Class Room - to – Board Room - Plan whole life & Groom yourself

Oversimplify – Learn through 7 Minute Videos & Key Words

Class Room - to – Board Room – to - Home

Plan whole life & Groom yourself

For  young college student & aspiring Corporate Manager

Job Interview & Group Discussion to Public Speaking in Board Rooms.

ABOUT PROFESSOR - Dr (Colonel) John Chenetra  

Well known Public Speaker &Trainer. 

Ex CEO, COO, CMO, Head World Bank Gujarat Earthquake Project, Army - 20 years & Corporate experience - 21 years.

Alumnus of National Defence Academy, MCTE

PhD from Mumbai University.

Professor - Hinduja Management College (Public Speaking, Communication & Negotiation Skills

Chairman of Communications Forum at CNI Youth

YOUTUBE VIDEOS YOU MUST WATCH

Stage fright Overcome

https://youtu.be/Cjs7dyzLVco

Think fast - Talk Smart

https://youtu.be/HAnw168huqA

How to speak so that people listen

https://youtu.be/eIho2S0ZahI

How to give a 5 minute speech in English

https://youtu.be/KLylS0Tbr20

6 Public Speaking Tips

https://youtu.be/k8GvTgWtR7o

Rules that will never change

https://youtu.be/xr1q-uBtIH4

Sales Training 1

https://youtu.be/kT2xhRZNsvM

Sales Training 2

https://youtu.be/Ar_lpoZi-cI

Sales Training 3

https://youtu.be/7EVeze5sP-k

Remove Stage dear

https://youtu.be/8_f1zVwc_Hk

Overcome fear of Public Speaking

https://youtu.be/80UVjkcxGmA

Leadership by a Veteran IAS Officer

https://youtu.be/1BQ_BnFA6jc

How French Foreigh Legion forces you to learn a language in 30 days

https://youtu.be/KBZxE_RUabM

Stop being Shy ana Quiet

https://youtu.be/vin4pHqIJgU

How to command respect staying quiet

https://youtu.be/W_TSvENWQDc

GET JOB

Match Careers and Skills Sets:

• Sales / Customer Relations / Training – Extrovert, Communication Skills, Aggression

• HR, Training – Empathy, People Skills

• Operations, Production – Goal Orientation,  Aggression

• Finance / Statistics / Technology IT / ITES, Ecom, Purchase – Analytics, Domain Knowledge, Patience for repetitive work

• Field Investigations, Liaison, Media Research, Market Research - Energy, Inquisitiveness, Patience, Driving

• Marketing, Advertising, , Planning, Strategy, Journalism, , Direction, , Script Writing, -  Mental Toughness, Creativity

Top 10 Sites for your career

1. Linkedin

2. Indeed

3. Naukri

4. Monster

5. JobBait

6. Careercloud

7. Dice

8. CareerBuilder

9. Jibberjobber

10. Glassdoor

Non Tech Skill Sets

Communication Skills, Technology, Website, SEO, People Management, Leadership, Analysis, Writing Skills, Microsoft Projects, Web Designing, Graphics, Creatives,  Story Writing, Acting, Drawing, Art, Camera/Photography, Editing, Story Telling/Scripting, Journalism, Public Speaking, Liaison, Finance, Marketing, Music, Cinematography

Top 10 Tech Skills in demand

1. Machine Learning

2. Mobile Development

3. SEO/SEM Marketing

4. Data Visualization

5. Data Engineering

6. UI/UX Design

7. Cyber-security

8. Cloud Computing/AWS

9. Blockchain

10. IOT

11 Sites for Free Online Education

1. Coursera

2. edX

3. Khan Academy

4. Udemy

5. iTunesU Free Courses

6. MIT OpenCourseWare

7. Stanford Online

8. Codecademy

9. ict iitr

10 ict iitk

11 NPTEL

10 Sites to learn Excel for free

1. Microsoft Excel Help Center

2. Excel Exposure

3. Chandoo

4. Excel Central

5. Contextures

6. Excel Hero b.

7. Mr. Excel

8. Improve Your Excel

9. Excel Easy

10. Excel Jet

10 Sites to review your resume for free

1. Zety Resume Builder

2. Resumonk

3. Resume dot com

4. VisualCV

5. Cvmaker

6. ResumUP

7. Resume Genius

8. Resumebuilder

9. Resume Baking

10. Enhancy

10 Sites for Interview Preparation

1. Ambitionbox

2. AceThelnterview

3. Geeksforgeeks

4. Leetcode

5. Gainlo

6. Careercup

7. Codercareer

8. InterviewUp

9. InterviewBest

10. Indiabix

Get a Call

1. Identify your Passions, Strengths & Weakness and decide ‘Type of Job, Company & Location.

2. Open a gmail account & fix a password that you will never forget.

3. Select a mobile number that you will not change and a smart phone.

4. Take a passport photograph in a Formal Suit and a Tie (Bust -Chest & Face only)

5. Prepare 2 page CV & Covering Letter (Only summary - Name, Designation Education, Experience, Skills, Achievements). Take help if required.

6. Post CV on LinkedIn, Indeed, Naukri, Monster, Facebook, Twitter (Short profile)

7. Email CV as many placement agencies & contacts. 

8. Look for companies trying hire and register in Careers on their websites.

9. Speak to & Visit Placement Agencies & discuss your skills & Salary expectations. 

10. Send CV to friends & use get referred through Employee Referral Schemes.

11. TYPICAL CALL (EXAMPLE)

Good Morning. My name is ________________ Mr.    ______________ gave me your name. Did I catch you at a good time?"  "The reason I'm calling is to seek your help me find a job in (City). I am an MBA from --- and have – years of experience in ----as a Marketing Manager. My main skills are -------------------------------------------

REGISTER WITH THE FOLLOWING

www.indeed.com

www.naukri.com

www.linkedin.com

https://www.topexecutivesearchfirms.com/

 

Interviews     

HOW TO PREPARE EMOTIONALLY FOR THE INTERVIEW

• Focused, enthusiastic, confident, crisp & to the point, passionate, ambitious, team person.

• Your energy, maturity, emotional stability& Cultural fit will determine whether you get hired. 

• First impression matters. Normally the most qualified person never gets hired. 

• Read the job description and research company carefully. Ask for more details

• Look into the eyes of the interviewer and act confidently.

• Be honest and enthusiastic and highlight your strengths by giving examples of Important Qualities – Personality, Motivation, Leadership, Flexibility, Decision Making, Go Getting Attitude, Conflict  & Problem Solving Skills, Loyalty, Integrity, Creativity

• Describe your personality honestly and why this job excites you. Do not speak ill of your previous company.

• Do not try making a Positive when asked about a Weakness "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not fooled. Honestly highlight a skill that you wish to improve upon and describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skill.

Beliefs you must develop

You are a Winner & Good Things Will Happen

Failure is Not Final; Failure is Feedback 

Patience is a Virtue  

No One is a Finished Product 

Everyone is Created for a Bigger Purpose 

How to Dress up 

• Males – Formal (Coat & Tie), Females Formals or Saree, Sober Make up, light Deodorant/Perfume, bag, Pen , Highlighter, Certificates, CV, Visiting Card, Mobile Off, Reach 15 minutes early

HOW TO HOLD THE INTERVIEWER’S ATTENTION?

Attention Level – 0 to 10 Seconds is 100% ,10 to 60 Seconds it falls to 50%,  60 to 90 it falls to almost 10% if there are no interruptions. Near the end of your long response the interviewer starts to formulate their next question unless you keep them engaged. By asking a question you promote two-way communications and minimize the risk of talking too much.  This helps you ensure they are listening while you talk

SOME QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR 

Tell me about yourself?

EXAMPLE

 "I am a presently ‘Senior Executive Accounts’.  I have a lot of experience in tax issues and audit. (expertise and skills)  My experience includes carrying internal audit for ISO 9000 and resolving tax issues for the last 2 years (insert knowledge or skill)  I have worked in the Construction Industry and t6he Media Industry. My background also includes roles as Junior Accountant (position title), Senior Accountant (position title) and Senior Auditor (position title).  My education/certifications include CA (degree or certification) and M. Com.  I would like to be described by my Colleagues as ‘results focused’ & ‘details oriented. Highlights of my professional accomplishments include winning the “Employee of the Year Award in 2003 and the ‘Best Suggestion Award in 2004

• Why do you want to leave your previous organization and join us?

EXAMPLE -  "My company merged with another firm and the new management wanted to bring in their own team. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews." Provide References and Proof - Provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

• Give an example of a successful project, your role & why it succeeded? 

• How would your subordinates describe your management style, strengths & Weaknesses? 

• Give me an example of handling underperforming employee 

• Where do you see the industry going? What are you doing to stay on top of these changes? 

• What are the most important things to you about any job?  Is it the pay, the opportunities, feelings of self-worth, fellow employees, location, benefits, etc.? 

• Tell me about a time when you accomplished something significant that wouldn't have happened if you had not been there to make it happen. 

• Describe for me a time when you may have been disappointed in your behavior. 

• Tell me about a time when you had to discipline or fire a friend. 

• Tell me about a time when you've had to develop leaders under you.

• Do you want to ask me something?

EXAMPLE OF QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK

- What position are you considering me for?

- What are the  top challenges that I'll face in this job?

- What are the characteristics of people who are most successful in your company?

Psychological Preparation

How to prepare emotionally for the Interview

• Worst case – Not hired. –This is practice and I will learn from it.  It is one out of the 100 chances you will get. .

• I will be honesty & frankness – God will decide the result

• I will be Patient. I will not get stressed out. I will be positive and hopeful to the end.

• There is nothing to lose and all to gain.

• I will not be negative about my present Employer or any thing else.

Group Discussion        

HOW TO DO WELL IN A GROUP DISCUSSION

• Grab the opportunity to be the first speaker and to Introduce the topic. Keep a pre-prepaired 5 sentence – EXAMPLE – Good Morning friends. – Name the Topic. – This has been the center of discussion in many forums and it the media. This topic has great importance s in our lives and I am glad that we are discussing this today. As per my view – I believe that ---------.

Now let us have the views of some of us.

• Listening carefully and look for a chance of butting in (Don’t do this too often).

• Agreeing with a person and elaborating it by giving an experience or examples

• Disagreeing & giving examples.

• Looking on both sides of a coin. Intervening to get a balanced view.

• Intervening during a conflict between 2 people fighting immaturely.

• Co-operating & leading.

• No cornering or making fun of participants

• Intervening & giving a chance to a timid participant.

• Giving examples & experiences

• If you did not get a chance to start the discussion then you must try Concluding (EXAMPLE –This has been an interesting discussion. We have got diverse views. It appears to be evenly balances and hence we need to make our individual choices ------ not your own view, no final decision )

Personality Traits Gauged in Group Discussion

• Ability to interact in a team

• Communications Skills

• Reasoning ability.

• Leadership skills.

• Initiative & Enthusiasm.

• Assertiveness.

• Flexibility.

• Nurturing & Coaching Ability.

• Creativity.

• Ability to think in ones feet.

Test (Objective & Essay Type) 

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS : - Normally has 4 Answers to select from

TYPES OF NEGATIVE MARKING

1. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer – 1 – ANSWER ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE

2. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer - 0.5 – ANSWER ONLY IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE 2

3. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer -0.25 - ANSWER EVEN IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE 1

4. NO Negative Marking – MUST ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

ASSUMPTION – 

You are sure about (50 out of 100 Questions)

You can identify 1 wrong answer (34 out of 100)

You can identify 2 wrong answers (16 out of 100)

Negative Marking +1& -1 +1 &-0.5 +1 -0.25 No Negative 

Strategy – Answer if (Only  sure) (Only if 2 eliminated) (if even 1 eliminated) Ans ALL

Correct Known(50) +50 +50 +50 +50

Eliminate 2 answer(16) 0 + (8*1)–(8*0.5)=4 + (8*1)–(8*.25)=6 +8

Eliminate 1 answer(34) 0 +(11.33*1)-(22.66*.5)=0 +(11.33*1)-(22.66*.25)=11.33-5.67=17 +17

Total Marks +50 +54 + 73 +75

ESSAY TYPE PAPER:- 

Divide Time by number of marks to find number minutes you can spend per mark and multiply by the marks for each Question. Then spend that much on that particular Question.

NOTE :- BASIC AIM IS NOT TO LEAVE ANY QUESTION – WRITE SOMETHING (minimum 10 lines)

Try to use the below format where ever possible:-

CENTER HEADING

Group Heading.

These are Group Headings like Introduction, Factors to be Considered, Effects of Factors & Conclusion

Introduction

For Group Heading have no full stop in the end & the writing starts on the 2 nd line. If you have multiple Factors here also then you list them under Para Headings as follows:-

1. Cause 1.  This is described in sentences starting on the same line

2. Cause 2.  Para Heading are in Bold. The writing starts on the next line. When you have multiple Factors to be considered then under each Para Heading  you list them under Sub Para Headings as follows:-

(a) Sub Para Heading.

(b) Effect of Cause 2:- 

(i) Sub Sub Para Heading

(ii) Result 2 is Severe Poverty

NOTE -

ALL LEVELS OF THE HEADINGS (Group Heading, Para Headings, Sub Para Headings and Sub Para Headings are in BOLD & are underlined. 

Exam Shortcuts 

Read Syllabus

Highlight When Reading

Speech Notes (mobile app) to dictate into (to get Notes)

2 to 5 Practice Papers must be done with proper Time Management

Never leave any Question Blank except in Objective Tests where Negative marking is more HALF 

Studying for Retention

• Highlight or underline as you are reading.

• Write important points / new words  in the margin

• Read Preface, Executive Summary and about the Author before you start the book.

• First run through the index.

• After you finish each chapter dictate the main points into a voice dictation software like Speech Notes (Android Play Store)

• Carry out an exercise or project to use that knowledge practically within 1 week.

Salary

It is best to avoid this question about your current salary during the first interview. However if it is asked again it should be given correctly – otherwise it will create problems later. If asked what your current expectations you can safely ask for an increase of 30%.

CAREER SETTLING DOWN

• Most Important subject (both personal & professional).

• Not taught but learned (eg Gandhi).

• Not theory but practical.

• Most important to understand the reporting structure and the  “Norms for communication laid down in a company  & Rules for the class ” These are not normally written down. You must read the HR Manual and the Employee Hand book thoroughly. Ask the HR to brief you in detail.

• Find a buddy who has been in the organization for over 2 years and take his help to understand the internal politics and power struggles and avoid them.

• Understand the etiquettes of not only speaking but  also written, e mail, phone call, body language that is established.

Boss Handling        

• Don’t try to get too close too soon

• Take notes and see that you complete assignments before time

• Discuss problems and obstacles directly with the boss well before the time line.

• Be honest and ask for training as soon as a task is assigned to you.

• Go well prepared for meetings and show that you fit into his team culturally and competence wise

• Never speak behind any one’s back.

• Show enthusiasm and energy and willingness to take bigger responsibilities.

Building a reputation       

• Project a business like personality with great dependability and hardworking nature

• Don’t try to please everyone or get too close to seniors

• Show focus to adhere to time lines.

• Be honest and show willingness to learn.

• Show that you are a good team man and a good cultural fit

• Show dislike for gossip and politics.

• Show enthusiasm and energy and willingness to take bigger responsibilities.

Handling Office Politics

• Don’t try form groups

• Never try to corner any one

• Discuss personal problems in private with your boss only.

• Be honest and never try to manipulate.

• Understand the power structure and the tendencies of each person and the groupism.

• Never speak behind any one’s back.

SOFT SKILLS

• Communication.  (Written and Verbal) are of utmost importance in the workplace because they set the tone for how people perceive you.

• Teamwork. 

• Adaptability.

• Problem solving &Critical observation.

• Conflict resolution.

• Strong Work Ethic.

• Positive Attitude.

• Good Communication Skills.

• Time Management Abilities.

• Problem-Solving Skills.

• Acting as a Team Player.

• Self-Confidence.

• Ability to Accept and Learn From Criticism.

• Leadership Skills. Companies want employees who can supervise and direct other workers.

• Problem Solving Skills.

• Work Ethic. ...

• Flexibility/Adaptability &Interpersonal Skills. 

Communications

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Only 7 % of communication happens through words and 93% of communication happens through non-verbal cues of which:

o 55% through facial expressions

o 38% through vocal tones

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1. Conversations

2. Discussions

3. Telephonic discussions

4. Video Conference

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

2. - Communication is far more than what you say. It’s how you say. Body Language is “How you say it”. It involves intrapersonal communication, understanding yourself and participating in effective self-communication

3. Body language includes :-

• Kinesics, Proxemics & Paralanguage

• Intention

• Manner: directness, sincerity

• Dress and clothing (style, color, Appropriateness for situation) 

• Signs & Symbols.    

INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE

• It has no words or sentences, but it does send bits of information that combine into messages.

• Those messages, which are sometimes clear and sometimes fuzzy, are mostly about your feelings.

• People can learn to read those messages with a fair degree of accuracy.

• You cannot not have body language- you are sending messages nonverbally all the time. Especially when you are trying not to!

• Your preferred body positions and movements do say something about the kind of person you are.

• If your words say one thing and your body another then people will believe your body, not your words.

• You can change how you’re feeling by consciously changing your body language.

COMMUNICATION SECRETS

• Effective and persuasive communication is the greatest of all the keys to success. 

• Success = Talking so people listen and listening so people talk

• People are attracted to the people who make them feel secure, free and happy. 

• By making others feel special; they will realize how special you are. 

• How do you inspire people to communicate your point of view? 

• How do you encourage people in your life who currently ignore your ideas may reconsider and take notice? 

• What simple things can you do so people will pay attention to what U have to say at home, at work, among professional circles ?

ACTIVE LISTENING

• It’s about listening and responding and the act of mutually disclosing inner feelings and thoughts to others. Listening goes beyond attentively waiting for other people to stop talking. It really means getting inside of their hearts and minds and experiencing life situations

• Listen for concepts, key ideas and facts.

• Be able to distinguish between evidence and argument, idea and example, fact and principle.

• Analyze the key points

• Look for unspoken messages in the speaker’s tone of voice or expressions

• Keep an open mind.

• Ask questions that clarify.

• Reserve judgment until the speaker has finished 

• Take meaningful notes that are brief and to the point

• Avoid distractions

• Do not interrupt unnecessarily

• Be active (show interest)

• Paraphrase what you’ve heard

• Throw an echo

BODY LANGUAGE OF AN ACTIVE LISTENER

• The Listener keeps looking at the speaker

• The Listener’s body is in ‘open’ position

• The listener is smiling with a pleasant &encouraging expression

• Listener looks relaxed but alert, neither tense nor slouching

• Listener utters humming sounds 

WHILE SPEAKING OVER PHONE

• Write down in advance what you want to say and in what order

• Smile 

• Speak slowly

• Always be polite and friendly

• For long messages, follow a script

• Monitor your time

• Be clear and concise (tone, accent, emphasis, pronunciation) 

• Cite negative opinions honestly, but in a positive manner

• Seek Feedback

Leadership     

Definitions 

Leadership is the process of influencing the thinking, behavior and efforts of team members towards the achievement of organizational goals.

 Leadership is a winning combination of personal traits and the ability to think and act as a leader, a person who directs the activities of others for the good of all.

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."  – Dwight D. Eisenhower

"A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done." – Ralph Lauren

"The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are. They are frank in admitting this and are willing to pay for such talents."

– Amos Parrish

"Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader."   - Publius Cornelius Tacitus

100 Answers to the Question: What Is Leadership?

If you Google the word leadership you can get about 479,000,000 results, each definition as unique as an individual leader.

It’s a difficult concept to define, perhaps because it means so many things to different people.

Here are 100 of the best ways to define leadership–choose the ones that fits best for you.

1. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” –Lao Tzu

2. “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” –Arnold Glasow

3. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” –Martin Luther King Jr

4. “You don’t need a title to be a leader.” –Mark Sanborn

5. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” –Nelson Mandela

6. “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” –John F. Kennedy

7. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” –Ronald Reagan

8. “Successful leadership is leading with the heart, not just the head. They possess qualities like empathy, compassion and courage.” –Bill George

9. “The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.” –John Buchan

10. “A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.”–Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

11. “When the leadership is right and the time is right, the people can always be counted upon to follow–to the end at all costs.” –Harold J. Seymour

12. “Leaders must be self-reliant individuals with great tenacity and stamina.”–Thomas E. Cronin

13. “Leadership: The capacity and will to rally people to a common purpose together with the character that inspires confidence and trust.” –Bernard Montgomery

14. “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” –John Kenneth Galbraith

15. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” –Warren Bennis

16. “Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen, despite the obstacles.” –John Kotter

17. ” I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” –Ralph Nader

18. “I think leadership comes from integrity–that you do whatever you ask others to do. I think there are non-obvious ways to lead. Just by providing a good example as a parent, a friend, a neighbor makes it possible for other people to see better ways to do things. Leadership does not need to be a dramatic, fist in the air and trumpets blaring, activity.” –Scott Berkun

19. “Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.” –Myles Munroe

20. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” –Bill Bradley

21. “The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” —-Tony Blair

22. “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.” –Peter F. Drucker

23. “One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you.” –Dennis Peer

24. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” –Steve Jobs

25. “Leadership is simply causing other people to do what the leaders want. Good leadership, whether formal or informal, is helping other people rise to their full potential while accomplishing the mission and goals of the organization. All members of an organization, who are responsible for the work of others, have the potential to be good leaders if properly developed.” –Bob Mason

26. “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. “–Dwight Eisenhower

27. “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” –Theodore Hesburgh

28. “Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.” –James Kouzes and Barry Posner

29. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” –Rosalynn Carter

30. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

31. “Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.” –Joanne Ciulla

32. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” –Jim Rohn

33. “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” –Peter Drucker

34. “Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.” –J. Donald Walters

35. “Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” –Tom Landry

36. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” –John Maxwell

37. “Leadership is the process of persuasion or example by which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the leader and his or her followers.”–John W. Gardner

38. “My definition of a leader… is a man who can persuade people to do what they don’t want to do, or do what they’re too lazy to do, and like it.” –Harry S. Truman

39. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” –Warren Bennis

40. “A leader is a dealer in hope.” –Napoleon Bonaparte

41. Leadership is the collective action of everyone you influence. Your behavior–your actions and your words–determines how you influence. Our job as leaders is to energize whatever marshals action within others. –David Caullo

42. “A leader has to be somebody who’s getting people to do things which don’t seem to make sense to them or are not in their best interest–like convincing people that they should work 14 hours a day so that someone else can make more money.” –Scott Adams

43. “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.” –Lisa Cash Hanson

44. “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” –Henry Kissinger

45. “Leadership is about service to others and a commitment to developing more servants as leaders. It involves co-creation of a commitment to a mission.” –Robert Greenleaf

46. “Leadership is working with and through others to achieve objectives.” –Paul Hersey

47. “Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.” –Tom Peters

48. “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.” –Norman Schwarzkopf

49. “A leader’s role is to raise people’s aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.” –David R. Gergen

50. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” –Bill Bradley

51. “Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.” –Stephen Covey

52. “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” –Colin Powell

53. “Leadership is the key to 99 percent of all successful efforts.” –Erskine Bowles

54. “Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do it.” –Frances Hesselbein

55. “Leadership is the ability to establish standards and manage a creative climate where people are self-motivated toward the mastery of long-term constructive goals, in a participatory environment of mutual respect, compatible with personal values.” –Mike Vance

56. “Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” — Fred Smith

57. “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” –Arnold Glasow

58. “Leadership is the art of influencing others to their maximum performance to accomplish any task, objective or project.” –W.A. Cohen

59. “A good leader is a caring leader — he not only cares about his people, he actively takes care of them.” –Harald Anderson

60. “There are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept.” –Ralph Stogdill

61. “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” –Harvey S. Firestone

62. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

63. “Without passion, a person will have very little influence as a leader.” –Michele Payn-Knoper

64. “Leadership is an intangible quality with no clear definition. That’s probably a good thing, because if the people who were being led knew the definition, they would hunt down their leaders and kill them.” –Scott Adams.

65. “Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching.” –George Van Valkenburg

66. “Leadership is someone who demonstrates what’s possible.” –Mark Yarnell

67. “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”–Harold Geneen

68. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” –George Smith Patton

69. “Leadership by example is the only kind of real leadership. Everything else is dictatorship.” –Albert Emerson

70. “The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers. … Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership.” –Gary Wills

71. “The leader must know, must know that he knows, and must be able to make it abundantly clear to those around him that he knows.” –Clarence Randall

72. “Leadership is about taking responsibility and not making excuses.” –Mitt Romney

73. “Leadership is difficult but it is not complex.” –Michael McKinney

74. “Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others.” –Lance Secretan

75. “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” –P.G. Northouse

76. “Followers are the gem cutters of leadership coaxing out its full brilliance.” –Ira Chaleff

77. “A leader cannot lead until he knows where he is going.” –Anonymous

78. “Leaders aren’t born, they are made.” ―Vince Lombardi

79. “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on.” –Walter Lippmann

80. “The function of a leader within any institution: to provide that regulation through his or her non-anxious, self-defined presence.” –Edwin H. Friedman

81. “The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led. This is the ultimate test of his effectiveness.” –Omar Bradley

82. “The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.” –Elaine Agather

83. “The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present.” –James Kouzes and Barry Posner

84. “Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.” — Chester W. Nimitz

85. “To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.” –William Hazlitt

86. “Leadership requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people.” –A. Zalenik

87. “The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.” –Brandon Sanderson

88. “Our work is our most important resource to develop our people.” –Jim Trinka and Les Wallace

89. “Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.” –Reed Markham

90. “The most important thing about a commander is his effect on morale.” –Viscount Slim

91. “While a good leader sustains momentum, a great leader increases it.” –John C. Maxwell

92. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” –William Arthur Ward

93. “He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.” ―Aristotle

94. “For me, leadership is making a difference. It’s using your agency to bring about change.” –Melanne Verveer

95. “That is what leadership is all about: staking your ground ahead of where opinion is and convincing people, not simply following the popular opinion of the moment.”–Doris Kearns Goodwin

96. “The way I would measure leadership is this: of the people that are working with me, how many wake up in the morning thinking that the company is theirs?” –David M. Kelley

97. “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” –Ken Kesey

98. “Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” –Chinese Proverb

99. “To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” –Andre Malraux

100. “Leadership is leading people with your whole heart.” – Lolly Daskal

 

Six Traits of Effective Leaders 

1. Make others feel important 

2. Promote a vision 

3. Follow the golden rule 

4. Admit mistakes 

5. Criticize others only in private 

6. Stay close to the action

- Christian Nevell Bovee

STEPS TO BECOME A LEADER

1. Get your employees to want to do their job. Avoid controlling their every move.

2. Share your vision, enthusiasm and energy

3. Motivate employees with tangible rewards & your concerns for their  wellbeing & progress

4. Be accessible and transparent

5. Be strong and effective

6. Be a role model

7. Avoid exploiting your position

8. Find & Take full advantage of the skills and talents of your staff

9. Give credit and take the blame care of yourself

YOU MUST SHIFT YOUR STYLE FROM TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP – TO – COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP 

1. Belief that Power comes from Designation  – TO – Power is greatest in building Teamwork

2. Secretive - Maintains Ownership of information  – TO – Transparent sharing of Info & Knowledge

3. Non participative management  – TO – Inviting Suggestions and Ideas

4. Top – Down Strategy  – TO – Bottom – Up and Democratic  Brainstorming Style

5. Focus on Execution Process & Efficiency – TO – Allow Flexibility & encourage Innovation & Risk taking

6. Resolve problems Firefighting with focus on Symptoms  – TO – Focus on Root Cause Analysis and prevention

7. Annual Performance Review – TO – Provide continuous Feedback & Personal Coaching

Social skills       

PARTY ETTIQUETTE

• If Pick up is necessary then be there atleast 15 minutes early

• Sitting in car – Open the door for the lady normally left rear seat. (No need to do that for a male.  If the lady is alone then you must sit in the right side. If it is a couple then you should sit in the co driver’s seat. Avoid looking into the rear view mirror.

• Speaking to Driver should be polite and business like. Try using a language known to the guest

• Address the lady as Mrs. ___ or  Madam

• When you reach the destination get out first – walk around and open the Car door for lady.

• Walking abreast is best -  leading is also ok

• Avoid touching – it can be misunderstood

• It is good to introduce your guests and offer the first drink.

• Holding Glass to help is ok. But don’t do it too often

• Avoid winking & staring. It can be misunderstood.

• Laughing too much is not good

• Stopping conversation & guiding out

• Avoid hanging on to Top people

• Must take time to speak to your juniors & the host

• Avoid speaking with food in your mouth or while Proposing a toast

• Should prepare a Short speech well in advance 

• Organizing a party a multi - course dinner

• Leading to table 7 pulling a chair for a lady is good

• Napkin, forks, knifes, wiping hands

• Belching, coughing, sneezing, scratching head, combing hair, mining gold, yawning, loud speech, speaking without target hearing, giggling, ganging up

• Soup, Water, Finger bowl should be handled carefully

• Salt, pepper should be done carefully without affecting the person sitting next to you

• Serving & passing bowls should be done promptly

• Pushing back the chair

• Leading to husband.

• Thanking the lady of the house, cook waiters after the meal is a polite thing to do.

• Tips, speaking on behalf all guests.

• Short speech

• Leading the guest to the table and offering a plate is acceptable. But don’t try to serve the guest. Let the waiter do that.

• Napkin should be used for Wiping hands or face. Do not use it as a hand kerchief

• Water & Finger bowl should be asked only from the waiter.

• Soup / Tea sipping without noise

• Serving food for the person sitting to you is ok. Not for the one sitting opposite you.

Negotiations

• Take clear boundaries from the management before you go for negitiations 

• Never lead. Listen to the other party first.

• Take notes and see that you want complete the assignments before time

• At all times be prepared to walk out

• Final rate given is never the last rate

• Play other parties and take assurances in writing if possible.

• Negotiate from a position of strength with many alternatives ready.

• Never show joy or regret.

Networking       

GETTING AN INTERVIEW CALL (RULES)

• Best place to start is your mobile phone contacts and your email / Facebook / LinkedIn contacts.

• Ask your friends, Family, teachers, mentors to help you.

• Make a personal connection with everyone you contact.

• Speak in your own voice and words.

• Keep track of every contact and schedule your follow-up calls.

• Save mobile no & email the first chance you get.

• Walk around when you make the calls.

• Describe what you're looking for in detail.

• Ask for what you want specifically. 

• Commit to making a few calls every day.

• Set your pace and keep going.

• Get over any hurdles.  Keep contacting people. 

ETTIQUETTE (TELEPHONE)

• Answering the call 

– Answer the call within 2-3 rings

– Greeting as per time of the day

– Top Security - - - May I Help You Please.

– May I Know Who is Calling Sir / Madam

– Be cheerful while speaking 

• Body of the Call

– Listen carefully to the Caller

– Take permission to hold and announce the transfer

– When returning to the Caller remember to Thank him / her for holding the Call.

– Take accurate notes of addresses, date, time, telephone numbers and figures of amounts etc repeating back to recheck where necessary

– Avoid negative phrases like – I don’t know.. Instead you can say Please let me find out.

– Be aware of your tone and politeness

• Ending the Call 

– Inform the caller the action you will be taking to resolve their problem.

– Thank you for calling

– It was a pleasure speaking to you.

– I am very Glad you called

– Please feel free to call back in case you have any clarifications or problems in future.

– Good bye Sir / Madam

Teaching

The skills needed for effective teaching involve more than just expertise in an academic field. It is not an easy job.

• You must be able to interact with people and help them underrstand a new way of looking at a topic or at the world as a whole. 

• The main function of a teacher is to prese.nt the topic in the best way so that it is easy to understand for the students depending on their level of awareness. 

• Over simplifying is ok but the other way is not ok.

• Good teachers – the take pains to prepare themselves well, they set clear and fair expectations

• They are good motivators. 

• The start with the over all macro level understanding of the subject and then get to the nuts and bolts.

• They always make a list of points to remember.

• They have a possitive attitude, are patient and never riducule students or make fun of them.

• The act as role models and have a mentoring attitude. 

• They find multiple ways of explaininga point and give real life examples and use training aids.

• They show enthusiasm and commitment. 

• The use simple language and  words which the students understand. 

• They are impartial. 

Team Building       

• Be fair.

• Interview in detail before selection

• Get good attitude and good competence

• Look for cultural fit

• Maintain balanced distance as a leader as the situation demands

• Be transparent

• Show your personal energy and competence

• Have clear expectations.

• Maintain good communications within the team.

• Never play one against the other.

• Give credit for success but take the blame.

• Delegate and coach adequately.

• Have professional revenues and encourage accountability.

• Counsel alone but appreciate in front of others

• Never speak behind any one’s back.

• Show enthusiasm and energy and willingness to take bigger loads.

Motivating       

• Lead by example

• Hold team members in high esteem

• Trust fully

• Delegate and empower

• Discuss problems and obstacles and coach how to overcome them.

• Be honest and focus on training.

• Share information freely and give them the bigger picture and the vision

• Show enthusiasm and energy and willingness to take bigger responsibilities.

PUBLIC SPEAKING      

• Video on necessity

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjs7dyzLVco 

• Most important to rise in career

• Leaders greatest asset

• Shows confidence and competence

• Convey information correctly  and motivate

• Saves effort and achieves quick dissemination of information

• Most useful in Motivating and Team Building

Preparatiion

MENTAL PREPARATION BEFORE YOU START

 FIRST THING -Stop finding ways to escape. 

 NO HURRY – TAKE TWO WEEKS  !!! Before you start you have to psyche yourself  !!! Take your time for this  !!!

 ONCE FOR ALL DECIDE!!! There is no way you can avoid learning this skill as it will cost your whole career. Get into a room alone and speak loudly to yourself. Take your time to force your mind to believe that YOU CAN DO IT. 

 You don’t have to be great at the English language to be a good speaker.

 No one is a born speaker. All the great speakers have worked hard at this. To some it is easier in the beginning. But if you decide to work hard - There is no way you can fail.

 IF YOU CAN DO WELL FOR THE FIRST TWO MINUTES ON STAGE - YOU WILL SURVIVE. Hence NEVER NEVER get on stage for the first time unless you are fully prepared - Practice, Practice, Practice!!!  

 STEPS BEFORE FIRST TIME ON STAGE :-

• STEP 1 Best is to start with a bed time story to your son or any child in your mother tongue and then the same story in English. 

• STEP 2 To gain confidence and to prove to yourself practice in front of your friends or family – First in your mother tongue. Second time in English. Do this till you are confident. The arrangement should be as follows:-

 You and your friends should be sitting on chairs and you should have script in hand 

 Speak casually to one friend at a time.

 Psyche yourself and Pretend to be confident

 Despite all this you will definitely panic and forget what to say next!!!

 Take a deep breath, smile at your friends.

 To buy time – ask a Question or an opinion or tell someone to “Summarize what you have grasped so far.

 Look at the script in style and continue. 

STEP 3 Write the whole script again in your own words. Use only short sentences and  only words you are very familiar with. Include a story or an experience if possible

STEP 4 Highlight the Key words in YELLOW – Make a separate list of these KEY WORDS in a small card and pin it to your script.

STEP 5 You should have memorized the first 20 lines.

STEP 6   Rehearsed at least 7 times before a Mirror.

STEP 7 On the day of the presentation go at least 30 minutes before the event and mentally get used to the environment. Have a spare copy of your Script and the Card with the Key Words in your pocket.

Start or Opening

  A question

  A newsworthy incident

  A startling statement

  A quote

  A human interest story

  Elevator Pitch

  Clear

  Catchy

  Creating impact

  Tell them what you are going to tell and how long

 Use facts/analogies / statistics / opinions (provide reasons for the same).

HOW TO START YOUR PRESENTATION.

 Walk up to the rostrum briskly (watching your steps) and place your script on it. Keep the Key Words’ Card in your shirt pocket.

 Wait for the Audience to settle down before you start speaking.

 Speak your first 3 sentence and then take a deep breath.

 THREE THINGS WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN!!

1. FIRST THING – You will forget your script

2. SECOND THING Your heart will start pounding

3. THIRD THING You will panic. 

 THIS IS THE MOMENT YOU NEED TO COLLECT YOURSELF – 

1. Take a deep breath. DO NOT LOOK UP

2. Take the Key Word Card. Look at in style. DO NOT HIDE IT.

3. Have a glass of water while looking at the Key Word Card.

4. If you feel confident – Then restart. No harm mixing languages

5. If you don’t feel confident JUST TAKE OUT THE SCRIPT AND START READING.

6. Keep reading and you will feel confident in about 30 seconds.

7. If still not confident continue reading till you feel confident.

8. Once you come back do it alone again and again till you feel confident.

Dos & DON’Ts

DOs & DON’Ts

DOs 

• Have direct eye contact with an individual at a time.

• Speak to one individual at a time

• Shift to another individual somewhere else randomly & NEVER LOOK at the Floor, OR at the ceiling NOT in thin air

• USE SHORT SENTANCES AND WORDS YOU USE IN CONVERSATION

• Speak deliberately

• Talk loudly. Do not scream 

• Face the Audience and then speak & not while looking at slides or while writing on Black Board

• Use your natural accent and never try to copy someone else

DON’Ts

• Never insult someone. Never corner, joke about or embarrass a person.

• Never beat your own drums

• Never speak to fast – be slightly slower than your natural speed

• Never jump to answer a Question from the audience -- Throw it back – ask 2 – compile

• Never speak with your back to audience – pointing or writing.

• Never read. Note important points – Highlight - likely to forget

• Never apologize - Keep going -Don’t call attention to worst

• After you have finished your speech pause briefly, take a couple of steps back and then return to your seat slowly

• Never wink and show the relief as if you have escaped.

• Never run after you finish - After you have finished your speech pause briefly, take a couple of steps back and then return to your seat slowly

• Never try to impress using big words. – try to simplify and make it understandable

• Never try manipulating the thought process of the Audience 

• Avoid Mumbling, Reading, Filler Words, Looking Down, Panning, Looking at the roof.

• Avoid Overshooting Time Allotment 

• Avoid Shouting but it is better than being too soft

BEST WAYS TO OPEN A SPEECH

OPENING  60 seconds is most critical.    Your opening should be Clear, Catchy & Creating an impact. It can be any of the following :-

  A question

  A newsworthy incident

  A startling statement

  A quote

  A human interest story

  Elevator Pitch

Survival Kit for Public Speaking (On Stage)      

SURVIVAL KIT WHEN MIND GOES BLANK (Must practice before hand)

• Take a deep breath – smile - don’t show panic 

• Look at your notes boldly (Don’t hide the fact that you have forgotten your script) 

• Buy time by asking the audience for comments / questions 

• Giving your experience 

• Tell a story 

Exercises in Public Speaking 

EXERCISES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS

• Exercise 1             Call out to a person 200m away

• Exercise 2             Announce (Shout) on Shop Floor " Factory closed due to heavy rains"

• Exercise 3             Read out to your partner who will write facing away from each other

• Exercise 4             Give a Dictation to your partner standing 15 feet away

• Exercise 5             Dictation to whole class

• Exercise 6             Read out your essay to the class

• Exercise 7             Prepare a lecture and deliver to one

• Exercise 8             Prepare lecture and deliver to class

• Exercise 9             Extempore Lecture to class

• Exercise 10           Motivational Lecture

• Exercise 11           Organizing Lecture

• Exercise 12           Speak to Trade Union Leaders to pacify them

• Exercise 13           Speak to Boss and convince him that we need to start a new business

• Exercise 14           Conference call with 3 Departmental Heads

• Exercise 15           Introduce and Present a topic for discussion to the class

• Exercise 15           Introduce and Present a topic for discussion to the class

• Exercise 16           Extempore Speech on unknown topic -Survival on stage (Tricks) Ask Qs, Summarize with e.g.

• Exercise 17           Debate Prepared

• Exercise 18           Debate Unprepared

• Exercise 19           Group Discussions

• Exercise 20           Conduct Brain Storming Sessions

• Exercise 21           Panel Interview

• Exercise 22           Negotiation Skills

• Exercise 23           Bullying a subordinate

• Exercise 24           Happy Leader

• Exercise 25           Suddenly Losing Temper

• Exercise 26           Cornering a subordinate

• Exercise 27           Threatening with job or termination

• Exercise 28           Organizing a seminar

• Exercise 29           Introducing a Speaker

• Exercise 30           Giving a farewell speech

• Exercise 31           Addressing your Department for the first time

Conferances

1. CHOOSE NOT MORE THAN 5 POINTS

2. Make sure you are clear about the key points that you want to make and repeat and emphasize them in the course of your presentation.

3. Transition from one point to another should be seamless.

4. Use facts/analogies / statistics / opinions (provide reasons for the same)

5. Talk, instead to reading

6. Stand up & Move around. Make eye contact with your audience & Don’t only look at one side of the room

VISUAL AIDS

1. Do not use complete sentences.  Only bullet points.

2. Follow the 6 x 6 rule: not more than 6 lines (max) per slide, not more than 6 words per line.

3. Points should appear one at a time, using animation – helps to elaborate.

4. Do not use more than three colour’s on your slides.  If you have to, then keep the shades the same.

5. Ensure clear visibility of content through good contrast and big fonts.  Dark background, light font.

6. Use effective titles/headings

7. Lucid/self explanatory content on slide.  If not, elaborate.

8. Talk to audience and not to the visual.  Draw attention whenever you want them to see.

9. Don’t do the death by power point act.  Use flip charts and the white board too.

10. Have a great last slid and NEVER use Thank You on a slide. Say it.

DRESSING UP

1. Dress to suit occasion, weather, your personality

2. Err on the conservative side when uncertain!

3. Avoid too much jewellery

4. Hair- neat, combed, gelled

5. Shave!

6. Ladies: Pin those dupattas & palloos

GESTURES

1. Natural

2. Use gestures to complement your speech

3. Avoid putting your hands in your pocket

4. Do not use exaggerated gestures that come up to the level of your face.

5. Avoid clasping, fig leaf position etc.

Questions Handling 

After or during a presentation the presenter encourages the audience to ask questions. This greatly improves the quality of the assimilation of the subject matter. Most of these are genuine but some of them may be mischievous or tricky. It is a skill the differentiate these. However it is wise to buy maximum time before you actually answer the question. You should also try first get other members of the audience involved in the effort. However the presenter should be always be in control of the situation. Hence the steps to be followed are as follows:- 

1. Encourage the person to come out with the question and mike.

2. Let the person ask the question without interruptions. (Never say anything sarcastic or discouraging)

3. Rephrase the question in your own words and ask the person if that is exactly what he /she meant

4. After getting the confirmation repeat the question deliberately for the whole audience. EXAMPLE – “Rohit’s question is – What are the other factors which we should consider to ensure that there are no injuries”- Friends now “Who would like this question?”

5. Encourage the 2 or 3 members of the audience to give their opinions.

6. Then consolidate those answers and give your own opinion and bring out the contradictions that have emerged. If the case is not resolved completely then let the person that you will get back to him.

7. Ask the person if he is satisfied with the answer before you proceed. 

8. THUMB RULES  - 

• Encourage & take the question from one individual, but answer for all in the audience

• Address the questioner directly only at the start and end of your response

 

Closing the Speech

 Indicate to the audience that you are at the end of the presentation.

 Ask for doubts and questions

 Show actions to be taken

 Summarize main points at the end.

 Never walk of the stage in a hurry

 End on a friendly note and thank the audience

CAREER & LIFE PLAN 

  Life Planner 

Year Age Loc/Event Education Professional Financial Family Others

1965 10 Learn cycling & Swimming

1966 11 Apply for Science Tallent Individual Sport Tennis, Golf, Badminton. Billiards

1967 12 Join NCC Team Sport

1968 13 Open Bank Savings Account Debate & Essay Competition

1969 14 SSC Do Part time Job Learn Banking, FD, Draft Do Social Work

1970 15 Apply for NDA Run 10 Miles Marathon

1971 16 HSC NCC Republic Day Parade Run Full Marathon

1972 17 Learn Stock Market Rock Climbing

1973 18 Do 5 Launches in Glider

1974 19 NDA B Sc NCC C Certificate Learn how to book Air Tickets and

1975 20 BE  

1976 21 NDA Pass MBA1 Do Power Flying

1977 22 IMA Pass MBA2  

1978 23 Jhansi, Cmdo Belgaum JOB 1 Start Tithe  

1979 24 YO, Deolali, OPTC Pune PUBLIC SPEAKING COURSE ULIP STARTS, Term Insurance  

1980 25 BUY M/CYCLE MARRIAGE  

1981 26 IIM(A) MID LEADERSHIP Apply for Housing Loan Start Yearly Holiday Scheme

1982 27 BUY HOUSE 1 Train Wife to be Independent  

1983 28 JOB 2 CHILD 1  

1984 29 NEGOTIATION SKILLS COURSE Start support one orphan's Education

1985 30  

1986 31 PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT COURSE CHILD 2  

1987 32  

1988 33 Do Entrepreur's Course  

1989 34 GM LEVEL BUY HOUSE 2  

1990 35  

1991 36 START COMPANY  

1992 37 IIM(A) Strategy Course Make Child 1 LIFE PLANNER  

1993 38 VP LEVEL  

1994 39  

1995 40 Make Child 2 LIFE PLANNER  

1996 41 Start Ph.D CHILD 1 SSC  

1997 42 CEO BUY HOUSE 3  

1998 43 CHILD 1 HSC  

1999 44 CHILD 2 SSC  

2000 45 Finish Ph.D  

2001 46 CHILD 1 B Sc/CHILD 2 HSC  

2002 47 Start own company CHILD 1 BE  

2003 48 CHILD 1MBA1  

2004 49 CHILD 1MBA2/CHILD 2 B Sc  

2005 50 CHILD 2 BE  

2006 51 CHILD 2 MBA1  

2007 52 CHILD 1 MARRIAGE/CHILD 2 MBA2  

2008 53  

2009 54  

2010 55 CHILD 2 MARRIAGE  

2011 56  

2012 57  

2013 58 Take Company Public RETIREMENT  

2014 59  

2015 60  

2016 61 Go on world tour with Family

2017 62  

2018 63  

2019 64  

2020 65  

2021 66  

2022 67  

2023 68  

2024 69  

2025 70  

2026 71  

2027 72  

2028 73  

2029 74  

2030 75  

Must do Courses / Self Study for Knowledge in       

Toasters’ Club (Public Speaking)

Train the Trainer (Teaching Skills)

Microsoft Projects (Project Management)

Law       

Compliance

World history       

Geography       

Physics       

Math

Competitive Exams

• CAT

• GRE

• IAS, IFS, IRS, IPS

• UPSC

• CDS (Army, Navy, Air Force,)

• Bank Officers

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS : - Normally has 4 Answers to select from

TYPES OF NEGATIVE MARKING

5. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer – 1 – ANSWER ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE

6. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer - 0.5 – ANSWER ONLY IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE 2

7. Correct Answer +1, Wrong Answer -0.25 - ANSWER EVEN IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE 1

8. NO Negative Marking – MUST ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

ASSUMPTION – 

You are sure about (50 out of 100 Questions)

You can identify 1 wrong answer (34 out of 100)

You can identify 2 wrong answers (16 out of 100)

Negative Marking +1& -1 +1 &-0.5 +1 -0.25 No Negative 

Strategy – Answer if (Only  sure) (Only if 2 eliminated) (if even 1 eliminated) Ans ALL

Correct Known(50) +50 +50 +50 +50

Eliminate 2 answer(16) 0 + (8*1)–(8*0.5)=4 + (8*1)–(8*.25)=6 +8

Eliminate 1 answer(34) 0 +(11.33*1)-(22.66*.5)=0 +(11.33*1)-(22.66*.25)=11.33-5.67=17 +17

Total Marks +50 +54 + 73 +75

ESSAY TYPE PAPER:- 

Divide Time by number of marks to find number minutes you can spend per mark and multiply by the marks for each Question. Then spend that much on that particular Question.

NOTE :- BASIC AIM IS NOT TO LEAVE ANY QUESTION – WRITE SOMETHING (minimum 10 lines)

Try to use the below format where ever possible:-

CENTER HEADING

Group Heading.

These are Group Headings like Introduction, Factors to be Considered, Effects of Factors & Conclusion

Introduction

For Group Heading have no full stop in the end & the writing starts on the 2 nd line. If you have multiple Factors here also then you list them under Para Headings as follows:-

3. Cause 1.  This is described in sentences starting on the same line

4. Cause 2.  Para Heading are in Bold. The writing starts on the next line. When you have multiple Factors to be considered then under each Para Heading  you list them under Sub Para Headings as follows:-

(c) Sub Para Heading.

(d) Effect of Cause 2:- 

(iii) Sub Sub Para Heading

(iv) Result 2 is Severe Poverty

NOTE -

ALL LEVELS OF THE HEADINGS (Group Heading, Para Headings, Sub Para Headings and Sub Para Headings are in BOLD & are underlined. 

FAMILY     

Ideal Age to get Married 

(a) Male 28 to 32

(b) Female 24 to 30

Select City & Location to retire and settledown as early as possible. 

(a) Need to relocate family & parents , Siblings

(b) Affordability based a 10% increase in your earnings due to Promotions and Increments

Plan for Safety & Insurance

(a) Term Insurance

(b) Health Insurance

(c) Home or Property Insurance (Normally included in Home Loan Process

(d) Over all Tax efficiency under Home Loan 80 C, Pention Plan

Children & Health 

Ideal

Age to get married – Boy 28 to 33, Girl 23 to 3o

First Child – 30 to 34

Second Child – 36 to 40

 Must have Company Group Medi Claim

Must have Term Insurance of about Rs 50 Lakhs

Home Loan for 1st Flat , Land Investment & Tax Planning

Cost of Flat 20 Lakhs

Cash down 15% = 3 Lakhs 

Home Loan about 17 Lakhs ( It is low interest between 8% to 12% and very Tax efficient).

Take max loan ie 85% of cost of flat for 20 to 30 years

 Try in a Class a City / Metro

Buy what you can afford as it can stabilize you.

Example :

Cost of flat – 20 Lakhs

Cash down – 3 Lakhs

Loan Amount – 17 Lakhs

EMI will be about 17000 (Eligible 80C & 2 Lakhs as deduction from Income tax)

If the cost doubles in 10 years your profit is 20 lakhs on an investment of 3 Lakhs.(Huge Profit)

2. BUY an Equity based Systematic Investment Plan

3. Buy some land & Gold

HEALTH 

 Good Health in the long run is fully your responsibility. Whatever your existing ailments or genetic tendencies – 95 % of the problems can be prevented with disciplined habits in eating, exercise, Yoga, Rest and Stress mitigation. You are also responsible for the health of your family who will emulate you.

HEALTH HINTS FOR YOU

                      

Two things to check! as often as you can

• Your blood pressure

• Your blood sugar

Three things to reduce to the minimum on your foods

• Salt

• Sugar

• Starchy products

Four things to increase in your foods

• Greens/Vegetables

• Beans

• Fruits

• Nuts/Protein

Three things you need to forget

• Your age

• Your past

• Your grievances

Four things you must have, no matter how weak or how strong you are

• Friends who truly love you

• Caring family

• Positive thoughts

• A warm home

Five things you need to do to stay healthy

• Fasting

• Smiling / Laughing

• Trek / Exercise

• Reduce your weight

• Voluntary work

Six things you don't have to do

• Don't wait till you are hungry to eat_

• Don't wait till you are thirsty to drink_

• Don't wait till you are sleepy to sleep_

• Don't wait till you feel tired to rest_

• Don't wait till you get sick to go for medical check-ups otherwise you will only regret later in life

• Don’t wait till you have problem before you pray to your God.

Golf

Watch 6 Videos on  You Tube Oversimplify Golf

GUIDELINES FOR A NEW GOLFER

INDOOR WITH RUBBER BALLS

ONLY DROP OUTS - For Good Health

AIM – 18 HANDICAP in 5 days (only 2% score that low)

5 RULES GOLF 

• FULL FOLLOW THROUGH

• NATURAL SWING(Start with half easy swing with ball in center & minimum divot)

• NEVER LOOK AT THE BALL - Head should not move & keep looking where the ball was lying

• PLAY TO GREEN CENTER – USE ONLY 3 CLUBS (5W/Hy,7 & PITCHING). Correct  CONSTANT ERRORS – Aim 8 Deg LEFT 

• WITHIN 30 YARDS ONLY USE PUTTER - UPHILL 18 inches + & DOWN HILL 18 inches short – use only shoulder

LESSONS

1 - SELECTING YOUR NATURAL SWING 

2 – USING THE SELECTED NATURAL SWING 

3 – USING PLASTIC BALLS & MAKING CORRECTIONS 

4 – CALIBERATING THE PITCHING WEDGE FOR SHORT GAME (Less than 80 Yards)

5 – PUTTING – THE MOST REWARDING TALENT

 

LESSON 1 - SELECTING YOUR NATURAL SWING 

1. Never Copy Tiger Woods

2. Stance – feet  2 ft between heals & almost erect – back straight

3. Longer route Back Swing.

4. Down Swing – Let it fall initially and then accelerate – no jerk on top or Head movement 

5. Minimum elbow and wrist movement – just around your shoulders

6. Back swing just enough so that the Head does not move

7. Back swing never beyond the VERTICAL

8. Easy – no pain -80 %

9. Just scrape the ground -  no divot

10. Full follow through – stop after club hits your back

11. Head should not move - Never look at the ball – either the Tee or where it was lying

12. No wrist or elbow and Left heal always on the ground

13. Test the back swing where you can hit 9 out of 10. 

LESSON 2 – USING THE SELECTED NATURAL SWING 

1. Pendulum using 7 IRON

2. Scrape the ground 200 times with HALF SWING

3. Keep increasing back swing till Head is forced to move

4. Use NATURAL SWING with 4 HYBRID, 7 IRON & PITCHING WEDGE 50 times each.

5. CHECK if LESSON 1 is being fully followed 

6. RETEST - You can hit 9 out of 10. 

LESSON 3 – USING PLASTIC BALLS & MAKING CORRECTIONS 

1. EASY NATURAL SWING with 5 HYBRID, 7 IRON & PITCHING WEDGE 25 times each.

2. FOLLOW THROUGH - FULL,

3. HEAD DOES NOT MOVE - Reduce Back Swing to HALF if Head is moving at the top of the swing 

4. NO LOOKING UP- See the ball only when it is about to be hit by you. NEVER AT ANY OTHER TIME

5. Minimum elbow and Wrist movement.

6. Ball in center

7. Minimum divot

8. Correct direction by Closing Face (80% fade the ball – so Close the CLUB FACE & AIM 8 Degrees LEFT)

9. Scrape the floor 200 times with HALF SWING

10. Again use 5 HYBRID, 7 IRON & PITCHING WEDGE to hit the ball 25 times each.

11. RETEST - You can hit 9 out of 10. If not again reduce Back Swing till you achieve that

LESSON 4 – CALIBERATING THE PITCHING WEDGE FOR SHORT GAME (Less than 80 Yards)

 

1. ONLY CLUB WHERE YOU USE LESS THAN YOUR NATURAL SWING IS PITCHING WEDGE

2. Use Table given below:-

(a) For 80 Yards – NATURAL SWING of PITCHING WEDGE 

(b) For 70 Yards – Three fourth of NATURAL SWING of PITCHING WEDGE 

(c) For 50 Yards – Half of NATURAL SWING of PITCHING WEDGE 

(d) For 30 Yards – One Fourth of NATURAL SWING of PITCHING WEDGE 

(e) For 20 Yards – One Eighth of NATURAL SWING of PITCHING WEDGE 

LESSON 5 – PUTTING – THE MOST REWARDING TALENT

 

1. Different Styles Used

2. Choose your own

3. Aim is never to take more than 2 on the GREEN

4. Putting should by the shoulders and not by the arms or hands.

5. While putting down hill try to stop the ball just within 6 inches past the hole.

6. For uphill putts try to go 2 feet beyond the hole.

7. Uphill puts turn much more with the slope (but chipping a Pitching wedge turn least)

8. Within 3 ft of the hole putt firm and don't bother about the slope.

9. For all putts the back swing and forward swing should strictly in line.

10. Control distance by increasing length of Back Swing and not by hitting it harder

DETAILED NOTES & GOOD HABITS

(a) SECRET OF SUCCESS

• Find and consistently use your ‘Natural Swing’ and the most comfortable Club Head Speed’.  Too fast or too slow are both bad.

• Try to achieve the same distance with each club every time you use it.  Hard hitters are usually not as consistent 

(b) HOW TO BECOME A GOOD PLAYER WITHIN A MONTH

• Golf is a game of Concentration and Full Follow Through.

• Use only 80 % of your strength with full follow through and you will achieve the best accuracy with no mis-hits

• Keep looking at the point you hit the ball. It is Caddy's job to watch the ball NOT yours.

• Keep your Left elbow straight as far as you can in the slow Back Swing.

• Always hit the ball first and then scrape the ground

• Irons are precision instruments and so your back swing should stop near the vertical position and start the down swing gradually.(use same for Fairway Woods without a Tee)

(c) HOW TO PLACE & HIT THE BALL

• For Tee Shots - hit the ball on the upward swing almost near your front toe

• For Fairway Woods - hit the ball near the bottom of the swing at the Centre point between your feet

• For Irons - hit the ball first – then scrape the ground on the downward swing almost at the bottom of the swing around 1 inch before the Centre point between your feet. For Wedges - Place the ball opposite the rear foot heel's inner point. The hands will thus be ahead of the ball. Use only maximum half the full swing.  Hit the ball first and then the grass just after that on the downward part of the swing.  Otherwise the sand will pad the ball and the distance achieved will be unpredictable

(d) HOW TO USE THE PUTTER

• Putting should by the shoulders and not by the arms or hands.

• While putting down hill try to stop the ball just within 6 inches past the hole.

• For uphill putts try to go 2 feet beyond the hole.

• Uphill puts turn much more with the slope (but chipping a Pitching wedge turn least)

• Within 3 ft of the hole putt firm and don't bother about the slope.

• For all putts the back swing should be very slow and deliberate and keep looking at the spot where the ball was rather than follow the ball. 

(e) HOW TO HANDLE WIND

• Head winds stop the ball much more than the amount tail winds help the ball.

• The maximum height reached by all the clubs is quite similar and varies from 29 to 35 Yards and so is the Time of Flight at about 6 to 7 seconds.

• Wind velocity is higher at higher height above the ground 

(f) HOW TO QUICKLY BECOME A GOOD PLAYER

• Ensure that you do not mishit even a single ball.  Initially to achieve this, you will have to use a limited swing and use less force. Later you will develop better co-ordination- you can use a bigger swing and slowly increase the force.  But at no stage should exceed 85% of your full force.

• In a practice round take all the risks but in a tournament don’t take any risk.  After a bad shot forget it and don’t try to recover in one shot.

• Standardize your swing.  Your swing should be exactly the same irrespective of which Club you are using.  This will ensure that each club will give a specific distance every time you use it. (There is usually a difference a 10 yards difference between successive clubs). 

• Make a table for distances achieved for each club with an easy constant swing for both headwind and downwind of about 10 Miles per Hour. 

• What I achieve with each club in No Wind conditions in yards – SW-60, PW-80, 9 Iron- 90, 9 Iron- 90, 8 Iron- 100, 7 Iron-110, 6 Iron- 120, 5 Iron- 130, 4 Iron- 140, 3 Iron- 150, Rescue 26 Degrees- 160, 5 W- 170, 3 W-180, Driver -240 yards.

 NOTE : Try to achieve the same distance every time you use each club. 

(g) HOW TO MASTER THE SHORT GAME – USE PLEZ 8 

• Short game is most important. So concentrate on the 20 feet pitch with a Pitching Wedge (most of the time) and Sand Wedge (when there is less distance from the Apron to the Pin) and roll with a 9 Iron or a Putter (if you are on the apron). The swing in the short game should be shallow and only scraping the ground – NO DIVOT

• The “Pelz” part of Phil Nicholson’s “Pelz-8” refers to the concept of controlling distance by controlling backswing length and the “8” is code for 8-iron, but the swing can be made with any club. It’s composed of a less than full backswing and produces slightly less distance and backspin. You stop the backswing when his left arm gets horizontal to the ground. The forward swing should be at the normal pace (not faster to make up for a short backswing).

