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LEADING AND MANAGING CULTURAL ISSUES AT WORK

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

As leaders we need to facilitate formal individual and structured interdepartmental interactions to provide different sub-cultures, which all organizations have, with a forum to learn of each other’s frustrations, priorities and core values. Interdepartmental teams formed to work together to develop interface understanding and solutions to cultural difficulties and opposing work priorities can be a great help. Also as the leader we must passionately discourage any behaviour that allows departments to blame each other for difficulties and insist that ‘collaborating on solutions’ is the only cultural norm that will be tolerated.

‘Cultural differences’ are not just a ‘locals’ and ‘expats’ or say an ‘Asian’ versus ‘Western’ problem; they are also a potentially destructive force between workgroups that have opposing ‘work-culture’ priorities and perspectives within the same organization.

As a priority all staff need to develop some overall ‘Business Competence’ and be encouraged to see their role as it relates to the ‘entire organization’ rather than see themselves as ‘a member of a department’ or as an individual that just swaps a narrowly focussed service based or a specific expertise for money. Individuals must develop ‘a customer orientation’, ‘industry knowledge’, ‘an entrepreneurial attitude’, ‘an operational development focus’, ‘sound company knowledge’ and particularly understand the ‘overall company financial result’ and the part they play in it.

Modern business complexity and customer demands mean modern organizations are more solutions driven than product driven. This complexity means more efforts are need to be undertaken by project teams made up of individuals from different functional backgrounds. Employees must buy into the idea that they must be able to switch rapidly from one task to another, to work with people with very different vocational training and mind-sets. Working in situations in which ‘the team’ is the responsible party, the manager only a coordinator, where all parties no longer have clear job descriptions and where all are required to work on several projects at the same time is today’s cultural norm.

Now you may not initially think this is a great problem however, imagine a meeting between R&D, who are interested in ‘long term visions, superior features, safety, the best product for the customer’ and the finance division who are interested in ‘cost minimization, immediate cash flow, long term profitability and the shareholders’. Add a representative of the sales department, ‘market share, need it now, the price has to be more competitive’ and perhaps a HR director, ‘they’re not trained, it’s too much of a stain on the staff and they’ll all leave’ and cultural issues will explode.

As leader/managers with an ever increasing mix of people from different backgrounds combined with ever increasing rates of change and the need for greater levels of specialisation, we all need to spend more time managing the cultural differences in our organisations. “It’s their fault,” is often heard in organizations where there is no individual or interdepartmental understanding. This divisiveness left unresolved will cause poor work relationships, lousy business interactions and will always translate into poor customer service.

YES YES THAT’S MY PLACE… WHAT DO I DO?

Read the next blog post coming soon!

Direct page viewers can go to main blog to check out other posts by clicking on the white “orglearn.org” in the header panel above!

Suffering in your career from a lousy culture or cultural management practices at work? Time to move on? Update your personal brand using the free blank resume form! Buy the way there are lots of career articles at orglearn management and career success!

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Posted in career advice, career survival, culture at work, human relations, leadership, management, management leadership, work culture, workplace politics | No Comments »

WHAT DO MANAGERS DO AND DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A MANAGER?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Many individuals I train are making the move from technical expertise (engineers) to becoming mangers where their technical powerbase will be less relevant. This involves a large amount of retraining and education and for some it’s a very daunting decision.

So what do managers do and what are the pros and cons of taking a management role?

According to Peter Drucker managers:

• Set objectives.
• Organize.
• Motivate and communicate.
• Measure.
• Develop people.

Well then of course there’s the old tried and true, planning, organizing, acting controlling and leader roles managers are expected to undertake to be at least efficient let alone effective. As the need to be a leader/manager is the most prevalent role definition today we all need to be:

• sellers of the vision
• strong advocates for the mission
• implementers of the plan

Of course all this needs to be achieved whilst coming to grips with the mindless vagaries of indolent self centred staff, or worse trying to maintain control the excesses of the exuberant ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ bunch to ensure they don’t give away the profits.

To make things more complicated for those working in cross-cultural situations you have the frustration of… “EMPOWERMENT” no thanks just tell me what to do you’re the boss… or you want ME to take RESPONSIBILITY, or again ‘no thanks that’s too scary ANYWAY IT’S NEVER MY FAULT’.

Assuming we are good at the technical, human, conceptual/evaluative and cultural parts of our traditional management role how can we ensure we breakthrough the pack of average and/or even effective managers and become a SUCCESSFUL manager. When I say successful I mean how fast we are promoted through our organisation.

