Managers

Article: Back To Basics - Being Organised (December 2012)

One of the most important skills a manager can possess is the ability to be organised. Not only does your work require structured thinking, discipline and action, it also requires the ability to juggle a multitude of jobs at any one time - all with their own complexities and client expectations. Now add transformation into the mix. Actions to undertake, deadlines to meet, changes to implement etc And now there is all the normal day to day administrative work to do - performance reviews, management reporting, marketing the business, coaching the team and the list goes on.

So how do you get through all this work without working 24 hours a day? Yes, you could employ more resources or you could get back to basics and employ simple and effective organisational skills to help you work more efficiently. Being organised is not just about getting a lot of work done. It is also about creating a work environment that is conducive to clear thinking, a lower error rate and enables you to control what you do and when you do it. It is also an environment that says to a client "We are efficient, we know what we are doing and you can have complete confidence in us to do a great job". To achieve this and enjoy control over your workspace, here are a number of tips to improve your organisational skills:

  • Use a notebook or diary to track important notes and record action items. Your memory may be excellent, but there it is no substitute to writing actions down
  • Use checklists. Yes - not only will your new checklists be essential in creating consistent quality in your business, they will help you be more organised
  • Do one thing at a time. Multitasking is a great skill, but don't multitask when working on client jobs. Adopt the mantra "One thing at a time"
  • Plan in advance. This is about preventative maintenance and planning, NOT reacting. Plan out your week and your day to use your time most effectively
  • Use folders and colour coding. As simple as this seems, putting things in folders (and labelling them) is an excellent way to be organised. Plus, having a tidy work area can give you a sense of control
  • Avoid cutting yourself short. We have all fallen into the trap of not allowing ourselves sufficient time to get a task complete. By being organised, you will have a clear picture of your priorities and be able to make promises you can keep
  • Use "To Do" lists. Simple; easy; inexpensive. Update your list every night before going home and revisit it every morning. Create a list for your week and refine it as the week progresses
  • Co-ordinate with others. You don't work in a vacuum so co-ordinate efforts with your team members, especially if you need their assistance to complete a job. Your last minute rush is not their problem
  • Learn the most important word "No". Being organised means having to occasionally say "no" to new work. Practice as this is a hard lesson to implement
  • Get the lay of the land. If you are new to the business, check out where essentials items are kept, who looks after stationery, computers, printers, photocopiers etc. Knowing where things are kept will save you time trying to sort this out later
  • Keep a tidy desk. This has to be one of the most difficult organisational techniques for a manager to implement. A tidy desk does contribute to clearer thinking, helps you avoid distractions, and reduces the chance of client work being misfiled.

Investing five minutes in improving organisational skills today will pay great dividends tomorrow!

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: The Manager's Leadership Guide (April 2012)

Are you an effective leader? What is your management style?

Management:

To have effective control, focus and accomplish tasks involved in a business. Leadership Being able to give guidance and motivation to employees, while having the ability to create a relationship and environment in which the employee is willingly able to apply their unique abilities to meet common goals and objectives of the business. To be an effective manager you need to be an excellent leader. As a leader you need to have competence, focus, commitment and professionalism. The excellent leaders checklist:A clear vision and purpose

  • Practical goals and objectives
  • Never ending commitment
  • Flexibility
  • Understanding
  • Strong listening skills
  • Confidence in decision making, delegating and supervising
  • Willing to take risks
  • Willing to learn from mistakes
  • Outstanding communication skills
  • Able to speak and delegate clearly and effectively
  • Realistic approaches
  • Resourceful ability

Leadership styles:

There are many styles of leadership and it is important to know that like most you aren't going to fit into one particular category. Picking a leadership style is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure book. You can mix and match your leadership style to suit the place of business, job role, or individual personalities working under you and so on. There are four common styles of management or leadership, and they are listed as follows.

The Director - Always setting goals, identifying problems, coming up with solutions, delegates effectively, able to give specific directions, announces decisions and supervises and evaluates their employees closely. They will usually give step-by-step instructions and will ensure that the employee is carrying out those directions efficiently and in the respective manner.

