Management Basics - Mind Your Own Business

Building a Project Management Office

2009-03-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

By Mark Piscopo

In today's complex business environment new projects are constantly being developed as organizations seek new ways to reduce costs, improve processes, increase productivity, and build their bottom line. Managing these diverse projects along with their people, resources, technology, and communication is a difficult endeavor for which the risk of failure is often far too high. An effective solution, created to establish a more centralized management structure for large groups of projects, is the Project Management Office (PMO). The PMO provides organizations with an infrastructure of people, procedures, and tools to achieve effective project management by leveraging project management standards, allocating resources, establishing consistent performance measures, and reducing duplication of efforts.

There are many benefits to establishing an effective PMO. First, the PMO provides a framework for consistently managing projects through a standard methodology while ensuring the projects are aligned with corporate goals and strategies. Project managers have clear lines of responsibility while coordinating people, processes, and tools with one another and by doing so, avoid both gaps and overlaps between projects and reduce or eliminate duplication of effort. Standardization and repeatability afford an organization better communication, reduced project cost, improved resource management, more accountability, improved quality, better forecasting, and less overhead associated with project managers.

Enlist Executive and Management Support The first step in establishing a PMO is gaining executive and management support. This step relies heavily on organizational change management (OCM) as it requires a potentially significant shift in organizational culture as well as roles and responsibilities. Regardless of the difficulties and resistance to change, this step is the foundation upon which a successful PMO must be built. As with any shift in organizational structure, policy, or procedure, favor must be gained through justification for the changes in terms of cost benefit and return on investment (ROI).

Determine the Structure and Build the Team The next step in building a PMO is to determine the structure and develop the team. There is no defined template for PMO structure as every organization brings its own variables to consider. Some manage all aspects of the projects assigned under them like scheduling, budgets, resourcing, human capital, oversight, and communication. Others may strictly coordinate these functions with most of the support coming from adjacent departments. The keys to determining the right structure and team members for the PMO are understanding the most effective way they can co-exist within the organization and finding the right balance between the PMO, organizational culture, roles and responsibilities, and management style. Some things to consider in establishing the structure and building the PMO team include: availability of resources; existing project management standards and methodologies; current roles and responsibilities; the politics of the organization; project size and volume; and current project management problems.

Develop and Document Standards Once the structure and team members have been determined, it is time to develop and document the PMO standards, practices, and methodologies for project management. These standards will allow for consistency across the organization and its portfolio of projects. They will also comprise a large portion of the training that projects managers and staff will receive in the next step. Standardization is also an important part of allowing an organization to compare various projects and allocate resources where and when they are necessary.

Identify Skills and Train the Staff Once the development of project management standards and methodologies is complete, the PMO must identify the proficiency levels and skill sets of it project managers and staff in order to determine what training is necessary. Some of this information will be evident as a result of reviewing the statuses of current projects. Much of the training content can also be based on the standards, practices, and methodologies that were defined in step #3. The PMO should also establish an ongoing training program. In a PMO it is inevitable that staff members will come and go and organizational standards will change and evolve. A training program will ensure that all new employees receive training on those standards and existing employees remain aware of any changes.

Measure Success and Continuously Improve Now that the PMO structure is finalized, project management standards are established and communicated, and personnel are trained, the focus of the PMO must shift to assessing and measuring success. This point in time marks the initiation of progress and performance reporting based on standardized tools, templates, and methodologies. However, it also marks the beginning of a continuous process improvement cycle and a transition from PMO deployment to operational sustainment. As the PMO evolves, project team members must maintain an awareness of the metrics by which their projects are measured as well as how process effectiveness is determined. There must be a concerted effort to identify processes which require improvement. Once identified, improvement measures must be developed and implemented.

The establishment of an effective PMO is beneficial to any organization which manages a portfolio of projects. When planning and building a PMO it is imperative that it is done in a manner which compliments the existing structure or the organization. This will allow the company to gain maximum benefit and to do otherwise would be counter-productive. Since every organization is different, the optimal structure for the PMO must be designed based on many considerations and variables. The ability of a PMO to manage projects through consistent and repeatable standards and methodologies brings many benefits. It provides the organization with accountability, continuity, simplified oversight, and the ability to measure project success more effectively. An effective PMO is a catalyst for greater efficiency as it allows an organization to do more quality work with fewer resources and less risk. The result of these benefits is an organization that will significantly improve its project success rate.

About the AuthorMark Piscopo is the founder of ProjectManagementDocs.com, a website dedicated to advancing project management through the distribution of free project management tools, templates and educational material. Mr. Piscopo is a highly accomplished professional offering 20+ years of documented achievements in; Strategic Business Planning; Project & Program Management; Project Management Office (PMO); Team Building & Leadership; Change Management; Process Improvement; Cost Reduction; Risk Management; Partner & Customer Relationship Management; and Technology Advancements. Mr. Piscopo is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Visit http://www.ProjectManagementDocs.com to download free PMBOK based project management templates, tools and educational articles.

Business Coaching - Ensuring Your Company's Future

2009-03-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

By Brandy L. Frederickson-Raney

Developing a business can be a fairly challenging journey as well as complicated as your businesses demands increase. Having a well devised business plan is always a necessary starting point; however, once you have developed your business plan where do you go from there? Many business owners have solicited the help of a knowledgeable and experienced business coach. Gaining an external perspective can prove to be essential in your businesses growth in today's every changing market.

Business coaching is the practice of providing advice and support to an individual or business to help them recognize ways to improve the effectiveness of their business. Business coaching is for the inexperienced entrepreneur as well as the established company with an extensive history. It has been reported that over 40% of Fortune 500 companies use business coaching. Your business coach can observe costly ineffective patterns and help develop and establish new strategies necessary to enable your business to grow.

As reported by the International Coach Federation, of the 210 clients whom were receiving business coaching 70% reported their investment in business coaching as "very valuable", 28.5% said their investment was "valuable" and 1.5% said their investment in a coach had "not been valuable." In summary, an astonishing 98.5% of coaching clients reported their investment in a coach as "well worth the money."

The benefits of using business coaching often outweigh the financial cost. Business coaching is similar to consulting or counseling; however, coaching is about creating a mutual beneficial alliance. Business coaches looks at your business as a whole; including your businesses past, present and future to better manage your professional and personal life. Coaching can improve the overall quality and life of your business, by streamlining your initial business plan.

Most business owners seek the advice of a business coach for help on time management as well as career guidance and business strategies. To a lesser extent however, still significant, they seek coaching on relationships, family, wellness as well as spirituality. Coaching is a discovery of your company's inefficiencies. The true process of coaching requires getting at the source of your businesses ineffectiveness. If your company is stalling there is a reason. You have to be accepting of your company's inefficiencies while seeking your coach's advice. Your coach will be able to devise a plan to overcome your inefficiencies; thus paving the road to a profitable business future

In this increasingly challenging market, having a business coach can prove to be a worthwhile investment. The statistics on business coaching reveal that business owners who do seek the expertise of a qualified business coach do improve and enhance their chances of success. By partnering with a business coach, you can gain the opportunity to receive structured guidance and sound advice you may not have considered previously.

Virtual Assist Managers is owned and operated by Brandy Frederickson-Raney. I am a 15-year veteran in the administrative field. My experience includes an administrative support roll for medical and dental professionals. I have acquired experience over the years in the administrative field as a Practice Manager and Office Coordinator, in accounts payable and accounts receivable, medical billing as well as dental and medical terminology. I also am a Certified Medical Transcriptionist and have been employed as a government contract Transcriptionist.

I have been involved in all phases of the dental and medical practice experience. This experience also includes recruitment of employees, transitioning of doctors, staff management, writing and implementing practice policies, marketing, billing, recall coordination, and computer management.

I currently reside in Georgia with my husband and two children. We are a family in the US Army and enjoy being transferred to new and exciting areas. In my spare time, I thrive on spending time with my children, connecting with old friends, and enjoying the family experience.
I am delighted you have decided to visit Virtual Assist Managers.

