Monday, November 29, 2010

Book review: Showing Up For Life

Bill Gates' father (William Gates Sr) has taken the time to collect his thoughts and collate them into a handy little book of wisdom.  There are lots of stories and anecdotes that span an entire century and reach from the early 1900's all the way through to 2009.

This is a book deeply set in reality.  There are reflections on surviving the depression, hard work, starting out in life and integrity.  After being married for 42 years Mrs Gates passed away and there are some very nice reflective yet instructful stories from the life of Mary Gates as well.

What I really enjoyed about this book is it's honesty and it's sincerity.  This is not a book about Microsoft or Bill Gates but a book about life.  How to live, make the most of everyday and ultimately leave a lasting legacy through the words you say, the acts you complete and the influence you leave behind.

This is not a management book (in the purest sense).  This book is a common sense guide to life packed full of wisdom and insight.  The evidence that Mr Gates' experiences and philosophies work is best shown through the results of his family and legacy.

You can also check out Mr Gates own thoughts here as well.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Keeping up with management trends

One thing I work hard on is trying to keep up with new ideas that deal with management, human resources and how to be a better everyday manager.
So my eye's really lit up when I saw a tweet from @teenarose with the line "No-cost white papers, mags, and guides for management and executive professionals http://adjix.com/zwrx".
So now I have shared that link with you here are a few more -
And on iTunes I listen to -
  • Entreprenurial Thought Leaders (Stanford)
  • Manager Tools
  • The Knowledge Interchange (Cranfield)
  • McKinsey Quarterly
  • Inspiring Words of Encouragement
And then for new trendy new stories I go to -
  • Twitter.
One essential part of being a great leader is to be fresh, keep thinking and always look ahead.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Reflections on performance appraisals

The end of the financial year is quickly coming up in us and now is the time to look at employees performance over the past 12 months.  Here are a few thoughts and musings that I have had on the subject -

  1. Performance appraisals appraise performance.  It can be easy to confuse the two if you have an employee with whom you don't get along with or who may have ticked you off recently.  Ignore that and stick to tangible results.
  2. Setting KPI's is better done in  the following year than in the current.  So much can change in the workplace over Christmas and New Years.  This is especially true in countries where it is the summer season at this time.  many workplaces close down and go on vacation at this time.  So it is a good idea to set performance targets after people have returned to work and you have a better idea of the landscape and upcoming expectations.
  3. There are no limits on how many people exceed expectations.  If people are exceeding the performance targets set for them and are consistently doing well then tell them.  Don't place limits on how many people can be the star of the month.  Some people are driven by competition while many others are turned off by it. 
  4. Appraise people on the tasks and goals you agreed on at the last meeting.  When reports understand what targets they are being judged on and against then that empowers them better to try and achieve.  Hidden goals or targets demotivate and reduce trust between the manager and the employee.
  5. People are individuals.  Set individual goals and performance targets.  There can be team goals and strategies set in place but you still need to remember that people are individuals.  Individuals respond better than teams but teams are better at achieving bigger goals.
  6. Reward, praise and motivate.   Great employees deserve to be told what a great job they are doing.  And more than that they need to be rewarded appropriately for the work they have done. 

There is no greater motivator than pure praise and reward.

 

 

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Toastmasters teaches you stuff

I joined Toastmasters in April of this year (2010).  I have had a lot of experience with public speaking and have no issues when talking to groups of people.  But even with my love of public speaking have learnt so much it's almost unreal.

Toastmasters is great because it is a slow process of coaching and improvement.  You get to watch others, listen to the commendations and recommendations and even have a turn yourself.

The safe environment of a club is great.  Others in your club know how it feels and can mirror back to you both your good and not so good speaking habits and traits.  Speeches are generally 5 to 7 minutes so the time is very manageable. 

The first lesson I learned was the professionalism of a meeting.  Every speech is timed, every member has a role or a speaking part and once the clock starts ticking everyone (should) act professionally.

Competitions are very interesting.  There is a huge difference between speaking to give a speech and speaking in a competitive way.  Even for the pro's the butterflies come out at competition time so Toastmasters is a great way to conquer your fears.