Two issues are critical. Firstly, if you look around any organisation it doesn’t take long to realise that successful people don’t get paid because they work hard (although most do), they get paid for taking responsibility, that’s where the money is, in being prepared to take responsibility for outcomes and selling our organization on our competence and willingness do what has to be done.

Secondly, a study some years ago conducted by “Luthans, Hodgetts & Rosenkrantz” on Effective v’s Successful managers shows (amongst other things) the interesting statistic that successful managers spend 48% of their time ‘networking’, while average managers spend 19% and effective managers spend 11%. So socialising & politicking and forming bonds of trust both inside and outside our organization will have a profound effect on our trip up (or down) the proverbial ‘greasy pole’.

‘IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER YOUR TASK WAS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP WHEN YOU’RE UP TO YOUR BACKSIDE IN CROCODILES’ (author unknown)

SO WHY BE A MANAGER AND WHAT DO YOU GET?

Status, Power, Monetary Rewards, Personal Satisfaction

WHAT ABOUT THE DOWNSIDE?

Loneliness, often no immediate feedback, the burden of responsibility for outcomes, lack of control as you need to rely on others, someone is always looking to take your position, an increased need for political savvy and sometimes onerous legal responsibilities and regulatory restrictions.

If you would like to read more about management and what’s involved here is the link for direct page viewers return to main blog pagecareer success to check out other posts!

If you are looking to move into a management position you may (will) need to update your resume with the appropriate management skills listed so take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally before you decide to take on a management role best think long and hard about what you want for your career and the costs your striving for ‘success’ may bring.

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Posted in career advice, career change, career survival, choosing managers, employment, leader selection, leadership, management, management leadership, success | No Comments »

Salesperson’s checklist part two!

Friday, February 12th, 2010

HAVE YOU DESTROYED THE SALES SCRIPT AND STOPPED PITCHING?

Helping the prospect through the buying process should be a conversation not a one person narrative. If you are using a script you are probably not listening to the customer nor understanding their wants… you are just pitching and pitching isn’t selling.

Are you working very very hard and still not making the sales?

THEY KEY TO BETTER SALES IS TRAINING YOUSELF TO BECOME THE CUSTOMER’S ‘ASSISTANT BUYER’

Do you look for the five steps of the buying process?

ATTENTION
INTEREST
CONVICTION
DESIRE
PURCHASE

Do you know how to respond effectively to the prospects state of mind and emotions at each of the five stages?

Have you done a sales training course, read a book or even an article on sales in the last 30 days?

If you want to be a real “SALESPERSON” which of the following phrases describe you…

1. long term associate
2. partnership seeker
3. trustworthy individual
4. communicative and a good listener
5. human relations expert
6. product/service expert
7. problem solver
8. referral getter
9. lead generator
10. attractive and well presented
11. caring and considerate
12. often with the customer
13. welcome if you call in unexpectedly,
14. always positive and active
15. someone to respect.

FLOGGING OR PITCHING IS NOT SELLING, IT’S A CON, SELLING IS KNOWING HOW TO BEST SOLVE A CUSTOMERS PROBLEM WITH THE APPROPRIATE SOLUTION

If you need the sales script you have not reached the level of selling competence in the product knowledge area (features, advantages and benefits) that you will need to succeed!

DO YOU UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE THE “DON’T SELL, LISTEN” PRINCIPLE?

Being sold makes us all uncomfortable; pressure is pressure no matter how slickly it’s applied.

The book ‘High Probability Selling’ (Abba Publishing Company), by Ruben & Werth, proposes that the salesperson’s objective is ‘not to get the prospect to buy, rather to find out if there is a mutually acceptable basis to do business’. Sales success comes from being an expert in human relations; it’s about earning respect, using effective communication and particularly it’s about listening.

LISTENING to what you are being told during a sales appointment is still the best way to find a sale. By listening rather than talking you can uncover what the prospect is looking for and then you can provide the ‘fix’.

Just before I finish…

*Here is the link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form just in case after the last two posts you think selling as a career is just a bit too hard!

REMEMBER it is hard if not impossible to listen, think and talk all at the same time!

Finally: If you do stay in sales and practice long and hard enough it can be on of the most personally rewarding and financially rewarding careers you can have.

AND

Its the product of the product that your customer is seeking… they don’t want your ALKA SELTZER nor even relief from pain they want to get on with what is important to them!

