Author : Maribeth Achterberg
"That is the way we do things around here." Have you ever heard that phrase when trying to affect positive change in your organization? It really doesn't matter how far-reaching the scope of your change. It doesn't matter if it is a technology implementation, a deferral from the tried-and-true market strategy or simply a change in a scheduled meeting. The ability of your organization to share knowledge and information is predicated on the cultural temperament of your organization and its pace of change. New technology and the ability to analyze complex sets of information for the purpose of decision support have introduced constant change into the business environment. If the culture of an organization is not taken into consideration, changing the manner in which information is exchanged is an uphill climb.What Really Comprises an Organizational Culture?Culture is a multidimensional enigma that envelops the organization. Every member of the organization contributes to the culture in some manner. The history, style of leadership, structural stability, level of work-force empowerment and the ability to adapt to a changing environment all contribute to the culture of an organization. Shaping the culture to face changes in the marketplace and environment depends in part on the ability for the organization's leadership to implement the guiding vision and mission. Every action taken must align with these vision and mission statements that express why the organization exists and how it will corporately conduct itself.History and Background of Organization.An organization's history and background are the foundation that can be built upon or a barrier to overcome. Some of the attributes to consider are:•The age of your organization. Many well-established companies are slow to change. If they have lasted for more than 50 years, then why do things differently? Conversely, newer organizations tend to sway in the winds of change and haven't established roots deep enough to know how to react to new situations.•The origins of your organizationIs your firm a conglomeration of many other smaller entities or a single-site manufacturing firm? There are considerations attached to either scenario. It is important that the history of your organization is known. When the pressure of a change situation is applied, old social norms can pop up. Understanding the origins assists in devising change management strategies.Leadership StyleHow the executives and senior management interact with the rest of the organization sets the tone of an organization's culture. Granted, these leaders cannot single handedly change the culture. (Unless they fire everyone and start from scratch, not a likely scenario.) However, their leadership style dictates how they interact with their direct reports and the general employee population. These interactions send messages that have an impact on information sharing. Is the CEO sharing information? Does the average employee know the financial health of the company or the markets to be focused upon? Leadership style typically breaks down into two main categories:•Command and Control – Task orientation tends to be the marquee of the command and control leadership style. Micromanaging the direct reports by telling them what to do, how to do it, when it should be done, by whom and where it should take place exemplifies high task-related behavior. There is only one-way communication with the exception of clarifying questions to make sure the objective is understood completely.•Delegating/Empowering – Relationship orientation tends to be more facilitative and communicative. This leadership style depends on the synergy of the group to determine the best course of action. The behaviors exhibited included facilitation, listening, supporting and mentoring the other employees so that the best possible course of action can be created together. Employee buy-in is of great importance to this leadership style.Structural StabilityThe ability to withstand a change in organizational culture can be evident through some of the traditional business measures of stability. Financial strength, productivity and market focus are traditional business measures that define the stability of an organization's structure. However, twenty-first century business models recognize some less tangible attributes of an organization's structure that affect a change effort's success.Are there functional siloed reporting structures or does the business process dictate who works for whom? Do the channels of communication flow freely across functional areas? Can a manager from engineering communicate a problem to a manager in marketing without involving the senior managers from each area? It is important to have the strength of common understanding across the organization to exemplify its structural stability. If open communication threatens the ability to produce, the organization is not stable. This means being able to walk the walk and not just pay lip service to open communication and business process-related organizational structures.Employee Empowerment LevelJust as the leadership of the organization can have a task or relationship orientation, so can the rest of the organization. Are the employees empowered to make decisions in their day-to-day activities that affect positive business results? The trickling down of decision-making authority tends to strengthen the fiber of an organization. Granted, this also means trickling down the accountability for success as well. Well-trained, well-informed employees are essential to the successful empowered organization. High empowerment and high autonomy need to have well-defined guiding objectives.Adaptability or AgilityThe only constant in today's business environment is change. Successful organizations seem to adapt to a change in market conditions seamlessly and with minimal effort. How are they able to be so agile, so nimble? The culture is ready for the unexpected. In fact, they expect the unexpected! Unknowns are part of their day-to-day planning and routines.Vision and Mission Statement ImplementationAn organization's vision and mission should be articulated and available for the entire organization to witness and internalize. A vision gets everyone on the same page and shows where the organization's future lies. A vision must be shared or an opportunity to buck the system and cause strife presents itself. Work to cultivate a shared vision. The mission statement tells the organization, suppliers and customers who your company is and what its value proposition is to them.The statement, "Why, because this is who we are," provides the context in which employees know how to operate and conduct business. The vision and mission are two very important and foundational pieces of guiding information that must be clearly communicated to the entire organization and monitored for adherence to the principles of your organization's beliefs and ethics. If you cannot share them, then sharing other critical business items is highly doubtful.Assessing the Cultural Impact on Information SharingAs previously stated, the ability of your organization to share knowledge and information is predicated on the cultural temperament of your organization and its pace of change. Every organization adapts to change. It's the speed and flexibility to which this adaptation takes place that determine success. Assessing the culture and understanding how to approach knowledge sharing within the organizational structure supports change efforts.Assessing the organization from a cultural perspective assists in designing change management plans that address the human factors. Acceptance of new information sharing processes and technology by the people who have to enact the processes or utilize the technology is critical to successful implementation. Therefore, understanding the culture from an objective compilation of subjective information gathering begins to map out the barriers to information sharing that can occur. It also exposes the leverage points resident in the organization that can positively impact information sharing as well.Outcomes of the Cultural ImpactAssessing the corporate culture will propel information-sharing efforts. How? By understanding the context in which knowledge will be perceived and applied. Depending on how favorable and conducive the culture of your organization is to sharing information, the extremes of the knowledge-sharing culture are either to share for the sake of sharing versus hoarding knowledge and information to protect one's position.
Information Sharing vs. Information Hoarding.One would think that information sharing is always better than hoarding information. However, sharing information just for the sake of sharing must have a business purpose at its root. For example, a CEO who decides to publish the minutes of his senior staff meetings on the company intranet to prove that the organization's culture is open will appear to be sharing for the sake of sharing without a sound business reason. Sharing information should support business decision making or propel innovation. There must also be a structured process by which to capture and use the information being uncovered. Capturing the engineers' problem-solving conversation by the water cooler so that others in the company can benefit from their expertise is the benefit information-sharing activities should return. The corporate culture that supports information sharing is ahead of the one that does not. However, gaining business benefit from the activity requires a structured approach to leverage uncovered information.Information hoarding is the other extreme. Information and knowledge still represent power. This is truer in today's economy than ever before. Organizations are learning that employee interactions yield new knowledge and information that can benefit their business in tangible ways. Hoarding is not always a conscience act of holding back information. Interestingly, it's not always the highly paid senior manager that possesses the knowledge to meet the challenge of the day's pressing issues. Quite often, it's the employee that is not invited to the strategy session or even asked to contribute that has the sought-after knowledge. Encouraging and providing an incentive for those often overlooked people to share what they know will show returns to the organization via an increased base of knowledge. Hoarding information results from a lack of trust. If this sounds too familiar, then focus on some strategies that will help leverage your organization's culture to begin productive information sharing.Strategies to Leverage your Organization's CultureA complete cultural overhaul may not be necessary to encourage information sharing. In fact, trying to take on that task at the same time you are trying to foster a sharing environment may be counter productive to both efforts.•Change ManagementComprehensive change management requires a three-phase approach that takes human dynamics and human needs into account. Each type of organizational culture needs all three phases to institute a successful change management plan. However, depending on the organizational assessment results, one phase may receive more emphasis then the others. The main objective of each of the three phases is:Promotion – Envision the future environment with the information-sharing culture in place. Show the benefits to operating in a knowledge-sharing environment and allow the leadership to send encouraging, motivating messages. Create tension between the environment of today and that of the future being promoted. After the education and training phases are complete and the new behaviors are in place on a day-to- day basis, offer incentives to encourage continued practice.Education – Present the theory behind the vision of the future being promoted to employees. Then the "why" questions can be answered with sound reasoning to build a foundation of understanding throughout the organizationTraining – Provide practical application of processes, technologies and environments. Allow participants to experience the new information-sharing environment in a "lab" setting where clarifying questions can be asked and issues addressed prior to integrating the new behavior into the everyday work routines. New human behaviors and practices are being instituted; therefore, the organization must provide the necessary support to ensure success.•Creating Collaborative EnvironmentsDefine knowledge-sharing communities that affect the high- value business processes and target them for the first implementations of structured information sharing. By designing the optimum collaborative community for the organization's primary business needs, timely, accurate information will be delivered in context.•Leadership Modeling BehaviorA significant indicator of successfully promoting organizational change is that the leadership models the desired behavior. In fact, the first implementation of an information-sharing environment should be among organizational leaders and from this group to the general work force. Modeling this behavior helps reinforce the commitment to changing a corporate behavior and shows the work force there will be no negative repercussions to sharing information.•Knowledge Sharing Benchmark ComparisonsCapture analytics of information-sharing actions to create best practices for getting high-velocity work done. Then, benchmark your organization against others in your industry to determine how you compare to your competitors. This will allow you to analyze where the marketplace is pushing your competition rather than where you want to pull them to in the marketplace.SummaryKnowing yourself, your limitations, weaknesses and strengths provides an advantage when considering the ability to share and use information effectively. The same is true with an organization made up of people. Knowing the culture of the organization is an indicator of corporate personality. Collectively, the organization's personality dictates how it will adapt to a change in its environment. Once determined, the correct change management path can be prescribed and information sharing can propel the business value of uncovered knowledge beyond expectations. The synergy experienced by a free flow of relevant information has great impact on your organization's ability to leverage its information assets.Maribeth Achterberg is a certified Knowledge Manager with more than sixteen years of experience in the electric and gas utility, telecommunications, retail, real estate and transportation industries. She is president of Verity Management Solutions LLC.
Keyword : communication, organizational culture, culture, informaiton management, emloyee empowerment
วันเสาร์ที่ 23 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2551
IT Policies Help IT Staff and Reduce Liabilities
Author : Donna Johnson Edwards
"What do you mean I can't download … fill-in-the-blank?" As IT managers we are constantly berated by users because they want to do something on their company computer that we know they shouldn't. But getting users to conform to reasonable standards is a real challenge for most IT departments. We live in the information age and with the benefits of technology come the associated risks and liabilities. The same tools that allow productivity gains have the potential to diminish worker productivity and to expose the company to harmful content as well as regulatory and legal liabilities.Many business executives do not yet grasp the importance of protecting Information Technology assets from liabilities and need to focus on the legalities surrounding IT as well as the use of IT systems by employees. If you take a moment to read any newspaper you will likely find several instances in which either by ignorance or design, employees have used company IT assets in a way that puts the company at risk, or worse: gets them in serious hot water.So why aren't companies focusing on these risks? In my experience a large part of the problem lies in staff not knowing how to begin writing acceptable use policies for IT systems. Then add to that hurdle the facts of constrained budgets, limited staff and that a typical IT manager will likely assume the company legal department will advise of any need to change policies or the management of IT assets. And at the same time, management is occupied with running the business and assumes that IT and legal will manage any issues related to these assets. Unfortunately, the legal department typically understands the broader laws but does not necessarily focus on day-to-day IT operational issues.Liabilities will be reduced if the focus of IT, legal and the business side of the house are pulled together, to put into place reasonable and effective policies, procedures, disciplinary standards and company-wide educational programs. In addition, in doing so will give IT managers a defendable position against those users who berate them! Policies and procedures are a critical first step in protecting the organization's vital enterprise IT assets. These same policies, while protecting assets and assisting IT staff in managing user "problems," are also used as a defense against potential legal liabilities.A legally compliant IT department must address several areas of concern, such as software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more.Though proper software licensing is the most frequently considered topic of IT compliance, companies face other equally important IT asset liability issues. Inappropriate use of e-mail and the Internet is as widespread a problem as copyright violations (software piracy). Bandwidth abuse and lost employee productivity are two additional areas of concern for most employers. Not only should a policy cover appropriate use but inappropriate use as well.E-mail content filtering has become a popular solution for blocking documents containing obscene, racist, offensive or explicit words and phrases as well as for virus prevention. Another benefit of e-mail content filtering is the reduction of leaks of confidential company data. Statistics reveal that most security breaches originate from within the organization, therefore an organization must also monitor what files are leaving the network.Significant case law supports the verity that e-mail and Internet monitoring is legal when a company provides the systems on which the employee uses these products. An employee does not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" when using these tools. However, it is essential that the employee be advised of the company policies on these issues and that the policies are clear, well disseminated and supported company-wide.Privacy and other forms of data protection are another big area of concern for businesses. Fines from regulatory bodies and loss of competitive data have continued to push organizations to increase control over these assets, to reduce associated liabilities and risks.The way to efficiently educate users is to adopt, implement and enforce policies and procedures detailing the "Dos and Don'ts" of computer conduct and explaining how the organization deals with the complete lifecycle of its IT assets.Regardless of the size of your organization, start by creating a project team to administer the implementation of an IT compliance program. The size of the team will vary from one company to the next, but regardless of the size, the organization will need to commit appropriate resources, both human and financial, for the project to be a success.The project team should consist of a senior member of the IT department, to provide top-level exposure; of human resources, to ensure no policy violates existing regulations and to ensure that there are appropriate steps in place to discipline violators; of legal counsel, to ensure that policies and procedures drafted by the team are thoroughly reviewed and consecrated; and representatives from large departments, administration, security, training, IT, etc. If more than one physical location exists, be sure to include a member from each site to ensure that their specific needs and limitations are considered as well.Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):Begin with an overall opening statement by the CEO (or equivalent) of the organization to not only add valuable corporate weight to the policies but also to show that these policies come from the very top and are being embraced by everyone in the organization, including the Board.Then create policies for the following essential areas:Software requisition, acquisition, delivery, installation and license compliance – Explain that software acquisition is restricted in order to ensure that the company has a complete record of all software that has been purchased for company computers and can register, support and upgrade said software.Software and Hardware Disposal – Often forgotten, this policy makes sure that software/hardware is disposed of in a controlled manner. An organization may have additional disposal requirements and/or options.Shareware, Freeware, Public Domain, Games, Fonts, Screensavers and Wallpaper – This policy is important, since users often think that because software is "free" or on evaluation, it falls outside the boundaries of the organization's software policies, and they are unaware of the licensing issues surrounding these types of software. In many cases, these are copyrighted materials and may be used only in accordance with the license agreement of the publisher.Passwords, Security, Viruses – This policy must detail the importance of passwords, how they are administered, how often they are changed and of what characters they should consist. Stress the importance of user's keeping their passwords safe. Detail how the organization protects itself against virus attack. The omnipresence of the Internet and web-based applications can open backdoors to the corporate IT infrastructure. Employees can either willfully or by neglect expose the organization to rapidly spreading viruses or other malicious and harmful code by accessing or downloading files of unknown origin.Data Protection – Detail the importance of your organization's data. Also, cover how employees must treat specific types of data, such as customer information, research material, legal documents and records, etc. Because each organization will guard particular information based upon the type of business, explore each topic in detail within the organization.Internet, Instant Messaging, P2P Software – Most organizations in today's business climate will have some type of Internet policy likely covering areas such as pornography, picture and media files (GIF, BMP, PCX, JPEG, MP3, etc.), personal use and more. Companies must also be concerned with the ease of obtaining software of all types from the Internet.E-mail – As with the Internet, there are many liabilities surrounding e-mail use. Companies should be aware of the pitfalls of improper data protection, defamatory comments, inappropriate bandwidth usage, viruses, etc. Increasingly, subject matter considered inappropriate for consumption or distribution within an organization is received, forwarded, mishandled, etc. The type of website content that is inappropriate within an organization is also unsuitable content for an e-mail.Auditing and Monitoring – This policy alerts users to the fact that regular monitoring of and audits on company IT assets are conducted. The policy must contain a statement that indicates that the user should have "no reasonable expectation of privacy" for any file, message, or content on all company systems.Mobile, Laptop and PDA Users – Mobile devices are a difficult group of assets to control because of the device portability and the fact that they may rarely connect to the corporate network. Because of this, laptop users often believe that they fall outside the boundaries of the software policies. It is essential that appropriate policies as well as unique procedures are created to address this elusive group of users.Backup and Maintenance of IT Systems – Be sure to define who is responsible for system backup and how these tasks are completed. This policy is important, because organizations rarely look at licensing, retention and destruction, e-discovery and privacy issues when creating backup procedures. It is essential to address these issues before having to retrieve from backup because of an unforeseen problem or because of litigation.Disciplinary Procedures – Policy statements can be a waste of time if they are not reinforced with disciplinary procedures for those that breach them. Your organization may already have procedures in place and these must be included in any set of technology policies.Policy Review – It is important to review and update policies and procedures when needed. The team or a subset of the initial compliance team will need to review the policies and procedures on an annual basis (or more frequently, if needed) to respond to changes in the business environment and the larger legal environment. Users must be told how new policies will be communicated.Furthermore, additional policies not included in this list will likely be required in some organizations. For example, financial institutions and hospitals are regulated by outside bodies that require specific situations be handled in the manner specified. Ensure that the company's legal representatives ascertain the requirements made by other regulatory agencies and incorporate those demands into the policies and procedures.Policy statements should be short and to the point. Procedures can be long and detailed. Use a standard format for all of the policies, including the policy area to be covered, the reasons for the policy and a procedure specifically adapted for your organization.Lastly, but of great importance — make sure your users are trained on the policies. I can't tell you how many organizations miss this essential step! The policies will not be defendable or, frankly, enforceable unless users are made aware of them. For the best results, have your internal training department (or other suitable group) develop a system to train users as well as track the training and to collect a written agreement to follow the policies from every employee.Make sure all new employees receive training and sign an agreement. At least once per year conduct follow-up training which need not be as comprehensive, but should serve to remind users of the company's commitment to compliance.I promise you, the effort you put forth developing company-wide IT policies and procedures will pay off multifold — this isn't an IT problem; this is a company problem and the solution needs to be addressed company-wide.Donna Johnson Edwards has more than 20 years' experience implementing and managing IT projects for companies including the Federal Judiciary, IBM/Lotus and Hamilton Beach Proctor-Silex, where she was the senior member of the New Enterprise Technology Team.Her clients include Fortune 100, 500 and 1,000 companies as well as not-for-profit entities. Her background includes both the technical and the business aspects of IT projects.