• By this you can develop amazing consistency in the distance your shots travel. This can be done for any club (wedges, 9-, 8- or 7-irons).

• It’s like having an extra set of distances that he can produce on command depending on the wind, temperature and humidity. 

(h) HOW I PLAY GOLF 

• Developed most easy swing which is same for all Clubs.

• Close all clubs equally but enough to ensure that there is no Fade or Draw (Swing to Right or Left which will force me to aim left or Right – I always want to aim only at the target)

• I use quarter swing only near the greens of different clubs for distances up to 50 yards  and then Full swings as follows:

(a) 1 to 30 yards – Pitching wedge (punch the ball or use Sand Wedge to go over obstacle (quarter for 17, Half for 25 & Full for up to 32 yards)

(b) 30 yards – Pitching wedge (quarter swing)

(c) 40 yards – 9 Iron (quarter swing)

(d) 50 yards – 8 Iron(quarter swing)

(e) 60 yards - 7 Iron(quarter swing) 

(f) 70 yards – Pitching wedge (Full Swing)

(g) 80 yards – 9 Iron (Full swing)

(h) 90 yards – 8 Iron(Full swing)

(i) 100 yards – 7 Iron(Full swing)

(j) 110 yards – 6 Iron(Full swing)

(k) 120 yards – 5 Iron(Full swing)

(l) 130 yards – 4 Iron(Full swing)

(m) 140 yards – 3 Iron(Full swing)

(n) 150 yards – 26 Degree 7 Hybrid Rescue(Full swing)

(o) 160 yards – 19 Degree 4 Wood(Full swing)

(p) 170 yards –  15 Degree 3 Hybrid Rescue(Full swing) 

(q) I90 yards  –  14 Degree Lady’s Driver(Full swing)

(r) 240 yards -   11 Degree Driver(Full swing)

• Short game is most important. So concentrate on the 20 feet pitch with a Pitching Wedge (most of the time) and Sand Wedge (when there is less distance from the Apron to the Pin) and roll with a 9 Iron or a Putter (if you are on the apron). The swing in the short game should be shallow and only scraping the ground – NO DIVOT

Yards Steps Aim Left Degrees BEST Club Three fourth Swing Half Swing One Fourth Swing

20 26 0 P4 S4

25 32.5 0 P4 S4.5

30 39 0 P4.5 9(4)

40 52 0 P2- 8(4)

50 65 0 SF 40    30 7(4)

60 78 0 P2.5 6(4)

70 91 0 P3 5(4)

80 104 0 PF 70    50 4(4)

95 124 0 9(3) 3(4)

105 137 0 9 90    80  

115 150 3 8 95    85 5h

125 163 4 7 100    90 3h

135 176 5 6 105    95  

145 189 6 5 120    110 R3

155 202 8 4 130    120 FW3

165 215 12 3 135    125  

175 228 0 R 26 145    135  

185 241 0 7W,R19  

195 254 8 4W  

210 273 8 D  

230 299 14 D 10  

How to reduce yourHandicap rapidly:

1. Hitting shorter with an easy swing and not mishitting a single ball. 

2. Always remaining on the fairway. If outside come back and don't try to compensate for a bad shot. 

3. Always aiming at the Center of the Green and not on the Hole for the approach shot. 

4. Follow through full and never looking at the ball till it has come to rest. Let your Caddie find the ball. 

5. Try for a 2 Putt all the time. 

6. Take atleast one Practice Swing. Never take it casual even for one shot.

OTHER GAMES WORTH PICKING UP

Tennis       

Swimming+

Billiards

Table Tennis

Bridge (Card Game)

Self Study

SALES TRAINING 

Watch the following Videos

https://youtu.be/7EVeze5sP-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_lpoZi-cI&list=PLvoqzZu9FF7dflcpzt-SMF1xLMncTPi79&index=3

https://youtu.be/7EVeze5sP-k

Also see the following links on my Dunn & Bradstreet Seminar presentation and some videos on sales.

•         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmYA5a_w3yE

•          https://youtu.be/Ar_lpoZi-cI  

•         https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvoqzZu9FF7dflcpzt-SMF1xLMncTPi79

•         https://youtu.be/7EVeze5sP-k

•         Oversimply Golf 6 https://youtu.be/OA2UGpTgOQE

PUBLIC SPEAKING VIDEO LINK   https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Uuj6AVm93epUd9W6

Exam Shortcuts 

Read Syllabus

Highlight When Reading

Speech notes into word to get Notes

2 to 5 Practice Papers

Time Management

Never leave any Question Blank except in Objective Tests where Negative marking is more HALF OR ABOVE

Studying for Retention

• Highlight or underline as you are reading.

• Write important points / new words  in the margin

• Read Preface, Executive Summary and about the Author before you start the book.

• First run through the index.

• After you finish each chapter dictate the main points into a voice dictation software like Speech Notes (Android Play Store)

• Carry out an exercise or project to use that knowledge practically within 1 week.

Man Management

 

TRAINING CARRIED FOR MBA BATCHES

1. Introduction and importance of communication 

2. Emergency announcements on shop floor(for rains/blast) 

3. Talk to late comers (genuine and naughty late comers) 

4. Stance and what to do with ones arms while speaking 

5. How to give a motivation lecture 

6. Talk about yourself 

7. Listening skills 

8. Eye to eye contact in public speaking 

9. Gestures, mannerism and being yourself 

10.  Leadership skills - Leadership is the process of interpersonal influence over the activities of team members towards the achievement of organisational goals in a given situation. In contemporary organisational life, managers must need to work effectively with peers, supervisors and subordinates. Understanding self and influencing others forms an integral part of this endeavor.

11. How loud one should speak 

12. Formal dressing 

13. Reading and writing in pairs (back to back) 

14. Reading aloud to class 

15. Short write up on subject of ones choice and presenting it 

16. Introduction to group discussion 

17. How to prepare a  c.v. 

18. What is assessor  looking for

19.  What are the opportunities in GD.

20.  How to introduce a topic

21  How to butt in

22  How to manage conflict

23  How to conclude and sum up

24. What is an interview and how to prepare for it

25. Emotional preparation for an interview

21. How to dress and how to move

22. How to collect information about a target company

23. How to follow up on an employment call

24. How to control body language

25. How to participate in a conference

26. How to behave in a social party /hosting skills

27. Table efficiency

28. How to interview workers

29. How to negotiate with trade union

30. Written communication  (types of letter)

31. Making off light conversation  and what topic to avoid

32. How to talk with senior management

33. Telephone ettiqute

34. Official spokesperson and P.R.O

35. How to avoid being misquoted

36. Conflict resolution

37. How to make friends

38. Maintaining a contact list

39. Debate

40. Talent Exhibition

41. How to get an appointment with senior official

42. How to built and assess the culture of an organisation

43. On the spot speaking / how to cover up on hault while speaking

44. Presence of mind

45. extempore agility

SKILLS YOU MUST PRACTICE

• - Induction Speech

• - Speak on my family 

• - Speak any thing for 2 minutes in any language 

•   Make announcement on shop floor.

•    Call out to a worker far away.

•    Drill Square Command

• - Read to the wall while partner writes on board.

• - Write a speech and deliver it.

• - Convey message by action/body language

• - Convey moods by action.

• - Group discussions.

• - Interview.

• - Multiple Choice Questions answering strategy

• - Making a CV

• - Teaching Techniques

• - Debate Competition

• - Brainstorming sessions - Organization

• - Conducting a meeting.

• - Conducting a game.

• - Motivation lectures by Manager

- Addressing your team to pull up their socks and start performing failing which each will be  terminated

- Thank you 

- Condolence speech on some ones death

- Appreciation on a job well done

- Conflict Management and how to avoid conflict with other departments

- Proposal

- Visioning

- Apology 

• - Company Profile / History

• - Conducting a Quiz Competition.

• - Speaking a trade union leaders.

• - Organizing a party game.

• - Delivering joke

• - Singing a song to an audience

• - Party Etiquette

• - Attending Calls

• - Soft skills

• - Call Centro Training

• - Dressing up

• - Tennis

• - Golf

• - Bridge (card game)

• - Rummy (card game)

• - Cricket

• - Important Personalities in Indian and World History

• - National & International by Cultures

• - Communication Theory

• - Leadership Capsule

• - Formal-Informal Communications

• - Job Search techniques

• - Formation of Clubs

• - Organizing an event with checklist

• - Students to make presentations in team and video taped.

• - Organizing a Picnic

• - Talent Exhibition

• - Speaking only in English

• - Reading Economic Times every day

• - What I learned this week to be given

• - My favorite subject

• - Self Assessment Essay

• - My Strength

• - My Weakness

• - My Ambition

• - My Dreams

• - Basic Computer knowledge 

• - Using the Internet

• - Using Outlook and PowerPoint

• - Making Graphs

• - Writing a Biz Plan will help of a template

• - Using templates for everything

• - Using MS Project 2003

• - Basics of Project Management

• - Evolving a Sales talk

• - Introducing Speech

• - Value System of your Company

• - Leadership

• - Empathy

• - Team Building

• - Biz games

• - Basics of Project Marketing

• - Organizing a Project Team

• - Dealing with Foreign Delegation

• - Dealing with Politicians and Ministers

• - Tendering Process

• - Basics of Stock _

• - My experience in Industry

• - HR Subjects

• - Bribing and Biz Development

• - Insurance 

• - Housing & Loans

• - How to find information 

• - Attitudes of a winner

• - Planning your career

• - Planning your investments

• - Indian Culture

• - Building Organization Culture

•

How I overcame my fear of Public Speaking

https://youtu.be/80UVjkcxGmA

Say these 2 things in every conversation

https://youtu.be/80UVjkcxGmA

ADVICE FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST SPEAKERS

1. Dialogue your thoughts on the theme with yourself and script your thoughts logically. Only clarity in mind can add to easy flow & luster in delivery. 

2. Research supporting data and identify interesting stories, analogies, fables, quotes and draw from history to supplement logic of your main script. Weave calculated drama to your script to get audience break-through more at the beginning and for a strong closure. Embellishments add to narrative style and gets audience attention. 

3. Experiment with your body movements, gestures & different postures to identify the best that could match & draw audience attention to emphasize the points you are making. 

4. Practice your script and right gestures again and again (and again) till it achieves a level of coordinated perfection in speech-craft to match your natural style. 

5. Dress right, hydrate well, breathe deep during pauses, mentally relax, walk confidently and Speak Well to Win. Of course, last one minute say your silent prayer. A strategic thinker and a strong doer is not good enough any longer. It is a new competitive world. The competence of a professional needs to be strongly augmented by an eloquent and confident speaking style. May the tips above help you in your endeavor...

SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR DUMMIES – 

Preparing Your Speech

1. Dont get talked into making a presentation that you don't want to make. 

2. Organize your information in a simple pattern that the audience can easily recognize

3 Use various types of material-examples, stories, statistics, quotes to maintain audience interest.

4. Use your introduction to set the audience's expectations

5. Have a special conclusion ready that you can go right into if you run out of time Never omit a conclusion.

6. Anticipate the questions you'll be asked and have answers ready

7 Practice out loud

Readying the Room

1. Get to the room early so that you have time to make changes if it's set up improperly.

2. Close the curtains so that the audience can't stare out the windows.

3. Control audience seating. Make sure that chairs and tables are arranged in the configuration that you want. Remove extra chairs

4. Check the microphone and sound system while you're standing exactly where you'll be using them.

5. Make sure that the room isn't too cold or too stuffy

6. Find out exactly where the room is located and how long it takes you to get there.

Perfecting Your Delivery 

1 Try to establish eye contact with your entire audience

2. Vary the rate, pitch, and volume of your voice as well as its tone.

3. Don't stand with your hands clasped in front of your crotch

4. Look at the audience more than your notes 

5. Don't pace back and forth, jingle change in your pocket, or play with your hair

6. If standing behind a podium makes you feel more comfotable, do it 7. Convey enthusiasm for your subject. It's contagious.

Managing Stage Fright

1. Alcohol and pills don't work. If 'hey wear before you speak, you'll be even more nervous. If they don't, you'll be incoherent

2. Channel nervous tension into your performance.

3. Work off nervous energy by taking a few deep breaths.

4. Leave time to go to the bathroom shortly before you speak. 

5. Remember that the audience wants you succeed.

Great Visual Aids

1. Don't make slides and overheads that are difficult to read. Avoid too many words per line, too many colors, and designs that are too busy or too small.

2. Check text for spelling errors.

3. Take advantage of computer software templates that help you design visual aids.

4. You know you need time to design slides and overheads. Don't forget to leave time to produce them.

5. Number all your slides and overheads. 

6. You can't check the working condition of the slide or overhead projector too many times.

7. Bring an extension cord and adapter

Using Humor

1. Make sure that your humor relates to a point in your presentation.

2. Avoid sexist, ethnic, racist, and off color humor

3. Make offensive jokes acceptable by changing their targets from ethnic groups to rival organizations.

4. If you can't tell a joke well, use humor that doesn't require comic delivery: a personal anecdote, funny quotation, or amusing analogy.

5. Build rapport by poking fun at yourself appropriately.

Helpful Web Sites, URL & Description

Kushner & Associates - www.kushnergroup.com (Loaded with great links for public speakers).

The Virtual Reference Desk - www.refdesk.com (Researching something? Start here)

WebRing - www.webring.org (Tired of traditional search engines. Try a web ring Links to hundreds of speeches)

The Speech and Transcript Center - gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/-gprice/speech.htm (Links to hundreds of speeches)

FedWorld Information Network - www.fedworld.gov (A gold mine of government information.)

The Lycos Image Gallery - www.lycos.com/picturethis (Find Visual Aids)

RealNetworks - www.real.com (Go here to download the Real Player. Then listen to speeche on your computer).

 

I strongly recommend you study ‘Public Speaking for DUMMIES’ by Dr. Malcom Kushner. This is the best book I have come across. I also suggest that you keep a copy of this book.

I have just reproduced the TABLE OF CONTENTS which is really worth reading through if you do not get time to read the full book

Public Speaking for DUMMIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Capter 1: How to Speak Persuasively 

• What Is Persuasion? – Peddling Influence & making people do something you suggest

• Why everything you say involves persuasion – Aim – Inform, Entertain & Persuade

• Key factors in the persuasion process: 

1. Attitude

2. Values

3. Ego involvement – more involved – more difficult to change attitude

4. Credibility

• How to Be Persuasive. 

• When they know both sides of the coin use two-sided messages

• Know when or deductive approach (Normally tell what you prefer & why). Use Inductive approach when the audience may be hostile so that they hear the arguments first.

• Distinguish features from benefits

• Provide a clear alternative 

• Threaten a third party not the one to be persuaded.

• Put his values into conflict. Join a Gym – Laziness v/s Cheap solutions

• Present new information or argument rather repeating failed attempt.

• Tell them what you want – eg In sales – ask for the order

• Anticipate counterarguments – 

• Start with points of agreement

• Use a variety of devices – Threats, Guilt, Conflict of Values, Logic.

• Suggest small, specific steps

• Cut through complex arguments with a simple demonstration

• Cut through complex arguments with a simple statement.

• Have a topper ready.  – a line which squelches opponents momentum

• Harness the power of guilt

Chapter 2: Speaking with Credibility

The Biggest Myth- Credibility comes from speaker’s position. No it is from the audience beliefs

Key Variables Affecting Credibility:

1. Character

2. Competence

3. Composure

4. Likabihty 

5. Extroversion

Barriers to Believability 

1. Stereotypes

2. Conflicts of interest Mistakes

3. Flip-flops – Show openness of your mind & point out changes in situation

Improving Your Credibility

 

1. Display credentials – Degrees, Licenses, Honours, Awards, Publications, Experience

2. Associate yourself with high-credibility organizations

3. Admit shortcomings

4. Display similar values

5. Remember that actions speak louder than words

6. Obtain testimonials

7. Dress the part

8. Fake Charisma – magnetism, charm, appeal to win devotion- if you are not born with it – show enthusiasm, commitment or give an inspiring story of self or someone else

Chapter 3: Increasing the Influence of Your Speech

Controlling  Your Introduction by organizer before your Speech (2 minutes)

• Write your own introduction - send a pre-prepared Introduction NOT your CV

• What to include – Why topic of interest, background. What makes you an expert?

• What to exclude – All other things from Audience point of view

• Carry an extra copy

• Contact the person introducing you beforehand. Explain the Introduction otherwise why presentation will be less effective

• Recovering from a bad introduction

1. Don’t attack the Introducer

2. Have bridge lines ready eg –What he really meant was ---, The notes I forgot to give her--- Let me add a few---

3. Refer to a previous Introduction

4. Prepare 2 Openings for your speech to cater for a bad Introduction 

• Getting More Than 15 Minutes of Fame – both an opportunity & anxiety

• Using your presentation as personal PR- RULES

1. LEAVE TIME FOR PUBLICITY

2. MAKE IT NEWS WORTHY

3. USE RESOURSES LIKE PR DEPT, MKTG

Part II: Preparing Your Presentation.

Chapter 4: Getting Started: On Your Mark, Get Set, Now

• Why Are You Giving a Speech?

• Should you speak at all?

• Set specific goals. 

• Ask for essential information - occasion, audience and time

• Selecting a Topic (Picking a Powerful Title by changing or Shaping the Assigned one)

• Analyze your speaking situation- eulogizing, motivating, giving foresight etc Expectations of Organizers, Audience, your own, how much can be covered, time of the day, Is it last speaker, venue, anything that can offend audience / organizer

• Generating Ideas for Your Speech- Immediately write down stories, jokes, quotes , ideas, points as they come to mind. Research Raleigh's research, Cantu's PrePTiMe, The IdeaFisher

• Pick a powerful tittle – ABCD of ---Nuts & Bolts of ---, Doing --- by thr Numbers, ----101, The Myth of ---, Beyond ---, Do it yourself ---, The 10 Commandments of ---

Chapter 5: Research Tips and Tricks

Gathering Primary Sources 

Mining yourself for material

Interviewing people

Checking out Secondary Sources. 

Utilizing ing the library

Reading The Wall Street Journal.

Pulling Information from the Day and Date Book 

Perusing Chase's Calendar Events.

Gleaning from databases of

Five Overlooked Sources of Great Information 

Calling community colleges

Viewing videos

Contacting government agencies 

Calling trade journal editors.

Using museums

Getting Someone Else to Do Your Research - For Free Using reference librarians

Talking to museum research staff 

Using government public information officers

Chapter 6: A Web of Resources

Researching on the Web

The two best Web sites Using search tools

Checking traditional sources on the Web

Searching other great places 

Finding Great Material on the Web

Quotes

Humor

Statistics

Visual Aids.

Accessing Help for Your Writing Standard writing aids

Nonstandard cool resources.

Picking Up Performing Tips...

Key to the kingdom: The RealPlayer Finding speeches you want to hear or see

Chapter 7: Relating to Your Audience (Without a Pate

Analyzing Your Audience... Demographic information: age, sex, and Status

Audience attitudes, values, and beliefs. 

What do they know and when did they know it

How to Learn About Your Audience What's in It for Them?

What do they expect? Highlight the benefits...

Putting Your Audience in the Picture 

Making personal experience universal 

Localizing and customizing your remarks

Pushing their hot buttons 

Speaking to Cross-Cultural Audiences

Don't fall for stereotypes 

Don't assume your humor will work.

Do project humility 

Don't greet the audience in their language if you don't speak it

Do eat their food.

Tips and Tricks for Creating Rapport

Acknowledge what the audience is feeling 

Assuage their fears. Share something that helps the audience know you

Don't whine about your problems

Identify and address audience subgroups 

Identify influential audience members

Express your emotions.

Focus on their needs, not yours

Chapter 8: Organizing Your Speech

Selecting Material

Patterns of Organization Two key rules.......

Commonly used patterns 

Packaging and bundling.

Outlining..........

When should you make an outline?.

How many points should you have? Timing

How long should a speech be?

Timing tips and tricks Surefire Method of Organizing a Presentation..

Chapter 9: Material: Building the Body of Your Speech

How to Make Your Speech More Appealing...

Using logical appeals.. v Making emotional appeals

Throwing the one-two punch.

Relying on Forms of Support.....

What's the story?

How to use quotations for maximum impact

Doing it by the numbers: Statistics and other numerical da Gathering More Support: Definitions, Analogies, and Examples ..

Definitions

Analogies

Examples

Table

Say Something Memorable

Tell them something that you found memorable Tell them something practical

Tell them what to remember

Goof up

Chapter 10: Introductions: Getting Off on the Right Foot

Why the Introduction Is the Most Important Part of Your Speech....

Setting expectations Traditional functions

The bottom line on functions

How to Create the Perfect Introduction Answer audience questions

Include necessary background Greetings and acknowledgments Make it the right length

Write it out...

Write the introduction last Remember the show biz formula

What not to do The Top Eight Introductions to Avoid

The apology The cliché

The bait and switch

The nerd

The space-case The travelogue..

The propmaster

The ignoramus

Great Ways to Begin

Material-based introductions... 

Audience-centered introductions..

Simple but effective introductions Handling Special Situations

What Type of Opening Is Right for You?

Chapter 11: All's Well That Ends Well: Conclusions and Transitions....

What the Conclusion Must Do.

Summarize your speech

Provide closure..

Make a great final impression

How to Create the Perfect Conclusion Make it sound like a conclusion

Cue the audience in advance

Make it the right length

Write it out

Make the last words memorable

Public Speaking For Dummies

Always provide an opportunity for questions

Remember it ain't over till it's over 

What not to do The Top Echt Conclusions to Avold

The nonexistent conclusion.

The "tree crashed into my car, officer conclusion

The cloned conclusion The tacky conclusion The wimpy conclusion

The pinball machine conclusion The run-out-of-gas conclusion

The endless conclusion

Wrapping It Up In Style Refer back to the opening

Use a quotation Ask a question

Tell a story

Recite a poem

Tell them what to do Make a prediction

Ask for help........... Ask for a commitment.

Match your conclusion to your mission

Making Transitions

What transitions must Transition missions.

Common mistakes with transitions

Chapter 12: Style: Getting the Words Right

Honing Your Tone and Style, Word choice

Use power words How to use jargon.

How to Create Catch Phrases. The Fog Factor and Other Measures of Clarity

Classic Rhetorical Tricks

Hyperbole

Allusion

Alliteration

Metaphor

Simile....

Rhetorical question. The rule of three.

Repetition

Antithesis

Painless Editing Techniques

Use conversational language Read it out loud

Keep the language

Avoid long sentences Use the active voice

Be specific

Use exciting verbs 

Don't say we if you mean "

Get rid of clichés 

Vary the pace

Avoid foreign words and phrases Be careful with abbreviations

Eliminate wishy-washy phrases Put it aside and come back to it

Chapter 13: Visual Aids: The Eye Contact

That Really Counts..

The Pros and Cons of Using Visual Aids

The cons The pros

Using Charts and Graphs

Common types of charts and graphs.

Tips and tricks for using charts and graphs Making Use of Slides and Overheads

Slides

Overheads

Do's and don'ts for preparing slides and overheads

Using computer software to design visual aids.

Working with designers and production people Neat ideas for slides and overheads.

Working with an overhead projector

Doing Flips Over Flipcharts

Avoiding common flipchart mistakes Tips and tricks for using flipcharts

Creating Great Video (And Audio)

Using video Utilizing audio in your presentations

Making an Impact with Multimedia..

Multimedia equipment you need Software for multimedia presentations

Getting permission to use content. Using Simple Multimedia Tricks to Wow Your Audience....

Handouts: The Visual Aid They Take Home.

Making handouts that get a hand..

Including the right information

Knowing when to give them out.

Preparing Great Props

Using simple props for fancy effects. The do's and don'ts of using props

Chapter 14: Practice Makes Perfect

Relying on Memory. Script, or Notes

Memorizing Working from a script Notes

Ips from the Pros Rehearsal Tips How much should you rehearse?..... Should you record yourself rehearsing?

How should you rehearse? What should you rehearse?

Part III: Delivering Your Presentation

Chapter 15: Getting the Room Right

Seating Arrangements The basics ....-

Recognizing the psychology of seating How to get the seating the way you want it Equipment Considerations: Testing, One, Two, Four

The prime rule of equipment

Seven things you must always check Eliminating Distractions..... A room with a view...

Checking out the view from the audience...

Assessing the view from Getting rid of noise. Remembering the Stuff Everyone Forgets

the podium.

Getting there... Four reasons to arrive early.

Temperature and ventilation You have more control than you think

Chapter 16: Communicating with Confidence: How to scare Away Stage Fright 

What Is Stage Fright?

Finding Out What You're Nervous About.

Changing Your Perceptions Recognizing common fears

Realizing how your audience really feels How the pros visualize success

Talking yourself into a great speech

Transforming Terror to Terrific: Physical Symptoms.

Stress-busting exercises 

The real secret: Don't look nervous.

Six Tricks to Prevent and Handle Stage Fright 

Write out your intro and conclusion

Anticipate problems and have solutions ready.

Get there early

Divide and conquer 

Don't apologize for nervousness

Watch what you eat Two Popular Cures That Don't Fight Fright

Imagining the audience naked Taking booze and pills Using Your Nervousness

Chapter 17: How to Stand Up and Stand Out

The Role of Nonverbal Communication 

The impact on credibility

Command performance versus commanding performa Understanding Body Language

Facial expressions Posture

Posture do's and don'ts

Gestures

Gesture do's and don'ts

Eye Contact.....

Image: Dressing to Impress Image do's and don'ts

What about informal meetings?. Mastering Physical Positioning and Movement

Managing entrances and exits

Moving around 

Basics of stage positioning.

Working from a podium 

Podium do's and don'ts

Handling a Microphone Should you use a mike?

Types of mikes 

Tricks and tips for using a mike

Paralanguage: What Your Voice Says about You 

Tricks and tips for using your voice

Chapter 18: How to Handle the Audience (Without Leaving Fingerprints) ...

Reading an Audience's Reaction

Checking energy level Noticing body language

Asking questions to gauge the audience...... 

Helping the Audience Get Comfortable.

Handling a Tough Audience

The most common types of tough audience 

Hecklers and other pains in the neck 

The do's and don't  of Dealing  Hecklers with other dis lo 

Handling a Non Response 

What to do if you are losing them

Get a volunteer from the audience.

Surefire Audience Involvement Techniques 

Using psychological involvement 

Exercising all the senses.

Choosing ice breakers and other gimmicks

Chapter 19: You Want to Know What? How to

Handle Questions

The Basics of a Q&A Session Anticipate questions

Answer questions at the end

Don't let a few people dominate....

Don't let the questioner give a speech

Listen to the question Repeat the question

Don't guess..... 

End the Q&A strongly

Coming Up with a Perfect Answer Every Time

How to treat the questioner Designing your answer

Delivering your answer.

Six Great Question-Handling Techniques

Reversing the question. Redirecting the question

Rephrasing the question 

Exposing a hidden agenda

Putting the question in context 

Building a bridge

Dealing with Common Types of Questions 

Responding to Special Situations. 

Handling Hostile Questions

Identifying hostile questions 

Heading them off at the pass

Dealing with hostile questions 

Getting Your Audience to Ask Questions.

Chapter 20: Panels and Other Special Situations

Being on a Panel.

Winning the inevitable comparison 

Maintaining control of your message

Introducing Other Presenters Finding Information about the speaker

Six ways to make a speaker and yoursell look good 

Avoiding introduction error 

Say a Few Words: Giving Impromptu Speeches,

Be prepared

How to buy time 

Organizing your thoughts

Part IV: Scoring Points with Humor

Chapter 21: Making Your Point with Humor

Common Fears About Using Humor 

Why You Don't Have to Be "Naturally Funny"

Being funny versus communicating a sense of humor...... benefits of humor

Why bother? 

The Avoiding the Biggest Mistake

Making Humor Relevant Using the analogy method

Finding new uses for old jokes

Avoiding Humor That Hurts

The three most offensive categories of humor 

A simple test to determine offensiveness

How to transform ethnic jokes into usable material ...

Editing Jokes: Three Special Rules.

Put the punch line at the end

Make it conversational Use the right word.

Chapter 22: Simple Types of Humor That Anyone Can Use

Using Personal Anecdotes

Why Personal Anecdotes Get Attention.

Eighteen More Types of Nonjoke Humor

Analogies

Quotes

Cartoons Definitions

Abbreviations and acronyms Computer viruses

Lists..

Letters

Observations

Parody news headlines

Predictions

Signs

Bumper stickers

Laws

Page xiv

Dummies

Greeting cards.. 

Country-western song titles.

Karnak..

 Lightbulb jokes

Chapter 23: Building Yourself Up by Putting Yourself Down 

Utilizing the Power of Self-Effacing Humor

Poking Fun at Yourself 

Your status as a speaker

The length of your talk 

Your profession or occupation

Your public image... 

Your less-than-lofty experiences

Your memberships and associations. 

Defusing controversy with self-directed humor. 

Stockpile humorous acknowledgments..

V: The Part of Tens.

CHapter 24: The Ten Biggest Mistakes Speakers Make

Chapter 25: Ten Great Stories, Ideas, and Concepts to e in Any Presentation. . 

Chapter 26: Ten Special Occasion

50 WEEK MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

WEEK 1 THE GROW MODEL FOR COACHING

WEEK 2 DEVELOPING INFLUENCE AND ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP

WEEK 3 VISIONING

WEEK 4 THE CHANGE CURVE

WEEK 5 THE LEADERSHIP PIPELINE

WEEK 6 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND THE THREE-FACTOR THEORY

WEEK 7 THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF MOTIVATION

WEEK 8 SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP (LEADERSHIP STYLES)

WEEK 9 THE JOHN WHITMORE MODEL

WEEK 10 ACTION-CENTRED LEADERSHIP

WEEK 11 THE SIX STEPS OF DELEGATION

WEEK 12 KOTTER’S EIGHT–STAGE PROCESS FOR LEADING CHANGE

WEEK 13 SIX PRINCIPLES FOR GAINING COMMITMENT

WEEK 14 BELBIN’S TEAM RULES

WEEK 15 DRIVERS OF TRUST AND THE TRUST CYCLE

WEEK 16 THE TRUTHS OF STRATEGY

WEEK 17 SWOT ANALYSIS

WEEK 18 SCENARIO THINKING

WEEK 19 THE BALANCED SCORECARD

WEEK 20 THE 7S MODEL

WEEK 21 THE RULE OF 150

WEEK 22 THE SERVICE PROFIT CHAIN

WEEK 23 UNDERSTANDING AND AVOIDING INERTIA

WEEK 24 THE SIX RS OF BUSINESS

WEEK 25 THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP MODEL

WEEK 26 THE PARETO PRINCIPLE

WEEK 27 BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY

WEEK 28 BENCHMARKING

WEEK 29 THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

WEEK 30 SYSTEMS THINKING

WEEK 31 MARKET BARRIERS

WEEK 32 THE SIX PS OF STRATEGIC THINKING

WEEK 33 PORTER’S GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES

WEEK 34 PESTLIED ANALYSIS

WEEK 35 THE DYNAMICS OF PARADIGM CHANGE

WEEK 36 ANSOFF’S PRODUCT MATRIX

WEEK 37 RESOURCES AND THE CRITICAL PATH

WEEK 38 DEVELOPING INTANGIBLE RESOURCES

WEEK 39 MARKET POSITIONING AND VALUE CURVES

WEEK 40 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: PORTER’S FIVE FORCES

WEEK 41 INNOVATION HOTSPOTS

WEEK 42 DEEP DIVE PROTOTYPING

WEEK 43 DEVELOPING CREATIVE THINKING

WEEK 44 THE DISCOVERY CYCLE (ORCA)

WEEK 45 THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID (BOP)

WEEK 46 THE SIX THINKING HATS

WEEK 47 INNOVATION CULTURE

WEEK 48 DISNEY’S CREATIVITY STRATEGY

WEEK 49 THE MATE MODEL FOR STRATEGIC SELLING

WEEK 50 THE TEN CS OF SELLING ONLINE

 

WEEK 1

THE GROW MODEL FOR COACHING

The single most important technique for executive coaching 

The GROW model, developed by Sir John Whitmore, provides a frame-work for coaching. GROW has four stages: Goals, Reality, Options and Way forward. Responsibility for setting goals rests with the coachee. The coach works in a non-directive way, supporting and challenging. 

GOALS 

This focuses on the coachee's aims and priorities. It sets the agenda for the coaching conversation. The coach should be flexible and prepared to explore, question and challenge. This is achieved with questioning and empathy. The outcome is a clear set of goals for the session and the overall coaching relationship. 

Questions include: 

• What is your goal? 

• What are your priorities?

• What are you trying to achieve? 

• How will you know when you have achieved it? 

• Is the goal specific and measurable? 

• How will you know when it has been achieved? 

• What will success look like? 

REALITY 

Explore the learner's current position: the reality of their circumstances and their concerns relating to their goals. The coach needs to help the coachee analyze and understand the significant issues relating to their goal through intelligent questioning. The coach can also provide information and summarize the situation to clarify the reality. 

Questions include: 

• Can you control the result? What don't you have control over?

• What are the milestones or key points to achieving goals? 

• Who is involved and what effect could they have? 

• What have you done so far and what are the results? 

• What are the major issues you are encountering? 

OPTIONS 

The coach helps the coachee to generate options, strategies and action plans for achieving goals. This can uncover new aspects of the individual's current position with the result that discussion reverts back to the coachee's reality. This is fine if it is productive or enlightening - the aim is to help the individual, not rigidly follow a process. 

Questions include:

• What options do you have? Which do you favour and why? 

• If you had unlimited resources, what options would you have? 

• Could you link your goal to another organizational issue? 

• What would be the perfect solution?

WAY FORWARD

Do not rush the final stage. The aim is to agree what needs to be done. It can help for the coachee to develop a practical plan to implement their option. The coach should be a sounding board, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, testing the approach and offering additional perspectives. 

Questions include 

• What are you going to do - and when? Who needs to know? What support and resources do you need? 

• How will you overcome obstacles and ensure success? 

Finally, the most effective plans incorporate a review and feedback process to check progress and provide motivation.

 

WEEK 2

DEVELOPING INFLUENCE AND ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP

Providing support and challenge while strengthening results and relationships. 

Whether you are giving feedback or selling a product or an idea, influencing requires an understanding of how your behaviour affects others. 

Overview 

All individuals have their own personality - the result both of nature and nurture - and this remains largely unchanging. However, behaviour is different: it is flexible and capable of being developed and enhanced. It's useful to consider behaviour (yours and others) in terms of warmth or coldness, dominance or submissiveness.

• Warm means being supportive, open, positive, empathetic, constructive and engaging - not simply 'friendly'. 

• Cold means being suspicious, detached, not focused on people or relationships. 

• Dominant means being challenging, in control, confident, strong, authoritative and direct. 

• Submissive means subduing your own thoughts or actions for something or someone else. 

The diagram below (the assertiveness model) highlights different types of behaviour (based on the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument). 

Dominant

Aggressive behaviour Assertive behaviour

• Argues •  Professional 

• Needs to win • Inquiring

'Sort yourself out.' ‘Tell me what's on your mind.’

       Cold          Warm 

Avoiding behaviour Appeasing behaviour

• Uninvolved       • Over-friendly 

• Indifferent  • Talkative (rambling) 

'I'll deal with it later.' • Highly positive

• Too agreeable

Submissive

Aggressive: dominant and cold behaviour 

When dealing with aggressive behaviour, the best approach is to: 

• increase your dominance to match their high dominance levels 

• ensure that you are demonstrating behaviour that is assertive and warm rather than aggressive 

• use open questions to generate understanding 

• use body language and tone of voice to increase your dominance levels.

 

Avoiding: cold and submissive behaviour

When dealing with avoiding behaviour, the first priority is to get people engaged. Useful techniques include displaying lower dominance and higher warmth, using open questions aimed at making them feel secure and softening body language and intonation while continuing to smile. 

Appeasing: warm and submissive behaviour 

When dealing with appeasing individuals, it can help to: 

• stay focused to keep them on track 

• use open questions that appeal to their social needs but temper these with closed questions when they waffle

• ask summary questions to maintain clarity and focus

• use their name if you are interrupting them. 

Assertive: warm and dominant behaviour

When dealing with conflict, it can help to be assertive and encourage others to be assertive as well. Consider how easy it is to warm up behaviour: why and when is it not easy? Why do we, as individuals, not behave in an assertive manner? What is it that hinders supportive and challenging behaviour? Finally, what are the most important questions for you to ask?

 

WEEK 3

VISIONING

Creating your future 

By imagining the future you want and then translating those ideas into practical and actionable plans, you will make it happen.

Orienting thinking towards the future is particularly important for middle and senior managers and leaders because it provides focus, determines the company's culture, builds resilience and adaptability and engages employees. 

The need 

A powerful vision motivates and guides everyone at all levels in a company. People manage what is in front of them, as daily and short-term tasks understandably dominate our routine and thinking. This certainly keeps things running smoothly in the stable present but is ill suited to coping with change or taking advantage of (or creating) opportunities. Visioning liberates us from simply managing the present, achieving more of the same or being unprepared for new developments, and thus enables us to build a more successful future. 

The process 

Visioning involves assessing and challenging current thinking and methods, developing new ideas and deciding on the future you would like. It is also necessary to look outside your company - noticing and understanding trends, identifying threats and opportunities. 

It can be helpful to involve others in a visioning exercise by asking their views on various issues. These questions will prompt thinking and encourage each person to consider and challenge the company's aims and activities and to suggest new options (giving reasons for their choices).

Using these answers, you identify the most common issues and ideas, reduce these options to the ones that are most significant and then draft a provisional vision statement - this can be done by a smaller group of people, with the final vision being reviewed and approved by everyone involved. As well as generating ideas and opening up discussions, a major advantage of involving others in the visioning process is that you will gain their commitment to the final vision. 

Once you have developed your vision, determine how it can be achieved:

• Deal with any barriers that may stand in the way and consider how future events may affect it.

• Develop a practical plan and communicate the vision and plan to every-one - show people why it is important, what it will achieve and how it will work and gain their commitment. 

• To bring others with you, your vision needs to be clear, convincing, credible, easy to grasp, actionable, inspiring and focused - but not overly prescriptive, to provide flexibility and adaptability. 

What's next? 

A vision is for nothing if it is not acted upon. You should ensure that all strategy and decisions are guided by the vision and that everyone remains committed to the vision. A vision also needs to be reviewed and adapted to changing circumstances to ensure that it remains relevant and useful.

 

WEEK 4

THE CHANGE CURVE

Understanding how people respond to change

 

The human reaction to change is now well understood. The change process is commonly understood by reference to the research on people's reaction to bereavement. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has been a great contributor to our understanding of the experience of loss and bereavement, as well as how we react to changes more generally. The stages of loss that people typically go through are now commonly known as the Change Curve. 

Overview

Organizations often refer to the Change Curve in the context of job loss and redundancy. Dr. Kubler-Ross undertook her research on dying by interviewing terminally ill patients. Although this is one of the most extreme and disturbing changes that anyone can face, the reactions to it are the same as for many different types of change. There are several key stages that people go through, as shown in the graph below: 

2. Denial 6. Acceptance and integration

1. Shock 3. Frustration 

    and anger 

5. Experiment 

    and decision

4. Depression

1. Shock. The first reaction can often be shock - and all the emotion that results from this. 

2. Denial. This is a typical reaction and it is important and necessary. It helps cushion the impact of the inevitability of change. 

3. Frustration and anger. The person resents the change that they must face while others are less affected. 

4. Depression. First, the person feels deep disappointment, perhaps a sense of personal failing, things not done, wrongs committed. Around this time they may also engage in bargaining: beginning to accept the change but striking bargains -for more time, for example,

5. Experiment and decision. Initial engagement with the new situation and learning how to work in the new situation, as well as making choices and decisions, and regaining control. 

6. Acceptance and integration. Dr. Kubler-Ross describes this stage as neither happy nor unhappy. While it is devoid of feelings, it is not resignation - it is really a victory. 

People who are made redundant can go through a similar process. Just as with other types of change, people often go through a first stage before denial - that of shock or disbelief. We have witnessed people in shock following news of their redundancy. It can take a long time for people to reach the acceptance stage and often people oscillate between the different stages. 

 

WEEK 5

THE LEADERSHIP PIPELINE

Developing a leader-powered business 

Performance is inseparable from a company's approach to leadership development. Developed by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel, the Leadership Pipeline is a company-wide framework for developing future managers and leaders. 

Overview

The Leadership Pipeline is a continual process that ensures a throughput of talented leaders. It is a practical, easily understood system that clearly explains what is required to work successfully at each leadership level, helping:

• individuals and companies to understand what is required for excellence at each level

• individuals to develop their skills, optimize potential and progress their careers 

• organizations to manage and develop talent, and to build strategic an organizational capabilities.

 

How it works 

The Leadership Pipeline represents the flow of internal talent into business-critical roles. As such, organizational structures, processes and reward mechanisms are geared towards encouraging preferred behaviours. For the individual, the Pipeline clarifies the development path that will build the leadership capabilities required to operate successfully at higher levels. At each stage: 

• people need to be clear about the capabilities needed for each level 

• managers and leaders should use the skills and values that are expected at each level so that others can operate effectively. 

Traditional approaches to leadership development tend to simply strengthen existing skills, and inadequate attention is paid to learning new ones. The Leadership Pipeline formally recognizes that change and improved performance occur best when the skills that are needed for the next level are built on a solid foundation at previous levels and when individuals are given the time and correct support and training to learn the skills, time management and values required for the new role. 

This clear framework makes it easy for people to see what capabilities and values are needed for successful career progression and it focuses people on the skills the organization needs - thus improving both current and future performance. 

Working towards successful transitions 

Typically, career progression involves making successful transitions at six key stages: 

1. From managing yourself to managing others 

2. From managing others to managing managers

3. From managing managers to functional director 

4. From functional director to business director 

5. From business director to group business director 

6. From group business director to company director. 

In reality, people often make these transitions with little support and inad-equate preparation, commonly modelling themselves on their predecessors and learning what works through trial and error. The Leadership Pipeline makes explicit what is required for success at each level. In particular, it clarifies the requirements in three key areas:

1. Developing new skills 

2. Improving time management 

3. Adopting the values the organization is looking for. 

Acquiring these capabilities at each level builds the foundation for success at the next level. Consequently, this focus on skills, time management and values prioritizes improved performance for advancement - benefiting both the individual and the company.

 

WEEK 6

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND THE THREE-FACTOR THEORY

The three things that matter most to people at work 

The factors that influence employee engagement combine in different ways and at different times for each person. Obviously, pay and leadership are important - with a direct relationship between pay and effort and the quality of leadership being critical to employee engagement. In addition, people like to do work that has meaning and purpose. 

Following international research, Sirota Consulting developed the Three-Factor Theory, addressing employee engagement by addressing three basic needs: equity, achievement and camaraderie. 

Leaders need to engage, inspire and energize their people. Gaining commitment and getting people to acquire new skills and achieve their full potential leads to ongoing improvements in performance, benefiting all concerned - individuals, teams and companies. The Three Factor Theory establishes a self-sustaining cycle of effective employee engagement by ensuring that practices and policies focus on equity, achievement and camaraderie. 

Equity 

People need to feel they are being treated fairly - especially in relation to others both inside and outside the company. This includes:

• physical aspects - for example, working in a safe environment and being physically able to do a job

• economic factors - people need to feel that their pay, benefits and job security are fair 

• psychological issues - including being treated with respect and consideration. 

Achievement 

People work better and achieve more if they believe in what they are doing and have confidence in the direction they are going. In short, they work best when they feel they are achieving something. Six issues influence this:

1. Having challenging work and being able to use their skills 

2. Having the opportunity to develop their capabilities and to take risks 

3. Having the resources, authority, information and support to work effectively 

4. Knowing that the work is important and has value and purpose 

5. Receiving recognition - both financial and non-financial 

6. Having pride in the company's aims, ethics, products and brand values.

Camaraderie 

It is important for individuals to have good relations with co-workers. This requires congenial, co-operative, interesting and supportive relationships at all levels, with the most immediate ones being the most significant. This involves relationships: 

• with co-workers 

• within the business unit 

• across on-site departments 

• across the whole company. 

 

WEEK 7

THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF MOTIVATION

Creating the right environment 

So much in business depends on motivating others. There is only so much any one person can do, so getting the most out of others is crucial to success. This all begins with winning trust - everything else follows.

Motivating others is an essential part of leadership. Your ability to motivate others relies on what they think of you and how they think you view them. This requires planning and vigilance and knowing that different people are motivated by different things. To motivate effectively, you need to know what motivates each person, the pressures they face, what influences their decisions and thinking, and how you can make a difference. These nine principles of motivation will help you to help your colleagues. 

1. Be motivated yourself

Self-motivation rallies others. People will 'step up to the plate' if you do so yourself. Knowing what motivates you will help you to motivate others. 

2. Recruit people who are highly motivated and assign them to the right position 

Match people's motivation to their job. Some are motivated by making sales while others are motivated by following processes, building teams or pursuing new ideas. 

3. Treat people as individuals 

We all have different values and personalities. What works for one may not motivate another. So, tap into what motivates each individual to improve performance. 

4. Set challenging but realistic targets

Nothing is more demotivating than unachievable targets. Nothing is more motivating than achievable, we-can-beat-the-competition targets - they tap into our competitiveness and desire to produce something to be proud of. 

5. Focus on progress - it motivates 

Everyone responds to a pat on the back - they've earned it and deserve it, so make it happen. The result: an upward spiral of people wanting to achieve more. 

6. Develop an environment that motivates people 

Eliminate or minimize anything that blocks motivation - from bureaucracy and unnecessary procedures to lack of resources. Provide training and coaching to develop skills and to make people feel valued.

7. Ensure that people receive fair rewards

Promotion, pay rises, sales commission, profit share, work benefits, additional responsibilities: these motivate people. They give people a reason to stay and to help your company excel. 

8. Recognize people's work 

We all want our efforts to be acknowledged. Recognition is needed to maintain commitment. 

9. Be honest about your intent

Honesty lies at the heart of motivation. Be clear about what your intentions are. People will be motivated only by those they can trust. 

 

WEEK 8

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP (LEADERSHIP STYLES)

Adapting your approach 

Situational leadership improves your ability to lead others and to respond effectively to situations. 

Different leadership styles 

By adjusting your style to match each challenge, you are more likely to achieve your desired outcome. To decide which approach is best, you need to consider the issues, what needs to happen and the people involved. To develop your situational leadership, you must be self-aware and understand your own style and how it impacts others. 

The model of situational leadership developed by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson identifies and details the different leadership styles. 

Leadership style Characteristics

Directing

………..telling Centres on structure, control and supervision and one-way communication 

Effective for teams that are new, temporary or forming 

A hands-on, decisive and involved approach that directs and emphasizes tasks and deadlines

Coaching 

……….engaging 

Focuses on directing and supporting - using teaching and guiding skills

Works well with teams that have worked together for a period of time

Promotes a balance between short-term and long-term needs - such as monitoring target achievement while developing longer-term priorities  

Supporting

……....developing

Involves praising, listening and facilitating development 

Appropriate for teams that continue to function well 

Leaders are no longer involved in short-term performance and operational measures 

Long-term aspects are more important, with a focus on individual and team development, planning and innovation 

Delegating 

…….hands-off 

…….facilitating 

Responsibility for routine decisions is handed over 

Works best with a highly experienced, successful team when little involvement is needed 

The focus is on working externally for the team by developing networks, securing resources and sharing best practice 

Intervention is usually at the request of the team wanting support and advice with defining problems, devising solutions or handling problems 

Using the right style 

Each situation should use the most appropriate style. For example, directing is useful in exceptional circumstances such as a crisis requiring people to follow a particular course of action or when handling difficult personnel issues. 

To decide which style is appropriate, assess the competence, ability, confidence and motivation of those involved. For example: 

• Low confidence may indicate reduced commitment, so a supportive and encouraging style is appropriate.

• Low motivation requires a listening approach, to identify the causes and change the situation. 

WEEK 9

THE JOHN WHITMORE MODEL

Are you setting the right goals in the right way? 

Sir John Whitmore gave us the GROW model for coaching and he also highlighted a model for goal-setting that is SMART, PURE and CLEAR, ensuring that you and your colleagues have goals that are appropriate, achievable and successful. 

Goal-setting is vital whenever you need to focus someone (including yourself) on a specific objective or series of objectives - for example, at an annual appraisal, when someone starts a new role, or simply at the start of a new project. 

When developing people, it is important to provide a focus for action and to ensure a sense of purpose. This is the value of the John Whitmore model: it provides a checklist for goal-setting. So, when you are goal-setting, keep it simple and check that each goal meets the 14 criteria in Whitmore's model. 

Specific The right goal Challenging

Measurable Positively stated Legal

Attainable Understood Environmentally sound 

Realistic/Realistic Relevant Agreed 

Time- constrained Ethical Recorded

When goal-setting, distinguish between end goals and performance goals: 

• End goals are the ultimate objective. They could typically be to gain promotion or additional responsibility or to complete a major project (e.g. I need to achieve sales of £300,000 this year').

• Performance goals establish the level of performance that will help an individual to achieve their end goal. Performance goals include such elements as quality standards, time management and production targets (e.g. 'I need to develop my negotiating skills').

Think about a current goal you have or one you want to address in the future. Answer the following questions to assess the robustness of your how approach to goal setting, monitoring and achievement. Also comment on how you could improve your approach.

• What is your goal? 

• Is it specific? What, exactly, will success look like? Is it an end goal or a performance goal? 

• Is it measurable? How will progress be measured and monitored? 

• Is it attainable? Do you have the skills and resources needed?

• How will you succeed and what will you do? What could go wrong? What are the risks? 

• Is it realistic? How does it relate to other people and activities? Are these links understood and could this goal benefit from other activities or expertise elsewhere in the organization? 

• What is the timescale? Are there milestones or dependencies in the plan? 

• Is the goal stated as positively as possible, in a way that will engage and encourage people? 

• Is it understood - is there a clear vision and view of what success will look like?

• Is it relevant - how well does it relate to other issues and priorities? 

• Is it ethical? 

• Will it provide the right level of challenge? 

• Is it legal and are there legal (or regulatory) issues to consider? 

• Is it environmentally sound? 

• Is everyone agreed or is more agreement needed? 

• Has the goal been recorded and is it being monitored, with progress assessed and lessons learned?

 

WEEK 10

ACTION-CENTRED LEADERSHIP

Managing the task, team and individual 

John Adair's Action-Centred Leadership model views the role of leaders as integrating three areas: ensuring that the task, the team and the individual are working effectively and that their needs are met. Success relies on ensuring that all three responsibilities are mutually reinforcing.

Overview 

As a leader, people look to you to set the direction, to support them, to help them achieve their goals, to ensure that team members work well together .and to make sure that the structures and procedures are in place (and working effectively). It is not enough to have a great idea; you are responsible for making it happen. In short, leadership is a total activity. If individuals aren't motivated, teams will not function well; if teams don't work well, tasks will fail and individual satisfaction falls, and so on. Whether you are leading one team, a business unit or an entire company, you need to provide for:

• the needs of the task - provide the appropriate systems, procedures and structures

• the needs of the team - promote team cohesiveness so that team members work well together

• the needs of the individual - engage each person (by considering pay, their sense of purpose, their need to have achievements and contributions recognized, and their need for status and to be part of something that matters). 

A functional approach to leadership 

To provide for the needs of the task, team and individuals, John Adair out-lines eight leadership functions: 

1. Define the task. Everyone needs to understand what is expected, so be clear about the task at hand - make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-constrained).

2. Plan. Identify options, look for alternatives, make contingency plans and test your ideas. Working with others in a positive, open-minded, constructive and creative way will help you to develop the best plan. 

3. Brief others. To create the right conditions and bring people with you, you have to keep people informed. Both teams and individuals will work well only if they have access to information and your thinking - without open communication, confusion or even distrust can seriously hamper business strategy.

4. Control effectively. You need self-control and you need to positively control others. Put the right procedures and monitoring in place, delegate tasks and trust others to both take responsibility and deliver results. 

5. Evaluate. Assess likely consequences, measure and judge the performance of both teams and individuals and provide necessary feedback and training. 

6. Motivate. Motivate yourself - if you are not motivated, it will be difficult to motivate others. Recruit people who are highly motivated. Set realistic and achievable targets - people respond to doable goal Focus on progress, reward success and recognize achievements.

7. Be organized. Be organized yourself and ensure that teams and individuals have the necessary skills, procedures, structures and resources in place for them to do their jobs efficiently. 

8. Set the right example. The example you set to others influences their behaviour, motivation and willingness to follow you. 

 

WEEK 11

THE SIX STEPS OF DELEGATION

Developmental, productive - the cornerstone of leadership 

Without delegation, leaders cannot lead and managers cannot manage. Delegation develops skills, challenges and retains great people, and in-creases productivity. Yet many people have difficulty delegating. These six steps will help you to delegate effectively. 

Delegation requires empowerment and trust. You need to empower people give them the skills and confidence to act and take risks. You need to trust them and accept that mistakes will happen - mistakes that can be rectified and learned from and that are more than made up for by the progress that is achieved. Delegation is essential precisely because it goes directly to the bottom line - it has a huge impact on productivity, innovation and employee engagement and retention. 

Delegation can be learned but, to be successful, it rests entirely on having the right mindset. It is about bringing people with you. While experience helps, what is more important is attitude, good communication skills and confidence in yourself. These six stages provide a framework to help you delegate successfully:

 

1. Prepare to delegate 

Know what you want to achieve. Be clear about goals and priorities and decide how these can be achieved. Plan what needs to happen, and when, and bring people along with you. Winning hearts and minds and making sure people know the reasons for your plan and what is expected of them are essential.

2. Match the person to the task 

Know your people. Understand what they can do, their potential, what would challenge and stimulate them. It also helps to understand their future career plans. Make the most of each person's abilities. Look for potential and take risks. With encouragement, training and trust, you will get more from each person. 

3. Discuss and agree objectives 

Engage people with the task that needs to be completed. Everyone needs to understand your thinking, agree with the plan and be clear about what needs to be done and when. Consider constructive criticisms because it can improve your plan and gain the buy-in of others. 

4. Put resources and power in place 

Provide the necessary resources and authority. In this way, your people can make decisions and act. Support your people whenever this is needed - they need to know you are behind them. 

5. Monitor progress 

Ensure that people are accountable for delivering what is expected of them. Having overall goals and interim targets will help people to stay focused, to meet deadlines and to ensure that standards and results additional art met. The goal is to keep people motivated and on track and to provide support where needed. 

6. Review progress 

Learn from experience and feedback. Compare and discuss results and objectives with those involved. Look at what worked well and what could have been done better. Use this to improve future plans. 

 

WEEK 12

KOTTER’S EIGHT–STAGE PROCESS FOR LEADING CHANGE

Achieving progress and getting the right things done in the best way possible

The eight-stage process of creating major change was first outlined by John Kotter in his bestselling book Leading Change; it describes what the leader needs to do to ensure that beneficial change is achieved.

1. Establish a sense of urgency 

As a leader, you should initiate or take control of the process by emphasizing the need for change. The more urgent and pressing the need, the more likely people will be focused. Usually, the leader's role is to stay positive and build on success. However, it can also help to emphasize failure - what might go wrong and how, when and what the consequences could be. You can also emphasize positive elements such as windows of opportunity that require swift and effective change. 

2. Create the guiding coalition 

The guiding coalition needs to understand the purpose of the change process. Members should be united, coordinated and carry significant authority. The coalition needs to have the power to make things happen, to change systems and procedures, and to win people over. 

3. Develop a vision and strategy 

The guiding coalition needs to create a simple, powerful vision that will direct and guide change and achieve goals. You need to develop a detailed strategy for achieving that vision. The strategy needs to be practical, work-able, understandable, simple and consistent. 

4. Communicate the change vision

Use every means possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies. This will build pressure, momentum and understanding, sustaining a sense of urgency. The guiding coalition should lead by example and act as role models for the behaviour expected of employees.

 

5. Empower broad-based action 

The leader and the guiding coalition cannot achieve change in isolation - it needs the commitment and effort of others. Provide a blame-free and supportive environment and empower your people by removing obstacles, changing systems or structures that undermine the vision and encouraging risk-taking and non-traditional ideas

6. Generate short-term wins

These produce momentum and provide an opportunity to build on success. To do this, plan for visible improvements in performance - or 'wins', create those wins and recognize and reward people who make wins possible. 

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change 

Once the excitement of the start-up phase has passed, the successes have been built and people know what is needed, people can tire and problems can arise. The key is to move steadily: maintain momentum without moving too fast. You need to continue by using increased credibility and understanding of what is still needed, hiring, promoting and developing people who can implement the changes and reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes and change agents. 

8. Anchor new approaches in the organization's culture 

A key danger in managing change is to finish too early. The best situation is often where change, development and continuous improvements become the norm. What matters is making changes that are firmly grounded in the organization. This requires you to explain the connections between the new behaviours or actions and success. 

 

WEEK 13

SIX PRINCIPLES FOR GAINING COMMITMENT

Achieving employee engagement during times of transition 

What is the goal of employee engagement? Quite simply: to maximize performance and profit. These will not happen if leaders don't have their people's commitment. Gone are the times when leaders simply informed others; nowadays a dialogue needs to take place. People need to feel valued and listened to, and leaders need to inspire, win hearts and minds, and harness talent and potential. 

Successful transitions depend on gaining commitment. Without it, companies underperform and strategy is harder to achieve. John Smythe developed six principles to engage employees - releasing creativity, raising productivity and promoting commitment and loyalty. They give people a compelling reason to work for you, to excel, and to implement plans successfully. By listening, engaging, empowering and encouraging people to share ideas, you will build confidence, loyalty and camaraderie. 

1. Develop the right plan and make sure that everyone agrees

Ensure that the senior team has explored all options and developed the best strategy. While teams often agree on a plan, some people may have held back ideas or not been on board. Making sure that everyone at the senior level is on board is critical. 

2. Plan the transition process and prepare a timeline 

When planning the timeline for implementation, consider the timing of all demands that will be placed on people, including emotional and motivational aspects. 

3. Decide who is to be involved - and how 

Make sure that everyone is clear about who is involved and how and why they are involved - or affected. When people know what their role is and understand your strategy, they are more engaged, adaptable and committed. 

4. Set standards (including role modeling and measuring progress) 

Putting standards and timed goals in place enables people to measure progress. The key is to win and maintain people's commitment: measures need to work with people; they should not demotivate. When setting goals, consider the people involved - ask yourself how they would respond. 

5. Connect with each person as an individual

Include opportunities for people to reflect, learn and enjoy working for your company. Implementing a new strategy should be enjoyable - emphasize the excitement, the potential and the opportunities. Include opportunities to celebrate past achievements - moving to the future without a nod to the past is discouraging. 

6. Tell and sell the new strategy 

Tap into people's desire to be part of something and interpret situations from their perspective. Empathy is an invaluable tool for generating enthusiasm and commitment. Remember: the version of change you are giving is not the only one people hear. Be honest, keep people informed, and offer a better, more inspirational and convincing explanation of events and strategy. 

 

WEEK 14

BELBIN’S TEAM RULES

Building, managing and understanding teams and teamworking

R. Meredith Belbin identified nine ways people work together in teams. Understanding these types will help you build and lead better teams. 

Leading a team 

While people can have characteristics from different categories, one style tends to dominate. To manage teams effectively, you need to identify and understand the style each person uses. Knowing the type of person each team member is will help you to build the right team, get the most out of people, delegate effectively and manage situations successfully. The information can be used to motivate, secure commitment, encourage the behaviours and actions you are looking for, and help you understand when to challenge and when to hold back. This insight enables you to know what type of support to offer, as well as knowing how to avoid conflict or manage it effectively should it arise. 