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10 Ways to Keep Talent Through Tough Times

2009-03-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

By Rick Weaver

Even though there are plenty of people looking for jobs, finding skilled, talented workers is harder than ever before. Therefore it is essential you retain your current talent.

Here are ten easy, practical ways you can hold on to those individuals you do not want to lose.

Give top performers opportunities to develop. Providing additional training and responsibilities helps you see what they can do.
Reward your top performers to retain them. Rewards should be consistent with the value they provide. However do not fall into the trap that rewards must be cash or merchandise. There are hundreds of creative ways to reward talent without spending a dime.
Keep your door open. Be accessible to your people when they want to talk.
Provide mentors. Veteran employees can help young talent learn the culture.
Cross-train top performers so that you can move them around where needed. Younger employees appreciate this as it gives them broadened expertise.
Show you value talent by treating employees fairly.
Find ways to help your top performers understand themselves. This will help them manage change better.
Develop your own standards for top performance. Don't copy someone else's unless mediocrity is OK. Make sure your talent understands the standards and are equipped to achieve the goal.
How many top performers are enough? Mine for talent all the time, not just when talent leaves or changes jobs.
Maintain relationships even when people move on. Some talented people return quickly when they find out they do like the new employer. Welcome them back.

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement. He has founded Max Impact (http://www.getmaximpact.com), a leadership and business strategy development company, and MBC Global (http://www.mbcglobal.org), a global commerce and education organization. Rick has also written "Life's Leadership Lessons", a blend of real-life stories where people, events, and things have provided insight into outstanding leadership.

Success Today Means Doing Things Differently - 10 Ideas to Think About

2009-03-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

By Manny Nowak

Why are some people doing bad in this economic time, while others are doing great?

Why are some people creating tremendous success in the same business/industry that others are dying in?

Why are some businesses closing, while others are just opening their doors?

Strange isn't it?

I mean if the times are really that bad, then why aren't we all doing bad? If business is really that bad, why are my competitor's sales up 50% while mine are down 50%? How can this be? What makes it great for some and for others?

Maybe, just maybe it is all in how you look at it. The old saying, "is the glass half full or half empty"?
But more than that - are you looking at things the same way you have been for the past 10, 15 or 20 years? Are you doing the same things you have been doing?

Or, are you looking at things differently?

Are you using you mind and saying - let me try something else? Are you using that great knowledge of yours and thinking differently? Are you stepping back - getting the opinion of someone younger or someone who is totally outside your industry?

Amazing what will happen if you open up and try something different?

You see, it is not about doing what you have been doing better, longer, faster or cheaper. It might just be about doing something differently?

If you take a look at those companies today who are successful you will see that they are looking at things differently.

Here are ten things for you to think about:

1) Check the attitude at the door Dump the doom and gloom and start figuring out how to make it work. Start by coming to the realization that a bad economy mean a great time to make money.

2) Take a reality check. Forget that it has worked for 20 years - it is not working today -that is the reality? So what are you going to do differently

3) Listen to people outside your business Instead of the so called experts in what you do, ask someone who knows nothing about what you do. Take people who do not sell and ask them how they would do it?

4) Get some youthful involvement. Amazing what a little youth can do for a company where everyone has been there for 20 years.

5) Don't get sucked into what everyone else is doing - think for yourself.

6) Do some brain storming - don't judge the ideas, just make a huge list and then go back and work the list.

7) Find others who are positive and work with them. I hate to say it, but if all the people you are hanging out with are negative, start hanging out with some different people.

8) Get involved in a mastermind group Share you issues with other Help other people with their issues Let others help you with your issues

9) Get more education Instead of cutting training and education - spend more money here This gets the creative juices flowing This is what you need right now Stop holding back.

10) Get out there and network, network and network some more People do business with people they like.

This list is just my simple list to start with. Use it, add to it. Send me some ideas and we will share them with others over the next few months. manny@mannynowak.com
Just do something to move your life/career/business forward - will you please.

Manny Nowak has spent over 25 years helping people create success in their lives. An ex-marine and former top-notch computer programmer, Manny has an extensive background helping other achieve extreme levels of success. Manny is the author of over a dozen books; CD's and tools that focus on your ability to achieve greater success in all areas of your life (personal and professional). So stop hesitating - YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!
http://www.MannyNowak.com Manny@Mannynowak.com

Inexpensive Ways to Get it All Done

2009-03-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

By Raymond Le Blanc

If you've ever been in an office supply store, they always offer the latest gadgets and gizmos to help you stay on top of your business whether in an office or at home. Keeping ahead of the rush doesn't have to involve putting out a lot of money for things electronic gadgets that will only confuse you more until you get used to how to use them. Sometimes, the tried and true methods still work the best.

As a work at home mom, you are saving money on childcare but also building a business that you can be proud of. To that end, you need certain equipment to make it happen. For the sake of scheduling, stop looking at that PDA and go to the calendar aisle. Yes, we said calendars. Oh, and planners are good too.

Have you seen the new calendars lately? They aren't just those pocket ones your mom carries around or the one that comes in the mail from the insurance company (not that there's anything wrong with those). Calendars have taken on a functionality that is quite exciting.

Speaking of calendars, two that I've found to work well are Mom's Plan-It Calendar by Avalanche Publishing and Mom's Family Calendar by Sandra Boynton. These calendars are fun to look at and come with stickers and pens to record everyone's schedule. On the latter calendar, there is a space to write in every family member's name and their activities each month.

Family calendars help you mesh family life and business commitments. Since the kitchen is the central meeting place for a family, the calendar can hang there for everyone to record what they are doing. Or, they can give all their information to you and you can do it. Mom, you can even list your work hours each day on the family calendar so your beloved husband and kids know when you are not to be disturbed.

Now, let's talk about planners. A planner works better for business and can also be used in conjunction with a desk calendar. In your business planner, each day is broken down by hours. The time slots that you listed on the family calendar can be broken down into specific project commitments in your planner. A planner can go everywhere with you so you are never without your schedule.

Choose a planner carefully. There are many on the market and some have features you don't need. Franklin Covey offers a line of planners for all sorts of needs. Look for:

- Removable pages
- Section for notes or notepad
- Address book
- Place for business cards
- Tabs for easy look-up
- Vinyl pouch for bills, messages, etc.

Keeping your business schedule straight is not an easy task, but that doesn't mean it has to be an expensive one. You can still stay on top of your daily work with the ever handy, even if they are considered old fashioned by your kids, calendars and planners made for the job.

By Raymond Le Blanc. If you want to know more about Internet Business please sign up for my Free newsletter at http://cranendonk.com or follow me at Twitter.
http://twitter.com/RaymondLeBlanc

From Concept to Customer - Supply Chain Management

2009-03-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

By Adam Singleton

The 21st century consumer is spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping for goods and services; and there is certainly a wide range of products to choose from, whatever the occasion.

But it's probably fair to say that very few people ever stop to consider how the goods actually end up in their current form in the first place; from an idea in someone's head to the factory floor, then transported on the back of a truck and taken to their local department store. Indeed, from a customer's point of view, there is probably very little reason to ever consider the journey a product has taken to get to their front room.

However, from a business point of view, managing and monitoring a product's journey is integral to the company's long-term success. What's more, streamlining the process to minimise costs and delays will help to ensure the supply chain is optimised to their own benefit.

Indeed, the main underlying objective of supply chain management (SCM) is to meet the demands of the consumer through efficient use of all resources involved in moving the product or service, from the supplier to the customer. There are, however, many mechanisms in place to ensure that the SCM process runs smoothly from start to finish. This includes clear communication between suppliers to eliminate bottlenecks, and also strategic sourcing to ensure the right balance is struck between material costs and the quality of goods on offer.

But whilst supply chain management requires businesses at every level of the process to cooperate fully with each other, the ultimate goal of individual companies is to fulfil their immediate obligations in moving the product on to the next stage in its journey. As such, any tool of the trade will do if it helps them manage the often complex procedures involved in SCM, thereby increasing their profitability, competitiveness and subsequently, their growth.