Keyword : it compliance,it asset management,it compliance policy,software asset management
"What do you mean I can't download … fill-in-the-blank?" As IT managers we are constantly berated by users because they want to do something on their company computer that we know they shouldn't. But getting users to conform to reasonable standards is a real challenge for most IT departments. We live in the information age and with the benefits of technology come the associated risks and liabilities. The same tools that allow productivity gains have the potential to diminish worker productivity and to expose the company to harmful content as well as regulatory and legal liabilities.Many business executives do not yet grasp the importance of protecting Information Technology assets from liabilities and need to focus on the legalities surrounding IT as well as the use of IT systems by employees. If you take a moment to read any newspaper you will likely find several instances in which either by ignorance or design, employees have used company IT assets in a way that puts the company at risk, or worse: gets them in serious hot water.So why aren't companies focusing on these risks? In my experience a large part of the problem lies in staff not knowing how to begin writing acceptable use policies for IT systems. Then add to that hurdle the facts of constrained budgets, limited staff and that a typical IT manager will likely assume the company legal department will advise of any need to change policies or the management of IT assets. And at the same time, management is occupied with running the business and assumes that IT and legal will manage any issues related to these assets. Unfortunately, the legal department typically understands the broader laws but does not necessarily focus on day-to-day IT operational issues.Liabilities will be reduced if the focus of IT, legal and the business side of the house are pulled together, to put into place reasonable and effective policies, procedures, disciplinary standards and company-wide educational programs. In addition, in doing so will give IT managers a defendable position against those users who berate them! Policies and procedures are a critical first step in protecting the organization's vital enterprise IT assets. These same policies, while protecting assets and assisting IT staff in managing user "problems," are also used as a defense against potential legal liabilities.A legally compliant IT department must address several areas of concern, such as software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more.Though proper software licensing is the most frequently considered topic of IT compliance, companies face other equally important IT asset liability issues. Inappropriate use of e-mail and the Internet is as widespread a problem as copyright violations (software piracy). Bandwidth abuse and lost employee productivity are two additional areas of concern for most employers. Not only should a policy cover appropriate use but inappropriate use as well.E-mail content filtering has become a popular solution for blocking documents containing obscene, racist, offensive or explicit words and phrases as well as for virus prevention. Another benefit of e-mail content filtering is the reduction of leaks of confidential company data. Statistics reveal that most security breaches originate from within the organization, therefore an organization must also monitor what files are leaving the network.Significant case law supports the verity that e-mail and Internet monitoring is legal when a company provides the systems on which the employee uses these products. An employee does not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" when using these tools. However, it is essential that the employee be advised of the company policies on these issues and that the policies are clear, well disseminated and supported company-wide.Privacy and other forms of data protection are another big area of concern for businesses. Fines from regulatory bodies and loss of competitive data have continued to push organizations to increase control over these assets, to reduce associated liabilities and risks.The way to efficiently educate users is to adopt, implement and enforce policies and procedures detailing the "Dos and Don'ts" of computer conduct and explaining how the organization deals with the complete lifecycle of its IT assets.Regardless of the size of your organization, start by creating a project team to administer the implementation of an IT compliance program. The size of the team will vary from one company to the next, but regardless of the size, the organization will need to commit appropriate resources, both human and financial, for the project to be a success.The project team should consist of a senior member of the IT department, to provide top-level exposure; of human resources, to ensure no policy violates existing regulations and to ensure that there are appropriate steps in place to discipline violators; of legal counsel, to ensure that policies and procedures drafted by the team are thoroughly reviewed and consecrated; and representatives from large departments, administration, security, training, IT, etc. If more than one physical location exists, be sure to include a member from each site to ensure that their specific needs and limitations are considered as well.Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):Begin with an overall opening statement by the CEO (or equivalent) of the organization to not only add valuable corporate weight to the policies but also to show that these policies come from the very top and are being embraced by everyone in the organization, including the Board.Then create policies for the following essential areas:Software requisition, acquisition, delivery, installation and license compliance – Explain that software acquisition is restricted in order to ensure that the company has a complete record of all software that has been purchased for company computers and can register, support and upgrade said software.Software and Hardware Disposal – Often forgotten, this policy makes sure that software/hardware is disposed of in a controlled manner. An organization may have additional disposal requirements and/or options.Shareware, Freeware, Public Domain, Games, Fonts, Screensavers and Wallpaper – This policy is important, since users often think that because software is "free" or on evaluation, it falls outside the boundaries of the organization's software policies, and they are unaware of the licensing issues surrounding these types of software. In many cases, these are copyrighted materials and may be used only in accordance with the license agreement of the publisher.Passwords, Security, Viruses – This policy must detail the importance of passwords, how they are administered, how often they are changed and of what characters they should consist. Stress the importance of user's keeping their passwords safe. Detail how the organization protects itself against virus attack. The omnipresence of the Internet and web-based applications can open backdoors to the corporate IT infrastructure. Employees can either willfully or by neglect expose the organization to rapidly spreading viruses or other malicious and harmful code by accessing or downloading files of unknown origin.Data Protection – Detail the importance of your organization's data. Also, cover how employees must treat specific types of data, such as customer information, research material, legal documents and records, etc. Because each organization will guard particular information based upon the type of business, explore each topic in detail within the organization.Internet, Instant Messaging, P2P Software – Most organizations in today's business climate will have some type of Internet policy likely covering areas such as pornography, picture and media files (GIF, BMP, PCX, JPEG, MP3, etc.), personal use and more. Companies must also be concerned with the ease of obtaining software of all types from the Internet.E-mail – As with the Internet, there are many liabilities surrounding e-mail use. Companies should be aware of the pitfalls of improper data protection, defamatory comments, inappropriate bandwidth usage, viruses, etc. Increasingly, subject matter considered inappropriate for consumption or distribution within an organization is received, forwarded, mishandled, etc. The type of website content that is inappropriate within an organization is also unsuitable content for an e-mail.Auditing and Monitoring – This policy alerts users to the fact that regular monitoring of and audits on company IT assets are conducted. The policy must contain a statement that indicates that the user should have "no reasonable expectation of privacy" for any file, message, or content on all company systems.Mobile, Laptop and PDA Users – Mobile devices are a difficult group of assets to control because of the device portability and the fact that they may rarely connect to the corporate network. Because of this, laptop users often believe that they fall outside the boundaries of the software policies. It is essential that appropriate policies as well as unique procedures are created to address this elusive group of users.Backup and Maintenance of IT Systems – Be sure to define who is responsible for system backup and how these tasks are completed. This policy is important, because organizations rarely look at licensing, retention and destruction, e-discovery and privacy issues when creating backup procedures. It is essential to address these issues before having to retrieve from backup because of an unforeseen problem or because of litigation.Disciplinary Procedures – Policy statements can be a waste of time if they are not reinforced with disciplinary procedures for those that breach them. Your organization may already have procedures in place and these must be included in any set of technology policies.Policy Review – It is important to review and update policies and procedures when needed. The team or a subset of the initial compliance team will need to review the policies and procedures on an annual basis (or more frequently, if needed) to respond to changes in the business environment and the larger legal environment. Users must be told how new policies will be communicated.Furthermore, additional policies not included in this list will likely be required in some organizations. For example, financial institutions and hospitals are regulated by outside bodies that require specific situations be handled in the manner specified. Ensure that the company's legal representatives ascertain the requirements made by other regulatory agencies and incorporate those demands into the policies and procedures.Policy statements should be short and to the point. Procedures can be long and detailed. Use a standard format for all of the policies, including the policy area to be covered, the reasons for the policy and a procedure specifically adapted for your organization.Lastly, but of great importance — make sure your users are trained on the policies. I can't tell you how many organizations miss this essential step! The policies will not be defendable or, frankly, enforceable unless users are made aware of them. For the best results, have your internal training department (or other suitable group) develop a system to train users as well as track the training and to collect a written agreement to follow the policies from every employee.Make sure all new employees receive training and sign an agreement. At least once per year conduct follow-up training which need not be as comprehensive, but should serve to remind users of the company's commitment to compliance.I promise you, the effort you put forth developing company-wide IT policies and procedures will pay off multifold — this isn't an IT problem; this is a company problem and the solution needs to be addressed company-wide.Donna Johnson Edwards has more than 20 years' experience implementing and managing IT projects for companies including the Federal Judiciary, IBM/Lotus and Hamilton Beach Proctor-Silex, where she was the senior member of the New Enterprise Technology Team.Her clients include Fortune 100, 500 and 1,000 companies as well as not-for-profit entities. Her background includes both the technical and the business aspects of IT projects.
Keyword : it compliance,it asset management,it compliance policy,software asset management
Management of Infrastructure - Who Dares
Author : Hans Bool
There are many management areas. Infrastructure is such a field that is normally not too popular as a discipline. It is not directly visible, at least not in the sense that you can measure the output – in terms of number of products or services related to the investments that are done. Yet, if the topic of infrastructure is not properly set on the management agenda, it will put itself there, on the moment you least expect it. All over the world we have seen what incidents like Katrina can bring about. It is not said that the infrastructure of Louisiana was insufficient, but issues like security and safety are infrastructural. And these are difficult to manage, not only the public services that are managed by politicians and governmental organization, but also within private companies. Infrastructure is always the last point on the management agenda.There are a number of reasons why it is so hard to manage infrastructure. Before we broach the subject, we let's define the topic of infrastructure. We use a rather broad definition. It is all that is to do with the needed support to get the business running. It is about giving support, facilitate, serve or in different words, providing the glue to run the operation smoothly. The real fundamentals are the normal utilities like water, gas and electricity. These are the basic needs supporting the rest. Information and Communication Technology is another category meant to support the communication throughout the entire organization. As long as the functionality is not specifically dedicated to a main business function, it falls also in this support category. For all kind of maintenance applies the same. Human Resource Services like periodic trainings and general educational services are also supportive and could be categorized as such.All the above elements of infrastructure share a common aspect which is that they all serve a general goal. They are not specifically offering one solution but they serve a broad area. In fact (infrastructural) support serves others (both humans and systems) in achieving their tasks.
If you remove the infrastructural plug out of the wall, everything else stops functioning.
In terms of requirements you are dealing with abstract issues. The requirements are non-functional and are addressing abstract aspects like: security and safety (internet and buildings), integrity (information), reliability (communication, electricity), accessibility (website), etc.
The problem with these abstracts is that you can not measure it easily. You are talking about levels of safety and about incidents that lower such levels. Basically it is about past statistical information that is needed to address future management energy. And then the question is what level is acceptable? This can only be determined by past incidents. Like the one in Louisiana.Most managers have a short attention-span. We care for day-to-day problems and infrastructural issues occur only incidentally. Once the 'storm' is literally over, the attention is moved to something else and general support is left aside; 'Everything' is working again. So managing infrastructure leaves you dis-satisfied; once the problem is over, people go back to what really matters, what is satisfying current needs.Related to the first aspects is the fact that infrastructure is not glamorous. We all want to perform and the individual success is what counts most and for all. As in tennis, it is the singles final that is valued more than the doubles. It is the fact of live. And this truth is found in each organization. Personal achievements are higher valued. We stress output and performance. We have only one dollar to spend, so we rather spend it on individual bonus when a sales-target is met, rather than a bonus for a supporting team that has dealt with 2000 upset customers because of product being less than expected, damaged, mal functioning or what ever.Another point that makes the management difficult is that issues related to support are not easily identified as such. Just check in your company the problems that occur and which are never solved. They keep on coming back. These are the symptoms. Then you know that you have deficiencies in your infrastructure. Al these problems do not have an owner, so they are wandering around as orphans in your organization. If their amount is growing, you can be sure that a calamity will be near.To prevent this you should set infrastructure on the management agenda. You could use the balanced score card for this. And you should reserve a pool (budget) which you feed with a fixed percentage from projects and new businesses. If the symptoms are not decreasing you should raise this percentage. Better safe than sorry.© 2005 Hans Bool / Astor WhiteHans Bool (The Netherlands) is the founder of Astor White a consulting company dedicated to (the human side of) management consulting and e-advice. He has many years of experience in (project) management, consulting and business architecture. He studied economics and has recently published the book: "How to manage your organizational portfolio – just stick to your rules".