Belbin's nine team roles 

Team role Strengths - contribution to team-working Weaknesses - problems for team-working 

Plant Plants are creative and imaginative individuals. Their approach can be unorthodox, unusual or freethinking. As a result, they are particularly effective at solving difficult problems. A propensity to ignore details and become too preoccupied or-focused on one issue, hindering communication and collaboration. 

Resource investigator Typically resource investigators are outgoing, extrovert, enthusiastic and communicative. Skills include the ability to explore opportunities and develop contacts. Over-optimistic and positive, rather than realistic or resilient. This can mean that they lose interest after their initial enthusiasm. 

Coordinator

Coordinators are mature and confident, able to connect big-picture thinking with detailed implementation, good planning and organizational skills. Too much delegation and co-ordination of others can be seen as manipulative, and they can sometimes be perceived as offloading work. 

Shaper

Shapers are challenging, action-oriented and dynamic. Within teams they enjoy decision-making and problem-solving, and bring the drive and courage needed to overcome obstacles. Prone to provocation, and may risk offending team-members' feelings with their focus on action and results (rather than people). 

Monitor Evaluator Monitor evaluators' strength is their sober, strategic and discerning approach. They contribute to team effectiveness by viewing all options and displaying sound, accurate judgement An ability to monitor, evaluate and assess is not always dynamic, and their weaknesses can include a lack of drive and ability to inspire others. 

Teamworker Teamworkers are especially co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic. They complement a team with their ability to listen, build on ideas, promote collaboration and mutual support and avoid friction. A key weakness is indecision in crunch situations, including those scenarios where there is no 'right' way forward. 

 

Team role Strengths - contribution to team-working Weaknesses - problems for team-working 

Implementer Implementers contribute to teams by being disciplined, reliable and efficient. They are especially skilled at turning ideas into practical actions and results 

Can slow down teamworking by being inflexible or slow to respond to new options. 

Completer finisher Completer finishers deliver on time and succeed by providing the team with a conscientious, anxious approach that looks for errors and omissions. Completer finishers can worry unnecessarily or excessively and sometimes be reluctant to delegate. 

Specialist  Specialists are single-minded, dedicated self-starters. who contribute to team effectiveness by providing valuable knowledge and skills. The specialist's weakness is their tendency to concentrate on technicalities and they may only contribute in a single narrow area. 

The diagnostic questionnaire for BeIbin's team role analysis is available at Belbin Associates' website (www.belbin.com).

 

WEEK 15

DRIVERS OF TRUST AND THE TRUST CYCLE

What we look for when choosing to trust someone 

The drivers of trust are the attributes that lead to effective relationships. 

The cycle of trust is the process through which trust can be developed and maintained. 

Overview 

Trust matters because success can be achieved only by working through others. By inspiring trust, you will encourage those around you to be flexible and collaborative. Developing the drivers of trust and maintaining the trust of others will lead to productive business relationships. 

The drivers of trust 

The main drivers of trust are: 

• fairness 

• dependability 

• respect 

• openness 

• courage • unselfishness 

• competence 

• supportiveness 

• empathy 

• compassion

By promoting these qualities, relationships with colleagues, customers and stakeholders are more beneficial to everyone involved. 

The reality of trust 

In reality, the attributes we are more likely to encounter (the reality of trust) are: 

• likeability 

• dependability 

• critical 

• ambition

• fairness • professionalism 

• competence 

• respect 

• controlling 

• predictability

 

The trust deficit

People look for the drivers of trust when deciding when, and how much, to trust someone. When people's expectations are not met, trust and indeed the entire relationship are seriously undermined. It would seem that without a concerted effort to develop and demonstrate these qualities we are unlikely to develop the rapport we need for good working relationships. Avoiding a trust deficit becomes all-important if we are to get the most out of business relationships. By understanding the drivers of trust, along with the cycle of trust, we can better shape the way we relate to others and build successful, reliable and productive relationships. 

The Trust Cycle 

Explore - understand the issues and priorities

Commit — agree what you will 

deliver, how and when

 

Confirm — check that delivery has met the person's expectations Deliver — take action and achieve 

what you have promised 

 

By continually following these stages, you will build and maintain the trust that is essential for effective, productive relationships. As trust is such a fragile commodity, failing to achieve any one of these stages will damage the relationship and require you to go back and rebuild it. For this reason, ensuring that trust is maintained - by continually developing the drivers of trust and following the cycle of trust - is less disruptive, less time-consuming and less stressful. It creates the positive and productive relationships that are necessary for success.

 

WEEK 16

THE TRUTHS OF STRATEGY

Who, what, how: succeeding with business strategy 

Developing a distinctive, successful business strategy is often over-elaborate and over-complicated. Strategy is simply about understanding where you are now, where you are heading and - crucially - how you will get there. 

The idea 

Strategy has three essential elements: development, implementation and selling (meaning, obtaining commitment and buy-in). Underpinning all three is choice, in particular the need to choose a distinctive strategic position on three dimensions:

1. Who to target as customers (and who to avoid targeting) 

2. What products to offer 

3. How to undertake related activities efficiently

In practice 

Strategy is all about making tough choices in these three dimensions: who, what and how. It means deciding on the customers you will target and, just as importantly, the customers you will not target. This issue requires a focus on customer segmentation and geography.

Delivering a successful strategy also means choosing the products or services you will offer and what product features or benefits to emphasize. Finally, strategy means choosing the activities you will use to sell your selected product to your selected customer. 

This approach sounds simple but there are several key points to note to ensure a successful strategy:

• Ensure that your strategy creates a unique strategic position. This is achieved by focusing on who your customers are, the value proposition offered to these customers and how you can do this efficiently. 

• Make distinctive, tough choices. To be distinctive and meaningful, strategy must make difficult choices and combine these choices in a self-reinforcing system of activities that fit. Common mistakes include: keeping options open; permitting incentives in the system that enable people to ignore choices; searching for growth in a way that forces people to ignore the firm's strategy, and analysis paralysis. 

• Understand the importance of values and incentives. In particular, the underlying environment of your organization creates the behaviours of that organization. The organization's culture and values, measurement and incentives, people, structure and processes all determine the underlying environment. 

• Gain people's emotional commitment to the strategy. Any strategy, however brilliant, will fail unless people are emotionally committed to its success. 

• Remember, understanding is not the same as communicating. Explain why the strategy is important to the organization and the individual. 

• Do not overlook the knowledge-doing gap. Individuals tend to do the urgent things and not the important ones. There is a gap between what they know and what they do. Remember, what gets measured gets done. 

• Do not believe that 'strategic' means important. Closely linked is the mistaken view that only 'top' people can develop strategic ideas. Ideas can come from anybody, anytime, anywhere. 

• Keep your strategy flexible. All ideas are good for a limited time - not forever. Keep checking the answers to the 'who - what - how' questions. Strategy does not need to be changed too often but it will occasionally require adjusting to suit external circumstances. So, give your people freedom and autonomy to respond and to adjust, without waiting for permission or instructions. 

 

WEEK 17

SWOT ANALYSIS

A valuable decision-making technique 

SWOT analysis can work at many different levels: from the overall operation of the organization as a whole to the separate and independent issues affecting a department or a single product. 

• Strengths

• Opportunities • Weaknesses

• Threats

Internal sources of strength and weakness 

These are typically found within an organization, whereas opportunities and threats are most often external. Some factors can be sources both of strength and weakness: for example the age of employees. Older employees may denote a stable organization, able to retain employees and maintain a wealth of experience, or it may simply mean that the organization is too conservative. Many factors can be either strengths or weaknesses and they can change from one to the other surprisingly quickly. 

External sources of opportunity and threat 

These are more difficult to assess than internal ones. Examples of sources of opportunities and threats are detailed below.

Sources of opportunity include: 

• new markets (including export markets) 

• new technologies 

• new products and product enhancements 

• mergers, acquisitions and divestments 

• new investment 

• factors affecting competitors' fortunes 

• commercial agreements and strategic partnerships 

• political, economic, regulatory and trade developments

 

Sources of threats include: 

• industrial action 

• political and regulatory issues 

• economic issues 

• trade factors 

• mergers and other developments among competitors 

• new market entrants 

• pricing actions by competitors 

• market innovations by competitors 

• environmental factors 

• natural disasters 

• crises, notably including issues of health, safety, product quality and liability 

• key staff attracted away from the business 

• security issues, including industrial espionage and the security of IT systems 

• supply chain problems 

• distribution and delivery problems 

• bad debts (resulting from the fortunes of others) 

• demographic factors and social changes affecting customers' tastes or habits. 

 

WEEK 18

SCENARIO THINKING

Walking the battlefield before battle commences 

Scenario thinking is a tool for exploring possible futures. It is used to stimulate debate, develop resilient strategies and test business plans against possible futures. It enables us to think innovatively and to develop strategy that is not constrained by the past. It provides the insight needed to manage uncertainty and risk, set strategy, handle complexity, improve decision-making, reveal current potential, promote responsiveness and control our future. 

Overview

Scenarios inform and guide our understanding of possible futures that lie ahead and the forces contributing to those events. The outcomes of different responses to potential developments can be tested, without risk, through exploring various scenarios. The aim is not to predict the future accurately but to experience events before they happen. 

Scenario thinking allows us to: 

• reveal new perspectives and identify gaps in organizational knowledge 

• challenge assumptions, overcoming business-as-usual thinking 

• understand the present and identify potential e promote awareness of external events 

• encourage people to share information and ideas 

• improve our responses to events 

• promote a shift in attitude and develop greater certainty 

• promote a shared purpose and direction. 

The Strategic Conversation is an ongoing process of assessing the present, creating and testing scenarios, developing and analyzing options, and then selecting, refining and implementing the chosen options. Scenarios should: 

• Involve people at all levels 

• be relevant and valued 

• avoid existing biases 

• be rooted in a thorough analysis of the present. 

Initial planning 

Create a separate team to plan the process - preferably external people known for innovative, challenging thinking. They should: 

• identify gaps in knowledge, given the business challenges to be faced 

• agree the project's duration 

• interview members of the scenario workshop - asking each person for a 'history of the future' (what could happen and how it happened) 

• collate and analyze their responses in a report, identifying the main issues, ideas and uncertainties. (This will set the agenda for the first workshop.)

Developing the scenarios 

The aim is to understand the forces shaping the future. The workshop should develop scenarios that create and assess possible events and their consequences. Participants should: 

• identify the forces that could impact a situation 

• agree two possible opposite outcomes (and the forces involved) 

• identify how these forces are linked 

• decide whether each force has a low or high impact and a low or high probability 

• develop likely 'histories' that led to each outcome, detailing the factors involved.

 

Analyzing and using the scenarios 

Identify the priorities and concerns of people responsible for key decisions in the scenario who are outside the organization - including their likely reactions at different stages in the scenario. Then develop an action plan by working backwards from the scenario's future to the present in order to identify the early signs of change. These can be recognized and acted upon swiftly and effectively, thereby influencing the strategic direction of the company. 

 

WEEK 19

THE BALANCED SCORECARD

Developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, the Balanced Scorecard is a valuable adjunct to traditional business measures that are limited by their focus on past performance. The Balanced Scorecard overcomes this limitation by providing a means of assessing future performance to better inform and guide strategic development. 

Overview 

The reason for its success is its ability to integrate measures of performance to present a balanced view of a company's overall performance and to pinpoint areas that need completion or further development. The process generates objectives in four areas - financial data, customers' perceptions, essential internal processes, and innovation and learning - and puts in place action plans and continuous assessment. It has been criticized for being too prescriptive and quantitative, but its use can be broadened to include qualitative aspects. 

How to use the Balanced Scorecard approach 

The approach taken will depend on the company's type, size and structure. However, there are five broad stages: 

1. Prepare, define and communicate the strategy - people need to understand the objectives and how to achieve them

2. Decide what to measure - typical measures are shown in this table: 

Area Aim What to measure 

Financial To increase

• profitability

• share price 

           performance 

• return on assets • Cash flows

• Cost reduction 

• Gross margins

• Return on capital / equity / investments / sales

• Revenue growth

• Payment terms

Customers To improve: 

• customer acquisition 

• customer retention 

• customer satisfaction 

• cross-sales volumes • Market share 

• Customer service and satisfaction 

• Number of complaints 

• Customer profitability 

• Delivery times 

• Units sold

• Number of customers

Internal processes To improve: 

• core competencies 

• critical technologies 

• employee morale ... and to

• streamline processes • Efficiency 

• Lead times 

• Unit costs 

• Waste 

• Sourcing and supplier delivery 

• Employee morale and satisfaction, and staff turnover 

• Internal audit standards 

• Sales per employee

Innovation and learning To promote: 

• new product development 

• continuous improvement 

• employees' training and skills • Number of new products 

• Sales of new products 

• Number of employees receiving training 

• Outputs from employees' training 

• Training hours per employee 

• Number and scope of skills learned 

3. Finalize and implement the plan - this stage ensures that measures are workable, tailored and adopted. Essentially, this is managing by setting objectives. 

4. Publicize and use the results - being seen to act is important. Also, while ensuring that everyone understands overall objectives, decide who should receive specific information, why and how frequently. 

5. Review and amend the system - to solve any problems and to set new challenges.

WEEK 20

THE 7S MODEL

Assessing business performance 

The 7S model is a framework for assessing the performance of a company. It views all seven elements as equally important because they impact on each other - with failure in one area undermining the others. By appreciating how they are related, and assessing performance from this perspective, companies and teams can better align activities to achieve goals. 

Overview 

First developed in the 1970s by McKinsey and refined by Tom Peters, Robert Waterman and Richard Pascale, the 75 model works from the principle that success relies on simultaneously pursuing a combination of seven hard and soft aspects of running a business. Known for changing people's thinking at the time, it still provides a useful framework for assessing and improving a company or how a team is working - identifying gaps and enabling adjustments to be made to ensure that all seven aspects are aligned, working together, and supporting and reinforcing one another. By knowing how things are interrelated, the framework raises awareness of the full impact of any changes. 

 

1. Strategy 

These are plans that determine, define and outline how to fulfill the company's goals and purpose and to achieve competitive advantage. 

2. Structure

This is how the company is organized and how each part relates to the others. 

3. Systems 

This is about how both formal and informal business processes function. 

4. Shared values (superordirlate goals) 

These are the company's beliefs, values and guiding mission that draw people together and that directly influence their approach, thinking and actions. 

5. Skills 

These are the capabilities of both the people and the organization. 

6. Staff 

This concerns the nature, type and general abilities of the people employed. 

7. Style 

This is the organization's culture and style of leadership that, along with having an internal impact, determine how people outside the organization view the company. 

The main point is that all seven elements are interrelated, with each affecting the others. In this, it can be viewed as an early proponent of holistic business. Significantly - and this is of particular relevance to leaders today - it reveals how underperformance can be attributed to neglect in any one of the seven aspects, regardless of strong focus and capabilities in one or more of the others. Richard Pascale subsequently argued that, while it is generally important to view all seven as equally significant to achieving success, having shared values (superordinate goals) is the element that binds all the others together. 

 

WEEK 21

THE RULE OF 150

A bold way to create the right working conditions.

This rule is about limiting the number of people at any one location to 150.

 

Overview 

The rule is based on the idea that 150 is the largest group size that people can deal with - beyond that number, it is increasingly difficult to form bonds with others. If groups are larger, hierarchies, regulations and formal measures are required. However, with fewer than 150, goals can be achieved informally and people work better and are happier, more motivated and more productive. 

Why it works 

Co-workers find socializing, teamworking, innovating, collaborating and sharing knowledge easier to achieve in groups of fewer than 150 people. By organizing operations into smaller groups, large companies can gain the benefit of smaller groups - being closer, driven, entrepreneurial, supportive and productive. 

The rule in practice 

Gore Associates, a high-tech firm, uses this rule. It has 15 plants all within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of one another, and each with fewer than 150 employees. It has resisted the option of merging its separate sites - despite potential cost savings - because the small size of each unit ensures that everyone knows everyone else and works well together. 

By organizing itself in this way, Gore, despite being a large company with thousands of employees, is still able to enjoy the entrepreneurial approach of a small start-up. Each unit enjoys the benefits of collective management, which are 

• improved communication 

• greater initiative 

• flexibility. 

It is notable that employee turnover is significantly less than the industry average and the company has enjoyed sustained profitability and growth for over 35 years. 

This does not mean that Gore has no control or input. It has put a strong managerial system in place to oversee each unit, to ensure that activities are coordinated and efficient. The company also encourages a sense of community and teamwork within these groups - after all, the rule only means that it is possible for workers to form positive bonds with each other, so efforts must still be made to ensure that this happens. In addition, Gore makes sure that it develops a sense of community across the company by encouraging people to communicate and collaborate with workers from other groups. 

 

WEEK 22

THE SERVICE PROFIT CHAIN

Managing the vital link between people and profit 

The service profit chain highlights how employee engagement drives improvements in company performance. When employees are able to see the impact of their actions, it changes their approach and improves results.

 

The idea 

The service profit chain is based on the premise that market leadership requires an emphasis on managing value drivers those factors that have the greatest impact on success and provide the most benefit to customers. This concept is then focused on the value drivers that are the most important determinants of success: employee retention, employee satisfaction and employee productivity - it is these that strongly influence customer loyalty, revenue growth and profitability.

 

How the service profit chain works 

  

In practice: Sears 

In the 1990s US-based retailer Sears reversed significant losses by focusing on employee issues in order to turn around the company's fortunes. They examined: 

• how employees felt about working at the company 

• how employee behaviour affected customers 

• how customers' experience affected profits. 

Sears asked employees to estimate how much profit was made for each dollar sold. The average answer was 46 cents while the real answer was 1 cent - demonstrating that profitability was poorly understood. The company introduced changes in order to engage with employees and to get them to understand what influences profitability - in particular, to make clear the link between employee behaviour, customer satisfaction and company success. By understanding the implications of their actions, it changed their approach, resulting in sustained improvements in profitability. 

In practice: B&Q

At UK retailer B&Q, each percentage increase in staff turnover was costing the company £1 million. By reducing staff turnover from 35 to 28 per cent through its Employee Engagement Programme, the company reduced costs and increased turnover per employee by 20 per cent. 

 

WEEK 23

UNDERSTANDING AND AVOIDING INERTIA

When success traps us in the past 

It might seem counterintuitive to warn people about the dangers of success but that is exactly what Donald Sull did when he developed the concept of 'active inertia' - where people repeat the strategies and activities that have worked well in the past. 

A reliance on previous thinking and approaches - the formula of success - can cause a company to fail to respond properly to new developments. By applying past approaches to new conditions, the end result can be a downward spiral - leaving an organization vulnerable to more dynamic companies with approaches better suited to the new environment. 

How active inertia works 

A firm correctly discerns gradual shifts and developments in the external environment, but fails to respond effectively.

 

Managers get trapped by success, often responding to the most disruptive changes by accelerating activities that succeeded in the past.

 

The source of active inertia is a company's success formula, the unique set of strategic frames, resources, processes, relationships and values that collectively influence managers' actions. 

With time and repetition, people stop considering alternatives to their formula. The individual components of the success formula grow less flexible. 

How active inertia happens 

Active inertia occurs because people come to rely on a past formula of success, where accepted approaches become entrenched and people stop considering alternatives. Consequently, people continue to respond to external changes by pursuing fixes and activities that worked in the past. However, these responses are likely to be ineffectual because they are based on past success and not current and future needs. 

Why a past success formula does not guarantee a successful future 

Essentially, like it or not, our brains are lazy - subconsciously preferring the easy route to solving problems and then, equally subconsciously, superimposing a solid layer of reasons to justify our decisions. So it is hardly surprising that our brains fool us into being happy to rely on approaches that have proven successful in the past: it is easy and we have a ready-made wall of rock-solid excuses to hand. 

As individuals, our thinking, strategies, Methods, use of resources, relationships and values all become firmly entrenched. The consequence for companies is that this formula becomes so deeply embedded that they are left vulnerable when faced with changing conditions. 

It is understandable that past approaches should be so revered and relied upon - they are, after all, the reason for the company's current success. However, we should keep in mind that this formula is exactly that: suited to the current, stable situation - not the future. Companies can suddenly find themselves commercially stranded.

 

The bottom line is that, when faced with new developments, your approach needs to change accordingly - essentially, the survival of the fittest depends on adaptation. 

 

WEEK 24

THE SIX Rs OF BUSINESS

Business is a total activity 

Luis Gallardo's Six Rs is a total approach to business — where all activities work together, moving the whole company forward in the same direction. 

Having all company activities support one other enables us to develop the right mindset, strategy and approach for growing a successful business. This holistic approach ensures that no part of a company undermines overall goals or the activities of another part of the business. The Six Rs are: 

• Reason 

• Revenue 

• Rousers 

• Reputation 

• Relationships 

• Resilience. 

Why the Six Rs matter 

The Six Rs should work together, supporting one other and never undermining other business activities or goals. As companies can discover to their cost (witness the damage to sales when legal tax avoidance is revealed), any aspect of running a business can have serious consequences. Conversely, when the various corporate activities support one other, they will strengthen the brand and promote success. Essentially, everyone and all activities should pull together. To have parts, even unwittingly, pulling in different directions will derail strategy and cause a company to veer off course. 

Reason 

The starting point, and ongoing requirement, for setting and directing all activities is to know the reason why you are in business - your vision, values and purpose. This sets the tone and gains commitment and, consequently, has an enormous impact on customers and achieving goals. Your purpose should be communicated to everyone in the organization. Also, by fitting your products and services to your reason and values, customers and employees will understand what your company means. 

Revenue 

Managing and maximizing revenues is essential for enacting strategies and building resilience. An often overlooked but critical aspect is the portfolio of clients - it reveals strengths and gaps elsewhere in the company. The important thing is to manage revenues through the prism of the rest of the 6Rs - and to manage the others through the lens of revenue.

Rousers 

Engaging your people and aligning their thinking and behaviours to the rest of the company's activities depend on being able to inspire them. This has an enormous impact on all areas of a business - especially customers - and sets the right conditions for people to be innovative and to adapt successfully to change. 

Reputation 

Reputation is critical to success. It affects employees as well as current and potential customers and all stakeholders. The important point is that reputation can be affected by any aspect of the business - emphasizing the need to ensure that other activities do not undermine reputation. 

Relationships 

All business - internal and external - is about handling relationships. Everything is affected, with a direct bearing on profitability, so all relationships should be managed carefully, keeping in mind the importance of the Six Rs approach. 

Resilience 

Developing resilience enables companies to continue achieving goals, to survive difficult circumstances and to take advantage of opportunities. It enables swift and appropriate responses to any developments and the flexibility to adapt to change. Resilience involves being proactive, prepared and having the right mindset to deal with any events, threats or opportunities.

 

WEEK 25

THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP MODEL

How to manage your product portfolio 

Identifying which products and investments should be continued (and at what level of investment) is a complicated task. Cutting through this confusion, the Boston Consulting Group model (developed by Bruce Henderson) provides a straightforward means of managing your port-folio of products.

 

How it works 

The model uses a matrix, each box representing a type of product: Star, Cash cow, Question mark and Dog. Products are located in a quadrant according to market growth and market share. The category a product falls into enables you to see whether it is worth pursuing. By Looking at the matrix, it is easy to see why each category has certain characteristics and prospects.

  

Star 

Given the high market growth, this product is obviously a rising star and should be pursued. Coupled with high market share, the risks are minimal and the return will be high. A note of caution, though, is that a growing market will inevitably cost a lot to keep up with so it is advisable to consider your ability to fund this - especially if there are large set-up costs or if you expect a delay in the product generating revenue. 

Cash cow 

Clearly, given the large market share, there is still a lot of potential for generating revenue. However, given the low market growth, there may be some limiting factors (such as time or changing technology) that suggest you should milk these products as much as you can before the opportunity for high returns dwindles in a declining market. It would be wise to monitor market conditions closely to prevent losses should the market decline rapidly. 

Question mark 

If a product falls into this category, there are issues that need to be addressed before a decision can be made. Although there is high market growth, you have to ask yourself whether the low market share will generate enough revenue to justify the investment - especially given the likely high costs of keeping pace with a growing market. A key factor in making a decision is having deep-enough pockets either to wait for higher returns as the market grows or to turn it into a Star by securing a stronger market share. 

Dog 

With low market share and low market growth, this product is going nowhere fast. Clearly, it is not worth pursuing. Sometimes, you may wish to continue with this type of product if it provides other benefits - such as maintaining customer loyalty for your overall brand. 

 

WEEK 26

THE PARETO PRINCIPLE

Finding the right locus and answer using the 80:20 rule 

Pareto analysis arose from Vilfredo Pareto's observation that many activities break down into an 80:20 ratio, where 80 per cent of output is due to 20 per cent of the contributory factors. This observation is now used to focus business strategy, problem-solving and operations on the key inputs that are responsible for 80 per cent of the outcome. 

How it works 

The 80:20 ratio applies both to positive and negative situations, providing a useful means of dealing quickly with problems or opportunities. In other words, by identifying the small number of key factors that are contributing most to a situation, we can better focus efforts to achieve the desired result. 

Pareto analysis is only as good as the data that is used, so we need to ensure that all contributory factors are identified and that appropriate and revealing parameters and measures are established and interpreted correctly. Although not everything falls neatly into an 80:20 rule, Pareto analysis is still useful for identifying the main causal factors. 

This simple example shows how the process works. 

1. Research and discuss the issue, identifying all contributory factors. 

2. Decide an appropriate time period and method of measurement. 

3. Measure how frequently each factor occurs (or another measure, such as cost). 

4. Rank the factors in descending order, with the largest one first. 

5. Calculate the frequency of each factor as a percentage of the total occurrences (or cost). 

6. Calculate the cumulative percentage (current percentage plus all previous percentages). 

7. Depict this information on a graph - with 'frequency as a percentage of total’ as a bar chart and 'cumulative percentage' as a line, adding a third line showing the 80 per cent cut-off point. 

All factors that appear to the left of the intersection of the two lines are the ones contributing to 80 per cent of the result - these are the factors to focus on. 

Example of how the Pareto Principle can be displayed 

 

 

WEEK 27

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY

Creating unique market opportunities 

A Blue Ocean Strategy is one where the key to success Lies not in competing directly with rivals within a market, but in creating an entirely new market where there are currently no competitors and where the potential for high returns is vast. 

Developed by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy involves a change in strategic thinking towards a mindset that challenges existing market boundaries, rewrites the rules of competition, and creates a new, as yet uncontested, market space. The theory outlines two attitudes to competition: Red Oceans and Blue Oceans.

 

The current marketplace for all products and services is made up of Red Oceans (bloody battlegrounds), where boundaries are clearly defined and companies operate within the boundaries of their accepted Red Ocean markets. Here, the entrenched battleground is one where companies compete to gain extra market share within the current market boundary. 

A very different attitude pervades the Blue Oceans. These are areas of deep, uncharted, almost limitless potential where the aim is not to compete on traditional grounds but to develop products and services that create entirely new markets. In essence, it is creating customers that do not yet exist.

 

At its core, Blue Ocean Strategy believes that it is better to create tomorrow's customers through developing a new market rather than scrabbling around trying to capture existing customers in the current marketplace. There may be many justifications for this approach but, quite simply, the reason seems straightforward: to create a monopoly situation and reap the high rewards before competitors enter the new market. 

Value creation 

Value is achieved by integrating the utility of the product with its cost and price. It is not a case of choosing between competing through managing costs or product differentiation: it is about pursuing both. It is this that creates the value that appeals across customer groups, drawing them into a new market. Think of this as maximizing the gap between the utility of the product and its price (facilitated by lower costs) - the larger this gap, the higher the value and the more it attracts customers. 

Blue Ocean Strategy relies on four main principles: 

1. Challenging existing market boundaries. Reconstruct the marketplace, identifying and creating new markets and customers. The Blue Ocean is a vast place where demand is unrealized - it doesn't yet exist. The aim is to bring this demand into existence. 

2. Keeping focused on the overall picture. Be clear about your goals: what matters and needs to be achieved. 

3. Minimizing risk. Assess current industry standards and decide what can be: 

a. eliminated - things that are not necessary 

b. reduced - things that do not need to be done to a high standard 

c. raised - things that should be done better 

d. created - things that have never been offered before. 

4. Planning careful implementation. You will need to overcome barriers and secure the resources and the support of your people (especially key influencers). 

 

WEEK 28

BENCHMARKING

Measuring performance 

Benchmarking establishes standards against which performance can be measured. It is used to assess performance and to set targets across a range of business activities. 

Overview 

The purpose of benchmarking is to improve efficiency and quality, to determine and promote best practice, to maintain competitiveness and to focus people on the need for change and improvement. Carol McNair and Kathleen Leibfried divide benchmarking into four categories as shown in this table:

Category Aim

Internal Using internal measures to match or surpass current performance, ensure consistent standards throughout the company, eliminate waste and improve operations 

Competitive Using competitors' standards to set targets that match or improve upon their performance 

Industry Setting benchmarks that are industry standards 

Best-in-class To match or surpass the standards of the best companies in any industry or country 

Setting benchmarks 

The data should be free from bias or vested interests. Using an external company to gather evidence and measure standards will help to maintain impartiality. 

Successful benchmarking needs everyone to be 'on the same page' and to understand the process. People need to be clear about what is being measured and what, and it is important to give people the time and resources they need. 

While targets need to be realistic and achievable, they also need to ensure that standards are maintained and consistent throughout a company and they should seek to continually improve upon performance. To do this, it is necessary to look at both internal and external evidence. 

Benchmarking is a continual process that needs to adapt quickly to changes - it is no use measuring activities that are no longer relevant or failing to measure activities that are now more significant. To do this effectively, as well as assessing internal operations, you need a keen awareness of your customers, competitors and companies in other sectors. This ensures that benchmarking is focused on the issues that matter now rather than reflecting the past, and is not blinkered by a narrow, internal focus that risks delivering more of the same. 

By enabling you to know what competitors are doing and what the most innovative, high-performing companies in other industries are achieving, benchmarking will help to maintain your company's competitiveness. 

 

WEEK 29

THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Managing your product portfolio 

From development and launch, through its peak to eventual decline, a product's life cycle determines the strategy needed to optimize its return at each stage and to develop further products to ensure ongoing profit-ability and competitiveness. 

Although not an exact science, the duration of each stage varies according to the product and the markets involved. Some life cycles are obviously shorter than others - such as technology products. With very short life cycles, it is essential to maximize returns as quickly as possible and to be continually developing the next products. A long-lasting branded product, despite undergoing many life cycles, enjoys continuity from its brand name. Companies, however, still have to manage the life cycles of such branded products - planning the next improvement and managing the replacement of the current version. 

There are five stages in the product life cycle: 

1. Development - this includes entirely new products and changes or improvements to existing products 

2. Introduction - at this stage, costs can be high relative to revenue 

3. Growth - revenue rises and offsets costs 

4. Maturity - growth slows and competition rises 

5. Decline - sales decline due to increased competition or changing customer preferences 

The following describes tactics appropriate to each stage: 

Development 

Development can be very costly, with unexpected delays, so cash-flow issues are paramount. Researching what customers are looking for and testing prototypes with potential customers will help you develop the right products with fewer glitches - as well as promoting a ready-made pool of customers. Importantly, product development is an ongoing process, ensuring that new products or improvements to existing products are ready to replace current products.

 

Introduction

Getting the launch right is essential. Raising product awareness quickly requires promotional and advertising investment - depending on the nature of the product, targeting early adopters can be useful at this stage. An aggressive pricing strategy can achieve fast market penetration - although this will depend on the brand's attributes. You could also consider minimizing distribution costs by limiting the availability of the product. 

Growth

In the face of more competition, but still with considerable potential revenue and falling unit costs, strategy needs to focus on outcompeting rivals, delivering extra value to customers and increasing market share. Further promotional offers, marketing and advertising campaigns, attractive prices and promoting the product's brand will strengthen your position. 

Maturity 

Given the influx of competitors, a company is faced with several strategic options to strengthen its market share, including: product differentiation, entering new markets, attracting rivals' customers, a price war, and reducing costs to maintain competitive pricing and profitability. It is important at this stage to monitor the financial situation and the viability of the different options. 

Decline 

With falling sales and reduced margins, any plans and further investment should be considered carefully. Reducing the available options for the product and reducing the number of markets the product is offered in will re-duce costs. Catering to your core customers to cement their loyalty can also boost profits at this stage. Other tactics to extend the life of a product include product extensions and entering previously untapped markets. 

 

WEEK 30

SYSTEMS THINKING

Building better companies 

A company is a collection of systems, and systems within systems. These all need to operate individually and collectively, to drive the business forward. A company's systems need to work with strategy, and they need to be open, adaptive and understood. 

Traditional approaches to strategy have emphasized the mechanics of how things work. This can result in too much complexity and 'over-engineering', with processes and systems being overly focused on the present, unable to adapt and failing to win people over. The fundamental flaw is setting a predetermined solution at the start of any redesign, which then influences subsequent thinking, narrowing views and ambitions, and misses better options. Often, the result of re-engineering is an expensive disappointment. 

In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge revolutionized business re-engineering by arguing that solutions should be considered only after fully understanding the relationships within and between systems (including the behaviours involved) and examining all related problems and issues. Essentially: go back to basics, look deeper and search further, before you start thinking about solutions. Such open systems thinking builds teams, promotes creativity and develops new approaches. It works with the company's long-term strategy, enabling adaptability and continual improvement. It is not the easiest approach: it is time-consuming and mentally demanding and generates an overwhelming number of questions. It works best when the right culture and mindset exist. 

There are seven steps to successful systems thinking: 

1. Explore the situation 

Gather the information you need without making judgments or looking for causes and effects. At this stage, do two things: 

• Cast your net wide, collating as much information as possible. 

• Be objective and detached (see things as they are, without an agenda). 

2. Describe the system

To understand what you are dealing with, list and describe the things that have happened - including the culture, people and atmosphere. Identify, date and examine trends and patterns. Position each factor on a diagram to show the relationships that exist between them. This highlights how aspects work together and reveals negative and positive feedback loops to enable you to analyze the systems in more depth later. 

3. Build models 

Mathematical and IT tools are useful but they will take you only so far because systems need to be considered as they really function if they are to be understood and improved. 

4. Compare your model to what is actually happening 

Check your model against reality to see whether it fits and whether you have understood it correctly or have missed something. 

5. Identify potential improvements 

Once you have confirmed that your model is an accurate representation of what is happening, explore ways in which the system can be improved. 

6. Implement your improvements 

Monitor changes and identify any further improvements that could be made. It is essential to win people over - successful change depends on people's willingness to work positively with the new systems. 

7. Repeat the process 

Systems thinking is a continuous activity; companies need to adapt to change and to take advantage of new opportunities. 

 

WEEK 31

MARKET BARRIERS

Protecting your profits 

Market exit and entry barriers have both positive and negative effects on profit, depending on your company's position and on the impact the barriers have on your competitors. A key aspect of awareness of market barriers is that they increase our focus on external issues. In short, it forces us to look up and see the business horizon in much greater detail.

 

Overview 

The word 'barrier' is slightly misleading. While barriers will certainly make you do your sums, consider the ramifications and prepare contingency plans, they also deter your competitors. And that is the point: use barriers to your advantage. Your strategy must include careful calculations about the costs involved and you must balance these against the revenue and market dominance potential, but it should also look for how to exploit barriers to your advantage.

 

The matrix below summarizes the impact of barriers to entry and exit on profitability. 

Low entry barriers Returns: stable

Profit: low Returns: at risk

Profit: low

High entry barriers Returns: stable

Profit: high Returns: at risk

Profit: high

Low exit barriers High exit barriers

Entry barriers 

There are many barriers to entry, including: 

• the high cost of capital 

• other companies owning patents and proprietary technology 

• high research and development costs of developing necessary products 

• expensive technology 

• existing companies enjoying economies of scale that you can't afford to match 

• a restricted number of government licences 

• the expense of (or lack of access to) effective distribution channels 

• Your product not being different enough from market leaders. 

Exit barriers 

There are many exit barriers, including: 

• high fixed costs 

• few buyers for your expensive, specialized equipment 

• contractual salary, redundancy and pension commitments 

• legal regulations 

• outstanding contractual obligations 

• being tied to other companies 

• risk to brand image. 

Not only do you need to understand all the costs, legalities and brand issues, you need to understand how barriers work: how they affect you and, importantly, how they will affect your current and potential competitors. Do this and you will determine the business strategy that is right for your company. 

For example, the ideal scenario for an established company is to have high entry barriers and low exit barriers. The reasons are self-evident: high entry barriers deter others from entering the market you are already operating in; low exit barriers will not cause you a problem should you decide to change course. 

A much less favourable scenario is having low entry barriers but high exit barriers. Obviously, with low entry barriers, competitors can flood into the market. Unfortunately, the high exit barriers will make it difficult and ex-pensive to leave the market, restricting your strategic options in the future.

 

WEEK 32

THE SIX PS OF STRATEGIC THINKING

Following the right path 

Strategy is an overused word, but it simply means moving from where you are now to where you want to be. The Six Ps framework helps to guide thinking when developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing strategy, 

Overview 

Business strategy is a total activity, with every part of the organization connected and working together successfully. Because of this, some of the best-laid plans can go awry or fail to achieve their potential because of simple oversights or by a failure to properly explore an issue. The Six Ps highlight how all aspects of a business must work together, and how shortcomings in one part will affect other aspects of your strategy. 

Using the Six Ps framework will help to keep the strategy focused on the most important issues as well as enabling you to understand exactly what is happening, to look at issues creatively, to develop solutions, to monitor progress and to think strategically. 

The Six Ps of strategic thinking are Plan, Ploy, Pattern, Position, Perspective and Process, explained in the following flow chart. 

PLAN - Know where you are headed, and design the plan that will get you there. 

PLOY - Determine the tactics that will deal effectively with competitors or others in your own company. 

PATTERN - Assess the patterns of behaviour that are apparent in order, for example, to improve processes or to identify potential customers and markets. 

POSITION - Know where your company fits in the market relative to the competition. 

PERSPECTIVE - Assess the current character of the company and consider how this could be improved to better match strategic aims. 

PROCESS (programme of activities) -, Develop, monitor and improve a programme of activities to achieve your strategy. 

 

WEEK 33

PORTER’S GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES

Choosing the road ahead 

Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies describe how a company develops competitive advantage across its chosen market. There are three generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and focus. 

Overview

A company chooses to pursue one of two types of competitive advantage: either with lower costs than its competitors, or by differentiating itself along dimensions valued by customers so it can command a higher price. A company also chooses one of two types of scope: either focus (offering its products to selected segments of the market) or industry-wide, offering its product across many market segments. The generic strategy reflects choices made about both the type of competitive advantage and the scope. The concept was first described by Michael Porter in 1980. 

 

Cost leadership 

The strategic aim is to offer competitive prices by reducing costs and to also use lower costs to raise profit margins, fund discount campaigns, or launch an aggressive price war to gain market share and eliminate the competition. Reducing costs can also open up new markets that were less able to sustain higher prices. Another advantage of lowering costs is providing flexibility should suppliers raise prices unexpectedly and suddenly, without you also having to raise prices. 

The risks, however, are that other companies can copy your methods, eroding any advantage you have, and the lack of investment in research and development will leave your products looking dated and inefficient compared to those of competitors with better equipment and methods. 

Differentiation 

Developing distinctive products for different segments separates you from the competition. It creates product desirability, strengthens your brand, promotes customer loyalty, provides competitive advantage, enables higher prices and delivers higher returns. Your products can be differentiated from those of your competitors but you can also differentiate your own products from one another to target different customer groups and markets.

 

The risks are higher costs and waste and the potential for more complex operations. 

Focus 

While focus incorporates aspects of cost leadership and differentiation, it is concerned with targeting products and services at one market segment, gaining increased share in that segment. The risk is that this will produce a narrow view that is overly focused on the short term, on too few factors, and on a less lucrative or unstable market and thus fails to see potential elsewhere. 

 

WEEK 34

PESTLIED ANALYSIS

Looking outwards for opportunities 

Using PESTLIED analysis improves awareness of the impact of external factors. Given the huge number of influences - both opportunities and threats - it is essential to constantly scan the environment for changes and adjust strategy and operations accordingly. 

Overview 

When running a business it is always advisable to keep a wide range of external matters in view. PESTLIED provides a format to check that strategy and plans have adequately accounted for external factors and to conduct an overall review of how the company is performing and how it could be improved. Significantly, by valuing and using this format, it encourages people to always look beyond the company to notice opportunities and threats. It therefore works well with the technique of SWOT analysis. 

The broad areas to consider that form part of PESTLIED analysis are outlined below. 

Political

Consider the governmental actions that could affect your company - from local councils and national governments to larger, supranational bodies. 

Economic 

Understand all current and potential financial aspects (in different countries) that are either detrimental or offer opportunities - such as taxation, financial regulations, interest rates and currency markets. 

Social 

Knowing about developing trends, the general mood of a country, and people's beliefs, changes in tastes and fashions and their expectations has always been important, but never more so than today, with the rise and power of social media. 

Technical 

We are living in an age where knowledge and use of the latest technologies are everything. These can reduce costs and enable us to offer better products and services. It is an inescapable fact: the company that doesn't move with new technology rapidly becomes outdated and out-competed. 

Legal

Not conducting due diligence and not knowing exactly what legalities and regulations are involved is irresponsible and risky. While this should be normal in terms of your current places of operation, you should also look to possible future developments and to what is happening (and likely to happen) in other countries. Are there better places to base your operations and will future changes make somewhere else advantageous? When entering new markets, it is important to know all legal aspects so that you set the right strategy and ensure that all legal obligations are met. 

International 

This is a broad area covering everything from what is happening in international politics and economics to exchange rates and stock markets. The point is: cast your net wide and be aware of changes on the international stage. 

Environmental 

Your brand is affected by everything your company does, including its environmental policy. You also need to consider current and likely environmental regulations when setting and implementing strategy. 

Demographic

Demographic changes have a huge impact on companies and yet they are often poorly understood. This is a serious oversight. Demographics should inform business decisions: not only will it affect the availability of workers and pension obligations, but it will also determine current and future market opportunities. 

 

WEEK 35

THE DYNAMICS OF PARADIGM CHANGE

Creating better futures 

Introducing changes in an organization is difficult. Changing your entire business model is even harder - not least because the need for such a fundamental shift often doesn't occur to us or is full of the fear of uncertainty. Even so, competition doesn't stand still and companies need to adapt; sometimes the answer may require a shift in the basic paradigm. 

Overview 

When things need to change, people often prefer manageable adjustments because they are cautious and dislike uncertainty. While some issues can be solved with smaller improvements, sometimes a larger shift in thinking is needed. Having the courage and creativity to change a company's fundamental business model radically isn't easy but may be the only real answer to a problem or even point the way to a better future. After all, your current situation is ultimately resting on the paradigm that has got you to this point. So, tweaking this and that further up the line may help to a degree but may not be tackling the root cause of the problem: a flawed or outdated business model. You are not likely to make significant changes to your situation without questioning the basic paradigm of your company and considering whether it is time to overhaul the entire business model. 

One of the main hurdles in dealing with a failing or underperforming company is overcoming people's mental blocks that seriously limit the scope of strategic thinking. Such strategic inertia is a recipe for long-term decline because, when a company doesn't keep pace with external developments, its strategy drifts. It is essential to break out of the business-as-usual mindset and to open your thinking to possibilities. Competition doesn't stand still and neither should your business model. 

The process of paradigm change

The following diagram outlines three stages of improving business performance. The first step involves tightening controls. The second step involves developing new strategies that are still aligned with the current paradigm. The third step involves changing the paradigm itself. 

 

Crucially, this model is designed to improve business performance. It therefore starts with an existing model or paradigm, translated into a strategy which is then implemented. The opportunity and impetus to improve the business model becomes compelling only after the strategy has been implemented and the effects on performance are assessed. At that point the process of reinvention can gain pace starting with step 1 - the need for tighter controls - before moving to steps 2 and 3. 

 

WEEK 36

ANSOFF’S PRODUCT MATRIX

Getting from A to B

Ansoff’s Product Matrix provides a useful means of clarifying your thinking through generating a snapshot of where you are and where you would like to be and enabling you to identify strategic priorities. 

By helping you to see the gap between the current situation and your goals, the Product Matrix serves to illuminate your situation, your goals, your thinking and the route you need to take. Knowing your goal isn't enough: you need to know what needs to be done to get there. Strategy consists of two elements: portfolio strategy and competitive strategy. Portfolio strategy sets the goals for each product and market, while competitive strategy determines how to achieve those goals. 

The grid 

The grid has four areas that point to different options, depending on your current situation and goals. 

Current product New product 

Current market Market penetration 

Increase market share Product development 

Develop new products for existing markets 

New market Market development 

Take existing products into new markets Diversification 

Develop entirely new products for new markets 

The portfolio strategy explores each product and market combination as geographical growth vectors. These vectors have three aspects - market needs, market location and product needs (such as required technology). The three-dimensional nature of Ansoff's grid highlights the many points of intersection of current and potential products, market locations and market needs. By seeing how these aspects intersect, it will clarify the strategic options that are open to your company. 

Ansoff's Product Matrix provides a clear snapshot to help you set and achieve strategic goals. There are four aspects to using the matrix that are all connected - the priorities you set in one will inevitably affect the others. The four aspects are:

1. The geographical growth vector. Know where you are and where you want to be. Assess your current product and market combinations and decide what and where you would like those combinations to be in the future. 

2. Competitive advantage. Determine your core strengths and what gives you a competitive edge. Then identify the resources and capabilities needed to achieve goals - know what your company does well and not so well and the skills, resources and technology it will need to acquire. 

3. Synergies. Identify synergies between activities, cut costs and bolster competitiveness.

4. Flexibility. Ensure that your company is prepared for the unexpected and is able to respond quickly and effectively to change. Make sure that one part of the company can incorporate change without harming other parts. 

 

WEEK 37

RESOURCES AND THE CRITICAL PATH

The drivers of business performance 

'Resources' is an overused term in business but any factor providing value or benefit, from whatever origin, is a resource that can be used to benefit the business. Increasing and strengthening resources over time can be seen as the critical path to business success. 

Managing resources 

Assessing which resources are important involves taking a view across the whole of the business and identifying those factors, direct or indirect, tangible or intangible, that can be expanded and used for competitive advantage. Understanding which resources are most important and how they should be managed requires a clear understanding of the nature of each resource, in terms of the following: 

• The interaction between resources. Resources can combine in a cycle to accelerate their growth. For example, rising sales volumes may lead to more cash and more internal capacity, both of which can be used to generate increasing sales, perhaps by entering new markets, in a self-sustaining cycle. Similarly, product quality (an intangible resource) may lead to increased sales, and this in turn can generate sufficient cash to continue improving product quality (and continue increasing sales). In the same way that resources can interact to reinforce one another, they can also interact by limiting one another. 

• The fragility of the resource. Cash, quality, customers, staff, reputation and most other resources can all disappear with remarkable speed and ease. It is, therefore, important to control the main factors likely to damage or undermine resources. For example: cash needs to be monitored and controlled; quality can be eroded by suppliers; service can be undermined by the attitudes of personnel; and brand reputation may be damaged by the actions of distributors. 

• The quality of resources. It is worth considering how the quality of re-sources can be developed. For example, a customer base is a valuable re-source, but its quality might be improved by increasing customer loyalty to your brand - for instance, by using customer loyalty schemes. 

How resources affect performance 

Resources have a special characteristic: they fill and drain over time. Since a firm's performance at any time directly reflects the resources available, it is essential that we understand how those resources develop over time and how we can control that process. To build strong business performance, we need to know: 

• how many resources are available 

• how fast these numbers are changing 

• how strongly these factors are being influenced by things under our control and by other forces

• how resources interrelate with one another. 

In a system where resources are integrated and working together, what matters is not the uniqueness of individual resources but how they combine and work together to deliver value for customers. To manage resources and ensure that they drive performance in the desired direction, start by understanding how resources work together.

 

WEEK 38

DEVELOPING INTANGIBLE RESOURCES

Intangibles: what they are, why they matter, and what they can do for you 

Soft 'intangible' factors can play a crucial role in developing a business's competitive performance. For example, a charity with strong commitment from its donors will achieve its goals more easily, and a business with a culture that encourages coaching, risk-taking, new ideas and avoids blame is more likely to make improvements and achieve progress. 

Unfortunately, intangibles can be tough to manage. You may easily borrow cash, buy production capacity or hire staff, but it is slow and difficult to build staff morale, a strong reputation, support from a charity's donors or to generate new ideas. 

Overview 

Resources can typically be classified into two of four categories: either direct or indirect and tangible or intangible. 

• Direct resources are those factors such as staff expertise, cash or intellectual property that can be developed and nurtured by the business. Customers are, perhaps, the biggest single direct resource. (Viewing customers as a resource focuses thinking on how to accumulate and retain them.) 

• Indirect resources are those factors that have a bearing on the quality, strength and value of resources. For example, effective training and development policies are an indirect resource, as they build the effectiveness of staff expertise. 

• Tangible resources are those that can be physically seen, such as cash, inventory, sales volumes and customers; typically, these have the highest profile within the organization, as they are the most apparent. 

• Intangible resources such as service quality, brand reputation or staff expertise are also vitally important to success. 

Of these, intangible resources can be the hardest to manage (and the easiest to ignore). Several techniques will help ensure that intangible resources are working well with the rest of the business:

• Identify the most important intangibles. Since your performance relies on concrete resources, assess whether an intangible factor is likely to influence your ability to win or lose the resources. It is not advisable to waste time examining too many factors, as it is more likely that only one or two factors will have a significant impact. 

• Be clear which of these factors genuinely 'accumulate' through time and which are simply current features of the business. 'Quality' and 'service' reflect the balance between what has to be done and what is available to do it, in which case they do not accumulate. Reputation, motivation, commitment and relationships, on the other hand, are built up and drain away over time in response to events. 

• Assess intangibles carefully, identif9 the best measure and also the events causing each intangible to rise or fall. Look for ways to strengthen intangibles. 

• Build intangible measures into your performance tracking system. Reporting systems now commonly incorporate soft measures (as distinct from hard data, such as financial measures) from various parts of the organization, recognizing that soft measures such as engagement or reputation are crucial to a well-performing system.

• If you don't know, don't ignore the issue. Soft factors are influencing your organization, continually and powerfully. Remember, if you choose to ignore them, you are not, in fact, really leaving them out. Instead, you are assuming that they are satisfactory and unchanging. This is unlikely to remain correct, so make your best estimate and start tracking and understanding them. 

 

WEEK 39

MARKET POSITIONING AND VALUE CURVES

Choosing the best position in the market for your business or product 

A value curve is a way of highlighting customers' needs and preferences. This can be used to understand a firm's competitive position, as well as potential trade-offs, opportunities and areas for further development. 

Competing firms emphasize and trade off different things that customers value. For example: 

• The UK retailer The Body Shop traded the slick packaging, clinical approach and glamorous image traditionally favored by the cosmetics industry in return for a lower price and a more sustainable identity (see diagram). 

• In the USA South-West Airlines pioneered low-cost aviation by trading the features of traditional air travel in return for the benefits of cheap, point-to-point travel. 

• Multiplex cinemas traded the conventional convenience and centrality of town centre locations in return for the benefits of space and a different experience for customers. 

• Home Depot expanded into out-of-town locations on freeways and employed ex-contractors as a way of providing a new level of service and value for customers who did not typically visit home building stores. 

 

The concept of value curves highlights several points about market positioning: 

• Competing firms emphasize and trade off different values (e.g. luxury may be traded for a lower price). 

• Customers value specific features (e.g. price, packaging) differently at different times. 

• Different values enable firms to target new, different - and possibly un-fulfilled - market segments, potentially increasing the size of the market. 

• Initially, strategic innovators (e.g. South-West Airlines) create new 'market space', gradually redefining the market. 

• It can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for incumbents to successfully copy new arrivals. This is because internal cultural and resource issues keep firms anchored in their conventional way of working. 

• When reviewing a value curve, consider the trend: how are things changing? 

 

WEEK 40

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: PORTER’S FIVE FORCES

How competitive is your company? 

Porter's Five Forces model provides a deeper understanding of a firm's current competitiveness and highlights options to improve competitiveness. 

Michael Porter outlines five forces for competitive analysis: 

1. New entrants 

2. Substitute products 

3. Buyers 

4. Suppliers 

5. Existing competitors. 

1. New entrants 

Ask yourself how easy it is for new companies to enter the market. There are many factors to consider, including barriers to entry (such as patents and high set-up costs), attractiveness of profit margins and the strength of your brand. 

2. Substitutes 

Assess how easy it is for your products to be substituted by other products. This includes all alternatives - not just similar products. For example, airlines compete with train and coach companies, not just other airlines. 

3. Buyers 

Review how strong your buyers are. Is it a buyers' market? Can buyers switch to competitors easily? Are some of your customers in such a strong position that this leaves you vulnerable? If your business-to-business buyers are operating at low profit margins, what impact will this have on your company? 

4. Suppliers 

Assess the strength of your suppliers. Are you dependent on a particular supplier - and how can this be mitigated? Does the supplier rely on your custom or could it easily take its operating capacity to other companies or sell directly to your customers? Could you use alternative products or methods to reduce your vulnerability? 

5. Existing competitors 

Understand your competitors and how you compare to them.

• What threat do they pose? 

• What are their strengths and weaknesses? 

• Could there be a price war or other aggressive strategies - and would you be able to survive such tactics? 

• Are they innovative? 

• Are customers able to move to other companies easily? 

• Now many competitors are there? 

• Which companies are the strongest? 

• Are there any newcomers ready to take the market by storm or render your products redundant? 

Assessing competitiveness through all five forces will help you to determine how the company is performing, its strengths and weaknesses and the direction it is heading in. Because a weakness of Porter's approach is the focus on external issues, it is often used alongside complementary models that are better at revealing the internal issues that impact on a company's competitiveness. 

 

WEEK 41

INNOVATION HOTSPOTS

How to build a culture of innovation 

Developed by Professor Lynda Gratton, Innovation Hotspots occur where conditions are right and there is encouragement - they cannot be formally imposed. Encouragement is needed in four areas, which are: 

1. a co-operative mindset 

2. boundary spanning 

3. developing a sense of purpose 

4. productive capacity. 

1. A co-operative mindset 

A co-operative mindset results from a company's practices, processes, behaviours and norms - the behaviour of top management is significant. People have to want to share both explicit and tacit knowledge. Several elements are vital: 

• Consider relationships when selecting staff. 

• Emphasize relationships in inductions. 

• Provide mentoring. 

• Emphasize collective rewards over individual ones. 

• Establish structures that facilitate peer-to-peer working. 

• Develop social responsibility. 

2. Boundary spanning

This involves thinking beyond your immediate boundaries - seeing the larger picture. This involves: 

• being undeterred by physical distance 

• welcoming a diverse range of ideas, insights, experience and people 

• being willing and able to explore issues together 

• networking and building bridges for others to cross 

• using different levels of co-operation (e.g. use strong ties where developing trust quickly is important; use weak ties to generate a lot of ideas) 

• listening and reflecting in conversations rather than just pushing a point of view.

 

3. Developing a sense of purpose 

Pose challenging (or 'igniting') questions. These don't have a 'right' answer; they invite exploration of options. They inspire and engage people and lead to a new vision that provides purpose and energy.

 

4. Productive capacity 

Ensuring that a hotspot realizes its full potential relies on building productive capacity by: 

• understanding and appreciating the talents of others 

• obtaining practical, public and explicit commitment from participants 

• harnessing the creative energy which results from problem-solving and decision-making 

• synchronizing time, especially where different time zones have to be accommodated or where there are different attitudes to time 

• ensuring that pressure is neither too high, where people burn out, or too low, where they lose interest.

Innovation relies on teamwork, agility and the ability to lead change. Crucially, it is about mindset: you need to think like an innovator and you need to encourage this in others. Innovation isn't only about products - it's about understanding customers and building a brand, improving efficiency, reducing costs, improving the quality and quantity of people's work and removing constraints. 

 

WEEK 42

DEEP DIVE PROTOTYPING

Developing creative, practical solutions 

Developed and popularized by the consultancy firm IDEO, Deep Dive Prototyping is a focused, team-based approach to generating solutions to a particular problem or challenge. It is a useful way of stimulating creative thinking and to capture and fine-tune ideas. 

The process 

A deep dive combines brainstorming and prototyping (building and exploring a potential solution) to devise actions that will help move a business forward. There is no time limit, and the main stages are:

• Build a team that has a mix of strengths and approaches. 

• Define the design challenge - to do this, understand your market, customers, technology and constraints and use this information to develop key themes. 

• Visit experts, and gather information on markets, customers - and ideas generally. 

• Share ideas. 

• Brainstorm and vote - this involves intensive brainstorming and discussion to imagine new concepts and ideas based around the main themes. 

• Develop a fast prototype. 

• Test and refine the prototype, streamlining ideas to improve the proto-type and to overcome obstacles - at this stage, evaluate and prioritize ideas and decide how they can be implemented. 

• Focus on the prototype and produce a final solution. 

• Give credit to those involved - this promotes motivation and encourages continued innovative thinking. 

 

WEEK 43

DEVELOPING CREATIVE THINKING

Making creativity the norm 

Edward de Bono sees creativity as a learnable skill, one that is best harnessed through formal techniques. He proposes that parallel thinking is a more useful and effective means of putting creative talent to work. 

Formal creativity works because it works with the way everyone's brains work: both consciously and subconsciously, we automatically filter, categorize, process and organize information. Building on this, de Bono argues that parallel thinking is more effective for generating the results that make a difference to companies. (Parallel thinking is when each individual puts forward their own thoughts in parallel with those of others. In this way, each individual is able to complement, enrich and build on one another's thinking, rather than competing or attacking the thoughts of others.) 

The reason why this is more important than ever is because what companies previously relied on for competitive advantage - competence, information and technology - are now easy-to-obtain commodities. These are all buyable commodities, enabling your competitors to rapidly erode any advantage you may have had. Today, what matters is creating value from these commodities. 

Understanding creativity

Creativity solves problems, challenges existing methods, and provides a better and constantly improving way forward. Given the reward, companies need to know how best to harness creativity in a way that is useful. A major flaw in traditional brainstorming is that it assumes that, if you give people the freedom to express themselves, they will magically become creative. This is not the case. For organizations, useful creativity needs to be a formal activity that requires thinking that provokes and challenges a current situation and then searches for answers. 

Provoke, challenge and search for solutions 

Given the brain's natural inclination to organize information and think laterally, we can tackle issues by simply taking a random starting point. Our brains will automatically process information, make connections and point us in new directions. Allowing such randomness in selecting a starting point is important. It suggests new possibilities and takes thinking along new paths. Significantly, it is likely that our brains have already processed information and are subconsciously suggesting such opening gambits because they could be highly relevant. This serves to break us out of the current doldrums and set us on a new course. 

Next, our new thinking needs to move forward: to challenge the information it is processing. Just because something has always been done a certain way does not mean it is carved in stone: methods can always be improved upon. Constantly questioning and challenging is a mindset that is a huge source of competitive advantage precisely because it is the way that companies create value from their resources. An important point to remember is that even when something seems to be working and is successful it doesn't mean it is the best that it can be. Once thinking challenges the norm, we will automatically explore alternative and potentially better solutions. 

Creating a culture of creativity in a world where competence, knowledge and technology are no longer enough is now the true source of success. 

 

WEEK 44

THE DISCOVERY CYCLE (ORCA)

Evaluating innovations 

Discovery - making things known or visible - is a vital precursor for innovation. The Discovery Cycle is a way of choosing new ideas that are profitable and scalable. 