And this is why many companies are turning to supply chain management software. Indeed, such software has specialised functionality to help companies effectively manage and coordinate the processes involved in collaborating between manufacturers, retailers and transportation/logistics service providers. SCM software also often includes useful features that help to facilitate purchase order processing, inventory management and supplier management/sourcing.

However, at the more sophisticated end of the SCM software spectrum, some have forecasting functionality built in, which can be a very valuable feature. Given that it can often be difficult to predict future consumer trends, there can often be a significant gap between supply and demand; through using algorithms and performing consumption analysis, forecasting tools can help businesses plan more efficiently for their future requirements.

So, whilst the customer may not be overly-concerned with the processes involved in moving a product concept to the shop floor, businesses stand to gain a lot from understanding and managing the supply chain effectively.

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

The Power of Profanity

2009-03-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

By Arleen Kaptur

Everyone has heard it and probably a very large number of individuals have used profanity to make a point in a conversation. Does profanity in the business community have an impact or is it a barometer to just how intelligent a client, manager, or CEO is?

Charles Osgood once made a comment on "words." He said "Compared to the spoken word, a picture is a very pitiful thing." Words can be so powerful that they change the course of history and they can and have brought powerful nations down to their knees. It is the choice of words, whether in social or business situations, that tracks the course of the meeting, the evening, or even just a walk through the park. Have you ever gone to eat with your family to an upscale restaurant and the table next to you - an after business meeting get-together of men/women, or other group of adults, that used language that more than emphasized their laughter and their gestures. Did you leave that restaurant refreshed and grateful that you were privvy to such language? Could you honestly say that the conversation at the next table made your night out memorable? It may have if your vocabulary was built around the premise that the harsher the words, the more authority the speaker commands.

Most individuals who have reached the point of being managers or in places of authority in their chosen fields did not get there because they were well-versed in foul language. They moved up the ladder of success because they had a command of the English language that motivated and moved their staff to productivity and to results. At performance meetings between employers and employees, do you actually think that when the subject of how you would advance the company or bring better workmanship to your department that the use of profanity gave you a better score? Why do colleges and higher institutes of learning have English/ grammar, and even public speaking classes but none have Profanity 101 - a class that will better your chances for success in the business world? Point in case, the more advanced your vocabulary, the better handle you have on expressing your needs with words, the use and need for profanity decreases tremendously because you are in control, you have nothing to hide with vulgarity, and it is more important to you to get your point across in a way that motivates and inspires those you are in charge of, whether that be an assembly line, a sales department, or even a branch office.

Profanity does have its place - in the mouths and on the minds of those whose limits of language is to be pitied not copied. In any business setting, vulgar language is a marker of someone who does not have the capacity to lead, but only to the immature level of not being able to control his/her own temper or outbursts and can only use tactics that are not business worthy. Something to think about.

http://arleenswriting.blogspot.com/

Management Consulting - Theories of Organization

2009-01-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

By Martins Okosina

Our world is that of organization. Most of man's activities are executed by joining groups and thus are more of collective efforts. We depend on another for our ambition, achievement of objectives. It does not matter whether those objectives are individually centred or not. We also own our existence and continuity to the groups to which we are members. We learn to live together than to be in isolation. From childhood, we had been members of many social groups while some play primary role in our lives others are secondary.

Think back from birth the member of association you had belonged to age grades, school mates, playmates, kindred, dancing groups, religions, societies, employee group, cafeteria, friends and committee membership. Certainly, you have been a member of million of organizations. And the longer one lives the more groups he is associated with.

Importance Of Joining Organization

1. We become members of a group in order to be able to accomplish those tasks which we cannot achieve individually. For example it is unconventional for a person to embark on building a house alone doing the architectural designs and modeling,masonry, carpentry, brick casting, etc. Thus, he needs to combine his ability with the abilities of other persons.

2. To save time: Generally, a co-operation of people can facilitate the performance of functions faster than single individuals. It takes more time for an individual to do a job than when many hands do the same job.

3. To earn living essentially, people join some association in order to earn their livelihood: This explains the main reason why workers take jobs. In a very stable economy, with adequate employment opportunities, the turnover of labour is a function of the enterprise ability to pay.

4. People also join groups for social reasons: We want to know people and not be isolated. Thus, the need for association, popularity, identification or conformity is a strong motive for joining groups. These social aims have made it that some people may not have objective reasons why they are joining association. They are just member just to let people know that they belong to a certain group.

5. Acquisition of power and influence may be the factor for joining association: Human beings generally want power, they want to command affairs of others and have influence wherever they go. This set of persons becomes members of certain association just to acquire and enlarge their authority and influence.

6. There is also the need to service. Seldom, people are inspired to join groups just to offer their services to humanity, members of Boys Scout, Girls guide, Red cross society and Rotary are cases to emphasize.

7. To exchange ideal and knowledge; we learn more as group members than when we are on our own. We inter change knowledge and information which will improve our methods of doing things. The more exposed we are the faster the learning process.

Finally, in this connection, we shall not lose sight to the experience of the older-years generations. By group association and efforts, the knowledge and transfers property of the deal generations is retained, maintained and transformed properly to the present and future generations.

Martins W Okosina is a Professional Administrator by Profession with over 5years of experience. Find out how effective business consulting can help you.
http://www.naijaconsultingpower.com
http://www.utimatejobsonline.blogspot.com

Management - 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Managing a Workload

2009-01-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

By Duncan Brodie

When asked what their biggest challenge is, many managers say that getting everything done is what they struggle with most. One of the major differences of being a manager is that you are no longer just responsible for one or two things. You need to manage a varied workload as well as people and resources. So what are the 5 top mistakes managers make when it comes to managing workload and what should they do instead?

Mistake 1: Failing to focus
The first mistake managers often make when it comes to managing workload is failing to focus on managing. This is often more of a challenge for those that have been promoted within the same organisation to a management role. If you are a manager you are no longer measured just on what you do but on the results you deliver through others.

Solution: Make a point of allocating a proportion of your time specifically for managing and get crystal clear on how your performance is measured.

Mistake 2: Not delegating
Delegating tasks and responsibility is often something managers find tough to do. It might be that they were let down in the past and are reluctant to try again. It is important to remember that if you avoid delegating you give a message to your staff that you don't trust them. How would you feel if your boss gave you a message that he or she did not trust you?

Solution: Identify tasks that can only be done by you and those that can be delegated. Once you have identified those tasks that can be delegated, find the best person in your team to do the task and delegate it to them.

Mistake 3: Not being willing to say no
You want to be seen as someone who is helpful - don't you? The real question to ask yourself is whether you want to be regarded as the person who always offers to help but rarely delivers. As a manager you need to know when you can commit and when you cannot commit to something. It is better to say and explain your reasons than to say yes and not deliver.

Solution: Always be clear on what you have to deliver in the weeks ahead and how long it will take so that you can clearly identify what capacity you have to take on additional work or projects.

Mistake 4: Not planning
Failing to plan is planning to fail. You would not go travelling without a plan or try to make something without a plan. So why would you leave your productivity and effectiveness to chance by not planning?

Solution: Plan your workload for the month, week and day and ensure that you focus on your priorities.

Mistake 5: Being too accessible
Many managers talk about having an open door policy. At the same time, you need to be careful that your open door policy does not become a constant interruption policy. When this happens you start to lose huge chunks of your time, put the delivery of results at risk and put yourself under real pressure.

Solution: Have designated times when you are available to deal with problem issues and people issues and schedule this time in your calendar. When issues arise outside of this, make sure that the issues really do require your immediate attention.

Bottom Line - Mastering workload management will set you apart from many managers and help you deliver results. So what action do you need to take to better manage your workload?
If you are ready to develop your management or leadership skills for free, I invite you to sign up for my free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php

Management Leadership Training Courses - Preparation and Expectation

2009-01-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

By Wayne Messick

The real purpose of any well conceived and professionally delivered management leadership training course is to help managers and leaders at every level of the organization crystallize their internal and external values. The objective is to understand more clearly the difference between where each person sees themselves as going and where the collective organization sees the company itself going in its efforts to realize its true potential.