Keyword : management, infrastructure, management of infrastructure,
There are many management areas. Infrastructure is such a field that is normally not too popular as a discipline. It is not directly visible, at least not in the sense that you can measure the output – in terms of number of products or services related to the investments that are done. Yet, if the topic of infrastructure is not properly set on the management agenda, it will put itself there, on the moment you least expect it. All over the world we have seen what incidents like Katrina can bring about. It is not said that the infrastructure of Louisiana was insufficient, but issues like security and safety are infrastructural. And these are difficult to manage, not only the public services that are managed by politicians and governmental organization, but also within private companies. Infrastructure is always the last point on the management agenda.There are a number of reasons why it is so hard to manage infrastructure. Before we broach the subject, we let's define the topic of infrastructure. We use a rather broad definition. It is all that is to do with the needed support to get the business running. It is about giving support, facilitate, serve or in different words, providing the glue to run the operation smoothly. The real fundamentals are the normal utilities like water, gas and electricity. These are the basic needs supporting the rest. Information and Communication Technology is another category meant to support the communication throughout the entire organization. As long as the functionality is not specifically dedicated to a main business function, it falls also in this support category. For all kind of maintenance applies the same. Human Resource Services like periodic trainings and general educational services are also supportive and could be categorized as such.All the above elements of infrastructure share a common aspect which is that they all serve a general goal. They are not specifically offering one solution but they serve a broad area. In fact (infrastructural) support serves others (both humans and systems) in achieving their tasks.
If you remove the infrastructural plug out of the wall, everything else stops functioning.
In terms of requirements you are dealing with abstract issues. The requirements are non-functional and are addressing abstract aspects like: security and safety (internet and buildings), integrity (information), reliability (communication, electricity), accessibility (website), etc.
The problem with these abstracts is that you can not measure it easily. You are talking about levels of safety and about incidents that lower such levels. Basically it is about past statistical information that is needed to address future management energy. And then the question is what level is acceptable? This can only be determined by past incidents. Like the one in Louisiana.Most managers have a short attention-span. We care for day-to-day problems and infrastructural issues occur only incidentally. Once the 'storm' is literally over, the attention is moved to something else and general support is left aside; 'Everything' is working again. So managing infrastructure leaves you dis-satisfied; once the problem is over, people go back to what really matters, what is satisfying current needs.Related to the first aspects is the fact that infrastructure is not glamorous. We all want to perform and the individual success is what counts most and for all. As in tennis, it is the singles final that is valued more than the doubles. It is the fact of live. And this truth is found in each organization. Personal achievements are higher valued. We stress output and performance. We have only one dollar to spend, so we rather spend it on individual bonus when a sales-target is met, rather than a bonus for a supporting team that has dealt with 2000 upset customers because of product being less than expected, damaged, mal functioning or what ever.Another point that makes the management difficult is that issues related to support are not easily identified as such. Just check in your company the problems that occur and which are never solved. They keep on coming back. These are the symptoms. Then you know that you have deficiencies in your infrastructure. Al these problems do not have an owner, so they are wandering around as orphans in your organization. If their amount is growing, you can be sure that a calamity will be near.To prevent this you should set infrastructure on the management agenda. You could use the balanced score card for this. And you should reserve a pool (budget) which you feed with a fixed percentage from projects and new businesses. If the symptoms are not decreasing you should raise this percentage. Better safe than sorry.© 2005 Hans Bool / Astor WhiteHans Bool (The Netherlands) is the founder of Astor White a consulting company dedicated to (the human side of) management consulting and e-advice. He has many years of experience in (project) management, consulting and business architecture. He studied economics and has recently published the book: "How to manage your organizational portfolio – just stick to your rules".
Keyword : management, infrastructure, management of infrastructure,
Company Liability: Sexual Harassment and Inappropriate Rewards
Author : Rhonda Goetz
Sexual Favoritism falls under the Hostile Environment category of the federal law that governs harassment and discrimination in the workplace.Sexual Favoritism is not a federal law unto itself (although some states declare it as such), but an aspect of either Quid Pro Quo or Hostile Environment that is worth exploring.This type of harassment occurs when employees, who submit to a manager or supervisor's sexual demands, are rewarded by that manager or supervisor. It is important to note however, that the wronged party(ies) is not the one who submitted, but those who did not and are denied the benefits of the submission.In other words, employees who are otherwise denied raises or promotions may claim that they were penalized by the sexual attention directed at the favored coworkers.How has the court ruled in these cases?
Isolated events and non-coerced submission to sexual demands have not been upheld by the courts as sexual harassment.The employer may be held liable for unlawful sex discrimination against other persons who were qualified for but were denied that employment opportunity or benefit.Supervisors may also be held liable.
Court CaseAstra AB, a Swedish company, admitted it allowed a hostile work environment -- including requests for sexual favors in exchange for favorable treatment – for women at its U.S. headquarters in Westboro, Massachusetts.Award: $9,850,000 in monetary damagesFor more on other types of Sexual Harassment, read about Quid Pro Quo or Sexual Harassment by Non-Employees.Protect your business from this type of harassment. Make sure your employees are well-trained in harassment and discrimination prevention and awareness.Rhonda Goetz
Chrome Zebra, Inc.
Helping Employers Prevent Harassment and Discrimination Lawsuits
866.241.9927
http://www.chromezebra.com
Sexual Favoritism falls under the Hostile Environment category of the federal law that governs harassment and discrimination in the workplace.Sexual Favoritism is not a federal law unto itself (although some states declare it as such), but an aspect of either Quid Pro Quo or Hostile Environment that is worth exploring.This type of harassment occurs when employees, who submit to a manager or supervisor's sexual demands, are rewarded by that manager or supervisor. It is important to note however, that the wronged party(ies) is not the one who submitted, but those who did not and are denied the benefits of the submission.In other words, employees who are otherwise denied raises or promotions may claim that they were penalized by the sexual attention directed at the favored coworkers.How has the court ruled in these cases?
Isolated events and non-coerced submission to sexual demands have not been upheld by the courts as sexual harassment.The employer may be held liable for unlawful sex discrimination against other persons who were qualified for but were denied that employment opportunity or benefit.Supervisors may also be held liable.
Court CaseAstra AB, a Swedish company, admitted it allowed a hostile work environment -- including requests for sexual favors in exchange for favorable treatment – for women at its U.S. headquarters in Westboro, Massachusetts.Award: $9,850,000 in monetary damagesFor more on other types of Sexual Harassment, read about Quid Pro Quo or Sexual Harassment by Non-Employees.Protect your business from this type of harassment. Make sure your employees are well-trained in harassment and discrimination prevention and awareness.Rhonda Goetz
Chrome Zebra, Inc.
Helping Employers Prevent Harassment and Discrimination Lawsuits
866.241.9927
http://www.chromezebra.com
Online Human Resource TrainingRhonda Goetz is the owner and CEO of Chrome Zebra. She also is an authorized harassment and discrimination trainer and online instructional designer.Her online courses provide businesses with an alternate training method that saves time and money. Employees train at their desks or workstations, and can train anytime. Businesses no longer have to lose production time to large training seminars, or hire expensive consultants or be locked into a set training schedule. Online training is cost-effective as well; per employee cost is approximately $25 or less for each employee.Get the F.ree 10 Tips to Prevent Sexual Harassment, sign up here.
Keyword : AB1825 training, sexual harassment , discrimination, AB1825, Harassment Prevention, Quid Pro Quo
What Do Wolves and Leadership Have In Common
Author : Rick Johnson
So exactly what do wolves have to do with CEO Strategist and leadership? The wolf is a very social animal. They travel together, eat together, hunt together and play together. There are referred to as a pack. The pack is generally a larger family group. Wolves within the pack are related by blood line. Being accepted, respected and cared for by their siblings and parents is important to the wolf. Isn't being cared about, trusted and respected important to every employee of every successful organization in the country?Just as management hierarchies vary in size, wolf packs vary in size but average six to seven members. Does that sound like an executive team? Each pack member plays a specific role with a very specific rank. Some young wolfs go off on their own (Lone Wolves), in search of their status. Generally speaking, the older wolves in the pack tend to be the leaders and they command the respect of the pack. They make the decisions for the group. The pack protects itself and it protects one another.
The lead wolf plays the role just as it sounds. He leads the pack. In fact, they generally will travel in single file with the lead wolf blazing the trail and setting the pace. Sounds like the role of the CEO doesn't it? The lead wolf however, is not afraid to share his roll. He will at times step aside to allow another up and coming wolf to take the lead. Make no mistake; each wolf in the pack has specific responsibilities. Each know in their own right that even if they don't aspire to be lead wolves, they must be prepared to step up to that responsibility if called upon. Does this have any relationship to bench strength and succession?Dominant wolves in the pack that do aspire to be leaders establish them selves in various ways. They might be larger, stronger or simply have a more aggressive personality. Captive wolves have been studied for years indicating complex behavior with regard to governance within the pack. Their communication with one another is also more elaborated than most of the other animal species.Wolves are very patient of themselves and of one another. They are very focused on their objective whatever it may be at the time. They respect each others role and depend that each wolf in the pack will live up to their individual responsibility. This in itself promotes group unity. Wolves are very careful that they do not enter into redundant duplicate efforts. Each wolf can be heard by the pack; a form of individual respect. Could we actually write a corporate mission statement from this paragraph?
Wolves have a sense of urgency. They depend on one another. They are very focused hard workers when it comes to feeding themselves. They are one of the wilds most effective hunters and yet in spite of that they hunt to live. They do not live to hunt. They live by an unwritten code that says the good of the pack comes first. How often do we uncover unsuccessful companies that are unsuccessful because the CEO or ownership put personal needs ahead of business needs?Lastly, one of the most common characteristics of the most successful leaders in wholesale distribution today is the extreme sense of curiosity. Wolves share this incessant curiosity about the world around them. They investigate everything, taking nothing for granted. They seek out opportunity. They have established specific priorities. Isn't that what successful leaders in business do today starting with the development of a strategic plan?CEO Strategist LLC definitely believes that wolves demonstrate a distinctive relationship to successful leadership in the world of business today. That is why we have chosen the Wolf as part of our logo. The first in a series of book publications explaining this relationship in business terms relative to leadership is being published in November 2005; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf "The Evolution of Sales". Look for a specific announcement on our website. A follow-up book publication; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf "The Evolution of Leadership" is due to be published in January 2006.Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He's also a published book author with four titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales" and a fiction novel "Shattered Innocence." Rick's next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership
Keyword : Leadership, management, success, mentor, executive management, coaching, distribution
So exactly what do wolves have to do with CEO Strategist and leadership? The wolf is a very social animal. They travel together, eat together, hunt together and play together. There are referred to as a pack. The pack is generally a larger family group. Wolves within the pack are related by blood line. Being accepted, respected and cared for by their siblings and parents is important to the wolf. Isn't being cared about, trusted and respected important to every employee of every successful organization in the country?Just as management hierarchies vary in size, wolf packs vary in size but average six to seven members. Does that sound like an executive team? Each pack member plays a specific role with a very specific rank. Some young wolfs go off on their own (Lone Wolves), in search of their status. Generally speaking, the older wolves in the pack tend to be the leaders and they command the respect of the pack. They make the decisions for the group. The pack protects itself and it protects one another.
The lead wolf plays the role just as it sounds. He leads the pack. In fact, they generally will travel in single file with the lead wolf blazing the trail and setting the pace. Sounds like the role of the CEO doesn't it? The lead wolf however, is not afraid to share his roll. He will at times step aside to allow another up and coming wolf to take the lead. Make no mistake; each wolf in the pack has specific responsibilities. Each know in their own right that even if they don't aspire to be lead wolves, they must be prepared to step up to that responsibility if called upon. Does this have any relationship to bench strength and succession?Dominant wolves in the pack that do aspire to be leaders establish them selves in various ways. They might be larger, stronger or simply have a more aggressive personality. Captive wolves have been studied for years indicating complex behavior with regard to governance within the pack. Their communication with one another is also more elaborated than most of the other animal species.Wolves are very patient of themselves and of one another. They are very focused on their objective whatever it may be at the time. They respect each others role and depend that each wolf in the pack will live up to their individual responsibility. This in itself promotes group unity. Wolves are very careful that they do not enter into redundant duplicate efforts. Each wolf can be heard by the pack; a form of individual respect. Could we actually write a corporate mission statement from this paragraph?
Wolves have a sense of urgency. They depend on one another. They are very focused hard workers when it comes to feeding themselves. They are one of the wilds most effective hunters and yet in spite of that they hunt to live. They do not live to hunt. They live by an unwritten code that says the good of the pack comes first. How often do we uncover unsuccessful companies that are unsuccessful because the CEO or ownership put personal needs ahead of business needs?Lastly, one of the most common characteristics of the most successful leaders in wholesale distribution today is the extreme sense of curiosity. Wolves share this incessant curiosity about the world around them. They investigate everything, taking nothing for granted. They seek out opportunity. They have established specific priorities. Isn't that what successful leaders in business do today starting with the development of a strategic plan?CEO Strategist LLC definitely believes that wolves demonstrate a distinctive relationship to successful leadership in the world of business today. That is why we have chosen the Wolf as part of our logo. The first in a series of book publications explaining this relationship in business terms relative to leadership is being published in November 2005; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf "The Evolution of Sales". Look for a specific announcement on our website. A follow-up book publication; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf "The Evolution of Leadership" is due to be published in January 2006.Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He's also a published book author with four titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales" and a fiction novel "Shattered Innocence." Rick's next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership
Keyword : Leadership, management, success, mentor, executive management, coaching, distribution
Conflict Resolution - Not As Simple As A, B, or C
Author : Kelly Graves
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just take a simple test to resolve your conflicts and have proper conflict resolution? A multiple choice test would be the best:1. The person you are in conflict with is?a. Controllingb. Indecisivec. DemeaningJust choose letter A, B or C and you magically uncover the solutions to all your conflict problems.How great and easy would that be!Unfortunately, conflict is much too complicated to squeeze into a simple multiple choice test. Conflict is a complex experience involving feelings, thoughts and behaviors of all people involved.No two people are exactly alike; therefore no two conflicts are exactly alike. Every conflict requires its own unique resolution that could never be figured out by answering a series of multiple choice questions.Remember, every conflict is unique. Each requires its own solution in order to arrive at a reasonable and fair resolution.Knowledge is power!By first understanding what your conflict looks like, you will begin creating fair and useful resolutions that everyone will be satisfied with.Here is a list of questions to ask when you are in the midst of conflict...ESSENTIAL CONFLICT RELATED QUESTIONS:
Is the conflict specific to a situation? (i.e. due to a specific event or person(s))
Does the conflict arise from a specific task or goal you are trying to accomplish?
Is the conflict related to defining what a goal should be?
Is the conflict due to differences in how a process should be carried out?
Is the conflict something people discuss freely or is it covert and "taboo?"
Does the conflict exist within a group or team, or among a few?
What has prompted you to seek conflict resolution now instead of earlier or later?
On a zero to ten scale (0= not a problem, 10=unbearable), how would you rate the level of conflict six months ago versus currently?
