Tip #400 Top 7 Leadership and Management Strategies (Part 2 of 2)

As a reminder, our Leadership & Management two-part e-tip series are designed to help you become a better leader and manager. Tips 4 - 7 are created to give you some general insight, so you can stand-out as a solid leader and good manager. Remember, hone your skills, and you will become a more valuable resource for any organization.

The Final 4 Leadership & Management Tips On Managing Change:

Tip #4: Choose The Right Candidate - Different types of positions require different kinds of assessments and interview questions. And using the right technique(s) will help you to recruit the optimal person for the job. The selection process and techniques used depend on the particular knowledge, skills and attributes required for the position. If your selection process and/or methods are not based on the hiring criteria, you will find more times than not that you did not hire the best person for the position.

Tip #5: Hire Temporary Staff - Hiring talented employees is getting tougher and tougher. With that said, organizations today look at the temporary employment sector to find people to handle basic business functions. Why? They find that it is much more cost-effective than hiring someone to do the job. And should that person work out, they can move them from temporary to permanent - and be more flexible and resilient over their competition.

Tip #6: Create a Motivational Climate - Running a profitable department, division or business unit takes time, a talented workforce and a motivated team. Typically, we see 4 common elements that must be present for your team to be in high spirits and motivated at work. They include:

1. Respect for the management and executive team.

2. A feeling that they belong on the team.

3. An opportunity to grow professionally.

4. The ability to walk-in and talk with members of their leadership team.

Tip #7: Meeting Follow-Up - Having an effective meeting is one thing; however, what comes after a meeting is another thing. To maximize decisions that were made during a meeting, do not assume everyone is pulling their weight and executing what they committed to. Good leaders and managers will get faster results when they have their staff report back on their progress with the action items that came out of the meeting.

Executive Summary: As a leader and manager, you will find that your employees can be your best allies - whether they are temporary or permanent - when everyone wants to be part of the team. People want to be respected, trusted and given the opportunity for their voices to be heard. Make this the case in your organization, and you will see magic start to happen. If not, you will see people only putting in an average performance at best.

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Tip #399: Top Leadership and Management Strategies (Part 1 of 2)

Our Leadership & Managementtwo-part e-tip series are specifically created to help you become a better leader and manager. And as the business world becomes smaller and more competitive, top-notch talent always rises to the top. If you want to stand out in your organization as a strong leader and manager, hone your skills and you will become a more valuable resource for any organization.

Your Inspiration Will Motivate Your Employees.

Leaders inspire and motivate others, creating a natural following. Managers have the authority to enforce policies and processes to ensure that they are followed. But as we both know, managers are not always leaders, because a manager is often given their position of authority through time, loyalty and because they are proficient at executing, not because of their leadership qualities.

To be really successful in today's challenging environment, you need to develop the qualities and skills of both a leader and a manager.

3 (of 7) Leadership & Management Tips For All Professionals To Consider:

Tip #1: Communicate Frequently With Employees During Changing Times - When going through organizational, divisional or territory changes, we see many executives leaving their employees in the dark only to have rumors, based on both fact and fiction, running through their rank-and-file. During any type of change(s), it is best to initially communicate directly with your employees via a face-to-face meeting(s) vs. a general e-mail. And as changes occur, keep them up-to-date with weekly, bi-weekly or monthly meetings/emails. It is actually better to communicate too frequently during an organizational change rather than not frequently enough.

Tip #2: Involve Your Employees - When embarking on new challenges, opportunities or corporate directions, your employees are more apt to support a particular change if they are ready to make it. Accomplishing this means involving them in creating the solution, setting direction or overcoming challenges related to the change. Research has shown overwhelmingly that if your staff believes in your change(s) and has time and energy invested in the change(s), your organization will have a greater probability of success when it comes time for making that change a reality.

Tip #3: Evaluate The Results Together - If you want to cultivate employee commitment, get them involved with the analysis and design of the change(s). When it comes time for the actual implementation part of the change(s), get everyone to measure and evaluate its overall effectiveness; however, this should not be done until you have given everyone enough time to settle into their own groove. This way, they can make a more objective judgment rather than just reacting to being uncomfortable dealing with something new.