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Posted in career advice, customer problem solving, customer retention, customer satisfaction, customer service, sales, sales management, sales prospecting, sales skills, selling skills, serving customers, the customer is king | No Comments »

POOR QUALITY CAN DESTROY YOUR CAREER AND YOUR BUSINESS!

Monday, February 8th, 2010

The plethora if in depth quality studies and methodologies are great for the quality specialists, however what does total quality management (TQM) mean for us regular line managers?

If you are to: satisfy the customer, ensure staff motivation is high, keep the bosses off your back, make cost effective decisions, take risks that pay off, lead the indolent, manage the misfits and all that other stuff, when do we get the time to do ‘the quality thing’? I’ll tell you… ALL THE TIME… no quality and the rest is a waste of effort.

Important point – TQM is an approach to improving the competitiveness, effectiveness and flexibility of the entire organization. It is a way of planning, organising and understanding each activity and depends on each individual at each level in an organization.  TQM when properly implemented must involve the TOTAL WORKFORCE, not just a quality department. So trying to implement quality improvements in your work area will require the involvement of all other areas of your organization that you interact with whether they are internal suppliers, customers or collaborators.

Today more than ever buyers don’t ask for quality… they demand it… and if they don’t get it they’re gone… and so are all those they can influence. I guess anyone watching what has happened to the Chinese manufacturers over the past few years can bear testimony to that. Dramatically increasing choice potential made available through ‘the communication revolution’, the net and the exponential growth of ‘the e-commerce reality’, make the issue of quality critical to continued existence. With price comparisons easier than ever, physical locality no longer a major limiting factor and worldwide delivery mechanisms now in place (and improving buy the hour), competitors are increasing at a rate never before experienced.

So what is quality? A few definitions may help to crystallize the real idea.

  1. Quality is fitness for use, ‘Juran’
  2. Quality is conformance to requirements, ‘Crosby’
  3. Quality should be aimed at the customer needs, present and future, ‘Deming’
  4. Quality is the loss (from function variation and harmful effects) a product causes to society after being shipped, other than any losses caused by its intrinsic functions, ‘Taguchi’
  5. Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs, ‘International Standards Organization’.

WHAT EFFORT IS PUT INTO QUALITY AT YOUR PLACE?

By the way a useful guide to at least starting to think about quality improvement methodology is:

1. No processes should be undertaken without DATA COLLECTION, so we need to find effective ways to measure activity.

2. No data collection without ANALYSIS, essential to find out about underlying difficulties or ‘energy suckers’.

3. No analysis without DECISIONS, the scary stuff, we need plan ways to change the way things are done.

4. No decisions without ACTIONS, all the collecting, analysing and planning usually goes to waste because taking action requires REAL effort.

Before I go on if you would like to read other articles by Ric here is the link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form just in case you are stuck in an organization that has no real or measured approach to quality outputs!

To continue with an important and often (in my experience) overlooked fact… Quality is about improved performance not just about satisfying quality audits!

ISO certifications are now eagerly sought by many organizations around the world, however, if you do have a quality department, is it really improving the quality of the important areas of the business or is it just creating ‘quality documents and records’. I suggest that much of the quality effort expended today is geared more to quality audit success rather than creating improvement for the real reason… to better satisfy the customer. If managers want to improve quality they need to ask these questions… what is the satisfaction level of our customers… how is it measured… and when did we measured it last…

For the non-TQM specialists, Prof. W. Edwards Deming’s ‘quality points’ provide a succinct guide to what we all need to do. In summary the critical issues are; ensure a constant effort towards improvement; seek and adopt new work philosophies; be intolerant of the normal or accepted level of delays, mistakes and defects; build in quality rather than inspecting for faults; stop buying inputs based on price; work continually on the system to find problems; institute modern management methods; change primary responsibility from numbers to quality and eliminate numerical goals; institute a policy of education and training; drive out fear and break down barriers between departments; when asking for new levels of productivity provide methods; instil a need for pride in workmanship and of course create a structure in senior management that will constantly strive to achieve all of the above.

DOES THIS SOUND EVEN REMOTELY LIKE THE PLACE YOU WORK?

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Posted in TQM, career advice, exceeding customer expectations, quality | No Comments »

POLITICS AND SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Over the years many of my trainees have complained that politics in their organizations plays a greater role in career success than competence to do the job. Well that may or may not be the reality however when humans gather politics will always be an important part of the equation and our personal success and even our existence will depend on our political abilities.