You may be able to answer these questions, but how do you begin to take the next step toward conflict resolution? Building on these questions often requires the assistance of a conflict resolution professional. A professional serves as an objective observer who understands how to identify and find resolution to even the most complex conflicts.Proper resolution to conflict will equal unparalleled benefits:
Create more profitable work teams
Improved communication, creativity and motivation
Inspire improved performance from employees
Strengthen employee loyalty and commitment
Improved organizational decision making and follow through
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Graves is the founder and CEO of Internal Solutions Consulting. ISC specializes in organizational conflict resolution. With over 85 years of combined experience in organizational conflict resolution, Internal Solutions is able to quickly address conflicts within an organization to facilitate a more successful, productive and profitable communication environment. For more informaiton about Internal Solutions Consulting please visit http://www.conflictresolutionusa.comARTICLE REPRODUCTION
We encourage people to reproduce this article for their own needs. The article must be reproduced in ITS ENTIRITY. Please include the 'ABOUT THE AUTHOR' section with all author credits, hyperlinks and names. Also please include this section regarding article reproduction.
Keyword : conflict resolution, workplace conflict, conflict resolution activities
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just take a simple test to resolve your conflicts and have proper conflict resolution? A multiple choice test would be the best:1. The person you are in conflict with is?a. Controllingb. Indecisivec. DemeaningJust choose letter A, B or C and you magically uncover the solutions to all your conflict problems.How great and easy would that be!Unfortunately, conflict is much too complicated to squeeze into a simple multiple choice test. Conflict is a complex experience involving feelings, thoughts and behaviors of all people involved.No two people are exactly alike; therefore no two conflicts are exactly alike. Every conflict requires its own unique resolution that could never be figured out by answering a series of multiple choice questions.Remember, every conflict is unique. Each requires its own solution in order to arrive at a reasonable and fair resolution.Knowledge is power!By first understanding what your conflict looks like, you will begin creating fair and useful resolutions that everyone will be satisfied with.Here is a list of questions to ask when you are in the midst of conflict...ESSENTIAL CONFLICT RELATED QUESTIONS:
Is the conflict specific to a situation? (i.e. due to a specific event or person(s))
Does the conflict arise from a specific task or goal you are trying to accomplish?
Is the conflict related to defining what a goal should be?
Is the conflict due to differences in how a process should be carried out?
Is the conflict something people discuss freely or is it covert and "taboo?"
Does the conflict exist within a group or team, or among a few?
What has prompted you to seek conflict resolution now instead of earlier or later?
On a zero to ten scale (0= not a problem, 10=unbearable), how would you rate the level of conflict six months ago versus currently?
You may be able to answer these questions, but how do you begin to take the next step toward conflict resolution? Building on these questions often requires the assistance of a conflict resolution professional. A professional serves as an objective observer who understands how to identify and find resolution to even the most complex conflicts.Proper resolution to conflict will equal unparalleled benefits:
Create more profitable work teams
Improved communication, creativity and motivation
Inspire improved performance from employees
Strengthen employee loyalty and commitment
Improved organizational decision making and follow through
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Graves is the founder and CEO of Internal Solutions Consulting. ISC specializes in organizational conflict resolution. With over 85 years of combined experience in organizational conflict resolution, Internal Solutions is able to quickly address conflicts within an organization to facilitate a more successful, productive and profitable communication environment. For more informaiton about Internal Solutions Consulting please visit http://www.conflictresolutionusa.comARTICLE REPRODUCTION
We encourage people to reproduce this article for their own needs. The article must be reproduced in ITS ENTIRITY. Please include the 'ABOUT THE AUTHOR' section with all author credits, hyperlinks and names. Also please include this section regarding article reproduction.
Keyword : conflict resolution, workplace conflict, conflict resolution activities
Encourage Curiosity and Generate Creative Employees
Author : Robin Henry
I was sitting at my desk trying to get inspiration for an edition of a newsletter I write when grandson Tory, who hangs out with me a lot said, 'What's this Pop?' He'd been progressively going through the top drawer of my desk and it was about the 10th time I'd answered. It got me thinking about curiosity and how uncluttered minds remember.When we are three like Tory we are very curious about our physical world and the cornucopia of gadgets and animate beings that fill it. It's a period of rapid intellectual development, excitement at every turn, and discovery. My young companion constantly amazes me how he can recall days later, names he has heard once. (I can't even remember where I left my cordless phone half hour beforehand!)I encourage (and reward) Tory's curiosity by taking time out to demonstrate or discuss the things about which he is curious. For example, when he asked me what a staple puller was, I demonstrated by placing a staple in a sheet of paper and then pulled it out with the staple puller. He may not yet know why we use staples to hold sheets of paper together, but he sure knows that one process places the staple and another removes it.As the years pass, we become more selective in what we remember and our curiosity diminishes to varying degrees. Imagine what we could do as managers if we could inculcate a sense of curiosity in our employees/learners.Marketers often use a device to arouse curiosity in their readers. And it works. The question is, what devices can we use in our workplaces to develop curiosity in our people?An example that comes to mind is to implement a suggestion box. I recall an excellent example of how useful suggestion boxes can be from my service in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Vietnam War era. While some of our bombs were fitted with devices to make them explode above ground level, it was a hit and miss approach … some exploded at the right altitude and others didn't. My boss, an electrical engineer, was curious why this was happening and after looking at the triggering mechanism, 'suggested' how it could be improved. His suggestion was adopted and worked. The RAAF sent him a cheque for $3,000 (quite a lot in 1969).Rather than having a truck load of suggestion boxes placed here and there within our organizations and hoping someone will place a worthwhile suggestion, I like the idea of circulating a list of 'challenges' that need resolving and asking staff to come up with options.Management doesn't have all the answers (although many managers believe they do) and quite often the lowest salaried staff can see things that management can't (or see things with a different perspective).If we peak curiosity, imagination and creativity will follow. Rather than having people 'Turn off their brains when they come to work', we want them to 'Turn on their creativity and imagination' and hopefully solve some of our challenges.In this rapidly changing and global world, creativity and imagination are the only really viable skills for long term survival. And it's much more fun than anything I can think of that we might call work.Copyright 2005 Robin HenryRobin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet entrepreneur. He helps small and home-based businesses and individuals improve performance by applying smart technology and processes and developing personally. He runs his business Desert Wave Enterprises from his home base at Alice Springs in Central Australia, although at present he is working in the United Arab Emirates.If you need to streamline your business email system, implement a link management program, get a world class Internet site management program, or simply need to know how to apply for a government job, Robin can help.
Keyword : creativity,problem solving,robin henry,creative employees,employees,imagination,solving problems
I was sitting at my desk trying to get inspiration for an edition of a newsletter I write when grandson Tory, who hangs out with me a lot said, 'What's this Pop?' He'd been progressively going through the top drawer of my desk and it was about the 10th time I'd answered. It got me thinking about curiosity and how uncluttered minds remember.When we are three like Tory we are very curious about our physical world and the cornucopia of gadgets and animate beings that fill it. It's a period of rapid intellectual development, excitement at every turn, and discovery. My young companion constantly amazes me how he can recall days later, names he has heard once. (I can't even remember where I left my cordless phone half hour beforehand!)I encourage (and reward) Tory's curiosity by taking time out to demonstrate or discuss the things about which he is curious. For example, when he asked me what a staple puller was, I demonstrated by placing a staple in a sheet of paper and then pulled it out with the staple puller. He may not yet know why we use staples to hold sheets of paper together, but he sure knows that one process places the staple and another removes it.As the years pass, we become more selective in what we remember and our curiosity diminishes to varying degrees. Imagine what we could do as managers if we could inculcate a sense of curiosity in our employees/learners.Marketers often use a device to arouse curiosity in their readers. And it works. The question is, what devices can we use in our workplaces to develop curiosity in our people?An example that comes to mind is to implement a suggestion box. I recall an excellent example of how useful suggestion boxes can be from my service in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Vietnam War era. While some of our bombs were fitted with devices to make them explode above ground level, it was a hit and miss approach … some exploded at the right altitude and others didn't. My boss, an electrical engineer, was curious why this was happening and after looking at the triggering mechanism, 'suggested' how it could be improved. His suggestion was adopted and worked. The RAAF sent him a cheque for $3,000 (quite a lot in 1969).Rather than having a truck load of suggestion boxes placed here and there within our organizations and hoping someone will place a worthwhile suggestion, I like the idea of circulating a list of 'challenges' that need resolving and asking staff to come up with options.Management doesn't have all the answers (although many managers believe they do) and quite often the lowest salaried staff can see things that management can't (or see things with a different perspective).If we peak curiosity, imagination and creativity will follow. Rather than having people 'Turn off their brains when they come to work', we want them to 'Turn on their creativity and imagination' and hopefully solve some of our challenges.In this rapidly changing and global world, creativity and imagination are the only really viable skills for long term survival. And it's much more fun than anything I can think of that we might call work.Copyright 2005 Robin HenryRobin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet entrepreneur. He helps small and home-based businesses and individuals improve performance by applying smart technology and processes and developing personally. He runs his business Desert Wave Enterprises from his home base at Alice Springs in Central Australia, although at present he is working in the United Arab Emirates.If you need to streamline your business email system, implement a link management program, get a world class Internet site management program, or simply need to know how to apply for a government job, Robin can help.
Keyword : creativity,problem solving,robin henry,creative employees,employees,imagination,solving problems
Managing Organizational Change - Some Basic Principles
Author : R.G. Srinivasan
Managing transition is never easy. The loss of familiarity with the new processes, necessity and ability to learn new things and new ways of working is often very painful. The people and organizations accustomed to a certain way of work will take time to change.While change is essential for progress, what are the elements to focus in preparing for the change management initiative?VisionHelen Keller said "nothing is more tragic than someone who has sight, but no vision". Vision inspires all change and development. Vision whips up passion for achievement. Vision is the outward projection of the mankind's core values and dreams of greatness. Nothing can inspire a person more than vision of excellence and his own contribution to such excellence. The power of vision is the major tool in the change managers' arsenal for creating quick acceptance and effective implementation of the change initiative.Sense of direction and purposeA clear focus on what we want achieved out of the change initiatives and why would bring a sense of direction. Unless people understand clearly the purpose and direction they may not be enthusiastic about the process which is likely to be painful.MicromanagingChange initiatives often turn into exercise into micromanaging, effectively cutting off employee initiative. If an entire organization is accustomed to being micro managed and told what to do, they would wait to be told before taking decisions. The change manager should focus on results desired and the approach to it and leave the micro management to the junior management. Micromanagement ultimately compromises the larger gains to be made out of the change management initiative.KnowledgeKnowledge is the key to success for a change agent. He needs to learn new and effective ways of doing things and communicate them to people where change is desired. Often it is best to take stock of the ground realities rather than be a theorist and go purely by data.Rewards and RecognitionFirst share the cash then share the compliments holds good for the change initiatives too. When there is a reward for change and improved performance, much of the objections to change can be easily put aside. Celebrate the successful adopters to change widely with promotions, increased pay checks and recognition to drive the change process faster.Final ThoughtsNo organization can insulate itself from change. The change process is driven by external environment and beyond the control of managements. Unless the change leaders prepare the organization and its people for change in tune with the changes sweeping the globe, the organization would be left behind in spite of good products and people, and ultimately die an untimely death. How well you prepare the people for constant change would decide your survival and success.R.G. Srinivasan is a managerial professional, Writer and Author. He writes a regular blog on management thoughts with interesting articles, resources, personal experiences and links useful for all managers at http://management-thoughts.blogspot.com
Keyword : change management. transition, organizational change, change principles, change effectiveness
Managing transition is never easy. The loss of familiarity with the new processes, necessity and ability to learn new things and new ways of working is often very painful. The people and organizations accustomed to a certain way of work will take time to change.While change is essential for progress, what are the elements to focus in preparing for the change management initiative?VisionHelen Keller said "nothing is more tragic than someone who has sight, but no vision". Vision inspires all change and development. Vision whips up passion for achievement. Vision is the outward projection of the mankind's core values and dreams of greatness. Nothing can inspire a person more than vision of excellence and his own contribution to such excellence. The power of vision is the major tool in the change managers' arsenal for creating quick acceptance and effective implementation of the change initiative.Sense of direction and purposeA clear focus on what we want achieved out of the change initiatives and why would bring a sense of direction. Unless people understand clearly the purpose and direction they may not be enthusiastic about the process which is likely to be painful.MicromanagingChange initiatives often turn into exercise into micromanaging, effectively cutting off employee initiative. If an entire organization is accustomed to being micro managed and told what to do, they would wait to be told before taking decisions. The change manager should focus on results desired and the approach to it and leave the micro management to the junior management. Micromanagement ultimately compromises the larger gains to be made out of the change management initiative.KnowledgeKnowledge is the key to success for a change agent. He needs to learn new and effective ways of doing things and communicate them to people where change is desired. Often it is best to take stock of the ground realities rather than be a theorist and go purely by data.Rewards and RecognitionFirst share the cash then share the compliments holds good for the change initiatives too. When there is a reward for change and improved performance, much of the objections to change can be easily put aside. Celebrate the successful adopters to change widely with promotions, increased pay checks and recognition to drive the change process faster.Final ThoughtsNo organization can insulate itself from change. The change process is driven by external environment and beyond the control of managements. Unless the change leaders prepare the organization and its people for change in tune with the changes sweeping the globe, the organization would be left behind in spite of good products and people, and ultimately die an untimely death. How well you prepare the people for constant change would decide your survival and success.R.G. Srinivasan is a managerial professional, Writer and Author. He writes a regular blog on management thoughts with interesting articles, resources, personal experiences and links useful for all managers at http://management-thoughts.blogspot.com
Keyword : change management. transition, organizational change, change principles, change effectiveness
The Value of Values
Author : Eric Garner
One of the toughest jobs a leader has to perform is to act as guardian of an organisation's values.An organisation's values are the things that are really important to it.In the early days of an enterprise, the values are sometimes the only thing that keeps the business going. When other factors make the chances of survival doubtful, such as funds, markets, and technology, it is the set of beliefs held by the original founders which pull the business through. The beliefs of the organization are almost always the beliefs of the original leaders.These beliefs are intangible. Think of Unilever's belief in co-operation, or Mars's belief in efficiency, or IBM's belief in innovation, or Hewlett-Packard's belief in "plain hard work", or Levi-Strauss's belief in empathy with its customers. It is the high value placed on these beliefs that ensure these organizations survive in the first place and continue to survive.As the years go by, and the organization changes its technology, its products and its leaders, there is a danger that it may abandon its original set of beliefs or relegate them in importance or forget them. To do so is to risk corporate suicide. If original values have to change – often a difficult step – then new values must replace them and be as meaningful, relevant and important as the original ones.As custodians of the organisation's values, leaders have to know the values, live the values, and preserve the values. John Maxwell tells the story of how John Wooden, head basketball coach at the University of California, put values before expediency. Wooden had spotted an outstanding young basketball player whose skills would be an asset to his line-up. Everyone urged him to sign the youth. But Wooden was unsure. Something in the young man's demeanour bothered him. So he arranged a home visit, with the contract all prepared in his inside pocket. When he took tea with the family, he couldn't help noticing a disrespectfulness in the youth's attitude towards his mother. One of the key values in Wooden's team was respect. And it was a value he intended to maintain. As a result, the contract stayed in his pocket.Values are not just important for the organization. They are the touchstone that determines whether people succeed in the organization. When the chips are down, it's not what you do that counts, but whether you stay true to the values. As Christel Brown says, "People do things because of their values. People rob banks because their values include greed, more money and maybe recognition. People die on the battlefield because their values include love of their country and patriotism." Values are the ultimate people motivators. In organizations where values matter, people may be dismissed for violating the rules; they should always be dismissed for violating the values.John Maxwell says that values are at the heart of everything an organization does, hence the use of the phrase "core values".
"Values are like glue. They hold an organization together.