The Coach - The coach will set goals and identify problems. However, unlike the director, the coach will seek employees' ideas, opinions and feelings. They develop plans to solve problems and make final decisions on procedures and solutions once they have consulted with their employees. The coach is likely to praise, evaluate and direct the employee's work. Building the relationship is important to the coach and will seek the employee prior to committing themselves to something their team may reject, and will share responsibilities among them.

The Supporter - The supporter is similar to the coach in that they will involve employees in making decisions, problem solving, evaluating employees and sharing responsibility among their team. The supporter is strong on employee involvement for goal setting and will listen to the employee while guiding them as they make their decisions. The supporter will provide the employee with whatever they need to help them carry out their job. Although the supporter is strong on employee relationships, they do take leadership in defining how to do a job or solve a problem before sharing the responsibilities out.

The Delegator - The delegator will identify problems, set goals, develop plans and make decisions, but requires their team to take an active role of participation. The delegator will allow employees to decide on who does what tasks, lets employees evaluate their own work, permits their employees to take responsibility and credit for their work and accepts employees' decisions. Although this leader will pass on responsibilities to their team, they are likely to keep tabs on their performance.

No matter which leadership style you have decided to choose or you naturally carry, it is important that you understand that:

  • An employees ability can be improved by giving them experience, knowledge and skills
  • The willingness of employees can be improved by giving encouragement and motivation
  • As an individual grows through experience, knowledge, skills and confidence, you will need to adapt your leadership style to suit
  • If an individual seems to become withdrawn and sensitive to situations, alternatively you will need to adapt to this behaviour and change your style of leadership to be more supportive and encouraging
  • There is no one style which is perfect or consistently ideal - adjust it accordingly
Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Learning To Delegate (February 2012)

Some small business owners are proud of the fact that they do everything for their businesses themselves. But it doesn't always make business sense to be a one-person operation. In fact, you should delegate as much work as you possibly can if you want your business to thrive. If you don't, chances are you'll always be short on time, long on responsibilities, and standing still in business.

There are three key reasons why small business people say they can't delegate. Some common excuses are listed below. Read on to find out why they don't hold water. Then use a worksheet like the one described below to help you figure out what responsibilities you can delegate.

Money - "I can't afford to pay someone to do this for me." It's short-sighted to avoid delegation because of the financial investment it requires. Yes, you will have to pay someone to do something you can do yourself. But if you're a consultant who charges £150/hour, should you be using your time to stuff envelopes? Use the time you free up by delegating to find new business. This way, you'll still be making some money on the tasks you contract out and you'll be making money on the new work too.

Time - "It will take too much time to train someone. I can do it faster by myself." Not having the time to train someone is often a smoke screen for something else like a fear of giving up control. If this is your rationale, write down all your tasks and how long it would take to teach someone to take care of them for you. Then choose one or two jobs that are the easiest to farm out and start with them. This will gradually get you used to letting go of routine responsibilities.

Quality - "No one can do this as well as I can." This is the oldest excuse in the book; it's probably also true. But it's not a reason to avoid delegating. A person you employ may not do something as well as you can. But think about the job this person can do for you once he or she is trained. If you determine that only you can complete certain tasks perfectly, you have two choices: save them for yourself and delegate other tasks, or settle for having something done well instead of perfectly. Lots of times, a very good job is sufficient.

Delegating Worksheet Use a worksheet to determine how you're using your time. Use it over the course of a week or two to see how much time each task (whether important or menial) takes you. You might find out that you're using a lot of time for certain jobs that can be easily delegated out. Your worksheet should have three columns:

  1. Task / Activity
  2. Time Spent
  3. Delegation Plan

Use the "Delegation Plan" column to record your ideas for steps necessary to farm out a task. Include a list of possible candidates. Use it over the course of a week or two to see how much time each task (whether important or menial) takes you. You might find out that you're using a lot of time for certain jobs that can be easily delegated out.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Managing Internal Politics (November 2011)

Every workplace has internal politics, even the ones that say that they don’t. Internal politics can be a negative or a positive contribution to the business depending on how they are executed in your workplace. To get an insight on how the politics are run in your business you need to identify the possible political arenas that could occur or co-exist in the business. These will include, minimal, moderate, highly and pathological political arenas.