As Plato puts it: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Research shows that successful managers (those promoted) spend almost half of their work time networking while effective (do a ‘good’ job) managers spend only about 10%. When we add in time spent communicating, successful managers spend a little over three quarters of their time in what we may call “human relations activities” while effective managers spend a little over half of their time. This means to be successful only about 25% of time is spent doing ‘the real work’.

With out doubt as managers our role is to get things done through other people, so whether we seek success or effectiveness we must become human relations’ experts and I suggest, be our own best ‘spin doctors’. Wherever people are together politics will always play a part in group relations and in the interactions between individuals as each member attempts to satisfy their own needs and wants. We are all selfish after all.

So if we must all engage in the politics at our workplace how do we become more astute at the game?

Firstly we must publicize our successes. Learning how to ‘show off’ without appearing to do so can be a great asset. Try this… next time you have a win smile, whistle and dance around, show some enthusiasm… people will want to know why you are so happy and elated… well I’ve had a great day… I won this deal or I’ve cracked this problem or whatever, tell your story, (but don’t rave on, short is sweet).

POLITICS, IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, OR CAN’T HANDLE IT… BEST BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED!

Secondly, look like a winner. View those around you that are at the top of your organisation and learn from their style. Don’t hang around with the ‘grumble group’, find out whether your company culture appreciates risk takers or avoiders, rule followers or breakers and live within these constraints. Learn the difference between form and substance, how something looks is often more important than how things really are. This even applies to dress and presentation. If the top wears dark blue suits, white shirts, red ties and clean-shaven faces you do the same. But I’ve always had a beard, my wife likes it… go work for your wife then.

Thirdly, why not make yourself indispensable. No one can do that you might say, however back to form and substance… you can appear to be. If the management believe that you can provide a service that is hard to replace you will gain a great political advantage. Example, if you have a strong relationship with a key customer’s senior personnel spend time to keep them more than just satisfied. If you are in close contact with, regulatory or government departments such as customs, tax, labour or industry, look after your contact (bearing in mind the ethics of your company). Again, if you are an astute computer operator in the IT department, fix the senior exec’s problems yourself, don’t delegate. Senior executives are too busy with the big picture to be experts in each field of the companies operation. So, pick a critical area that you have a reasonable level of competence in and make yourself the helpful expert in that field. Provide information on developments in your area and get the information to those that control your future… the bosses.

“I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT POLITICS ARE TOO SERIOUS A MATTER TO BE LEFT TO THE POLITICIANS” – CHARLES DeGAULLE

Politics, you won’t hate it as much if you become better at ‘the game’!

Powerful allies are important for political success. Bosses are formal leaders however all organisations have informal leaders that can come from any level of the company. Don’t ignore the informal networks in your organisation and make yourself valuable or at least a neutral when dealing with such groups and never place yourself in open conflict. Remember sometimes ‘it is better to say nothing and appear a fool than to open your mouth and leave no doubt’. Similarly avoid the fringe members or powerless individuals in your organisation. In one company I worked for they where known as ‘the lemons’, they always liked ‘the way it was in the good old days’ and proffered opinions on why everything the company is doing now won’t work. This group loves an audience, will give advice and will make friends easily. They will also laugh inwardly as they recruit another to their misery. Keep away at all costs.

Power is linked to control of resources so effort must be placed into gaining as much resource control as possible. Even secretaries know the value of the key to the stationary cupboard or how devastating they can be by holding a memo back for 24 hours. Successful politics and power are inextricably linked so if you see a chance to control any company resource (crucial contacts, physical assets, expert knowledge etc) you must take charge.

“TURN ON TO POLITICS, OR POLITICS WILL TURN ON YOU” – Ralph Nader

A final few thoughts on how we can become more successful in the critical success area of… politics.

Bosses can be a pain in the butt however in reality our relationship with ‘the company’ is no more than a reflection of our relationship with our boss (and perhaps his or her boss). When people think of working in a company in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’, they are trying to credit the company with possessing a ‘soul’, which it does not (and never will) have. Trying to humanise a company is dangerous and in fact borders on stupid. How we fit in our company is purely a reflection of the association we enjoy (or otherwise) with our immediate ‘superiors’. Obviously then we need to be politically astute in dealing with the boss which means we must make them look good every chance we get. To flourish we must give the bosses our full support and if they are under attack from others, always take their side. If you are seen as disloyal to your current boss you will be perceived as disloyal to all others, including those you may work for in the future. Remember bosses come and bosses go, learn from the bad and enjoy the good.