Values are like a ruler. They set the standard for a team's performance.
Values are like a compass. They give direction and guidance.
Values are like a magnet. They attract like-minded people.
Values provide identity. They define and identify the team."One last example. Few people today have heard of Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. But these three were the driving force and inspiration that created Nike, the footwear and clothing colossus. And what drove them? A passionate belief that things could be done. The stories of Bowerman's endless experiments with the family waffle iron into which he poured rubber to create the best running shoe sole are legendary. So are Prefontaine's battles to make running a professional sport. Today, Nike actually employs executives as "corporate storytellers" to remind their staff of the values of the original founders and that their business is about getting things done.In business, as in life, beliefs can move mountains. Without belief, without a positive set of beliefs, and without action to act on these beliefs, we achieve nothing. Our beliefs and values drive us and our businesses. As Alvin Toffler says, "Every business has a belief system and it is at least as important as its accounting system or its authority system."© Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.comFor instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download your FREE personal copies of our training software. And while you're there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!
Keyword : values, beliefs, core values, what's important, corporate identity, what matters
One of the toughest jobs a leader has to perform is to act as guardian of an organisation's values.An organisation's values are the things that are really important to it.In the early days of an enterprise, the values are sometimes the only thing that keeps the business going. When other factors make the chances of survival doubtful, such as funds, markets, and technology, it is the set of beliefs held by the original founders which pull the business through. The beliefs of the organization are almost always the beliefs of the original leaders.These beliefs are intangible. Think of Unilever's belief in co-operation, or Mars's belief in efficiency, or IBM's belief in innovation, or Hewlett-Packard's belief in "plain hard work", or Levi-Strauss's belief in empathy with its customers. It is the high value placed on these beliefs that ensure these organizations survive in the first place and continue to survive.As the years go by, and the organization changes its technology, its products and its leaders, there is a danger that it may abandon its original set of beliefs or relegate them in importance or forget them. To do so is to risk corporate suicide. If original values have to change – often a difficult step – then new values must replace them and be as meaningful, relevant and important as the original ones.As custodians of the organisation's values, leaders have to know the values, live the values, and preserve the values. John Maxwell tells the story of how John Wooden, head basketball coach at the University of California, put values before expediency. Wooden had spotted an outstanding young basketball player whose skills would be an asset to his line-up. Everyone urged him to sign the youth. But Wooden was unsure. Something in the young man's demeanour bothered him. So he arranged a home visit, with the contract all prepared in his inside pocket. When he took tea with the family, he couldn't help noticing a disrespectfulness in the youth's attitude towards his mother. One of the key values in Wooden's team was respect. And it was a value he intended to maintain. As a result, the contract stayed in his pocket.Values are not just important for the organization. They are the touchstone that determines whether people succeed in the organization. When the chips are down, it's not what you do that counts, but whether you stay true to the values. As Christel Brown says, "People do things because of their values. People rob banks because their values include greed, more money and maybe recognition. People die on the battlefield because their values include love of their country and patriotism." Values are the ultimate people motivators. In organizations where values matter, people may be dismissed for violating the rules; they should always be dismissed for violating the values.John Maxwell says that values are at the heart of everything an organization does, hence the use of the phrase "core values".
"Values are like glue. They hold an organization together.
Values are like a ruler. They set the standard for a team's performance.
Values are like a compass. They give direction and guidance.
Values are like a magnet. They attract like-minded people.
Values provide identity. They define and identify the team."One last example. Few people today have heard of Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. But these three were the driving force and inspiration that created Nike, the footwear and clothing colossus. And what drove them? A passionate belief that things could be done. The stories of Bowerman's endless experiments with the family waffle iron into which he poured rubber to create the best running shoe sole are legendary. So are Prefontaine's battles to make running a professional sport. Today, Nike actually employs executives as "corporate storytellers" to remind their staff of the values of the original founders and that their business is about getting things done.In business, as in life, beliefs can move mountains. Without belief, without a positive set of beliefs, and without action to act on these beliefs, we achieve nothing. Our beliefs and values drive us and our businesses. As Alvin Toffler says, "Every business has a belief system and it is at least as important as its accounting system or its authority system."© Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.comFor instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download your FREE personal copies of our training software. And while you're there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!
Keyword : values, beliefs, core values, what's important, corporate identity, what matters
The Six Sigma Approach
Author : Deepshiksa Khosla
To put it in layman language, the Six Sigma proposition is all about improving capabilities of business process to such an extent that there in no margin for poor quality. Customers value unswerving, consistent, predictable and world-class quality from a product or service. More often than not however, businesses measure their performance on averages and average-based measures of the recent past. With a Six Sigma approach the organization ensures that the customers are not presented with a variant experience of the service or product every time. The idea is to reduce variation and improve business processes to such an extent that customers are delighted with the consistency of the product or service quality.The Six Sigma approach recognizes and eliminates defects through a structured, data driven, problem solving method by using painstakingly collected data which is further subjected to statistical analysis. Quantitatively, a Six Sigma approach means fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities, where an opportunity is a chance for non-conformance. In most businesses today, the cost of poor quality represents an astounding 20% to 30% of total revenues. With a Six Sigma approach, the company attempts to reduce these costs, while focusing on achieving world class quality levels.The main point of difference between a Six Sigma program and other performance improvement programs is that while the latter tries to measure output variables and puts in place controls (like an inspection program) to protect customers from organizational defects, the former tackles the problem at the root level thus eliminating the need for any inspection and reworking.The Six Sigma approach begins with asking customers what is critical to them. After this a rigorous analysis is done for each and every process in the business to asses whether the business is able to deliver irtual perfection and that which the customer deems crucial each and every time. Data is used to reveal the core causes of the defects and then to eliminate or improve the hindrances from the process. Financial and statistical analysis are the primary tools to implement a Six Sigma process. Not only will this lead to improved customer satisfaction, but also increase profit margins, reduce cycle times and cut costs.The goal of a Six Sigma program is to minimize variation amongst all the critical processes. These processes don necessarily have to be product floor or manufacturing processes. The can related to billing and invoicing, new product development, processing customer orders, managing human resources, recruitment, budgeting or any of the other business processes by which an organization manages its overall running and operations.The implementation of Six Sigma is not a trifling matter. It requires commitment monetary commitments and wholehearted involvement of employees. A proper foundation needs to be set in place so that training funds are utilized effectively. The business has to adopt a new working culture in which nearly good enough is just not enough. It must be perfect. Organizations that have adopted this approach bear witness that Six Sigma is definitely worth the effort!Deepshikha Khosla writes on a variety of topics include Six Sigma. See http://www.sixsigmahome.us
Keyword : six sigma, quality
To put it in layman language, the Six Sigma proposition is all about improving capabilities of business process to such an extent that there in no margin for poor quality. Customers value unswerving, consistent, predictable and world-class quality from a product or service. More often than not however, businesses measure their performance on averages and average-based measures of the recent past. With a Six Sigma approach the organization ensures that the customers are not presented with a variant experience of the service or product every time. The idea is to reduce variation and improve business processes to such an extent that customers are delighted with the consistency of the product or service quality.The Six Sigma approach recognizes and eliminates defects through a structured, data driven, problem solving method by using painstakingly collected data which is further subjected to statistical analysis. Quantitatively, a Six Sigma approach means fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities, where an opportunity is a chance for non-conformance. In most businesses today, the cost of poor quality represents an astounding 20% to 30% of total revenues. With a Six Sigma approach, the company attempts to reduce these costs, while focusing on achieving world class quality levels.The main point of difference between a Six Sigma program and other performance improvement programs is that while the latter tries to measure output variables and puts in place controls (like an inspection program) to protect customers from organizational defects, the former tackles the problem at the root level thus eliminating the need for any inspection and reworking.The Six Sigma approach begins with asking customers what is critical to them. After this a rigorous analysis is done for each and every process in the business to asses whether the business is able to deliver irtual perfection and that which the customer deems crucial each and every time. Data is used to reveal the core causes of the defects and then to eliminate or improve the hindrances from the process. Financial and statistical analysis are the primary tools to implement a Six Sigma process. Not only will this lead to improved customer satisfaction, but also increase profit margins, reduce cycle times and cut costs.The goal of a Six Sigma program is to minimize variation amongst all the critical processes. These processes don necessarily have to be product floor or manufacturing processes. The can related to billing and invoicing, new product development, processing customer orders, managing human resources, recruitment, budgeting or any of the other business processes by which an organization manages its overall running and operations.The implementation of Six Sigma is not a trifling matter. It requires commitment monetary commitments and wholehearted involvement of employees. A proper foundation needs to be set in place so that training funds are utilized effectively. The business has to adopt a new working culture in which nearly good enough is just not enough. It must be perfect. Organizations that have adopted this approach bear witness that Six Sigma is definitely worth the effort!Deepshikha Khosla writes on a variety of topics include Six Sigma. See http://www.sixsigmahome.us
Keyword : six sigma, quality
Getting and Keeping Good People
Author : Paul Phillips
As the competition for talented people picks up, forward thinking managers need to assess how they are positioned to keep their good people and attract some more.Get the basics right
People who have choices, and good people normally do, look for certain features in their employer. It continues to amaze us as we visit different businesses how little attention is paid to some of the basics in the work place.Why would someone put up with poor pay, disinterested management, run down physical surroundings, poor equipment and sub standard recreation facilities (and by this we mean something as basic as a lunch room and tea and coffee!) if they had a choice.Those are just the basics. To really compete, you need more.A professional team
People who have a choice want to belong to a business that is going somewhere. A place where their work matters and they know it makes a contribution and they are recognised for it.They also want to work somewhere that fits their values, is clear on what is expected from its people and is professional in its approach to managing them.You need to have a vision and plans to get there. You then have to communicate these to your people and get them excited. You need to define your values, or core competencies, and involve people in acquiring them. This way they will then feel they are on a team of like minded professionals doing worthwhile work.Rewards are important
Of course rewards are important, but this does not mean paying the highest salary. A fair and consistent way of recognising people's performance financially and non financially is a key tool in keeping people on board. Having a fair and competitive pay system linked to individual performance is a start. Throw out those awards - you need to exceed their provisions.You also need to have a process for doing this so you don't just end up paying more to attract new people as you are losing old ones.On top of the financial rewards, interesting work, challenge, a sense of achievement and recognition go a long way to motivating people. After a reasonable level pay is achieved, these are the real motivators. And these can often be provided at very little cost.Give them room to grow
Probably one of the key factors for attracting and retaining good people is providing room and support for them to grow and develop. This means different things to different people. Training on the latest version of the accounting software may be exciting for one person whereas working along side the Marketing Director learning about strategic planning may be what someone else wants.Making sure these actions are identified, in line with business needs and carried out requires some effort. But it is a good investment - both in business knowledge and in keeping people and continually improving their performance and satisfaction levels.
To check how you are doing in these areas, use the Diagnostic Tool at the website shown below. It will take about ten minutes to complete and will provide you with a graphical display of your rating plus a written report you can then use for input to your plans.Paul Phillips is a Director and Co-founder of Horizon Management Group, a consulting business dedicated to assisting businesses manage their people more effectively. He has over 30 years experience in human resources and, while based in Australia, has worked in a number of overseas locations. http://www.horizonmg.com
Keyword : human resource,attraction and retention,
As the competition for talented people picks up, forward thinking managers need to assess how they are positioned to keep their good people and attract some more.Get the basics right
People who have choices, and good people normally do, look for certain features in their employer. It continues to amaze us as we visit different businesses how little attention is paid to some of the basics in the work place.Why would someone put up with poor pay, disinterested management, run down physical surroundings, poor equipment and sub standard recreation facilities (and by this we mean something as basic as a lunch room and tea and coffee!) if they had a choice.Those are just the basics. To really compete, you need more.A professional team
People who have a choice want to belong to a business that is going somewhere. A place where their work matters and they know it makes a contribution and they are recognised for it.They also want to work somewhere that fits their values, is clear on what is expected from its people and is professional in its approach to managing them.You need to have a vision and plans to get there. You then have to communicate these to your people and get them excited. You need to define your values, or core competencies, and involve people in acquiring them. This way they will then feel they are on a team of like minded professionals doing worthwhile work.Rewards are important
Of course rewards are important, but this does not mean paying the highest salary. A fair and consistent way of recognising people's performance financially and non financially is a key tool in keeping people on board. Having a fair and competitive pay system linked to individual performance is a start. Throw out those awards - you need to exceed their provisions.You also need to have a process for doing this so you don't just end up paying more to attract new people as you are losing old ones.On top of the financial rewards, interesting work, challenge, a sense of achievement and recognition go a long way to motivating people. After a reasonable level pay is achieved, these are the real motivators. And these can often be provided at very little cost.Give them room to grow
Probably one of the key factors for attracting and retaining good people is providing room and support for them to grow and develop. This means different things to different people. Training on the latest version of the accounting software may be exciting for one person whereas working along side the Marketing Director learning about strategic planning may be what someone else wants.Making sure these actions are identified, in line with business needs and carried out requires some effort. But it is a good investment - both in business knowledge and in keeping people and continually improving their performance and satisfaction levels.
To check how you are doing in these areas, use the Diagnostic Tool at the website shown below. It will take about ten minutes to complete and will provide you with a graphical display of your rating plus a written report you can then use for input to your plans.Paul Phillips is a Director and Co-founder of Horizon Management Group, a consulting business dedicated to assisting businesses manage their people more effectively. He has over 30 years experience in human resources and, while based in Australia, has worked in a number of overseas locations. http://www.horizonmg.com
Keyword : human resource,attraction and retention,
Solving Organizational Problems Once and For All: Play Pitch and Catch!