In our club we have one lady who has developed from not speaking to anyone at all - all the way through to being somewhat confident and able to stand in front of a group of people.  I totally recommend Toastmasters as a professional development tool.  For both the confident and the not confident alike.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Be, Know, Do - Army Leadership

The November issue of the HBR focuses on what we can learn from the army as far as leadership and management lessons.  This is the opening quote - "Competent leaders of character are necessary for the Army to meet the challenges in the dangerous and complex security environment we face."

What I discovered years ago was the US army's manual and guidebook for leadership.  The leadership mantra and philosophy is defined as follows -

  1. Be - who a person is.  The essence of the person.
  2. Know - understanding the tactics, strategy and management of any given situation.
  3. Do - putting into practice and combining who we are with what needs to be done.

"The Army uses the shorthand expression of BE-KNOW-DO to concentrate on key factors of leadership. What leaders DO emerges from who they are (BE) and what they KNOW. Leaders are prepared throughout their lifetimes with respect to BE-KNOW-DO so they will be able to act at a moment’s notice and provide leadership for whatever challenge they may face."

This is where it is at.  Knowing what to do, knowing when to do it and then doing with full confidence - thats leadership.

For more detailed information I recommend you start here - http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm6-22.pdf

Monday, November 22, 2010

Ssshhhhh - HR is coming!

Have you ever been in the situation where there was something going down but no one would talk about it?  Managers have secret meetings behind closed doors and the whispers and rumours run rampant around the office.  Ever had one of those days?

And then to top it all off - Human Resources want to talk to everyone!  Aahhhhh!

Here's my view - Human Resources shouldn't be the big ogre.  If you only see your Human Resources Department went things are going badly - then things really are going badly.

Human Resources and the work they do is vital to the overall health of an organisation.  The development and continual improvement of employees gives an organisation more value than the management of restructures, redundancies and dismissals.

So what would I do if I was in Human Resources? 

  • Take the initiative and start working with people to identify the deficits in peoples knowledge and work skills in the organisation - and get their learning to improve.
  • Be more visible.  Walk around the organisation and talk to people about their jobs.  Like most central functions it is easy for those in the middle to have no understanding of what is taking place at the coal face.
  • Start working (I mean really working) with the talent in the organisation.  A lot of HR departments assume they are nurturing talent but I have yet to see it happen.  Maybe I am just missing out?

Friday, November 19, 2010

How to answer your critics - Rob Fyfe

When one setion of the New Zealand media decided that they disagreed with the strategic directiion that the CEO wanted to head in - they published ab article that equated to a roast.

Here was his response -

So what can we learn from this?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

7 tips for a great work wardrobe

First impressions last.  Lasting impressions aren't always the first impressions that you make.

The most obvious way to impress or not impress as the case may be is the way you dress.  Dressing well need not break the bank nor be that hard to accomplish.

Here are my recommendations for keeping in step with fashion and how not to break the bank while you are at it -

  1. Watch what is happening as far as clothing trends go.  I recommend http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/dresser/galleries as the best place to start.  Knowing what trends are happening now and are coming shortly is important to know.
  2. Start with black.  This is the easiest colour to wear clothes with.  Simple.  Don't get stuck with black or wear it too often.  Vary the colours that you wear with black and begin to expand your choice of colours.
  3. Buy a great coat or jacket.  A great jacket can cover a multitude of shirts and tops.  In fact it may be a better idea to invest in two jackets.  that way you can easily alternate them.
  4. Get shoes that are simple and go with everything.  One great pair of shoes looked after well can last a long time.
  5. Shop online at auction sites.  Often times business people (especially real estate people) turn over the clothes in their wardrobe quite often.  So you can pick up clothes that aren't that old and still have plenty of life in them - cheap as chips! 
  6. Spend good money on buying a suit.  Nothing looks quite as good as a man in a suit!
  7. Accessories make a big difference. An interesting cheat that some managers use is they have a base shirt or top and then they simply vary the accessory such as the tie.  So you could invest in a swag of white shirts (e.g. 5) and then have 15 or 20 ties and you will appear to have a different look every day of the working week.