Executive Summary: As a leader and manager, you will find that most everyone will want to become part of the solution. All your employees really want is to be informed on what is happening and, of course, to have an opportunity to give their input. If you do run across staff members who find a problem with a particular change, ask them what they would suggest. This often reduces resistance, since they will need to step-up and deliver a viable solution. Ultimately, change is good for any organization. And with your employees' involvement, the changes become less formidable and employees want to become part of a successful transformation.


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E-Tip #398: The # 1 Management Secret: Managing Expectations

Did you know the single most effective management tool is this: Articulating your expectations of your staff? Believe me; the power of "managing expectations and positive thoughts" cannot be underestimated by any manager.

The Reality Of "Managing Expectations" Revolves Around 3 Simple Principles:

1. Managers communicate their expectations consciously and unconsciously.

2. Employees consciously and unconsciously understand these expectations.

3. Employees perform in ways that are consistent with their manager's expectations.

More times than not, people excel in response to their manager's performance message. Conversely, it can undermine someone's performance when a manager does not articulate their expectations in a clear and concise manner. Although many managers' expectations are often subtle, they are picked-up consciously and unconsciously by their staff. It could be as simple as a manager failing to praise someone's performance as frequently as they praise others. Other times, it could be a manager talking less to a particular person or not sharing ideas or personal items with that person. Yes, people do pick-up on these little things, because to them, it is obvious.

Less Skilled Managers Will Reduce an Employee's Self-Esteem and Performance Level.

That's right. However, if a manager is skilled and has high expectations for all of his/her employees, the employee's self-confidence grows, skills are developed faster and performance moves in a more positive direction.

Imagine For A Moment That You Were Able To Communicate Your Exact Expectations and Positive Thoughts To Everyone You Managed.

If you have positive thoughts and high-expectations of the people you manage, you will find that they will begin to make contributions that are more positive.  And setting your employees' expectations is a critical element in managing people; however, don't stop there! Follow-up with your employees on a regular basis to ensure that they are meeting your expectations. If not, you will find that some employees may take the path of least resistance in getting things done -- producing "average" results more times than not.

Case in point: Let us say you are managing a sales team and you have set a "sales quota" for everyone. You also know each sales person needs to make a certain number of "prospect cold-calls" to make their quota. If you are not managing their level of "cold-calls" each week, there is a very good chance some people will not perform to your expectations. On the other hand, if you do manage their "phone-time" by setting specific dates, times and number of "cold- calls" they need to do each week, you will soon see their sales increase.

This means that, as managers, we need to spend time getting to know our employees and understand how they are driven internally and/or externally. Then, we can adjust our communication and follow up accordingly. Yes, it's that simple.

Executive Summary:Managers do not have to verbally communicate their expectations in order for them to be set. Non-verbal cues and lack of verbal cues alone can set the tone for how managers expect their employees to perform. This is why it is important for managers to be clear and direct about what they expect from their employees. Also, following up in order to ensure that expectations are clear is another way to make sure that employees understand their responsibilities.

E-Tip #397: 4 Tips for More Productive Team Members

Developing an effective and more productive team in today's workplace requires a commitment from your executive management team. Research has proven that many business leaders ignore some of the basic elements in leading people. If you want to optimize and enhance your leadership skills, we have listed 4 tips for you to consider. They are: 

Tip #1. Acknowledge your team -- adopt a "people come first" strategy.

Tip #2. Spend time with the employees who are directly handle core business processes and procedures. They can provide you with a vast amount of knowledge about inefficiencies and issues.

  

Tip #3. Actively listen and recognize that your team's opinion counts.

Tip #4. Know your team's needs and what motivates them best.

Let People Know How Much You Value Their Input And Commitment.

As a leader, you should ask your people direct questions like, "Do we give you the necessary tools, support and resources to achieve first-rate performance?" Be careful, though--you may run into some employees who are willing to speak out strongly on issues they consider important. Prepare to actively listen, take notes and address concerns without being defensive.

During this time, you need to look at the following elements that will make this communication a great starting point:

• Believe that the majority of the people are putting the company first to achieve what they want.  
• Let them know that you don't expect miracles to happen in 24 hours. Work with employees to set a realistic time frame for changes.   
• Make a commitment to help your team become better by embracing their issues and then work on ways to help solutions become a reality for them. 
• Personalize relationships by looking at what an individual's specific job duties and capabilities, then set expectations accordingly.
• Show a genuine interest in your people and help them figure out how to get what they want.  
• When talking with an individual, use his/her name.  

