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Meetings can be dreaded by members of the team. If you are to lead a meeting there are many things you can do to manage them as efficient as possible. This will save your employees and colleagues time, and the company’s resources.
They are essential and ultimately, when managed very constructive. They can be the only time where all the creative individuals are together, new ideas can be created, plans can be made, it encourages cohesion and efficiency.
Creative people are usually very busy, if you waste their time they will get frustrated and have less time to do what they do best.
If you learn how to manage meetings effectively, not only will you be a great assent to your company you will earn respect from your employees and colleagues, you will earn the reputation of a person who can get things done.
If you put the above into practise, meetings should no longer be a bore. They can be an efficient and effective way of getting things done, generating ideas, moving things forward, and saving time.
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Managers and leaders need to develop a skill set which will enable them to create the right environment within which a member of staff will be motivated.
Remember, people have to motivate themselves; managers can’t motivate people anymore than they can empower them. However, managers can and should set up an environment where they best motivate and empower themselves. This environment needs to include at the very least the following:
The key for managers is knowing how to set up the environment for each of their team members.
Everyone is motivated by different needs but generally when staff feel good about themselves, the work they do, and the organisation they work for, it is much easier to gain their cooperation.
Here is a list of ways in which managers can extract the very best out of team members which is of benefit to them, you and the organisation as a whole.
Why is there so much talk today about values in business? Because in a fast paced, changing corporate world, they are often the only things that don’t change! Clear corporate values can be maintained no matter what. Some of the most successful organisations go to great lengths to preserve their values and put them before profit maximisation.
Companies like Cadbury Schweppes, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard for example have discovered that they make good business sense. These companies out-perform others that put profits first and provide a better return to their shareholders over time. Clear values communicated both within and outside the orgainsation help towards recruitment and retention as much if not more than any pension scheme or health benefits. They also help develop and keep customer loyalty.
Think about it! If you are clear about your organisation’s values and committed to their enactment on a day-to-day basis, you are in a good position to respond to change flexibly and effectively when it comes because your basis never changes.
Values are basic human principles, the principles, which we as human beings, all know to be right and just. We did not need to be told these things by someone else; we have always known them to be true. They are not beliefs.
Beliefs come from our past and are accumulated through years of being told things by others and by confirmation through our own experience.
It is not to say that beliefs are unimportant; on the contrary, negative beliefs can inhibit our performance and limit our outcomes. Luckily, beliefs can be changed!
Remember values do not change, so no matter what changes come along or what business you are in, you have a set of values that can guide and determine your performance in the market place. These values will resonate with your staff and your customers because they too have the same values even though they may not yet be quite aware of them.
Corporate values give a clear message to your staff and your customers of what you stand for. Customers will build up loyalty to these values, knowing that when the going gets tough, you will stick by them
Corporate values help increase and attract both customers and new employees. Research has shown that well-qualified candidates for jobs have a fair amount of choice but that, increasingly, they choose not by the most attractive benefits package offered but by the values of the company itself.
Most people are incapable of separating their personal values from the corporate values, or if they do, then they often feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled within their organisation.
If you are in a position to formulate the guiding principles of a company or of your own business, you know that the two go together and you can put forward a clear values-led management strategy. If you are not (yet) a company leader, you can introduce the concept of values into your work with your team and your customers and can seek to influence the institution of corporate values at a higher level.
“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” (attributed to Theodore Roosevelt)
It is generally accepted that more people prefer a manager who makes bad decisions to one who makes no decisions at all! Decision making is a key component in the functioning of any organisation and managers need to make decisions on a variety of issues. You may be involved in some or all of the following spheres of decision making and others:
Decisions only need to be made where there are more than one alternative. If there is only one way forward, then there is no decision to make!
Within the culture of your organisation there will already be rules of both individual and team decision making and any competent manager needs to research what these are before introducing their own processes.
However there are some general guidelines that apply to decision making:
However you decide how to decide, you need a systematic process, a process you can refer back to if you don’t get the desired outcome or if you are asked to justify the decision you took.
A planned approach following a logical process as the one above will give you this.