The Discovery Cycle has four stages, summarized in the acronym ORCA: 

1. Observation. Understand how the world is changing - for example, by looking for anomalies, paradoxes, peripheral developments and direct experience. 

2. Reflection. Techniques that work best at this stage include zooming in and out, using a muse, suspending judgement, slowing down, reflecting on what's missing, restructuring data to simplify patterns, juxtaposing pieces of different information (bisociation) and taking time to rest. 

3. Conversation. People set the pace and scope for innovation, so the best techniques to use at this stage include contrasting views, setting the agenda, framing the issues and generating hypotheses. 

4. Analysis. The final stage of the Discovery Cycle involves gathering systematic evidence, classifying and categorizing data, naming, completing data analysis and hypothesizing. 

Lessons from great innovators 

What lessons do innovators have for us? Several come to mind: 

• Build on the ideas of others / collaborate. That should be easy for scientists who are, in the words of Isaac Newton, 'standing on the shoulders of giants 

• Take an unorthodox, distinctive approach. 

• Embrace diversity. 

• Create a diverse, open and creative culture. 

• Develop empathy for the consumer or customer (understand people). 

• Execute and practically take action. 

• Be confident and bold. 

• Find your motivation; enjoy your work. 

This list also highlights three other vital points: 

1. Innovation relies on teamwork, agility and the ability to lead change, the other elements of this programme. 

2. Innovation is about mindset: you need to think like an innovator and you need to encourage that in others. 

3. Innovation isn't only about products: it is about improving efficiency, reducing costs, improving the quality and quantity of people's work, removing constraints - and that's just internally; it also means serving and understanding customers, building a brand - and more.

 

WEEK 45

THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID (BOP)

Developing the innovator's mindset 

If a company goes to the bottom of the wealth pyramid and builds affordable products, creates awareness and provides access, then the market is phenomenal. 

The late Professor C.K. Prahalad argued that there is a 'poverty penalty' where the poorest people pay more for everything because they don't have a choice: they are stuck with local monopolies and bad products and services. 

Research recently highlighted by the World Resources Institute shows that the world's four billion poorest people represent a US$5 trillion market opportunity. There are several other issues at the bottom of the pyramid: e 

• Pricing is vital. At the BOP, you need to start with an affordable price, understanding that price minus profit equals the acceptable level of cost. This different way of thinking leads to a new range of exciting options. 

• Innovation is essential. This can be accelerated and improved by focusing on BOP markets because minor, incremental changes won't be enough: the market requires a fundamental rethink. 

• Businesses need to substitute investment for collaboration. Management time is needed to increase collaboration - and it is cheaper than simply in-vesting cash. 

Companies that ignore growth markets will be left behind - and will have five years, at best, before businesses from growth markets start competing with them. 

Developing the innovator's mindset 

Where can you improve your approach to innovation? Ask yourself the following questions and mark yourself out of 10 for each attribute: this will help highlight areas for improvement. 

When innovating, how effectively do you: 

• engage as many people as possible ...?

• ... and build an open, diverse and positive team? 

• define the specific challenge or issue? 

• challenge assumptions: yours and other people's? 

• confront challenges and problems? 

• understand that good ideas can come from anywhere? 

• follow through - by being practical and realistic, and planning implementation? 

• focus on the benefits as well as the potential pitfalls? 

• question? Questioning is a great way both to provide support (e.g. what help do you need?) and challenge (how can we do this faster/cheaper?) 

• give praise and credit: build momentum (revolutions fail, flywheels succeed)? 

• be open, build relationships? 

• remove constraints, tirelessly? 

• remember the essentials of leading change? (See Number 35.) 

• balance intuition and analysis? 

• build collaboration and teamwork? (Think of the 5Ms: meaning, mindset, measurement, mobilizing, mechanisms for renewal.) 

• avoid the pitfalls of decision-making? ZSee the description of inhibitors below which ones are your greatest vulnerability?) 

• consciously develop your skills? 

• design matters? (This affects how people feel about something: whether it's credible, engaging, worthwhile.) 

The inhibitors of creative thinking are shown in this table. 

Personal blocks Problem-solving blocks Contextual blocks

Lack of self- confidence Solution fixedness Scientific reasoning provides a panacea 

A tendency to conform Premature judgement Resistance to new ideas 

A need for the Familiar Use of poor approaches Isolation 

Emotional 'numbness' Lack of disciplined effort Negativity towards creative thinking 

Saturation Experts Excessive enthusiasm 

Poor language skills Autocratic decision- making Lack of imaginative control 

Rigidity Overemphasis on competition or co-operation Lack of smart goals, clear vision or timescale 

 

WEEK 46

THE SIX THINKING HATS

If you want to get ahead, get a hat 

Created by Edward de Bono, the Six Thinking Hats technique details the different styles of thinking that we use when making decisions. 

Overview

People tend to have a preferred thinking style which, no matter how useful, can overlook solutions to problems that would only be revealed through other ways of thinking. The Six Thinking Hats method gives us the flexibility either to use the style that is appropriate to a situation or the ability to gain a fuller picture by applying more than one thinking style to a problem. 

Each thinking hat represents a different way of thinking. By seeing situations from these different perspectives, you are more likely to make and implement the right decision. For example, seeing a strategy only from a logical and rational perspective may result in a failure to see a better solution or potential obstacles to implementation that creative and sensitive thinking could reveal.

 

The Six Thinking Hats 

• White hat. This approach focuses on available data. It involves looking at the information you have to see what you can learn from it — identifying gaps in your knowledge and, by analysing past trends and data, trying either to fill them or take account of them. 

• Red Hat. This style looks at problems using intuition, gut reaction and emotion. Try to think how other people will react emotionally and try to understand the responses of people who don't know, or may not share, your reasoning. 

• Black Hat. This looks at all the bad points of an issue, looking for why it won't work. It highlights the weak points in a plan, enabling you to eliminate or change them or to prepare contingency plans — helping to make plans more resilient. A key strength of this approach is that problems can be anticipated and countered. 

• Yellow Hat. This style involves positive thinking and optimism, helping you to see the benefits of a decision. Another advantage is that it enables you to keep going during difficult situations. 

• Green Hat. This involves developing creative solutions. Thinking is free-wheeling, and there is little criticism of ideas. 

• Blue Hat. This emphasizes control of processes and is common among those chairing meetings. When ideas are running dry, it is useful to combine this approach with Green Hat thinking, as its creative approach will stimulate fresh ideas. 

 

WEEK 47

INNOVATION CULTURE

Peter Drucker's seven steps for developing a creative culture 

Innovation is a company-wide activity. Creative, profitable ideas are needed to succeed, and history has shown us that great ideas come from many different people. Instead of relying on ad hoc suggestions or the skills of a few talented individuals, companies need to create an innovative culture. 

Where does innovation come from? 

While some people are known for their innovative thinking, successful and profitable ideas can come from anyone. To tap into this potential, what is needed is a culture that empowers people to question and think critically and creatively and then to share their ideas with others. 

Innovation is not a rarefied activity or the domain of specialists. Neither is it solely about making huge leaps in thinking - smaller, incremental improvements are also significant sources of advantage. Innovation is not necessarily about large RECD budgets - important new ideas come from anywhere, at any time. It is a company-wide activity, reaching every aspect of running a business - from products and services to operations, decision-making and training. They are all sources of competitive advantage, and having an innovative culture will lead to continual improvements. 

Creating an innovative organization 

What distinguishes an innovative company from the rest is its dedication to creativity. Having the right culture and processes will lead to creative thinking, a challenging mindset and innovation. Innovative companies develop a creative culture where people challenge, innovate and look for opportunities. They adapt structures and procedures to enable innovation to flourish. Also, they often link with external experts to add to internal, innovative resources, 

Peter Drucker outlines seven steps that promote innovation in a company: 

1. Analyse the reasons for unexpected successes. 

2. Examine why events were different from anticipated results. 

3. Challenge the status quo by examining why underperformance has become an accepted state. 

4. Determine how to take advantage of market changes. 

5. Be aware of broader developments in society, to identify potential opportunities. 

6. Consider the impact of changes in the economy and recognize the business opportunities they may offer. 

7. Think about how new information, ideas and technology affect customers. 

Innovative organizations also have a general environment and culture that values and fosters innovation. Research by the Talent Foundation identified five catalysts for successful innovation: 

1. Consciousness. Each person knows the goals of the organization and believes that they can play a part in achieving them. 

2. Multiplicity. Teams and groups contain a wide and creative mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds and ideas. 

3. Connectivity. Relationships are strong and trusting and are actively encouraged and supported within and across teams and functions. 

4. Accessibility. Doors and minds are open; everyone in the organization has access to resources, time and decision-makers. 

5. Consistency. Commitment to innovation runs throughout the organization and is built into processes and leadership style. 

If you are building an innovation culture in your business or team, it can help to ask yourself which of these catalysts you can improve. How will you do this? 

 

WEEK 48

DISNEY’S CREATIVITY STRATEGY

When you need more than just the bare necessities 

We all have a preferred thinking style - some of us are dreamers, while others are realists or critics. This can prevent us seeing an issue from other angles. Walt Disney's method uses all three of these thinking styles to help view a situation from different perspectives and find the best way forward. 

Problem solving, decision-making and planning suffer when we have too narrow a focus, yet it can be difficult to change how we naturally approach issues. Using Disney's three styles together will improve your decision-making.

• The Dreamer, who is a dreamer, is focused on potential and possibilities. 

• The Realist focuses on practical aspects and implementation. 

• The Critic questions and challenges plans and assumptions, and notices potential problems or flaws. 

Using the Disney method 

1. Select an issue you want to address but put it to one side while you get into the right frame of mind. 

2. Go to three different places to think about the issue from each perspective (you will associate each environment with that approach). These can be entirely different places or simply different parts of one room. 

3. For each way of thinking (starting with dreamer, moving to realistic and then to critic), first remember a time when you were either creative, realistic or critical. This will help you access that style and apply it to the current situation. 

4. In each frame of mind, address the issue at hand solely from that perspective. This will let you get the most out of each perspective, revealing more options and ideas. 

• In the dreamer space, let your ideas flow freely. 

• In the realist space, think about how the ideas you have created can be implemented. How can they be achieved? What needs to happen? 

• In the critic space, question and challenge your ideas and plan. Identify strengths and weaknesses; look for flaws; look for gaps or potential problems. Determine what needs to be done better. 

5. Once you have completed these four stages, go back to the beginning and re-evaluate your original dream and plan through each thinking stage in turn. You can repeat this process until you feel the plan works well from each perspective. 

Types of questions to ask at each stage 

Dreamer Realist 

• Why am I doing this? • How can I make that happen? 

• Can it be done better? • Who else do I need to make it work? 

• What would I like to happen? • What needs to happen - and when? 

• Wouldn't it be great if…..? • What resources do I need? 

• What reward or result would I like? • How much will it cost? 

Critic

Does the idea really have potential? 

Is the objective achievable? 

Are there any barriers or resource issues? 

Does the plan work? Consider issues such as timing, cost or market potential. 

How can the plan be improved - are there gaps or are some things unnecessary?

 

WEEK 49

THE MATE MODEL FOR STRATEGIC SELLING

Achieving your sales objectives 

Segmenting and managing your contacts within a client organization in terms of their support for your sales objectives is a highly effective way of developing client relationships and selling. 

Four steps 

• Step 1: define your unique sales objective. 

• Be clear about what you are selling and when, and the value it brings. What makes it an attractive proposition? What is its value for the organization or client? This sounds simple but it can be muddled or overlooked, with disastrous consequences. 

• Step 2: identify all the players using the MATE model. 

• MATE highlights the need to focus on Money, Allies, Technical experts and End users. Identify each contact (including those you don't know), recording their job title and name. 

Money

They have the ultimate veto on sales Allies

They provide useful information, can guide you and influence others to support your objective

Technical experts/assessors

They filter out information, can be gatekeepers, can influence ‘Money’ End users

They use, manage or work with your products

 Money. The budget holder has authority over the decision to spend. They tend to focus on the bottom line and have the power of veto. They will ask: 'What impact will this have and what return will we get?' 

 Allies /Advocates. These can help guide you during the sales process. They provide valuable information, can lead you to the right people and may be influential. Allies are both inside and outside the organization. 

 Technical experts. They are gatekeepers who evaluate technical aspects of the proposal. They do not have final approval but offer recommendations to the decision-maker. They can say 'no' on account of technical issues. They ask whether the product or service matches their specifications. 

 End users. They judge the impact of your proposal on their job performance. They will implement or work with your solution, so their success is linked to your product and they will want to influence the decision to buy. They ask: Will it work for me or my department? 

• Step 3: consider each individual's level of support. 

• Having placed each individual on the MATE model, assess their level of support for your sales objective as high, medium or low. 

• Step 4: consider each individual's level of influence. 

• Assess each individual's influence within their organization — high, medium or low. 

Check for warning signs 

Ensure that there are no threats to the sale by asking yourself the following: 

 Have I at least one person for each area? 

 Am I free from concerns about their influence? 

 Have I made personal contact with them? 

 Do I know their response modes and what they are looking for? 

Identify your tactics to further the sale and eliminate warning signs 

Throughout, be honest and prepared to challenge and develop your thinking. With the information you have gathered, contact the key people, establish rapport and understand their needs. 

 

WEEK 50

THE TEN CS OF SELLING ONLINE

Building a successful business online 

Centered round meeting customers' needs, the Ten Cs are the key drivers of selling and succeeding with business online. Which factors are most significant for your company will vary over time, depending on the situation - such as its stage of development, competitive position, type of market or brand strength.

1. Content 

Content sets the tone and should drive your brand. It should be clear, compelling, engaging, entertaining, informative, visually appealing and tailored to the target audience. Enable customers to access information quickly and easily and to control the flow of information. 

2. Communication 

Communication is more than providing information. It is about listening, building trust and having a one-to-one relationship with customers. Understand what interests and motivates customers, give them the opportunity to interact, act on feedback and use clickstream data to monitor behaviour. 

3. Customer care

Customers need to trust you - to have confidence in purchases and to know that personal data is secure and that after-sales support is available. Provide various payment methods, enable customers to track orders and respond quickly to questions. Positive experiences enable up-selling, cross-selling, repeat business and personal recommendations. 

4. Community and culture 

People look to the Internet to network and socialize. Provide expert information, allow people to react, ensure that information is accessible, clear and entertaining, and enable customers to meet and interact. 

5. Convenience 

Customers have high expectations, so assess each feature from your customers' viewpoint. Online experiences need to be smooth, effective, quick, easy and convenient. Ensure that navigation is clear and intuitive. 

6. Connectivity 

Make the site compelling and 'sticky' - so that customers stay longer, return often and recommend it. Ensure that customers value it by providing high-quality content and incentives to return. Enable customers to visit other sites that provide complementary information - such as skiing companies linking to weather channels. 

7. Cost and profitability 

Your online strategy - objectives, priorities and benefits - needs to be clearly understood and planned. Focus on cost control and profit maximization to ensure that the site is profitable. 

8. Customization

Plan customization from the outset rather than grafting it on later. Ensure that products meet customer's requirements through dialogue. Make sure that customers know what they can and cannot choose. Develop and refine customization to maintain competitiveness.

 

9. Capability 

To improve capabilities, encourage your people to see the Internet as a tool for meeting customer needs. Set, implement measure and monitor objectives. Ask customers what they want and what they think of your plans. 

10. Competitiveness 

Continually review and refine your strategy relative to competitors. You need keen market awareness - you need to know what competitors have done, are doing and may do. Consider the worst-case scenario to make your online strategy durable and realistic. 

Interpersonal Communication

COMMUNICATION SECRETS

•         Communication is far more than what you say. It’s how you say.

•         It’s about listening and talking and the act of mutually disclosing inner feelings and thoughts to others.

•         Involves intrapersonal communication, understanding yourself and participating in effective self-communication.

•         Listening goes beyond attentively waiting for other people to stop talking. It really means getting inside of their hearts and minds and experiencing life situations

•         Being “alive” is an extraordinary opportunity for learning and experiencing. However most people never find their purpose or their reason for being here.

•         Your job is to make your company and yourself as successful as possible. That’s the Theme of this Presentation!! 

•         Effective and persuasive communication is the greatest of all the keys to success.

•         Success = Talking so people listen and listening so people talk

•         People are attracted to the people who make them feel secure, free and happy.

•         By making others feel special; they will realize how special you are.

Ask basic questions:

•         How do you talk, so people listen to what you have to say?

•         How do you inspire people to communicate your point of view?

•         How do you encourage people in your life who currently ignore your ideas may reconsider and take notice?

•         What simple things can you do so people will pay attention to what U have to say at home, at work, among professional circles?

What Managers normally have to communicate?

•         Announcement & Spokes Persons.

•         Motivating Lecture.

•         Explaining Plans, Decisions, Method, Problems, Help, feedback

•         Applications, Memos, Proposals, Condolence, Requests

•         Informal & Demi Official Letters

•         Phone Calls & Video conferencing.

•         Negotiations, Seminars, Presentations.

•         Appreciations / Warnings / Counseling, Grievance Redressal.

•         Party talk / Etiquette / Social skills, Dressing up / grooming.

•         Group discussions ,Debates & Public speeches

•         Interviews & interviewing (questionaires, CVs, dressing, emotional preparation

•         Appointments

Managers’ Roles.

Mitzberg has described the Managers job in terms of 3 types of roles – interpersonal, informational and decision-making.

Interpersonal:  Managers spend 45 percent of their time with peers, about 45 percent with people outside their company and 10 percent with superiors.

Informational Roles:  Managers exchange information about jobs and responsibilities with peers, subordinates and other personal contacts.

Decision-making Roles: Managers implement new projects, handle problems and allocate resources.

Kearns, “The key to simplifying the bureaucracy is an efficient communication system. Workers motivation is impossible without effective communication.  The globalization of the business environment complicates the communication process and acts as a barrier to effective communication. Be selective – Can clog the channels with insignificant trivia & may harm operation by releasing wrong information.”  

Information employees want to know

•         How their jobs should be performed.

•         How effectively they are performing their jobs?

•         How much they will be paid?

•         Company policies and rules that directly affect their jobs.

•         Changes in conditions within the firm that might affect them.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Purpose

•         Personality Traits Gauged in Group Discussion

•         Ability to interact in a team

•         Communications Skills

•         Reasoning ability.

•         Leadership skills.

•         Initiative & Enthusiasm.

•         Assertiveness.

•         Flexibility.

•         Nurturing & Coaching Ability.

•         Creativity.

•         Ability to think in ones feet.

Types of Topics for Group Discussion

  Factual Topics.

  Controversial Topics.

  Abstract Topics.

  Political.

  Economics.

  Education.

  Environmental.

  Ethics & Law.

  Technology Related.

How to prepare for the Group Discussion

  Introducing the topic

  Listening in & butting in.

  Agreeing & giving examples, Disagreeing & giving examples.

  Looking on both sides of a coin. Intervening to get a balanced view.

  Intervening during a conflict, Co-operating & leading.

  No cornering or making fun of participants

  Intervening & giving a chance to a timid participant.

  Giving examples & experiences

  Concluding (has been vigorous, interesting not your own view, no final decision )

How to prepare for a Telephonic Interview

  Isolate yourself; make sure the caller can hear you clearly.

  Make sure at least 20 minutes is available or schedule another time for the call.

  Be sure who will call who. It is recommended that you offer to call the company.

  During the call standup, walk around and smile. All these things make a big difference

  At the conclusion, ask the interviewer about next steps and timing of their hiring process.

  If you are interested, ask for a face-to-face interview.

  COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Tell Me About Yourself? What do you know about our company? How did you learn about this position? What is our current salary? What are your compensation requirements? Why are you looking for a new position? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

 QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK

-What is your position with this company?

- How much time would you like to speak on the phone?

- What position are you considering me for?

- What are the key things you'd like to learn about my background?

- What business imperatives are driving the need for this position?

- What are the top challenges that I'll face in this job?

- What are the characteristics of people who are most successful in your company?

- What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

- What additional information would you like me to provide?

- What concern s do you have at this point?

- When is the best time to follow up with you?

How to prepare emotionally for the Interview

  “Hiring is an emotional process for both the candidate and the interviewer.

  The hiring process is shrouded with a veneer of logic “to hire the best qualified person”, but in reality it is grounded with emotion.

  Your enthusiasm, confidence and energy will determine whether or not you get hired.

  Normally the most qualified person never gets hired.

  This is because personality “fit” and the candidate's personal qualities are extremely important & give support to the interviewers.

  Interviewers receive and interpret all inputs coming from you and evaluated your emotional state.

  When you are feeling great you project a positive image of yourself and are more “likable” and “hire-able.”

SUGGESTIONS:

  Exercise – This gets your blood flowing to your brain & improves your mood  instantly.

  Listen to Music, Write / repeat Inspirational Phases, Imagine doing your favorite activity.

  Remember a time when you were absolutely at your best.

  Imagine how it will feel when you have landed this fabulous position.

  Get ready to be hired, and you will be hired.

How Managers Can Become Better Communicators

Breakdowns in communication, lowered productivity.  Communication skill can be learned.  Empathy, Listening, Reading skills, Observations, Word choice, Body languages and Action are all involved in improving communication.

Empathy

Does not mean you necessarily agree, understand why that person speaks and acts in a certain way.  “feel” the bitterness. 

Listening

         Constant talking interferes with listening and learning.  Average speaking speed is about 120 – 200 words per minute.  Comprehend words is more than four times the speed at which the words are spoken.

         Evaluate listening – free time is devoted to evaluating the speakers remarks.

         Projective listening – To fully utilize their time, project themselves into the position of the speaker.  Carl Rogers suggested “Each person can speak for himself only after he has related the ideas and feelings of the previous speaker accurately and to that speaker’s satisfaction”.

Reading Skills

Through Training, Reading speeds can be doubled and tripled with little or no loss in comprehension.

Observation

Some Managers are adept at assessing the atmosphere of an organization merely by strolling through its work place.

Word Choice

Simple and Common words.

Body language

  90 percent of first impression.

  Crossed legs or ankles and folded arms – indicate a defensive posture or a dislike of the situation.  Open position may indicate the opposite as may leaning forward or backward in a relaxed manner. 

  A worker facing away, hands in pockets – negative posture. 

  Free use of hand gesturing – indicates highly emotional, animated or relaxed relatively carefree.

  Tense individual – body rigid.

  Hard gestures – Positive attitude

  Facial expression is usually understood.  Emotions like anger, interest, happiness, disgust, contempt, surprise, fear and love.

  A frown, a sarcastic smile, a blank stare and mean to the employee that the manager is not interested.

  Sweaty hands or nail biting may mean that the workers feel ill at ease.

  Actions

  Desk moved

  Deliberately restricting their output.

  Machinery that could do the work of this crew.

  Guidelines for Dealing with Communication

  Have a plan.

  Get organized.

  Develop the message from the receiver’s point of view.

  Select the best way to communicate the message.

  Look for feedback.

  Follow up.

  Do not assume too much.

  Be a good listener.

  Use language that other can understand.

  Observe non verbal cues.

Special Skills for Effective Communication

Conversation Control

  How to handle personal criticism

  Put forward a proposal.

  Register a protest.

  Disagree without being aggressive.

  How to be creative.

  How to negotiate.

  How to buy and sell.

  How to interview and praise.

  How to contribute to a meeting.

Importance of Conversation Control

  Criticism with confidence

  Get the correct information quickly

  Talking to people in a convincing way

  Objections and Opposition

  Where people are coming

  Interviewing and appraisal

  Use the dynamics of conversation for both problem solving and social use with friends

Benefits of Conversation Control

  Managers often tell that the major problems they face are in responding to the concerns and problems of others and trying to influence people.

  To be able to manage conflict.

  To negotiate more effectively.

  To develop listening skills.

  To persuade and influence

  To get people to work together

  To facilitate problem solving.

  To get people to think more creatively about the job.

  To get others more involved in planning and implementation.

Recognition of Cues and Clues

All conversations and discussions are full of cues and clues as well as signs and signals.  Others who do not hear and see them will miss the opportunity and the conversation will probably fail.

Disguised Messages

  Very often people give some of their most important clues through non-verbal behaviour.  The shrug, the hand over, the mouth, the lean backwards or forwards in the chair, clenched fist

  A cue is a word or phrase you see when you want to give an indication that something is important to you.

  A clue is a similar set of words, only the key point is that the words as spoken by someone else

Expect Cues and Clues

We all miss cues and clues because often we are not quick enough to observe and understand.  We need to listen to the important words people use.  Cues and Clues are difficult to handle because they are not always directly visible.

Identification of Cues and Clues 

Basic principles are:

  First, listen carefully when people use the words “I”, “Me” or “My”.  At that point they are speaking about the most important person in the world – themselves.

  Second, listen carefully if people follow up comments about themselves with strong adjectives such as “disappointed”, “annoyed”, “worried”, “angry” etc.

  Third, listen for words which imply the other person is under pressure to do or achieve something.

  Fourth, listen when people express doubts and concerns.

Signs and Signals

  Signs refer to the behavioural indicators such a the pointed finger to emphasize a point, the hands over the mouth to guard against the wrong word or the eyes looking forward to help are sings etc.

  Signals refer to the behavioural indicators others give to you.  When a person is relaxed and at ease he will usually smile more and nod their head.  You can therefore observe, without a word being spoken, the attitude of the person.

How to prepare & behave during the Interview

  Read the job description and company profile carefully.

  Ask the employer for more details.

  Write down the name & contact number of the recruiter to call back later.

  Find out more about the company, the job and the industry.

  Be punctual for your interview.  If you cannot attend contact

  Carry your resume, transcripts, certificates and relevant documents.

  Look into the eyes of the interviewer and act confidently.

  Be honest and enthusiastic and highlight your strengths.

  Show loyalty to old employer and fulfill responsibilities before joining.

  Send the employer a Thank You email after the interview.

  Follow up on the status after two or three days showing interest. 

What Information to gather about the Company

  Industry

  Company position in the industry

  Competitors

  Turn over

  Market Share.

  What kind of a job it is.

  What kind of a person they are looking for

  Who is your future Boss

  Who will interview

How to Dress up, Travel & Organize Time

  Males

  Females.

  Impression at first sight

  Deodorant/Perfume

  What to carry

  Pen , Highlighter, Certificates, Visiting Card

  Mobile Off

What is the Interviewer looking For?

  Personality

  Motivation

  Attitude

  General Awareness

  Qualification

  Job Skills

  Drafting Skills

  Industry Knowledge

  General Knowledge

  Team Spirit

  Leadership Qualities

  Communication Skills

  Social Skills

  Flexibility

  Alertness

  Decision Making

  Go Getting Attitude

  Conflict Management Skills

  Problem Solving Skills

  Extra Curricular Activities

  Loyalty, Integrity

  Honesty

  Patience

  Initiative

  Enthusiasm

  Artistic Skills

  Creativity

  Negotiating Skills

  Presentation Skills.

How to hold the Interviewer’s Attention?

Attention Level – 0 to 10 Seconds is 100% , 10 to 60 Seconds it falls to 50%,  60 to 90 it falls to almost 10% if there are no interruptions. Near the end of your long response the interviewer starts to formulate their next question unless you keep them engaged. By asking a question you promote two-way communications and minimize the risk of talking too much.  This helps you ensure they are listening while you talk.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

  Brief overview of most relevant experience. in reverse chronological order)

  Highlight experience, education, "results- focused", "persistence" "detail oriented“

  Ask question to uncover interviewer's job requirements -  "Target Question“

  Keep your response brief, between 60 and 90 seconds.

  Can ask the interviewer ask question e.g. "Am I giving you  too much detail at this point?“ or What parts of my background would you like to discuss first?

EXAMPLE

 "I am a presently ‘Senior Executive Accounts’.  I have a lot of experience in tax issues and audit. (Expertise and skills)  My experience includes carrying internal audit for ISO 9000 and resolving tax issues for the last 2 years (insert knowledge or skill)  I have worked in the Construction Industry and t6he Media Industry. My background also includes roles as Junior Accountant (position title), Senior Accountant (position title) and Senior Auditor (position title).  My education/certifications include CA (degree or certification) and M. Com.  I would like to be described by my Colleagues as ‘results focused’ & ‘details oriented. Highlights of my professional accomplishments include winning the “Employee of the Year Award in 2003 and the ‘Best Suggestion Award in 2004

TYPES OF QUESTIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE WORKER

1.       Do you own a personal computer and, if so, what kind?

2.       What software do you know how to operate?             

3.       Do you have a fax modem?               Yes__________ No__________

4.       Do you use an e-mail program?       Yes__________ No__________ 

5.       What literature that relates to your profession do you read, including books, newspapers, trade magazines, etc.?   

6.       What classes or seminars have you taken on your own during the last three years to advance your career and personal growth?

7.       What efforts have you made at "networking" to advance your career? 

8.       What volunteer or non-profit activities do you engage in?

9.       Where do you see your profession going in the next five to ten years?

10.    Where do you see the industry going?                            

11.    What are you doing to stay on top of these changes? 

12.    What are the most important things to you about any job?  Is it the pay, the opportunities, feelings of self-worth, fellow employees, location, benefits, etc.? 

13.    What efforts do you make to keep yourself healthy?  Do you exercise, eat a proper diet, refrain from smoking, take nutritional supplements, meditate, etc.?

14.    Who do you consider to be your professional role model? Why do you consider this person to be so special?  How can you improve on that person's contributions? 

15.    When it comes to getting paid, are you the type of person that is more interested in a steady paycheck with good benefits or would you rather work for a company where there may be greater risk but yet greater rewards in terms of both pay and job satisfaction?  Please explain 

16.    What type of incentive programs have you found to work best?

FROM THE INTERVIEWER’S MANUAL

How an Interviewer listens to you

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or background ¬ you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.

1. Confidence & Self-Acceptance

Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes ¬ during the pauses in a conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.

2. Follow Through & Persistence

Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through - at all costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness. Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?

To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.

3. Integrity

Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility, integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)

4. Creativity

The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity. Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.

5. Standards

We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job fit."

6. Clarity of Communication

Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening. Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs of the conversation.

How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically ¬ or were they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a highly valuable skill ¬ with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs

What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.

8. Commitment

The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the connections they make - this is where commitment is found.

Connection + Consistency = Commitment

9. Passion

Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.

10. Authenticity

Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."

How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a person's authenticity.

Behavior Based Interview Questions

  Are you looking for behavior based interviewing questions? While the questions and behavior characteristics listed below are by no means comprehensive, it might be just the jump-start you're looking for. Try these…  

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Leadership:

  Tell me about a time when you accomplished something significant that wouldn't have happened if you had not been there to make it happen.

  Tell me about a time when you were able to step into a situation, take charge, muster support and achieve good results.

  Describe for me a time when you may have been disappointed in your behavior.

  Tell me about a time when you had to discipline or fire a friend.

  Tell me about a time when you've had to develop leaders under you.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Initiative and Follow-through:

  Give me an example of a situation where you had to overcome major obstacles to achieve your objectives.

  Tell me about a goal that you set that took a long time to achieve or that you are still working towards.

  Tell me about a time when you won (or lost) an important contract.

  Tell me about a time when you used your political savvy to push a program through that you really believed in.

  Tell me about a situation that you had significant impact on because of your follow-through.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Thinking and Problem Solving:

  Tell me about a time when you had to analyze facts quickly, define key issues, and respond immediately or develop a plan that produced good results.

  If you had to do that activity over again, how would you do it differently?

  Describe for me a situation where you may have missed an obvious solution to a problem.

  Tell me about a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures.

  Tell me about a time when you surmounted a major obstacle.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Communication:

  Tell me about a time when you had to present a proposal to a person in authority and were able to do this successfully.

  Tell me about a situation where you had to be persuasive and sell your idea to someone else.

  Describe for me a situation where you persuaded team members to do things your way. What was the effect?

  Tell me about a time when you were tolerant of an opinion that was different from yours.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Working Effectively with Others:

  Give me an example that would show that you've been able to develop and maintain productive relations with others, though there were differing points of view.

  Tell me about a time when you were able to motivate others to get the desired results.

  Tell me about a difficult situation with a co-worker, and how you handled it.

  Tell me about a time when you played an integral role in getting a team (or work group) back on track.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Ability to Work in Varying Work Conditions (stress, changing deadlines, etc.):

  Tell me about a time when you worked effectively under pressure.

  Tell me about a time when you were unable to complete a project on time.

  Tell me about a time when you had to change work mid-stream because of changing organizational priorities.

  Describe for me what you do to handle stressful situations.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Delegation:

  Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

  Tell me about a time when you did a poor job of delegating.

  Describe for me a time when you had to delegate to a person with a full workload, and how you went about doing it.

  If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Customer Service:

  Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate customer.

  Tell me about one or two customer-service related programs that you've done that you're particularly proud of.

  Tell me about a time when you made a lasting, positive impression on a customer.

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

  You attend a weekly staff meeting with your supervisor. How do you communicate it to your reporting staff and coworkers?

  Information you believe to be untrue or confidential has reached you via the grapevine. What actions will you take?

  Example of a time when you were part of a project or team and you never knew what was happening.

  Rate your communication skills on a scale of 1 to 10

  Describe the work environment or culture and its communication style in which you experience the most success.

  Describe five things about the communication within an organization that must be present for you to work most effectively?

  How often do you believe it is necessary to withhold information under what circumstances do you limit communication in your experience?

  How have you handled a  boss, who fails to adequately communicate?

  When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES

  Conventional Approach : State a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive like “I'm a workaholic and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to th e best of my abilities.”

  Interviewers want to see how you handle this & what your response indicates about you.

  Highlight your strengths for this position

   Highlight an area that you are working to improve upon

  Describe what you are doing to improve

  Describe how this new skill improves your value to the company & Finally, ask a question.

EXAMPLE

“While there are several strengths I bring to this position, including being a top performer in my previous position and possessing strong industry knowledge, I am currently working to enhance my knowledge in the areas of business finance. I feel this is important because it allows me to directly relate products and services to customer's return-on-investment and to recommend department cost saving initiatives.

Would you like me to elaborate on either of these?”

NOTE : Asking a question will make the interview more conversational and avoid it becoming an interrogation.

QUESTION: WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?

To answer this type of question, it is vital that you know yourself, your strengths, your skills and abilities and be able to communicate these characteristics effectively.

When a recruiter asks such a question an invitation is being made to you to confirm or change a decision the interviewer has been forming about you.

The interviewer may have decided that you are appropriate to proceed with to the next level and is merely looking for an affirmation of what he thinks you bring to the table, or he may be looking for signs that confirm a negative view he/she has and wants to see if the impressions are correct.

If this is asked of you in the beginning of an interview and you have no clue about what the hiring manager is seeking, it is very important that you have a clear idea of what you are going to say beforehand. What are the areas that you have had most success in? What are you good at doing? What do you enjoy doing? What have bosses and team members said about you that highlights your value to the organization?

On the contrary, if you are asked this question towards the end of the interview, quickly review in your mind what the recruiter said were important ingredients to success in performance of the job. Tell the interviewer the reasons why you are the “Best Fit”. The more details you give, the better your answer will be. This is not the time to talk about what you want. Rather, it is a time to summarize your accomplishments and relate what qualities makes you unique.

For Example:

"From our conversation, it sounds as if you're looking for someone to come in and join immediately. It also sounds as if you are facing problems with your financial modules. With my five years of experience working with financial modules, I have saved my company’s expenditure by streamlining the process. My high energy and learning abilities enable me to resolve problems easily. My co-workers would tell you that I'm a team player who has the ability to stay focused in stressful situations and can be counted on during testing times. I'm confident that I will be a great addition to your team”.

Also, think of two or three key qualities you have to offer that match those the employer is seeking. Don't underestimate your personal qualities that makes you unique; your attitude, personality type, working style and people skills are all very relevant to a job. However, if you come across as nervous or unaware of what you have to contribute, then that impression will be left with the interviewer and there will be less chances of progressing to the next level.

QUESTIONS ASKING YOU WHY YOU LEFT THE LAST JOB

1.       Be Succinct - “My Company merged with another firm and the new management wanted to bring in their own team. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

2.       Provide References and Proof - Provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

3.       Tell the Truth in Balance Interviewers want to know that you were not the problem and to understand how you handled yourself.  Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

4.       Tell what you learned. - Demonstrates you are a life-long learner & you look on the positive side .

5.       Speak Positively - Any negativity will only reflect negatively on you.  Do not express anger.

6.       Tell the Truth- Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

7.       Look them in the Eye this will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hide.

8.       Practice and Conquer Your Fear.  Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable.

QUESTION - Why did you leave the Previous Company

"Why did you leave (or seeking to leave) your company?"  

Be Succinct Do not go into great details unless they ask you for the details Provide References and Proof Bart could then say he is happy to provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

Tell the Truth in Balance

Interviewers want to know that you were not t he problem and to understand how you handled yourself.  Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

What Did You Learn

This is also an opportunity to describe what you learned and how you will handle things differently in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner

Speak Positively

State the facts in a positive manner. Any negativity you express will only reflect negatively on you. If you're angry about the situation, you'll need to process that anger in another manner before you interview.

Tell the Truth

Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

Look them in the Eye

Most of us instinctively sense deception. Look the interviewer in the eyes when responding. This will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hi de.

Practice and Conquer Your Fear

Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

QUESTION: Why do you want to change the industry or career?

  This is normal and healthy. However, you must have a well structured response

 "I'm concerned that you don't have any previous experience in this field (or industry). “

 The strategy is to focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have.

YOUR RESPONSE

First: “That's a good concern. I'd like to share with you some additional information about that.”

Second: “From my previous experience, industry research and informational interviews, I've learned that to be successful in this career (or this industry) requires the following :

                (a)

                (b)

 

Third: List your strengths and highlight how they will be useful to the company.

EXAMPLE “A Passionate attention to detail, persistence & unwavering focus on results, staying current on industry dynamics and professional certifications, as well as the flexibility and intellectual agility to respond to constant change.”

Fourth: You ask a question. “I can give you specific examples where I've demonstrated each of these talents. Which of these qualities would you like me to elaborate upon?”

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS SALARY DESIRED

ASKED FIRST TIME“I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position.”

IF ASKED AGAIN“I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range.”

IF ASKED A THIRD TIME “When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential , location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested.”

NOTE: Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK DURING AN INTERVIEW

Interviewers are more impressed with your questions than any selling points

Write your questions by starting with “What” or “How”.  Limit  “Why” questions because these cause the interviewer to defend or justify a decision or condition. 

Never inquire about “What you get.”  For example, questions like “How much vacation time do new employees get?” or “How much sick time off do I get?”  These questions send the message that you are most interested in what you can get rather than what you can do for the company.

The following are examples of questions you can ask.  These examples are presented to encourage you to write your own questions.

Be as company and industry specific as possible when creating your own questions.

EXAMPLES  

What are the key businesses reasons driving the need for this position?

Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in this job?

What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

Describe the top three initiatives for your company/department and how this position is linked to these initiatives.

What are the key metrics for measuring success in this position?

What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

How do you feel my style will compliment the team culture?

How would you describe the qualities of the most successful people at your company?

How to assess Organizational Culture

Culture - values, behaviors, beliefs, and norms - expressed through words and behaviors

Cultural Indicators. - How you are treated? What phrases are frequently used by the interviewers? Is there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions you're asked? How doe s the environment feel to you? How prepared are the interviewers? Are they on time? Were you given an interview schedule? Were you treated like a prisoner or a guest? Are your responses to their questions treated with suspicion or professional curiosity? How considerate is the company recruiter?

Questions

Please describe the company or department culture in three words or three phrases.

How does t he company (team) handle conflict or differing opinions?

How does the company recognize employee accomplishments?

Does the company have a "Code of Ethics?

Please describe the leadership or managerial style at your company?

What qualities do the most successful employees in your company possess?

What is the company's attitude towards professional and educational advancement?

HOW TO IMPROVE WITH EVERY INTERVIEW YOU UNDERGO

  REHERSE PERFECT ANSWERS

After an Interview go back home and write down important questions asked and answer them in a perfect way how you would have desired

  PRACTICE

Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

  RECORD LEARNING FROM ALL PREVIOUS JOBS

Embrace the opportunity to describe what you learned from a recent job and how you will handle a similar situation in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner and you look on the positive side of most

COMMON MISTAKES IN AN INTERVIEW

Interrogation is one sided questioning and Interview is 2 sided. Having no questions prepared indicates you are not interested and not prepared. Interviewers are more impressed by the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make. Before each interview, make a list of 5 questions you will ask.

Making a Positive out of a Weakness "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not fooled. Highlight a skill that you wish to improve upon and describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skill. The question and what your answer indicates about you.

Only Researching the Company, What about You? Job seekers must research themselves by taking inventory of their experience, knowledge and skills. Formulating a talent inventory prepares you to immediately respond to any question about your experience. You must be prepared to discuss any part of your background.

 Leaving Cell Phone On: We may live in a wired, always available society, but a ringing cell phone is not appropriate for an interview. Turn it off before you enter the company.

 Waiting for a Call: Time is your enemy after the interview.  After you send a thank you email and note to every interviewer, follow-up a couple days later with either a question or additional information.  Contact the person who can hire you , not HR (Human Resources).  Additional information can be details about your talents, a recent competitor's press release or industry trends. Your intention is to keep their memory of your fresh.

2nd & 3rd INTERVIEW

         Have different expectations and they're more comfortable with you.

         They expect you to be more informed about company and express enthusiasm for the position.

         Questions focused on company, industry, market, key position deliverables, and competition.

         The difference is they've heard good things about you and expect you're a strong candidate. But they'll still have to be convinced. With 1st time interviewers, conduct yourself like it's your 1st interview because this is your 1st interview with these evaluators.

Questions you ask during 1st interviews include:

         What are the key businesses reasons driving the need for this position?

         Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in this job?

         What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

         What are the key deliverables that this position must achieve?

         What are the key metrics used to measure success?

Questions you ask during 2nd interviews include:

         Please describe three company initiatives and how the position is linked.

         What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

         What market dynamics do you feel will have the greatest impact?

2nd interviews include meeting higher levels who are unskilled but they're more comfortable interviewing and asking unorthodox questions. You may be asked to deliver a presentation. Panel interviews (multiple interviewers simultaneously), problem solving/simulation interviews, personality tests, mealtime interviews are also common on 2nd interviews. In 3rd interviews you'll be questioned about your salary expectations and possible start date. 

INTERVIEW IS NOT SELLING

  Interviews are NOT Selling Events

  More like Playing Darts Blindfolded

  The target is mental criteria each interviewer is measuring you against.

  Only 3-4  “Darts of talent” can be thrown at the target

  Locate target and decide which three “talent darts” by asking questions.

  Asking one of these “opening questions” at the start of each interview

  Did you Score? After you present each talent-dart, check by asking a follow-up question.

  Follow-up questions will get interviewer feedback on the effectiveness of your answers. Asking follow-up questions will also influence the course of the interview. Job interviewers are just like playing darts blindfolded. If you don't ask questions you'll be in the dark, miss the target and loose the game. Ask opening and follow-up questions to win this dart game.

  But remember you should not overdo it

5 INTERVIEW TIPS

1. What are you looking for?

Interviewing is just like playing darts. The interviewer's screening criteria is the target and each dimension of your talent is represented by a dart.  At the start of the interview you must find the target and decide which 3 "experience darts" to present. "What skills do you feel are required to be successful in this position?" is an effective question for you to ask at the start ("opening phase") of the interview.

 

2. Ask Questions:

It is your responsibility to make sure the interview is an interview and not an interrogation. You do this by asking questions throughout the interview.

 

3. Specific Examples:

Interviewers ask questions about your past experience to predict your future performance.  In response to their questions provide specific examples of your work and life experience. Focus on the actions you took and the results achieved.  Interviewers are less interested in what "the team did" or what you were "responsible for".

 

4. How do you like me so far?

At the conclusion of each interview ask the interviewer for their opinion of your background. Ask them what t they feel your strengths are and what concerns they have about your ability. Interviewers form opinions based on a 45 minute interview. The potential for misunderstanding is enormous. Ask a couple questions at the end to make sure they understand your experience accurately.

5. Visual Aids:

Bring visual aids whenever applicable to convey the quality of your work. You can even prepare a few PowerPoint slides or one page document to communicate the quality of your work. Visual aids can include anything that you feel conveys what you have done and what you can do.

NETWORKING & GETTING AN INTERVIEW CALL (RULES)

  Make a personal connection with everyone you contact.

  Speak in your own voice and words.

  Keep track of every contact and schedule your follow-up calls.

  Walk around when you make the calls.

  Describe what you're looking for in detail.

  Ask for what you want specifically.

  Commit to making a few calls every day.

  Set your pace and keep going.

  Get over any hurdles.  Keep contacting people.

Your goal is to build your network of contacts, then the job will find you.

Eight Habits of Highly Ineffective Communicators

1. The Argumentative Communicator:

•         Ask yourself: Do you find yourself saying “BUT” often in your communication with others?

•         Are U constantly offering your opposing opinion when it is not asked for?

•         Do you enjoy playing the Devil’s advocate?

•         Please Consider: There is a way to give your opinion. When U continue to oppose the comments of your listener, U run the risk of making him feel wrong, stupid or uninformed.

2. The Comparison Maker:

•         Ask Yourself: When someone shares his feelings, do start yours and start comparing both the experiences/ events etc.?

•         Please Consider: When someone shares, the need may be to express and ventilate, comparisons block the other person because U may not have considered the matter from his point of view, he may be willing to buy your prescription.

3. The Better - Than Talker:

•         This is similar to the Comparison maker but with a more condescending tone. The better than talker is not comparing for purposes of being compassionate, but for the purpose of creating superiority. He is interested in feeling superior to the person he is speaking to, that requires the listener feel inferior.

•         Please consider: The difference between talker and communicator is that the communicator is making an effort to arrive at understanding. A Talker rambles endlessly without intending for both the people to benefit from “conversation.”When the listener feels inferior, the talker is not in rapport and any hope for connection is lost.

4. The Hear My Old Baggage Communicator:

•         Ask yourself: Why do you have the need to be rescued, seeking sympathy from others. Seeking sympathy is not unreasonable.

•         Please Consider: The old baggage places an obligation on your listener to feel something which he may not want to feel for U. U also reflect feeling of sadness, despair and helplessness. That may not be of interest to everyone around U. Be discretionary of choosing your listener to fulfill your need to be sympathized, helped, and attended to. 

5. The Judgmental Communicator:

•         There is a difference between observation and judgement. Being judgmental involves rights and wrong, good or bad according to your frame of reference but posing it applicable to the whole world.

•         Please consider: If U judge others, U may think that U are doing it to gain rapport or be on their side. Being judgmental reflects that U are internally not aligned with yourself and that you have a need to judge others in order to feel better than what they are. Don’t play into that trap. Respond in a way that strengthens your position of self respect and self esteem.

6. The Interrupting Communicator:

•         When someone interrupts U, U know that they believe what they have to say is more important than what U have to say. You know they think they are better than YOU!

•         Please Consider: Take a breath after your partner has finished before you speak. In that breath you are saying that I heard what you said, I am taking in, I appreciate your communication.  

7. The Complaining Communicator:

•         Complainers face the same trouble as the Baggage Communicators. Being persistent complainant, you will create negative feelings in others and push people away rather than draw them nearer. Complaining should be avoided in communication with those whom you do business and those whom you love. 

8. The Gossiping Communicator:

•         Gossip is perhaps the most evil, deadly, miserable way to communicate. Don’t see it, don’t participate in it, and don’t respond to it. You are giving away so much of who U are when U spread or even listen to the gossip.  AS a gossiper, U reflect that U are very insecure, your self esteem is dependent on finding faults in others, your world honors the small, weak and petty. Hence seriously evaluate any need that U may have to gossip.

•         Wisdom is, knowing that your thoughts shape your experience.

TRAINING PROGRAMME ON COMMUNICATION (OBJECTIVES)

•         Communication, its process and types.

•         The importance of communication.

•         Your role as effective communicators.

•         The Relationship of communication with respect to day-to-day functioning and building good inter-personal skills.

•         The various barriers to communication and overcome them with respect to building trust, motivating team members, giving and receiving constructive feedback for increasing productivity through effective and assertive communication.

COMMUNICATION

Communication is defined as “the process of the flow ( transmission and reception) of goal – oriented messages between sources, in a pattern, and through a medium or media.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

•         Communication is a process.

•         Communication involves transmitting information and understanding it.

•         Communication is goal oriented.

•         Communication requires channel or medium.

•         Communication is multi-dimensional.

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

•         Verbal and Non – Verbal Communication

•         Formal and Informal Communication

•         Upward, Downward and Horizontal Communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

•         Oral Communication

•         Written Communication

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

•         Body language

•         Kinesics, Proxemics & Paralanguage

•         Intention

•         Manner: directness, sincerity

•         Dress and clothing (style, color,

•         appropriateness for situation)

•         Signs & Symbols.   

IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

•         7 % of communication happens through words

•         93% of communication happens through non-verbal cues of which:

o    55% through facial expressions

o    38% through vocal tones

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION (INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE)

•         It has no words or sentences, but it does send bits of information that combine into messages.

•         Those messages, which are sometimes clear and sometimes fuzzy, are mostly about your feelings.

•         People can learn to read those messages with a fair degree of accuracy.

•         You cannot not have body language- you are sending messages nonverbally all the time. Especially when you are trying not to!

•         Your preferred body positions and movements do say something about the kind of person you are.

•         If your words say one thing and your body another then people will believe your body, not your words.

•         You can change how you’re feeling by consciously changing your body language.

TYPES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

•         Kinesics

•         Proxemics

•         Paralanguage

KINESICS

•         Eye contact and facial expressions

•         Gestures

•         Postures

PROXMICS

•         Public space         Over 12 feet

•         Social Space          4 to 12 feet

•         Personal Space     18 inches to 4 feet

•         Intimate space     0 to 18 inches

PARA LANGUAGE

•         Cues one can pick up from an individual’s voice:

•         Tone

•         Rate of speech

•         Accent

•         Pronunciation

•         Not WHAT you say but HOW you say it!!

EXAMPLES OF FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS

•         Office Order

•         Rules & Regulations

•         Policies

•         Guidelines

•         Work Instruction

TYPES OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION (Grapevine)                        

•         Straight Line pattern

•         Informal Star Pattern

•         Probability Pattern

•         Cluster Net Pattern

TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTION WISE

•         Upward Communication

•         Downward Communication

•         Lateral Communication

MEDIA OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

•         Employee Handbook

•         In House Magazines e.g. “Live Wire”

•         Statement covering Personnel Policies

•         Notice board

•         Information center

PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

•         Personal Emotion

•         Biases

•         Lack of  trust

•         Premature Evaluation.

•         Expert Language

•         Sign & symbols

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

•         Geographical distance

•         Mechanical failure

•         Physical obstruction

•         Technological malfunction

•         Time lag

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS

•         Rules & Regulations

•         Policies

•         Hierarchy

•         Culture

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

You can have the greatest ideas in the  world, but they are no good to your company, or your career, if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively

OVERCOMING BARRIERS (ABC of Constructive Communication)

A - Approach

B - Build Bridges

C - Customize your communication

Approach is the manner of addressing both the person and the subject

Building Bridges: Respect, Trust, Commonality

Customize: Seek first to understand, before being understood

7Cs of COMMUNICATIONS

1.       Credibility

2.       Capability

3.       Content

4.       Context

5.       Channel

6.       Consistency

7.       Clarity

LISTENING

•         Receive

•         Interpret

•         Evaluate

•         Remember

•         Respond

BARRIERS FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

•         Pre-judgement- Listeners who jump to conclusions

•         Self-centeredness – Shift attention from speaker to themselves

•         Selective Listening – Tune the speaker out

•         Wandering mind – Your mind processes information four times faster than rate of speech.

LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING

S:             Stand or sit straight, turn your face squarely to the other and smile

O:            Have an open body position

L:             Lean towards the other person slightly

E:            Maintain Eye contact and make Encouraging noises

R:            Relax and be comfortable

HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILLS

•         Look beyond the speaker’s style

•         Fight distractions

•         Provide Feedback

•         Listen actively

ACTIVE LISTENING

•         Listen for concepts, key ideas and facts.

•         Be able to distinguish between evidence and argument, idea and example, fact and principle.

•         Analyze the key points

•         Look for unspoken messages in the speaker’s tone of voice or expressions

•         Keep an open mind.

•         Ask questions that clarify.

•         Reserve judgment until the speaker has finished

•         Take meaningful notes that are brief and to the point

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

•         Johari Window

•         Life Position

Speaking…

“A wise man reflects before he speaks; A fool speaks, and then reflects on what he has uttered.”- French Proverb.

WHILE SPEAKING

•         Take initiative

•         Be polite

•         Be pleasant (smile, jokes)

•         Be clear and concise (tone, accent, emphasis, pronunciation)

•         Cite negative opinions honestly, but in a positive manner

•         Seek Feedback

WHILE SPEAKING OVER PHONE

•         Write down in advance what you want to say and in what order

•         Smile

•         Speak slowly

•         Always be polite and friendly

•         For long messages, follow a script

•         Get confirmation

•         Monitor your time

WRITING SKILLS

•         Clarity in Writing…

•         Rs 1000000000

•         Rs. 10,00,00,000/-

•         Rs. 10 Crore

WHILE WRITING

•         Plan what you want to say in your letter/report

•         Reread the letter when you have finished

•         Check spelling & punctuation, then send

•         Use simple language – avoid ambiguous words

“KISS” (Edit the letter by cutting ruthlessly).

•         Be kind to others’ eyes (font size, clarity)

•         Be creative (use tables, graphs)

 •         Use the language YOU are better at

KEEP IN MIND WHILE WRITING

•         Visualize the reader when you are writing

•         Don’t  write unbroken paragraphs

•         Use numbered paragraphs to make cross-referencing easier

•         Punctuation plays the role of body language in writing

•         Use headings and subheadings.

•         Use ruled sheets instead of plain ones.

•         Don’t print without thoroughly checking your sources.

LISTENING

•         to receive information

•         to understand effectively

•         to enhance clarity

•         to empathize

WHILE LISTENING

•         Avoid distractions

•         Do not interrupt unnecessarily

•         Be active (show interest)

•         Paraphrase what you’ve heard

•         Throw an echo

WHAT LISTENING LOOKS LIKE

•         The Listener keeps looking at the speaker

•         The Listener’s body is in ‘open’ position

•         The listener is smiling with a pleasant &encouraging expression

•         Listener looks relaxed but alert, neither tense nor slouching

•         Listener utters humming sounds

UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATIONS in a Company (Dr. COLONEL JC JOHN)

Definition.  Communication is the transfer of information, ideas, understanding or feelings among people.

Importance.

•         Most Important subject (both personal & professional).

•         Not taught but learned (e.g. Gandhi).

•         Not theory but practical.

•         Norms for communication laid down in a company - Rules for the class.

•         Affects Productivity & profitability affecting.

•         Not only speaking but written, e mail, phone call, body language

Management – is defined as the process of getting things done through the efforts of other people.  Hence Managers have to communicate. The most significant feature of communication is that it is learned.

Channels of Communication

•         Formal Communication Channel :  Are the communication channel that are officially recognized by the organization. 

•         Information Channel:  Are ways of transmitting information within an organization that bypass formal channels.

Formal Downward Channels

•         Chain of command,

•         The House Organ,

•         Letters and Pay inserts,

•         Loud speaker systems,

•         Annual report, Employee Hand Book & Pamphlets etc.

•         Chain of Command

•         Face-to-face interaction.

•         Ask questions.

•         Written documents

•         Letters & Memorandums

•         Middle level managers -Translation into the languages of subordinates

•         Permanent information such as policies, procedures and rules

The House Organ

News letters or newspapers – contains new products, how well the company is doing, about the policies. Has wide readership.  Depends a lot on Personal interest

Formal Upward Channels.

Participative management requires a two way communication. These channels are necessary not only to determine if subordinates have understood the information set downward but also to satisfy the need of subordinates to be involved.  A communication effectiveness survey of thousands of employees showed that only half believed that significant upward communication was present.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

•         Either lateral or diagonal

•         Benefits from established personal relationships and mutual trust.

•         Productivity

•         Not an automatic process, trust must first develop

•         Immediate supervisors might take offense.

Grapevine :

•         Transmits information more rapidly, sometimes not as accurately.  Primary sources of current information.

•         Basic characteristics: Every Direction.

•         Who receives the information?  Some people are tuned into it and some managers are not even aware of the grapevine.

•         Beyond the formal organization.

•         Communication Networks - The pathways through which messages between and among people in organization flow are Communication Networks.

•         Identifying the predominant structural configuration however, helps explain or predict.

•         The links of the wheel, chain and Y receive less information than the links of the circle and the completely connected network.

•         Completely connected, Feedback, Sharing of the leadership responsibility and decentralization.

•         Newly formed a wheel configuration.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATIONS

Technical Barriers:  Environmental barriers to communication are referred to as technical barriers.

Timing – the determination of when a message should be communicated is timing.

Information overload- The condition that exists when an individual is presented with two much information in too short a time is information overload.

Cultural differences- Middle East, giving another person a deadline is considered rude and the deadline is likely to be ignored.  If a client in U.S. is kept waiting the client is perceived to have low status.  In Japan delays mean no slackening of interest and delay is often a negotiation tactic.  Indians conduct most business at an interpersonal distance of five to eight feet; a distance of one to three feet suggests more personal.  Spacious, well-furnished and located on the top floor it conveys an aura of prestige.  In the Middle East décor of the office mean little, in France Managers likely to be located in the midst of their subordinates in order to control them.

Language Barriers

-         Vocabulary – type of audience,

-         vocabulary sets

-         tailor the message to match the knowledge base of the receiver

-         concentrate their messages in the common vocabulary base

-         Semantics – JARGON is a special language that group members use in their daily interaction. Many firms provide new employees a list of definitions of terms associated with the particular industry.

Psychological Barriers

-         Information filtering – The process by which a message is altered through the elimination of certain data as the communication moves from person to person in the organization is Information filtering. Has two purpose:1) Management Control    2) Evaluate Performance

-         Lack of trust & openness

§  Receptive to employees ideas

§  Order should never be questioned, communication tends to be shifted.

§  Japanese business success :Managers trust their peers and superiors, simple organization structure.

-         Jealousy

§  Managers competence may actually be viewed by peers and superiors as a threat to their security.

-         Preoccupation

§  Respond in certain predictable through in appropriate ways. 

-         Hearing

§  Hear what we expect to hear, not what is actually said.

-         Perception set differences

§  A fixed tendency to interpret information in a certain way is a perception set.

-         Noise

§  Anything that interferes with the accurate transmission or reception of messages is NOISE.

Barrier to Effective Group Communication

§  Parties with a competitive attitude

§  Win-lose

§  Own objectives

§  Own needs but publicly disguise

§  Aggrandize their power

§  Threats to get submission

§  Overemphasize own needs, objectives, positions

§  Exploiting the other party

§  Superiority of their own position

§  Isolate the other person

§  “We they” perspective

      OPEN-DOOR POLICY

     •         Talking directly with workers

     •         By Pass immediate supervisors

        •         Reduce tension

     •         Improve trust

THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

      •         Some managers believe a formal grievance procedure weakens their authority.

      •         OMBUDSPERSON

      •         Complaint officer

      •         Top Management eyes and ears

      •         Uncover scandals in their organization.

SPECIAL MEETINGS - Monthly departmental meetings.

 

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

  When you had to work closely with a coworker whom you disliked. How did you make the relationship work so you could succeed for your company?

  When you disagreed with the decisions of your manager or supervisor. Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction or did nothing change?

  When you worked with a friend. What did you do to ensure that the friendship bore positive results for your company?

  How did you resolve a conflict? What happened to the coworker or team?

  Describe behaviors, actions, or attitudes you are most likely to conflict with at work? Give  an example of a situation you addressed in the past? How was it resolved?

  Name factors that make you an effective, valued coworker in your current job? What would your supervisor say are the three most important factors?