Lastly, selling rather than telling is always the preferable option. If you need engage in arguments develop the skill to remove the perception of personal desire from the conflict (even though they will always be a factor). The ‘trick’ is to frame all arguments in terms of the company’s interests rather than our own. Stick to supportable facts, use your company knowledge to negotiate win-wins and never allow yourself to be seen as placing your self-interest above that of the company… even if you are. Failing in this area will lead to your ultimate demise. Lastly, always control you emotions and think with head rather than your heart.

POLITICS: THE THINKING PERSONS SPORT!

*Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

If you are losing the political battle at work and it is time to go to a new employer take a look at the free blank resume form as you will need it if you want to enter a new political arena!

Twelve quick tips for improving your political astuteness

Don’t publicly complain about your boss or colleagues to your co-workers or to other company divisions or departments.

Remain neutral or detached from disputes between others

Don’t become part of the “rumor mill, what you hear about others from others should stay with you alone

When others complain about a boss or co-worker, don’t further inflame the situation by adding another layer of opinion

Don’t ridicule or scoff at others particularly if they are experiencing some misfortune

Question authority or policy decisions only directly to the authority or policy makers and definitely not to or through third parties… and do it with tact and diplomacy

Remember the old communication problem that what you say may not be what the other person hears and what you hear may not be what the other person means so seek clarification and ensure true understanding of the message

When you need to make a complaint or discuss a difficult situation, focus on the situation and facts and keep the resolution of the difficulty as your goal… separate the problem from the people or personalities

Don’t speculate to others on areas you know little or nothing about

Don’t claim credit for others successes nor belittle others successes

Avoid speaking when you are emotional or disturbed by a situation, go away calm down analyze the facts and when presenting the matter or reason for your of your discontent be calm factual and brief

Avoid, groaning, moaning, whining or being a “winger”, if you don’t like something come up with an alternative and suggest it to your workmates, team and/or boss

Posted in career advice, career survival, employment, human relations, life skills, politics at work, self preservation, success, workplace politics | No Comments »

A career lesson from Thomas Robert Malthus, Malthusian Law

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

One of the few things I consciously remember from my “school days learning” is a ‘law’ pertaining to human existence.

If my memory serves me well Malthusian Law went something like this:

‘The world will never be overpopulated as population growth is limited by war, pestilence, famine and natural disasters.’

From a personal or individual perspective this means that if you are to survive you need to protect yourself from all these natural forces by astutely being somewhere where these occurrences are not likely to happen.

Now for many this is not possible, however if you are by chance lucky enough to have some control over your existence you should consider these factors carefully.

From a work-life point of view lets see what you can do to give yourself the best chance of surviving or even thriving.

WAR: Often times in your career you will come across a war at work. Interdepartmental rivalries, battles for limited resources, personality clashes and straightforward power struggles. It is human nature for us in conflict situations to seek allies or to be sought out as supporters for one side of an argument or another. Can I suggest if you are put in a situation where you are being recruited on a position, where others are in conflict, at all costs stay out of the fray and remain neutral. Keep away from the combatants and focus on your own job role and performance.

PESTILENCE: The major disease I have witnessed in organizations is that of “poor cultural attitudes”. Every organization has cultural norms that have grown over time based on the personalities within the company and or the legacy that others have left. Often the cultural norms of a company can limit or even destroy its competitiveness in ever changing markets. Our fear of change, reliance on how things have been done in the past, power groups with vested interests in maintaining the status quo and being blinded victims of our own past successes can all create very sick organizations. If you find yourself in a company that is maintaining traditions that are out of step with current market realities don’t hang around, go out and find a more healthy place to work.

FAMINE: Old style companies, working in ever shrinking markets, trying to survive on outmoded products or services will over time starve to death and if you stay on working for one of them you may well suffer the same fate. I have had personal experience with this when in Australia the government deregulated the banking industry and finance companies as a result were starved of funds and business opportunities. I hung on for a few years however those that updated their skill set and changed industries early did best over the years that ensued. There are virtually no ‘real’ finance companies left in Australia today. Much of America’s traditional manufacturing is of course suffering, or has already suffered, the same fate.

*Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

By the way if any of the Malthusian issues are currently impacting on your career you may like to take a look at the free blank resume form and take the law into your own hands by using the document to move on to less dangerous places of existence!