Author : Kenneth Wallace
One of the primary functions of management and leadership is to solve organizational problems. An organizational problem occurs whenever the work practices and processes of those tasked with producing specific results do not actually produce those results. How can a manager solve such problems in an efficient and effective manner so that your organization remains on track for profitability and success?The word "problem" literally means "to throw." A baseball pitcher finds it impossible to hold onto the ball and pitch it at the same time. In other words, to solve a problem you must not hold onto it but rather "throw it" out for discussion to get other perspectives and ideas regarding its causes and consequences. When you do this, you begin to see the "bigger picture" because you can view the problem from a distance. More importantly, you "throw" the problem into your organization's collective pool of experience and wisdom whose depth will provide the most appropriate solution(s) in a timely manner.Based on this understanding of "problem," it becomes clear that a manager's job is not to solve problems all by him/herself; rather, it is to nurture the process of collective problem solving among the work force making sure that everyone is both a pitcher and a catcher. Everyone is trained and encouraged to throw problems they see into the collective talent pool; at the same time, everyone is equipped with a "glove" to catch the problems thrown by others in the organization.It must be said that this is not as easy as it sounds. We've been trained over many years that talking with others about our problems is in bad taste. Nobody wants to hear about your problems, we've been told. Besides, everybody has enough of their own problems to be concerned about yours. And so we keep it to ourselves and think that we must solve it ourselves without bothering anyone else. Author Paul Strauss says: "Collaboration is the least of our skills. We don't like to share. Society stresses individual competition so working together is unnatural to us." When everyone in an organization keeps problems to themselves the problems soon take on a life of their own and grow much bigger and have a greater negative impact than they actually should warrant.Learn how to play "pitch and catch" with problems in your organization and you'll soon see a big difference in the number of problems you're faced with. The number will go down and you'll find that you actually enjoy your work more.Point #1: A problem shared is a burden divided. This helps the organization move toward the most appropriate solution in the least amount of time.How do you create an organizational culture in which problems are willingly thrown and caught? The easiest and most cost-effective method for creating such a culture is for management to continually encourage problem sharing and solving behavior. You've heard it said that everything in an organization "starts at the top," or "rolls downhill." Presuming that leadership is positioned at the top of the organizational chart, this is true. However, in an organization that is defined by a structure the foundation of which is formed by its leadership, everything grows from the "bottom up." Just as crops are nurtured by proper nutrients in the soil and adequate amounts of sun and moisture, so, too, organizational cultures are nurtured by proper sources of growth from the soil of management leadership. In both cases, if the necessary ingredients for growth are not present in a sustained and sufficient manner, the result will be a meager harvest
-- and eventual death.One of the proper sources for optimal organizational growth is continual management/ownership encouragement of collective problem sharing and solving behaviors throughout the workforce. This is an essential ingredient for success. If you're having difficulties dealing with problems in your business, ask yourself: "Am I regularly encouraging my employees to play "pitch and catch" with the problems we seem to always be having?" If your answer is "No," then you'll know what to do next: at your next meeting with employees, raise the issue of problem solving and tell them you'd like for them to play more at work -- play more "pitch and catch" with the problems they see in the organization. But you have to be part of the team, too. Owners and managers are not the referees in this game of problem solving: they are player/coaches. Everybody throws and everybody catches -- those are the rules of the game.Point #2: A problem unshared is a problem unsolved; a problem unsolved is a growing problem. This is not the kind of "growth" you want in your organization. Grow joy instead.When you find a collective solution, then it's time to share the joy. To paraphrase the words of Jesus in the New Testament: "There is more joy in the organization at the solving of a single problem than over the multitude of things that go right everyday." When the employees of an organization know what the problem is because of playing "pitch and catch," they have a mutual interest in solving it and in celebrating the solution. Don't forget to celebrate the team victory over the problem and to keep track of the successes the solution produces over a period of time. Keeping the players informed as to on-going successes keeps them emotionally rewarded for having made the best choice and done the "right" thing; it also provides paced motivation for employees to continue to play "pitch and catch:" they can see that this sort of "play" really works.Point #3: A problem solved is a joy multiplied. Anytime you can foster joy in your organization, you will prosper in terms of both employee and customer loyalty. An excellent way to create and sustain joy is by solving a problem together and tracking the results of the solution.The organization that plays this game of "pitch and catch" together stays and grows together!Ken Wallace, M. Div., CSL has been in the organizational development field since 1973. He is a seasoned consultant, speaker and executive coach with extensive business experience in multiple industries who provides practical organizational direction and support for business leaders. A professional member of the National Speakers Association since 1989, he is also a member of the International Federation for Professional Speaking and holds the Certified Seminar Leader (CSL) professional designation awarded by the American Seminar Leaders Association.Ken is one of only eight certified Business Systems Coaches worldwide for General Motors.His topics include ethics, leadership, change, communication & his unique Optimal Process Design® program.Tel:(800)235-5690 Claim your free eBook, "How to Do Better Than Your Best in Anything You Do" by visiting the Better Than Your Best website.
Keyword : management,leadership,organizational problems,problem solving,growth,joy,motivation,workplace,profit
One of the primary functions of management and leadership is to solve organizational problems. An organizational problem occurs whenever the work practices and processes of those tasked with producing specific results do not actually produce those results. How can a manager solve such problems in an efficient and effective manner so that your organization remains on track for profitability and success?The word "problem" literally means "to throw." A baseball pitcher finds it impossible to hold onto the ball and pitch it at the same time. In other words, to solve a problem you must not hold onto it but rather "throw it" out for discussion to get other perspectives and ideas regarding its causes and consequences. When you do this, you begin to see the "bigger picture" because you can view the problem from a distance. More importantly, you "throw" the problem into your organization's collective pool of experience and wisdom whose depth will provide the most appropriate solution(s) in a timely manner.Based on this understanding of "problem," it becomes clear that a manager's job is not to solve problems all by him/herself; rather, it is to nurture the process of collective problem solving among the work force making sure that everyone is both a pitcher and a catcher. Everyone is trained and encouraged to throw problems they see into the collective talent pool; at the same time, everyone is equipped with a "glove" to catch the problems thrown by others in the organization.It must be said that this is not as easy as it sounds. We've been trained over many years that talking with others about our problems is in bad taste. Nobody wants to hear about your problems, we've been told. Besides, everybody has enough of their own problems to be concerned about yours. And so we keep it to ourselves and think that we must solve it ourselves without bothering anyone else. Author Paul Strauss says: "Collaboration is the least of our skills. We don't like to share. Society stresses individual competition so working together is unnatural to us." When everyone in an organization keeps problems to themselves the problems soon take on a life of their own and grow much bigger and have a greater negative impact than they actually should warrant.Learn how to play "pitch and catch" with problems in your organization and you'll soon see a big difference in the number of problems you're faced with. The number will go down and you'll find that you actually enjoy your work more.Point #1: A problem shared is a burden divided. This helps the organization move toward the most appropriate solution in the least amount of time.How do you create an organizational culture in which problems are willingly thrown and caught? The easiest and most cost-effective method for creating such a culture is for management to continually encourage problem sharing and solving behavior. You've heard it said that everything in an organization "starts at the top," or "rolls downhill." Presuming that leadership is positioned at the top of the organizational chart, this is true. However, in an organization that is defined by a structure the foundation of which is formed by its leadership, everything grows from the "bottom up." Just as crops are nurtured by proper nutrients in the soil and adequate amounts of sun and moisture, so, too, organizational cultures are nurtured by proper sources of growth from the soil of management leadership. In both cases, if the necessary ingredients for growth are not present in a sustained and sufficient manner, the result will be a meager harvest
-- and eventual death.One of the proper sources for optimal organizational growth is continual management/ownership encouragement of collective problem sharing and solving behaviors throughout the workforce. This is an essential ingredient for success. If you're having difficulties dealing with problems in your business, ask yourself: "Am I regularly encouraging my employees to play "pitch and catch" with the problems we seem to always be having?" If your answer is "No," then you'll know what to do next: at your next meeting with employees, raise the issue of problem solving and tell them you'd like for them to play more at work -- play more "pitch and catch" with the problems they see in the organization. But you have to be part of the team, too. Owners and managers are not the referees in this game of problem solving: they are player/coaches. Everybody throws and everybody catches -- those are the rules of the game.Point #2: A problem unshared is a problem unsolved; a problem unsolved is a growing problem. This is not the kind of "growth" you want in your organization. Grow joy instead.When you find a collective solution, then it's time to share the joy. To paraphrase the words of Jesus in the New Testament: "There is more joy in the organization at the solving of a single problem than over the multitude of things that go right everyday." When the employees of an organization know what the problem is because of playing "pitch and catch," they have a mutual interest in solving it and in celebrating the solution. Don't forget to celebrate the team victory over the problem and to keep track of the successes the solution produces over a period of time. Keeping the players informed as to on-going successes keeps them emotionally rewarded for having made the best choice and done the "right" thing; it also provides paced motivation for employees to continue to play "pitch and catch:" they can see that this sort of "play" really works.Point #3: A problem solved is a joy multiplied. Anytime you can foster joy in your organization, you will prosper in terms of both employee and customer loyalty. An excellent way to create and sustain joy is by solving a problem together and tracking the results of the solution.The organization that plays this game of "pitch and catch" together stays and grows together!Ken Wallace, M. Div., CSL has been in the organizational development field since 1973. He is a seasoned consultant, speaker and executive coach with extensive business experience in multiple industries who provides practical organizational direction and support for business leaders. A professional member of the National Speakers Association since 1989, he is also a member of the International Federation for Professional Speaking and holds the Certified Seminar Leader (CSL) professional designation awarded by the American Seminar Leaders Association.Ken is one of only eight certified Business Systems Coaches worldwide for General Motors.His topics include ethics, leadership, change, communication & his unique Optimal Process Design® program.Tel:(800)235-5690 Claim your free eBook, "How to Do Better Than Your Best in Anything You Do" by visiting the Better Than Your Best website.
Keyword : management,leadership,organizational problems,problem solving,growth,joy,motivation,workplace,profit
The Six Mistakes of Man
Author : Justin Tyme
Over 2,000 years ago the Roman philosopher and statesman, Cicero, wrote down what he considered the six mistakes of mankind. I think he must have meant the six main mistakes of man, because I'll bet we could all come up with more than six, but those six that Cicero wrote down are so very true . . . unfortunately.THE SIX MISTAKES OF MAN:1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preference.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.Let's take a look at the six mistakes through the eyes of a trainer.The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
In almost all of our business endeavors the more we operate as a team, the more we can accomplish. We gain more personally from raising others up rather than putting them down. Crushing others means reducing their enthusiasm, their confidence, and their overall ability to contribute. Raising them up increases their worth . . . and ours.The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
Stress is the by-product of worry. There are many things we should be concerned about, but darn few we should worry about. While we work on a proposal we should consider it from all angles. We should plan, and practice the presentation, prepare our materials and ask questions about its viability. After the proposal has been made, however, there is nothing we can do. Nothing can change the outcome. Worry is useless and fruitless.
Let it go.Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
Time changes everthing. Who knows what we might find out next week . . . tomorrow . . . or when we turn the next corner. The impossibles of yesterday are commonplace today. We should never look at anything as impossible.Refusing to set aside trivial preference.
Often we fool ourselves into thinking that the way that we do things is the right way and what it usually comes down to is simply preference. And sometimes that preference is really trivial. The way we put our shoes and socks on, the way the install a roll of toilet paper, the way we hire a new employee. There's nothing wrong with preferences, but we should study our choices and make sure there is nothing trivial about our decisions.Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
I like avid readers. Those are people will read the contents printed on the ketchup bottle at a restaurant. There are always new ideas and new solutions to old problems, but they can be missed unless we are constantly looking . . . reading . . . and studying. Personally, I like to read three or four newspapers every day. I even like to read old news magazines in doctor waiting rooms. Reading is brainstorming. Even a comic book can bring enlightenment.Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
As our workforce and consumer base becomes more diverse, there are those who would deny that diversity. We can't make everyone believe and live as we do and even if we could, wouldn't that be boring? Diversity brings us more ideas and more experiences. We should celebrate the differences, not try to obliterate them.We are all guilty of making the six mistakes of mankind at some time or other. We just need to learn from our mistakes every two thousand years or so.Justin Tyme is an internet reporter and published author. He writes for print media and industrial video productions and is a contributor to Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com) and Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com).
Keyword : self improvement , success, employee development, management, leadership
Over 2,000 years ago the Roman philosopher and statesman, Cicero, wrote down what he considered the six mistakes of mankind. I think he must have meant the six main mistakes of man, because I'll bet we could all come up with more than six, but those six that Cicero wrote down are so very true . . . unfortunately.THE SIX MISTAKES OF MAN:1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preference.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.Let's take a look at the six mistakes through the eyes of a trainer.The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
In almost all of our business endeavors the more we operate as a team, the more we can accomplish. We gain more personally from raising others up rather than putting them down. Crushing others means reducing their enthusiasm, their confidence, and their overall ability to contribute. Raising them up increases their worth . . . and ours.The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
Stress is the by-product of worry. There are many things we should be concerned about, but darn few we should worry about. While we work on a proposal we should consider it from all angles. We should plan, and practice the presentation, prepare our materials and ask questions about its viability. After the proposal has been made, however, there is nothing we can do. Nothing can change the outcome. Worry is useless and fruitless.
Let it go.Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
Time changes everthing. Who knows what we might find out next week . . . tomorrow . . . or when we turn the next corner. The impossibles of yesterday are commonplace today. We should never look at anything as impossible.Refusing to set aside trivial preference.
Often we fool ourselves into thinking that the way that we do things is the right way and what it usually comes down to is simply preference. And sometimes that preference is really trivial. The way we put our shoes and socks on, the way the install a roll of toilet paper, the way we hire a new employee. There's nothing wrong with preferences, but we should study our choices and make sure there is nothing trivial about our decisions.Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
I like avid readers. Those are people will read the contents printed on the ketchup bottle at a restaurant. There are always new ideas and new solutions to old problems, but they can be missed unless we are constantly looking . . . reading . . . and studying. Personally, I like to read three or four newspapers every day. I even like to read old news magazines in doctor waiting rooms. Reading is brainstorming. Even a comic book can bring enlightenment.Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
As our workforce and consumer base becomes more diverse, there are those who would deny that diversity. We can't make everyone believe and live as we do and even if we could, wouldn't that be boring? Diversity brings us more ideas and more experiences. We should celebrate the differences, not try to obliterate them.We are all guilty of making the six mistakes of mankind at some time or other. We just need to learn from our mistakes every two thousand years or so.Justin Tyme is an internet reporter and published author. He writes for print media and industrial video productions and is a contributor to Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com) and Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com).