Minimal Politics

This will be an amicable atmosphere where debate and conflict are rare. If a conflict should arise it will only last a very short time. In this environment peoples' promotion and other gains are seen as a positive rather than a loss to others. This is an ideal environment for those who don't like being in a political struggle or an aggressive political environment.

Moderate Politics

These businesses operate on commonly understood and authoritative rules. They are often small, fast moving firms where customer focus, results, teamwork and trust play a huge role in the business. Should a conflict become out of control in this type of business the manager will all ways return back to the rules and call upon them to resolve the matter. Some larger businesses may have a moderate political arena especially when the focus on the dexterity and agility factors.

Highly Political

Conflict is likely to occur in a business that has a high political arena. People rely on aggressive political methods to resolve the issue in which unfortunately hinders the problem rather than constructively focuses on a resolution. Formal rules aren't regularly applied in this type of business and are more than likely only pursued and applied when it is convenient. Groups are clearly defined in this business and communication lacks with senior managers and authorities. It can often run at an extreme dysfunctional pattern as placing blame is a regular event and looking for solutions to problems is rare.

Pathological Politics

These businesses have an unstable workplace and are likely to selfdestruct. It is an untrusting environment and conflict continues for a long period of time. Interactions with team members are often uncomfortable and awkward. Most the time people are covering their tracks and respect is a lacking contribution within the business. Each political arena has its weaknesses and therefore changes and adjustments should be made to ensure the workplace is a comfortable, enjoyable place to be with minimal political pressures as possible. If politics are high on the business agenda and need to be reviewed, below are some things that can be changed to reduce the possibility of self destruction.

  • Flattery – this can be a dangerous situation. If senior management or people in high positions are regularly receiving flattery it can cause aggression and discomfort toward these people. Flattery should be given wide spread across both sectors – the people in lower rated jobs and those in higher positions.
  • Communication – if information is regularly with held because someone doesn't want to rock the boat so to speak, then this will potentially be a disadvantage to your team and your business. People need to be encouraged to speak freely and contribute ideas, successors and have an opinion whether it to be agree or disagree.
  • Gossip – even where there is a small amount of conflict, gossip and backstabbing is a common occurrence in the workplace. Reducing this can be difficult but must be controlled and sorted through resolution and strategy.
  • Indifference – having an environment where no one is valued and everyone is considered as dispensable is a disturbing environment as everyone is looking out for themselves while battling others so that they can get them before they get you.
  • Mislead – misleading others so that the credit can be passed to someone else is a factor that needs to be eliminated. Teamwork is what brings a business to success and therefore the lack of support to each other in the workplace can have a devastating affect. The sacrificing of others so that you don't look bad is a brutal move that will concern everyone.

Managing workplace politics requires you to decide on a political style that will match your workplace culture. You will need to determine if you are:

  • A Purist – hard work will get you everywhere, politics rarely exist and rules are relied on to get things done.
  • A Team Player – working together will get you ahead while politics are used equally to advance the goals of the group. Group needs are put ahead of career and focus is on doing the job right within a moderately political environment.
  • A Fighter – an individual. Politics are likely to be subliminal but will invoke rules when they help to achieve personal goals. Trust doesn't come easy and their tactics are to achieve above the rest. The fighter is a survivor and will battle through high political arenas and pathological ones.
  • A Manoeuvrer – an individual with a mind to play political games. This is their plan to get ahead however it is very skilled and unobtrusive. A manoeuvrer will use politics to meet their objects but not as much as the fighter. They can be related to as a smooth operator and do things to suit them and if it will benefit them in some way or other and will squash those who get in their way. They are ideally suited to highly political and pathological arenas.

Politics exist whether we want them to or not. You just need to identify and eliminate at prevalent times and maintain a focus on how your business needs to be run to meet its objectives. If you are able to make politics work to meet the business objectives and it doesn’t cause lack of productivity, self-destructiveness or team morale.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Systemisation-The Foundation of Transformation (October 2011)

When we talk about transformation, you will invariably find that we talk about People, Process and Systems in the same sentence. People, Processes and Systems form the triumvirate of transforming your business into the business you have always wanted.