Finally…

NATURAL DISASTERS: Perhaps one of the greatest natural disasters that can befall  most of us from a work perspective is a takeover or merger. In this type of scenario there will be all sorts of misinformation, false promises and spin floating around and you will have two choices, stay and be part of the rescue process to rebuild the new radically changed organization or head out on the first evacuation flight you can get. In the merger I was involved in I chose the former however after two years, even though I had a more senior and better paid position, I didn’t like the culture and business practices of the new organization and resigned. Some of my former colleagues from day one of the merger process resisted the change and were offered a handsome golden handshake. In retrospect I should have taken the same approach. Now you might find this to be counter intuitive however when you are part of a takeover/merger you should consider your future and your options very carefully and remember no matter how smart you are no one is indispensable. I guess if you can maneuver yourself into a position of getting enough money to live and study enough to gain new and more sought after skills in a new company, or perhaps even different career, you may well be better off over time.

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Posted in career advice, career change, career survival, change management, changing careers, coping with change, humanity, leading change, life skills, self preservation, success | 1 Comment »

Survey Finds Strong Leadership Still Lacking in the Workplace

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

With sound and effective leadership in today’s economic climate more important than ever I am astounded that I still read survey results such as the one below.

‘Jan. 26 2010 PRNewswire/ — According to a recent national survey by Lee Hecht Harrison, the majority of workers in the U.S. find their bosses likeable, but feel the management within their companies have room for improvement.’

Well that’s a “no brainer” of course and I guess it will always be the case however their next statement gives a little more insight.

“When asked to rank which qualities their boss best exhibited, likability took the top spot among U.S. workers, followed by leadership, honesty, fairness, patience and loyalty. Although leadership ranked second, just less than half of workers polled (49%) thought their managers exhibited strong leadership skills – a sobering data point reinforcing the need for renewed focus on leadership development.”

I have seen in many countries the problem of bosses wanting to be liked. To be honest if you are an individual that needs to be liked can I suggest you don’t take on a leadership role. You don’t want to be hated either however you must be respected if you are wanting to be an effective leader.

There are many aspects of to gaining respect however here is a short checklist.

Openness: let people know what you want from them and how you feel about their efforts

Competence: if you can’t demonstrate that you are a competent person you will never gain committed followers

Consistency: a measured and stable attitude to work and followers is essential if you are to reduce unwarranted levels tension and promote excellence

According to the website Bizcovering [and I agree] you also need to ‘Show courage in facing difficult issues even admitting own mistakes, maintain your vision consistently and involve everyone positively’. They go on to say a “most importantly. you need some mechanism for sustaining hope when things otherwise look sour.”

Another key survey finding uncovered: “Motivation & Mentorship Lagging: Only 24% of employees polled felt that their manager displayed motivational skills [I think they mean inspirational skill as I have explained in another blog post] and the same number noted that their supervisor failed to mentor and explain the choices made from an organizational perspective.”

**Link for direct page viewers return to main blog if you would like to read other blog posts on career and leadership success!

If you are looking to work for a more effective leader and need a change of jobs/employers take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally can I suggest that again the central problem is poor communication skills. I have written many posts on the need to communicate well as a manger, the difficulties most of us have and some of the solutions available. Can I also strongly suggest that if you are a manger and not currently reading (or have never read) a book on leadership and/or leadership communication, best visit your local bookstore as soon as possible.

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Posted in building trust, career advice, communication, inspiring staff, leader selection, leadership, leading change, management, management leadership, success, vision | No Comments »

Not Messing Up a Job Interview

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Some undesirable behaviors and crazy complaints that will destroy a job applicant’s chances to being offered the job,

1.   Saying something like “wow it took me two and a half hours to get here.”
2.   “I had a problem finding your business premises.”
3.   “Of course I’ll take the job.  How much does it pay?”
4.   Answering a cell phone during an interview.
5.   Placing your hands behind your head during an interview.
6.   Folding your arms during an interview.
7.   Turning up in dirty shoes or an un-ironed shirt.
8.   Getting too “familiar” during the interview is a no no.
9.   Getting carried away with detailing every magnificent moment in your previous work.
10. Not rehearsing how to explain a personal area of weakness and being able to sell what you are doing about it.