Whatever your style of management there will be times when it will be appropriate to involve a group of people in the decision making process. If you involve your team in a decision that affects them, this will normally increase their commitment and engagement to that task.
Group decision making can be defined as the process of arriving at a judgment based upon the input of multiple individuals. As with individual decision making, the use of a decision-making model is a systematic way of establishing group decision making proficiency.
We all know about the importance of effective communication, don’t we? We don’t need to be reminded, do we?
If this is the case, how come so many problems in organisations are caused by bad communication?!
It’s worth recapping that when you are talking to others you must be:
Remember that communication is a combination of speaking and listening or sending and receiving messages.
Here are some general guidelines for improving interpersonal communication:
In traditional hierarchical organisations, information flows only from the top downward. Whilst this can be an effective way of communicating information from senior management, this form of communication has disadvantages:
Ideally information needs to flow upward as well as downward to maximise the communication process. As this is against the traditional method in hierarchies, it needs facilitation to make it happen. This can be achieved by several methods including:
As a manager you have a responsibility to improve the communication patterns around you, starting with yourself.
Take time to answers these questions:
Competencies are usually divided up into clusters; that is, groups of similar competencies under a set of headings. Competencies are developed with the individual organisation in mind so it is not possible to give one definitive set of competencies here; within your own organisation these will vary somewhat. However, there are some general agreements about what makes an effective manager so we can extrapolate from these and find some common themes.
My work - managing my own work area and the service my section provides
My people - managing my team; ensuring they are skilled in their jobs, motivated and productive and that a good team spirit exists between them
Myself - managing the stress of my job with composure, being self aware and seeking development opportunities
My organisation - keeping up-to-date with developments at an organisational level, managing change positively, helping drive the organisation forward and achieve its objectives
My work:
My people:
Myself:
My organisation:
You need to find out what competency frameworks exist in your organisation ie. what are the competencies that are required to be an effective manager where you work. You will then know what the organisation expects of you as a manager.
This will provide a very useful pointer to determining your development needs and in enlisting your manager’s help in the realisation of your learning objectives.
When planning and implementing change, problems sometimes arise. Problems will certainly arise during your life as a manager (if they haven’t already!).
Being personally effective also means being able to face and resolve problems in a planned and proactive way. But not in a hasty and haphazard way. So how to go about it?
Effective problem solving depends on having a structure and a process which will act as a guide when you are faced with no matter what problem.
Here is a a clear and straightforward way of solving problems. It is made up of four stages:
Think for a moment about how you solve problems. Do you already follow this process? If not, what process do you use? It is not unusual for a manager when faced with a problem, to leap from PROBLEM to ACTIONS in one jump and, of course, the action chosen could be exactly the right one BUT often it is not as you have leapt the two important stages of ANALYSIS and OPTIONS.
For example you think the problem with the city transport system, is there aren’t enough buses! Action: buy more buses!
BUT what if you buy more buses and the situation is the same? The answer maybe that there are already enough buses but they are inadequately maintained, or that there is a shortage of drivers, or that the time tabling needs to be revised or..
What you have done in identifying the problem is to leap straightaway to the solution to buy more buses which in this case would be a waste of time and money.
Below are some questions which will help you through the process in a systematic way either on your own or with your team:
1 DEFINING THE PROBLEM
Once you have answered the questions, you will be in a position to clearly and accurately define the problem. You should then write a Problem Statement which spells out this clearly defined problem. Once you know exactly what you are dealing with, you have a better chance of coming up with the most appropriate solution!
2 ANALYSIS
3 OPTIONS
4 ACTIONS
Influence is the ability of one person to get others to behave in a particular way or to carry out certain actions.
Many people are unaware of the influence they exert on others and many are unaware how necessary and constructive mutual influence is in building effective teams and effective working relationships.
Managers automatically think of having influence over their staff but not over anyone or anything else. In fact an astute manager can develop many levels of influence which can be much more far-reaching than that of their staff group.
LEVELS OF INFLUENCE
Level 1 - the level where you have complete influence and control eg with your team
Level 2 - the level where you have influence without complete control eg with your boss, in your department
Level 3- the level where problems or forces that affect you are completely outside your influence
Make a list of problems currently causing you concern at work.