  If you have reporting staff, how would these staff members describe you?

  Describe a time when you demonstrated that you have the ability and desire to work effectively with your coworkers.

  When you have entered a new workplace, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

QUESTIONS TO TEST MOTIVATION

  Environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.

  Imagine you got national award five years from now. Why? Circumstances?

  What goals, including career goals, have you set for your life?

  Define “success” for your career? Now & at the end of your work life.

  Example of how you motivated another person.

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

  Give an example of a successful project , your role& why it succeeded?

  Describe two situations from your past work experience in which you have determined a team was the best potential solution to a problem, a needed process improvement, or a planned change. How did each work out?

  What actions and support, in your experience, make a team successful?

  Give me an example of a time when your work group or department worked especially well with another work group or department to accomplish a goal.

  Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? If so, what assessment did you make of the reasons for the failure.

Soft Skills

Importance of Soft Skills

Ø To handle interpersonal relations.

Ø To take appropriate decisions .

Ø To communicate effectively.

Ø To have good impression and impact to gain professional development, etc..,

Ø Strong work ethic.

Ø Positive attitude.

Ø Good Communication skills.

Ø Time management abilities.

Ø Problem – Solving skills.

Ø Acting as a team player.

Ø Interpersonal relations & Self Confidence.

Ø Ability to accept and learn.

Ø Flexibility / Adaptability.

Ø Working well under pressure. Etc..,

Career Limiting Moves

• Fighting with others in meetings

• Off - Colour jokes

• Bad mouthing – projects or people

• Unwillingness to listen to others

• Disrespect for authority

• Negative Attitude

How can you improve your Soft skills..

- Look for opportunities to interact with others

- Learn to adapt the way you explain things to people of different ability levels

Interpersonal Skills

• Man is a social animal & his success in life largely depends on his relationship & interaction with others We must respect the views & sentiments of others.

• When we want to differ their views, we must very politely give hints to them without wondering their feelings

Body language

Definition :

Body Language is the unconscious forms of expressions and body movements which communicate to people observing us, about ourselves i.e our attitudes and true feelings, without even a word being spoken.

Non verbal language

§ Face is the index of the mind and it clearly displays the persons interest

§ Body language presents to the audience what we feel & think about the particular matter Ex: Nodding one’s head

§ Body language (e.g, arms crossed, standing, sitting, relaxed)

§ Emotion of the sender & receiver (e.g, speaking clearly, enthusiastic)

Indications from Body Language

•Confidence or lack of same.

•Nervousness or tension.

•Frustration or dismay.

•Attitude- lethargic or active and alert.

•Power or Authority and pride.

•Love, hate or anger.

•Suspicious behavior, lying or keeping a secret.

•Interest, boredom / excitement.

•Fatigue

•Morale

Interpretations from Body Language

Positive Vibes

–Upright Shoulders

–Firm Handshake

–Open arms and hands

–Smiling

–Eye contact with occasional natural breaks

–Nodding while listening

– Gesturing with hands while talking

–Leaning forward while sitting

Negative Vibes

•Drooping shoulders

•Shuffling gait

•Crossed arms and legs

•Standing with hands inside the pocket

•Fidgeting, playing with hair / jewelry, running tongue along teeth or tapping feet.

•Wet palms and limp handshake

•Avoiding eye contact or starring continuously

•Leaning back and looking down while sitting

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR – INTERPRETATION

• Brisk, erect walk (Confidence )

• Standing with hands on hips(Readiness, aggression)

• Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly (Boredom)

• Sitting, legs apart (Open, relaxed)

• Arms crossed on chest (Defensiveness)

• Walking with hands in pockets, shoulders hunched (Dejection)

• Hand to cheek (Evaluation, thinking)  

• Touching the lips, rubbing or hiding the nose with fingers (Doubt) 

• lying, hiding, Rubbing the eye (Doubt, disbelief) 

• Hands clasped behind back (Anger, frustration, apprehension) 

• Locked ankles (Apprehension) 

• Head resting in hand, eyes downcast (Boredom) 

• Rubbing hands (Anticipation) 

• Open palm (Sincerity, openness, innocence) 

• Pinching bridge of nose, eyes closed (Negative evaluation) 

• Tapping or drumming fingers (Impatience) 

• Steeping fingers (Authoritative) 

• Fondling hair (Low self-confidence; insecurity) 

• Tilted head (Interest) 

• Stroking chin (Trying to make a decision) 

• Looking down, face turned away (Disbelief) 

• Biting nails (Insecurity, nervousness) 

• Pulling or tugging at ear 

SOCIAL SKILLS

Introductions & Social Interaction

•How are you, How do you do?•Introduce – male to female 

•Informal & Formal talk 

•Informal gathering – Deals

•Topics to avoid. 

•What is personality         

•Topics to avoid

•Escorting & leading 

•Ladies first – you last.

•Opening car doors

•Leading to table

•Not deserting  

•Sarcasm

Personality

•Looks least important. 

•Grooming & cleanliness 

•Dressing sense. 

•Posture & bearing 

•Vigor & enthusiasm 

•Energetic & warmth 

•Extrovert or introvert 

•Sense of humour 

•Voice & accent 

•Knowledge 

•Eyes & movement 

•Friendliness

Speech

•Whom are you addressing. 

•Type of Speech.  

•Content v/s Presentation

•Get up when a lady enters 

•Vulgar jokes 

•Books –read latest books

•Good jokes prepared 

•Not too much of “I” 

•Speed of delivery 

•Telephone conversation 

•Length of speech

•Subtle Humour

•Non verbal assets

Types of Audience

•Friendly

•Impartial

•Indifferent

•Action oriented

•Hostile 

•Enthusiastic

•Reluctant.

TEAM BUILDING

Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks.

•It is distinct from team training, which is designed to improve the efficiency, rather than interpersonal relations.

•Many team-building exercises are intended to expose and address interpersonal problems within the group.

•Over time, these activities are intended to improve performance in a team-based environment. Team building is one of the foundations of Organizational Development that can be applied to groups such as sports teams, school classes, military units or flight crews.

DEFINITION :The formal definition of team-building includes:

•Aligning around goals

•Building effective working relationships

•Reducing team members’ role ambiguity

•Finding solutions to team problems

•Team building is one of the most widely used group development activities in organizations

Approaches to Team Building

Goal setting

•This emphasizes the importance of clear objectives and individual and team goals. Team members become involved in action planning to identify ways to define success and failure and achieve goals. This is intended to strengthen motivation and foster a sense of ownership. By identifying specific outcomes and tests of incremental success, teams can measure their progress. Many organizations negotiate a team charter with the team and (union leaders).

Role clarification

•This emphasizes improving team members' understanding of their own and others' respective roles and duties. This is intended to reduce ambiguity and foster understanding of the importance of structure by activities aimed at defining and adjusting roles. It emphasizes the members' interdependence and the value of having each member focus on their own role in the team's success.

Problem solving

•This emphasizes identifying major problems within the team and working together to find solutions. This can have the added benefit of enhancing critical thinking.

•Interpersonal-relations

•This emphasizes increasing teamwork skills such as giving and receiving support, communication, and sharing. Teams with fewer interpersonal conflicts generally function more effectively than others. A facilitator guides the conversations to develop mutual trust and open communication between team members.

Relevance of Team Building

The effectiveness of team building differs substantially from one organization to another. The most effective efforts occur when team members are interdependent, knowledgeable and experienced and when organizational leadership actively establishes and supports the team.

Effective team building incorporates an awareness of team objectives. Teams must work to develop goals, roles and procedures.

Effect on performance

Team building has been scientifically shown to positively affect team effectiveness. Goal setting and role clarification were shown to have impact on cognitive, effective, process and performance outcomes. They had the most powerful impact on effective and process outcomes, which implies that team building can help benefit teams experiencing issues with negative affect, such as lack of cohesion or trust. It could also improve teams suffering from process issues, such as lack of clarification in roles.

Goal setting and role clarification have the greatest impact because they enhance motivation, reduce conflict and help to set individual purposes, goals and motivation.

Teams with 10 or more members appear to benefit the most from team building. This is attributed to larger teams having – generally speaking – a greater reservoir of cognitive resources and capabilities than smaller teams

Challenges to Team Building

The term 'team building' is often used as a dodge when organizations are looking for a 'quick fix' to poor communication systems or unclear leadership directives, leading to unproductive teams with no clear vision of how to be successful. Team work is the best work.

Dyer highlighted three challenges for future team builders:

•Lack of teamwork skills: One of the challenges facing leaders is to find team-oriented employees. Most organizations rely on educational institutions to have inculcated these skills into students. Dyer believed however, that students are encouraged to work individually and succeed without having to collaborate. This works against the kinds of behavior needed for teamwork. Another study found that team training improved cognitive, effective, process and performance outcomes.

•Virtual workplaces and across organizational boundaries: according to Dyer, organizations individuals who are not in the same physical space increasingly work together. Members are typically unable to build concrete relationships with other team members. Another study found that face-to-face communication is very important in building an effective team environment. Face-to-face contact was key to developing trust. Formal team building sessions with a facilitator led the members to “agree to the relationship” and define how the teams were work. Informal contact was also mentioned.

•Globalization and virtualization: Teams increasingly include members who have dissimilar languages, cultures, values and problem-solving approaches problems. One to one meetings has been successful in some organizations.

The roles people play in meetings.

There are a number of different roles that people adopt in meetings, some of which are listed below. These roles are not always constant - one person might adopt several of these roles during one meeting or change roles depending on what is being discussed. Your score for each category should give you some idea of which of these roles you play in teams.

ENCOURAGER

Energizes groups when motivation is low through humour or through being enthusiastic. They are positive individuals who support and praise other group members. They don't like sitting around. They like to move things along by suggesting ideas, by clarifying the ideas of others and by confronting problems. They may use humour to break tensions in the group.

They may say:

"We CAN do this!"

"That's a great idea!"

COMPROMISER

Tries to maintain harmony among the team members. They are sociable, interested in others and will introduce people, draw them out and make them feel comfortable. They may be willing to change their own views to get a group decision. They work well with different people and can be depended on to promote a positive atmosphere, helping the team to gel. They pull people and tasks together thereby developing rapport. They are tolerant individuals and good listeners who will listen carefully to the views of other group members. They are good judges of people, diplomatic and sensitive to the feelings of others and not seen as a threat. They are able to recognize and resolve differences of opinion and the the development of conflict, they enable "difficult" team-members to contribute positively.

They may say:

"We haven't heard from Mike yet: I'd like to hear what you think about this."

"I'm not sure I agree. What are your reasons for saying that?"

LEADER

Good leaders direct the sequence of steps the group takes and keep the group "on-track". They are good at controlling people and events and coordinating resources. They have the energy, determination and initiative to overcome obstacles and bring competitive drive to the team. They give shape to the team effort. They recognize the skills of each individual and how they can be used. Leaders are outgoing individuals who have to be careful not to be domineering. They can sometimes steamroller the team but get results quickly. They may become impatient with complacency and lack of progress and may sometimes overreact.

They may say

"Let's come back to this later if we have time."

"We need to move on to the next step."

"Sue, what do you think about this idea?"

SUMMARISER/CLARIFIER

Calm, reflective individuals who summarize the group's discussion and conclusions. They clarify group objectives and elaborate on the ideas of others. They may go into detail about how the group's plans would work and tie up loose ends. They are good mediators and seek consensus.

They may say:

"So here's what we've decided so far"

"I think you're right, but we could also add ...."

IDEAS PERSON

The ideas person suggests new ideas to solve group problems or suggests new ways for the group to organize the task. They dislike orthodoxy and are not too concerned with practicalities. They provide suggestions and proposals that are often original and radical. They are more concerned with the big picture than with details. They may get bored after the initial impetus wears off.

EVALUATOR

Evaluators help the group to avoid coming to agreement too quickly. They tend to be slow in coming to a decision because of a need to think things over. They are the logical, analytical, objective people in the team and offer measured, dispassionate critical analysis. They contribute at times of crucial decision making because they are capable of evaluating competing proposals. They may suggest alternative ideas.

They may say:

"What other possibilities are there?"

or "Let's try to look at this another way."

or "I'm not sure we're on the right track."

RECORDER

The recorder keeps the group focused and organized. They make sure that everyone is helping with the project. They are usually the first person to offer to take notes to keep a record of ideas and decisions. They also like to act as time-keeper, to allocate times to specific tasks and remind the team to keep to them, or act as a spokesperson, to deliver the ideas and findings of the group. They may check that all members understand and agree on plans and actions and know their roles and responsibilities. They act as the memory of the group.

They may say:

"We only have five minutes left, so we need to come to agreement now!"

"Do we all understand this chart?"

"Are we all in agreement on this?"

Written Communication Skills

- Writing evaluates a person’s proficiency indications, spelling grammar etc…

- Errors committed while writing circulars, reports & agenda considerably spoil the image of the writer

- Good visual presentation using graphics, color, balanced design layout- adds so much to written communication.

- Keep handouts and other written materials for your presentation.

Presentation Skills

§ Presentation skills include planning, preparation & delivery of the message

§ Making a formal speech is one form of presentation

§ Presentation skills can be broadly categorized into physical oral, & electronic

§ Success in life depends on presenting ideas in an appropriate manners

§ Look at the eyes of audience & speak in a natural, conversational voice

§ Appropriate voice will make the presentation effective and interesting

§ Ask for feed back from your audience about your presentation & change accordingly

§ In presentation especially, stop occasionally to ask the audience understand what you have said

Team Work

- People of either gender, different age groups, qualification, status & skills work as a team with a common objective of accomplishing the task

- The success of any organization largely depends on in the coordinated efforts of its employees

- It mainly refers to the agreeableness & co-operation among the team members

Basic elements of good teamwork:

§ Goals: What we're trying to accomplish together.

§ Roles: Who does what and how we handle overlaps and interdependencies.

§ Process: How we run our business and how we work together.

§ Relationships: Communication and interpersonal skills for getting work done

Professional ethics

- Professional ethics is the need of the hour in India

- When a person is at the work spot, he must think of his work only

- He must put his heart & soul into the work

- Each employee is a organic part of the organization & must strive to contribute his mite to the successful functioning of the organization

Work Ethics

• High energy, high initiative.

• High trust, team work, positive attitude (to press on in the face of obstacles).

• Collaboration, communication.

• Complementary skills (harness diversity).

• Courage to risk making mistakes, adventure, celebration.

• Ability to detect & recover from deviations/mistakes quickly (tolerance for premature ideas, loud thinking & building ideas on one another)

MANNERISMS & ATTITUDE

• Courteous

• Polite and helpful

• A “can-do” attitude

• Motivation

• Initiative; self-starter

• Hard worker

• Honest

Time & Stress Management

- Prioritize the work & schedule your time accordingly

- Impotent work should be allotted more time & taken up first

- Listening to classical music & practicing Yoga will considerably reduce the physical, emotional & mental stress of an individual

Leadership communication skills

- Leaders, executives & managers need to be very clear about what they expect from others

- Trust your self

- Keep smiling

- Share & stay together

- Always learn new things

- Accept responsibility for your self & your actions

- Look at problems & challenges

- Be grateful always

- Love your self

PERSONAL APPEARANCE

• Clothes Clean and Pressed

• Hair clean and combed

• Teeth brushed

• Shower, use deodorant

• Do not let your after-shave/perfume be overpowering

• Tip: for train travelers, keep a bottle of deodorant/perfume in your drawer

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“The capacity for recognizing our own feeling and those for others, for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” Daniel Goleman

EMPATHY

•Empathy is one's ability to recognize, perceive and directly experiential feel the emotion of another.

•As the states of mind, beliefs and desires of others are intertwined with their emotions, one with empathy for another may often be able to more effectively divine another modes of thought and mood.

•Empathy is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another' shoes", or experiencing the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself, a sort of emotional resonance.

• This means a person with empathy will understand the emotions and predict the likely responses of another individual. This is one of the most important qualities of a manager.

“DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP”

•Leadership is the process of influencing others to get the job done effectively over a sustained period of time. It involves influencing the work behavior of others to achieve organizational goals.

•Management is the process of getting things done through the efforts of others.

•Communication is the process of flow (transmission & reception) of information, ideas, understanding and feelings among people.

RELATIONSHIP -- EMPATHY, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, COMMUNICATION, LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

•EMPATHY

•part of

•EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

•which establishes

•EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

•which assists in assuming

•LEADERSHIP

•which is the most important quality of a

•MANAGER.

Examples

•Understanding problems of workers whose houses were washed away during floods.

• Understanding the thought process of a union leader who has come to you for negotiations i.e., his need to balance the interests of workers with the need to come to a reasonable, viable, sustainable settlement.

• Army example : An newly commissioned officer…when he joins his first regiment he has to live with his troops and not in the OFFICER’S MESS and has to do the job of the lowest soldier, sweeper or gunner for 3 days and work his way up to an officer rank, having done the job of each higher appointment.

•BY DOING THIS HE UNDERSTANDS THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE ORDERS HE PASSES ON EACH OF HIS SUB ORDINATES.

Public Speaking skills

THIS BLOG HELPS YOU TRAIN YOURSELF TO BE A GOOD COMMUNICATOR & SUCCEED IN LIFE BY GETTING A GOOD JOB

Biggest Challenges in Public Speaking

 •  What to do with your hands?

•  Where to look?

       -  Have direct eye contact with an individual at a time.

       -  Speak to one individual at a time

       -  Shift to another individual somewhere else randomly

       -  NOT on the Floor, NOT at the ceiling, NOT in thin air

•  How to speak?

       -  USE SHORT SENTENCES AND WORDS YOU USE IN CONVERSATION

       -  Speak to one individual at a time

       -  Speak deliberately

       -  Talk loudly. Do not scream

       -  Do not speak while writing on Black Board. Face class and then speak.

       -  Never use an acquired accent

•  Sudden mental block- Forgot script – DON’T PANIC.

How to survive on stage (Survival Kit)

 •  Take a deep breath – smile - don’t show panic 

 •  Look at your notes boldly (Don’t hide the fact that you have forgotten your script) 

 •  Buy time by asking the audience for comments / questions 

 •  Giving your experience 

 •  Tell a story 

 •  Telling the class to give example

 Phobia of Public Speaking

•  What if I forget?

•  Pounding Heart Beat.

•  I have always been a shy person  - 40 years I have been that way – How can I change suddenly? I will change slowly

•  Escape this somehow – will do it next time

•  My English is bad – I  fumble – Think of PM Modi

•  I can speak to 2 or 3 people not to 200

•  I just cant do it this time.

 How to overcome

   •  1st thing – stop finding ways of escape 

   •  Positive self talk and visualization to get over fear (NLP) 

   •  Think of consequences

•Life time of anxiety.

•Respect in Life.

•Career – is at stake.

   •  It is a one day fight 

   •  Picture success 

   •  Jump into the pool with both feet – Don’t try to step in with one foot. 

   •  The first time on stage – 3 things will definitely happen:-

•Expect to be nervous.

•Expect to forget script

•Expect to Panic in the first 2 minutes

    •  Rewrite the script in your own language

    •  Use short sentences 

    •  Note down key points on a small card 

    •  Practice in front of a mirror - Practice, Practice, Practice----------- 

    •  Rehearse for first 2 minutes of at least 20 times.  Rest will follow. 

    •  Practice the survival kit and likely contingencies 

    •  When ever you get stuck or forget  - Pause and take a deep breath – summarize 

    •  Speak to one person in the audience at a time. 

    •  Connect with your audience 

    •  Pretend to be confident

DOs & DON’Ts

•  Master your subject – especially the first 2 minutes.

•  Never corner, joke about or embarrass a person.

•  Question from the audience -- Throw it back – ask 2 – compile

•  Never speak with your back to audience – pointing or writing.

•  Never read. Note important points – Highlight - likely to forget

•  Speak at your natural speed

•  Never apologize - Keep going -Don’t call attention to worst

•  Use visual aids

•  After you have finished your speech pause briefly, take a couple of steps back and then return to your seat slowly

•  Never wink and show the relief as if you have escaped.

•  Develop the ability to see yourself as the audience.

Common Faults

•  Insulting some one

•  Beating your own drums

•  Not simplifying and making it understandable

•  Manipulating the thought process

•  Too frequent use of the same expression or phrase

•  Voice Trailing Off

•  Looking Down, Panning, Looking at the roof

•  Mumbling

•  Reading

•  Not keeping everyone involved

•  Sitting Down

•  Filler Words

•  Overshooting Time Allotment 

•  Speaking too fast 

•  Shouting or too soft

 Communication Exercises

Exercise 1  Call out to a person 200m away.

Exercise 2  Announce (Shout) on Shop Floor " Factory closed due to heavy rains"

Exercise 3  Read out to your partner who will write facing away from each other.

Exercise 4  Give a Dictation to your partner standing 15 feet away.

Exercise 5  Dictation to whole class.

Exercise 6  Tell a bedtime story to your child.

Exercise 7  Read out your essay to the class.

Exercise 8  Prepare a lecture and deliver to one.

Exercise 9  Prepare lecture and deliver to class.

Exercise 10  Practice Group discussion.

Exercise 11  Extempore Lecture to class

Exercise 12  Motivational Lecture to your team.

Exercise 13  Survival on stage (Tricks) Ask Qs, Summarize with eg. (Extempore )

Exercise 14  Introduce and Present a topic for discussion to the class.

Exercise 15  Debate Prepared

Exercise 16  Debate Unprepared

Exercise 17   Conducting a brainstorming session for your team

Exercise 18  Role play on Negotiation Skills.

Exercise 19  Bullying a subordinate who is not co-operating with your team.

Exercise 20  Celebrating success of your team

Exercise 21  Suddenly Losing Temper.

Exercise 22  Cornering a subordinate.

Exercise 23  Threatening with job or termination.

Exercise 24  Organizing a seminar.

Exercise 25  Introducing a Speaker.

Exercise 26  Giving a farewell speech.

Exercise 27  Addressing your Department for the first time.

Exercise 28   Speak to Trade Union Leaders to pacify them

Exercise 29   Speak to Boss & convince him to start a new business.

Exercise 30   Conference call with 3 Departmental Heads.

Exercise  31   Panel Interview

   

 - Induction Speech

 - Speak on my family 

 - Speak any thing for 2 minutes in any language

             a)  Make announcement on shop floor.

             b)  Call out to a worker far away.

             c)  Drill Square Command

 - Read to the wall while partner writes on board.

- Write a speech and deliver it.

- Convey message by action/body language

- Convey moods by action.

- Group discussions.

- Interview.

- Multiple Choice Questions answering strategy

- Making a CV

- Teaching Techniques

- Debate Competition

- Brainstorming sessions - Organization

- Conducting a meeting.

- Conducting a game.

- Motivation lectures by Manager

- Addressing your team to pull up their socks and start performing failing which each will be  terminated

- Thank you 

- Condolence speech on some ones death

- Appreciation on a job well done

- Conflict Management and how to avoid conflict with other departments

- Proposal

- Visioning

- Apology 

- Company Profile / History

- Conducting a Quiz Competition.

- Speaking a trade union leaders.

- Organizing a party game.

- Delivering joke

- Singing a song to an audience

- Party Etiquette

- Attending Calls

- Soft skills

- Call Centro Training

- Dressing up

- Tennis

- Golf

- Bridge (card game)

- Rummy (card game)

- Cricket

- Important Personalities in Indian and World History

- National & International by Cultures

- Communication Theory

- Leadership Capsule

- Formal-Informal Communications

- Job Search techniques

- Formation of Clubs

- Organizing an event with checklist

- Students to make presentations in team and video taped.

- Organizing a Picnic

- Talent Exhibition

- Speaking only in English

- Reading Economic Times every day

- What I learned this week to be given

- My favorite subject

- Self Assessment Essay

- My Strength

- My Weakness

- My Ambition

- My Dreams

- Basic Computer knowledge 

- Using the Internet

- Using Outlook and PowerPoint

- Making Graphs

- Writing a Biz Plan will help of a template

- Using templates for everything

- Using MS Project 2003

- Basics of Project Management

- Evolving a Sales talk

- Introducing Speech

- Value System of your Company

- Leadership

- Empathy

- Team Building

- Biz games

- Basics of Project Marketing

- Organizing a Project Team

- Dealing with Foreign Delegation

- Dealing with Politicians and Ministers

- Tendering Process

- Basics of Stock _

- My experience in Industry

- HR Subjects

- Bribing and Biz Development

- Insurance 

- Housing & Loans

- How to find information 

- Attitudes of a winner

- Planning your career

- Planning your investments

- Indian Culture

- Building Organization Culture

BASIC RULES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING

•         Don’t lecture ---Speak to people around you

•         Your eyes should move from eye to eye

•         But don’t get distracted

•         Speak deliberately

•         Speak slowly

•         Use language most familiar to you

•         No harm in mixing languages

•         Give examples

•         Ask Questions to the class, ask if understood, indicate 3 to 5 individuals, Help them answer, Help rephrase their answers, Compile over all view, add your inputs,

•         Have list of points

•         Don’t try to read out

•         How to handle a Question from the audience – throw back – ask opinion- encourage response and discussions – compile agreements, moderate discussions

•         Pointers

•         Bullet points & read them out, explain diagrams,

•         Give reason for conclusions

•         Never snub a person

•         Intervene in cross discussions

•         Allow only one person to talk

•         Hands and mannerisms

•         Avoid embarrassing  situations

Basic Role of a Teacher

• Remove fear.

• Generate inquisitiveness

• Remove  Inhibitions and barriers

• Motivate to excel

• Generate desire to learn

• Give confidence on his ability to learn

• Simplify to understand Help Retain knowledge.

• Ensure use knowledge in moral ways

• Help Apply in real life.

• Encourage further  research. Encourage to teach others.

Leadership Skills

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS LEADERSHIP SKILLS

     Tell me how you proceeded with the reorganization?

     Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its success.

     Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, Describe how you led & how people responded to your leadership.

     How would  your reporting staff or your peers comment about your

     Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.

     How would you build support for goals and projects from people who do not report to you and over whom you have no authority? Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you can build the needed support.

     What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.

     During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have leadership ability and skill.

QUESTIONS – SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

        How would your subordinates describe your management style?

        How would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

        Give me an example of handling underperforming employee

        Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10

        Provide three examples that demonstrate your selected number is accurate.

        Describe work environment or culture or mgt in which you succeeded.

        Give example of exceptional employee who sought more responsibility. Describe how you    handled this situation day-to-day and over time.

        Describe three components of your philosophy of management

        What value can you add,  to an organization’s culture and work environment.

        What factors are crucial for you to work most effectively?

        Tell me how you have managed employee performance.

        At a new workplace you will you develop relationships with new coworkers

        How will you provide direction and leadership for a work unit.

How to get a job in 30 Days

How to get a job in 30 days

Out Line

Structure of Industry

Types of Careers & Skill Sets

How to Prepare for a CV

How to Prepare for a written test

How to Prepare for Group Discussion

How to Prepare Emotionally for an Interview

What information you need to find out about the Company

How to dress up, travel & organise time

What is the interviewer looking for?

Types of Questions.

How to improve job placements

Types of Careers and Skills Sets:

Technology, Creative, Marketing, Advertising, Presenting, Support Services, Liaison, Planning and Strategy, Journalism, Production direction, Media Research, Research, Research on subjects, Script Writing, Statistics, Marketing Research.

Skill Sets

Stage/Screen Presence, Communication Skills, Technology, Management and Leadership, Analysis, Writing Skills, Creative Story, Writing, Acting, Drawing And Art, Camera/Photography, Editing, Story Telling/Scripting, Journalism, Public Speaking, Liaisom, Finance, Marketing, Music, Cinematography.

How to prepare for the written test

Objective Type

Negative Marking

No Negative Marking

Essay Type.

Personality Traits Gauged in Group Discussion

Ability to interact in a team

Communications Skills

Reasoning ability.

Leadership skills.

Initiative & Enthusiasm.

Assertiveness.

Flexibility.

Nurturing & Coaching Ability.

Creativity.

Ability to think in ones feet.

Types of Topics for Group Discussion

Factual Topics.

Controversial Topics.

Abstract Topics.

Political.

Economics.

Education.

Environmental.

Ethics & Law.

Technology Related.

How to prepare for the Group Discussion

Introducing the topic

Listening in & butting in.

Agreeing & giving examples, Disagreeing & giving examples.

Looking on both sides of a coin. Intervening to get a balanced view.

Intervening during a conflict, Co-operating & leading.

No cornering or making fun of participants

Intervening & giving a chance to a timid participant.

Giving examples & experiences

Concluding (has been vigorous, interesting not your own view, no final decision )

How to prepare for a Telephonic Interview

Isolate Yourself, make sure the caller can hear you clearly.

Make sure at least 20 minutes is available or schedule another time for the call.

Be sure who will call who. It is recommended that you offer to call the company.

 During the call standup, walk around and smile. All these things make a big difference

At the conclusion, ask the interviewer about next steps and timing of their hiring process.

If you are interested, ask for a face-to-face interview.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 Tell Me About Yourself? - What do you know about our company? How did you learn about this position? What is our current salary? What are your compensation requirements?- Why are you looking for a new position? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK

- What is your position with this company?- How much time would you like to speak on the phone?

- What position are you considering me for?- What are the key things you'd like to learn about my background?- What business imperatives are driving the need for this position? What are the  top challenges that I'll face in this job?- What are the characteristics of people who are most successful in your company?- What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?- What additional information would you like me to provide? What concern s do you have at this point?- When is the best time to follow up with you?

How to prepare emotionally for the Interview

“Hiring is an emotional process for both the candidate and the interviewer. The hiring process is shrouded with a veneer of logic “to hire the best qualified person”, but in reality it is grounded with emotion.  Your enthusiasm, confidence and energy will determine whether or not you get hired. Normally the most qualified person never gets hired. This is because personality “fit” and the candidate's personal qualities are extremely important & give support to the interviewers. Interviewers receive and interpret all  inputs coming from you and evaluated your emotional state. When you are feeling great you project a positive image of yourself and are more “likable” and “hire-able.”

SUGGESTIONS :

  Exercise – This gets your blood flowing to your brain & improves your mood  instantly.

  Listen to Music, Write / repeat Inspirational Phases, Imagine doing your favorite activity.

  Remember a time when you were absolutely at your best.

  Imagine how it will feel when you have landed this fabulous position.

  Get ready to be hired, and you will be hired.

How to prepare & behave during the Interview

Read the job description and company profile carefully.

Ask the employer for more details.

Write down the name & contact number of the recruiter to call back later.

Find out more about the company, the job and the industry.

Be punctual for your interview.  If you cannot attend contact

Carry your resume, transcripts, certificates and relevant documents .

Look into the eyes of the interviewer and act confidently.

Be honest and enthusiastic and highlight your strengths.

Show loyalty to old employer and fulfill responsibilities before joining.

Send the employer a Thank You email after the interview.

Follow up on the status after two or three days showing interest.

What Information to gather about the Company

Industry

Company position in the industry

Competitors

Turn over.

Market Share.

What kind of a job it is.

What kind of a person they are looking for

Who is your future Boss

Who will interview

How to Psyche Yourself

Worst case.

Best case.

Analyzing the type of job and selecting a personality profile.

Honesty & frankness.

Patience.

Stress interview, Rapid fire.

Loyalty to present employer. Time to train next man

Completing tasks & honouring commitment.

Avoid over enthusiasm & promise to sabotage previous employer.

Negotiating a salary.

How to Dress up , Travel & Organise Time

Males

Females.

Impression at first sight

Deodorant/Perfume

What to carry

Pen , Highlighter, Certificates, Visiting Card

Mobile Off

What is the Interviewer Looking For?

Personality, Motivation,  Attitude, General Awareness, Qualification, Job Skills, Drafting Skills, Industry Knowledge, General Knowledge, Team Spirit, Leadership Qualities, Communication Skills, Social Skills, Flexibility, Alertness, Decision Making, Go Getting Attitude, Conflict Management Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Extra Curricular Activities, Loyalty, Integrity, Honesty, Patience, Initiative, Enthusiasm, Artistic Skills, Creativity, Negotiating Skills, Presentation Skills.

How to hold the Interviewer’s Attention?

Attention Level – 0 to 10 Seconds is 100% ,10 to 60 Seconds it falls to 50%,  60 to 90 it falls to almost 10% if there are no interruptions. Near the end of your long response the interviewer starts to formulate their next question unless you keep them engaged. By asking a question you promote two-way communications and minimize the risk of talking too much.  This helps you ensure they are listening while you talk.

TYPES OF QUESTIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE WORKER

1.  Do you own a personal computer and, if so, what kind?

2.   What software do you know how to operate?

3.   Do you have a fax modem?  Yes__________ No__________

4.   Do you use an e-mail program?  Yes__________ No__________

5.   What literature that relates to your profession do you read, including books, newspapers, trade magazines, etc.?

 6.   What classes or seminars have you taken on your own during the last three years to advance your career and personal growth?

 7.   What efforts have you made at "networking" to advance your career?

8.   What volunteer or non-profit activities do you engage in?

9.   Where do you see your profession going in the next five to ten years?

10.  Where do you see the industry going? 

11.  What are you doing to stay on top of these changes?

12.  What are the most important things to you about any job?  Is it the pay, the opportunities, feelings of self-worth, fellow employees, location, benefits, etc.?

13.  What efforts do you make to keep yourself healthy?  Do you exercise, eat a proper diet, refrain from smoking, take nutritional supplements, meditate, etc.?

14.   Who do you consider to be your professional role model? Why do you consider this person to be so special?  How can you improve on that person's contributions?

15.   When it comes to getting paid, are you the type of person that is more interested in a steady paycheck with good benefits or would you rather work for a company where there may be greater risk but yet greater rewards in terms of both pay and job satisfaction?  Please explain

16. What type of incentive programs have you found to work best?

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or background ¬ you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.

1. Confidence & Self Acceptance

Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes ¬ during the pauses in a conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.

2. Follow Through & Persistence

Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through -- at all costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness. Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?

To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.

3. Integrity

Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility, integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)

4. Creativity

The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity. Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.

5. Standards

We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job fit."

6. Clarity of Communication

Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening. Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs of the conversation.

How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically ¬ or were they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a highly valuable skill ¬ with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs

What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.

8. Commitment

The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the connections they make - this is where commitment is found.

Connection + Consistency = Commitment

9. Passion

Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.

10. Authenticity

Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."

How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a person's authenticity.

Behavior Based Interview Questions

Are you looking for behavior based interviewing questions? While the questions and behavior characteristics listed below are by no means comprehensive, it might be just the jump-start you're looking for. Try these…

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Leadership:

Tell me about a time when you accomplished something significant that wouldn't have happened if you had not been there to make it happen.

Tell me about a time when you were able to step into a situation, take charge, muster support and achieve good results.

Describe for me a time when you may have been disappointed in your behavior.

Tell me about a time when you had to discipline or fire a friend.

Tell me about a time when you've had to develop leaders under you.

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Initiative and Follow-through:

Give me an example of a situation where you had to overcome major obstacles to achieve your objectives.

Tell me about a goal that you set that took a long time to achieve or that you are still working towards.

Tell me about a time when you won (or lost) an important contract.

Tell me about a time when you used your political savvy to push a program through that you really believed in.

Tell me about a situation that you had significant impact on because of your follow-through.

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Thinking and Problem Solving: 

Tell me about a time when you had to analyze facts quickly, define key issues, and respond immediately or develop a plan that produced good results. 

If you had to do that activity over again, how would you do it differently? 

Describe for me a situation where you may have missed an obvious solution to a problem. 

Tell me about a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures. 

Tell me about a time when you surmounted a major obstacle. 

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Communication: 

Tell me about a time when you had to present a proposal to a person in authority and were able to do this successfully. 

Tell me about a situation where you had to be persuasive and sell your idea to someone else. 

Describe for me a situation where you persuaded team members to do things your way. What was the effect? 

Tell me about a time when you were tolerant of an opinion that was different from yours. 

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Working Effectively with Others: 

Give me an example that would show that you've been able to develop and maintain productive relations with others, though there were differing points of view. 

Tell me about a time when you were able to motivate others to get the desired results. 

Tell me about a difficult situation with a co-worker, and how you handled it. 

Tell me about a time when you played an integral role in getting a team (or work group) back on track.

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Ability to Work in Varying Work Conditions (stress, changing deadlines, etc.):

Tell me about a time when you worked effectively under pressure.

Tell me about a time when you were unable to complete a project on time.

Tell me about a time when you had to change work mid-stream because of changing organizational priorities.

Describe for me what you do to handle stressful situations.

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Delegation:

Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

Tell me about a time when you did a poor job of delegating.

Describe for me a time when you had to delegate to a person with a full workload, and how you went about doing it.

If You're Looking For Behaviors that Revolve Around Customer Service:

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate customer.

Tell me about one or two customer-service related programs that you've done that you're particularly proud of.

Tell me about a time when you made a lasting, positive impression on a customer.

QUESTIONS – SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

How would your subordinates describe your management style?

How would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

Give me an example of handling underperforming employee

Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10

Provide three examples that demonstrate your selected number is accurate.

Describe work environment or culture or mgt in which you succeeded.

Give example of exceptional employee who sought more responsibility. Describe how you handled this situation day-to-day and over time.

Describe three components of your philosophy of management

What value can you add,  to an organization’s culture and work environment.

What factors are crucial for you to work most effectively?

Tell me how you have managed employee performance.

At a new workplace you will you develop relationships with new coworkers

How will you provide direction and leadership for a work unit.

QUESTIONS TO TEST MOTIVATION

Environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.

Imagine you got national award five years from now. Why? Circumstances?

What goals, including career goals, have you set for your life?

Define “success” for your career? Now & at the end of your work life.

Example of how you motivated another person.

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

Give an example of a successful project , your role& why it succeeded?

Describe two situations from your past work experience in which you have determined a team was the best potential solution to a problem, a needed process improvement, or a planned change. How did each work out?

What actions and support, in your experience, make a team successful?

Give me an example of a time when your work group or department worked especially well with another work group or department to accomplish a goal.

Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? If so, what assessment did you make of the reasons for the failure

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Tell me how you proceeded with the reorganization?

Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its success.

Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, Describe how you led & how people responded to your leadership.

How would  your reporting staff or your peers comment about your

Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.

How would you build support for goals and projects from people who do not report to you and over whom you have no authority. Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you can build the needed support.

What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.

During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have leadership ability and skill.

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS (ASK EXAMPLES OF `

When you had to work closely with a coworker whom you disliked. How did you make the relationship work so you could succeed for your company?

When you disagreed with the decisions of your manager or supervisor. Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction or did nothing change?

When you worked with a friend. What did you do to ensure that the friendship bore positive results for your company?

How did you resolve a conflict? What happened  to the coworker or team?

Describe behaviors, actions, or attitudes you are most likely to conflict with at work? Give  an example of a situation you addressed in the past? How was it resolved?

Name factors that make you an effective, valued coworker in your current job? What would your supervisor say are the three most important factors?

If you have reporting staff, how would these staff members describe you?

Describe a time when you demonstrated that you have the ability and desire to work effectively with your coworkers.

When you have entered a new workplace, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

You attend a weekly staff meeting with your supervisor. How do you communicate it to your reporting staff and coworkers?

Information you believe to be untrue or confidential has reached you via the grapevine. What actions will you take?

Example of a time when you were part of a project or team and you never knew what was happening.

Rate your communication skills on a scale of 1 to 10

Describe the work environment or culture and its communication style in which you experience the most success.

Describe five things about the communication within an organization that must be present for you to work most effectively?

How often do you believe it is necessary to withhold information Under what circumstances do you limit communication in your experience?

How have you handled a  boss, who fails to adequately communicate?

When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR WEEKNESSES

Conventional Approach : State a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive like “I'm a workaholic and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to th e best of my abilities.”

Interviewers want to see  how you handle this & what your response indicates about you.

1.  Hhighlight your strengths for this position

2.  Highlight an area that you are working to improve upon

3.  Describe what you are doing to improve

4.  Describe how this new skill improves your value to the company & Finally, ask a question.

EXAMPLE

“While there are several strengths I bring to this position, including being a top performer in my previous position and possessing strong industry knowledge, I am currently working to enhance my knowledge in the areas of business finance. I feel this is important because it allows me to directly relate products and services to customer's return-on-investment and to recommend department cost saving initiatives.

Would you like me to elaborate on either of these?”

NOTE : Asking a question will make the interview more conversational and avoid it becoming an interrogation.

QUESTION: WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?

To answer this type of question, it is vital that you know yourself, your strengths, your skills and abilities and be able to communicate these characteristics effectively.

When a recruiter asks such a question an invitation is being made to you to confirm or change a decision the interviewer has been forming about you.

The interviewer may have decided that you are appropriate to proceed with to the next level and is merely looking for an affirmation of what he thinks you bring to the table, or he may be looking for signs that confirm a negative view he/she has and wants to see if the impressions are correct.

If this is asked of you in the beginning of an interview and you have no clue about what the hiring manager is seeking, it is very important that you have a clear idea of what you are going to say beforehand. What are the areas that you have had most success in? What are you good at doing? What do you enjoy doing? What have bosses and team members said about you that highlights your value to the organisation?

On the contrary, if you are asked this question towards the end of the interview, quickly review in your mind what the recruiter said were important ingredients to success in performance of the job. Tell the interviewer the reasons why you are the “Best Fit”. The more details you give, the better your answer will be. This is not the time to talk about what you want. Rather, it is a time to summarise your accomplishments and relate what qualities makes you unique.

For Example:

"From our conversation, it sounds as if you're looking for someone to come in and join immediately. It also sounds as if you are facing problems with your financial modules. With my five years of experience working with financial modules, I have saved my company’s expenditure by streamlining the process. My high energy and learning abilities enable me to resolve problems easily. My co-workers would tell you that I'm a team player who has the ability to stay focused in stressful situations and can be counted on during testing times. I'm confident that I will be a great addition to your team”.

Also, think of two or three key qualities you have to offer that match those the employer is seeking. Don't underestimate your personal qualities that makes you unique; your attitude, personality type, working style and people skills are all very relevant to a job. However, if you come across as nervous or unaware of what you have to contribute, then that impression will be left with the interviewer and there will be less chances of progressing to the next level.

QUESTIONS ASKING YOU WHY YOU LEFT THE LAST JOB

1,  Be Succinct -  "My company merged with another firm and the new management wanted to bring in their own team. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

Provide References and Proof - Provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

3.  Tell the Truth in Balance  Interviewers want to know that you were not the problem and to understand how you handled yourself.  Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

4.  Tell what you learned. - Demonstrates  you are a life-long learner & you look on the positive side .

5.  Speak Positively - Any negativity will only reflect negatively on you.  Do not express anger.

6.  Tell the Truth-  Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

7.  Look them in the Eye  This  will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hide.

8.  Practice and Conquer Your Fear.  Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable. 

QUESTIONS TO FIND REASONS FOR JOB HOPPING

REASONS - consolidation, company relocation, merger and improved profit

QUESTION “I'm concerned that you've changed jobs frequently.”

ANWER TECHNIQUE- Describe the reasons for your departure directly and succinctly. Do not go into great detail unless they ask you for the details. The longer you speak on the subject the more suspicious the interviewer will become. For example: "My company m erged with another firm and consolidated our department. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

POINTS TO REMEMBER

       Have a good reason

Keep it short

Seeking long-term

Offer Refere nces

Turn the question around-After your response to why you left a position, ask the interviewer(s) a question.-- What is the average length of service with your company? What qualities distinguish peo ple you are long term contributors at this company? 

QUESTION Why did you leave the previous Company

"Why did you leave (or seeking to leave) your company?"

Be Succinct Do not go into great details unless they ask you for the details Provide References and Proof

Bart could then say he is happy to provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide refer ences to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

Tell the Truth in Balance

  Interviewers want to know that you were not t he problem and to understand how you handled yourself.  Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

What Did You Learn

This is also an opportunity to describe what you learned and how you will handle things differently in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner

Speak Positively

State the facts in a positive manner. Any negativity you express will only reflect negatively on you. If you're angry about the situation, you'll need to process that anger in another manner befo e you interview.

Tell the Truth

Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

Look them in the Eye

Most of us instinctively sense deception. Look the interviewer in the eyes when responding. This will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hi de.

Practice and Conquer Your Fear

Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

QUESTION : Why do you want to change the industry or career?

  This is normal and healthy. However, you must have a well structured response

 "I'm concerned that you don't have any previous experience in this field (or industry).“

 The strategy is to focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have.

YOUR RESPONSE

First: “That's a good concern. I'd like to share with you some additional information about that.”

Second: “From my previous experience, industry research and informational interviews, I've learned that to be successful in this career (or this industry) requires the following :

 (a)

 (b)

Third: List your strengths and highlight how they will be useful to the company.

EXAMPLE “A Passionate attention to detail, persistence & unwavering focus on results, staying current on industry dynamics and professional certifications, as well as the flexibility and intellectual agility to respond to constant change.”

Fourth: You ask a question. “I can give you specific examples where I've demonstrated each of these talents. Which of these qualities would you like me to elaborate upon?”

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS SALARY DESIRED

ASKED FIRST TIME“I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position.”

IF ASKED AGAIN“I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range.”

IF ASKED A THIRD TIME “When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential , location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested.”

NOTE

       Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK DURING AN INTERVIEW

1  Interviewers are more impressed with your questions than any selling points

Write your questions by starting with “What” or “How”.  Limit  “Why” questions because these cause the interviewer to defend or justify a decision or condition.

  Never inquire about “What you get.”  For example, questions like “How much vacation time do new employees get?” or “How much sick time off do I get?”  These questions send the message that you are most interested in what you can get rather than what you can do for the company.

  The following are examples of questions you can ask.  These examples are presented to encourage you to write your own questions.

  Be as company and industry specific as possible when creating your own questions.

 EXAMPLES

What are the key business reasons driving the need for this position?

Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in this job?

What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

Describe the top three initiatives for your company/department and how this position is linked to these initiatives.

What are the key metrics for measuring success in this position?

What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

How do you feel my style will compliment the team culture?

How would you describe the qualities of the most successful people at your company?

How to assess Organizational Culture

Culture - values, behaviors, beliefs, and norms - expressed through words and behaviors

Cultural Indicators. - How you are treated? What phrases are frequently used by the interviewers? Is there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions you're asked? How doe s the environment feel to you? How prepared are the interviewers? Are they on time? Were you given an interview schedule? Were you treated like a prisoner or a guest? Are your responses to their questions treated with suspicion or professional curiosity? How considerate is the company recruiter?

Questions Please describe the company or department culture in three words or three phrases.- How does t he company (team) handle conflict or differing opinions?- How does the company recognize employee accomplishments?

- Does the company have a "Code of Ethics?- Please describe the leadership or managerial style at your company?- What qualities do the most successful employees in your company possess?- What is the company's attitude towards professional and educational advancement?

HOW TO IMPROVE WITH EVERY INTERVIEW YOU UNDERGO

 REHERSE PERFECT ANSWERS

      After an Interview go back home and write down important questions asked and answer them in a perfect way how you would have desired

      PRACTICE

      Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

RECORD LEARNING FROM ALL PREVIOUS JOBS

Embrace the opportunity to describe what you learned from a recent job and how you will handle a similar situation in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner and you look on the positive side of most scenarios.

COMMON MISTAKES IN AN INTERVIEW

Interrogationis one sided questioning and Interview is 2 sided. Having no questions prepared indicates you are not interested and not prepared. Interviewers are more impressed by the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make. Before each interview make a list of 5 questions you will ask. 

 Making a Positive out of a Weakness "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not fooled. Highlight a skill that you wish to improve upon and describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skill. the question and what your answer indicates about you. 

Only Researching the Company, What about You? Job seekers must  research themselves by taking inventory of their experience, knowledge and skills. Formulating a talent inventory prepares you to immediately respond to any question about your experience. You must be prepared to discuss any part of your background. 

 Leaving Cell Phone On: We may live in a wired, always available society, but a ringing cell phone is not appropriate for an interview. Turn it off before you enter the company.

 Waiting for a Call: Time is your enemy after the interview.  After you send a thank you email and note to every interviewer, follow-up a couple days later with either a question or additional information.  Contact the person who can hire you , not HR (Human Resources).  Additional information can be details about your talents, a recent competitor's press release or industry trends. Your intention is to keep their memory of your fresh.

2 nd & 3 rd INTERVIEW

Have different expectations and they're more comfortable with you.

 They expect you to be more informed about  company and express enthusiasm for the position.

Questions focused on company, industry, market, key position deliverables, and competition.

The difference is they've heard good things about you and expect you're a strong candidate. But they'll still have to be convinced. With 1st time interviewers, conduct yourself like it's your 1st interview because this is your 1st interview with these evaluators.

Questions you ask during 1st interviews include:

- What are the key business reasons driving the need for this position?

- Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in th is job?

- What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

- What are the key deliverables that this position must achieve?

- What are the key metrics used to measure success?

Questions you ask during 2nd interviews include:

- Please describe three company initiatives and how the position is linked.

- What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

- What market dynamics do you feel will have the greatest impact?

7. 2nd interviews include meeting higher levels who are unskilled but they're more comfortable interviewing and asking unorthodox questions. You may be asked to deliver a presentation. Panel interviews (multiple interviewers simultaneously), problem solving/simulation interviews, personality tests, mealtime interviews are also common on 2nd interviews. In 3rd interviews you'll be questioned about your salary expectations and possible start date. 

INTERVIEW IS NOT SELLING

Interviews are NOT Selling Events

More like Playing Darts Blindfolded

The target  is  mental criteria each interviewer is measuring you against.

Only 3-4  “Darts of talent” can be thrown at the target

Locate  target and decide which three “talent darts” by asking questions.

Asking one of these “opening questions” at the start of each interview

Did you Score? After you present each talent-dart, check by asking a follow-up question.

Follow-up questions  will get interviewer feedback on the effectiveness of your answers. Asking follow-up questions will also influence the course of the interview.Job interviewers are just like playing darts blindfolded. If you don't ask questions you'll be in the dark, miss the target and loose the game. Ask opening and follow-up questions to win this dart game.

But remember you should not over do it

5 INTERVIEW TIPS

1. What are you looking for?

Interviewing is just like playing darts. The interviewer's screening criteria is the target and each dimension of your talent is represented by a dart.  At the start of the interview you must find the target and decide which 3 "experience darts" to present. "What skills do you feel are required to be successful in this position?" is an effective question for you to ask at the start ("opening phase") of the interview.

2. Ask Questions:

It is your responsibility to make sure the interview is an interview and not an interrogation. You do this by asking questions throughout the interview.

3 . Specific Examples:

Interviewers ask questions about your past experience to predict your future performance.  In response to their questions provide specific examples of your work and life experience. Focus on the actions you took and the results achieved.  Interviewers are less interested in what "the team did" or what you were "responsible for".

4. How do you like me so far?

At the conclusion of each interview ask the interviewer for their opinion of your background. Ask them what t they feel your strengths are and what concerns they have about your ability. Interviewers form opinions based on a 45 minute interview. The potential for misunderstanding is enormous. Ask a couple questions at the end to make sure they understand your e xperience accurately.

5. Visual Aids:

Bring visual aids whenever applicable to convey the quality of your work. You can even prepare a few PowerPoint slides or one page document to communicate the quality of your work. Visual aids can include anything that you feel conveys what you have done and what you can do.

NETWORKING & GETTING AN INTERVIEW CALL (RULES)

Make a personal connection with everyone you contact.Speak in your own voice and words. Keep track of every contact and schedule your follow-up calls. Walk around when you make the calls. Describe what you're looking for in detail. Ask for what you want specifically. Commit to making a few calls every day. Set your pace and keep going.Get over any hurdles.  Keep contacting people.

Your goal is to build your network of contacts, then the job will find you.

 SENDING THE EMAIL(EXAMPLE)

Hello Mr ---------,

Mr._____________suggested I contact you. I am an experienced __________looking to learn more about opportunities in the _____industry, and _______thought you would be a good person for me to contact.

TYPICAL CALL(EXAMPLE)

You: "Hi my name is ________________ . Mr. .   ______________ gave me your name. Did I catch you at a good time?" (Asking this question demonstrates your respect for their time. This also makes certain you have their attention. The person will answer one of three ways.)

You:

"The reason I'm calling is that _______thought you might have some ideas for me about targets for my job search like professional associations, companies to target or colleagues of yours." (It is imperative that you are specific about what you are looking for. The more specific you are the more likely they will be able to help you ) "Have you had a chance to have a look at my resume?"

"I would love to have the opportunity to meet you and present myself. Would it be possible to meet with you for a half hour at your convenience?"

Networking Contact:

"No"

"Then let me give you a brief overview." (Follow with your 30 second overview of your experience.)

Remain Prepared Always Because When Opportunity Calls It Is Too Late To Prepare

Most job seekers wait until they have an interview to prepare. You can do very little.. Most job seekers spend more time and money on their resume than their interviews.  Your resume can not get you a job. Only a great interview will get you hired.

Assuming you've got good interview skills because, you're good at your job, you're a good communicator, or you're qualified will not help you get hired.  All these assumptions are false.  The skil ls to do a job are different from the skills required to get a job.

So what can you do to get ready before the company calls you for the interview?

Get Questioned & Interviewed

List the questions you expect and the questions you fear.  Write your responses.  Practice responding out loud.  Have a friend practice interview you using the questions.  Keep each response to 60-90 seconds.  Ask a question after each response.

Get Your Talent Inventoried

Create a list of your talents and skills called your ?Talent Inventory?. Your skills come from work, volunteering, hobbies, school and life.   Formulating your talent inventory prepares you for any question about your skills. 

Get Phoned

How will you handle the unexpected phone interview?  Ask the caller to schedule a time later when you can talk privately.  Schedule the call like a face -to-face interview and you call them.  Ask how much time they'd like to speak and what they want to learn about you during the call.   

Get Your Questions

Make a list of 5+ business focused questions you will ask interviewers.  Bring this list to the interview along with a note pad

Grooming Capsule - 30 Day Wonder (Day 1 to Day 15)

Employability skills have been ignored by our Academic structure so far. The oft-quoted NASSCOM-McKinsey report says that approximately 75 per cent of fresh engineering graduates from India are not directly employable. A recent survey conducted by FICCI and the World Bank revealed that 64 per cent of the surveyed employers were not satisfied with the quality of skills of fresh graduates.

India will soon emerge as the largest source trained given its large young population.  Hence we need to gear up to exploit this opportunity.

With this in focus we carried out a detailed research and identified 45 Competencies that would be desirable in a young employee.  Based on this we designed a 30 day programme and the aim of ensuring that each fresh graduate becomes employable.

This course will be conducted as follows:

a.       Daily capsule consisting of one management subject, one skill capsule and one communication exercise. This will be on a ‘self-study’ basis as well.

b.       Classroom Program with Seminars.

c.       Practical Training to include Role Plays, Projects, Student Presentation and Management Games.

d.       Periodic Tests and a Final Assessment which will consist of a Written Test, a Viva, a Group Discussion and Final Presentation by each student.

e.       Based on this Certificates will be given to only qualifying employees

This course will focus on ‘Skill and Potential Development’. By the end of the course we expect each employee to have developed following skills:

o   Ability to present monthly review

o   Knowledge of advance excel, pivot table, vlook up etc. and PowerPoint Presentation

o   Ability to deliver a motivating lecture to his/her team

o   Ability to prepare a project in Microsoft Project(Project Management)

o   Knowledge of ERP like CVWS/SAP

o   Ability to develop a marketing plan and Marketing survey

o   Ability to introduce a speaker

o   Knowledge to file a suit

o   Ability to defend himself in court

o   Ability to take an interview on Skype

o   Ability to conduct a brain storming session

o   Knowledge to write a business proposal to clients

o   Ability to understand the personality, attitude and enthusiasm of the candidate in an interview

o   Ability to inspect/audit a facility and bring out audit points, Root cause analysis, corrective action and preventive action

o   Ability to design a daily report and ability to control the executives on telephone.

o   Ability to develop training calendar and annual operations plan

o   Ability to write a newsletter.

o   Ability to register a new website

o   Ability to design a basic advertisement.

o   Knowledge to handle Naukri

o   Ability to set up a Private Limited subsidiary company (Applying a shop establishment license, hiring commercial space, registration etc.)

o   Knowledge on Stock Market

o   Ability to organize a party/workshop

o   Knowledge on the basics of initial public offering (IPO)

o   Ability to amend maintenance contract

o   Ability to manage travel desk

o   Knowledge on software to develop a flow chart

o   Knowledge about the hierarchy of the police department

o   Ability to set up a mess of cooking facility and manage guest rooms

o   Ability to react to difficult types

o   Ability to recognize Cues and Clues

o   Ability to avoid being misquoted

o   Ability to speak to boss and convince him to start a new business

o   Networking Skills

o   Problem-Solving Skills

o   Ability to control your body language

In addition to the above the participant are required to read the following books:

  7 Habits

  Executive Excellence

  Blue Ocean Strategy

  Management Challenges for 21st century

  How to make friends and influence people

You will agree with me that this is a great opportunity for each aspiring fresher to emerge as a young confident Manager.

DALY TRAINING PROGRAMME

Day 1 Skill Capsule: Interpersonal Skills

Communication Exercise: Introduction to communication skills

Day 2 Skill Capsule: Writing Skills

Communication Exercise: Eight Habits of Highly Ineffective Communicators

Day 3 Skill Capsule: Listening Skills

Communication Exercise: Communication Skill

Day 4 Skill Capsule: Speaking

Communication Exercise: Non Verbal Communication

Day 5 Skill Capsule: Presentation Skills

Communication Exercise: Types of Informal Communication

Day 6 Skill Capsule: The Grievance Procedure

Communication Exercise: Barriers To Communication And Overcoming The Barriers

Day 7 Skill Capsule: Negotiation Skills

Communication Exercise: Effective Communications

Day 8 Skill Capsule: Rapport Skills

Communication Exercise: Body language

Day 9 Skill Capsule: Corporate Etiquettes

Communication Exercise: Telephone Etiquette

Day 10 Skill Capsule: Delegation Skills

Communication Exercise: Call out to a person 200m away

Day 11 Skill Capsule: Influencing Skills

Communication Exercise: Announce (Shout) on Shop Floor " Factory closed due to heavy rains"

Day 12 Skill Capsule: Stress Management

Communication Exercise: Read out to your partner who will write facing away from each other

Day 13 Skill Capsule: Time Management Skills

Communication Exercise: Give a Dictation to your partner standing 15 feet away

Day 14 Skill Capsule: Problem-solving skills

Communication Exercise: Dictation to whole class

Day 15 Skill Capsule: Work ethic

Communication Exercise: Read out your essay to the class

Day 16 Skill Capsule: Team Building

Communication Exercise: Prepared lecture and deliver to class

Day 17 Skill Capsule: Emotional Intelligence

Communication Exercise: Motivational Lecture

Day 18 Skill Capsule: Anger Management

Communication Exercise: Speak to Boss and convince him that we need to start a new business

Day 19 Skill Capsule: Party Etiquette

Communication Exercise: Debate Prepared

Day 20 Skill Capsule: Empathy

Communication Exercise: Group Discussions

Day 21 Skill Capsule: Build Self Confidence

Communication Exercise: Conduct Brain Storming Sessions

Day 22 Skill Capsule: Team Spirit

Communication Exercise: Negotiation Skills

Day 23 Skill Capsule: Personal Grooming

Communication Exercise: Bullying a subordinate

Day 24 Skill Capsule: Leadership Skills

Communication Exercise: Happy Leader

Day 25 Skill Capsule: How to be Polite

Communication Exercise: Suddenly Losing Temper

Day 26 Skill Capsule: Facing Criticism At Work

Communication Exercise: Threatening with job or termination

Day 27 Skill Capsule: Event Management: How to organize a Cultural Program.