Have Your Team Focus On Learning About Themselves And The Company.

All too often, people are "in their own little world" with what they do and how they do it. If you want people to focus on their own personal development, you need to look at ways to improve their value to the organization. Here is what we suggest:

• Encourage self-development.
• Ensure that team members understand how their job positively and essentially impacts the company.
• Identify what each team member wants to do at your organization.
• Share relevant information with your team.
• Provide ongoing training programs to enhance not only their value, but their self-worth.
• Measure how well a team is improving and report this information back to everyone.
• Work on developing your organization's team leaders, as great leaders produce loyal followers. 

Executive Summary: Being an effective leader of a team requires the ability to capitalize on a wide range of personalities, skills and abilities. Great team leaders can quickly analyze and capitalize on a team's strengths, work with diverse styles and create a competitive spirit that builds cooperation and loyalty.

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E-Tip #396: 3 Tips to Creating A United Organization

At Dale Carnegie Training, we personally train, consult and present to 3,000+ businesses and people throughout the course of the year. It is not unusual for us to be told that an organization's executive team is difficult to approach during the course of a regular business day.

What is worse is that they often do not get involved with what is really happening in their organization, and many employees feel that their executive leaders are living on their own private island. If this is happening at your organization, do not rationalize this type of behavior as being acceptable, as it is slowly alienating "management" from the "workers." And if you have ever worked or seen someone work with the door closed more times than not, you know exactly what I am talking about.

To help you unite and develop a cohesive team within your organization, we listed below 3 tips to help you make this a reality. Although some of the content may be obvious to you, we do suggest that you print out this e-newsletter and reread it several times - and give a copy to your management team, too.

3 Tips To Help You Develop A United Front:

Tip #1: Running A Department, Division Or Business Is NOT A Game Of Solitaire - Often times, many leaders feel that they are alone when running their department, division or business; however, what separates a business from its competition has always been and will always be the people. Without the right core people to support and implement your strategic initiatives, your business will become static and not grow. So, as you navigate your business through its daily maze, you will see huge dividends by engaging your co-workers and employees.

Tip #2: Innovate Or Get Out Of Your Competition's Way - Today's buyers, whether they are a business or a consumer, want to work with an innovative organization. If you do not believe me, take a look at the auto industry. Better yet, take a closer look at Apple Computer. They went from a floundering business in the 90's to a world leader in technology - just take a look at their iPods and iPhones. They have literally put excitement into the minds of millions of buyers by innovating MP3 players and smart phones. Now look at your organization to see how you can innovate your product or services.

A recent survey revealed that close to 90% of all businesses are a "me-too" business in the mind's eye of many buyers. If you want to dominate your market, lead the charge in innovation by keeping people accountable for your strategic vision. Do not accept mediocre results from your staff. Innovation requires taking some risks. Let people take chances without them being worried about losing their jobs. Remember this: If everyone is thinking the same thing, then someone isn't thinking!

Tip #3: Get Yourself Involved - Whether it is your personal or professional life, you need to get involved. Between hobbies, charitable organizations, new clients or other departments within your company, you need to break through the everyday grind and channel your thoughts and energies into other areas (you can also make a lot of valuable contacts). You will find the greatest level of personal satisfaction is helping people become more successful.

Executive Summary: Creating a unified team is one of the biggest challenges facing executives, managers and supervisors. But if you focus your efforts on engaging people, getting their comments and innovating the things that you do, you will find the path to becoming even more successful the most rewarding path.

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E-Tip #395: 6 Tips for Better Workplace Efficiency

Whether or not you are a senior-level executive, a line manager, or a team member at your organization, there are a number of things you can do throughout the day to ensure your business is running smoothly. 

To help you and your team maintain a positive workplace environment, we have listed below three quick tips to increase your efficiency in the workplace.

6 Tips For Better Workplace Efficiency:

Tip #1. Measure Twice And Cut Once - Years ago I was watching a skilled cabinet-maker do some work for a custom kitchen.  And many times I saw him take a second measurement before finalizing the kitchen's design.  That's right.  He knew how critical it was to make sure it was accurate before he ordered the material to make the cabinets.

The old adage "measure twice and cut once" plays equally well in the workplace.  Whether you are a software engineer writing code or a CEO looking at an acquisition, it pays to look at things twice before making the final decision on what to do next.