According to BNET hiring managers say the most common and detrimental mistakes candidates have made during an interview are:

51 percent; dressing inappropriately
49 percent; speaking negatively about a current or previous employer
48 percent; appearing disinterested ranked
44 percent; appearing arrogant
30 percent; not providing specific answers
29 percent; not asking good questions

Having interviewed many individuals I would like to add, deferring interview appointments, being late, smelling badly of body odor and a wet or limp handshake. When you are going for and interview leave time to have a quick freshen up in the company’s bathroom so you can look fresh and ready. It is also best if your stand while you wait rather than lounging in reception. A polite smile when you are greeted can’t hurt either. Oh yes… please… no perfume or aftershave.

**Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally… a resume may get you the interview however many times I have said and will say it again here… you must research the company you are applying to and at least have a rudimentary knowledge about what they do when you get to the job interview otherwise it is likely you will mess it up.

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Posted in blank resume, career advice, curriculum vitae, employment, job interviews, job search, job seekers, life skills, resume form, success | 1 Comment »

HOW TO WRECK YOUR ORGANIZATION; ALLOW THE EMPLOYEES ACT AS A GROUP RATHER THAN A TEAM

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Group (G-) versus Team (T-) Characteristics

G- Usually managed by an all-powerful unquestioned strong willed formal leader
T- Leadership is shared and rotated in accordance with expertise and required outcomes

G- Individual accountability for results (particularly mistakes), responsible for self-alone
T- Members are accountable to each other and responsible for all individuals

G- Individual’s primary motivation is to please those in power (usually by sucking up)
T- Team vision drives a desire to satisfy the recipient of team’s output, the customer

G- Individual work projects are encouraged and the basis for reward
T- Collective work projects to cope with modern complexities and maximise potential

G- Efficiency takes priority over effectiveness, ‘what a good little employee, working late’
T- Effectiveness priority, collective work, on budget, on time and the best customer solution

G- Effectiveness is judged purely by output of the individual’s limited area of responsibility
T- Effectiveness is judged by the team members ability to contribute to team synergy (1+1>2)

G- Work tasks tend to be delegated (or abdicated) to individuals that are ‘controlled’
T- Participative meetings and shared work and adult cooperation are the norm

G- A group really only crystallizes at critical moments for particular selfish endeavours
T- A team will be working to a plan and continually function until the mission is completed

G- Focus is on maintaining relationships and only doing enough tasks to remain accepted
T- Focus is on a shared vision driving tasks and where relationships are ‘properly’ managed

SO WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN (AND ENCOURAGE) GROUPS? REASONS LESSER PEOPLE FORM GROUPS (G-) AND AVOID TEAMS (T-)

G- Being part of a group can mistakenly lead us to the belief that membership will provide ‘defensive security’ and help us through the feeling that we are not alone (“misery enjoys company”)
T- Security is correctly based on expertise and proving our worth through competence, commitment and contribution

G- Opportunity for status and becoming ‘important’ through recognition based on association with those perceived as powerful or ‘in’
T- Status is based on respect and recognition of the individual’s perspective, competence and contributions to the wellbeing of all

G- Increased self-esteem and confirmation of self worth through association with the powerful, self worth only through others verification
T- Self-esteem and satisfaction through positive achievements brought about through continuous effort and belief in oneself

G- Affiliation is a basic need, even the most inept individuals crave some social acceptance, regardless of the personal cost
T- Inclusion only occurs if we are able and needed to improve the team’s outcomes and each member’s individual results

G- Our need for power/strength (found in numbers) or at least NOT wanting to feel or be powerless
T- Need to accept being empowered to accept responsibility based on expertise and the resultant earned trust

G- Help with personal goals through a pool of individuals often at the cost of our integrity
T- Personal goals only achieved through alignment with team goals and freedom built on mutual respect

SOME NASTY GROUP BEHAVIOURS THAT LIMIT SUCCESS

• Conformity is the basis for membership (demanded) to ensure acceptance, particularly by the powerful, which also destroys creativity, diversity and progress
• Status based on inequitable favouritism which breeds discontent with those on the ‘outer’ and leads to overly compliant behaviour
• Unimportant or peripheral behaviours become norms, ‘that’s the way we do things here’
• Personal credit is highly prized (and sometimes stolen), which often hides the real talent and diminishes any chance of building on shared ideas
• Role-playing in line with a set of expected behaviour patterns, which means plenty of form with minimal/no substance
• Social loafing where members don’t work as hard in the group as when alone, e.g. useless meetings (talk fests)
• The ‘mushroom principal’ flourishes, where members only pass on good news or what the powerful want to hear
• ‘Sucker effect’, hard workers feel as if they are suckers and the rest are having a relatively free ride
• Free-riding by capitalizing on the group’s willingness to suffer shortcomings because of loyalty
• Mooching off of group where the weak are able to suck from the strong in return for adoration
• Little or no effort to achieve a result, just do the minimum to stay out of trouble and in favour
• Importance of identifiably with the group subjugates competence as a success factor
• Groupthink means undesirable emotion based decisions rather than those based on intellect

KILL THE GROUP AND FORM SOME TEAMS

No teamwork at your place perhaps it time to move on… take a look at the free blank resume form!