You might also have come across the term "systemisation". While People, Process and Systems form the triumvirate of transformation, systemisation is the output that underpins the entire effort. It is the foundation on which your new business will operate for years to come. So what is systemisation and why is it the foundation of transformation?

When we talk about "systemisation" we are not referring to installing the latest equipment, the best software, the fastest printers or the largest server in your business. While the systems that support your business are important, the best technology in the world will be a waste of money unless you systemise.

What we are referring to is the process of building efficiency in your business through the meeting of People, Process and Systems:

  1. Agreed/approved, relevant and appropriate policies, procedures and checklists
  2. Consistency in activities -team members following a logical process for every activity every time
  3. Competency in activities - every team member having and maintaining the appropriate skills to undertake their job consistently, effectively and efficiently
  4. Standardisation in activities - every team member following the same logical process for one activity
  5. Accessibility of information - making agreed/approved procedures and checklists easy to access, understand and use
  6. Preservation of knowledge - knowledge being shared through updating procedures and checklists, team meetings and training
  7. Continuous improvement - every team member having responsibility for contributing to the improvement of procedures and checklists.

Without systemisation

  • Your People will continue to do the work but in any way that is convenient having regard to their background and training
  • Your Processes will be adequate to support your services but will be ignored, irrelevant or out of date leaving you with an ongoing quality issue
  • Your Systems might be the latest and greatest, but without the skilled People using the correct Process, it will remain a case of "garbage in - garbage out".

With Systemisation

  • Your People will be skilled and confident in using the right Process at the right time, regardless of their background
  • Your Processes will be used each time every time by People with the appropriate skills. Every activity will be produced with a consistent level of quality and timeliness
  • Your Systems will be appropriate for your business and integrate seamlessly with your Processes while your People will be trained in how to use them most effectively. 

As the above shows, systemisation brings together People, Process and Systems. Only focusing on Process for instance, without attention to People and Systems will give you a business with procedures and checklists. It probably won't give you the People skilled in using those procedures or the efficient use of Systems.

Separately, People, Processes or Systems will deliver some benefits to your business. However, by focussing and making improvements to all three, you are systemising your bsuiness, transforming it into the business you have always wanted.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Tips For A Top Manager (October 2009)

We are all busy. Our lives have expanded to fill what available time we have making it difficult to always take a step back and consider the businesses we are managing dispassionately and objectively. The following three tips are designed to create that "thinking space" in your schedule to undertake those important Level 2 Activities (preventative maintenance and planning) steps for the business:

  • Top tip 1 - Knowing is power

We all know what happens when you assume and we also know that the worst two words you can hear when something goes wrong is "I assumed'". Assuming you know what work is in your business is likely to have you working in Level 3 Activities (Urgent and Important) or even dangerously in unimportant or not urgent matters. However, having a clear picture of what work is on hand, what is underway, nearing completion or yet to be started will have you directing traffic efficiently and productively in your business, therefore making you an effective Manager.

You need to know a couple of simple, easy to track pieces of information: When; What; Who; Where; How: When did it arrive? Expected to finish? What is the job? Who is it allocated to? Where is it up to in the pipeline? How long is it likely to take?

Even if you track work in your business on a spreadsheet, using a programme like Outlook, a CRM, or even purpose built workflow management software, you'll never have to guess again - you'll know! And that gives you the power to manage your business effectively.

  • Top tip 2 - One job well: All jobs exceptionally

Sometimes doing one thing exceptionally well (and better than your competitors) is enough to attract clients to your door. However, when times are tough and competition is high, doing one thing well is no longer sufficient - you have to excel at more things, be better at them than your competitors and not wait too long or it will be even harder to build and deliver outstanding service.

Start the journey by making exceptional service every team member's responsibility. Give them the tools they need to sustain the excellence by defining what exceptional client service means in your business. Lastly, implement service standards for all aspects of your business to provide constant reminders of the service commitment your business has made to its clients.