Communication Exercise: Organizing a seminar

Day 28 Skill Capsule: Working in Groups and Teams

Communication Exercise: Introducing a Speaker

Day 29 Skill Capsule: 5 Interview Tips

Communication Exercise: Addressing your Department for the first time

Day 30 Skill Capsule: How to Assess Teams and Team Work

Communication Exercise: Giving a farewell speech

DAY 1

SKILL CAPSULE: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

•      Interpersonal skills are all about working with other people.

•      In a business setting, the term generally refers to an employee's ability to get along with others while performing his job

•      Interpersonal skills are actually characteristic traits like Manners, attitude, courtesy, habits, behavior and appearance which helps us to communicate and maintain relationship with others

The organizational context of how interpersonal skills are used can be shown by the vast number of interpersonal interactions such as:

  Meetings

  Delegation

  Motivation

  Facilitation

  Coaching

  Leading

  Problem Solving

  Selling

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WHILE WORKING

•         The success of an organization is dependent upon the people within it working well together

•         Internally

  In teams

  Across teams

  Within and between departments and business units

•         Externally

  With suppliers

  With Customers

Why is Interpersonal skills needed?

To improve

  Relationship

  Working environment

  Leadership skills

  Productivity

  All round success

  Liking by others

When & Where Interpersonal Skills are required at work place?

  While working in groups to form effective teams

  Socializing at work place

  Presenting yourself at work

  Listening & Questioning

  Giving or receiving feedback 

  Building & maintaining relationships

TIPS TO DEVELOP GOOD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

  Smile

  Communicate clearly

  Resolve conflicts

  Bring people together

  Be appreciative

  Mutual respect

  Look for opportunities to interact with others

  Pay attention to others

  Have a sense of humour

  Have unity in diversity

  Empathy (see it from their side )

  Maintain good emotional balance

  Don’t complain

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION SKILLS

ASK YOURSELF

Do you get tongue-tied when required to speak in public?

 Does the thought of presenting to a crowd faze you?

COMMUNICATION SECRETS

  Communication is far more than what U say. It’s how U say.

  It’s about listening and talking and the act of mutually disclosing inner feelings and thoughts to others.

  Involves intrapersonal communication, understanding yourself and participating in effective self-communication.

  Listening goes beyond attentively waiting for other people to stop talking. It really means getting inside of their hearts and minds and experiencing life situations

  Being “alive” is an extraordinary opportunity for learning and experiencing. However most people never find their purpose or their reason for being here.

  Your job is to make your company and yourself as successful as possible. That’s the Theme of this Presentation!! 

  Effective and persuasive communication is the greatest of all the keys to success.

  Success = Talking so people listen and listening so people talk

  People are attracted to the people who make them feel secure, free and happy.

  By making others feel special; they will realize how special U are.

Ask basic questions :

  How do U talk, so people listen to what U have to say?

  How do U inspire people to communicate your point of view?

  How do U encourage people in your life who currently ignore your ideas may reconsider and take notice?

  What simple things can U do so people will pay attention to what U have to say at home, at work, among professional circles?

Why Communication…

o   to express our emotions

o   achieve joint understanding

o   to get things done

o   pass on and obtain information

o   reach decisions

o   develop relationships

DAY 2

SKILL CAPSULE: WRITING SKILL

• Clarity in Writing…

• Rs 1000000000

• Rs. 10,00,00,000/-

• Rs. 10 Crore

WHILE WRITING

• Plan what you want to say in your letter/report

• Reread the letter when you have finished

• Check spelling & punctuation, then send

• Use simple language – avoid ambiguous words

“KISS” (Edit the letter by cutting ruthlessly).

• Be kind to others’ eyes (font size,clarity)

• Be creative (use tables, graphs)

• Use the language YOU are better at

KEEP IN MIND WHILE WRITING

• Visualize the reader when you are writing

• Don’t  write unbroken paragraphs

• Use numbered paragraphs to make cross-referencing easier

• Punctuation plays the role of body language in writing

• Use headings and subheadings.

• Use ruled sheets instead of plain ones.

• Don’t print without thoroughly checking your sources.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS

1. The Argumentative Communicator:

• Ask yourself: Do you find yourself saying “BUT” often in your communication with others?

• Are you constantly offering your opposing opinion when it is not asked for?

• Do you enjoy playing the Devil’s advocate?

• Please Consider: There is a way to give your opinion. When you continue to oppose the comments of your listener, you run the risk of making him feel wrong, stupid or uninformed.

2. The Comparison Maker:

• Ask Yourself: When someone shares his feelings, do start yours and start comparing both the experiences/ events etc.?

• Please Consider: When someone shares, the need may be to express and ventilate, comparisons block the other person because U may not have considered the matter from his point of view, he may be willing to buy your prescription.

3. The Better - Than Talker:

• This is similar to the Comparison maker but with a more condescending tone. The better than talker is not comparing for purposes of being compassionate, but for the purpose of creating superiority. He is interested in feeling superior to the person he is speaking to, that requires the listener feel inferior.

• Please consider: The difference between talker and communicator is that the communicator is making an effort to arrive at understanding. A Talker rambles endlessly without intending for both the people to benefit from “conversation.”When the listener feels inferior, the talker is not in rapport and any hope for connection is lost.

4. The Hear My Old Baggage Communicator:

• Ask yourself: Why do you have the need to be rescued, seeking sympathy from others. Seeking sympathy is not unreasonable.

• Please Consider: The old baggage places an obligation on your listener to feel something which he may not want to feel for U. U also reflect feeling of sadness, despair and helplessness. That may not be of interest to everyone around U. Be discretionary of choosing your listener to fulfill your need to be sympathized, helped, attended to. 

5. The Judgmental Communicator :

• There is a difference between observation and judgement. Being judgmental involves rights and wrong, good or bad according to your frame of reference but posing it applicable to the whole world.

• Please consider: If U judge others, U may think that U are doing it to gain rapport or be on their side. Being judgmental reflects that U are internally not aligned with yourself and that U have a need to judge others in order to feel better than what they are. Don’t play into that trap. Respond in a way that strengthens your position of self respect and self esteem.

6. The Interrupting Communicator:

• When someone interrupts U, U know that they believe what they have to say is more important than what U have to say. U know they think they are better than U !

• Please Consider: Take a breath after your partner has finished before U speak. In that breath you are saying that I heard what U said, I am taking in, I appreciate your communication.  

7. The Complaining Communicator:

• Complainers face the same trouble as the Baggage Communicators. Being persistent complainant, U will create negative feelings in others and push people away rather than draw them nearer. Complaining should be avoided in communication with those whom U do business and those whom U love.

8. The Gossiping Communicator:

• Gossip is perhaps the most evil, deadly, miserable way to communicate. Don’t se it, don’t participate in it, don’t respond to it. U are giving away so much of who U are when U spread or even listen to the gossip.  AS a gossiper, U reflect that U are very insecure, your self esteem is dependent on finding faults in others, your world honors the small, weak and petty. Hence seriously evaluate any need that U may have to gossip.

• Wisdom is knowing that your thoughts shape your experience.

DAY 3

SKILL CAPSULE: LISTENING SKILLS

LISTENING

• Receive

• Interpret

• Evaluate

• Remember

• Respond

WHILE LISTENING

• Avoid distractions

• Do not interrupt unnecessarily

• Be active (show interest)

• Paraphrase what you’ve heard

• Throw an echo

WHAT LISTENING LOOKS LIKE

• The Listener keeps looking at the speaker

• The Listener’s body is in ‘open’ position

• The listener is smiling with a pleasant &encouraging expression

• Listener looks relaxed but alert, neither tense nor slouching

• Listener utters humming sounds

BARRIERS FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

• Pre-judgement- Listeners who jump to conclusions

• Self-centeredness – Shift attention from speaker to themselves

• Selective Listening – Tune the speaker out

• Wandering mind – Your mind processes information four times faster than rate of speech.

LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING

S:  Stand or sit straight, turn your face squarely to the other and smile

O: Have an open body position

L: Lean towards the other person slightly

E: Maintain Eye contact and make encouraging noises

R: Relax and be comfortable

HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILLS

• Look beyond the speaker’s style

• Fight distractions

• Provide Feedback

• Listen actively

ACTIVE LISTENING

• Listen for concepts, key ideas and facts.

• Be able to distinguish between evidence and argument, idea and example, fact and principle.

• Analyze the key points

• Look for unspoken messages in the speaker’s tone of voice or expressions

• Keep an open mind.

• Ask questions that clarify.

• Reserve judgment until the speaker has finished

• Take meaningful notes that are brief and to the point

Here's what good listeners know -- and you should, too:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness through body language.

2. Maintain eye contact. To the degree that you all remain comfortable.

3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask the speaker and other listeners to do the same.

4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur ("uh-huh" and "um-hmm") and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as "Really," "Interesting," as well as more direct prompts: "What did you do then?" and "What did she say?"

5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to say next. The conversation will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.

6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during meditation.

7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree. Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.

8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.

9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won't feel the need to repeat it, and you'll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.

10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished. That way, you won't interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to make sure you didn't misunderstand. Start with: "So you're saying…"

11. Restate. To show you are listening, repeat every so often what you think the person said not by parroting, but by paraphrasing what you heard in your own words. For example, “Let’s see if I’m clear about this. . .”

12. Give feedback. Let the person know what your initial thoughts are on the situation. Share pertinent information, observations, insights, and experiences. Then listen carefully to confirm.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COMMUNICATION

• Communication is defined as “the process of the flow (transmission and reception) of goal – oriented messages between sources, in a pattern, and through a medium or media.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• Communication is a process.

• Communication involves transmitting information and understanding it.

• Communication is goal oriented.

• Communication requires channel or medium.

• Communication is multi-dimensional.

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

• Verbal and Non – Verbal Communication

• Formal and Informal Communication

• Upward, Downward and Horizontal Communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Oral Communication

• Written Communication

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Body language

• Kinesics, Proxemics & Paralanguage

• Intention

• Manner: directness, sincerity

• Dress and clothing (style, color,

• appropriateness for situation)

• Signs & Symbols.   

IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

• 7 % of communication happens through words

• 93% of communication happens through non-verbal cues of which:

• 55% through facial expressions

• 38% through vocal tones

DAY 4

SKILL CAPSULE:  SPEAKING

SPEAKING…

“A wise man reflects before he speaks; A fool speaks, and then reflects on what he has uttered.”

- French Proverb.

WHILE SPEAKING

• Take initiative

• Be polite

• Be pleasant (smile, jokes)

• Be clear and concise (tone, accent, emphasis, pronunciation)

• Cite negative opinions honestly, but in a positive manner

• Seek Feedback

WHILE SPEAKING OVER PHONE

• Write down in advance what you want to say and in what order

• Smile

• Speak slowly

• Always be polite and friendly

• For long messages, follow a script

• Get confirmation

• Monitor your time

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION (INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE)

• It has no words or sentences, but it does send bits of information that combine into messages.

• Those messages, which are sometimes clear and sometimes fuzzy, are mostly about your feelings.

• People can learn to read those messages with a fair degree of accuracy.

• You cannot not have body language- you are sending messages nonverbally all the time. Especially when you are trying not to!

• Your preferred body positions and movements do say something about the kind of person you are.

• If your words say one thing and your body another then people will believe your body, not your words.

• You can change how you’re feeling by consciously changing your body language.

TYPES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Kinesics

• Proxemics

• Paralanguage

KINESICS

• Eye contact and facial expressions

• Gestures

• Postures

PROXMICS

• Public space        Over 12 feet

• Social Space        4 to 12 feet

• Personal Space    18 inches to 4 feet

• Intimate space      0 to 18 inches

PARA LANGUAGE

• Cues one can pick up from an individual’s voice:

• Tone

• Rate of speech

• Accent

• Pronunciation

• Not WHAT you say but HOW you say it!!

EXAMPLES OF FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Office Order

• Rules & Regulations

• Policies

• Guidelines

• Work Instruction

DAY 5

SKILL CAPSULE: PRESENTATION SKILLS

5 styles of communicating to manage conflicts

1 “Go for it”

•         You feel confident but uncooperative

•         You win and other person loses

2 “Run Away”

•         You don’t feel confident or cooperative

•         You lose

3 “Yes, Boss”

•         You feel cooperative but unconfident

•         You let the other person win

4 “Let’s Trade”

•         You feel partly cooperative & confident

•         You both win a bit and lose a bit

5 “Let’s both win”

•         Mutual Cooperation & Confidence

•         You help one another to win

Developing as a presenter

  Trust yourself

  If you do not think you are up to a particular presentation either get help (do training courses and rehearsals), or get someone else to do it (there's no shame in recognizing your limits). However, most people have better presentation skills that they think they do. Recognize what you have. If you doubt your ability to think on your feet, for example, then defer questions till after the presentation. Similarly, do not use a joke as an ice breaker if you are not good at telling them.

  Success is the best presentation training

  Don't over reach yourself. Several short presentations that you feel went well will do you far more good than one big one that makes you sick with nerves and leaves you feeling inadequate.

  Feedback

  Encourage those around you to tell you the things you did well. Very few of us make progress by being told what was wrong with our presentation. When we're up in front of an audience we all have very fragile egos.

  Follow these essential tips and your presentation skills development will blossom.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: TYPES OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

TYPES OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION (Grapevine)

                        

o   Straight Line pattern             

o   Informal Star Pattern            

o   Probability Pattern                

o   Cluster Net Pattern                

TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTION WISE

DIRECTIONWISE

o   Upward Communication

o   Downward Communication

o   Lateral Communication

MEDIA OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Employee Handbook

• In House Magazines e.g. “Live Wire”

• Statement covering Personnel Policies

• Notice board

• Information center

DAY 6

SKILL CAPSULE: THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

•         Some managers believe a formal grievance procedure weakens their authority. 

•         OMBUDSPERSON

•         Complaint officer

•         Top Management eyes and ears

•         Uncover scandals in their organization.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION AND OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS

PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

  Personal Emotion

  Biases

  Lack of  trust

  Premature Evaluation.

  Expert Language

  Sign & symbols

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

  Geographical distance

  Mechanical failure

  Physical obstruction

  Technological malfunction

  Time lag

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS

  Rules & Regulations

  Policies

  Hierarchy

  Culture

Technical Barriers:  Environmental barriers to communication are referred to as technical barriers.

Timing – the determination of when a message should be communicated is timing.

Information overload- The condition that exists when an individual is presented with two much information in too short a time is information overload.

Cultural differences- Middle East, giving another person a deadline is considered rude and the deadline is likely to be ignored.  If a client in U.S. is kept waiting the client is perceived to have low status.  In Japan delays mean no slackening of interest and delay is often a negotiation tactic.  Indians conduct most business at an interpersonal distance of five to eight feet; a distance of one to three feet suggests more personal.  Spacious, well-furnished and located on the top floor it conveys an aura of prestige.  In the Middle East décor of the office mean little, in France  Managers likely to be located in the midst of their subordinates in order to control them.

Language Barriers

Vocabulary  - type of audience,

                        - vocabulary sets

        - tailor the message to match the knowledge base of the receiver

        - concentrate their messages in the common vocabulary base

Semantics – JARGON is a special language that group members use in their daily interaction. Many firms provide new employees a list of definitions of terms associated with the particular industry.

Psychological Barriers

  Information filtering – The process by which a message is altered through the elimination of certain data as the communication moves from person to person in the organization is Information filtering. Has two purpose:1) Management Control    2) Evaluate Performance

Lack of trust & openness

  Receptive to employees ideas

  Order should never be questioned, communication tends to be shifted.

  Japanese business success :Managers trust their peers and superiors, simple organisation structure.

 Jealousy

  Managers competence may actually be viewed by peers and superiors as a threat to their security.

        Preoccupation

  Respond in certain predictable through in appropriate ways. 

Hearing

  Hear what we expect to hear, not what is actually said.

Perception set differences

  A fixed tendency to interpret information in a certain way is a perception set.

Noise

  Anything that interferes with the accurate transmission or reception of messages is NOISE.

Barrier to Effective Group Communication

  Parties with a competitive attitude

  Win-lose

  Own objectives

  Own needs but publicly disguise

  Aggrandize their power

  Threats to get submission

  Overemphasize own needs, objectives, positions

  Exploiting the other party

  Superiority of their own position

  Isolate the other person

  “We they” perspective

OVERCOMING BARRIERS (ABC of Constructive Communication)

  A Approach

  B Build Bridges

  C Customize your communication

Approach is the manner of addressing both the person and the subject

Building Bridges: Respect, Trust, Commonality

Customize: Seek first to understand, before being understood

DAY 7

SKILL CAPSULE: NEGOTIATION SKILLS

What is Negotiation?

Negotiation occurs when conflict exists between groups and both parties are prepared to seek a resolution through bargaining

Conflict & Negotiation

Conflict can be solved through negotiation when:

•         There are two are more parties

•         There is a conflict of interest between the parties

•         The parties are willing to negotiate to seek a better position

•         Both parties believe that entering negotiations as a better solution than breaking contact

When do we Negotiate?

•         When we need someone’s consent

•         When the time and effort of negotiating are justified

•         When the outcome is uncertain

Levels of Conflict

•         Intra-Personal

o   Conflict exists within the individual

•         Inter-Personal

o   Conflict that exists between individuals

•         Intra-Group

o   Conflict exists within a small group

•         Inter-Group

o   Conflict exists between groups

Types of Negotiations

•         Day-to-Day Managerial

o   Job Roles

o   Pay

•         Commercial

o   Contracts

o   Quality

•         Legal

o   Compliance with Governmental Regulations

Some decision making tools for negotiation:

Persuasion: Usually the first method we choose when we want something. Useful when interests or opinions are the same. 

Giving in: This is not the easy way out, and sometimes it’s just not worth continuing if the cost (in any terms) is too high.

Coercion: This could simply be stating your options, ‘I could take my business elsewhere’.  It could also be gentle reminders or unspecified consequences right up to threats. Threats are not useful in a negotiation situation as they erupt in full blown battles.

Problem Solving: Works well when both parties have a strong relationship, where you trust each other, and share the problem.

Negotiating Behaviour

Gavin Kennedy (The New Negotiating Edge) describes 3 types of behaviour that we can display and encounter when in a negotiating situation

                RED                                      BLUE                                    PURPLE

RED Behavior

•         Manipulation

•         Aggressive

•         Intimidation

•         Exploitation

•         Always seeking the best for you

•         No concern for person you are negotiating with

•         Taking

People behave in this manner when they fear exploitation by the other party, but by behaving this way to protect themselves, they provoke the behaviour they are trying to avoid.

BLUE Behavior

•         Win win approach

•         Cooperation

•         Trusting

•         Pacifying

•         Relational

•         Giving

Kennedy talks of a ‘behavioural dilemma’, do you cooperate (blue) or defect (red)? Can you trust the other person? And to what extent?  Trusting someone involves risk, on the one hand being too trusting is naïve and on the other, not trusting at all can create deceitful behaviour. The answer is to merge blue and red behaviour into purple.

PURPLE Behaviour

•         Give me some of what I want (red)

•         I’ll give you some of what you want (blue)

•         Deal with people as they are not how you think they are

•         Good intentions

•         Two way exchange

•         Purple behaviour incites purple behaviour

•         Tit for tat strategies

•         Open

•         People know where they stand

•         Determination to solve problems by both sets of criteria of the merits of the case and/or the terms of a negotiated exchange

To the red behaviourist the message is loud and clear, ‘You will get nothing from me unless and until I get something from you’.

The Four Phases of Negotiation

•         Plan

•         Debate

•         Propose

•         Bargain

Closing the Negotiation

Summary Close: Summarise the details of the conditions and the offer, and ask for agreement.

Adjournment Close: Useful where there remains some small differences.  It gives both parties time to consider the final agreement.

Final offer close: Make it clear that this is your final final offer by choosing the right words, tone and body language.  Create an atmosphere of decisiveness, gather your papers together as though getting ready to leave.

Dealing with Difficult Negotiators

•         Intimidation

•         Domineering

•         Bullying

•         Threats

•         Focusing on their own interests and not yours

These are typical RED behaviours. Be careful to distinguish those who always behave in a RED way, to those who are just having a bad day.

The man you are negotiating with has a bombastic and rude manner.  He interrupts constantly and loudly and at a pace that does not allow interruptions to his flow.  He is emphatic and threatening and shows no interest in your point of view.  Do you:

a.        Retaliate in kind with matching behaviour?

b.       Wait for an opening to say your piece?

c.        Agree to what he wants.

a.          Retaliation is a challenge.  He is not intimidating you enough – he will put on more pressure.

b.          Yes.  But only if you are clear that his behaviour will not affect your focus on the outcome.

c.          Never! Do not give him the satisfaction, by giving into a bully and their intimidation.

The financial director of a large customer is an abusive and domineering person, who has a repertoire of swear words and will not accept ‘No’ for an answer.  She expects you to sit there and take it and theatrically waves her arms about and throws papers around when she wants to make a point.  Do you:

a.        Behave in a contrasting manner and keep your cool?

b.       Agree to what she wants?

c.        Wait to say your piece?

a.          To contrast her behaviour only shows her that her behaviour is working, she’ll put on more pressure until you give in.

b.          Never! Do not give in to her intimidation.

c.          Yes, but only if you are sure her behaviour will not affect the outcome.

So what can you do about it?

  Do not let their behaviour affect the outcome – that is what they want.  They know if they behave in this way they will get what they want because the other party will back down.

  Do not react to their behaviour- that is what they want.

  You need to ignore their behaviour, this is what they choose – not you.  Be focused on the outcome and do not let their behaviour influence you away from this.

  Focus on the merits of both cases

  Consider what ‘trades’ you are going to make.  What you give up reflects consideration of the merits of their case, in exchange for what you insist on getting from them.

  This shows and forces them to give recognition to the merits of your case.

  In short, continue with your PURPLE behaviour, using the condition and offer,  ‘If … then’ strategy.

DO NOT LET THEM GET TO YOU!!

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

You can have the greatest ideas in the  world, but they are no good to your company, or your career, if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively

7Cs of COMMUNICATIONS

• Credibility

• Capability

• Content

• Context

• Channel

• Consistency

• Clarity

Features of Effective Communication

o   Active Listening

o   Eye contact

o   Posture

o   Simple language

o   Questioning skills

Benefits of effective communication

o   Quicker problem solving

o   Better decision making

o   Steady work flow

o   Strong business relations

o   Better professional image

When Communication will be Effective?

In Downward Communication,

•         Job instructions are clear

•         Important points repeated

•         Bypassing formal communication channels

In Upward communication,

•       Understand the requirements of the superiors

•       Relevant aspects of the information are       sent

•       Quantified data is sent rather than subjective information

In Horizontal Communication,

•       An atmosphere of openness and trust is created

•       An atmosphere of team spirit is established

In Diagonal Communication,

•       When information, data, facts and figures are easily available to both parties

•       When both parties understand what is expected of them

•       When both parties are on mutually helping tendency

In External Communication,

•       When proper communication channels are established

•       When every member of the organization knows those channel

IMPROVE EXISTING LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION

•       Improve your general knowledge

•       Improve your language.

•       Improve your pronunciation.

•       Work on voice modulation.

•       Work on body language.

•       Develop habit of reading

•       Listen more

•       Interact with qualitative people.

•       Improve your friend circle.

•       Improve on you topic of discussion,

•       Practice meditation & good thoughts.

•       Think and then speak.

•       Do not speak too fast.

•       Use simple vocabulary.

•       Do not speak only to impress someone speak sense.

•       Look presentable and confident

DAY 8

SKILL CAPSULE: RAPPORT SKILLS

Rapport is a state of harmonious understanding with another individual or group that enables greater and easier communication.  In other words rapport is getting on well with another person, or group of people, by having things in common, this makes the communication process easier and usually more effective.

Sometimes rapport happens naturally, you ‘hit it off’ or ‘get on well’ with somebody else without having to try, this is often how friendships are built.  However, rapport can also be built and developed by finding common ground, developing a bond and being empathic. 

Rapport is important in both our professional and personal lives; employers are more likely to employ somebody who they believe will get on well with their current staff.  Personal relationships are easier to make and develop when there is a closer connection and understanding between the parties involved – i.e. there is greater rapport.

The first task in successful interpersonal relationships is to attempt to build rapport.  Building rapport is all about matching ourselves with another person.  For many, starting a conversation with a stranger is a stressful event; we can be lost for words, awkward with our body language and mannerisms.  Creating rapport at the beginning of a conversation with somebody new will often make the outcome of the conversation more positive.  However stressful and/or nervous you may feel the first thing you need to do is to try to relax and remain calm, by decreasing the tension in the situation communication becomes easier and rapport grows.

When meeting somebody for the first time some simple tips will help you reduce the tension in the situation enabling both parties to feel more relaxed and thus communicate more effectively:

•         Use non-threatening and ‘safe topics’ for initial small talk. Talk about established shared experiences, the weather, how you travelled to where you are. Avoid talking too much about yourself and avoid asking direct questions about the other person

•         Listen to what the other person is saying and look for shared experiences or circumstances - this will give you more to talk about in the initial stages of communication.

•         Try to inject an element of humour. Laughing together creates harmony, make a joke about yourself or the situation/circumstances you are in but avoid making jokes about other people.

•         Be conscious of your body language and other non-verbal signals you are sending.  Try to maintain eye contact for approximately 60% of the time.  Relax and lean slightly towards them to indicate listening, mirror their body-language if appropriate

•         Show some empathy. Demonstrate that you can see the other person’s point of view. Remember rapport is all about finding similarities and ‘being on the same wavelength’ as somebody else - so being empathic will help to achieve this.

Make sure the other person feels included but not interrogated during initial conversations, as you may feel tense and uneasy meeting and talking to somebody new, so may they. Put the other person at ease, this will enable you to relax and conversation to take on a natural course.

Non-Verbal Rapport Building

Although initial conversations can help us to relax, most rapport-building happens without words and through non-verbal communication channels.

We create and maintain rapport subconsciously through matching non-verbal signals, including body positioning, body movements, eye contact, facial expressions and tone of voice with the other person.

Watch two friends talking when you get the opportunity and see how they sub-consciously mimic each other’s non-verbal communication.

We create rapport instinctively, it is our natural defence from conflict, which most of us will try hard to avoid most of the time.

It is important that appropriate body language is used; we read and instantly believe what body language tells us, whereas we may take more persuading with vocal communication.  If there is a mismatch between what we are saying verbally and what our body language is saying then the person we are communicating with will believe the body language.  Building rapport, therefore, begins with displaying appropriate body language - being welcoming, relaxed and open.

As well as paying attention to and matching body language with the person we are communicating with, it helps if we can also match their words.  Reflecting back and clarifying what has been said are useful tactics for repeating what has been communicated by the other person.  Not only will it confirm that you are listening but also give you opportunity to use the words and phases of the other person, further emphasising similarity and common ground.

The way we use our voice is also important in developing rapport.  When we are nervous or tense we tend to talk more quickly, this in turn can make you sound more tense and stressed. We can vary our voices, pitch, volume and pace in ways to make what we are saying more interesting but also to come across as more relaxed, open and friendly. Try lowering your tone, talk more slowly and softly, this will help you develop rapport more easily.

Helpful Rapport Building Behaviours

•         If you are sitting then lean forward, towards the person you are talking to, with hands open and arms and legs uncrossed.  This is open body language and will help you and the person you are talking to feel more relaxed.

•         Look at the other person for approximately 60% of the time.  Give plenty of eye-contact but be careful not to make them feel uncomfortable.

•         When listening, nod and make encouraging sounds and gestures.

•         Smile!

•         Use the other person’s name early in the conversation. This is not only seen as polite but will also reinforce the name in your mind so you are less likely to forget it!

•         Ask the other person open questions.  Open questions require more than a yes or no answer.

•         Use feedback to summarise, reflect and clarify back to the other person what you think they have said.  This gives opportunity for any misunderstandings to be rectified quickly.

•         Talk about things that refer back to what the other person has said.  Find links between common experiences.

•         Try to show empathy.  Demonstrate that you can understand how the other person feels and can see things from their point of view. When in agreement with the other person, openly say so and say why.

•         Build on the other person’s ideas.

•         Be non-judgemental towards the other person.  Let go of stereotypes and any preconceived ideas you may have about the person.

•         If you have to disagree with the other person, give the reason first then say you disagree.

•         Admit when you don’t know the answer or have made a mistake.  Being honest is always the best tactic, acknowledging mistakes will help to build trust.

•         Be genuine, with visual and verbal behaviours working together to maximize the impact of your communication.

Offer a compliment, avoid criticism and be polite.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BODY LANGUAGE

What do we mean by “Body Language” ??

The medium through which people and communicate using gestures, expressions and posture.

Why is Body Language important?

Body language plays a big role in intuition as it gives us messages about the other person, that we can interpret at an intuitive level.

Components of Body Language

•         Facial Expression including Eye contact

•         Gestures

•         Stance

•         Space Relationship

Facial Expressions

•         There are some universal facial expressions; a smile, a frown, a scowl.

•         Eye contact is direct and powerful. 

•         The use of eye contact varies significantly from culture to culture

Gestures

•         Fidgeting shows boredom and restlessness.

•          Pressing fingers together to form a steeple shows interests, assertiveness and determination.

•         Touching the nose or rubbing eyes indicates discomfort.

•         A hand to the back of the neck may indicate withdrawal from a conversation.

Open Stance

•         Interested people always have an erect posture, pay attention and lean forward

•         A firm handshake will give the impression of assertiveness or honesty

•         People showing open hands, both feet planted on the ground are accepting

•         A head tilted to the side indicates interest

Closed Stance

•         Leaning backwards demonstrates aloofness or rejection

•         Folding arms across ones chest or body is protective and gives the impression of a closed, guarded and defensive character.

•         People with arms folded, legs crossed and bodies turned away are signalling that they are rejecting messages.

•         A head down is negative and judgmental

Space

•         There are four distinct zones in which most people operate:

•         Intimate Area 15-50 cm

•         Personal Area 0.5-1m

•         Social Area 1-3m

•         General Area 3m

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR INTERPRETATION

Brisk, erect walk Confidence

Standing with hands on hips Readiness, aggression

Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly Boredom

Sitting, legs apart Open, relaxed

Arms crossed on chest Defensiveness

Walking with hands in pockets, shoulders hunched Dejection

Hand to cheek Evaluation, thinking

Touching the lips, rubbing or hiding the nose with fingers Doubt, lying, hiding

Rubbing the eye Doubt, disbelief

Hands clasped behind back Anger, frustration, apprehension

Locked ankles Apprehension

Head resting in hand, eyes downcast Boredom

Rubbing hands Anticipation

Open palm Sincerity, openness, innocence

Pinching bridge of nose, eyes closed Negative evaluation

Tapping or drumming fingers Impatience

Steepling fingers Authoritative

Patting/fondling hair Lack of self-confidence; insecurity

Tilted head Interest

Stroking chin Trying to make a decision

Looking down, face turned away Disbelief

Biting nails Insecurity, nervousness

Pulling or tugging at ear Indecision

DAY 9

SKILL CAPSULE: CORPORATE ETIQUETTES

Why is etiquette important?

•          Good manners help you make a positive impression

•          Knowing that you are behaving appropriately helps you feel relaxed and confident so you can focus on business

•          Good manners save you time - you won’t have to spend time soothing hurt feelings or making up for damaging mistakes

•          People like to do business when you make them feel comfortable

Successful Encounters

SMALL TALK SKILLS

Tuning-In Techniques

•          Smile - friendliness / receptivity

•          Open posture - attentive

•          Forward Lean - alert (arm’s distance)

•          Tone - show interest

•          Eye Contact - direct without staring

•          Nod - understanding

Listening Manners

•          Create a setting in which you can listen

•          Tune out internal distractions - (worries)

•          Monitor your body language - receptive

•          Do not interrupt

•          Repeat or paraphrase what was said

Your turn to talk

•          It is appropriate to respond to what someone else has said

•          If you need to start - topics may include: Weather, Sports, Traffic, Business Events, Books, Movies, TV Shows, Meeting Place or City (whichever is appropriate)

•          It is gracious to call the person’s name during the conversation

Your turn to talk - Opening Lines

•          Upbeat Observation – “This is very impressive. It looks like…..”

•          Open Ended Questions - “What do you think of…..?”

•          General Questions - “Where are you from?”

UNDERSTANDING BODY LANGUAGE

o   Person turns away or averts his eyes

(disagreement / annoyed/ distracted)

o   Person turns to face you

(interested)

o   Slouching

(loosing interest)

o   Raising hands to his chest

(honest)

o   Wringing hands, nail-biting, foot tapping, shaking legs

(nervous)

BEHAVIOR        

Talks too much               

Ignores others

Interrupts                          

Only discusses work IMPRESSION CREATED

Nervous/Insensitive

Snobbish

Rude

Too serious

IMPRESSIVE INTRODUCTION

o   First impressions can be lasting ones

o   Say the name of the person who holds position of most authority and importance first

o   Keep it basic - say the name only once

o   Clarify - some information about the person - keep it short

o   When in doubt do not use first names

o   Admit that you have forgotten the name - rather than guess!

o   If someone neglects to introduce you - go ahead and introduce yourself

o   When you are introduced stand up and shake hands

TIPS ON TIMING

o   It is rude to be late

o   Apologize for your delay when you arrive

o   Schedule meetings farther apart

o   Estimate duration of tasks

o   Be more organized

o   Don’t overstay your welcome

PHYSICAL DISTANCE - REASONABLE PROXIMITY

o   In a business setting, you should rarely, if ever, touch a person

o   Comfortable distance - 3 feet - or an arm’s length away

o   It can help to keep your professional reputation intact

OFFICE PARTY MANNERS

o   Be on time

o   Treat your managers with respectful friendliness

o   Look as if you are having fun

o   Don’t flirt

o   Don’t get drunk

o   Don’t gossip

HANDSHAKES

•          Handshakes are the only acceptable physical conduct for men & women in the business arena.

•          Handshakes are the universally accepted business greeting.

•          Hugs & kisses are a taboo in the business arena.

You are judged by the quality of the handshake.

A good hand shake

•          Fingers together with the thumb up and open

•          Slide your hand into the other person’s so that each person's web of skin between the thumb and forefingers touches the other’s

•          Squeezes the hand firmly-Is firm but not bone-crushing

•          Lasts for about 3 seconds

Includes good eye-contact with the other person an is released after the shake, even if the introduction continues

CARD ETIQUETTES

•          Always have an ample supply of easily accessible cards

•          Place them ahead of time in a coat pocket or purse so that you may have them ready to hand at a moment’s notice.

•          Present your cards face up so that to those whom you are giving it can easily read.

•          When handed a card, take the time to read it and check to make sure you have proper pronunciation.

•          Never turn down a card someone gives you.

•          Be selective with distributing cards

•          Include cards with business correspondence.

•          Don’t be anxious to distribute cards

•          In social functions be unobtrusive while giving cards

•          Business cards should not surface during meals , -be discreet

Using two hands to present and take the cards looks elegant

THUMB RULES FOR INTRODUCTIONS

•          Use full names and no “nick“ names

•          Use title where ever applicable “ Dr. “

•          In social settings add a personal interest line along with the name and designation

•          In official settings full name and designation is important

•          In gatherings make an effort that very one is introduced

•          Open doors and let ladies walk in first

•          With a revolving door the male walks in first and hold it for the woman

•          In the escalator male enters first faces the woman to help

•          In a lift the woman gets out first , but while getting out he should be out and make sure the door is open for her.

•          If a man is driving he should open the door for the lady before sitting. At the end there is no need to rush and open

•          Men should volunteer to carry heavy packets of the women

•          There is no rule that only a man should pay when the two go out

•          Never ask women personal questions

GIVING COMPLIMENTS

•          Be consistent - compliment everyone who deserves it

•          Be specific - be direct

•          Don’t confuse praise with feedback

•          When appropriate give praise in public or in writing

•          Be timely

 ACCEPTING COMPLIMENTS

•          Acknowledge the compliment - say “Thank You”

•          Don’t argue with or attempt to qualify the compliment

•          Even when you genuinely disagree with the reason for the compliment, don’t insult the speaker

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: TELEPHONE ETTIQUTE

Office Phones

•         Answer the phone in 3 rings or less

•         Never answer with just “Hello.”

•         Ask permission to place someone on hold.

•         Limit hold time to 30-40 seconds.  If longer, call back.

•         When on the phone, give full attention to the caller – no on-site conversations, etc.

•         When someone calls you, you should NOT hang up first.

•         When you place a call that will take some time, ask if the person if he/she has time to talk.

•         If the phone connection is lost, the initial caller should call back.

•         Never place someone on the speakerphone without asking permission.

•         Return calls in 24 hours or less.

•         Establish a call-back hour each day

Voice Mail

•         Your voicemail greeting should be short and informative – identify yourself and encourage person to leave a message

•         Check voice mail at least two times per day

•         When leaving a message, leave name, number, reason for call, and time you can be reached – be brief

•         Do not use voice mail for bad news, confidential information, or complicated directions

•         Do not leave “angry” messages

•         Do not leave the same message multiple times; use another contact message

Cellular Phones

•         Turn OFF cell phones during ALL meetings.  (If expecting emergency call, notify meeting participants in advance.) 

•         Cell phone calls should be brief.

•         Company cell phones should only be used for company business.

•         Remove yourself from the presence of others when making a cell phone call

•         Do NOT talk on a cell phone:

•         When walking on the sidewalk/street

•         Driving a car

•         In a theatre

•         In a restaurant

•         In a classroom

•         In any other public place

FAXES

•         Only fax short documents – use overnight delivery for long documents

•         “Junk” mail should be sent 3rd class – never faxed

•         Faxes should contain yours and recipient’s name and contact information

•         Never read another’s fax

Copiers

•         Smaller jobs go first

•         Large jobs should allow small jobs to interrupt

•         Return machine to original configuration

DAY 10

SKILL CAPSULE: DELEGATION SKILLS

One of the most important questions to answer if you want to delegate a task, whether at home or in the workplace, is ‘How much control do I want over the task?’.

The answer to this question will drive how you delegate the task, how often you meet with the person doing the work, and what level of detail you want to know about. It will also alter the leadership style that you adopt. What’s more, saying that you want one level of control when actually you want another, is likely to confuse your team and make them anxious and less effective, so it’s really important that you know what you want and communicate it clearly.

From No Control to Total Control

Think of control over the task as being shared in some way between ‘leader’, that is, the person delegating the work, and followers. The level of control can vary from the leader being in total control to the followers being in total control, with a whole spectrum of shared control in between. If the leader is in total control, the leadership style being used is likely to be Commanding  or Pacesetting. Shared control could be Authoritative/Visionary (the leader relies on the quality of their vision to bring their team along), Democratic, Coaching or Affiliative, all of which are very much linked to dialogue.

Total control lying with the followers is not often seen, because of the level of risk to the leader. It is more commonly described as Laissez-Faire leadership, which should give you some idea of the level of esteem in which it is not held by leadership gurus.

Nine Levels of Delegation

With the level of control in mind, we can then move on to think about how you delegate work or tasks. Tim Brighouse, the former Schools Commissioner for London defined nine levels of delegation.

They are:

1. Look into this problem. Give me all the facts. I will decide what to do.

2. Let me know the options available with the pros and cons of each. I will decide what to select.

3. Let me know the criteria for your recommendation, which alternatives you have identified and which one appears best to you with any risk identified. I will make the decision.

4. Recommend a course of action for my approval.

5. Let me know what you intend to do. Delay action until I approve.

6. Let me know what you intend to do. Do it unless I say not to.

7. Take action. Let me know what you did. Let me know how it turns out.

8. Take action. Communicate with me only if the action is unsuccessful.

9. Take action. No further communication with me is necessary.

It will immediately be apparent that there is huge potential for problems if you want to know exactly what is going on, but your subordinate has received the message that you don’t want any further information. Delegating work is obviously a lot more complicated than it looks at first sight.

Key Skills in Delegating Work

Delegating may be complicated, but there are actually only two principle skill areas needed for successful delegating:

1.       Be aware what level of control you want and need, which needs high levels of self-awareness. Good leaders are intrinsically self-aware, and understand how they like to work.

2.       The best leaders are also aware of how their subordinates like to work, and strive to find a balance between the two, to allow their subordinates to grow and develop in their work. You can find out how much control people like by asking them, and negotiating the level of delegation that you use with them so that both of you get some of what you want (and a win-win situation).

Make sure that you are absolutely clear with your subordinate what level of delegation you have used. This requires strong communication skills.

Like so many skills, delegation can be broken down into a relatively straightforward set of skills: in this case, communication and self-awareness. However, also like many others, it takes a fair bit of practice before you’re really comfortable. To get better, it’s a good idea to practise consciously using different levels of delegation, so that you become familiar with the type of language needed for each, and are able to use them comfortably. You will then be able to flex your style to fit the task and the person to whom you are delegating.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Call out to a person 200m away

DAY 11

SKILL CAPSULE: INFLUENCING SKILLS

How often have you needed to influence others to do something?

It’s a situation that arises almost every day, whether it’s getting your teenager to tidy their room, or your pre-schooler to get dressed, or a colleague to attend a meeting on your behalf. Some people seem to be able to do it effortlessly, and almost without anyone noticing, whereas others fall back on the power of their position to enforce what they want.

Influencing skills can be learnt just like any others, and they are a key part of being able to influence others to achieve your goals and objectives.

Ways to Influence

Nagging

We all know people who aim to influence by talking constantly. They seem to think they can grind others into submission, by simply reiterating their point of view constantly. This, basically, is nagging. And it does sometimes work, of course, because their colleagues or family give in solely to get some peace. But as a general rule, others influenced in this way probably haven’t bought into the idea, and are not committed to it.

This means that when the going gets tough, the idea could easily just wither and die.

Coercion

Others fall back on the power of their position, and order others to do what they want. This, in its most unpleasant sense, is coercion. Again, their family or colleagues won’t necessarily like what they’re doing. If it’s hard, they may well give up. More orders will be issued, to rescue the idea, but again, may be unsuccessful, because those involved are doing it because they have to, not because they want to.

A Better Way

The ‘Holy Grail’ of influencing, then, is to get others to buy into the idea, and want to do it your way. And the best way of doing that is in a way that others don’t notice. But how?

The fable of the sun and the wind is a good example:

The wind and the sun decided to have a competition to decide once and for all who was stronger. They agreed that the winner would be the one who could influence a man to take off his coat. The wind blew and blew, but the man only held on more tightly to his coat. Then the sun shone gently down, and within minutes, the man took off his coat.

The moral here is that you can’t force someone to do what they don’t want; instead, the art of influencing is to get them to want what you want.

 

Barriers to Successful Influence

One way to think about what works in influencing others is to think about what doesn’t work first.

1. Thinking that you are better at influencing than you are, and therefore failing to hone your skills. Instead, take a long, hard look at yourself, and see where your skills need to be improved.

2. Trying too hard to influence. Seeming too keen probably puts people off faster than anything else.

3. Failing to put in the effort required to get what you want. Nothing, or at least not much, is free in this world.

4. Talking too much. Stop, and just listen to the people you need to influence.

5. Providing too much information, which just confuses people, and makes them think you are trying to blind them with science. What, they ask, are you not telling them?

6. Getting desperate. Like insincerity, people can spot fear at a distance, and don’t like it.

7. Being afraid of rejection. This can even stop people from trying to influence in extreme cases.

8. Not being prepared. You can’t ‘wing it’ every time. Your audience will see through you, and will think that you value your time more highly than theirs.

9. Making assumptions about your audience, and then not being prepared to reassess when new evidence emerges.

10. Forgetting that the whole conversation is important. You need to engage in order to influence, right from the beginning.

Successful Influencing

Research shows that there are a number of things that people like about successful influencers.

Kurt Mortensen’s research suggests that these elements are largely emotional. They include keeping promises, being reliable and taking responsibility, being sincere, genuine, and honest, knowing their subject, and believing in it, building rapport, and being entertaining, as well as not arguing and providing solutions that work.

The key skills for successful influencing, then, are pretty wide. First of all, successful influencers tend to have high self-esteem and good Emotional Intelligence more generally. They really believe that they will succeed.

You also need to remain motivated and believe in yourself and your ideas. Additionally, you need to understand how your audience thinks. Key skills here include Empathy, and good Listening Skills, including Active Listening. If you listen, your audience will usually tell you what and how they are thinking. It also helps to be able to build rapport; people like those who take time to become a friend, as well as an influencer. It follows, really: if we’re honest, we’d all much rather do what a friend suggests than someone we dislike, however sensible the idea. Building rapport also helps to build trust. Good influencers or influencers also have very good Communication Skills.

It’s essential that you can get your point across succinctly and effectively, otherwise you’re never going to influence anyone of the merits of your position.

The final skill of good influencers is being organised. They do their homework, they know their audience and they know their subject. They have taken time to organise themselves and think about what they want to achieve.

Conclusion

It takes time, but develop these skills, and you will start to develop ‘authentic power’, which means that you have power because people believe in what you’re saying. Once you have that, you are likely to be much more successful in influencing and influencing others, whether at home or at work.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Announce (Shout) on Shop Floor " Factory closed due to heavy rains"

DAY 12

SKILL CAPSULE: STRESS MANAGEMENT

Effectively coping with stress, managing stress and finding ways to reduce unnecessary or unhealthy levels of stress are important life skills - skills that everybody needs.

Negative stress, tension and anxiety are extremely common problems in modern life - most people will suffer from potentially dangerous or debilitating symptoms of stress and stress related issues at some point in their lives.

This page (part of a series of stress management pages) provides an introduction or overview to negative stress, together with some of the most common causes of stress and the consequences of inappropriate levels of stress.

Stress is a response to an inappropriate level of pressure. You may encounter stress from a number of sources including:

• Personal Stress: which may be caused by the nature of your work, changes in your life or personal problems.

• Stress in family or friends: which in turn may affect you.

• Stress in your colleagues: which also may affect you.

Stress can be described as the distress that is caused as a result of demands placed on physical or mental energy.  Stress can arise as the result of factors including:

 

Anxiety

Anxiety is caused when life events are felt to be threatening to individual physical, social or mental well-being.  The amount of anxiety experienced by an individual depends on:

• How threatening these life events are perceived to be.

• Individual coping strategies.

• How many stressful events occur in a short period of time.

Tension

Tension is a natural reaction to anxiety.  It is part of a primitive survival instinct where physiological changes prepare the individual for ‘fight or flight’.  This sympathetic response, as it is known, results in a chemical Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) being released in the body and causes muscles to tense ready for action. 

Blood vessels near the skin constrict, to slow bleeding if injury is sustained, and to increase the blood supply to the muscles, heart, lungs and brain.  Digestion is inhibited, the bladder relaxes, the heart rate and breathing speed increase, the body sweats more.  The person affected becomes more alert, their eyes dilate and a surge of adrenaline gives rise to an increase in energy.

These responses are extremely useful in situations of physical danger but, unlike for primitive humans, many of the anxieties of modern life are not ones that can be solved by a ‘fight or flight’ reaction or by any physical response.

Modern day stressful situations tend to continue for much longer periods of time and an immediate response does not relieve the anxiety-provoking situation. Therefore, prolonged states of anxiety can lead to symptoms of stress which prevent the individual from returning to his or her normal, relaxed state. Prolonged stress can therefore be detrimental to health and wellbeing.

Physical Signs of Stress

In addition to feeling uneasy, tense and worried, physical sensations of continued stress can include:

• Palpitations

• Dizziness

• Indigestion or heartburn

• Tension headaches

• Aching muscles

• Trembling or eye twitches

• Diarrhoea

• Frequent urination

• Insomnia

• Tiredness

• Impotence

People are often unaware that they are suffering from stress and visit the doctor with symptoms of indigestion, muscle pain, headaches, etc.  Severe stress can lead to panic attacks, chest pains, phobias and fears of being seriously ill.

Continued stress can lead to feelings of lethargy and tiredness, migraine, severe stomach upset and sleeplessness.  As with all such symptoms, you should seek the help and advice of a health care professional.  Once symptoms are recognised as being caused by stress it is possible to control and reduce stress levels. This can be done through learning a number of stress reduction techniques.

Stress-Inducing Events and Situations

Different people find different events and situations more or less stressful than others, individuals have a range of events or situations that are particularly stressful to them, most people would agree that major events such as losing a job, divorce or money problems would be stressful for anyone.

Many of the most stressful situations in live come as a result of unplanned changes in personal circumstance.

The following list is compiled from the answers given by a large number of people as to how hard it is to readjust to different life changing events.  A high score shows that people find it hard to readjust to that event, which in turn indicates a high stress factor.

Life changes can have a direct effect on health, either good or bad.  Of people who have a ‘life change score’ of 200-300, half exhibit health problems in the following year.  Of those with a score over 300, 79% become ill in the following year.  The most stressful change is the death of a spouse.  Widowers have a 40% higher death rate than normal and have high rates of illness and depression.

It is not only unpleasant events that can be stressful. Almost any change in circumstances can cause stress - as we readjust. If possible, it is wise to not have too many changes in life at the same time.

In addition to stress being caused by events, certain situations can lead to people feeling stressed; although as mentioned before the degree of stress will depend, amongst other things, on that individual’s coping strategies. 

The environment can make us stressed: for example, noise, crowds, poor lighting, pollution or other external factors over which we have no control can cause us to feel anxious and irritable.

Adjusting to modern-day life can also be a source of stress. We now communicate with people in many different ways, e.g. through the Internet, mobile phones, and various broadcast media, and the expectation of a quick response has increased. 

We also have many more commodities available to us and some people feel an expectation to maintain a certain lifestyle and level of consumerism.  In addition, for many women it is now the norm to manage a full or part-time job and to be the primary career nurturing a family. All of these changes mean that stress is now unfortunately commonplace in both our personal and professional lives. 

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Read out to your partner who will write facing away from each other

DAY 13

SKILL CAPSULE: TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Have you ever wondered how it is that some people seem to have enough time to do everything that they want to, whereas others are always rushing from task to task, and never seem to finish anything?

Is it just that the former have less to do? No, it’s much more likely that they are using their time more effectively and practicing good time management skills.

Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it’s surprisingly hard to do in practice. It requires the investment of a little time upfront to prioritise and organise yourself. But once done, you will find that with minor tweaks, your day, and indeed your week and month, fall into place in an orderly fashion, with time for everything you need to do.

The Key to Good Time Management

Understanding the difference between Urgent and Important

‘Urgent’ tasks demand your immediate attention, but whether you actually give them that attention may or may not matter.

'Important' tasks matter, and not doing them may have serious consequences for you or others.

For example:

• Answering the phone is urgent. If you don’t do it, the caller will ring off, and you won’t know why they called. It may, however, be an automated voice telling you that you may be eligible for compensation for having been mis-sold insurance. That’s not important.

• Going to the dentist regularly is important (or so we’re told). If you don’t, you may get gum disease, or other problems. But it’s not urgent. If you leave it too long, however, it may become urgent, because you may get toothache.

• Picking your children up from school is both urgent and important. If you are not there at the right time, they will be waiting in the playground or the classroom, worrying about where you are.

• Reading funny emails or checking Facebook is neither urgent nor important. So why is it the first thing that you do each day?

This distinction between urgent and important is the key to prioritising your time and your workload, whether at work or at home.

Try using a grid, like the priority matrix, to organize your tasks into their appropriate categories:

Remember, too, that you and your health are important. Just because you have lots to do doesn’t mean that doing some exercise, going for a 10-minute walk or making time to eat properly is not important. You should not ignore your physical or mental health in favour of more 'urgent' activities.

Urgency and/or importance is not a fixed status. You should review your task list regularly to make sure that nothing should be moved up because it has become more urgent and/or important.

What can you do if an important task continually gets bumped down the list by more urgent, but still important tasks?

First, consider whether it is genuinely important. Does it actually need doing at all, or have you just been telling yourself that you ought to do it?

Further Principles of Good Time Management

Keep tidy

For some of us, clutter can be both a real distraction and genuinely depressing.

Tidying up can improve both self-esteem and motivation. You will also find it easier to stay on top of things if your workspace is tidy.

If you have a system where everything is stuck on the fridge or notice board pending action, then take off anything that doesn’t need action and/or has been dealt with! That way, you’ll be able to see at a glance what needs doing, and you'll be less likely to miss anything.

Pick Your Moment

All of us have times of day that we work better. It’s best to schedule the difficult tasks for those times.

However, you also need to schedule in things that need doing at particular times, like meetings, or a trip to the post office.

Another useful option is to have a list of important but non-urgent small tasks that can be done in that odd ten minutes between meetings: might it be the ideal time to send that email confirming your holiday dates?

 

Don’t Procrastinate, but Do Ask Why You’re Tempted

If a task is genuinely urgent and important, get on with it.

If, however, you find yourself making excuses about not doing something, ask yourself why.

You may be doubtful about whether you should be doing the task at all. Perhaps you’re concerned about the ethics, or you don’t think it’s the best option.  If so, you may find that others agree. Talk it over with colleagues or your manager, if at work, and family or friends at home, and see if there is an alternative that might be better.

Don’t Try To Multi-task

Generally, people aren’t very good at multi-tasking, because it takes our brains time to refocus.

It’s much better to finish off one job before moving onto another. If you do have to do lots of different tasks, try to group them together, and do similar tasks consecutively.

 

Stay Calm and Keep Things In Perspective

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to stay calm. Feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks can be very stressful. Remember that the world will probably not end if you fail to achieve your last task of the day, or leave it until tomorrow, especially if you have prioritised sensibly. 

Going home or getting an early night, so that you are fit for tomorrow, may be a much better option than meeting a self-imposed or external deadline that may not even matter that much.

Take a moment to pause and get your life and priorities into perspective, and you may find that the view changes quite substantially!

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Give a Dictation to your partner standing 15 feet away

DAY 14

SKILL CAPSULE: PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Everybody can benefit from having good problem solving skills as we all encounter problems on a daily basis; some of these problems are obviously more severe or complex than others.

It would be wonderful to have the ability to solve all problems efficiently and in a timely fashion without difficulty, unfortunately there is no one way in which all problems can be solved.

You will discover, as you read through our pages on problem solving, that the subject is complex. However well prepared we are for problem solving there is always an element of the unknown. Although planning and structuring will help make the problem solving process more likely to be successful, good judgement and an element of good luck will ultimately determine whether problem solving was a success.

Interpersonal relationships fail and businesses fail because of poor problem solving

This is often due to either problems not being recognized or being recognized but not being dealt with appropriately. Solving a problem involves a certain amount of risk - this risk needs to be weighed up against not solving the problem.

Our problem solving pages provide a simple and structured approach to problem solving.

The approach referred to is generally designed for problem solving in an organization or group context, but can also be easily adapted to work at an individual level. Trying to solve a complex problem alone however can be a mistake, the old adage: "A problem shared is a problem halved" is sound advice. Talking to others about problems is not only therapeutic but can help you see things from a different point of view, opening up more potential solutions.

What is a Problem?

 

The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995) defines a problem as:

“A doubtful or difficult matter requiring a solution”

and

“Something hard to understand or accomplish or deal with.”

All problems have two features in common: goals and barriers.

 

Goals

Problems involve setting out to achieve some objective or desired state of affairs and can include avoiding a situation or event.

Goals can be anything that you wish to achieve, where you want to be. If you are hungry then your goal is probably to eat something, if you are a head of an organization (CEO) then your main goal may be to maximize profits. In the example of the CEO the main goal may need to be split into numerous sub-goals in order to fulfill the ultimate goal of increasing profits.

 

Barriers

If there were no barriers in the way of achieving a goal, then there would be no problem.  Problem solving involves overcoming the barriers or obstacles that prevent the immediate achievement of goals.

Following our examples above, if you feel hungry then your goal is to eat. A barrier to this may be that you have no food available - you take a trip to the supermarket and buy some food, removing the barrier and thus solving the problem. Of course for the CEO wanting to increase profits there may be many more barriers preventing the goal from being reached. The CEO needs to attempt to recognize these barriers and remove them or find other ways to achieve the goals of the organization.

Stages of Problem Solving

Problem Identification:

This stage involves: detecting and recognising that there is a problem; identifying the nature of the problem; defining the problem.

The first phase of problem solving may sound obvious but often requires more thought and analysis. Identifying a problem can be a difficult task in itself, is there a problem at all? What is the nature of the problem, are there in fact numerous problems? How can the problem be best defined? - by spending some time defining the problem you will not only understand it more clearly yourself but be able to communicate its nature to others, this leads to the second phase.

 

Structuring the Problem:

This stage involves: a period of observation, careful inspection, fact-finding and developing a clear picture of the problem.

Following on from problem identification, structuring the problem is all about gaining more information about the problem and increasing understanding. This phase is all about fact finding and analysis, building a more comprehensive picture of both the goal(s) and the barrier(s). This stage may not be necessary for very simple problems but is essential for problems of a more complex nature.

 

Looking for Possible Solutions:

During this stage you will generate a range of possible courses of action, but with little attempt to evaluate them at this stage.

From the information gathered in the first two phases of the problem solving framework it is now time to start thinking about possible solutions to the identified problem. In a group situation this stage is often carried out as a brain-storming session, letting each person in the group express their views on possible solutions (or part solutions). In organisations different people will have different expertise in different areas and it is useful, therefore, to hear the views of each concerned party.

 

Making a Decision:

This stage involves careful analysis of the different possible courses of action and then selecting the best solution for implementation.

This is perhaps the most complex part of the problem solving process. Following on from the previous step it is now time to look at each potential solution and carefully analyse it. Some solutions may not be possible, due to other problems, like time constraints or budgets. It is important at this stage to also consider what might happen if nothing was done to solve the problem - sometimes trying to solve a problem that leads to many more problems requires some very creative thinking and innovative ideas.

Finally, make a decision on which course of action to take - decision making is an important skill in itself

 

Implementation:

This stage involves accepting and carrying out the chosen course of action.

Implementation means acting on the chosen solution. During implementation more problems may arise especially if identification or structuring of the original problem was not carried out fully.

 

Monitoring/Seeking Feedback:

The last stage is about reviewing the outcomes of problem solving over a period of time, including seeking feedback as to the success of the outcomes of the chosen solution.

The final stage of problem solving is concerned with checking that the process was successful. This can be achieved by monitoring and gaining feedback from people affected by any changes that occurred. It is good practice to keep a record of outcomes and any additional problems that occurred.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Dictation to whole class

DAY 15

SKILL CAPSULE: WORK ETHIC

The importance of developing a strong work ethic and how the work ethic you develop will impact your future as an employee.

Top 10 Work Ethics

  Attendance

   Character

   Team Work

   Appearance

   Attitude

  Productivity

   Organizational Skills

   Communication

   Cooperation

   Respect

Traits of a Winning Employee

  Limit Absences

Be at work every day possible

        Plan your absences

        Don’t abuse leave time

  Come to work on time

        Be punctual every day

  Be honest

“Honesty is the single most important factor    having a direct bearing on the final success of an individual, corporation, or product.”  Ed McMahon

  Be dependable

        Complete assigned tasks correctly and promptly

  Be loyal

        Speak positively about the company

  Be willing to learn

        Look to improve your skills

  Be a team player

        The ability to get along with others– including those you don’t necessarily like

  Leadership abilities

        The ability to be led and/or to become the leader

  Be a contributing member. The ability to carry your own weight and help others who are struggling

  Accept compromise

        Recognize when to speak up with an idea and when to compromise by blend ideas together

  Dress Appropriately

        Dress for Success!

        Set your best foot forward                        

  Personal hygiene

  Good manners

  Hand shake

  Demeanor

  Eye contact

        Remember that the first impression of who you are can last a lifetime

  Have a good attitude

        Listen to suggestions

        Be positive

  Accept responsibility for ones work

        If you make a mistake, admit it

  Do the work correctly

        Quality and timeliness are prized

  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

  Help out whenever asked

        Do “extras” without being asked

  Take pride in your work

        Do things the best you know how

  Make an effort to improve

        Learn ways to better yourself

  Time Management

        Utilize time and resources to get the most out of both

  Written Communications

        Being able to correctly write reports and memos

  Verbal Communications. Being able to communicate one on one or to a group

  Follow company rules and  policies

        Learn and follow expectations

  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

  Appreciate privileges and don’t abuse them

        Privileges are favors and benefits

  Work hard

        Work to the best of your ability

  Carry out orders

        Do what’s asked the first time

  Show respect

        Accept and acknowledge an individual’s talents and knowledge

Why People Lose Their Jobs:

  They get laid off

        Job loss not their fault

  They get fired

        Job lost because of their actions

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Read out your essay to the class

Grooming Capsule - 30 Day Wonder (Day 16 to Day 30)

DAY 16

SKILL CAPSULE: TEAM BUILDING

The roles people play in meetings.