Every well respected organization wants to be better and do more and do it more profitably - while at the same time helping its employees be more fulfilled as individuals and well as team members. Employees will be happier and the company will be more profitable as a result of management leadership training courses that address their core needs.

Management leadership training programs are not designed to "fix" troubled employees, or at least they shouldn't be. They are for those who are already on board and want to be more of what it is possible for them to become as individuals - for their own personal benefit as well as for the company.

When you put groups of people together they will naturally learn from each other - maybe more than from the management leadership trainers directing the program. Learning from our peers is one of the most valuable ways to gain actionable knowledge with immediate benefits to everyone.

There are three principle components found in excellent management leadership training courses. The curriculum may not address them specifically - although when you boil down all the bullet points and lump the elements of the trainers presentations together they are there. Whether they are stated or not it comes down to this.

Naturally we all expect the program to be a transfer of knowledge. We believe that the trainers and the contents of the program contain knowledge we do not already have. Otherwise why would you spend your money and time as a participant or sponsor of the program in the first place?

Knowledge really begins with what we bring to the program. Our life experiences as well as our formal education play an important part of our total knowledge as does the osmosis factor - the way we've always done it both on the job and off. We all know that there is no substitute for doing our homework and the preparation and knowledge we bring to the table, based in our street learning is an important part of it.

That knowledge is part of who we are as individuals - our sense of self, our self-images directly relate to our performance on the job, especially as leaders and managers and should be addressed in the management leadership training process. The subconscious views of who we are, our deeply held convictions about ourselves in this or that situation, under these or those circumstances, and with one kind of person or another are vitally important when it comes to explaining our behaviors.

Our beliefs about ourselves are both personal and private as well as public. We all know people who appear one way at the office and much differently at the pub after work. You've seen one sort of behavior at the budget meeting and quite another at the ballpark. You'd never recognize them as being the same person.

Management leadership training courses must connect with the attendees on the subconscious level - so the persona they display at work is consistent with what the organization and its customers expect from them.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't paint your face in your school colors for the Homecoming game. I am suggesting that it's part of the mandate of your management leadership training to align the public self-images of your leaders and managers toward those that make the company a place people want to work and where customers receive consistent and predictable products and services.

Management leadership training courses help us grow by changing the way we see ourselves on the job. When we change our self-perception we ultimately and inevitably change our performance. When our performance changes we enhance our self-image which increases our productivity. And around and around it goes - we don't know how far, until we optimize our personal potential and make the greatest contribution possible to our organizations.

Management leadership training programs must inspire our commitment to growth. When we modify our self-image we work harder and smarter, we become committed to getting more information and knowledge. We begin to understand more completely that what we bring to the management leadership training process is at least as important as the information and printouts the trainers bring. If we expect the trainers to have all the answers we'll be disappointed. If they had all the answers they'd just email them to us.

The conclusion of the program is actually the beginning of its value to you as an individual and as a member of the leadership and management team. What's important is your commitment to personal and business growth with the contents of the management leadership training course acting as a roadmap for you and your people today and tomorrow and tomorrow after that.

Since the beginning of time, management leadership development has meant many different ways to encourage followers. Today's leaders know that being a leader means to inspire others to follow them, during good times and bad. The skills necessary to become a 21st Century leader can be learned through a management leadership training program Visit the http://www.FamilyBusinessManagement.com blog and participate in the discussion.

Business owners who think strategically, plan comprehensively, and execute flawlessly will almost certainly eclipse those who simply set goals and hope for the best. They understand the importance of developing leaders and growing managers to insure their long term success as well as its impact on their profits. They realize that the valuable impact of a management leadership training program can help them focus on what is important to them and the business for years to come.

Just like you, Wayne Messick is concerned about the continuous refinement of his strategies for productivity in these challenging times. He is the author of dozens of articles for mainstream businesses, emerging professionals and association executives and now in phase III of his career spends hours each week creating articles from his experiences.

Effective Delegation Tips

2009-01-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

By Ryan Barnett

One of the biggest challenges a new manager faces is to stop "doing" and start "managing." Delegation is a critical skill for making the smooth transition. If a manager neglects delegation, their workload may be poorly distributed resulting in lower team morale and productivity.
The benefits of effective delegation include the ability to:

- Focus your time on the highest priority issues versus doing your team's work
- Develop the skills of your team through exposure to various projects
- Expand the amount of work that you and your team can deliver

Effective delegation requires an understanding of a few key components, as listed below:

1. Determine what to delegate - Invest your time upfront delegating the items that will yield the most downstream benefit. Avoid just giving the easy or the hard tasks. Consider delegating tasks that are interesting, fun, and provide exposure for the individual. If possible, delegate in big pieces (e.g., a project, a function, a deliverable) versus giving individual tasks.

2. Adjust for the individual - Based on an individual's skills and capabilities, adjust your delegation approach accordingly. For example, for the less skilled, provide more structure, more support, and more controls.

3. Explain the "big picture" - Ensure an understanding of why a task is important so good decisions can be made independently. Understanding the importance of a task will help build commitment and motivation from your resources.

4. Set expectations - Use the SMART- approach to clearly communicate and agree upon expected results, deadlines, and how success will be measured. Along with setting clear expectations, be sure to keep track of what has been delegated.

5. Make sure they succeed - Be disciplined about inspecting work and following-up to ensure good results. Evaluate progress, identify root causes of any issues, communicate observations, and coach team members accordingly. Provide constructive feedback.

The SMART approach ensures expectation setting includes the following elements: S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Achievable R=Realistic, Time=Time-Bound.

Ryan has worked as a consultant with LeadVantage since 2007. Ryan's project work focuses on the utilization of best practice based project management, organizational change management, and process improvement methodologies to help his clients achieve their business goals. Prior to joining LeadVantage, Ryan's efforts focused on supply chain management. He earned a business degree from Indiana University with concentrations in Management and Entrepreneurship.

7 Success Strategies to Grow Your Business Fast

2009-01-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

By Diane Estrada

What goes up must come down as Newton so masterfully discovered. Yes, an economic valley does take some maneuvering to skillfully navigate, but by keeping your head while others are losing theirs, and following these 7 Success Strategies, you can thrive during these economic times, and end up growing your business fast as well.

Be determined to succeed
The attitude you hold about yourself and what you are capable of makes up the fundamental obstacle keeping you from your business success no matter how the economy is doing. It's hard to imagine, but thought is the only thing that stands in our way of attaining what we want in life. Success is an inside job. Focus on your growth and watch as your self-confidence soars. Competency builds confidence. It builds a virtual circle feeding itself, expanding bigger and bigger. Think bigger. Be bigger.

Stop micromanaging and start outsourcing
A business owner who tries to manage everything creates a bottleneck and stifles any opportunity for growth. You would be surprised at the number of activities that can be outsourced to free you up for the tasks you enjoy that will actually help you make money and grow your business easily. Since these people and services are sourced "on demand" you end of paying only for what you need when you need it. Areas to evaluate are office administration, office management, lead generation, marketing support, web site development and maintenance, product fulfillment, event management, and customer service functions. Do what you do best and delegate the rest!

Develop strategic alliances and joint ventures
Seek out ways to collaborate with others in your industry - even your competitors! You know, 1+1 = 5.

The key benefits to this approach include:

1) Gaining economies of scale in marketing, or production.
2) Sharing and transferring of manufacturing and technical expertise.
3) Access to previously blocked markets.
4) Defeating mutual rivals.

Strategic alliances are one of the most powerful ways to quickly and inexpensively grow your business. In one of my businesses, I went from 200 visitors a month on my web site to over 500,000, with one strategic alliance - and it didn't cost me a dime!