  • Top tip 3 - Helping vs. serving clients

Do you "serve" your clients or are you really helping them? The concept of great service is difficult for some people to grasp - yet the idea of helping someone is much less problematic. Get your team involved in defining how you deliver services to help your clients.

For example: "We will help you, our client, by responding to your call the same day". Forming your service standards and your guarantee in these terms, is more meaningful for your people and will certainly be instantly engaging for your clients. Providing "Help" suggests a personal obligation that "delivering a service" doesn't quite meet.

At the end of the day, these are your standards of service. And while your competitors may be able to match you on price and the type of work you provide, they will be hard pressed to match you on exceptional service.

Service standards and workflow tracking form part of the engine room of a systemised and transformed business that will enable you to deliver quality and consistency as your business grows.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Are All Managers Leaders... (June 2008)

Are all leaders managers? Do managers have to be leaders? What does it take to be a good leader?

Management and leadership are often terms used interchangeably in business but are in actual fact, quite different. The differences are not in education or skill or knowledge but are more prevalent in execution, communication and strategy.

While the debate around whether managers can be leaders and whether leaders are managers continues, we propose that by understanding leadership, you can go a long way to becoming a good leader.

Within our business we have worked with many excellent managers - skilled professionals whose efforts drive successful businesses, keep clients happy and ensure staff have the opportunity to develop.

These managers have the critical job of ensuring work gets done within their businesses as efficiently and effectively as possible. This means controlling the workflow, directing the activities of team members and ensuring work is completed using established policies, procedures and checklists.

It could be argued that without managers, not much would get done.

But are these managers also leaders? Sometimes they are the rare individual who has a quality that inspires their team to above and beyond the call, to work extra hours without complaint or provide that little something extra that keeps clients coming back year after year.

So what makes a leader? We look at the difference between managers and leaders; consider the characteristics of a good leader and encourage business owners to consider how they can implement these skills in managing their teams.

While there is no guarantee that some of your team members will instantly become great leaders, however we believe you should offer the opportunity to begin to understand how to apply more 'leadership - like' practices during their working day.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: It's Been One Of Those Days... (May 2008)

It's been one of "those" days - nothing has gone right, clients are complaining, people you rely on are making errors or forgetting tasks that they were quite capable of yesterday. A big new client may suddenly be going sour or your latest transformation effort causing additional issues rather than solving them.

Regardless of how organised, competent or efficient you are, from time to time you will experience one of 'those' days. Before running home to pour yourself the biggest glass of wine you have, let's consider for a moment how to stay motivated in an environment where nothing seems to be going right.

Motivation is simply the internal process that drives someone to achieve or work toward achieving a goal. Motivation can be intrinsic - the desire to achieve the goal comes from within e.g. wanting to provide that extra service to the client because they enjoy the accolades. Motivation can also be extrinsic where the desire is driven by external rewards e.g. wanting to provide extra service to the client because it may result in a Star Award.

However, offering an incentive or relying on individuals' internal drive to snap them out of a demotivating situation will fail. Incentives will lose their value and appeal while the internal process may take a long time. There is a way of combining both in order to keep yourself and your team motivated in trying circumstances.

As you would expect, it falls to the leader/manager to provide guidance, direction and the model for the rest of the team to follow. In other words, unless you have firstly addressed your motivation issues, it is unlikely that you will be able to assist your team in working on their own.

The opposite is also true: if you are one of those fortunate people who is always motivated and upbeat, regardless of the situation, your challenge will be to understand that others are not like you when it comes to displays of motivation. Your second challenge will be to utilise your enthusiasm - not to jolly staff along - but rather to help them see the positive aspects of the current situation.

As a leader/manager, you are not responsible for each staff members' level of motivation. What you are responsible for is ensuring you create an environment that promotes high levels of motivation. That means communication, participation, mentoring and leadership.

During assisting businesses transformation, we found that just the process of change in the business is one situation that has the potential to lower motivation. Changes, shifting staff out of their comfort zones and introducing new policies and procedures can leave staff feeling powerless to control their own environment. Some businesses did have a few staff members leave but those who remained provided the backbone of the businesses efforts.