Keyword : self improvement , success, employee development, management, leadership
Unique Customer Perception (UCP)
Author : Soumen Chatterjee
Marketing is a domain which is dynamic i.e. involves change, an important phenomenon not to be overlooked. We have come across a term "Unique Selling Proposition"(USP) which companies feel as a constant factor . Every organisation is an open system of management which means change is inevitable and is associated with environmental factors. Companies need to focus not only on USP of their products but also on the "Unique Customer Perception"(UCP) of the final end users.The prop of marketing is based on the need identification and the USP's are prepared based on the identified needs . If the needs are wrongly identified then even the USP's which are unique to the product would not serve the purpose. USP identifies a product/service from its competitors while UCP is the perception or picture a customer develops from all types of promotional inputs from the company about their product or service. It is often seen that some brands do extremely well compared to other brands having the same resources. The reason for the brands not to do well is probably the communications which does not reflect the customers perception. So it is not the USP but UCP that plays an important role .This has lead to the concept - "Customer Perception is the Rule and not Customer Satisfaction".Remember that a customer always buys a product or service with a lot of expectations which he has derived from the promotional inputs of the company or other sources including word-of- mouth . So a customer would be satisfied when Performance is equal to Expectation while would not be satisfied when Performance does not match with Expectations. Now this expectation is what has been derived from perception. Perception is not good or bad, right or wrong, it is just the way someone judges an experience based on their value system of what they believe should happen. Since people are unique, each of their perceptions are unique .On the other hand each situation is a "point of contact" with an employee that will tell the customer a "truth" about the company's idea of customer service. Each situation will create expections of what the next experience will probably be like.Companies spend considerable amount on advertisement and in this world of competitive advantage advertisement has to be repetative in nature. Brand hammering results in brand recall which is a costly affair. So companies need to understand the Unique Customer Perception to facilitate Advertising and Sales Promotional (ASP) efforts towards a better bargain. The cost incurred on advertisement is huge i.e. if we refer to the 5 M's of advertising, Money is a budgetary constrain for an ideal advertising canpaign. Thus UCP has to be rightly analysed for better results by the company to match performance and expectation.Soumen Chatterjee
Lecturer
Management Studies
NSHM Academy
Arrah , Shibtala
Durgapur
West Bengal - 713212
Keyword : article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email
Marketing is a domain which is dynamic i.e. involves change, an important phenomenon not to be overlooked. We have come across a term "Unique Selling Proposition"(USP) which companies feel as a constant factor . Every organisation is an open system of management which means change is inevitable and is associated with environmental factors. Companies need to focus not only on USP of their products but also on the "Unique Customer Perception"(UCP) of the final end users.The prop of marketing is based on the need identification and the USP's are prepared based on the identified needs . If the needs are wrongly identified then even the USP's which are unique to the product would not serve the purpose. USP identifies a product/service from its competitors while UCP is the perception or picture a customer develops from all types of promotional inputs from the company about their product or service. It is often seen that some brands do extremely well compared to other brands having the same resources. The reason for the brands not to do well is probably the communications which does not reflect the customers perception. So it is not the USP but UCP that plays an important role .This has lead to the concept - "Customer Perception is the Rule and not Customer Satisfaction".Remember that a customer always buys a product or service with a lot of expectations which he has derived from the promotional inputs of the company or other sources including word-of- mouth . So a customer would be satisfied when Performance is equal to Expectation while would not be satisfied when Performance does not match with Expectations. Now this expectation is what has been derived from perception. Perception is not good or bad, right or wrong, it is just the way someone judges an experience based on their value system of what they believe should happen. Since people are unique, each of their perceptions are unique .On the other hand each situation is a "point of contact" with an employee that will tell the customer a "truth" about the company's idea of customer service. Each situation will create expections of what the next experience will probably be like.Companies spend considerable amount on advertisement and in this world of competitive advantage advertisement has to be repetative in nature. Brand hammering results in brand recall which is a costly affair. So companies need to understand the Unique Customer Perception to facilitate Advertising and Sales Promotional (ASP) efforts towards a better bargain. The cost incurred on advertisement is huge i.e. if we refer to the 5 M's of advertising, Money is a budgetary constrain for an ideal advertising canpaign. Thus UCP has to be rightly analysed for better results by the company to match performance and expectation.Soumen Chatterjee
Lecturer
Management Studies
NSHM Academy
Arrah , Shibtala
Durgapur
West Bengal - 713212
Keyword : article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email
Level Six Thinking & The Archway Effect
Author : Stephen Long, PhD
Why doesn't the smartest kid in class grow up to be the most successful? Does the American educational system really teach thinking skills? The answer to these questions is found in what's known as "The Archway Effect"— a model in which an inflow of people goes toward an archway that represents an institution of higher learning. From that archway emerges an outflow of intelligent people. Conventional wisdom tells us that passing through the archway results in intelligence. However, most universities don't produce brilliant graduates because of the excellence of their teaching, but rather because they accept only brilliant students. The fact is, most universities show no proof that they've taught these students to think at all. To date, no one has been able to use grade point averages, SAT scores or even IQ as predictors of success. Intelligence is not enough.The business community acts in the same manner. Businesses recruit college graduates from elite universities, assuming that these intelligent people will be the most successful employees. They quickly learn that the majority of the recruits, though intelligent, have not developed their potential through effective thinking skills. They're intelligent, but they're not smart.Level Six Thinking is about being smart. Level Six Thinking is about generating alternatives and solving problems. Fluency, articulation and debating, which are tools of thinking, are often mistaken for thinking itself. All that these tools accomplish is simply a flow of logic that allows one person to prove another wrong, and thereby, themselves right. The inadvertent result of logic is to limit options and miss alternative solutions, whereas the purpose of Level Six Thinking is to increase the range of possible solutions through exploration. It may appear that Level Six Thinking attacks logic, but only with the intent of highlighting and using the perception side of thinking.Critical Thinking and Scholarly Thinking are the two most common methods for solving problems. Critical Thinking is easy and concrete; Scholarly Thinking is neat, orderly, and linear. Critical and Scholarly Thinking have their place, but it's been demonstrated that we have sufficient skills in these areas. What's required is Level Six Thinking—L6 Thinking is practical, creative and productive. L6 Thinking enables people to take constructive and immediate action, even with incomplete and imperfect information. People who attain the Level Six Thinking are smart.You can learn how you can overcome The Archway Effect through Level Six Performance: A Gold Medal Formula for Achieving Professional & Personal Success published by Champion Press.Proving through his work with champion athletes and corporate executives that leadership and high performance are learned skills built upon inherent strengths, Dr. Stephen Long has helped permanently raise corporate and team productivity from adequate -- to outstanding. Level Six Leadership™ is a breakthrough social operating system that immediately enhances an organization's efficiency. Applying his coaching and leadership techniques, Long's instruction has helped Fortune 500 companies realize a 125% increase in productivity.
Long's method proves performance relies more on learned, deliberate competence much more than natural cognitive ability. Using Level Six Leadership™ techniques, organizations can adapt to stressful and changing business situations as well as any championship team in overtime. Identified as a top-10 performance enhancement specialist in North America in an independent study conducted at the University of Utah, Dr Long is a highly sought after speaker, consultant, executive coach and trainer.
Keyword : high performance, change management, leadership, management, continuous improvement
Why doesn't the smartest kid in class grow up to be the most successful? Does the American educational system really teach thinking skills? The answer to these questions is found in what's known as "The Archway Effect"— a model in which an inflow of people goes toward an archway that represents an institution of higher learning. From that archway emerges an outflow of intelligent people. Conventional wisdom tells us that passing through the archway results in intelligence. However, most universities don't produce brilliant graduates because of the excellence of their teaching, but rather because they accept only brilliant students. The fact is, most universities show no proof that they've taught these students to think at all. To date, no one has been able to use grade point averages, SAT scores or even IQ as predictors of success. Intelligence is not enough.The business community acts in the same manner. Businesses recruit college graduates from elite universities, assuming that these intelligent people will be the most successful employees. They quickly learn that the majority of the recruits, though intelligent, have not developed their potential through effective thinking skills. They're intelligent, but they're not smart.Level Six Thinking is about being smart. Level Six Thinking is about generating alternatives and solving problems. Fluency, articulation and debating, which are tools of thinking, are often mistaken for thinking itself. All that these tools accomplish is simply a flow of logic that allows one person to prove another wrong, and thereby, themselves right. The inadvertent result of logic is to limit options and miss alternative solutions, whereas the purpose of Level Six Thinking is to increase the range of possible solutions through exploration. It may appear that Level Six Thinking attacks logic, but only with the intent of highlighting and using the perception side of thinking.Critical Thinking and Scholarly Thinking are the two most common methods for solving problems. Critical Thinking is easy and concrete; Scholarly Thinking is neat, orderly, and linear. Critical and Scholarly Thinking have their place, but it's been demonstrated that we have sufficient skills in these areas. What's required is Level Six Thinking—L6 Thinking is practical, creative and productive. L6 Thinking enables people to take constructive and immediate action, even with incomplete and imperfect information. People who attain the Level Six Thinking are smart.You can learn how you can overcome The Archway Effect through Level Six Performance: A Gold Medal Formula for Achieving Professional & Personal Success published by Champion Press.Proving through his work with champion athletes and corporate executives that leadership and high performance are learned skills built upon inherent strengths, Dr. Stephen Long has helped permanently raise corporate and team productivity from adequate -- to outstanding. Level Six Leadership™ is a breakthrough social operating system that immediately enhances an organization's efficiency. Applying his coaching and leadership techniques, Long's instruction has helped Fortune 500 companies realize a 125% increase in productivity.
Long's method proves performance relies more on learned, deliberate competence much more than natural cognitive ability. Using Level Six Leadership™ techniques, organizations can adapt to stressful and changing business situations as well as any championship team in overtime. Identified as a top-10 performance enhancement specialist in North America in an independent study conducted at the University of Utah, Dr Long is a highly sought after speaker, consultant, executive coach and trainer.
Keyword : high performance, change management, leadership, management, continuous improvement
In-sourcing a CRM System - Some Questions You Should Ask (Yourself).
Author : Hans Bool
If your company is taking the step to buy a third party CRM software it will face a lot of challenges. These challenges are not more or less when you decide to make the software yourself. They are just different.There are software vendors that provide a best-practice CRM-solution. And why should you not choose one of them? There are pro's and con's for each way you may decide. But if you decide to buy a CRM solution, this article provides a additional vision on how to select the package. Additional and embracing other methods, because this approach is solving only a small, yet important part.In this approach you start at the top. You are not addressing the details, but you focus on the main characteristics of the CRM package (which you match with your company profile).When in-sourcing a "foreign" solution you might want to know about the origin of solution. What is the architecture behind the solution and is it the same architectural approach of the suppliers that is made concrete in the package? In that sense you are selecting the supplier more than the package.The approach focuses on de similarities between the way you would solve a CRM approach and the way the supplier did this for many other clients.Different suppliers will have made different solutions according to their preferences and style. This variation of approaches will result in different CRM solutions. To give some examples:
Is the CRM solution providing broad functionality for all range of companies or only for specific companies in specific sectors for in which it serves a profound functionality? (did the supplier want to serve the whole market or only a segment)
How open is the package. Does it easily integrate with other solutions?
Is it providing a technical superior solution or is it focused on commercial practice?
What is the usability level of the system and how long is the learning curve?
How is the balance between innovation and conservation (is the system upwards compatible)?
This last issue is important for you buy not only a package for not using your own resources today, but you also will make yourself dependent on future developments. Can the supplier innovate as swiftly as you would yourself? And where does the supplier get is information from? Does it innovate on basis of requirements that come from your company and others the have sold the package to, or do they have an own line of strategy and expertise which they stick to? Especially when dealing with CRM you should observe the supplier in its Client approach.When selecting a long-list or even a short-list you should focus on some main architectural characteristics of the solution you are to buy. And check this with your own business profile. It is a simple (and reusable) step that saves you a lot of work in following stages.© 2006 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : CRM, CRM Selection, System Characteristics, business profile
If your company is taking the step to buy a third party CRM software it will face a lot of challenges. These challenges are not more or less when you decide to make the software yourself. They are just different.There are software vendors that provide a best-practice CRM-solution. And why should you not choose one of them? There are pro's and con's for each way you may decide. But if you decide to buy a CRM solution, this article provides a additional vision on how to select the package. Additional and embracing other methods, because this approach is solving only a small, yet important part.In this approach you start at the top. You are not addressing the details, but you focus on the main characteristics of the CRM package (which you match with your company profile).When in-sourcing a "foreign" solution you might want to know about the origin of solution. What is the architecture behind the solution and is it the same architectural approach of the suppliers that is made concrete in the package? In that sense you are selecting the supplier more than the package.The approach focuses on de similarities between the way you would solve a CRM approach and the way the supplier did this for many other clients.Different suppliers will have made different solutions according to their preferences and style. This variation of approaches will result in different CRM solutions. To give some examples:
Is the CRM solution providing broad functionality for all range of companies or only for specific companies in specific sectors for in which it serves a profound functionality? (did the supplier want to serve the whole market or only a segment)
How open is the package. Does it easily integrate with other solutions?
Is it providing a technical superior solution or is it focused on commercial practice?
What is the usability level of the system and how long is the learning curve?
How is the balance between innovation and conservation (is the system upwards compatible)?
This last issue is important for you buy not only a package for not using your own resources today, but you also will make yourself dependent on future developments. Can the supplier innovate as swiftly as you would yourself? And where does the supplier get is information from? Does it innovate on basis of requirements that come from your company and others the have sold the package to, or do they have an own line of strategy and expertise which they stick to? Especially when dealing with CRM you should observe the supplier in its Client approach.When selecting a long-list or even a short-list you should focus on some main architectural characteristics of the solution you are to buy. And check this with your own business profile. It is a simple (and reusable) step that saves you a lot of work in following stages.© 2006 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : CRM, CRM Selection, System Characteristics, business profile
Are Expectations and Boundaries Clearly In Place?