Focus on growth strategies
You've all heard the comment, "You have to spend money to make money." Well this IS the case. Spend more on marketing, spend more on advertising, give more bonuses, and cut back where you are not profitable. An important element of your growth strategy is to constantly reinvent yourself; offer creative pricing and inexpensive luxuries, find out what your customers have re-prioritized as most important to them and figure out how your products and services can best be re-positioned to respond to their concerns. As counter-intuitive as it seems, add new products or expand your product offerings if that is what is needed. To cut back and close off is to succumb to a declining economy and business.

Stop selling products and services and build relationships instead
Strong relationships can help increase cash flow, close deals and promote your business more effectively. Focus on giving first, receiving second. This approach demands an investment of time, energy and genuine interest. Undoubtedly, the way to turn contacts into contracts is to establish a powerful network that utilizes your carefully cultured relationships to gain referrals.

Leverage the Internet
There is no other more powerful medium to gain exposure and add to your growth in cost effective ways than to expand your marketing presence to the Internet; for lead generation, branding, additional revenue streams and promotion. Internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of a target market, often for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising budgets. Moreover, internet marketing has the advantage of measuring statistics easily, quickly and inexpensively. There are a variety of methods you can use to trace, measure and test different messages or offerings immediately that are most effective to your audience. Such measurements cannot be achieved through other forms of advertising and promotion.

Develop mastery in seeing strengths
Focus on the best of your and your team's successes, talents, strengths and skills. Many business owners enjoy learning how to spot their skills and strengths, yet few can skillfully see the best in others. Take this comment for example:

"Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little."
MGM Executive, reacting to Fred Astaire's screen test, 1928.

To see the best in others does require you to see the best in you first. Want more success? Get to know your greatest resources better. Shift your attention to what is going well, what you see as successful. Talk about your wins freely and often. You'll be amazed at how focusing on the positive and the best creates a trust and openness that allows problems to surface sooner, as employees are not afraid of being seen only for their weaknesses.

It is no surprise that my opening and closing Success Strategies to grow your business fast, even in this down economy, have to do with attitude, focus, and point of view. You are the designer of your destiny. Start now in leading your life, your company, your self from an attitude of greatness, gratitude and appreciation of the best that surrounds you.

Diane Estrada, the Business Ballerina, is a successful business executive and entrepreneur. She shares tips and lessons learned from years as a ballerina to teach women entrepreneurs how to build million dollar businesses with grace and ease. To learn more about her programs and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her website at http://www.businessballerina.com

Make 2009 the Best Year For Your Business - Ten Tragic Mistakes to Avoid

2009-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer Selby Long

Welcome to 2009! How can I be so upbeat when I'm reporting on the topic of tragic mistakes? Because I know YOU can thrive this year, and your business right along with you. It's your choice - curl up into the fetal position or go for the gold.

Don't let the economic doom and gloom obscure your decision-making. January 2009's Money magazine cited an absolutely fascinating study demonstrating how we see patterns that simply aren't there when we feel out of control of our environments. Participants in the study were given two different headlines, one indicating that this year would be smooth sailing for the stock market, and the other indicating that the year ahead looked rocky.

Sure enough, when shown pages of utterly random dots, participants who had read the unsettling headline genuinely thought they saw patterns, while those who read the optimistic headline weren't fooled. They knew there were no patterns on those pages.

This translates into real life when we find ourselves searching, searching, searching for a clear pattern to explain what is happening, on the assumption that if we understand the pattern we can regain control. When we feel out of control, we make poor decisions.

That's why it's so essential to seek out not only data, but perspective, from a variety of sources. One of my favorite ways to ensure that I make informed decisions and recommendations is to gain a broader viewpoint through conversations (both in person and on line) with my peers.

One great source of these insights has been my membership in The Society for the Advancement of Consulting® (SAC®). SAC is an international association of consulting professionals who subscribe to an industry code of ethics and have provided evidence of significant consulting results among our clients.

We recently developed a Top Ten list of the best and worst practices in current economic conditions, based on the observations of our global membership and the tens of thousands of clients we serve. These are the ten tragic mistakes to avoid:

1. Panicking as leaders, and allowing employees to witness dissension, indecision, and vacillation.

2. Withdrawal and downsizing so severe that the probability of being positioned strongly when the upturn arrives is remote.

3. Sacrificing productivity of remaining workers through rolling and seemingly arbitrary layoffs.

4. Failure to spread sacrifice, and a perception that executives are not sharing the burden.

5. Poor communication of short and longer term plans to the workforce.

6. Failure to manage public relations, media speculation, and reporting.

7. Follow-the-leader mentality instead of carving out a singular approach to the conditions as they affect the organization.

8. Failure to provide incentive for key talent which can't easily be replaced.

9. Cutbacks in the wrong areas, such as customer responsiveness.

10. Poor use of existing credit and financial reserves.

How are you doing in each of these areas?

If any of them look familiar to you, it's never too late to steer the boat in the right direction, but don't put it off. Recession rewards those who are nimble, not those who analyze and ponder until the opportunity passes them by. If your organization is drifting into these bad practices, you need to make changes right now.

For the Top Ten Best Practices list, please visit my blog at http://www.jenniferselbylong.com
My intent in sharing our top ten lists is not to scare you. There's the American media to do that. My intent is to help you make better-informed decisions. Your happiness and success mean a lot to me. If there's anything I can do to help you make 2009 your best year, please let me know.

Jennifer Selby Long, Founder and Principal of Selby Group, provides executive coaching and organizational development services. Jennifer's knack is helping clients navigate the leadership and organizational challenges triggered by change and growth. She knows firsthand that great plans often fail because companies don't take into account the human factors that come into play when implementing them. Visit Jennifer at: http://www.selbygroup.com

How to Motivate Employees Effectively

2009-01-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

By Marcus Kane

One of the saddest things that can happen to you as an employer is to see an exceptional employee leave your company and come running into the arms of the competitor. After everything that you have gone through in interviewing dozens of people, doing countless employment background checks, and examining hundreds of resume, this scenario can surely be frustrating.

As an employer, it is vital to know that employee loyalty is not something automatic, it is something that employers earn. One way of doing so is through proper motivation that not only encourages employees to work excellently but also promotes loyalty. However, bear in mind that it is not enough that you just motivate, you have to do it properly and effectively.

Different Ways to Motivate Employees

1. Giving a raise in workers compensation
Money is surely one of the best motivators since this is the primary reason why employees work in the first place. Giving a raise when one performs excellently will truly motivate and inspire your employee to be more productive and more efficient in what they do.

2. Presenting incentives and rewards
Of course, money is not everything. You do not have to spend money all the time just so you can motivate your employees. Generous rewards like a day off, small gifts, occasional treats to lunch or dinner, or a better office are some of the ways you can motivate your employee.

3. Recognizing and appreciating a job well done
Employees appreciate it when their good performance is recognized and praised. This inspires them to work even harder next time.

4. Provide proper training
Training for additional knowledge and skills are also a great motivator for many employees especially those who are always craving to learn something new. Remember, this is not only a good way to motivate employee but this also improves performance and productivity.

Tips on how to motivate effectively

1. Know the employee
As an employer, you have to know that some motivation strategies work well on others, some do not. For instance, one of your employees is motivated with monetary incentives, another would prefer to be promoted. Therefore, it is important that you get to know your employees very well so you can give the right kind of motivation that will inspire him or her more effectively.

2. Personalize the rewards or gifts that you give to your employees.
For one, you can add a handwritten note of appreciation to the gift or you can give something that the employee is fond of. For example, if your employee is a basketball fanatic, front row tickets to an NBA game of his favorite team will surely be appreciated.

There are many ways you can motivate your employee. However, it is not enough that you just employ the first motivation strategy you see on the list without considering the personality and the likes of your employee.

For more tips and information about workers compensation, check out
http://hubpages.com/hub/Proper-Employee-Motivation-Key-to-Retaining-Great-Employees

Watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008 [del.icio.us]

2008-12-20T13:50:18-08:00

Watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008

MAG 55:: Gallery of Celebrity Gossips: Victoria’s Secret Supermodels Strap On Their Bikinis [del.icio.us]

2008-12-15T18:21:58-08:00

10 Key Business Management Skills to Build Trust With Your Employees

2008-12-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

By Martin Haworth

Employees never feel comfortable under a boss who doesn't trust them or whom they don't trust. In the absence of mutual trust productivity falls as the employees get into politics, covering their backs and other counterproductive activity.