By freeing up the leader/managers time to provide mentoring and encouraging staff to actively take part in transformation, motivation in the business was high. Communication played a critical part because the leader/manager created a picture of the future for the team that tapped into their intrinsic need to provide the best and most efficient service possible. As improvements were made, staff began to see the progress which in turn, kept staff motivated and motivating others!

The lesson for the business owner was clear: staying motivated starts with strong, constant and consistent leadership. That means tapping into your own motivation and then communicating your excitement, drive and sense of purpose to your team.

Let's face it, how can you expect to keep your team motivated if you are not? Motivated teams have been proven time and time again to be more productive, more efficient and more involved in the business, especially where a motivated leader/manager is providing clear direction and an environment that fosters the achievement of goals.

Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Leadership (April 2008)

"Leadership" is one of those words that is often thrown around in the workplace - "He shows real leadership", "Her leadership style is very confrontational". But have you ever really considered what being a leader is - what it takes to lead your business and your team?

Sometimes good management style and techniques are confused with good leadership. Just because you have your team on side and doing the work you assign them doesn't necessarily make you a good leader. While delegating, rewarding your team and controlling your business are all important activities, they are also the tools of a good manager.

You cannot begin understanding leadership until you consider "What is management?"

"Management" is a process. The objective of the process is to get things done as efficiently and effectively as possible by directing and controlling others. In practice that means controlling workflow, directing the activities of the team, working within a defined set of parameters and maintaining production.

A good manager has 3 overarching goals:

  1. To ensure their team has all the resources it needs to get the job done
  2. To promote an environment of creativity, productivity and trust that will allow team members to develop and grow
  3. To make their role redundant (by that we mean, develop and coach the team to share knowledge and experience and through implementing procedures, enable the team to control its work output)

Much of what you have been trying to achieve through transformation looks very much like building sound management practices: you have freed up time to develop and mentor your team; you have started building a culture of continuous improvement in which your team is encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions; and you are, through systemising your business, sharing critical knowledge and skills to enable the business to continue without you while you market and promote your services.

These management skills are absolutely essential for a well run business. Why then is leadership so important?

"Leadership" is not about directing, controlling or maintaining order. Unlike management, leadership is about getting your team to go that extra step and do things they would not normally do. Leadership is about creating a vision of the business so powerful (and tangible) that your team willingly follow and participate in those activities essential for transformation.

There are eight essential characteristics of a great leader:

  1. The focus is on the future
  2. They are passionate about their goals and share their passion with others
  3. Leaders take pride in what they do and maintain high standards for themselves and others
  4. Leaders are also patient, recognising that others need time to understand the vision
  5. They persevere to overcome obstacles
  6. Their enthusiasm is contagious
  7. Despite their excitement about the future, leaders take the hard decisions when required
  8. And finally, the mantra of great leaders is "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"
Get in touch and ask us to conduct a FREE Business Evaluation Meeting and find out about our unique way of designing and implementing strategies to generate sustainable business improvement.

Article: Create the Right Environment (March 2008)

A manager is a motivator and hence you need to ensure that you and your managers are motivating your staff to come to work every day.

To generate job satisfaction and an environment that will stimulate and encourage your team to attend work you will need to asses and apply the following where possible:

  • Encourage internal promotion and select new recruits with care if this is part of your job. You will need to help new staff member settle in their positions and old staff members to feel comfortable with the new recruit.
  • Review and assess jobs regularly so that your staff member knows you are aware of their activities and responsibilities. You like to enjoy your job so you need to ensure you can help them enjoy theirs.
  • Recognise and give regular feedback to your employees. Understand the importance of their work and show your appreciation.
  • Ensure people are paid fairly and competitively. Remember money does motivate people and they should be rewarded accordingly.
  • Provide acceptable working conditions for all staff. Where possible implement new systems and technology and give your staff as many facilities as possible.
  • Always have regular meetings which identifies work in progress. This can also be an ideal time to have group discussions and input for certain business activities or decisions.
  • Set and revisit objectives or targets. These must be clear, concise , measurable and regularly assessed to ensure that everyone is on track.
  • Measure individual staff members contribution.
  • Set high standards. These may require people to take an extra step or go out side of their boundaries, however this is what it is meant to do. You want your team to be able to take calculated risks and grow with your business.
  • Never make promises. You shouldn't make promises if your intentions are otherwise. Offering rewards and then retracting them will make your staff angry and lack confidence in you.
  • Be honest with your staff. If you have bad news tell them as it is better coming from you instead of anyone else. Honesty also relates to good news. Praise them where you can.
  • You must set an example to your staff as if you imply a bad or unprofessional impression then they will assume that this is the standard the behaviour will be accepted.
  • Measure absenteeism and staff turnover. This will be clear indicator if staff are finding their positions difficult or unsatisfying and will present a pattern of what the company must do to ensure that the position is filled should staff leave.

Having a fair, diplomatic and structured environment will keep your employees active and enjoying their jobs.

By simply applying the techniques above you will be able to have a more efficient and accepting work environment for your employees to attend to every day.

Article: Handling Dissatisfied Clients/Customers (February 2008)

It is a fact of business that at some stage, you will encounter a dissatisfied client. Even the most systemised and efficient business is not immune to the client who thinks you are not providing value for money.

While introducing service standards and endeavouring to manage expectations will minimise the number of dissatisfied clients, it is important to ensure you have programs in place that allow you to take responsibility and resolve the issue to limit the potential cost to your business.

Dissatisfied clients cost your business money. Not only does it immediately affect your bottom line, but dissatisfied clients can cost you potential new clients. Some researchers suggest that each dissatisfied client is likely to tell 8 - 10+ people about their experience and the more dissatisfied clients you have, the more people are going to have a negative impression about your business.

Dissatisfaction arises for a number of reasons but it is generally because a client does not perceive value in your service. "Value" is calculated simply as:

Value = Quality / Cost

In other words, a client perceives value when the quality of the service is greater than the cost.

Introducing client satisfaction surveys will help in identifying dissatisfied clients and give you a strong indication of areas of improvement in your business. While this will capture the vocal clients, how do you identify those dissatisfied clients who don't bother to complete the survey or just "vote with their feet" and don't come back?

A simple way to spot dissatisfied clients is to pay attention to the signals you are given such as heavy sighing, avoiding phone calls and letters or making sarcastic comments. Clients who are reluctant to interact with you and your team members are often unhappy with service but are reluctant to say anything directly. Unfortunately, while these clients are reluctant to say anything to you, they are not so shy in saying it to their friends and family who will also happily pass on negative press.

To stop this negative publicity, it becomes even more important to clearly focus on managing client expectations at the start of each job. A complaint resolution process will deal with issues after a complaint is made, but you and your team can deal with issues of dissatisfaction before they get to that point. Your prompt action will ensure you recover the situation and will, in many cases, turn this dissatisfied client into a loyal one who will actively refer you new business.

We suggest using a simple process to deal with issues of dissatisfaction before they become complaints:

  1. Deal with the issue as soon as you spot the clue
  2. In a non confrontational way, ask the client if there is an issue e.g. "You seem a bit hesitant, what concerns do you have?"
  3. Then take a L.E.A.P!

Listen to their concerns

Empathise with their issues in a non condescending manner

Acknowledge their concerns (and if appropriate, apologise)

Provide a solution to address their concern.

Encouraging your staff to manage expectations and address dissatisfaction before it turns into a complaint will ensure you have happy clients who actively promote your business. Remember that a client who complains is a great reminder of ways you can improve. 

Article: Was 2007 Your Best Year Yet? (January 2008)

As a manager in a small business you must retain focus at all times, achieve results, boost productivity or make your functional area a successful player in the business and still try to be a functioning, normal human being.

Well, 2008 is the year to make it your best year yet!

Set yourself some exciting and motivating goals. Make them both personal and work orientated.