There are a number of different roles that people adopt in meetings, some of which are listed below. These roles are not always constant - one person might adopt several of these roles during one meeting or change roles depending on what is being discussed. Your score for each category should give you some idea of which of these roles you play in teams.

ENCOURAGER

Energizes groups when motivation is low through humor or through being enthusiastic. They are positive individuals who support and praise other group members. They don't like sitting around. They like to move things along by suggesting ideas, by clarifying the ideas of others and by confronting problems. They may use humor to break tensions in the group.

They may say:

"We CAN do this!"

"That's a great idea!"

COMPROMISER

Tries to maintain harmony among the team members. They are sociable, interested in others and will introduce people, draw them out and make them feel comfortable. They may be willing to change their own views to get a group decision. They work well with different people and can be depended on to promote a positive atmosphere, helping the team to gel. They pull people and tasks together thereby developing rapport. They are tolerant individuals and good listeners who will listen carefully to the views of other group members. They are good judges of people, diplomatic and sensitive to the feelings of others and not seen as a threat. They are able to recognize and resolve differences of opinion and the the development of conflict, they enable "difficult" team-members to contribute positively.

They may say:

"We haven't heard from Mike yet: I'd like to hear what you think about this."

"I'm not sure I agree. What are your reasons for saying that?"

LEADER

Good leaders direct the sequence of steps the group takes and keep the group "on-track". They are good at controlling people and events and coordinating resources. They have the energy, determination and initiative to overcome obstacles and bring competitive drive to the team. They give shape to the team effort. They recognise the skills of each individual and how they can be used. Leaders are outgoing individuals who have to be careful not to be domineering. They can sometimes steamroller the team but get results quickly. They may become impatient with complacency and lack of progress and may sometimes overreact.

They may say

"Let's come back to this later if we have time."

"We need to move on to the next step."

"Sue, what do you think about this idea?"

SUMMARISER/CLARIFIER

Calm, reflective individuals who summarise the group's discussion and conclusions. They clarify group objectives and elaborate on the ideas of others. They may go into detail about how the group's plans would work and tie up loose ends. They are good mediators and seek consensus.

They may say:

"So here's what we've decided so far"

"I think you're right, but we could also add ...."

IDEAS PERSON

The ideas person suggests new ideas to solve group problems or suggests new ways for the group to organize the task. They dislike orthodoxy and are not too concerned with practicalities. They provide suggestions and proposals that are often original and radical. They are more concerned with the big picture than with details. They may get bored after the initial impetus wears off.

EVALUATOR

Evaluators help the group to avoid coming to agreement too quickly. They tend to be slow in coming to a decision because of a need to think things over. They are the logical, analytical, objective people in the team and offer measured, dispassionate critical analysis. They contribute at times of crucial decision making because they are capable of evaluating competing proposals. They may suggest alternative ideas.

They may say:

"What other possibilities are there?"

or "Let's try to look at this another way."

or "I'm not sure we're on the right track."

RECORDER

The recorder keeps the group focused and organized. They make sure that everyone is helping with the project. They are usually the first person to offer to take notes to keep a record of ideas and decisions. They also like to act as time-keeper, to allocate times to specific tasks and remind the team to keep to them, or act as a spokesperson, to deliver the ideas and findings of the group. They may check that all members understand and agree on plans and actions and know their roles and responsibilities. They act as the memory of the group.

They may say:

"We only have five minutes left, so we need to come to agreement now!"

"Do we all understand this chart?"

"Are we all in agreement on this?"

•         Take Responsibility

•         Let your Work Speak for itself

•         Know your Team Members  

•         Always Compartmentalize 

•         Be a Motivator

•         Appreciate Others

•         Avoid Politics 

•         Ask for Feedback 

•         Develop a Sense of Humor 

•         Be there for your team members when they need you.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Prepare a lecture and deliver to class

DAY 17

SKILL CAPSULE: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“The capacity for recognizing our own feeling and those for others, for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.”    - Daniel Goleman

EL Competencies

•         Self awareness

•         Self management

•         ‘social awareness’

•         Relationship management

EXAMPLES

  Understanding problems of workers whose houses were washed away during floods.

  Understanding the thought process of a union leader who has come to you for negotiations i.e., his need to balance the interests of workers with the need to come to a reasonable, viable, sustainable settlement.

o   army example : an newly commissioned officer…when he joins his first regiment he has to live with his troops and not in the officer’s mess and has to do the job of the lowest soldier, sweeper or gunner for 3 days and work his way up to an officer rank, having done the job of each higher appointment.

  By doing this he understands the implications of the orders he passes on each of his sub ordinates.

1. Develop Your Emotional Self-Awareness

One of the best ways to develop your awareness of your own emotions is to meditate. Take some time out to relax, being aware of your breathing as it flows in and out. Observe your thoughts and feelings as they come and go, without judging them. This will give you a degree of detachment, as you realise you are more than whatever thoughts and emotions you are experiencing at the time.

Another good way to become more aware and accepting of your emotions is to keep an emotional journal. Just take five minutes each morning to write down how you're feeling. Writing things down in this way gives you a degree of detachment and allows you to express your feelings in a way which is safe. It also allows you to recognise recurring patterns in your emotional responses and gives you a record of how far you have come as you develop your emotional intelligence.

2. Take Responsibility for Your Actions and Feelings

Often we talk about emotions as if they just 'happen', or that other people create them in us, as in 'she made me angry' or 'he upset me'. Some people even seem to have inanimate objects controlling their emotions, as in 'that squeaky gate is really pissing me off!'

So, can other people or even lumps of metal really control your emotions, causing your brain to release exactly the right combination of neuropeptides to experience irritation, fear or guilt? I would suggest not.

All the information we receive from our five senses about what's happening around us is already filtered by the time we become aware of it - first by the limbic system, our primitive emotional brain, and then by our beliefs and the meanings which we put on these events.

The emotional response to the meaning which we place on any given event can happen so quickly that we aren't aware of our filtering process and assigning of meaning which happens in the gap between the triggering event and the response. It feels like the 'trigger' really does cause the emotional response.

However, if that were really the case, then everyone would react in exactly the same way in similar situations - which clearly they don't. One person might get angry, another might get frightened, another find it funny, and another might not even notice.

Here's the thing: in principle, you can change any of your mental filters and emotional responses. This means that you can take "response - ability" - the ability to be able to choose how you want to feel about anything that happens. How? NLP and other technologies for rapid change have a wealth of techniques for helping you to change even the deepest-rooted habitual responses.

3. Remember - You Are Not Your Emotions

There are no "bad" emotions. Whatever you feel is giving you valuable information: either about the situation that you're in, or about some event that's happened in the past that you need to learn from and move on.

A trap that people often fall into is feeling that they 'ought' to feel a certain way - that they are a 'bad person' for feeling emotions they have been brought up to believe are wrong to express or even to feel. If they are on a spiritual path, it can be even worse, as they may feel they 'ought' to be above feeling that way.

Remember, it's how you respond to those feelings that matters. Whatever emotion you're feeling, you still have a choice about how you act on it - and that's what counts. Judging yourself does not make you a better person.

4. Put Yourself In The Other Person's Shoes

Any time that you're dealing with another person - on a date, in a job interview, in a dispute, selling to them, working with them, or just hanging out - things will go more smoothly if from time to time you put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, "What's going on for this person right now? What's important to them? What do they want from this interchange? What might they be feeling?"

Everyone sees the world in different ways, and everything that person does and says makes sense from their viewpoint, even if it makes no sense to you. People make the best choices they can given their unique 'map' of the world - if you assume they have the same map as you, then some of those 'actions' might even seem stupid or malicious. If you get a sense of what's going on for them, you will find them much easier to communicate with.

5. Get Some Distance From The Bad Stuff

I once had a client who came to me for help with anxiety about speaking in public. Every time this person had to give a presentation at work, he found himself experiencing panic symptoms which got stronger as the day approached. He had always got through to the end of the presentation without major disasters, but he hated the experience while it was happening.

With some coaching, he was able to check for things that might go wrong in a less damaging way. By viewing each scenario as a detached observer, in black and white and as a smaller-than-lifesize picture, he was able to see his future self coping with various possible glitches, without having to become emotionally involved in what he was seeing. I also suggested that he finish off by seeing himself in a life-size, colourful picture, giving a perfect presentation, so that he ended his reverie feeling good. He was then able to approach his presentations in a much more resourceful emotional state, and consequently perform much better.

Often the way we feel is a response to 'movies' that our minds run, or to an internal critical voice. While the mind's intention in creating these thoughts and images is positive, the effect is often unhelpful.

The qualities of the pictures, and the volume and tone of internal dialogue, are what give these thoughts their power. A big, bright, moving, 3-D mental picture, especially if we see it as if through our own eyes, will be more affecting than a small, dim, monochrome, 2-D snapshot, whatever the actual content of the picture. Similarly, a loud inner voice with an edge to it will have more of an impact than a softly-spoken voice, whatever it's saying.

You can use your mental 'remote control' to alter the qualities of your mental pictures. Make your good memories and fantasies big, bright, moving and 'real' so you can enjoy the most intense positive feelings from them. If you have to look at bad memories or imagine an unpleasant experience, make the picture small, dim, monochrome and two-dimensional, and look at it as if you were a detached observer. That way you can still get whatever information you need, while minimizing uncomfortable emotional responses.

Emotional Intelligence Map

Self-Awareness                            Empathy

    Emotional Awareness                   Understand Others

    Accurate Self-Assessment            Developing Others

    Self-Confidence                                Service Orientation

Self Management                             Leveraging Diversity

    Self Control                                         Political Awareness

    Trustworthiness                         Social Skills

    Conscientiousness                           Influence                      

    Adaptability                                       Communication

    Innovation                                          Conflict Management

Motivation                                           Leadership

     Achievement Drive                        Change Catalyst

     Commitment                                    Building Bonds

     Initiative                                             Collaboration & Cooperation

     Optimism                                           Team Capabilities

How to Increase Your EQ      

  Conduct a “personal inventory.”

  Analyze the setting & identify skills needed.

  Enlist trusted friends.

  Focus on a few competencies.

  Practice, practice, practice. 

  Be observant and reflective.

  Don’t expect immediate results.

  Learn from your mistakes.

  Acknowledge your successes.

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Motivational Lecture

DAY 18

SKILL CAPSULE: ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger management is a term used to describe the skills you need to recognize that you, or someone else, is becoming angry and take appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way.

Anger management does not mean internalizing or suppressing anger.

Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion and, when dealt with appropriately, can even be considered a healthy emotion.  We all feel angry from time to time, yet this feeling can lead us to say or do things that we later regret. Anger can reduce our inhibitions and make us act inappropriately.

Anger management concerns recognizing the triggers for anger as early as possible and expressing these feelings and frustrations in a cool, calm and collected way. 

We often have learnt-behaviors as to how to deal with strong emotions, so anger management is about unlearning ineffective coping mechanisms and re-learning more positive ways to deal with the problems and frustrations associated with anger.

There are many anger management techniques that you can learn and practice by yourself or teach to others. However if you, or someone you know, experiences a lot of regular anger or very strong anger (rage) then seeking help, usually in the form of a counselor, can be more effective.

You should seek professional help if anger is having a long-term negative impact on your relationships, is making you unhappy, or is resulting in any dangerous or violent behavior.

Anger Management: Self-Help Techniques

It is important to recognize when you feel angry or experience feelings that may lead to anger.

You should not try to suppress your anger but instead try to understand it and act in a positive way to alleviate negative aspects of your anger.

Take Regular Exercise and Keep Fit

The hormones that we release when we are angry - mainly cortisol and adrenaline - are similar to those produced when we are stressed to help us to escape from danger. The release of these hormones is an evolutionary trait, useful if you are trying to run away from a mammoth but maybe less important in modern life where, for most of us, such life-threatening situations do not occur regularly.

When you exercise regularly your body learns how to regulate your adrenaline and cortisol levels more effectively.  People who are physically fit have more optimum levels of endorphins; endorphins are hormones that make you feel good and therefore less likely to feel angry.

 

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of life and good quality sleep can help combat many physical, mental and emotional problems, including anger. 

When we sleep, the body and mind rest and rebuild damaged cells and neural pathways.  We all know that people often feel better after a good night’s sleep.  The optimum level of good quality sleep is about 7 hours a night, however everybody is different and you may need more or less than this.

Plan ‘Difficult’ Conversations

If you are worried about having a conversation that may leave you feeling angry then try to take control of the situation.  Make notes beforehand, planning what you want to say in a calm and assertive way.  You are less likely to get side-tracked during your conversation if you can refer to your notes.

 

Solutions Are More Important Than Problems

It can be helpful to identify what made you angry in the first place. However, it is more important to focus on a way to resolve problems so that they don’t arise again in the future.

Express Yourself

Wait until you have calmed down from your anger and then express yourself in a calm and collected way. You need to be assertive without being aggressive.

Don't Hold Grudges

We all need to accept that everybody is different and that we cannot control the feelings, beliefs or behaviours of others.

Try to be realistic and accept that people are the way they are, not how we would like them to be.  Being resentful or holding a grudge against somebody will increase your anger and make it more difficult to control. You cannot change how other people behave or think but you can change how you deal with others but working on a positive attitude.

Pick Your Time

Avoid conversations that may make you angry when you are feeling tired, distracted or stressed.  We are more likely to feel and behave in an angry way when there are other worries on our minds.

Humour

It is easy to use inappropriate sarcasm when angry; resist the temptation to do this and instead work on introducing some good humour into potentially difficult conversations.  If you can introduce some humour then resentment will be reduced and your mood lifted.

The simple act of laughing can go along way to reduce anger, especially over the longer term.

 

Breathe Slowly and Relax

Try to reverse the physical symptoms of anger by practising some simple breathing exercises. 

Breathing exercises can help you to relax and slow your heart rate to more normal levels. 

When you start to feel tense and angry, try to isolate yourself for 15 minutes and concentrate on relaxing and calm, steady breathing:

• Inhale and exhale deeply 3 or 4 times in a row.

• Count slowly to four as you inhale.

• Count slowly to eight as you exhale.

• Focus on feeling the air move in and out of your lungs.

• Concentrate and feel your ribs slowly rise and fall as you repeat the exercise.

Stop and revert to normal breathing if you start to feel dizzy at any time.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE:  Speak to Boss and convince him that we need to start a new business

DAY 19

SKILL CAPSULE: PARTY ETIQUETTE

A guest's good manners (or party etiquette) includes knowing how to start a conversation — and how to participate in one. Knowing how to mingle with people at a party or other social function is the mark of a gracious guest who's always invited back. Understanding the basic principles of party etiquette can help you socialize better at any gathering, whether the social occasion is a dinner party or an office event.

 A good conversationalist knows how to be patient and not interrupt; be a good listener. And you need to think about what someone is asking and respond appropriately, just as you need to think about what you want to say and say it clearly.

Not everyone is a social butterfly by nature, but don't shy away from conversation just because this form of communication isn't innate. With the following party etiquette tips and a dose of confidence, you can be mixing and mingling in no time:

•         Think about other people and care about them. If you're shy or quiet, learn how to open up to others and not always wait for them to draw you into a conversation. If you're an extrovert and extremely outgoing, you may need to rein in your enthusiasm and let other people have the floor.

•         Act as if you're a host, not a guest. Reach out to people standing by themselves, the white-knuckle drinkers, or those that look obviously uncomfortable. Introduce people to each other. Be helpful, kind, and genuine. Don't be afraid to approach people. Strangers are merely friends you haven't met yet. If you focus on the other person's comfort, you can lose your own self-consciousness.

•         Be pleasant, cheerful, and upbeat when mingling, no matter what your mood. If you've had a bad day, don't rain on anyone else's parade by talking about your negative experience — unless, of course, you want to be left standing alone. And when ending a conversation, say that you enjoyed talking with the person or that it was a pleasure meeting her.

•         Listen more than you talk. You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion. Nothing is more flattering than someone who listens carefully and shows sincere interest in other people.

•         Know how to gracefully end conversations. It is perfectly fine to simply say, "Excuse me, it has been nice meeting you" or "I've enjoyed our conversation." Then visibly move to some other part of the room.

•         Avoid making negative comments on the room, the food, the guests or your host. In any social situation, making negative comments, especially when you're a guest in someone's home, is rude. You never know if another guest can overhear your comments. And, quite often, the person holding the party delegates the actual planning and details to someone else, and you could be speaking with someone that helped with the event.

Basic party etiquette for guests insists that you be mindful of the host or other party planner's feelings.

•         To engage a stranger into a conversation, find a shared interest. Some common topics of interest include: travel, children or pets (if you both have them), hobbies, current news topics (preferably nothing controversial), sports, careers, films, and books.

•         Avoid any type of talk regarding physical injuries, sickness, accidents, or off-color language or jokes. Also, commenting on the host's home, décor, or food; spreading offensive gossip; or bringing up controversial subjects that could make others uncomfortable or angry is a bad idea.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Debate Prepared

DAY 20

SKILL CAPSULE: EMPATHY

Empathy is, at its simplest, awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is a key element of Emotional Intelligence, the link between self and others, because it is how we as individuals understand what others are experiencing as if we were feeling it ourselves.

Empathy goes far beyond sympathy, which might be considered ‘feeling for’ someone. Empathy, instead, is ‘feeling with’ that person, through the use of imagination.

Some Definitions of Empathy

Empathy n. the power of entering into another’s personality and imaginatively experiencing his experiences.

Chambers English Dictionary, 1989 edition

"[Empathy is] awareness of others’ feelings, needs and concerns."

Daniel Goleman, in Working with Emotional Intelligence

"I call him religious who understands the suffering of others."

Mahatma Gandhi

"Empathy is intuitive, but is also something you can work on, intellectually."

Tim Minchin

Daniel Goleman, author of the book Emotional Intelligence, says that empathy is basically the ability to understand others’ emotions. He also, however, notes that at a deeper level, it is about defining, understanding, and reacting to the concerns and needs that underlie others’ emotional responses and reactions.

As Tim Minchin noted, empathy is a skill that can be developed and, as with most interpersonal skills, empathising (at some level) comes naturally to most people.

Elements of Empathy

Daniel Goleman identified five key elements of empathy.

1. Understanding Others

2. Developing Others

3. Having a Service Orientation

4. Leveraging Diversity

5. Political Awareness

1. Understanding Others

This is perhaps what most people understand by ‘empathy’: in Goleman’s words, “sensing others’ feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns”. Those who do this:

•         Tune into emotional cues. They listen well, and also pay attention to non-verbal communication, picking up subtle cues almost subconsciously.

Show sensitivity, and understand others’ perspectives.

Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins. - American Indian proverb

• Are able to help other people based on their understanding of those people’s needs and feelings.

All these are skills which can be developed, but only if you wish to do so. Some people may switch off their emotional antennae to avoid being swamped by the feelings of others.

For example, there have been a number of scandals in the National Health Service in the UK where nurses and doctors have been accused of not caring about patients. It may be that they were so over-exposed to patients’ needs, without suitable support, that they shut themselves off, for fear of being unable to cope.

2. Developing Others

Developing others means acting on their needs and concerns, and helping them to develop to their full potential. People with skills in this area usually:

• Reward and praise people for their strengths and accomplishments, and provide constructive feedback designed to focus on how to improve.

• Provide mentoring and coaching to help others to develop to their full potential.

• Provide stretching assignments that will help their teams to develop

 

1.      Having a Service Orientation

Primarily aimed at work situations, having a service orientation means putting the needs of customers first and looking for ways to improve their satisfaction and loyalty.

People who have this approach will ‘go the extra mile’ for customers. They will genuinely understand customers’ needs, and go out of their way to help meet them.

In this way, they can become a ‘trusted advisor’ to customers, developing a long-term relationship between customer and organisation. This can happen in any industry, and any situation.

There are many non-work situations which require us to help others in some way, where putting their needs centre-stage may enable us to see the situation differently and perhaps offer more useful support and assistance.

 

2.      Leveraging Diversity

Leveraging diversity means being able to create and develop opportunities through different kinds of people, recognizing and celebrating that we all bring something different to the table.

Leveraging diversity does not mean that you treat everyone in exactly the same way, but that you tailor the way you interact with others to fit with their needs and feelings.

People with this skill respect and relate well to everyone, regardless of their background. As a general rule, they see diversity as an opportunity, understanding that diverse teams work much better than teams that are more homogenous.

People who are good at leveraging diversity also challenge intolerance, bias and stereotyping when they see it, creating an atmosphere that is respectful towards everyone.

5. Political Awareness

Many people view ‘political’ skills as manipulative, but in its best sense, ‘political’ means sensing and responding to a group’s emotional undercurrents and power relationships.

Political awareness can help individuals to navigate organizational relationships effectively, allowing them to achieve where others may previously have failed.

Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion

There is an important distinction between empathy, sympathy and compassion.

Both compassion and sympathy are about feeling for someone: seeing their distress and realizing that they are suffering. Compassion has taken on an element of action that is lacking in sympathy, but the root of the words is the same.

Empathy, by contrast, is about experiencing those feelings for yourself, as if you were that person, through the power of imagination.

Three Types of Empathy

Psychologists have identified three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy and compassionate empathy.

• Cognitive empathy is understanding someone’s thoughts and emotions, in a very rational, rather than emotional sense.

• Emotional empathy is also known as emotional contagion, and is ‘catching’ someone else’s feelings, so that you literally feel them too.

• Compassionate empathy is understanding someone’s feelings, and taking appropriate action to help.

Towards Empathy

It may not always be easy, or even possible, to empathize with others but, through good people skills and some imagination, we can work towards more empathetic feelings. 

Research has suggested that individuals who can empathize enjoy better relationships with others and greater well-being through life.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Group Discussions

DAY 21

SKILL CAPSULE: BUILD SELF CONFIDENCE

The Power of Thought

•         All behavior begins and ends as thoughts

•         Bad thoughts vs. Good thoughts

•         Think-Feel-Act model

Importance of Thoughts

•         Thoughts are unavoidable

•         Our thoughts influence our actions

•         Self-fulfilling prophecy

How thoughts works for you

•         Imagine of a time in the pass where you felt anxiety.

  What was the situation?

  What did it feel like?

  What lead up to this feeling?

  What was the outcome?

•         Let’s look at this closer to see what was happening in the situation and how you could of changed the thought that lead to the feelings that lead to the action that let to the…

Decoding Self-Confidence

•         The belief in oneself

•         A self-confident person thinks that he or she can reach a goal or cope with a that situation

•         What happens when confidence is lost?

Learned Helplessness

•         Identified by Psychologist Martin Seligman

•         The tendency for humans and animals alike to become helpless at things they can not change

•         Illustration: Poor dog

So people that are self-confident think and act differently?!

•         While our thoughts affect our confidence, our behaviors foster it!

•         Nothing creates the belief that something can be done like actually doing that something!

•         Nothing succeeds like Success!

Four Techniques for Building Self-Confidence

1)     Regulate your emotional level

  Being aware of our feelings helps us recognize what we are thinking

  Reduce the drive to avoid your goal

  Block the fear producer from your awareness

  Use relaxation techniques

2)     Seek Affirmation

  What does Stewart Smally say?

  Works just as well in an academic setting

  Encouragement

3)     Pick the Right Models

  Are women on the cover of Vogue the best way to judge your own body?

  Pick ones who are similar to yourself-ones who don’t have an army at there disposal to get them looking the way they do.

  Maybe even choose a student in class who you know succeeds and watch how they do it

4)     Just Do It

  What better way is there to convince yourself of your own capability to cope or perform successfully than trying it and having a successful experience!

  Reasonable risk

  Bite-Size pieces

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Conduct Brain Storming Sessions

DAY 22

SKILL CAPSULE: TEAM SPIRIT

• It has a range of individuals who contribute in different ways  and complement each other. A team made up just of planners would find it difficult to cope with changing deadlines or plans whereas a team full of spontaneous individuals would be disorganized: you need both types. A good team produces more than the individual contributions of members.

• Clear goals are agreed on that everyone understands and is committed to.

• Everyone understands the tasks they have to do and helps each other.    

• It has a coordinator who may adopt a leadership style from autocratic to democratic depending on the circumstances. Different people may assume the role of leader for different tasks.

• There is a balance between the task (what do we need to do?) and the process (how do we achieve this?)

• There is a supportive, informal atmosphere where members feel able to take risks and say what they think.

• The group is comfortable with disagreement and can successfully overcome differences in opinion.

• Be Committed to the Common Goal Be Committed to the Common Goal

• There is a lot of discussion in which everyone participates. Group members listen to each other and everyone's ideas are heard.

• Members feel free to criticize and say what they think but this is done in a positive, constructive manner.

• The group learns from experience: reviewing and improving performance in the light of both successes and failures.

• Do not Compete with each other

• Communicate Openly & Directly

• Resolve Conflict Mutually & Openly

• Empathize & Understand to be Understood

• Support & Respect Individual Differences

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Negotiation Skills

DAY 23

SKILL CAPSULE: PERSONAL GROOMING

PERSONAL GROOMING & CLOTHING – WOMEN

•         Makeup should be subtle-down to a minimum.

•         Never wear contrasting undergarments under light tops as it will show

•         Avoid Chunky, jangling jewelry, bangles, anklets or anything which creates sound.

•         This also includes duppattas with bells etc on them.

•         Your shirts collar, cuffs should be clean and there should be no missing buttons

•         Keep your nails clean and polished.

•         When choosing nail varnish color, choose colors which are light, neutral and closer to your skin color. Bright colors like red, green, blue, purple are absolutely a no-no.

•         Ensure your breath is Fresh and clean. There should be no odor from the mouth. If you are prone to bad breath, consult a dentist and gargle with mouthwash frequently, especially after eating.

•         Preferably use lipsticks in matt shades. Use a lip liner to outline our lips before you fill in your lips with lipstick. When outlining your lips, stick to the natural curves of your lips. The lip liner should be a shade darker or the same shade as the lipstick.

•         Lipsticks shades to be worn at work should be light in color and not dark shades. The shades should be natural in color rather than bright and dark. Light pinks, light browns and skin tones are appropriate

•         Pick the Right perfume: Ideally, perfume is never to be worn at work. What you can use however is cologne, body sprays/ mists, and deodorants etc.

•         Whilst selecting cologne, opt for one that smells fresh and tingling, nothing to heavy in aroma. Steer clear from strong fruity or spicy smells for work.

•         Use deodorant / Anti per spirant

•         Wear long lasting make-up

•         If you like wearing saris it is advisable to wear chiffon, georgette or cotton handloom ones during summer and pure silks in winter, they impart a sophisticated image

•         Sari should be worn neatly in a professional style.

•         Handloom saris need to be starched and ironed well otherwise they drape unflatteringly on your body with numerous unsightly creases.

Pin the sari well so that it does not fall

•         Put the pin on the back shoulder as this keeps the sari intact and does not show the pin too.

•         Don't wear a very flared petticoat inside.

•         Have Small prints rather than large in saris. Plain and bordered saris are much better. Loud colors, double shaded saris should be avoided.

•         No cut sleeves blouse, or plunging neck lines please.

•         Traditional salwar kameez with dupatta can be worn.

•         Do not match Indian and western clothes.

•         Don’t let any straps, lingerie, lace show or any panty lines show from beneath your skirt or trousers.

•         Always carry a clean hanky.

Never wear Loud shocking colors, clinging or short skirts, Trousers without a jacket and see through fabrics.

•         A skirt worn should be no more than an inch high above your knee. Full- length ‘A’ line skirts also can be worn. With a short skirt, stockings are a must.

•         If you have long hair, never keep it untied, pull it back from your face and tie it up in a French roll or a good old-fashioned bun at the nape of your neck.

•         Hair should preferably be styled and cut to shoulder length, or shorter. It makes you look neat and professional. With a sari, a bun at the nape of the neck, is ideal.

•         For business wear, shoe/boots/heel styles must be closed-toe and closed-heel .No strappy sandals or chappals please. Open toed shoes are acceptable if they have a business look. No sequin work, just plain simple leather footwear works best for sandals.

•         Heel height should not be too high or low. 2 inch heel is ideal

•         Nicked heels, scruffy toes, or unpolished footwear scream failure.

•         Never wear golden, silver or sequined shoes to the office.

•         Its always better, that your socks are of same color as the trousers as it gives a polished look as there is no break in vision

•         Never wear white socks to office

•         Dress for comfort and professional effect.

ACCESSORIES

•         Pearls, white gold, silver and precious stones look very elegant in office than chunky gold jewelry.

•         Bangles or ‘Kadha’s which do not jingle with Indian dresses and a fine bracelet with western dress can be worn to work.

•         Earrings should not dangle below the ear lobe. No more than an inch in length is acceptable.

•         Nose pins and studs are acceptable. Nose rings are unprofessional.

•         All tattoos must be covered while at work.

•         Always wear sheer socks/ stockings with shoes under skirts. No bare skin should show.

•         Match the color of your purse and shoes

•         Have good quality accessories like a folder, briefcase, handbag, watch, mobile, mobile cover, Key chain

PERSONAL GROOMING & CLOTHING – MEN

•          Shaving daily is a must. If you want to keep a moustache or beard, it should be neat and well trimmed.

•          Trim hair which may frequently peep out from your nose and ears.

•         Keep your hair way above your collar and keep side burns trimmed and short.

•         Your hairstyle should reflect your personality and should be kept groomed and, of course, clean at all times.

•          Keep nails short and clean, as your hands are seen while communicating.

•         When it comes to wearing a fragrance, always remember… a little dab is just enough.

 Use deodorant / Anti per spirant

•          Opt for one that smells fresh and tingly, nothing to heavy in aroma. Steer clear from strong fruity or spicy smells for work.

•          Darker suits carry more authority; the most powerful colors are dark blue, grey and black.

•          Solid colors and pinstripes are best, as long as pinstripes are muted and narrow.

 Safari suits are not formal.

•          The shirt should be light colored, either plain or with horizontal or vertical stripes in light shades

•          Loud and big checks and Prints of any kind are to be avoided.

•          A long-sleeved shirt should always be buttoned at the cuffs and never rolled up.

 White, off white, blue, cream, beige, baby pink, pale n light yellow are the best office colors.

•          Always wear an ironed shirt, even if the shirt claims to be "wash and wear."

 When wearing long-sleeved shirts, cuffs should extend a quarter inch below suit sleeve.

•          Cotton/polyester blends are acceptable. The higher the cotton content, the better you'll look.

•          The legs of the trousers must not be so long as to fall in folds over the shoe.

•          Trousers should be short enough to look neat and long enough to cover the bare skin above the socks when they are hitched up in a sitting posture

•          A printed, striped or checked shirt ought to be worn with plain trouser

 If the trousers are striped or checked, the shirt should be plain.

•          If the trousers are of dark color then the shirt should be of complimentary light color. e.g. a light blue shirt with dark blue trousers.

•          When wearing a shirt without a tie, only the two collar buttons may be left undone

 Your tie should compliment and add color to your suit.

•          Width should be approximately the same as lapels, generally 2 ¾-3 ½ inches wide.

 Linen wrinkles too easily. satin ties are too flashy , but 100 percent silk ties make the most powerful and professional impact and are also the easiest to tie.

•          Front end of the tie should touch the tip of the belt and back end tucked in well.

 Avoid ties with cartoons, huge flowers etc.

•          Black and brown leather are the best colors.

•          Black/brown lace up shoes, cap toe, and wingtips are the most conservative.

•          Shoes should be well polished and in good condition.

•          Socks should complement the suit.

•          They should not bunch around your ankles.

•          They should be long enough that skin is not seen when legs are crossed.

•          Its always better, that your socks are of same color as the trousers as it gives a polished look as there is no break in vision

•          White socks and sports socks are a big no-no.

ACCESSORIES

•         Jewelry should be very simple and conservative. Nothing more than a wedding band, and a single, very fine gold chain is acceptable.

•         Briefcases should be leather; brown and black are the best colors.

•         Watches should be simple and plain. Avoid leather, metal straps are the best.

•         Belts should be leather and should match or complement shoes (blue/black/gray suit = black belt and shoes; brown/tan/beige suit = brown belt and shoes). The buckle should be simple and sober.

•          Tie pins and cuff links add to your professional demeanor, so use them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Bullying a subordinate

DAY 24

SKILL CAPSULE: LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The ability to lead effectively is based on a number of key skills. These skills are highly sought after by employers as they involve dealing with people in such a way as to motivate, enthuse and build respect.

Leadership roles are all around us, not just in a work environment.

They can be applied to any situation where you are required to take the lead, professionally, socially and at home in family settings. Ideally, leaders become leaders because they have credibility, and because people want to follow them.

Two questions which are often asked are:

o   What exactly is a leader? and

o   How is being a leader different from being a manager?

Many people also wonder if leadership can really be taught. People with vested interests (academics and those offering leadership training or literature of some sort) are convinced that it can. Many successful leaders, however, have never had any formal training. For them leadership is a state of mind, and it is their personalities and traits that make them successful leaders.

One of the most important aspects of leadership is that not every leader is the same. Of course we have all heard jokes about ‘mushroom’ leadership (keep them in the dark and feed them on manure) and ‘seagulls’ (swoop in, squawk, and drop unpleasant things on people), but joking aside, there are many different styles of leadership.

Different leadership styles are appropriate for different people and different circumstances, and the best leaders learn to use them all.

You can of course learn about effective leadership skills and practices but being able to implement them yourself may require an altogether different set of skills and attitudes. The question “Can leadership be taught?” has no simple answer and we do not want to argue for one side or the other, but rather keep an open mind on the subject and provide information about the skills good leaders need.

Perhaps the most important skill a leader needs is to be able to think strategically. Leadership is all about having a vision of where you want to be and working to achieve that vision. 

Characteristics of a leader

•         Leaders are Inspirational

•         Leaders develop/celebrate their people

•         Leaders take personal responsibility for the results

o   APR - absolute personal responsibility

•         Lead by example

•         Leaders keep asking the right questions

•         Leaders know their roles but work at contributing

•         Leadership is about social responsibility

How to be a leader in the corporate scenario

•         Everyone needs to think like a leader

o   Small daily acts of greatness

o   Run to what you are resisting and embrace change as you grow

o   Stay hungry.  Nothing fails like success

•         Business is about relationships with

o   External customers

o   Internal customers

•         Be a leader thru personal leadership; concentrate on

o   Being an excellent human being

o   Your health

o   Goal

o   Values

•         Leave a legacy - making a difference

o   Live your life in such a way that when you die the undertaker has tears in his eyes.  -- Mark Twain

•         Build a culture

o   Have conversations, make your employees part of the dream

•         Create rituals

o   daily morning huddle

o   Welcome meeting, discussion on values

•         Make them heroes

o   You get what you celebrate

o   Honor them when they uphold a value

•         Use training as a tool to

o   Create a creative workplace

•         Hire spectacular people

o   Spectacular people make a spectacular company

•         Create a hungry culture

o   Build

o   Talk

o   Celebrate

o   Go that extra mile

4-tactics towards Personal Leadership

•         Set a principal philosophy and precise goals

o   Make time to think

o   Leaders are more thoughtful than other people

o   Time to strategize

o   Time to plan

o   Live your life as your own.  Be yourself

•         Do the most difficult thing first thing in the morning

o   Build self-discipline

o   Get up at 5:00 a.m.

o   Finish what you start

o   Keep self promises

o   Keep a journal to capture

o   Learning - risks you have taken

o   Frustrations

o   Hopes and dreams

o   Ideas

o   Build relationships:

o   RANEF -

o   Be real

o   Be authentic

o   Be nice

o   Be ethical

o   Be fun

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Happy Leader

DAY 25

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO BE POLITE

Being polite means being aware of and respecting the feelings of other people.  We may not always notice politeness but we usually notice rudeness or inconsiderate behaviour.

This page takes a step back and covers some of the fundamentals of building and maintaining relationships with others.  We provide examples of the most common behaviours that are considered polite.

Politeness can and will improve your relationships with others, help to build respect and rapport, boost your self-esteem and confidence, and improve your communication skills.

Many of the points raised on this page may seem obvious (in most cases they are common-sense) but all too often social manners are overlooked or forgotten.  Take some time to read through the following points and think about how being polite and demonstrating good social etiquette can improve your relationships with others.

It is easy to recognise when people are rude or inconsiderate but often more difficult to recognise these traits in yourself. Think carefully about the impressions you leave on others and how you can easily avoid being considered ill-mannered or ignorant.

Politeness Guidelines

You can apply the following (where appropriate) to most interactions with others – friends, colleagues, family, customers, everybody!

Always use common sense and try to behave as appropriately as possible, taking into account any cultural differences.

•         Say hello to people – greet people appropriately, gain eye contact and smile naturally, shake hands or hug where appropriate but say hello, especially to colleagues and other people you see every day. Be approachable. Do not blank people just because you’re having a bad day

•          Take time to make some small talk - perhaps mention the weather or ask about the other person’s family or talk about something that is in the news. Make an effort to engage in light conversation, show some interest, but don’t overdo it. Remain friendly and positive and pick up on the verbal and non-verbal signals from the other person.

•         Try to remember things about the other person and comment appropriately – use their spouse’s name, their birthday, any significant events that have occurred (or are about to occur) in their life.  Always be mindful of others’ problems and difficult life events.

•         Always use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  Make sure you thank people for their input or contribution and always include ‘please’ when asking for something. If somebody offers you something use 'Yes please' or 'No thank you'.

•         Praise and/or congratulate others on their achievements.  Praise needs to be seen as genuine – this can be difficult if you feel jealous or angry.

•         At work be polite and helpful to your subordinates as well as your bosses.  Respect and acknowledge the positions, roles and duties of others.

•         Use appropriate language – be respectful of gender, race, religion, political viewpoints and other potentially controversial or difficult subjects.  Do not make derogatory or potentially inflammatory comments.

•         Learn to listen attentively - pay attention to others while they speak – do not get distracted mid-conversation and do not interrupt.

•         Respect other people's time.  Try to be precise and to-the-point in explanations without appearing to be rushed.

•         Be assertive when necessary but respect the right of others to be assertive too.

•         Avoid gossip.  Try to have positive things to say about other people.

•         Apologize for your mistakes.  If you say or do something that may be considered rude or embarrassing then apologize, but don’t overdo your apologies.

•         Avoid jargon and vocabulary that may be difficult for others to understand – explain complex ideas or instructions carefully.  Do not appear arrogant.

•         Respect, and be prepared to listen to, the ideas and opinions of others.

•         Dress appropriately for the situation.  Avoid wearing revealing clothing in public and avoid staring at others who are wearing revealing clothing.  Avoid being dressed too casually for the situation.

•         Use humour carefully.  Aim not to cause any offence and know the boundaries of appropriate language for different situations.

•         Practise good personal hygiene.  Wash and brush your teeth regularly, change your clothes and use deodorant. Avoid strong perfumes, after-shaves or colognes.

•         Be punctual.  If you have arranged to meet somebody at a certain time make sure you are on time, or even a few minutes early.  If you are going to be late let the other person/people know as far in advance as you can.  Do not rely on feeble or exaggerated excuses to explain lateness.  Respect other people’s time and don’t waste it.

•         Always practise good table manners. When eating around others avoid foods with strong odours, do not talk with your mouth full or chew with your mouth open, and eat quietly. 

•         Do not pick your nose or ears, chew on your fingers or bite your fingernails in public.  Also avoid playing excessively with your hair.

Good manners cost nothing but can make a big difference to how other people feel about you, or the organisation you are representing. When you’re polite and show good manners others are more likely to be polite and courteous in return.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Suddenly Losing Temper

DAY 26

SKILL CAPSULE: FACING CRITICISM AT WORK

Criticism at work can affect every part of your life, adding stress during work hours and invading your thoughts outside the office. If you don't handle it well, negative feedback from your superiors and colleagues can ultimately derail your career.

You can't prevent being criticized, but controlling your own reaction can turn a negative situation into a positive one, says Alison Green, "People too often take criticism as a personal attack, or as a signal that all the things they've done right aren't being appreciated," Green explains. Not all criticism is bad, and sometimes it can provide feedback that's valuable to your success.

Here are six tips for dealing with criticism at work:

Take time to really listen

If a colleague or higher-up has something negative to say, don't disregard their comments even if you don't have a high opinion of the person. Instead of shutting down, stay objective about what he or she is saying (just as you would in any other situation).

"Be genuinely open to hearing what the other person is saying and try not to interrupt or jump to conclusions," says Curtis Odom, principal of Prescient Talent Strategist, a Boston-based talent management firm. Odom suggests using active listening techniques throughout the conversation like paraphrasing what you're hearing in your own words and making eye contact to show you're actively engaged.

Ask questions

Even the slightest bit of negative criticism is easy to misinterpret.

Be prepared to ask follow-up questions during the conversation in order to prevent a bigger misunderstanding down the road. Asking questions not only shows that you're eager to figure out a solution, but the colleague's responses can help you gauge whether the negative feedback is relevant.

"Ask for specific examples and instances of the types of behavior that are at the root of the feedback," says Odom. "If the atmosphere is becoming tense, introduce a more positive approach by asking for examples of the behavior your reviewer would like to see more of."

Don't get defensive

Whether at work or at home, it's easy to get defensive when being criticized. Fight the urge and give your boss or co-worker a fair chance to express his or her thoughts. "The person giving you the feedback might have a reasonable point, which you'll never pick up on if you're busy thinking about how to defend yourself," says Green.

Stay calm

Don't loose your cool, especially in a professional setting. "Being calm and rational is essential," says Caroline Dowd-Higgins, director career and professional development at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Save your anger for discussing the incident outside of work.

Think about whether it's the feedback or how it was given that's making you angry. Most of the time it's how the negative feedback was delivered rather than the content that people find offensive, explains Dowd-Higgins. "If feedback is presented in a constructive environment, criticism can be more easily digested," she says.

Determine if it's accurate

Even if the criticism was conveyed in a startling way, there might be some truth to what your boss or colleague is saying. "Don't brush it off," says Green.

"Responding with a brusque 'okay' and nothing more makes it look like you're just interested in ending the conversation," Green says. Instead, take a step back to assess the situation. Speak to mentors, family members or others in your office to help you understand whether the criticism is valid.

Address the problem

No matter who's at fault, it's important to address the problem, whether it's changing your own actions, acknowledging a misunderstanding or looking for others to change their ways.

If the negative feedback is coming from your boss, accepting the feedback can help you improve in the future

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Threatening with job or termination

DAY 27

SKILL CAPSULE: EVENT MANAGEMENT: HOW TO ORGANIZE A CULTURAL PROGRAM

1.       Plan and coordinate

Planning and coordination lays the foundation for a successful event. You need to consider what, who, why, where and when aspects of the event. While planning, set realistic expectations but also list down experimental aims. To start with,

• Make a good team with differently skilled members for making agendas and preparing schedules

• Understand your client’s expectation and identify the target audience

• Analyze the cost and prepare a budget

• Prepare an invitation and list down the programs in the event

• Prepare a deadline for each activity

• Collaborate consistently to ensure timely actions

2.      Start the action

This is the time when you will have to divide your enthusiasm in too many ideas. This is a critical stage of the event where you confirm key things like the date, venue and the speaker. During this stage,

• Get approval for the budget

• Start social media marketing campaign on sites like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

• Market the event by informing media, preparing brochure, sending mails, etc.

• Keep your attendees engaged during the event (by posting event updates on social media)

• Collaborate with the team to ensure that the plans are on track

• Plan travel and transportation arrangements

• Seek special permits from the local governing bodies

3.      Stay active 24-36 hours before the event

If you utilize this time effectively, your event will be a success. Measure the execution of your plans, collaborate with all the stakeholders, sponsors, speakers, guests and your team members. Get final approvals from the vendor of catering, fireworks, decoration, etc. Before 24-36 hours,

• Create the list of guests who responded with RSVP

• Make a list of table accessories like pen, notepad, brochure, bottle of water, etc.

• Ensure all activities are running on time including transportation arrangements

• Remind VIPs about the event, and have volunteers to guide them to the event

• Confirm venue arrangements like lights, decorations, volunteers, security, etc.

• Prepare a minute-by-minute plan for the event

4.      How to manage the final day?

After all the hard work, you are anxiously waiting for the event to start. This is the time to ensure that all things are there and working as planned. Don’t assume; take control of things. On the day of the event,

• Arrive at the event’s location with volunteers and team members hours before the event time

• Check whether all the electronic equipment are working properly (microphones, lights, speakers, etc.)

• Setup a beautiful reception and helpdesk

• Allocate space for sponsors to place their banners

• Ensure that the host/anchor has details of the VIPs to avoid any blunder

• Hire a dedicated photographer to capture special moments, sponsor banners and key people

• Confirm stock of food, water, flowers, etc.

5.      Learn from the event

The event is over, you received appreciation for your efforts, but you thing there is a lot of scope for improvement. Thus after the event, you should collect meaningful information from the participants. Send feedback forms, gather feedback, understand participants’ reactions, gauge expectations and measure the impact of your event. This will help you get valuable insights for nourishing your managerial skills and shaping the future events based on the received feedback.

In conclusion I would say,

Event management is one such profession where failure has no hiding place. No matter what confidence or managerial arsenal you bring on board for the event, loopholes in any of the above mentioned stages will land you in an embarrassing situation. To avoid blunders, you can take assistance from event management and registration softwares. So consider these tips and avoid any uncertainties during the event.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Organizing a seminar

DAY 28

SKILL CAPSULE: WORKING IN GROUPS AND TEAMS

Being in groups is part of everyday life and many of us will belong to a wide range of groups, for example: family groups, social groups, sports groups, committees, etc.

This page concentrates on groups that have been specially formed to fulfil some purpose, or groups that are a drawing together of people with shared experience.  This type of group is often also referred to as a team.

What are Groups and Teams?

There is some confusion about the difference between a group and a team; traditionally academics, communication and management theorists use the terms: group, group-working, group-interaction, group-structure etc. to refer to the dynamics of people working together towards a common cause.

The word group however has a broader meaning – a group of passengers on a flight have a common characteristic – to travel, but they are not necessarily working towards a common cause.  Groups do not even need to refer to people, for example, a group of products in a supermarket, in this case the group is arbitrary and could be defined by any number of variables.

A team is generally more specific.  We would not refer to our airline passengers as a team, unless they crashed on a desert island and needed to work together to survive.  The distinction is that a team is working together for a common cause.  A group of schoolchildren may be in the same class, whereas a team of schoolchildren may be working together on a specific project within the class.

When we talk about groups and teams we use the terms interchangeably – it is possible to have a group without a team but not a team without a group.  Although we use the word team throughout our pages we use the following definition of group:

  A group is a collection of people with some common characteristics or purpose.

  A group can consist of any number of people.

  People in groups interact, engage and identify with each other, often at regular or pre-determined times and places.

  The group members share beliefs, principles, and standards about areas of common interest and they come together to work on common tasks for agreed purposes and outcomes.

  People in groups are defined by themselves and by others as group members, in other words individuals are aware that they are part of a group.

  Important Defining Features of Groups:

  People who can identify with each other.  Sharing ideas, beliefs and/or experience of common areas.

  People who frequently and regularly engage with each other, agreeing on a purpose and working together on shared tasks.

  People who recognise themselves and are recognised by others as part of a group.

Types of Groups

Groups may be formal, brought together for a particular purpose, or they may be informal such as family groups, groups of friends or colleagues.  You may come into contact or work with a range of different groups.

These types of group may include:

  Work Groups:  Either formal, such as teams, committees or training groups, or informal maybe setup to tackle an ad-hoc problem.

  Neighbourhood Groups:  An example of a neighbourhood group would be one established to develop local amenities.

  Social Groups | Special Interest groups:  These are groups established to meet the needs of a particular sector (e.g. age group, gender) or interests (e.g. music or sports).  Examples include Women’s Institute and Scouts.

  Self-Help Groups:  Such groups are often established to work through particular emotions or to provide support for people with a certain illness, e.g. helping to overcome an addiction such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

  Inter-Agency Groups:  These are developed between agencies/organisations that work in related fields to improve product and/or client services.  In addition, they aid communication and establish joint ventures to prevent duplication and confusion.

  Pressure Groups:  The function of pressure groups is to challenge the status quo, often by using high profile tactics to gain media attention to achieve their aims.

  Task-Based and Experience-Based Groups

  Groups can also be sub-divided in two ways:

o   Groups established to carry out specific tasks are known as task-based groups, such as a pressure groups.

o   Groups which are based on the experiences of their members are known as experience-based groups, such as a self-help group.

  The distinction between task-based groups and experience-based groups is important because it affects how the group is formed, organised, led and what roles the individual group members play.

  Task-Based or Content Groups

These types of group focus on the achievement of specific goals and the individual members of the group work towards completing these goals.  These types of group are common in organisations and include groups set up to work on specific projects – perhaps the design of a new product.

  Experience-Based or Process Groups

These types of group focus on the individual group members and how they interact, support and grow together, an example would be a group established to support people suffering from stress.

  Group Communication. When people are part of a group they interact and communicate in different ways to how they would on a one-to-one basis.

These differences include:

The Individual Member within a Group

Through networking within a group people come to a greater understanding about other group members and the wider environment – seeing things from other people’s point of view.  Also, within a group situation, people often learn about who they are and their strengths and weaknesses through comparison with other group members.

Groups are important to personal development as they can provide support and encouragement to help individuals to make changes in behaviour and attitude.  Some groups also provide a setting to explore and discuss personal issues.  A group setting can allow people to become more confident and learn new interpersonal, social and practical skills through observation as well as practice.

These skills can be developed within a group setting and then effectively used in individual situations.  As group membership can improve self-esteem and confidence so it can also improve self-motivation and the desire to learn and develop.

The Group as a Whole

From the experience of belonging to different groups, it quickly becomes obvious that groups are often made up of individuals with very different personalities, attitudes and ideas.  For a group to function well a bond needs to be developed so that individual differences can be used for the wider interests of the group.  ‘Cohesiveness’ is the term used to describe this mutual bonding between members, with each having a strong sense of belonging to the group.

Cohesiveness is, in part, the measure of the success of the group. A group with more cohesiveness is more likely to keep its members than that of a group with little cohesiveness. Members of a high-cohesive group are likely to talk in group terms, using 'we' instead of 'I' when talking about group activities. The more cohesive a group the greater the sense of team spirit and the more individual members will cooperate with each other. A low-cohesive group may find that members frequently miss meetings; sub-groups or cliques may form within the original group and there is likely to be an underlying sense of frustration as the goals of the group are less likely to be attained.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Introducing a Speaker

DAY 29

SKILL CAPSULE: 5 INTERVIEW TIPS

1. What are you looking for?

Interviewing is just like playing darts. The interviewer's screening criteria is the target and each dimension of your talent is represented by a dart.  At the start of the interview you must find the target and decide which 3 "experience darts" to present. "What skills do you feel are required to be successful in this position?" is an effective question for you to ask at the start ("opening phase") of the interview.

2. Ask Questions:

It is your responsibility to make sure the interview is an interview and not an interrogation. You do this by asking questions throughout the interview.

3 . Specific Examples:

Interviewers ask questions about your past experience to predict your future performance.  In response to their questions provide specific examples of your work and life experience. Focus on the actions you took and the results achieved.  Interviewers are less interested in what "the team did" or what you were "responsible for".

4. How do you like me so far?

At the conclusion of each interview ask the interviewer for their opinion of your background. Ask them what t they feel your strengths are and what concerns they have about your ability. Interviewers form opinions based on a 45 minute interview. The potential for misunderstanding is enormous. Ask a couple questions at the end to make sure they understand your e xperience accurately.

5. Visual Aids:

Bring visual aids whenever applicable to convey the quality of your work. You can even prepare a few PowerPoint slides or one page document to communicate the quality of your work. Visual aids can include anything that you feel conveys what you have done and what you can do.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: Addressing Your Department for the First Time

DAY 30

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

•         Give an example of a successful project, your role& why it succeeded?

•         Describe two situations from your past work experience in which you have determined a team was the best potential solution to a problem, a needed process improvement, or a planned change. How did each work out?

•         What actions and support, in your experience, make a team successful?

•         Give me an example of a time when your work group or department worked especially well with another work group or department to accomplish a goal.

•         Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? If so, what assessment did you make of the reasons for the failure

Management Capsule -100 Day Wonder (Day 1 to Day 5)

Employability skills have been ignored by our Academic structure so far. The oft-quoted NASSCOM-McKinsey report says that approximately 75 per cent of fresh engineering graduates from India are not directly employable. A recent survey conducted by FICCI and the World Bank revealed that 64 per cent of the surveyed employers were not satisfied with the quality of skills of fresh graduates.

India will soon emerge as the largest source trained given its large young population.  Hence we need to gear up to exploit this opportunity.

With this in focus we carried out a detailed research and identified 45 Competencies that would be desirable in a young employee.  Based on this we designed a 100 day programme and the aim of ensuring that each fresh graduate becomes employable.

This course will be conducted as follows:

a.       Daily capsule consisting of one management subject, one skill capsule and one communication exercise. This will be on a ‘self-study’ basis as well.

b.       Classroom Program with Seminars.

c.       Practical Training to include Role Plays, Projects, Student Presentation and Management Games.

d.       Periodic Tests and a Final Assessment which will consist of a Written Test, a Viva, a Group Discussion and Final Presentation by each student.

e.       Based on this Certificates will be given to only qualifying employees

This course will focus on ‘Skill and Potential Development’. By the end of the course we expect each employee to have developed following skills:

o   Ability to present monthly review

o   Knowledge of advance excel, pivot table, vlook up etc. and PowerPoint Presentation

o   Ability to deliver a motivating lecture to his/her team

o   Ability to prepare a project in Microsoft Project(Project Management)

o   Knowledge of ERP like CVWS/SAP

o   Ability to develop a marketing plan and Marketing survey

o   Ability to introduce a speaker

o   Knowledge to file a suit

o   Ability to defend himself in court

o   Ability to take an interview on Skype

o   Ability to conduct a brain storming session

o   Knowledge to write a business proposal to clients

o   Ability to understand the personality, attitude and enthusiasm of the candidate in an interview

o   Ability to inspect/audit a facility and bring out audit points, Root cause analysis, corrective action and preventive action

o   Ability to design a daily report and ability to control the executives on telephone.

o   Ability to develop training calendar and annual operations plan

o   Ability to write a newsletter.

o   Ability to register a new website

o   Ability to design a basic advertisement.

o   Knowledge to handle Naukri

o   Ability to set up a Private Limited subsidiary company (Applying a shop establishment license, hiring commercial space, registration etc.)

o   Knowledge on Stock Market

o   Ability to organize a party/workshop

o   Knowledge on the basics of initial public offering (IPO)

o   Ability to amend maintenance contract

o   Ability to manage travel desk

o   Knowledge on software to develop a flow chart

o   Knowledge about the hierarchy of the police department

o   Ability to set up a mess of cooking facility and manage guest rooms

o   Ability to react to difficult types

o   Ability to recognize Cues and Clues

o   Ability to avoid being misquoted

o   Ability to speak to boss and convince him to start a new business\

o   Networking Skills

o   Problem-Solving Skills

o   Ability to control your body language

In addition to the above the participant are required to read the following books:

  7 Habits

  Executive Excellence

  Blue Ocean Strategy

  Management Challenges for 21st century

  How to make friends and influence people

 You will agree with me that this is a great opportunity for each aspiring fresher to emerge as a young confident Manager.

 DALY TRAINING PROGRAMME

Day 1 1.       Management Training: The GROW model for coaching

2.       Skill Capsule: Interpersonal Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Introduction to communication skills

Day 2 1.       Management Training: Developing influence and assertive leadership

2.       Skill Capsule: Writing Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Eight Habits of Highly Ineffective Communicators

Day 3 1.       Management Training: Visioning

2.       Skill Capsule: Listening Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Communication Skill

Day 4 1.       Management Training: The change curve

2.       Skill Capsule: Speaking

3.       Communication Exercise: Non Verbal Communication

Day 5 1.       Management Training: The leadership pipeline

2.       Skill Capsule: Presentation Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Types of Informal Communication

Day 6 1.       Management Training: Employee engagement and the three-factor theory

2.       Skill Capsule: The Grievance Procedure

3.       Communication Exercise: Barriers To Communication And Overcoming The Barriers

Day 7 1.       Management Training: The nine principles of motivation

2.       Skill Capsule: Information employees wants to know

3.       Communication Exercise: Effective Communications

Day 8 1.       Management Training: Situational leadership (leadership styles)

2.       Skill Capsule: How to assess Organizational Culture

3.       Communication Exercise: Understanding Communications In A Company

Day 9 1.       Management Training: The John Whitmore model

2.       Skill Capsule: Negotiation Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: What Managers normally have to communicate?