Not trusting each other will affect morale, which leads to a deterioration in customer satisfaction as the focus shifts from the business needs to internal wrangling.

So, let's look at some key qualities a manager must possess to develop trust.

1. Effective Communication
A manager must communicate well to build strong relationships with their people. In difficult times, employees might think no news as bad news, so a manager must keep in close touch. Lack of communication reduces trust; being open with information creates it.

2. Trust Others and They Will Trust You
A manager must develop an ability to trust others and create an environment of trust throughout the workplace. Really, it is better to assume the trustworthiness of employees to start with, rather than waiting for them to earn it. Team members find it much easier to trust their manager if they feel trusted themselves.

3. Honesty In Everything
Being open and honest is a key ingredient for generating trust. When you are open about your vision, actions and intentions, you will usually generate strong support. Both good and bad news should be openly shared, reducing gossip and internal politics. By admitting mistakes and not trying to cover them up, shows any manager to be a normal human being, just like everyone else!

4. Establish Strong Business Ethics
Managers should create a moral value system for the workplace. Teams which have a common ethics are healthier, resourceful, adaptable and productive because of the common root of their consistent value systems.

5. Keep Your Word
By making actions visible and fulfilling commitments, managers become trusted. Failing on promises is insincere and causes tensions. A manager needs to deliver actions visibly, to ensure everyone is aware that they can be depended upon.

6. Be Consistent
In the process of building trust, being consistent and predictable is very important. If the behavioral pattern changes from to week to week, trusting it becomes difficult. Your people get twitchy and uncomfortable when plans and expectations change too much.

7. Be Easily Available
Your team members need to able to get to you when they need to. Whilst there may be times when, for purposes of doing your own work, you need to remain undisturbed, there needs to be a balance. You are the manager and they will need you for specific involvement in day to day activities.

8. Maintaining Confidences
Employees who you manage must be able to confide in you sensitive information, express concern and share problems. People need to know that you can keep this confidential when they need you to. Sometimes these can be personal matters and in such cases this becomes even more important.

9. Language Matters
Watching your language is crucial. By avoiding using the "us" and "them" figures of speech and sticking with "we" wherever possible, your team will bond better with you. Your language should be clear and simple, because everyone interprets what is said differently - so you need to speak plainly for everyone to understand.

10. Creating Social Time
Having informal social interactions with the team enhances the trust building procedure. In context, social interactions are a big opportunity for success for any good manager.

To make a team which works together efficiently, requires the abundant presence of mutual trust. By consistently thinking of and working on trust building, any manager will reap long-lasting positive benefits.

(c) 2008 Martin Haworth is the author of Super Successful Manager, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level. You can get a sample lesson for free at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com

Management Tips - How to Give Effective Feedback

2008-12-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

By Duncan Brodie

One of the areas where managers come are criticised is for not giving employees regular and useful feedback. There might be a whole host of reasons why feedback does not happen on a regular basis.

For example:

• The manager is focussed too much on task
• The manager has never had much feedback themselves so does not recognise the value
• The manager quite simply does not set aside enough time for managing

Given the value of feedback, what are the top tips for giving feedback?

Tip 1: Do it as a matter of routine
One of the easiest ways of ensuring that you give effective feedback is to make it something you do routinely. Build it into your schedule and make a point of looking out for things on which to provide feedback.

Tip 2: Be specific
Whenever you give feedback, aim to be as specific as possible with your feedback. Often, people say things like something was good. While this might be nice to hear it is not very useful. On the other hand if you can point to the specific action or behaviour that was good, the recipient of the feedback can use this strength in the future.

Tip 3: Know the preferences of the feedback recipient
People in the team have different preferences and part of your job as a manager is to know them and respond to them appropriately. For example, some will appreciate an e-mail; others will appreciate being praised verbally in front of the whole team, while others will want to get praise one to one.

Tip 4: Be yourself
It is important to be yourself rather than putting on an act. People will see through the latter and will value the feedback less.

Tip 5: Deal with all aspects of feedback
The chances are that you will be providing positive feedback to most people, most of the time. There will on the other hand situations where you will have to deal with feedback that is negative. It is important that you are as ready and willing to deal with the difficult stuff as you are the good stuff.

Bottom Line- Giving feedback can be a huge source of motivation and personal development for team members. So what do you need to be doing differently to give more effective feedback?
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.

With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.

He invites you to take the first step to leadership success by signing up for his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php

What it Takes to Become a Great Manager

2008-12-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

By Tony Jacowski

Self Evaluation
The key to becoming a great manager is to know yourself. This is imperative, as it helps you to evaluate your weaknesses and strengths even before you get to work.

It is impractical for you to handle day-to-day business operations if you cannot manage your employees - and for that reason, it's important that you know your temperament and management style.

This will help you make any adjustments that you need to make, so that you interact with your employees in the best possible way; an approach that will foster good relations among everyone.

Hire the Best
When you have to hire staff, you should hire the best-qualified people for the positions that you have to fill, even if that means paying them more. Having a superior team will push your own efforts as a manager further, while a team that is not superior will not measure up to your expectations - or those of your superiors.

Interaction Is the Key
Remember that you are a manager - you are not competing with your subordinates. Make sure that you relate to your employees and that they know they can come to you if they have a problem.

When you come up with new ideas or thoughts about the business that affects them, get their opinion and hear what they think. This will stimulate them and make them react positively to the responsibilities that they are assigned to.

Delegate
Being a great manager means knowing when to pass on work to others. You aren't superman, and you can't do everything yourself. There comes a time when you have to trust your employees to do the work that you are paying them to do.

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, so you know that they can handle.

Accountability

As a manager, you are generally accountable for how well or bad your team performs. Therefore, you should know that if they fail, the team has failed as a whole - not them, not you, but all of you. If someone on your team fails, everyone must take responsibility, especially you.
Avoid harsh blame games that might prove costly later.

Above all, a good manger always knows where they are coming from and going to. Develop the habit of always being ahead in terms of the direction your organization is heading.

Think and plan ahead, do your research, and always be alert to new issues that affect the long-term performance of your team. In the long run, how well your team performs (or doesn't) will determine your success as a manager.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Learning About Project Management

2008-12-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

By James M Peterson

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing one's resources. It involves acting as a manager for a specific project, as opposed to a general and continuing mission. A project manager is responsible for the successful competition of a task, regardless of how other circumstances affect that task. The great responsibility of this position means that it is only for the most dedicated of workers.

This is how project management is understood in the business world. In order to succeed as a project manager, workers require technical skills specific to their industry (such as computer manufacturing or programming). They also need a proper understanding of business skills, such as separate management philosophy. A worker who understands the field gets specifics on scope, quality, time, and budget. Such a task also demands a proper understanding of finances, psychometrics, materials and supplies, energy, communication, and logistics.

As such, education is an important part of project management. The prospective project manager must learn computer certification, along with the related business skills. Fortunately, there are many ways to get this education. Training organizations and seminars provide the necessary instruction. The Knowledge Solutions International Company is an example of this. The company teaches computer certification along with related business skills to promising students. The school uses conferencing technology and other methods of effective communication. Remember that the more you know, the more you can help others, and the more money you can make in the long run. Visit TrainWithKSI.com on the web for more information.

The Knowledge Solutions International Company trains people in the field of project management. For more information, or to sign up, visit http://www.trainwithksi.com.

Management Vs Leadership

2008-12-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Mario Barrett, Ph.D.

Management versus leadership, what's the difference? Is there a difference? Well, there has always been a difference, but people have not always known how to communicate the difference between the two, which is why in many instances, the terms are expressed in an indistinguishable fashion. However, a leader's role and a manager's role within any organizational setting is not interchangeable. This is not to say that an individual cannot possess the attributes of both, but do realize that their functions and outlooks pertaining to the existing paradigm/status quo (policies, practices, norms, standards, and rules) are very different.