Your goals don't have to be anything difficult and shouldn't be unachievable or unrealistic. Make your 2008 goals those which will help you to achieve your daily activities and work toward the bigger business goals and objectives.

Use your goals to trick yourself into doing those things you put off or haven't had the time to do. Use them to improve your time management skills. Use them to motivate yourself and your workers. Use them to get job satisfaction and reduce the stress. Use them to achieve your personal goals and reward yourself.

Personal Goals

  • Get a pay increase
  • Spend less time at work, more time with family and friends
  • Get a new car
  • Buy a new house
  • Invest money

Work Goals

  • Improve staff productivity and morale by 40%
  • Delegate 20% of workload to staff weekly
  • Spend 2 hours per day with no interruptions
  • Improve systems and procedures

Whatever your personal and work goals exist just make sure that they help you to work towards achieving something that is significant to you and the business.

When you write your goals, make sure they follow the rules for goal setting. These include, always having it written. It carries the elements of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely (SMART) rule, you break larger goals down into smaller ones and that you are continuously optimistic about achieving your goal.

Article: The Manager's Leadership Guide (December 2007)

Are you an effective leader? What is your management style?

Management

To have effective control, focus and accomplish tasks involved in a business.

Leadership

Being able to give guidance and motivation to employees, while having the ability to create a relationship and environment in which the employee is willingly able to apply their unique abilities to meet common goals and objectives of the business.

To be an effective manager you need to be an excellent leader. As a leader you need to have competence, focus, commitment and professionalism.

The excellent leaders checklist

  • A clear vision and purpose
  • Practical goals and objectives
  • Never ending commitment
  • Flexibility
  • Understanding
  • Strong listening skills
  • Confidence in decision making, delegating and supervising
  • Willing to take risks
  • Willing to learn from mistakes
  • Outstanding communication skills
  • Able to speak and delegate clearly and effectively
  • Realistic approaches
  • Resourceful ability

Leadership styles

There are many styles of leadership and it is important to know that like most you aren't going to fit into one particular category. Picking a leadership style is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure book. You can mix and match your leadership style to suit the place of business, job role, or individual personalities working under you and so on.

There are four common styles of management or leadership, and they are listed as follows.

The Director

Always setting goals, identifying problems, coming up with solutions, delegates effectively, able to give specific directions, announces decisions and supervises and evaluates their employees closely. They will usually give step-by-step instructions and will ensure that the employee is carrying out those directions efficiently and in the respective manner.

The Coach

The coach will set goals and identify problems. However, unlike the director, the coach will seek employees' ideas, opinions and feelings. They develop plans to solve problems and make final decisions on procedures and solutions once they have consulted with their employees. The coach is likely to praise, evaluate and direct the employee's work. Building the relationship is important to the coach and will seek the employee prior to committing themselves to something their team may reject, and will share responsibilities among them.

The Supporter

The supporter is similar to the coach in that they will involve employees in making decisions, problem solving, evaluating employees and sharing responsibility among their team. The supporter is strong on employee involvement for goal setting and will listen to the employee while guiding them as they make their decisions. The supporter will provide the employee with whatever they need to help them carry out their job. Although the supporter is strong on employee relationships, they do take leadership in defining how to do a job or solve a problem before sharing the responsibilities out.

The Delegator

The delegator will identify problems, set goals, develop plans and make decisions, but requires their team to take an active role of participation. The delegator will allow employees to decide on who does what tasks, lets employees evaluate their own work, permits their employees to take responsibility and credit for their work and accepts employees' decisions. Although this leader will pass on responsibilities to their team, they are likely to keep tabs on their performance.

No matter which leadership style you have decided to choose or you naturally carry, it is important that you understand that:

  • An employees ability can be improved by giving them experience, knowledge and skills
  • The willingness of employees can be improved by giving encouragement and motivation
  • As an individual grows through experience, knowledge, skills and confidence, you will need to adapt your leadership style to suit
  • If an individual seems to become withdrawn and sensitive to situations, alternatively you will need to adapt to this behaviour and change your style of leadership to be more supportive and encouraging
  • There is no one style which is perfect or consistently ideal - adjust it accordingly