Pair up the latest style trends with what's going cheap on your favourite auction site and you can leave an impression on people that will last longer than your wardrobe does.

5 tips for a great work wardrobe

First impressions last.  Lasting impressions aren't always the first impressions that you make.
The most obvious way to impress or not impress as the case may be is the way you dress.  Dressing well need not break the bank nor be that hard to accomplish.
Here are my recommendations for keeping in step with fashion and how not to break the bank while you are at it -
  1. Watch what is happening as far as clothing trends go.  I recommend http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/dresser/galleries as the best place to start.  Knowing what trends are happening now and are coming shortly is important to know.
  2. Start with black.  This is the easiest colour to wear clothes with.  Simple.  Don't get stuck with black or wear it too often.  Vary the colours that you wear with black and begin to expand your choice of colours.
  3. Buy a great coat or jacket.  A great jacket can cover a multitude of shirts and tops.  In fact it may be a better idea to invest in two jackets.  that way you can easily alternate them.
  4. Get shoes that are simple and go with everything.  One great pair of shoes looked after well can last a long time.
  5. Shop online at auction sites.  Often times business people (especially real estate people) turn over the clothes in their wardrobe quite often.  So you can pick up clothes that aren't that old and still have plenty of life in them - cheap as chips! 
Pair up the latest style trends with what's going cheap on your favourite auction site and you can leave an impression on people that will last longer than your wardrobe does.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Getting in the trenches

There is power in being visible when you are a manager.  There is even more power when you demonstrate to people that you are willing/prepared to jump in with them and assist in the trenches.

While some people may think that sitting in an office writing reports (effectively looking backwards) constitutes good management this completely misses the point!  Management and managers should be forward looking and in touch with the action.

This is one danger area that I encountered when I became a new manager.  That is balancing the demands from senior management to write reports and to be seen to be in control while not losing touch with the real people actually doing the work.  It is still something I struggle with - a lot.

Here's what I try to do to keep ion touch (with the real workers) -

  1. Talk to them in their workspace.  If they are on the worksite then I visit the worksite.  With our gardening staff it is great to visit them when they are working in the greenhouse.  With our sawmill staff - I go to the sawmill.
  2. Keep in touch.  Phone calls are a simple method.  Not always effective but simple.  Certainly more effective than an email is.
  3. Don't just focus on the emergencies.  It is easy to get busy with the emergencies.  The emergency gets dealt with and you have a stronger relationship with that team or that person.  But what happens next?  Keep in touch and keep working together.

I know I always appreciate it more when my manger gets in the trenches with me and demonstrates from the front that they are working with me to make change happen.

(Image: coutesy of Woody389 on flickr creative commons)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Rule number 1.  Treat others how you want to be treated.

Let your reports fiish early oh days when it's quiet.  If there's a crisis at home - let them go and fix it.  When the presuures on - they will repay you.  If they don't - repay them by letting them go.

 

Monday, November 15, 2010

Mr Maslow still has it right!

Students completing Psychology 101 will no doubt start with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  What Mr Maslow did was map out the pyramid of human needs and calculated which were more important than others.  I tend to agree with Mr Maslow and I think he got it right, very right!

If we apply Mr Maslow's work by looking at the skills of a manager - guess what - nothing changes!

 

 

Physiological Needs
The base needs for people need to be able to breathe - both literally and metaphorically.  That is people need the time and space to express themselves, to let their creativity and ideas flow and to be able to innovate.  ACTION = schedule some creative time for you and your team to relax, think and explore the possibilities of what if?

Security Needs
Knowing that your job will still exist when you come to work tomorrow is pretty important. Sometimes people get too secure in this area but that tends to be the exception rather than the rule (as far as I know).  And sometimes it is good to have tenure or short term contracts to create momentum and fill the gaps but overall security = production.  ACTION = let your employees know you've got their back.  Let them feel secure and that when it comes to the crunch - you're with them through thick and thin.