Tip #2. Doing It Right Costs A Lot Less Than Doing It Over - Why does it seem that there is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do something over?  If you want to be a proactive organization it will pay huge dividends if everyone concentrates on doing their job right the first time - even if it takes a little longer to make sure it is right.  And by doing it right the first time, you not only increase your company's efficiencies, but you can also have an immediate impact on customer loyalty, retention and overall profits.

Tip #3. Ready, Aim, Fire - Many people can get caught-up in "analysis paralysis."  To help avoid this trap, figure out what you want to do, make a plan with the best information possible and then START engaging the plan.  If not, you will find yourself left behind and wondering what happened.

Tip #4. Set Realistic Completion Dates - Managers need to set realistic project deadlines for their staff. This not only gets things done a lot faster, but it tends to make the day go by quicker.  Although an aggressive manager may want his/her staff to achieve aggressive deadlines, they run the risk of burning their out their staff.

# 5. Make Sure Your Staff Enjoys Their Work - The best performing employees are one that enjoy their workplace and line of work.  That said, great managers and owners work hard to create ways of making the work/workplace challenging, interesting and fun.  So what are you doing to make your workplace fun?

# 6. Break The Daily Grind - Most every employee is assigned a task according to his/her skill set; however, it is important to consider rotating people throughout an organization.  This will give them two things: One, a better appreciation of what others do and two, it will help break the daily complacency, monotony and boredom of a job.  You can do this by and giving people new tasks/job functions within the company or other divisions -- which adds to their skill set and a better overall view of the organization.

Executive Summary: Proactive owners/leaders know the best way to get things done: hire people who are not only intelligent but who are proactive and are willing to make a decision.  So, start today by thinking about what needs to be done, make a decision to actually do it and then do it right.  In addition, take a hard look at everyone on your staff and ask yourself this one simple question: "How can I help my staff enjoy their job?" And once you ask yourself this question, many answers will become obvious.

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E-Tip #394: 5 Easy Tips to Improve Relationships at Work

No matter what size company you work at, you have probably seen a disconnect between management and team members. Although most organizations work hard to avoid this, it can happen for various reasons. To help you and your organization avoid this disconnection, we put together 5 proven tips for helping improve everyone's relationships.

5 Easy Tips To Improve Relationships At Work:

Tip #1: Clearly Outline Everyone's Goals - It all starts with managing everyone's expectations. To make this happen, first help your team understand their goals, and then write them down. Not only that, have them reinforce their goals by reading them daily.

Tip #2: Improve Feedback (Both Ways) - It does not matter what your position is in your organization; it is always good to give everyone honest feedback...even your manager. To be taken positively, make sure it is given respectfully and in the spirit of helping them or the organization. Are you on the shy side? If you are, it might be helpful to have a one-on-one meeting with your manager. If there is a suggestion box, you can even drop a confidential note in it.

Tip #3: Involve Everyone In The Communication Loop - Many team members can work on a project as a group; however, it can sometimes lead to a breakdown in communication when people are not kept in the loop. And by default, this can cause serious fragmentation in the team, loss of motivation and back-stabbing. To avoid this, plan your project meetings accordingly, send out follow-up emails after the meetings, and make sure everyone has a say in the project's goals.

Tip #4: Delegate Responsibility For Problem Solving - As in tip #3, it pays to spread responsibility throughout the team. Selecting one or two people to solve a particular problem and not involving any other team members can have a detrimental effect on the likelihood of the tasks being completed in a timely manner. Involving others can add ideas and insights that will result in a better solution as well.

Tip #5: Develop And Train Key Staff To Help Your Retention Rates - Face it; good employees are difficult and costly to replace. In fact, it can take up to six months to train a new employee. Create an employee retention/succession program with the HR Department, and you will see dividends for years to come.

Executive Summary: By taking into consideration the tips mentioned above, the relationships between management and team members can improve. Remember, make sure that goals and expectations are clearly outline, like assigning more than a few people to solve problems-involving many ideas and insights into the problem solving process. Also, it is just as important to make sure that everyone is involved in projects; keeping employees out of the communication loop can have negative effects on relationships.  Another consideration for building positive relationships is to provide positive feedback- the key word here is positive.  Lastly, train and develop staff, and focus on what needs to be done to retain these employees.


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