Author : Larry Galler
Watching young children at play is, of course, entertaining. For the businessperson, watching young children at play can also be educational. Sometimes kids run amok; they can be aggressive, destructive, and unmanageable yet n other situations they are orderly, polite, and delightful. I don't think the difference has anything to do with the way the planets are aligned. I think the difference is that, in the latter instance, parents and educators have established expectations and boundaries, they have communicated them clearly, and follow up to insure those expectations and boundaries are met. When youngsters know what is expected of them, what they may or may not do, most rise to the challenge. In a broad generalization, when expectations and boundaries have been established the children have an increased ability to learn and communicate, they become more productive and accomplished.The reason this is educational for the businessperson is that the same holds through in every aspect of managing a business. It's all about expectations and boundaries, communication and follow-through.If we clearly communicate our expectations and boundaries to vendors, staff, and customers and then follow up with them to insure our expectations and boundaries are met, the business will not descend into chaos. It too will become more productive and accomplished. Quality of the work, customer satisfaction, and morale will be higher. These translate into a happier staff, higher quality of work performance, higher rates of staff and customer retention, and vendors who will bend over backwards to please you.Now, I'm not suggesting that parents and educators or managers and supervisors should rule their domains like wardens running a prison exercise yard. I'm advocating treating people with respect, understanding, acknowledging their intelligence and humanity. Most will rise to the occasion. If you are experiencing difficulty in managing any aspect of your business where people are involved, before going off on a rampage, first look at the expectations you have communicated and the boundaries you have established and see whether they need to be more clearly defined.Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com
Watching young children at play is, of course, entertaining. For the businessperson, watching young children at play can also be educational. Sometimes kids run amok; they can be aggressive, destructive, and unmanageable yet n other situations they are orderly, polite, and delightful. I don't think the difference has anything to do with the way the planets are aligned. I think the difference is that, in the latter instance, parents and educators have established expectations and boundaries, they have communicated them clearly, and follow up to insure those expectations and boundaries are met. When youngsters know what is expected of them, what they may or may not do, most rise to the challenge. In a broad generalization, when expectations and boundaries have been established the children have an increased ability to learn and communicate, they become more productive and accomplished.The reason this is educational for the businessperson is that the same holds through in every aspect of managing a business. It's all about expectations and boundaries, communication and follow-through.If we clearly communicate our expectations and boundaries to vendors, staff, and customers and then follow up with them to insure our expectations and boundaries are met, the business will not descend into chaos. It too will become more productive and accomplished. Quality of the work, customer satisfaction, and morale will be higher. These translate into a happier staff, higher quality of work performance, higher rates of staff and customer retention, and vendors who will bend over backwards to please you.Now, I'm not suggesting that parents and educators or managers and supervisors should rule their domains like wardens running a prison exercise yard. I'm advocating treating people with respect, understanding, acknowledging their intelligence and humanity. Most will rise to the occasion. If you are experiencing difficulty in managing any aspect of your business where people are involved, before going off on a rampage, first look at the expectations you have communicated and the boundaries you have established and see whether they need to be more clearly defined.Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com
Questions??? Send an email to larry@larrygaller.com
Keyword : communications, standards, boundaries, expectations, clarity
The Conductor of the Orchestra Doesn't Play-2
Author : Hans Bool
Workflow, as the Workflow Management Coalition defines it, is:
The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, according
to a set of procedural rules. We want to automate activities. If we can. And there are seemingly endless opportunities to do so. Yet, through the years our organization has done a few things in this area. Already.It would be easy if you could start from scratch. (Information) Technology continues to develop in a ever more professional pace.Yet there are legacy issues. The companies that were pioneering with the first (electronic) commercial solutions are the ones that now are dealing with most of the problem in the area of streamlining organization and systems; aligning all the resources that are actively involved in the company (This is only partly true, because those companies have also the most experience and are best accustomed to rapid changes).An example of a workflow system is the router that conducts the traffic from and to the internet to employees in your organization.Like an orchestra, your company behaves as a team of resources fulfilling various activities. They can be human or systems. There is always human interaction, and what you want is that activities take a natural flow, like the rhythm of the music. You do not want activities to stop because they are waiting for a ferry-boat.Workflow could be used for this. And there are dedicated workflow systems. Yet there is also workflow hidden in all those existing systems, like ERP packages, CRM systems and even content management systems. They have their own conductor.In an ideal environment, a workflow could be introduced to manage the flow of activities. This would make you organization more flexible. But for this to be real, all (automated) activities should have a mechanism where they can be centrally conducted. Like the conductor of the orchestra does.So, as all the systems in your organization have their own conductor, aligning this workflow is a difficult task. But that should have to stop your project. Take small steps and select the right conductor.© 2006 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : Workflow management, workflow management system
Workflow, as the Workflow Management Coalition defines it, is:
The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, according
to a set of procedural rules. We want to automate activities. If we can. And there are seemingly endless opportunities to do so. Yet, through the years our organization has done a few things in this area. Already.It would be easy if you could start from scratch. (Information) Technology continues to develop in a ever more professional pace.Yet there are legacy issues. The companies that were pioneering with the first (electronic) commercial solutions are the ones that now are dealing with most of the problem in the area of streamlining organization and systems; aligning all the resources that are actively involved in the company (This is only partly true, because those companies have also the most experience and are best accustomed to rapid changes).An example of a workflow system is the router that conducts the traffic from and to the internet to employees in your organization.Like an orchestra, your company behaves as a team of resources fulfilling various activities. They can be human or systems. There is always human interaction, and what you want is that activities take a natural flow, like the rhythm of the music. You do not want activities to stop because they are waiting for a ferry-boat.Workflow could be used for this. And there are dedicated workflow systems. Yet there is also workflow hidden in all those existing systems, like ERP packages, CRM systems and even content management systems. They have their own conductor.In an ideal environment, a workflow could be introduced to manage the flow of activities. This would make you organization more flexible. But for this to be real, all (automated) activities should have a mechanism where they can be centrally conducted. Like the conductor of the orchestra does.So, as all the systems in your organization have their own conductor, aligning this workflow is a difficult task. But that should have to stop your project. Take small steps and select the right conductor.© 2006 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Keyword : Workflow management, workflow management system
Keeping the Good Ones: 3 Keys to Retaining Top-Notch Employees
Author : Dr. Leif Smith
One of the most frustrating but common problems I come across in my consulting work is that of retaining key talent. Companies spend untold amounts of capital investing in tomorrow's leaders, only to see them hastily depart down the road for what they view as better opportunities elsewhere.Many executives believe that money is a major reason behind many of these departures. Money does play a part, but only a very minor one. Money as a motivator is insufficient, though lack of money can be a demotivator. So, the old notion of throwing money after an employee who is unhappy and looking elsewhere will only serve to create an unhappy employee who is better off financially.Employees are motivated by a variety of factors, and thus there is no simple "shotgun method" to motivate mass numbers of employees. Motivation must be intrinsic. It comes from within each individual and cannot be "caught" or passed on (much like a common cold). To that end, I have come up with three keys to improving your employee retention. If you are in the process of developing tomorrow's leaders, make certain you understand these principles. Otherwise, you will serve only to further the corporate ambitions of your leading competitors through serving only as a corporate pit-stop of sorts for the best and brightest.Key #1: Build a Better CultureIf you want to retain those employees in whom you have invested time, capital, and relationships, you must first improve your entire corporate culture. What does that mean? It could mean:-looking at your corporate hierarchy structure. Is it vertical or horizontal? Vertical structures tend to result in decreased communication (due to increased layers of middle management), poor employee empowerment (due to the ubiquitous need for approval from higher-ups) and general lack of day-to-day knowledge by higher-ups of corporate functioning (which results from the old "management by walking around" phenomenon). Horizontal structures tend to do the opposite, and decrease friction and power struggles between management and employees due to increased visibility and accountability.-improving employee input and communication mechanisms. Do your employees have an avenue for direct communication with their management and leadership? Where do they go with legitimate concerns or innovative ideas?-analyzing middle management's tendencies toward micro-managing. If you want employees that feel respected and valued, middle management needs to understand that micro-managing results in the opposite effect.-remember that all investments that improve the quality of life for your employees are surefire winning investments. Work supports life, not vice versa. Employees that lead balanced, healthy lives come to work happier and are more productive.- forget about downsizing as a profit management tactic. First off, downsizing sends a direct message to ALL employees (not just the ones that are let go) that they are expendable commodities. Second, downsizing has never had any positive effect on company morale. Eliminating jobs rather than eliminating problems in capital management processes is plain dumb.Key #2: Empower Your EmployeesEmpowerment is an oft-discussed but seldom understood concept. Management consultants, motivational speakers and the like discuss empowerment in motivational terms. However, all long-term motivation is intrinsic anyway, so the notion of empowerment as a motivational tool is nonsensical. Empowerment can be more accurately defined as the ability of employees to make decisions that affect the outcomes of their jobs. What kind of decisions are we talking about?-decisions about hiring practices-decisions about how to deal with customer service issues-decisions about local management practices-decisions on how to manage overtime-decisions about physical working conditionsAnd so on. Empowered employees make quicker decisions, are more confident in their abilities to get the job done right, increase customer satisfaction, and decrease corporate costs associated with remediation work (work that has to be duplicated due to employee mistakes, which results from lack of accountability).Empowered employees engage in innovation rather than problem-solving. Innovation involves a continuous improvement in the status-quo, whereas problem-solving always results from failure. Someone makes a mistake, causing a decrease in the status-quo, and time and energy is spent fixing the problem, which results in the previous level of production. Empowered employees innovate due to increased freedom, satisfaction, and personal accountability. To this end, it is crucial that your company invest in advanced personal development opportunities for your employees rather than boring, remedial training. The former promotes innovation, the latter problem-solving.The biggest benefit to empowering your employees is the loyalty it generates. Human tendency is to value those who value our contributions, and empowered employees certainly feel valued and respected by their employer.Key #3: Improve Your Relationship SkillsThe bottom line in any corporate culture is that relationships make or break a company. Relationship skills are an overlooked aspect of corporate culture. With respect to relationships and relationship skills, does your company:-have numerous exemplars among its ranks that display your ideal "corporate" personality traits (genuineness, empathy, sense of humor, family values, etc)-value people more than outcomes?-actively invest in advanced development opportunities for your employees? (seminars on relationship building, etc)-have chief executives of all kinds that are readily accessible and easily approached?-listen more than it talks? (most people believe communication is about improvements in one area and not the other, which is crazy)-listen and incorporate customer and client feedback readily?The better the relationship skills among your employees and management, the better your corporate culture. In any area of corporate productivity, an improvement in relationship skills and process will readily increase profitability.Leif H. Smith, Psy.D., has worked with hundreds of individuals and executives to improve personal and professional performance and effectiveness. He specializes in executive coaching and leadership development, and has worked with corporations such as The American Lung Association, America Online, Purdue University and others to this end.For more information, or to sign up his complimentary monthly newsletter, visit http://www.personalbestconsulting.com
Keyword : management, coaching, development, business, consulting
One of the most frustrating but common problems I come across in my consulting work is that of retaining key talent. Companies spend untold amounts of capital investing in tomorrow's leaders, only to see them hastily depart down the road for what they view as better opportunities elsewhere.Many executives believe that money is a major reason behind many of these departures. Money does play a part, but only a very minor one. Money as a motivator is insufficient, though lack of money can be a demotivator. So, the old notion of throwing money after an employee who is unhappy and looking elsewhere will only serve to create an unhappy employee who is better off financially.Employees are motivated by a variety of factors, and thus there is no simple "shotgun method" to motivate mass numbers of employees. Motivation must be intrinsic. It comes from within each individual and cannot be "caught" or passed on (much like a common cold). To that end, I have come up with three keys to improving your employee retention. If you are in the process of developing tomorrow's leaders, make certain you understand these principles. Otherwise, you will serve only to further the corporate ambitions of your leading competitors through serving only as a corporate pit-stop of sorts for the best and brightest.Key #1: Build a Better CultureIf you want to retain those employees in whom you have invested time, capital, and relationships, you must first improve your entire corporate culture. What does that mean? It could mean:-looking at your corporate hierarchy structure. Is it vertical or horizontal? Vertical structures tend to result in decreased communication (due to increased layers of middle management), poor employee empowerment (due to the ubiquitous need for approval from higher-ups) and general lack of day-to-day knowledge by higher-ups of corporate functioning (which results from the old "management by walking around" phenomenon). Horizontal structures tend to do the opposite, and decrease friction and power struggles between management and employees due to increased visibility and accountability.-improving employee input and communication mechanisms. Do your employees have an avenue for direct communication with their management and leadership? Where do they go with legitimate concerns or innovative ideas?-analyzing middle management's tendencies toward micro-managing. If you want employees that feel respected and valued, middle management needs to understand that micro-managing results in the opposite effect.-remember that all investments that improve the quality of life for your employees are surefire winning investments. Work supports life, not vice versa. Employees that lead balanced, healthy lives come to work happier and are more productive.- forget about downsizing as a profit management tactic. First off, downsizing sends a direct message to ALL employees (not just the ones that are let go) that they are expendable commodities. Second, downsizing has never had any positive effect on company morale. Eliminating jobs rather than eliminating problems in capital management processes is plain dumb.Key #2: Empower Your EmployeesEmpowerment is an oft-discussed but seldom understood concept. Management consultants, motivational speakers and the like discuss empowerment in motivational terms. However, all long-term motivation is intrinsic anyway, so the notion of empowerment as a motivational tool is nonsensical. Empowerment can be more accurately defined as the ability of employees to make decisions that affect the outcomes of their jobs. What kind of decisions are we talking about?-decisions about hiring practices-decisions about how to deal with customer service issues-decisions about local management practices-decisions on how to manage overtime-decisions about physical working conditionsAnd so on. Empowered employees make quicker decisions, are more confident in their abilities to get the job done right, increase customer satisfaction, and decrease corporate costs associated with remediation work (work that has to be duplicated due to employee mistakes, which results from lack of accountability).Empowered employees engage in innovation rather than problem-solving. Innovation involves a continuous improvement in the status-quo, whereas problem-solving always results from failure. Someone makes a mistake, causing a decrease in the status-quo, and time and energy is spent fixing the problem, which results in the previous level of production. Empowered employees innovate due to increased freedom, satisfaction, and personal accountability. To this end, it is crucial that your company invest in advanced personal development opportunities for your employees rather than boring, remedial training. The former promotes innovation, the latter problem-solving.The biggest benefit to empowering your employees is the loyalty it generates. Human tendency is to value those who value our contributions, and empowered employees certainly feel valued and respected by their employer.Key #3: Improve Your Relationship SkillsThe bottom line in any corporate culture is that relationships make or break a company. Relationship skills are an overlooked aspect of corporate culture. With respect to relationships and relationship skills, does your company:-have numerous exemplars among its ranks that display your ideal "corporate" personality traits (genuineness, empathy, sense of humor, family values, etc)-value people more than outcomes?-actively invest in advanced development opportunities for your employees? (seminars on relationship building, etc)-have chief executives of all kinds that are readily accessible and easily approached?-listen more than it talks? (most people believe communication is about improvements in one area and not the other, which is crazy)-listen and incorporate customer and client feedback readily?The better the relationship skills among your employees and management, the better your corporate culture. In any area of corporate productivity, an improvement in relationship skills and process will readily increase profitability.Leif H. Smith, Psy.D., has worked with hundreds of individuals and executives to improve personal and professional performance and effectiveness. He specializes in executive coaching and leadership development, and has worked with corporations such as The American Lung Association, America Online, Purdue University and others to this end.For more information, or to sign up his complimentary monthly newsletter, visit http://www.personalbestconsulting.com
Keyword : management, coaching, development, business, consulting
How Your Business Can Benefit from Management Training
Author : Stephanie Tuia
Business is not perfect. Every employer faces internal problems that include employee differences, unmet company expectations and lack of productivity to name just a few. Unfortunately, these problems eventually land back on the desks of the organization's leadership team. No matter how distasteful handling these issues may be, they must be addressed.Consider the following scenarios for potential problems in your work place, problems that could be resolved with the right management training.Attitude-Troy is a disgruntled employee who always has a negative outlook on job tasks. His negativity has affected his co-workers; they are beginning to adopt his pessimistic behavior. As his supervisor, you are frustrated with him and the every growing string of defensive employees he's influencing.Communication-Amanda has not shown up for a few days of work. Her managers have never enforced a strict policy about calling in sick so she figured she could get by a few days without showing up or contacting her supervisors. She returns only when she 'wants' to come back to work. She thinks she will be "off the hook" if she is approached about her absence because there was never a clear absence policy to begin with.Productivity-Spencer, a new hire, has joined a team of veteran workers. Too busy with their own duties, the experienced team fails to effectively train Spencer. They felt that he would quickly pick up knowledge by simply watching them do their work. Now, one of the experienced team members will be out for six weeks and you feel short handed.Morale-You sense a lack of unity with your fellow co-workers inside the company. You have a major project coming up in two weeks. You want to know what things you can do to build working relationships that promote teamwork. Would company sponsored events and activities help?Does your company experience problems similar to these? Are your company policies challenged or ignored? Do your employees complain or seem unclear about their job duties? Do employees show a loss of motivation, simply doing their jobs without feeling responsible for the quality of work?With the appropriate management training, supervisors and leaders are able to develop conductive environments where employees are empowered and engaged.CMOE has offices, facilitators, and representatives throughout the world. Call or e-mail the representative in your area to discuss a customized management training workshop. You can reach our main office at (888)262-2499
Keyword : management training
Business is not perfect. Every employer faces internal problems that include employee differences, unmet company expectations and lack of productivity to name just a few. Unfortunately, these problems eventually land back on the desks of the organization's leadership team. No matter how distasteful handling these issues may be, they must be addressed.Consider the following scenarios for potential problems in your work place, problems that could be resolved with the right management training.Attitude-Troy is a disgruntled employee who always has a negative outlook on job tasks. His negativity has affected his co-workers; they are beginning to adopt his pessimistic behavior. As his supervisor, you are frustrated with him and the every growing string of defensive employees he's influencing.Communication-Amanda has not shown up for a few days of work. Her managers have never enforced a strict policy about calling in sick so she figured she could get by a few days without showing up or contacting her supervisors. She returns only when she 'wants' to come back to work. She thinks she will be "off the hook" if she is approached about her absence because there was never a clear absence policy to begin with.Productivity-Spencer, a new hire, has joined a team of veteran workers. Too busy with their own duties, the experienced team fails to effectively train Spencer. They felt that he would quickly pick up knowledge by simply watching them do their work. Now, one of the experienced team members will be out for six weeks and you feel short handed.Morale-You sense a lack of unity with your fellow co-workers inside the company. You have a major project coming up in two weeks. You want to know what things you can do to build working relationships that promote teamwork. Would company sponsored events and activities help?Does your company experience problems similar to these? Are your company policies challenged or ignored? Do your employees complain or seem unclear about their job duties? Do employees show a loss of motivation, simply doing their jobs without feeling responsible for the quality of work?With the appropriate management training, supervisors and leaders are able to develop conductive environments where employees are empowered and engaged.CMOE has offices, facilitators, and representatives throughout the world. Call or e-mail the representative in your area to discuss a customized management training workshop. You can reach our main office at (888)262-2499
Keyword : management training
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