In a nutshell, leaders can be seen as revolutionaries, change agents, and paradigm shifters. Their role is to get people with similar views and ideas together, in a inspirational and collaborative way in order to accomplish a given task or goal. Of most importance however, is that leaders often operate outside or in-opposition to, the parameters set by the existing paradigm/status quo in order to achieve their goals. This sometimes rebellious nature often brings about new and innovative ideas and ways of doing things that shifts or changes the existing paradigm/status quo.

Managers on the other hand, are also tasked with accomplishing goals, but they often confine themselves within the parameters of the existing paradigm/status quo. Managers often utilize people as well to achieve outcomes, but more often in a less inspirational and collaborative way. Therefore, it can be said that while managers are required to meet incremental outcomes, they are still dutiful gatekeepers of the existing paradigm/status quo. In contrast, leaders often identify and challenge the non-productiveness and inefficiency of the existing paradigm/status quo, creating a seemingly oppositional and chaotic environment that can yield innovative and wondrous outcomes that probably would not have been achieved within the existing paradigm/status quo that had been in place prior to the challenge.

Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.

Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com) and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com).

Managing People - The Key Ingredients of Successful Staff Appraisal

2008-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

By Duncan Brodie

If you are a manager, chances are you will have to undertake staff appraisals or staff performance reviews on at least an annual basis. Done well, the se staff appraisals can be a great source of motivation. So what are the key ingredients of successful staff appraisal?

Ingredient 1: Planning

If you are going to have a successful staff appraisal you need to allow time for planning. This planning time needs to be made available to the manager who is carrying out the appraisal and the employee who is being appraised. By allowing the employee and yourself the time to prepare, you lay the foundations for a highly successful appraisal.

Ingredient 2: Listen more

If you are the manager who is carrying out the appraisal you should be listening more than you speak. As a rule of thumb I suggest that the person who is appraising spends about 70% of the time listening and 30% speaking.

Ingredient 3: Specific feedback

As the manager you will need to give feedback on what the employee is doing well and what they can do better. The more specific you are with your feedback the more benefit it will be for the employee. Vague feedback just creates confusion.

Ingredient 4: Comprehensive agenda

Make sure that your agenda is comprehensive. As I minimum I recommend that you include:

• The appraisal purpose
• Employee self assessment of performance
• Manager feedback on performance
• Development plans
• Career plans
• Objectives for next period

Ingredient 5: Sufficient time

Allow sufficient time for each employee's appraisal. I suggest blocking out two hours and making sure that you have some space in your calendar immediately before and after the appraisal. If you do not demonstrate the importance of the appraisal to employees, how can you expect them to take you seriously?

Bottom Line - Done well, appraisals can be a great source of motivation. What ingredients do you need to work on to more effectively appraise employees?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) invites you to take the first step to being more effective as a manager or leader by signing up for his free e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php

Success Skills For Managers - Consulting With Your Boss

2008-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

By Susan Berry

If you are are a manager in industry or government, your employer may be hiring more and more outside consultants as planning or project advisors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Employment of management analysts is expected to grow 22 percent over the 2006-16 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations, as industry and government increasingly rely on outside expertise to improve the performance of their organizations."

When your boss needs expert advice in your field, would he or she turn to you first?
Becoming the Internal Consultant of Choice for your boss has many benefits:

Benefits to You:
As you participate in organizational fact finding, definition of desired results, and planning, you give your department or team a voice in deciding whether and how outside consultants are assigned to tasks or projects that affect your work. This encourages effective coordination of inside and outside resources.

As you investigate what your Bass wants to achieve, you gain a broader perspective of the organization's strategy, current situation, and resources. You become familiar with the Big Picture of organizational challenges as the context for mapping the way ahead. This is the viewpoint of a leader.

As you consult with your Boss on upcoming challenges, you can identify his or her expectations of your department (and you!). This "early warning" can help you organize to meet new needs, and communicate the leadership rationale for change to those you supervise.

Taking the initiative to discover your Boss's outcomes, and to discuss options for action can build your credibility, lay the foundation for mutual trust, and demonstrate your value as a partner in planning and performance management.

Benefits to Your Boss:
As an internal consultant, you already know and understand your organization. At first, external consultants do not. They must spend the initial phase of their work gaining insights that you already have. You can save your Boss time and money as you provide an "inside-out" view of resources and realities that may influence current performance and new initiatives.

Your understanding of and access to staff on the front line can help the Boss consider and align their interests with overall strategy as plans develop. Representing staff interests well, and keeping staff informed of plans can boost morale and encourage execution of strategy.

Your familiarity with customer concerns and priorities can ensure that solutions are aligned with what the market wants.

Producing results is the bottom line for your organization and your Boss. If you want to be part of the solutions that your Boss is seeking, it may be time to promote yourself to Internal Consultant.

For further information on how to develop your own consulting strategy, see our blog at http://www.consultingtipsandtools.com, or visit our training information site at http://www.aligned4results.com

From Susan Berry and Randy Thomas- The "Working Together" Team

Copyright 2008 Aligned for Results LLC by S. Berry and R. Thomas, All rights reserved.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as 1) no changes are made, 2) the title, authors' names, tag line, and the copyright notice are retained without changes, and 3) all links remain intact and active.

What is Operations Management Optimization?

2008-10-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

By Gaurabh H Jain

Operations management, in essence, is the management of production and services with the overall goal of quality performance. Operations managers are constantly thinking about how they can optimize work flow and resource utilization. A better flow of operations means less cost, increased productivity, and more time to focus on customer needs and planning new projects.

There are many operations management articles on the web available to managers to help them improve and refine their business practices, can visit www.positive-idea.com Here are some crucial business areas that operations management articles focus on.

Procurement
Choosing your vendors is an important part of the operations management process because if your suppliers are unreliable, this can cause major delays in your supply chain. There are many operations management articles online that can help you choose your vendors properly to ensure that you receive your consignments on time, at right place, and at the right price.

Manpower
Some operations management articles expound on manpower management. Particularly for large operations, this can be a daunting task. Delegating tasks according to skill level and experience, evaluation, compensation, designing safely policies, and composing a good working atmosphere are just some of the responsibilities of the operations manager.

Production
This aspect of operations management involves decisions on how to utilize your resources efficiently. Production strategy can vary depending on market conditions, and your supply chain can be producing more of one product at one point and more of another product at another point.
Operations management quality control Learn how to ensure that your company makes no compromises on quality of products and services. Researching on up-to-date operations management articles will help you keep up with the latest in quality standards and quality management techniques, foe help visit www.change-ur-mind.com This way you can always compare and contrast your own products and services to what else is out in the market.

Inventory
Managing your inventory properly will increase efficiency and ensure that you are optimizing your resources. Many operations management articles have been written on how to decide on what is a proper base stock which can meet fluctuation in demand. Knowing how to build your inventory level optimally as your company grows is also a valuable skill.

Logistics and transportation
Designing an effective logistics and transportation management strategy is critical in order to ensure that your materials are available at the best price and delivered on time and at the right place. Numerous operations management articles have been written solely on this subject.

Facilities management
Operations managers must also be housekeepers. They need to make sure that all equipment is maintained well and working optimally, and that the premises are well lit and well kept. This will help foster a productive and healthy working environment.

By reading up regularly on these important topics and other aspects of operations management, operations managers can always ensure that they are running an up-to-trend working environment and following the latest practices and procedures. More operations management articles on these topics can be readily found on any operations management website.
http://www.change-ur-mind.com
http://www.positive-idea.com

How Helpful Are Management Consultants For Businessmen?

2008-10-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

By James Gordon

Beginning of business needs so much resources and planning. The person who needs to do a business might have a vague idea of what he wants to achieve. But most often how this has to be done is the intriguing factor for many who seeks to do a business. Management consulting firms emerges as a blessing for such kind of entrepreneurs who are willing to utilize their wealth for bringing prosperity. Management consultants guides one through every process of management, most importantly strategic planning. Management planning consultants helps to overcome many hindrance that might occur in the various stages of business implementation.