Review each problem to decide which level of influence it falls into
Try to find ways of extending the boundaries of levels 1 and 2 in order to increase your influences over the forces that are affecting the problem.
“You make more friends by becoming interested in other people that by trying to interest other people in yourself“ Dale Carnegie
Each one of us is dependent on other people in the organisation. We need these combined efforts to make our whole business successful. Once we recognise the importance of other people in our companies, we can really begin to use key influencing strategies to get things done.
1. COLLABORATION - successful people are skilful collaborators. They achieve the outcome they want by influencing others to support them, not by exercising power
2. WORKING TOWARDS WIN-WIN - in any negotiating situation seek to find resolution where no-one loses
3. LISTENING- effective listening is one of the most powerful forms of communication. Give the other person your complete attention and they, in turn, will be more inclined to listen to you and give credit to your ideas when you need their support
4. RESPECT - respect is a basic element in influencing. Develop and show genuine respect for those around you by showing consideration, honouring confidences and expecting others to act ethically and responsibly
5. INVOLVE OTHERS - people respond positively when you ask for their opinions and suggestions. Gain a position of influence by acknowledging that someone else has something of value to contribute and by acting on their input.
6. TREAT PEOPLE AS EQUALS - don’t abuse any power you may have from being in a higher position in the organisation; you will not gain their support his way!
7. GIVE CREDIT AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY - influential people give others credit for successes and take the responsibility when things go wrong
8. SEE OTHERS AS UNIQUE - get to know what motivates those people around you and treat everyone as special
9. BE CONFIDENT AND DECISIVE - people follow those who seem confident and who make sound, timely decisions
10. CULTIVATE EXPERTISE - when you have expertise, you gain credibility that allows you to influence others
You may have the best idea in the world but if you can’t sell it, it is worthless.
There will come a time when you will need the backing of those above you in the organisation so you need to carefully develop your strategy for success.
Here is a definition of Performance Management:
“an integrated set of planning and review procedures which cascades down through the organisation to provide a link between each individual and the overall strategy of the organisation.”
Out of Performance Management has arisen the need for Performance Measurement.
The main reasons for measuring performance can be summarised under three main headings:
ACCOUNTABILITY
CONTROL
DEVELOPMENT
An increasing emphasis on performance and on the achievement of results is leading to the adoption of performance management schemes by more and more organisations. These schemes may vary in their design and application but nearly all are based on the simple premise of reviewing an individual’s (or a team’s) performance against previously set and agreed targets. The traditional idea of an annual appraisal interview where a form was completed and then forgotten until the next year is disappearing, as performance management is accepted as a key part of the manager’s responsibility in developing their staff.
From the point of view of an organisation or a manager, performance appraisal provides an opportunity to assess the value of each individual’s performance over a period of time. It is a learning opportunity for both managers and the individual being appraised
Thus, the emphasis in well-designed performance management schemes is not to punish “below-par performance” but to help people to reach a better standard of performance in the future (or maintain an already high standard).
Schemes not designed and applied in this way rarely benefit individuals or the organisation for which they work. Performance cannot be appraised without the existence of an explicit standard. So the other major benefit to both organisations and their staff is that it forces discussion and agreement on an objective standard of performance which staff members are supposed to reach.
10 Point Checklist
Conflicts are an inescapable fact of life. They occur when the needs of one person differ from the needs of another, and the parties disagree on how to meet their needs. Conflict can be unpleasant and uncomfortable and it can hurt relationships. However, if handled effectively, it also provides the opportunity to enrich and deepen relationships and help us learn more about ourselves. Accept that conflict will arise in your working life whether it is with your manager, your staff, peers, your customers or other professionals and learn ways to manage it.
Conflict in management can be defined simply as:
“two or more people who want a different outcomeâ€
Almost all conflicts involve communication problems, as both a cause and an effect. Misunderstandings, resulting from poor communication, can easily cause a conflict or make it worse. Further, once a conflict has started, communication problems often develop because people in conflict do not communicate with each other as frequently, as openly, and as accurately as they do when relationships are not strained. Thus communication is central to most conflict situations.