Social Needs
People need to feel like they belong, have love and affection. One good friend at work is worth thirty acquantainces.  Social needs are quite complex and need fostering. Managers especially are susceptible to closig off and limiting the people they interact with.  This is due mainly to busyness and the pressures of time.  The need hasn't changed but the method for fulfillment does.  ACTION - find a friend and have coffee with them at least once a fortnight.

Esteem Needs
This can be the make or break of a manager/employee relationship.  Everydody, and especially employees, relate better, work better and get far better results whtn they have a high self-esteem, sense of personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment.  ACTION - Praise your people.

Self-actualizing Needs
This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested fulfilling their potential.  So?  Work on developing your people!  Notice that this is the top of the pyramid?  This is the cream on top.  This is where employees move beyond merely showing up and start adding real value to your business.  Let them grow and watch the results come in!  ACTION - work with your people to reflect on their needs and development areas.  Then invest and review.

(For more see: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Review: The Art of Influence

The Art of Influence is a very short and very punchy parable.  It tells the story of how a recent graduate from business school meets up with one of the leading business leaders of the time and is taught some valuable lessons.

This is a short story.  It won't take long to read.  What it will do though is give you food for thought and some really important life lessons.

While there are four obvious laws that are stated (without giving them away) there also plenty of other thoughts, stories and pieces of wisdom that wind their way through the book.  A lot like the fable of Hansel and Gretel this story weaves its way along a path and encourages you to follow it.

Chris Widener is the author and has done a great job on this book.  Interestingly this book reminds me a lot of the other parable 'Who moved my cheese'.

This is a book or audio story that is well worth investing in annd aharing with your friends.  A quick note - you can probably skip the first half of the book and start at the chapter where the first law is introduced by Mr Gold.  The introductory content before this chapter doesn't add a whole lot to the over all story.

My final opinion - four stars out of five,

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Communication - it's essential to get it right

In my organisation there are a number of central departments and committees who make decisions that affect how and when of the strategy and administrative processes for our organisation. At each meeting of those various committees minutes are taken and a record is kept of the main action points, resolutions made and decisions finalised.

Each department has designated attendees for each committee whose role it is to attend, provide robust discussion and state the departments view of any decision being reached.  However there are leaks in the pipes of information.  So what should we do fix it?

  1. Communicate the main points to the people who actually do the work.  People at the front line need to be told over and over and over again what the new rules and expectations of them are.
  2. Meet with the appropriate people in person.  Get together and talk about it face to face.  Chances are there will be more answers than questions.  Keep the agenda tight, the points sharp
  3. Stay visible and contactable.  People need to know who you are and where you can be reached at.  For clear communication to take place - people don't want to and probably won't play hide and seek with the information that they need.
  4. When you think people have got it - say it again!  You can never repeat the message enough times.  When it gets annoying is after the thid time you have said something and you still haven't made any progress or taken any action.  That sucks.

There will always be room for improvement when it comes to communication.  The best place is to start - is at the beginning!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Smart marketing - putting it in reverse.

This is one of the most powerful advertising videos I have seen in a long time.

How does it work?  It takes a simple idea - before and after - and reverses the cycle.

Super effective and very, very moving.

This fantastic video was created by Ogilvy.com.  To see more of their great work head over to their website.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Leadership lessons - Michael Jordan

 

  1. Actions speak louder than words.
  2. Lead from the front - talk to people and tell them what a great job they are doing.
  3. Your attitude is contagious.
  4. Practice makes perfect.
  5. Patience is everything.
  6. When the heat is on - you be the leader!
  7. Rise to the occasion and do what it takes.
  8. No regrets.

"The ultimate show and tell.  Telling the team how to do it and showing them how it's done."

Monday, November 8, 2010

Women in charge (NZ workforce census 2010)

Every two years the Human Rights Commission carries out a voluntary survey of the top companies and executives and governance bodies across New Zealand. There were a number of interesting points to arise out of the data. Here are a few items that I found interesting -
  • Thirteen companies out of 100 have two or more board members who are women. 
  • Only 43 of the top 100 companies have any female directors.
  • Two women hold the top jobs as chief executives among the top 100 NZSX companies.
Unfortunately the numbers don't lie. The statistics speak for themselves.
 