MORE NASTY GROUP BEHAVIOURS THAT LIMIT A COMPANY’S SUCCESS

I guess the biggest problem with groups is that they inevitably succumb to the evils of ‘groupthink’. Groupthink leads to an illusion of invulnerability, rationalization of all opposing points of view (and unproductive behaviour), a belief in the group’s inherent morality, a stereotyped view of ‘the enemy’, direct pressure to conform, self-censorship (don’t speak the truth), the illusion of unanimity and the emergence of self-appointed ‘mind guards’.

The overwhelming need for agreement with the group position can be so strong that it outweighs a rational look at all of the evidence needed to allow ‘fair-mindedness’ i.e. rational behaviour versus a primarily emotional approach. Loyalty or desire to lead or to follow is paramount, non-disclosure, the tendency to ‘play your cards’ close to your chest destroys the requirement to be truly open and initiative and high energy towards leading (even enjoying) today’s rapid change is stifled by a desire or belief in not needing change in order to make good decisions.

Finally groups can quickly become gangs and indulge in gang behaviour and the associated bullying. According to the experts, gangs, diffuse role definition, have limited cohesion, foster impermanence, have minimal real consensus of norms, have shifting membership, often suffer from disturbed leadership and provide a limited definition of membership expectations.

NO WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS YOU SAY… IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!

Refs:
http://users.ipfw.edu/bordens/social/group.htm
http://www.the-idler.com/IDLER-01/12-20.html
refs:http://rock.uwc.edu/psych/psy330/outlines/groups.htm

Ric (orglearn) **Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

Have a quick think about your organization, do your project ‘teams’ or departments really operate as teams or are they merely less than effective, riddled with politics ineffective groups?!

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WHAT IS WORKING SMARTER FOR 2010?

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

SO WHAT IS WORKING SMARTER?

Working smarter is perhaps…

• Showing respect for other’s points of view
• Constantly being open to new ways of doing things
• Never believing our way of doing things is the only way of doing things
• Being prepared to see all ideas as good ideas until they are proven otherwise
• Habitually seek ways to improve processes, job design, products and services
• Listening at least twice as much as speaking
• Listening rather than just hearing

“GIVE FREE REIGN TO CREATIVE TALENT AND LISTEN TO YOUR JUNIORS” Keiji Tachikawa (President of NTT DoCoMo)

• Spending more time LEADING ‘good’ performers rather than wasting time MANAGING ‘bad’ performers.
• Understanding sound principles for setting priorities rather than doing what’s easy or habitual.
• Analysing projects/procedures/systems for value adders and seriously attempting to cut or avoid energy suckers.
• Carefully picking team members to ensure a diversity of competence, opinion and talent rather than those who will simply agree with us.
• Seeing work as a constant learning process and implementing appropriate changes through experience.
• Accepting that change is not just inevitable, it is essential.
• Delegating authority while maintaining responsibility and always being willing to be held accountable.
• Understanding that all those around us are motivated by their own selfish desires, as are we.

“DO, OR NOT DO. THERE IS NO ‘TRY’.” – Yoda (’The Empire Strikes Back’)

and working smarter is…

• Sharing our vision
• Planning for our vision
• Enlisting support for our vision
• Being flexible and accepting others points of view
• Knowing our strengths and volunteering to participate
• Knowing our weaknesses and employing to compensate
• Constantly encouraging and training of those we work with
• Saying what we will do and then doing what we say
• Only asking questions we really want answers to
• Being tolerant of mistakes to allow learning
• Communicating effectively – listening
• Empowering others

…AND SOMETHING I LEARNT IN WOODWORK (SHOP) AT SCHOOL…
MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE!

Ric (orglearn) **Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

For some of us perhaps working smarter for 2010 will be to work somewhere else… take a look at the free blank resume form!

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