Recognising sources of conflict in the workplace is the first step toward being able to do something about them. Apart from communication, there are other causes of conflict in business:
Think about the conflict situations in your working life. Who are they with? What is the real issue? How can you improve your handling of these situations? Find out from colleagues what their strategies are for handling conflict.
Resolving conflict requires effective communication skills, tolerance, and the desire to find creative solutions. Here is a five-step process that you can follow to resolve conflict and improve your work relationships.
1. ACTIVE LISTENING for facts and feelings. Make sure you understand what the other person really wants and needs. Listen for more than facts. Set aside your assumptions of what you think is going on. Pay attention to non-verbal messages. Check that you have understood and repeat back to the person what you think he/she said. This will prevent misunderstandings and will ensure that you are both clear about the issues.
2. USE ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION. State your wants and needs in a respectful and clear manner, while recognising that the other person also has legitimate wants and needs. Discuss the specific behaviour that is creating problems and do not focus on personal characteristics.
3. BE EMPATHETIC. Try to get into the other person’s shoes. Consider their viewpoint. Ask yourself: “What does she want?” “What might he be afraid of?” Adopt the position that people aren’t purposefully trying to be difficult, manipulative etc. They may not know how to communicate effectively to resolve conflict.
4. BE FOCUSED on the issue. Use effective listening skills. Stick to facts and don’t allow irrelevancies and emotions into the discussion which could escalate the conflict. If you find the conflict is getting worse, take a break and agree to come back and discuss the problem at a later time - when you both have had a chance to calm down.
5. KEEP POSITIVE. Approaching a conflict situation with a negative attitude will result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will put out non-verbal messages that you know the person won’t respond to reason and they will pick this up and respond to accordingly. Instead, tell yourself “there is a solution to this situation and we can work together to find it.”
Managers who know themselves well and who are aware of their emotions are in a better position to understand and empathise when managing others.
So an important step to being an effective manager is self-awareness. This means, amongst other things, knowing:
Emotional Intelligence, or EI as it is known, can be helpful in this area of interpersonal understanding as it involves thinking about self and others.
EI is said to be categorised into five aspects:
1. SELF-AWARENESS
The more aware you are of yourself and ‘what makes you tick’, the more effective a communicator you will be and the better manager. Once you understand yourself and are open to self-development, you are in a better position to lead and guide others.
2. MANAGING EMOTIONS
Do you always know how you feel? For many of us our feelings are unclear and hidden as we have been taught to suppress emotions. Reversing this lesson is not easy, but research shows that unless we are first aware of our emotions we cannot gain control of them. You can increase your awareness of feelings by spending time thinking about them. The more you practise, the more conscious you will become.
3. MOTIVATING YOURSELF
Once you know what your emotions are, you can put them to good use to motivate yourself and keep yourself motivated regardless of the situation. You no longer have to react in an automatic way to outside stimuli; you can choose.
4. EMPATHY
Without empathy it is difficult to gain people’s trust, create rapport, influence people, develop their abilities.
What is empathy? Empathy is having a sensitivity to the feelings and concerns of others and seeing things from their point of view.
5. HANDLING RELATIONSHIPS
Once you have empathy with someone and can recognise their feelings of stress, anger, sadness, rejection and so on, you can manage emotions in others. Handling relationships means having a degree of social competence and using social skills.
Having the basic building blocks of EI means it is possible to control your emotions, create and maintain successful relationships, motivate self and others to achieve goals, all key aspects of management!
Feedback should be a two-way process. Now is your chance to ask for some for yourself! This takes courage but is worth it.
The more specific the feedback the more valuable it will be - this applies equally to praise as to criticism. You can help people be specific with their feedback by being specific with your questions:
Choose two or three people you trust in your organisation. They may be your staff, peers or manager. Identify two aspects of your management style that you want to receive feedback on. Be specific about what you ask for.
You need to be sure that if they are critical, you don’t get defensive though. You will have to handle your feelings about the interchange if some of the comments are negative!
This Management Skills for New Managers course is aimed at recently appointed Managers. Using real world scenarios it covers the skills required to make the adjustment from working alongside your colleagues to managing and motivating them to work for you.
Silicon Beach Training offer wide range of Management ∧ Leadership training courses.