So what does this say about women and governance/leadership?
 
Male dominated areas of governance in New Zealand continue unabated.

Friday, November 5, 2010

With change comes increased opportunities!


(Source: http://www.millennialmedia.com/wp-content/images/SMART/MillennialMedia-SMART-September-2010.pdf
So if I have a product or service to offer that directly targets or could be used by moms - what advertising avenue do you think I would use?  And if the moms are that intelligent and tech savvy then how much more are the kids?


32% of moms own a Smartphone in 2010 vs. 20% in 2009 (a 60% increase).
32% of moms say they use the Mobile Internet once a week in 2010 vs. 20% in 2009 (a 60% increase).

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Review: How I did it... Anne Mulcahy

Anne Mulcahy is a person whom I had never heard of before until earlier this year.  Since then I have been excited, encouraged and enthused by her and what she has achieved in the world of business.  Being the CEO of Xerox is no easy task and one that has plenty of opportunities as well as pitfalls.

In the October 2010 edition of the Harvard Business Review Anne outlines in an article the whys and how’s of both succession planning and handover.  The story and the article are very honest and very little is hidden.  There are quite a few lessons and stories shared that have a lot of wisdom about them.

I enjoyed the honesty of the situation and the way the entire process was handled.  Another interesting part to this story is the fact that not only was one woman in charge of Xerox but she handed over the controls to another woman.  The fact that both Anne and her successor were able to garner the confidence and support of the board and directors is phenomenal.

If you were to only read one article or story about business this year - this would be the one that I recommend.

 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The ability to walk away

One key to long term success is to know and understand when it is time to walk away from a responsibility, a task or a project when you have done all you can and can't do anymore.  This year I have co-ordinated a qualification (which is made up of 8 papers taught over two semesters) as well as keep on with my day job as school administration manager.

Now I am quite aware that next year the qualification needs someone better than me to take it to the next level.  Honestly, I don't have any issue with that at all.  In fact the project has launched me on a huge learning ride and has totally changed the way i see both my teams and my own approach to how we do our jobs.

So with that in mind here are a few things I will do and recommend you should do if you reach the same point -

  • Give it over to someone better.  If it is your choice to pick who to hand the project over to then pick someone who is better than you are in the specific areas that the project needs work done in.   
  • Have a transition plan.  Stopping dead in your tracks and wallking away without doing a clean handover is detrimental to all the work you have done.
  • Continue to support your successor however you can.

My key skill is getting projects up off the ground and having the ability to get the ball rolling.  Now that we have accomplished that fact now it's time to hand over the running to someone else.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Let people get on with their work.

I enjoy sitting back and letting the people who report to me do their jobs without disturbance.  This has both pluses and minuses attached to it.

Positives.

  • Workers feel empowered to do their jobs.
  • Workers have the power and freedom to make changes and implement best practices as they see fit.
  • Workers have key responsibility areas and they held to account for those areas according to central reporting procedures.
  • I allow each worker to have a specific area of knowledge and responsibility that each of the others could do but don't because they allow the information expert to cover it.

Negatives.

  • There are times when I may not provide enough guidance in smaller matters.
  • Workers sometimes look to others for guidance and leadership if they feel that I am not interested in what they are doing.
  • Workers don't ask for new tasks as quickly as they could when their work load dries up.

How do I manage the good and the bad?

  • Daily catch ups and reports.  Every day I speak to all each member of my team and get a quick overview of what they are working on and what their priorities are for the day.  This is done in an informal and casual way.
  • Use central timelines and reports to keep people honest.  Each person knows what the timelines are for work expectations and administrative support.  I don't need to wave a big stick because the accountabilities are already in place.
  • Let people create and understand the peculiar rythms of each of their particular roles.

In management (as with most areas of life) one size doesn't fit all - all the time.  Know your workers, find out what motivates them and then set them free to do what they are best at.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Employment matters and discussions.

When it comes to discussing peoples employment matters (especially in regards to contracts) then be early, be sincere and be honest,  No one likes to get screwed.  Remember - you reap what you sow.
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