advance
run the meeting - keep control, agree outcomes, actions and responsibilities, take notes
write and circulate notes
follow up agreed actions and responsibilities

Building confidence for motivation

2006-05-21T23:16:00.000+02:00

Learning something new and completely different liberates the mind. Facing a challenge, meeting it and mastering it helps build confidence

Saying thanks is hugely motivational

2006-05-21T23:15:00.000+02:00

Saying thanks and giving praise are the most commonly overlooked and under-estimated ways of motivating people. And it's so easy. Saying thanks is best said naturally and from the heart, so if your intentions are right you will not go far wrong. When you look someone in the eye and thank them sincerely it means a lot. In front of other people even more so. The key words are the ones which say thanks and well done for doing a great job, especially where the words recognise each person's own special ability, quality, contribution, effort, whatever. People always appreciate sincere thanks, and they appreciate being valued as an individual even more. When you next have the chance to thank your team or an individual team-member, take the time to find out a special thing that each person has done and make a point of mentioning these things. Doing this, the praise tends to carry even greater meaning and motivational effect.

The Hard Truth: Soft Skills Matter

2006-05-21T23:13:00.000+02:00

"IT people need to have the ability to communicate at the board level.Being able to understand the business needs of an organization and translate that to a technological solution—to me, that's where the rubber meets the road." By The Numbers - CIO Magazine ...

Soft Skills

2006-05-21T23:07:00.000+02:00

Last week one of my colleagues (Raf) gave me an article about recruiting that appeared in Smart Business Strategies magazine. Who’s hot and who’s not in IT? The decade of the “Nerd” is over. More and more employers are looking for the complete package. Not only the technical experience but also the soft skills are very important. Remember the phrase from your report card -- "works and plays well with others"? That's a critical soft skill, and there are many more, all of them important for any job in any industry.
Are you soft skills savvy? Take the test by Peter de Vogt