Management consultancy in recent times has become so organized that they provide specific management professionals to even very concentrated niches on business. Active involvement of professional management consultants reduces unnecessary overheads and reduces the burden from the businessmen. Since skilled and fine tuned inputs are rendered the efficiency ratio tends to the highest possible. Management consulting firms handles the documentation of the projects and which is the major and most rewarding service offered. Since project management is in much of a demand most management consultants are concentrated and specializing on project management consultancy.

On a general basis management consulting firms offer services like business undertaking for the existing business houses. This is normally done on a profit sharing basis. These management consulting firms makes sure better management by right kind of staff and management resources and overlook optimal utilization of available resources. These firms are good for those who think big about business.

James Gordon writes management articles for a number of websites including Vijyoti School of Communications and corporate learning. Vijyoti is a management consultancy firm and hr consultancy.

Third Party Qualification - Streamlining Compliance Management

2008-10-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

By Trevor A. Bouchard

The practice of third party qualification is not a new concept but with the recent fledgling economy and under staffed purchasing departments, more companies are considering third party qualification as a viable alternative. Organizations large are making a shift in an attempt to leverage recent technological advancements and an emerging third party vendor qualification market to minimize potential exposures and avoid lowering their bench marks of quality, while staying competitive in today's economy.

Traditional Challenges Businesses and organizations requiring the services of multiple companies have historically expended thousands of dollars annually to manage their internally generated lists with varying degrees of success in the attempt to adequately manage risk. Companies set standards to which vendors must adhere, allocate company overhead and employees to the task of reviewing individual vendor files to ensure files are complete, accurate and updated. The complete process, sometimes requiring multiple full-time employees, is a labour intensive activity and a major cost centre that can hinder financial performance of whatever business unit it falls under. Due to the cost associated with internal compliance management and vendor qualification many organizations in an effort to streamline and cut cost have decreased the number of purchasing managers they have on staff. As a result purchasing agents are becoming overworked and subsequently everywhere you turn the media is filled with reports of steps being missed via mismanagement, neglect and conflict of interest cases.

These miscues are a top-line; mission-critical challenge that requires the attention and commitment of senior-level executives and administrators as well as the dedicated allocation of carefully targeted resources. If executed improperly organizations are faced with conflict of interest liabilities and cost-inefficiencies, both recognized and hidden. Although in some verticals new regulations and internal conflict of interest policies and new document management software is being developed, implementation of these new solutions are being rolled out at an absorbent cost and barrier to entry is excluding some smaller organizations.

Existing top-down policies and procedures fail to provide a viable, verifiable solution for many organizations. As the need for conflict of interest transparency and document management intensifies, management and suppliers face unprecedented demands on their ability to identify, monitor and document these potentially high-risk relationships. Existing policies and procedures for board and administrator level compliance are insufficient. Disparate, incompatible stand-alone systems, where they exist, have proven difficult to implement and costly to integrate, offering little assurance of reliable compliance and no guarantee of the level playing field these requirements seek to establish.

Third Party Solutions and Why They Work! There is a new solution emerging which is proving to be a mutually beneficial business model in the independent vendor management segment of the software services marketplace, and this systematic solution holds tremendous promise for application to the growing demands for conflict of interest compliance and the ease in which purchasing agents can access integral documents. The two-pronged nature of the solution tackles the need for organizations to provide greater transparency into their business relationships on the one hand, and the vested interest of outside vendors and services providers to comply with these transparency requirements in order to do business with these major customers on the other. The solution demands an integrated, system-level approach.

Comprehensive compliance with emerging conflict of interest regulations will require both sides of the customer/supplier equation to work together in assuring across-the-board integration of constantly changing data and rapidly evolving systems upgrades.

While no centralized system-wide solution capable of managing the expanding and evolving challenges of the conflict of interest compliance problem currently exists, this unique business model has fragmented representation across many regions and is slowly proving itself to be a viable foundation for the development of such a full scale solution.

In comparison to current practices at many organizations, third party technology rich solutions offer businesses a more comprehensive and up-to-date vendor list that has enhanced document visibility and increased risk management while providing a significant cost savings. The element of with-in arms reach is taken out of play and many companies can help reduce their exposure to missed steps, mismanagement, and neglect and conflict of interest cases.

In Summary To address the growing complexity of vendor management and the need to capture, evaluate and monitor conflict of interest disclosures, organizations alike need to work together to build upon the capabilities of vendor relationship management systems to create a centralized all-encompassing solution that ensures conflict of interest compliance.

This article was written by Trevor A. Bouchard President & CEO of Quick
Contractors.com Inc.
For more information go to: http://www.QuickContractors.com

The Number 1 Essential Tip For Effective Management

2008-10-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Summer N Banks

The world of business has turned upside down. CEOs are tripping over their feet to find the best possible way to stop the doors of their dream business from closing, never to reopen again. In tough economic times, the effective manager is one who knows how to stimulate the consumer and make money regardless of the financial status of the nation.

There is Money to be Made!
Rest assured, there is money out there to be made no matter what type of business your management staff is running. From food service to cleaning services, major retailers to mom and pop stores, the money is waiting to become your next month of profit. How do you tap into this free money? Your management staff needs to work effectively, responsibly and on the level of the patrons frequenting your business establishment.

The most common mistake managers make is thinking they are above the hard day's work. The consumer does not want to see a leader in a suit and tie, walking around a business barking orders. The effective manager will treat the consumer just like a small child. By kneeling down and making the consumer believe the manager understands the trials and tribulations of living paycheck to paycheck, the consumer will believe in that manager and the sale will be closed.

The effective manager is selling more than products and services. They are selling the idea that everyone is in the same financial boat. Once the consumer believes in the management staff, the sales will increase and the business will climb out of the red and back into the black!

Do you really want cheap articles? I think you want articles that are well written and researched! You need the content, I have the time! Let's change the Internet.

Summer Banks is ready to provide your site and your business with great Internet content!

Eva Mendes Calvin Klein’s Commercial is Too Steamy For US TV (Video) [del.icio.us]

2008-10-10T12:29:29-07:00

She’s parlaying her big-screen sex appeal into a lucrative deal as the spokesmodel for Calvin Klein’s newest fragrance Secret Obsession. But Eva Mendes’ new commercial has been branded as too racy for television here in the States.

Miranda Kerr Sexes Up David Jones Runway [del.icio.us]

2008-10-10T12:18:46-07:00

When it comes to choice models to give your new fashion line a little extra bump, you can’t do much better than Victoria’s Secret hottie Miranda Kerr.

Megan Fox Heats Up MTV Movie Awards [del.icio.us]

2008-07-07T20:09:35-07:00

She’s FHM’s #1 Sexiest Woman in the World, and Megan Fox was making all the guys drool at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.

Christina Aguilera Revels In Motherhood [del.icio.us]

2008-06-21T22:14:16-07:00

Despite recently firing her staff over the reported “blundering” of the release of pictures of her newborn son, Christina Aguilera has been enjoying her first go at motherhood.

Fergie Takes a Break in Paradise [del.icio.us]

2008-05-15T18:35:16-07:00

MAG 55:: Gallery of Celebrities [del.icio.us]

2008-05-01T14:57:24-07:00

MAG 55:: Gallery of Celebrities Latest Celebrities...

Dita Von Teese Performs at 'Erotica' 2007 [del.icio.us]

2008-05-01T14:57:24-07:00

Dita Von Teese performed at world's largest adult lifestyle fair, Erotica 2007, a three-day festival at the giant Kensington Olympia exhibition venue in London.

Fashion & Style :: Fashion for Women [del.icio.us]

2008-03-03T22:07:28-08:00

All the Latest Fashion & Trends around the World. New Fashion announcements. Find the Latest Trends...Whats HOT?...Whats Not?...What is In? & What is Out?... Global Fashion News & Everything else on Fashion on