Day 10 1.       Management Training: Action-Centred leadership

2.       Skill Capsule: Rapport Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Channels of Communication

Day 11 1.       Management Training: The six steps of delegation

2.       Skill Capsule: Corporate Etiquettes

3.       Communication Exercise: How Managers Can Become Better Communicators

Day 12 1.       Management Training: Kotter’s eight–stage process for leading change

2.       Skill Capsule: Questioning Skill

3.       Communication Exercise: Special Skills for Effective Communication

Day 13 1.       Management Training: Six principles for gaining commitment

2.       Skill Capsule: Learning Skill

3.       Communication Exercise: Recognition Of Cues And Clues

Day 14 1.       Management Training: Belbin’s team rules

2.       Skill Capsule: Numeracy (Number Skills)

3.       Communication Exercise: Group Discussion

Day 15 1.       Management Training: Drivers of trust and the trust cycle

2.       Skill Capsule: Delegation Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to prepare for the Group Discussion

Day 16 1.       Management Training: The truths of strategy

2.       Skill Capsule: Influencing Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to prepare for a Telephonic Interview & commonly asked questions

Day 17 1.       Management Training: SWOT analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: Stress Management

3.       Communication Exercise: Communicating Assertively in the workplace

Day 18 1.       Management Training: Scenario thinking

2.       Skill Capsule: Time Management Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk about various practitioners

Day 19 1.       Management Training: The balanced scorecard

2.       Skill Capsule: Adaptability and Flexibility

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk about various speech habits

Day 20 1.       Management Training: The 7s model

2.       Skill Capsule: Conflict Management Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to flatter your friends

Day 21 1.       Management Training: The rule of 150

2.       Skill Capsule: Problem-solving skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk about what goes on

Day 22 1.       Management Training: The service profit chain

2.       Skill Capsule: Work ethic

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk to late comers (genuine and naughty late comers)

Day 23 1.       Management Training: Understanding and avoiding inertia

2.       Skill Capsule: Team Building

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk with senior management

Day 24 1.       Management Training: The six Rs of business

2.       Skill Capsule: Decision Making Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk about liars and lying

Day 25 1.       Management Training: The Boston consulting group model

2.       Skill Capsule: Social skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to speak naturally

Day 26 1.       Management Training: The Pareto principle

2.       Skill Capsule: Emotional Intelligence

3.       Communication Exercise: How to talk about personality types

Day 27 1.       Management Training: Blue ocean strategy

2.       Skill Capsule: Anger Management

3.       Communication Exercise: Basic Rules For Public Speaking

Day 28 1.       Management Training: Benchmarking

2.       Skill Capsule: Networking Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Written communication  (types of letter)

Day 29 1.       Management Training: The product life cycle

2.       Skill Capsule: Accountability At Work Place

3.       Communication Exercise: General Communication Manners

Day 30 1.       Management Training: Systems thinking

2.       Skill Capsule: Party Etiquette

3.       Communication Exercise: Your Responsibilities as a Communicator

Day 31 1.       Management Training: Market barriers

2.       Skill Capsule: Empathy

3.       Communication Exercise: Eye to eye contact in public speaking

Day 32 1.       Management Training: The six Ps of strategic thinking

2.       Skill Capsule: Build Self Confidence

3.       Communication Exercise: Public Speaking: Not speaking in public

Day 33 1.       Management Training: Porter’s generic competitive strategies

2.       Skill Capsule: Developing Professional Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Meeting the Listener’s Basic Needs

Day 34 1.       Management Training: Pestlied analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: SWOT Analysis

3.       Communication Exercise: How to negotiate with trade union

Day 35 1.       Management Training: The dynamics of paradigm change

2.       Skill Capsule: Chairing a Meeting

3.       Communication Exercise: Crisis Communication Plan

Day 36 1.       Management Training: Ansoff’s product matrix

2.       Skill Capsule: Team Spirit

3.       Communication Exercise: Delivering a Negative News Message

Day 37 1.       Management Training: Resources and the critical path

2.       Skill Capsule: Self motivation

3.       Communication Exercise: Communication is success

Day 38 1.       Management Training: Developing intangible resources

2.       Skill Capsule: 7 mistakes can damage your team building efforts

3.       Communication Exercise: Introducing a Speaker

Day 39 1.       Management Training: Market positioning and value curves

2.       Skill Capsule: Performance management

3.       Communication Exercise: Reacting To Difficult Types

Day 40 1.       Management Training: Competitive analysis: Porter’s five forces

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Win Friends and Influence People

3.       Communication Exercise: Body language

Day 41 1.       Management Training: Innovation Hotspots

2.       Skill Capsule: Personal Grooming

3.       Communication Exercise: How to control body language

Day 42 1.       Management Training: Deep dive prototyping

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

3.       Communication Exercise: Myths and Realities of Public Speaking

Day 43 1.       Management Training: Developing creative thinking

2.       Skill Capsule: Leadership Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: How to introduce a topic and How to butt in during a GD

Day 44 1.       Management Training: The Discovery Cycle (ORCA)

2.       Skill Capsule: How to be Polite

3.       Communication Exercise: How to conclude and sum up in GD

Day 45 1.       Management Training: The Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid (Bop)

2.       Skill Capsule: Developing Others

3.       Communication Exercise: Telephone Etiquette

Day 46 1.       Management Training: The six thinking hats

2.       Skill Capsule: Managing Change

3.       Communication Exercise: How to make friends

Day 47 1.       Management Training: Innovation culture

2.       Skill Capsule: Dealing with Ambiguity

3.       Communication Exercise:  Maintaining a contact list

Day 48 1.       Management Training: Disney’s creativity strategy

2.       Skill Capsule: Facing Criticism At Work

3.       Communication Exercise: How to participate in a conference

Day 49 1.       Management Training: The mate model for strategic selling

2.       Skill Capsule: Organizational Development

3.       Communication Exercise: How to prepare a CV

Day 50 1.       Management Training: The ten Cs of selling online

2.       Skill Capsule: Conducting Effective Meetings

3.       Communication Exercise: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Business Communication

Day 51 1.       Management Training: Seven steps to successful sales meetings

2.       Skill Capsule: Deliver Motivational Lecture

3.       Communication Exercise: How to avoid being misquoted

Day 52 1.       Management Training: The buyer’s cycle

2.       Skill Capsule: Note-Taking

3.       Communication Exercise: Presence of mind during a speech

Day 53 1.       Management Training: Pricing

2.       Skill Capsule: Self management

3.       Communication Exercise: Intercultural Communication

Day 54 1.       Management Training: The four Ps of marketing

2.       Skill Capsule: Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences

3.       Communication Exercise: Speaking Ethically and Avoiding Fallacies

Day 55 1.       Management Training: The ten rules of cross-selling

2.       Skill Capsule: Auditing Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Viral Messages

Day 56 1.       Management Training: Differentiation

2.       Skill Capsule: Six Ways to Make People Like You

3.       Communication Exercise: Persuasive Communicator

Day 57 1.       Management Training: Curry’s pyramid for marketing and customer relationship management

2.       Skill Capsule: Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

3.       Communication Exercise: Making an Argument

Day 58 1.       Management Training: The tipping point

2.       Skill Capsule: Brainstorming to evolve Cultural Pillars for your company

3.       Communication Exercise: Stance and what to do with ones arms while speaking

Day 59 1.       Management Training: Grip

2.       Skill Capsule: Writing Good Reports

3.       Communication Exercise: How loud one should speak

Day 60 1.       Management Training: The information life cycle

2.       Skill Capsule: 31 Core Competencies Explained

3.       Communication Exercise: Communicating with introverts and extroverts

Day 61 1.       Management Training: Information orientation

2.       Skill Capsule: How to write a Newsletter

3.       Communication Exercise: Talk about yourself in an interview

Day 62 1.       Management Training: Six sigma

2.       Skill Capsule: Skills to write a Business Proposal

3.       Communication Exercise: Call Out To A Person 200m Away

Day 63 1.       Management Training: Kaizen

2.       Skill Capsule: Event Management: How to organize a Cultural Program.

3.       Communication Exercise: Announce (Shout) On Shop Floor " Factory Closed Due To Heavy Rains"

Day 64 1.       Management Training: Managing knowledge

2.       Skill Capsule: Project Management Perspective

3.       Communication Exercise: Read out to your partner who will write facing away from each other

Day 65 1.      Management Training: Achieving a win-win outcome

2.      Skill Capsule: Goal Setting For Managers

3.      Communication Exercise: Give a Dictation to your partner standing 15 feet away

Day 66 1.      Management Training: The four faces of mass customization

2.      Skill Capsule: Differences Between Coaching and Training

3.      Communication Exercise: Dictation to whole class

Day 67 1.      Management Training: Process management

2.      Skill Capsule: Register your new website

3.      Communication Exercise: Extempore Speech on unknown topic -Survival on Stage(Tricks) Ask Qs, Summarize, Give Examples

Day 68 1.      Management Training: Total quality management (TQM)

2.      Skill Capsule: Strategic Leadership

3.      Communication Exercise: Debate Prepared

Day 69 1.      Management Training: The EFQM model

2.      Skill Capsule: Talent Building & retention of core team through employee engagement and motivation.

3.      Communication Exercise: Read out your essay to the class

Day 70 1.       Management Training: The Deming cycle: plan-do-check-act

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Complain (Effectively)

3.       Communication Exercise: Prepare a lecture and deliver to one

Day 71 1.       Management Training: Supply chains

2.       Skill Capsule: Competency Development Process

3.       Communication Exercise: Prepare lecture and deliver to class

Day 72 1.       Management Training: Ratio analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: Work-Life Balance

3.       Communication Exercise: Extempore Lecture to class

Day 73 1.       Management Training: Mapping and mitigating risk

2.       Skill Capsule: Giving Lectures and Seminars

3.       Communication Exercise: Motivation Lecture

Day 74 1.       Management Training: Shareholder value analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: Giving and Receiving Feedback

3.       Communication Exercise: Organizing Lecture

Day 75 1.       Management Training: The six levels of strategic agility and cost control

2.       Skill Capsule: Working in Groups and Teams

3.       Communication Exercise: Speak to Trade Union Leaders to pacify them

Day 76 1.       Management Training: Discounted cash-flow analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: Interviewing Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Speak to Boss and convince him that we need to start a new business

Day 77 1.       Management Training: Economies of scale

2.       Skill Capsule: 5 Interview Tips

3.       Communication Exercise: Conference Call with 3 Departmental Heads

Day 78 1.       Management Training: Price Elasticity

2.       Skill Capsule: Common Mistakes In An Interview

3.       Communication Exercise: Introduce and Present a topic for discussion to the class

Day 79 1.       Management Training: Seven steps for surviving a downturn

2.       Skill Capsule: What is the Interviewer Looking For?

3.       Communication Exercise: Debate Unprepared

Day 80 1.       Management Training: The seven habits of highly effective people

2.       Skill Capsule: How to prepare emotionally for the Interview

3.       Communication Exercise: Group Discussions

Day 81 1.       Management Training: Emotional intelligence

2.       Skill Capsule: From The Interviewer’s Manual

3.       Communication Exercise: Conduct Brain Storming Sessions

Day 82 1.       Management Training: Head, heart and guts

2.       Skill Capsule: How To Improve With Every Interview You Undergo

3.       Communication Exercise: Panel Interview

Day 83 1.       Management Training: Career development planning

2.       Skill Capsule: How to prepare & behave during the Interview

3.       Communication Exercise: Negotiation Skills

Day 84 1.       Management Training: The self-development cycle

2.       Skill Capsule: What Information to gather about the Company

3.       Communication Exercise: Bullying a subordinate

Day 85 1.       Management Training: Problem-solving techniques

2.       Skill Capsule: How to hold the Interviewer’s Attention?

3.       Communication Exercise: Happy Leader

Day 86 1.       Management Training: Thinking flaws and pitfalls

2.       Skill Capsule: Stop Procrastinating

3.       Communication Exercise: Suddenly Losing Temper

Day 87 1.       Management Training: Force field analysis

2.       Skill Capsule: Risk Management

3.       Communication Exercise: Cornering a subordinate

Day 88 1.       Management Training: The nine-box grid

2.       Skill Capsule: 14 Principles of Knowledge Management

3.       Communication Exercise: Threatening with job or termination

Day 89 1.       Management Training: The Myers-Briggs type indicator

2.       Skill Capsule: How to test motivation

3.       Communication Exercise: Organizing a seminar

Day 90 1.       Management Training: The Johari window

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Assess Interpersonal Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Giving a farewell speech

Day 91 1.      Management Training: Double-loop learning

2.      Skill Capsule: How to Assess Communication Skills

3.      Communication Exercise: Addressing your Department for the first time

Day 92 1.      Management Training: Heron’s six categories of intervention

2.      Skill Capsule: How to Assess Teams and Team Work

3.      Communication Exercise: Repeating Introductions

Day 93 1.       Management Training: Reconciling cultural differences

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Assess Skills In Management & Supervision

3.       Communication Exercise: Whistle and Burp

Day 94 1.       Management Training: The strategic HRM model

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Assess Leadership Skills

3.       Communication Exercise: Knots

Day 95 1.       Management Training: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Ask About a Person's Weakness

3.       Communication Exercise: Backward clumps

Day 96 1.       Management Training: Ecosystems, paradigms and the culture web

2.       Skill Capsule: Networking & Getting an Interview Call (Rules)

3.       Communication Exercise: On The Spot Speaking / How To Cover Up On Haul While Speaking

Day 97 1.       Management Training: The Components Of Culture

2.       Skill Capsule: Asking Why You Left The Last Job

3.       Communication Exercise: Reading and writing in pairs (back to back)

Day 98 1.       Management Training: Managing cross-cultural relationships

2.       Skill Capsule: Why do You Want To Change The Industry Or Career?

3.       Communication Exercise: Reading aloud to class

Day 99 1.       Management Training: The eight preconditions for diversity

2.       Skill Capsule: How to Assess Salary Desired

3.       Communication Exercise: Short write up on subject of ones choice and presenting it

Day 100 1.       Management Training: Peter Senge’s fifth discipline

2.       Skill Capsule: Questions You May Ask During An Interview

3.       Communication Exercise: Better Translations.

DAY 1

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE GROW MODEL FOR COACHING

The single most important technique for executive coaching

The GROW model, developed by Sir John Whitmore, provides a frame-work for coaching. GROW has four stages: Goals, Reality, Options and Way forward. Responsibility for setting goals rests with the coachee. The coach works in a non-directive way, supporting and challenging.

GOALS

This focuses on the coachee's aims and priorities. It sets the agenda for the coaching conversation. The coach should be flexible and prepared to explore, question and challenge. This is achieved with questioning and empathy. The outcome is a clear set of goals for the session and the overall coaching relationship.

Questions include:

•         What is your goal?

•         What are your priorities?

•         What are you trying to achieve?

•         How will you know when you have achieved it?

•         Is the goal specific and measurable?

•         How will you know when it has been achieved?

•         What will success look like?

REALITY

Explore the learner's current position: the reality of their circumstances and their concerns relating to their goals. The coach needs to help the coachee analyze and understand the significant issues relating to their goal through intelligent questioning. The coach can also provide information and summarize the situation to clarify the reality.

Questions include:

•         Can you control the result? What don't you have control over?

•         What are the milestones or key points to achieving goals?

•         Who is involved and what effect could they have?

•         What have you done so far and what are the results?

•         What are the major issues you are encountering?

OPTIONS

The coach helps the coachee to generate options, strategies and action plans for achieving goals. This can uncover new aspects of the individual's current position with the result that discussion reverts back to the coachee's reality. This is fine if it is productive or enlightening - the aim is to help the individual, not rigidly follow a process.

Questions include:

•         What options do you have? Which do you favour and why?

•         If you had unlimited resources, what options would you have?

•         Could you link your goal to another organizational issue?

•         What would be the perfect solution?

WAY FORWARD

Do not rush the final stage. The aim is to agree what needs to be done. It can help for the coachee to develop a practical plan to implement their option. The coach should be a sounding board, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, testing the approach and offering additional perspectives.

Questions include

•         What are you going to do - and when? Who needs to know? What support and resources do you need?

•         How will you overcome obstacles and ensure success?

Finally, the most effective plans incorporate a review and feedback process to check progress and provide motivation.

SKILL CAPSULE: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

•      Interpersonal skills are all about working with other people.

•      In a business setting, the term generally refers to an employee's ability to get along with others while performing his job

•      Interpersonal skills are actually characteristic traits like Manners, attitude, courtesy, habits, behavior and appearance which helps us to communicate and maintain relationship with others

The organizational context of how interpersonal skills are used can be shown by the vast number of interpersonal interactions such as:

  Meetings

  Delegation

  Motivation

  Facilitation

  Coaching

  Leading

  Problem Solving

  Selling

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WHILE WORKING

•         The success of an organization is dependent upon the people within it working well together

•         Internally

  In teams

  Across teams

  Within and between departments and business units

•         Externally

  With suppliers

  With Customers

Why is Interpersonal skills needed?

To improve

  Relationship

  Working environment

  Leadership skills

  Productivity

  All round success

  Liking by others

When & Where Interpersonal Skills are required at work place?

  While working in groups to form effective teams

  Socializing at work place

  Presenting yourself at work

  Listening & Questioning

  Giving or receiving feedback 

  Building & maintaining relationships

TIPS TO DEVELOP GOOD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

  Smile

  Communicate clearly

  Resolve conflicts

  Bring people together

  Be appreciative

  Mutual respect

  Look for opportunities to interact with others

  Pay attention to others

  Have a sense of humour

  Have unity in diversity

  Empathy (see it from their side )

  Maintain good emotional balance

  Don’t complain

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION SKILLS

ASK YOURSELF

Do you get tongue-tied when required to speak in public?

 Does the thought of presenting to a crowd faze you?

COMMUNICATION SECRETS

  Communication is far more than what U say. It’s how U say.

  It’s about listening and talking and the act of mutually disclosing inner feelings and thoughts to others.

  Involves intrapersonal communication, understanding yourself and participating in effective self-communication.

  Listening goes beyond attentively waiting for other people to stop talking. It really means getting inside of their hearts and minds and experiencing life situations

  Being “alive” is an extraordinary opportunity for learning and experiencing. However most people never find their purpose or their reason for being here.

  Your job is to make your company and yourself as successful as possible. That’s the Theme of this Presentation!! 

  Effective and persuasive communication is the greatest of all the keys to success.

  Success = Talking so people listen and listening so people talk

  People are attracted to the people who make them feel secure, free and happy.

  By making others feel special; they will realize how special U are.

Ask basic questions :

  How do U talk, so people listen to what U have to say?

  How do U inspire people to communicate your point of view?

  How do U encourage people in your life who currently ignore your ideas may reconsider and take notice?

  What simple things can U do so people will pay attention to what U have to say at home, at work, among professional circles?

Why Communication…

o   to express our emotions

o   achieve joint understanding

o   to get things done

o   pass on and obtain information

o   reach decisions

o   develop relationships

DAY 2

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DEVELOPING INFLUENCE AND ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP

Providing support and challenge while strengthening results and relationships.

Whether you are giving feedback or selling a product or an idea, influencing requires an understanding of how your behaviour affects others.

Overview

All individuals have their own personality - the result both of nature and nurture - and this remains largely unchanging. However, behaviour is different: it is flexible and capable of being developed and enhanced. It's useful to consider behaviour (yours and others) in terms of warmth or coldness, dominance or submissiveness.

•         Warm means being supportive, open, positive, empathetic, constructive and engaging - not simply 'friendly'.

•         Cold means being suspicious, detached, not focused on people or relationships.

•         Dominant means being challenging, in control, confident, strong, authoritative and direct.

•         Submissive means subduing your own thoughts or actions for something or someone else.

The diagram below (the assertiveness model) highlights different types of behaviour (based on the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument).

                                                                                Dominant

                               

                                                Aggressive behaviour   Assertive behaviour

•         Argues                  •  Professional

•         Needs to win     • Inquiring

'Sort yourself out.'          ‘Tell me what's on your mind.’

       Cold                                                                                                                         Warm

                                                Avoiding behaviour       Appeasing behaviour

•         Uninvolved       • Over-friendly

•         Indifferent         • Talkative (rambling)

'I'll deal with it later.'   • Highly positive

                                                                                                • Too agreeable

                                                                               

                                                                                Submissive

Aggressive: dominant and cold behaviour

When dealing with aggressive behaviour, the best approach is to:

•         increase your dominance to match their high dominance levels

•         ensure that you are demonstrating behaviour that is assertive and warm rather than aggressive

•         use open questions to generate understanding

•         use body language and tone of voice to increase your dominance levels.

Avoiding: cold and submissive behaviour

When dealing with avoiding behaviour, the first priority is to get people engaged. Useful techniques include displaying lower dominance and higher warmth, using open questions aimed at making them feel secure and softening body language and intonation while continuing to smile.

 Appeasing: warm and submissive behaviour

When dealing with appeasing individuals, it can help to:

•         stay focused to keep them on track

•         use open questions that appeal to their social needs but temper these with closed questions when they waffle

•         ask summary questions to maintain clarity and focus

•         use their name if you are interrupting them.

Assertive: warm and dominant behaviour

When dealing with conflict, it can help to be assertive and encourage others to be assertive as well. Consider how easy it is to warm up behaviour: why and when is it not easy? Why do we, as individuals, not behave in an assertive manner? What is it that hinders supportive and challenging behaviour? Finally, what are the most important questions for you to ask?

  

SKILL CAPSULE: WRITING SKILL

• Clarity in Writing…

• Rs 1000000000

• Rs. 10,00,00,000/-

• Rs. 10 Crore

 WHILE WRITING

• Plan what you want to say in your letter/report

• Reread the letter when you have finished

• Check spelling & punctuation, then send

• Use simple language – avoid ambiguous words

 “KISS” (Edit the letter by cutting ruthlessly).

• Be kind to others’ eyes (font size,clarity)

• Be creative (use tables, graphs)

• Use the language YOU are better at

 KEEP IN MIND WHILE WRITING

• Visualize the reader when you are writing

• Don’t  write unbroken paragraphs

• Use numbered paragraphs to make cross-referencing easier

• Punctuation plays the role of body language in writing

• Use headings and subheadings.

• Use ruled sheets instead of plain ones.

• Don’t print without thoroughly checking your sources.

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS

1. The Argumentative Communicator:

• Ask yourself: Do you find yourself saying “BUT” often in your communication with others?

• Are you constantly offering your opposing opinion when it is not asked for?

• Do you enjoy playing the Devil’s advocate?

• Please Consider: There is a way to give your opinion. When you continue to oppose the comments of your listener, you run the risk of making him feel wrong, stupid or uninformed.

 2. The Comparison Maker:

• Ask Yourself: When someone shares his feelings, do start yours and start comparing both the experiences/ events etc.?

• Please Consider: When someone shares, the need may be to express and ventilate, comparisons block the other person because U may not have considered the matter from his point of view, he may be willing to buy your prescription.

 3. The Better - Than Talker:

• This is similar to the Comparison maker but with a more condescending tone. The better than talker is not comparing for purposes of being compassionate, but for the purpose of creating superiority. He is interested in feeling superior to the person he is speaking to, that requires the listener feel inferior.

• Please consider: The difference between talker and communicator is that the communicator is making an effort to arrive at understanding. A Talker rambles endlessly without intending for both the people to benefit from “conversation.”When the listener feels inferior, the talker is not in rapport and any hope for connection is lost.

 4. The Hear My Old Baggage Communicator:

• Ask yourself: Why do you have the need to be rescued, seeking sympathy from others. Seeking sympathy is not unreasonable.

• Please Consider: The old baggage places an obligation on your listener to feel something which he may not want to feel for U. U also reflect feeling of sadness, despair and helplessness. That may not be of interest to everyone around U. Be discretionary of choosing your listener to fulfill your need to be sympathized, helped, attended to. 

 5. The Judgmental Communicator :

• There is a difference between observation and judgement. Being judgmental involves rights and wrong, good or bad according to your frame of reference but posing it applicable to the whole world.

• Please consider: If U judge others, U may think that U are doing it to gain rapport or be on their side. Being judgmental reflects that U are internally not aligned with yourself and that U have a need to judge others in order to feel better than what they are. Don’t play into that trap. Respond in a way that strengthens your position of self respect and self esteem.

 6. The Interrupting Communicator:

• When someone interrupts U, U know that they believe what they have to say is more important than what U have to say. U know they think they are better than U !

• Please Consider: Take a breath after your partner has finished before U speak. In that breath you are saying that I heard what U said, I am taking in, I appreciate your communication.  

 7. The Complaining Communicator:

• Complainers face the same trouble as the Baggage Communicators. Being persistent complainant, U will create negative feelings in others and push people away rather than draw them nearer. Complaining should be avoided in communication with those whom U do business and those whom U love.

 8. The Gossiping Communicator:

• Gossip is perhaps the most evil, deadly, miserable way to communicate. Don’t se it, don’t participate in it, don’t respond to it. U are giving away so much of who U are when U spread or even listen to the gossip.  AS a gossiper, U reflect that U are very insecure, your self esteem is dependent on finding faults in others, your world honors the small, weak and petty. Hence seriously evaluate any need that U may have to gossip.

• Wisdom is knowing that your thoughts shape your experience.

 DAY 3

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: VISIONING

Creating your future

By imagining the future you want and then translating those ideas into practical and actionable plans, you will make it happen.

Orienting thinking towards the future is particularly important for middle and senior managers and leaders because it provides focus, determines the company's culture, builds resilience and adaptability and engages employees.

The need

A powerful vision motivates and guides everyone at all levels in a company. People manage what is in front of them, as daily and short-term tasks understandably dominate our routine and thinking. This certainly keeps things running smoothly in the stable present but is ill suited to coping with change or taking advantage of (or creating) opportunities. Visioning liberates us from simply managing the present, achieving more of the same or being unprepared for new developments, and thus enables us to build a more successful future.

The process

Visioning involves assessing and challenging current thinking and methods, developing new ideas and deciding on the future you would like. It is also necessary to look outside your company - noticing and understanding trends, identifying threats and opportunities.

It can be helpful to involve others in a visioning Communication Exercise by asking their views on various issues. These questions will prompt thinking and encourage each person to consider and challenge the company's aims and activities and to suggest new options (giving reasons for their choices).

Using these answers, you identify the most common issues and ideas, reduce these options to the ones that are most significant and then draft a provisional vision statement - this can be done by a smaller group of people, with the final vision being reviewed and approved by everyone involved. As well as generating ideas and opening up discussions, a major advantage of involving others in the visioning process is that you will gain their commitment to the final vision.

Once you have developed your vision, determine how it can be achieved:

•         Deal with any barriers that may stand in the way and consider how future events may affect it.

•         Develop a practical plan and communicate the vision and plan to every-one - show people why it is important, what it will achieve and how it will work and gain their commitment.

•         To bring others with you, your vision needs to be clear, convincing, credible, easy to grasp, actionable, inspiring and focused - but not overly prescriptive, to provide flexibility and adaptability.

What's next?

A vision is for nothing if it is not acted upon. You should ensure that all strategy and decisions are guided by the vision and that everyone remains committed to the vision. A vision also needs to be reviewed and adapted to changing circumstances to ensure that it remains relevant and useful.

 

SKILL CAPSULE: LISTENING SKILLS

LISTENING

• Receive

• Interpret

• Evaluate

• Remember

• Respond

 WHILE LISTENING

• Avoid distractions

• Do not interrupt unnecessarily

• Be active (show interest)

• Paraphrase what you’ve heard

• Throw an echo

 WHAT LISTENING LOOKS LIKE

• The Listener keeps looking at the speaker

• The Listener’s body is in ‘open’ position

• The listener is smiling with a pleasant &encouraging expression

• Listener looks relaxed but alert, neither tense nor slouching

• Listener utters humming sounds

 BARRIERS FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

• Pre-judgement- Listeners who jump to conclusions

• Self-centeredness – Shift attention from speaker to themselves

• Selective Listening – Tune the speaker out

• Wandering mind – Your mind processes information four times faster than rate of speech.

 LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING

S:  Stand or sit straight, turn your face squarely to the other and smile

O: Have an open body position

L: Lean towards the other person slightly

E: Maintain Eye contact and make encouraging noises

R: Relax and be comfortable

HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILLS

• Look beyond the speaker’s style

• Fight distractions

• Provide Feedback

• Listen actively

 ACTIVE LISTENING

• Listen for concepts, key ideas and facts.

• Be able to distinguish between evidence and argument, idea and example, fact and principle.

• Analyze the key points

• Look for unspoken messages in the speaker’s tone of voice or expressions

• Keep an open mind.

• Ask questions that clarify.

• Reserve judgment until the speaker has finished

• Take meaningful notes that are brief and to the point

 Here's what good listeners know -- and you should, too:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness through body language.

2. Maintain eye contact. To the degree that you all remain comfortable.

3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask the speaker and other listeners to do the same.

4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur ("uh-huh" and "um-hmm") and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as "Really," "Interesting," as well as more direct prompts: "What did you do then?" and "What did she say?"

5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to say next. The conversation will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.

6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during meditation.

7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree. Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.

8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.

9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won't feel the need to repeat it, and you'll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.

10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished. That way, you won't interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to make sure you didn't misunderstand. Start with: "So you're saying…"

11. Restate. To show you are listening, repeat every so often what you think the person said not by parroting, but by paraphrasing what you heard in your own words. For example, “Let’s see if I’m clear about this. . .”

12. Give feedback. Let the person know what your initial thoughts are on the situation. Share pertinent information, observations, insights, and experiences. Then listen carefully to confirm.

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COMMUNICATION

• Communication is defined as “the process of the flow ( transmission and reception) of goal – oriented messages between sources, in a pattern, and through a medium or media.

 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• Communication is a process.

• Communication involves transmitting information and understanding it.

• Communication is goal oriented.

• Communication requires channel or medium.

• Communication is multi-dimensional.

 PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

• Verbal and Non – Verbal Communication

• Formal and Informal Communication

• Upward, Downward and Horizontal Communication

 VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Oral Communication

• Written Communication

 NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Body language

• Kinesics, Proxemics & Paralanguage

• Intention

• Manner: directness, sincerity

• Dress and clothing (style, color,

• appropriateness for situation)

• Signs & Symbols.   

 IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

• 7 % of communication happens through words

• 93% of communication happens through non-verbal cues of which:

• 55% through facial expressions

• 38% through vocal tones

 DAY 4

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE CHANGE CURVE

Understanding how people respond to change

The human reaction to change is now well understood. The change process is commonly understood by reference to the research on people's reaction to bereavement. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has been a great contributor to our understanding of the experience of loss and bereavement, as well as how we react to changes more generally. The stages of loss that people typically go through are now commonly known as the Change Curve.

1.    Shock. The first reaction can often be shock - and all the emotion that results from this.

2.    Denial. This is a typical reaction and it is important and necessary. It helps cushion the impact of the inevitability of change.

3.    Frustration and anger. The person resents the change that they must face while others are less affected.

4.    Depression. First, the person feels deep disappointment, perhaps a sense of personal failing, things not done, wrongs committed. Around this time they may also engage in bargaining: beginning to accept the change but striking bargains -for more time, for example,

5.    Experiment and decision. Initial engagement with the new situation and learning how to work in the new situation, as well as making choices and decisions, and regaining control.

6.    Acceptance and integration. Dr. Kubler-Ross describes this stage as neither happy nor unhappy. While it is devoid of feelings, it is not resignation - it is really a victory.

People who are made redundant can go through a similar process. Just as with other types of change, people often go through a first stage before denial - that of shock or disbelief. We have witnessed people in shock following news of their redundancy. It can take a long time for people to reach the acceptance stage and often people oscillate between the different stages.

SKILL CAPSULE:  SPEAKING

SPEAKING…

“A wise man reflects before he speaks; A fool speaks, and then reflects on what he has uttered.”

- French Proverb.

WHILE SPEAKING

• Take initiative

• Be polite

• Be pleasant (smile, jokes)

• Be clear and concise (tone, accent, emphasis, pronunciation)

• Cite negative opinions honestly, but in a positive manner

• Seek Feedback

 WHILE SPEAKING OVER PHONE

• Write down in advance what you want to say and in what order

• Smile

• Speak slowly

• Always be polite and friendly

• For long messages, follow a script

• Get confirmation

• Monitor your time

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION (INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE)

• It has no words or sentences, but it does send bits of information that combine into messages.

• Those messages, which are sometimes clear and sometimes fuzzy, are mostly about your feelings.

• People can learn to read those messages with a fair degree of accuracy.

• You cannot not have body language- you are sending messages nonverbally all the time. Especially when you are trying not to!

• Your preferred body positions and movements do say something about the kind of person you are.

• If your words say one thing and your body another then people will believe your body, not your words.

• You can change how you’re feeling by consciously changing your body language.

 TYPES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Kinesics

• Proxemics

• Paralanguage

KINESICS

• Eye contact and facial expressions

• Gestures

• Postures

PROXMICS

• Public space        Over 12 feet

• Social Space        4 to 12 feet

• Personal Space    18 inches to 4 feet

• Intimate space      0 to 18 inches

 PARA LANGUAGE

• Cues one can pick up from an individual’s voice:

• Tone

• Rate of speech

• Accent

• Pronunciation

• Not WHAT you say but HOW you say it!!

 EXAMPLES OF FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Office Order

• Rules & Regulations

• Policies

• Guidelines

• Work Instruction

DAY 5

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE LEADERSHIP PIPELINE

Developing a leader-powered business

Performance is inseparable from a company's approach to leadership development. Developed by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel, the Leadership Pipeline is a company-wide framework for developing future managers and leaders.

Overview

The Leadership Pipeline is a continual process that ensures a throughput of talented leaders. It is a practical, easily understood system that clearly explains what is required to work successfully at each leadership level, helping:

•            individuals and companies to understand what is required for excellence at each level

•            individuals to develop their skills, optimize potential and progress their careers

•            organizations to manage and develop talent, and to build strategic an organizational capabilities.

How it works

The Leadership Pipeline represents the flow of internal talent into business-critical roles. As such, organizational structures, processes and reward mechanisms are geared towards encouraging preferred behaviours. For the individual, the Pipeline clarifies the development path that will build the leadership capabilities required to operate successfully at higher levels. At each stage:

•         people need to be clear about the capabilities needed for each level

•         managers and leaders should use the skills and values that are expected at each level so that others can operate effectively.

Traditional approaches to leadership development tend to simply strengthen existing skills, and inadequate attention is paid to learning new ones. The Leadership Pipeline formally recognizes that change and improved performance occur best when the skills that are needed for the next level are built on a solid foundation at previous levels and when individuals are given the time and correct support and training to learn the skills, time management and values required for the new role.

This clear framework makes it easy for people to see what capabilities and values are needed for successful career progression and it focuses people on the skills the organization needs - thus improving both current and future performance.

Working towards successful transitions

Typically, career progression involves making successful transitions at six key stages:

1.          From managing yourself to managing others

2.          From managing others to managing managers

3.          From managing managers to functional director

4.          From functional director to business director

5.          From business director to group business director

6.          From group business director to company director.

In reality, people often make these transitions with little support and inad-equate preparation, commonly modelling themselves on their predecessors and learning what works through trial and error. The Leadership Pipeline makes explicit what is required for success at each level. In particular, it clarifies the requirements in three key areas:

1.          Developing new skills

2.          Improving time management

3.          Adopting the values the organization is looking for.

Acquiring these capabilities at each level builds the foundation for success at the next level. Consequently, this focus on skills, time management and values prioritizes improved performance for advancement - benefiting both the individual and the company.

SKILL CAPSULE: PRESENTATION SKILLS

5 styles of communicating to manage conflicts

1 “Go for it”

•         You feel confident but uncooperative

•         You win and other person loses

2 “Run Away”

•         You don’t feel confident or cooperative

•         You lose

3 “Yes, Boss”

•         You feel cooperative but unconfident

•         You let the other person win

4 “Let’s Trade”

•         You feel partly cooperative & confident

•         You both win a bit and lose a bit

5 “Let’s both win”

•         Mutual Cooperation & Confidence

•         You help one another to win

Developing as a presenter

  Trust yourself

  If you do not think you are up to a particular presentation either get help (do training courses and rehearsals), or get someone else to do it (there's no shame in recognizing your limits). However, most people have better presentation skills that they think they do. Recognize what you have. If you doubt your ability to think on your feet, for example, then defer questions till after the presentation. Similarly, do not use a joke as an ice breaker if you are not good at telling them.

  Success is the best presentation training

  Don't over reach yourself. Several short presentations that you feel went well will do you far more good than one big one that makes you sick with nerves and leaves you feeling inadequate.

  Feedback

  Encourage those around you to tell you the things you did well. Very few of us make progress by being told what was wrong with our presentation. When we're up in front of an audience we all have very fragile egos.

  Follow these essential tips and your presentation skills development will blossom.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: TYPES OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

TYPES OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION (Grapevine)

                        

o   Straight Line pattern             

o   Informal Star Pattern            

o   Probability Pattern                

o   Cluster Net Pattern                

TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTION WISE

DIRECTIONWISE

o   Upward Communication

o   Downward Communication

o   Lateral Communication

MEDIA OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Employee Handbook

• In House Magazines e.g. “Live Wire”

• Statement covering Personnel Policies

• Notice board

• Information center

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 6 to Day 20)

DAY 6

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND THE THREE-FACTOR THEORY

The three things that matter most to people at work

The factors that influence employee engagement combine in different ways and at different times for each person. Obviously, pay and leadership are important - with a direct relationship between pay and effort and the quality of leadership being critical to employee engagement. In addition, people like to do work that has meaning and purpose.

Following international research, Sirota Consulting developed the Three-Factor Theory, addressing employee engagement by addressing three basic needs: equity, achievement and camaraderie.

Leaders need to engage, inspire and energize their people. Gaining commitment and getting people to acquire new skills and achieve their full potential leads to ongoing improvements in performance, benefiting all concerned - individuals, teams and companies. The Three Factor Theory establishes a self-sustaining cycle of effective employee engagement by ensuring that practices and policies focus on equity, achievement and camaraderie.

Equity

People need to feel they are being treated fairly - especially in relation to others both inside and outside the company. This includes:

•         physical aspects - for example, working in a safe environment and being physically able to do a job

•         economic factors - people need to feel that their pay, benefits and job security are fair

•         psychological issues - including being treated with respect and consideration.

Achievement

People work better and achieve more if they believe in what they are doing and have confidence in the direction they are going. In short, they work best when they feel they are achieving something. Six issues influence this:

1.       Having challenging work and being able to use their skills

2.       Having the opportunity to develop their capabilities and to take risks

3.       Having the resources, authority, information and support to work effectively

4.       Knowing that the work is important and has value and purpose

5.       Receiving recognition - both financial and non-financial

6.       Having pride in the company's aims, ethics, products and brand values.

Camaraderie

It is important for individuals to have good relations with co-workers. This requires congenial, co-operative, interesting and supportive relationships at all levels, with the most immediate ones being the most significant. This involves relationships:

•         with co-workers

•         within the business unit

•         across on-site departments

•         across the whole company.

SKILL CAPSULE: THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

•         Some managers believe a formal grievance procedure weakens their authority. 

•         OMBUDSPERSON

•         Complaint officer

•         Top Management eyes and ears

•         Uncover scandals in their organization.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION AND OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS

PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

  Personal Emotion

  Biases

  Lack of  trust

  Premature Evaluation.

  Expert Language

  Sign & symbols

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

  Geographical distance

  Mechanical failure

  Physical obstruction

  Technological malfunction

  Time lag

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS

  Rules & Regulations

  Policies

  Hierarchy

  Culture

Technical Barriers:  Environmental barriers to communication are referred to as technical barriers.

Timing – the determination of when a message should be communicated is timing.

Information overload- The condition that exists when an individual is presented with two much information in too short a time is information overload.

Cultural differences- Middle East, giving another person a deadline is considered rude and the deadline is likely to be ignored.  If a client in U.S. is kept waiting the client is perceived to have low status.  In Japan delays mean no slackening of interest and delay is often a negotiation tactic.  Indians conduct most business at an interpersonal distance of five to eight feet; a distance of one to three feet suggests more personal.  Spacious, well-furnished and located on the top floor it conveys an aura of prestige.  In the Middle East décor of the office mean little, in France  Managers likely to be located in the midst of their subordinates in order to control them.

Language Barriers

Vocabulary  - type of audience,

                        - vocabulary sets

        - tailor the message to match the knowledge base of the receiver

        - concentrate their messages in the common vocabulary base

Semantics – JARGON is a special language that group members use in their daily interaction. Many firms provide new employees a list of definitions of terms associated with the particular industry.

Psychological Barriers

  Information filtering – The process by which a message is altered through the elimination of certain data as the communication moves from person to person in the organization is Information filtering. Has two purpose:1) Management Control    2) Evaluate Performance

Lack of trust & openness

  Receptive to employees ideas

  Order should never be questioned, communication tends to be shifted.

  Japanese business success :Managers trust their peers and superiors, simple organisation structure.

 Jealousy

  Managers competence may actually be viewed by peers and superiors as a threat to their security.

        Preoccupation

  Respond in certain predictable through in appropriate ways. 

Hearing

  Hear what we expect to hear, not what is actually said.

Perception set differences

  A fixed tendency to interpret information in a certain way is a perception set.

Noise

  Anything that interferes with the accurate transmission or reception of messages is NOISE.

Barrier to Effective Group Communication

  Parties with a competitive attitude

  Win-lose

  Own objectives

  Own needs but publicly disguise

  Aggrandize their power

  Threats to get submission

  Overemphasize own needs, objectives, positions

  Exploiting the other party

  Superiority of their own position

  Isolate the other person

  “We they” perspective

OVERCOMING BARRIERS (ABC of Constructive Communication)

  A Approach

  B Build Bridges

  C Customize your communication

Approach is the manner of addressing both the person and the subject

Building Bridges: Respect, Trust, Commonality

Customize: Seek first to understand, before being understood

DAY 7

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF MOTIVATION

Creating the right environment

So much in business depends on motivating others. There is only so much any one person can do, so getting the most out of others is crucial to success. This all begins with winning trust - everything else follows.

Motivating others is an essential part of leadership. Your ability to motivate others relies on what they think of you and how they think you view them. This requires planning and vigilance and knowing that different people are motivated by different things. To motivate effectively, you need to know what motivates each person, the pressures they face, what influences their decisions and thinking, and how you can make a difference. These nine principles of motivation will help you to help your colleagues.

1.      Be motivated yourself

Self-motivation rallies others. People will 'step up to the plate' if you do so yourself. Knowing what motivates you will help you to motivate others.

2.      Recruit people who are highly motivated and assign them to the right position

Match people's motivation to their job. Some are motivated by making sales while others are motivated by following processes, building teams or pursuing new ideas.

3.      Treat people as individuals

We all have different values and personalities. What works for one may not motivate another. So, tap into what motivates each individual to improve performance.

4.      Set challenging but realistic targets

Nothing is more demotivating than unachievable targets. Nothing is more motivating than achievable, we-can-beat-the-competition targets - they tap into our competitiveness and desire to produce something to be proud of.

5.      Focus on progress - it motivates

Everyone responds to a pat on the back - they've earned it and deserve it, so make it happen. The result: an upward spiral of people wanting to achieve more.

6.      Develop an environment that motivates people

Eliminate or minimize anything that blocks motivation - from bureaucracy and unnecessary procedures to lack of resources. Provide training and coaching to develop skills and to make people feel valued.

7.      Ensure that people receive fair rewards

Promotion, pay rises, sales commission, profit share, work benefits, additional responsibilities: these motivate people. They give people a reason to stay and to help your company excel.

8.      Recognize people's work

We all want our efforts to be acknowledged. Recognition is needed to maintain commitment.

9.      Be honest about your intent

Honesty lies at the heart of motivation. Be clear about what your intentions are. People will be motivated only by those they can trust.

SKILL CAPSULE: INFORMATION EMPLOYEES WANTS TO KNOW

•         How their jobs should be performed.

•         How effectively they are performing their jobs?

•         How much they will be paid?

•         Company policies and rules that directly affect their jobs.

•         Changes in conditions within the firm that might affect them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

You can have the greatest ideas in the  world, but they are no good to your company, or your career, if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively

7Cs of COMMUNICATIONS

• Credibility

• Capability

• Content

• Context

• Channel

• Consistency

• Clarity

Features of Effective Communication

o   Active Listening

o   Eye contact

o   Posture

o   Simple language

o   Questioning skills

Benefits of effective communication

o   Quicker problem solving

o   Better decision making

o   Steady work flow

o   Strong business relations

o   Better professional image

When Communication will be Effective?

In Downward Communication.,

•         Job instructions are clear

•         Important points repeated

•         Bypassing formal communication channels

In Upward communication.,

•       Understand the requirements of the superiors

•       Relevant aspects of the information are       sent

•       Quantified data is sent rather than subjective information

In Horizontal Communication.,

•       An atmosphere of openness and trust is created

•       An atmosphere of team spirit is established

In Diagonal Communication.,

•       When information, data, facts and figures are easily available to both parties

•       When both parties understand what is expected of them

•       When both parties are on mutually helping tendency

In External Communication.,

•       When proper communication channels are established

•       When every member of the organization knows those channel

IMPROVE EXISTING LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION

•       Improve your general knowledge

•       Improve your language.

•       Improve your pronunciation.

•       Work on voice modulation.

•       Work on body language.

•       Develop habit of reading

•       Listen more

•       Interact with qualitative people.

•       Improve your friend circle.

•       Improve on you topic of discussion,

•       Practice meditation & good thoughts.

•       Think and then speak.

•       Do not speak too fast.

•       Use simple vocabulary.

•       Do not speak only to impress someone speak sense.

•       Look presentable and confident

DAY 8

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP (LEADERSHIP STYLES)

Adapting your approach

Situational leadership improves your ability to lead others and to respond effectively to situations.

Different leadership styles

By adjusting your style to match each challenge, you are more likely to achieve your desired outcome. To decide which approach is best, you need to consider the issues, what needs to happen and the people involved. To develop your situational leadership, you must be self-aware and understand your own style and how it impacts others.

The model of situational leadership developed by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson identifies and details the different leadership styles.

Leadership style Characteristics

Directing

………..telling Centres on structure, control and supervision and one-way communication

Effective for teams that are new, temporary or forming

A hands-on, decisive and involved approach that directs and emphasizes tasks and deadlines

Coaching

……….engaging

Focuses on directing and supporting - using teaching and guiding skills

Works well with teams that have worked together for a period of time

Promotes a balance between short-term and long-term needs - such as monitoring target achievement while developing longer-term priorities 

Supporting

……....developing

Involves praising, listening and facilitating development

Appropriate for teams that continue to function well

Leaders are no longer involved in short-term performance and operational measures

Long-term aspects are more important, with a focus on individual and team development, planning and innovation

Delegating

…….hands-off

…….facilitating

Responsibility for routine decisions is handed over

Works best with a highly experienced, successful team when little involvement is needed

The focus is on working externally for the team by developing networks, securing resources and sharing best practice

Intervention is usually at the request of the team wanting support and advice with defining problems, devising solutions or handling problems

Using the right style

Each situation should use the most appropriate style. For example, directing is useful in exceptional circumstances such as a crisis requiring people to follow a particular course of action or when handling difficult personnel issues.

To decide which style is appropriate, assess the competence, ability, confidence and motivation of those involved. For example:

•         Low confidence may indicate reduced commitment, so a supportive and encouraging style is appropriate.

•         Low motivation requires a listening approach, to identify the causes and change the situation.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Culture - values, behaviors, beliefs, and norms - expressed through words and behaviors

Cultural Indicators. - How you are treated? What phrases are frequently used by the interviewers? Is there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions you're asked? How doe s the environment feel to you? How prepared are the interviewers? Are they on time? Were you given an interview schedule? Were you treated like a prisoner or a guest? Are your responses to their questions treated with suspicion or professional curiosity? How considerate is the company recruiter?

Questions Please describe the company or department culture in three words or three phrases.- How does t he company (team) handle conflict or differing opinions?- How does the company recognize employee accomplishments?

- Does the company have a "Code of Ethics?- Please describe the leadership or managerial style at your company?- What qualities do the most successful employees in your company possess?- What is the company's attitude towards professional and educational advancement?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATIONS IN A COMPANY

Definition.  Communication is the transfer of information, ideas, understanding or feelings among people.

Importance.

• Most Important subject (both personal & professional).

• Not taught but learned (eg Gandhi).

• Not theory but practical.

• Norms for communication laid down in a company - Rules for the class.

• Affects Productivity & profitability affecting.

• Not only speaking but written, e mail, phone call, body language

DAY 9

 MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE JOHN WHITMORE MODEL

Are you setting the right goals in the right way?

Sir John Whitmore gave us the GROW model for coaching and he also highlighted a model for goal-setting that is SMART, PURE and CLEAR, ensuring that you and your colleagues have goals that are appropriate, achievable and successful.

Goal-setting is vital whenever you need to focus someone (including yourself) on a specific objective or series of objectives - for example, at an annual appraisal, when someone starts a new role, or simply at the start of a new project.

               

When developing people, it is important to provide a focus for action and to ensure a sense of purpose. This is the value of the John Whitmore model: it provides a checklist for goal-setting. So, when you are goal-setting, keep it simple and check that each goal meets the 14 criteria in Whitmore's model.

Specific The right goal Challenging

Measurable Positively stated Legal

Attainable Understood Environmentally sound

Realistic/Realistic Relevant Agreed

Time- constrained Ethical Recorded

When goal-setting, distinguish between end goals and performance goals:

•            End goals are the ultimate objective. They could typically be to gain promotion or additional responsibility or to complete a major project (e.g. I need to achieve sales of £300,000 this year').

•            Performance goals establish the level of performance that will help an individual to achieve their end goal. Performance goals include such elements as quality standards, time management and production targets (e.g. 'I need to develop my negotiating skills').

Think about a current goal you have or one you want to address in the future. Answer the following questions to assess the robustness of your how approach to goal setting, monitoring and achievement. Also comment on how you could improve your approach.

•            What is your goal?

•            Is it specific? What, exactly, will success look like? Is it an end goal or a performance goal?

•            Is it measurable? How will progress be measured and monitored?

•            Is it attainable? Do you have the skills and resources needed?

•            How will you succeed and what will you do? What could go wrong? What are the risks?

•            Is it realistic? How does it relate to other people and activities? Are these links understood and could this goal benefit from other activities or expertise elsewhere in the organization?

•            What is the timescale? Are there milestones or dependencies in the plan?

•            Is the goal stated as positively as possible, in a way that will engage and encourage people?

•            Is it understood - is there a clear vision and view of what success will look like?

•            Is it relevant - how well does it relate to other issues and priorities?

•            Is it ethical?

•            Will it provide the right level of challenge?

•            Is it legal and are there legal (or regulatory) issues to consider?

•            Is it environmentally sound?

•            Is everyone agreed or is more agreement needed?

•            Has the goal been recorded and is it being monitored, with progress assessed and lessons learned?

SKILL CAPSULE: NEGOTIATION SKILLS

What is Negotiation?

Negotiation occurs when conflict exists between groups and both parties are prepared to seek a resolution through bargaining

Conflict & Negotiation

Conflict can be solved through negotiation when:

•         There are two are more parties

•         There is a conflict of interest between the parties

•         The parties are willing to negotiate to seek a better position

•         Both parties believe that entering negotiations as a better solution than breaking contact

When do we Negotiate?

•         When we need someone’s consent

•         When the time and effort of negotiating are justified

•         When the outcome is uncertain

Levels of Conflict

•         Intra-Personal

o   Conflict exists within the individual

•         Inter-Personal

o   Conflict that exists between individuals

•         Intra-Group

o   Conflict exists within a small group

•         Inter-Group

o   Conflict exists between groups

Types of Negotiations

•         Day-to-Day Managerial

o   Job Roles

o   Pay

•         Commercial

o   Contracts

o   Quality

•         Legal

o   Compliance with Governmental Regulations

Some decision making tools for negotiation:

Persuasion: Usually the first method we choose when we want something. Useful when interests or opinions are the same. 

Giving in: This is not the easy way out, and sometimes it’s just not worth continuing if the cost (in any terms) is too high.

Coercion: This could simply be stating your options, ‘I could take my business elsewhere’.  It could also be gentle reminders or unspecified consequences right up to threats. Threats are not useful in a negotiation situation as they erupt in full blown battles.

Problem Solving: Works well when both parties have a strong relationship, where you trust each other, and share the problem.

Negotiating Behaviour

Gavin Kennedy (The New Negotiating Edge) describes 3 types of behaviour that we can display and encounter when in a negotiating situation

                RED                                      BLUE                                    PURPLE

RED Behavior

•         Manipulation

•         Aggressive

•         Intimidation

•         Exploitation

•         Always seeking the best for you

•         No concern for person you are negotiating with

•         Taking

People behave in this manner when they fear exploitation by the other party, but by behaving this way to protect themselves, they provoke the behaviour they are trying to avoid.

BLUE Behavior

•         Win win approach

•         Cooperation

•         Trusting

•         Pacifying

•         Relational

•         Giving

Kennedy talks of a ‘behavioural dilemma’, do you cooperate (blue) or defect (red)? Can you trust the other person? And to what extent?  Trusting someone involves risk, on the one hand being too trusting is naïve and on the other, not trusting at all can create deceitful behaviour. The answer is to merge blue and red behaviour into purple.

PURPLE Behaviour

•         Give me some of what I want (red)

•         I’ll give you some of what you want (blue)

•         Deal with people as they are not how you think they are

•         Good intentions

•         Two way exchange

•         Purple behaviour incites purple behaviour

•         Tit for tat strategies

•         Open

•         People know where they stand

•         Determination to solve problems by both sets of criteria of the merits of the case and/or the terms of a negotiated exchange

To the red behaviourist the message is loud and clear, ‘You will get nothing from me unless and until I get something from you’.

The Four Phases of Negotiation

•         Plan

•         Debate

•         Propose

•         Bargain

Closing the Negotiation

Summary Close: Summarise the details of the conditions and the offer, and ask for agreement.

Adjournment Close: Useful where there remains some small differences.  It gives both parties time to consider the final agreement.

Final offer close: Make it clear that this is your final final offer by choosing the right words, tone and body language.  Create an atmosphere of decisiveness, gather your papers together as though getting ready to leave.

Dealing with Difficult Negotiators

•         Intimidation

•         Domineering

•         Bullying

•         Threats

•         Focusing on their own interests and not yours

These are typical RED behaviours. Be careful to distinguish those who always behave in a RED way, to those who are just having a bad day.

The man you are negotiating with has a bombastic and rude manner.  He interrupts constantly and loudly and at a pace that does not allow interruptions to his flow.  He is emphatic and threatening and shows no interest in your point of view.  Do you:

a.        Retaliate in kind with matching behaviour?

b.       Wait for an opening to say your piece?

c.        Agree to what he wants.

a.          Retaliation is a challenge.  He is not intimidating you enough – he will put on more pressure.

b.          Yes.  But only if you are clear that his behaviour will not affect your focus on the outcome.

c.          Never! Do not give him the satisfaction, by giving into a bully and their intimidation.

The financial director of a large customer is an abusive and domineering person, who has a repertoire of swear words and will not accept ‘No’ for an answer.  She expects you to sit there and take it and theatrically waves her arms about and throws papers around when she wants to make a point.  Do you:

a.        Behave in a contrasting manner and keep your cool?

b.       Agree to what she wants?

c.        Wait to say your piece?

a.          To contrast her behaviour only shows her that her behaviour is working, she’ll put on more pressure until you give in.

b.          Never! Do not give in to her intimidation.

c.          Yes, but only if you are sure her behaviour will not affect the outcome.

So what can you do about it?

  Do not let their behaviour affect the outcome – that is what they want.  They know if they behave in this way they will get what they want because the other party will back down.

  Do not react to their behaviour- that is what they want.

  You need to ignore their behaviour, this is what they choose – not you.  Be focused on the outcome and do not let their behaviour influence you away from this.

  Focus on the merits of both cases

  Consider what ‘trades’ you are going to make.  What you give up reflects consideration of the merits of their case, in exchange for what you insist on getting from them.

  This shows and forces them to give recognition to the merits of your case.

  In short, continue with your PURPLE behaviour, using the condition and offer,  ‘If … then’ strategy.

DO NOT LET THEM GET TO YOU!!

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: WHAT MANAGERS NORMALLY HAVE TO COMMUNICATE?

•         Announcement & Spokes Persons.

•         Motivating Lecture.

•         Explaining Plans, Decisions, Method, Problems, Help, feedback

•         Applications, Memos, Proposals, Condolence, Requests

•         Informal & Semi Official Letters

•         Phone Calls & Video conferencing.

•         Negotiations, Seminars, Presentations.

•         Appreciations / Warnings / Counseling, Grievance Redressal.

•         Party talk / Etiquette / Social skills, Dressing up / grooming.

•         Group discussions ,Debates & Public speeches

•         Interviews & interviewing (questionnaires, CVs, dressing, emotional preparation \

•         Appointments

DAY 10

 MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ACTION-CENTRED LEADERSHIP

Managing the task, team and individual

John Adair's Action-Centred Leadership model views the role of leaders as integrating three areas: ensuring that the task, the team and the individual are working effectively and that their needs are met. Success relies on ensuring that all three responsibilities are mutually reinforcing.

Overview

As a leader, people look to you to set the direction, to support them, to help them achieve their goals, to ensure that team members work well together .and to make sure that the structures and procedures are in place (and working effectively). It is not enough to have a great idea; you are responsible for making it happen. In short, leadership is a total activity. If individuals aren't motivated, teams will not function well; if teams don't work well, tasks will fail and individual satisfaction falls, and so on. Whether you are leading one team, a business unit or an entire company, you need to provide for:

•         the needs of the task - provide the appropriate systems, procedures and structures

•         the needs of the team - promote team cohesiveness so that team members work well together

•         the needs of the individual - engage each person (by considering pay, their sense of purpose, their need to have achievements and contributions recognized, and their need for status and to be part of something that matters).

A functional approach to leadership

To provide for the needs of the task, team and individuals, John Adair out-lines eight leadership functions:

1.       Define the task. Everyone needs to understand what is expected, so be clear about the task at hand - make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-constrained).

2.       Plan. Identify options, look for alternatives, make contingency plans and test your ideas. Working with others in a positive, open-minded, constructive and creative way will help you to develop the best plan.

3.       Brief others. To create the right conditions and bring people with you, you have to keep people informed. Both teams and individuals will work well only if they have access to information and your thinking - without open communication, confusion or even distrust can seriously hamper business strategy.

4.       Control effectively. You need self-control and you need to positively control others. Put the right procedures and monitoring in place, delegate tasks and trust others to both take responsibility and deliver results.

5.       Evaluate. Assess likely consequences, measure and judge the performance of both teams and individuals and provide necessary feedback and training.

6.       Motivate. Motivate yourself - if you are not motivated, it will be difficult to motivate others. Recruit people who are highly motivated. Set realistic and achievable targets - people respond to doable goal Focus on progress, reward success and recognize achievements.

7.       Be organized. Be organized yourself and ensure that teams and individuals have the necessary skills, procedures, structures and resources in place for them to do their jobs efficiently.

8.       Set the right example. The example you set to others influences their behaviour, motivation and willingness to follow you.

SKILL CAPSULE: RAPPORT SKILLS

Rapport is a state of harmonious understanding with another individual or group that enables greater and easier communication.  In other words rapport is getting on well with another person, or group of people, by having things in common, this makes the communication process easier and usually more effective.

Sometimes rapport happens naturally, you ‘hit it off’ or ‘get on well’ with somebody else without having to try, this is often how friendships are built.  However, rapport can also be built and developed by finding common ground, developing a bond and being empathic. 

Rapport is important in both our professional and personal lives; employers are more likely to employ somebody who they believe will get on well with their current staff.  Personal relationships are easier to make and develop when there is a closer connection and understanding between the parties involved – i.e. there is greater rapport.

The first task in successful interpersonal relationships is to attempt to build rapport.  Building rapport is all about matching ourselves with another person.  For many, starting a conversation with a stranger is a stressful event; we can be lost for words, awkward with our body language and mannerisms.  Creating rapport at the beginning of a conversation with somebody new will often make the outcome of the conversation more positive.  However stressful and/or nervous you may feel the first thing you need to do is to try to relax and remain calm, by decreasing the tension in the situation communication becomes easier and rapport grows.

When meeting somebody for the first time some simple tips will help you reduce the tension in the situation enabling both parties to feel more relaxed and thus communicate more effectively:

•         Use non-threatening and ‘safe topics’ for initial small talk. Talk about established shared experiences, the weather, how you travelled to where you are. Avoid talking too much about yourself and avoid asking direct questions about the other person

•         Listen to what the other person is saying and look for shared experiences or circumstances - this will give you more to talk about in the initial stages of communication.

•         Try to inject an element of humour. Laughing together creates harmony, make a joke about yourself or the situation/circumstances you are in but avoid making jokes about other people.

•         Be conscious of your body language and other non-verbal signals you are sending.  Try to maintain eye contact for approximately 60% of the time.  Relax and lean slightly towards them to indicate listening, mirror their body-language if appropriate

•         Show some empathy. Demonstrate that you can see the other person’s point of view. Remember rapport is all about finding similarities and ‘being on the same wavelength’ as somebody else - so being empathic will help to achieve this.

Make sure the other person feels included but not interrogated during initial conversations, as you may feel tense and uneasy meeting and talking to somebody new, so may they. Put the other person at ease, this will enable you to relax and conversation to take on a natural course.

Non-Verbal Rapport Building

Although initial conversations can help us to relax, most rapport-building happens without words and through non-verbal communication channels.

We create and maintain rapport subconsciously through matching non-verbal signals, including body positioning, body movements, eye contact, facial expressions and tone of voice with the other person.

Watch two friends talking when you get the opportunity and see how they sub-consciously mimic each other’s non-verbal communication.

We create rapport instinctively, it is our natural defence from conflict, which most of us will try hard to avoid most of the time.

It is important that appropriate body language is used; we read and instantly believe what body language tells us, whereas we may take more persuading with vocal communication.  If there is a mismatch between what we are saying verbally and what our body language is saying then the person we are communicating with will believe the body language.  Building rapport, therefore, begins with displaying appropriate body language - being welcoming, relaxed and open.

As well as paying attention to and matching body language with the person we are communicating with, it helps if we can also match their words.  Reflecting back and clarifying what has been said are useful tactics for repeating what has been communicated by the other person.  Not only will it confirm that you are listening but also give you opportunity to use the words and phases of the other person, further emphasising similarity and common ground.

The way we use our voice is also important in developing rapport.  When we are nervous or tense we tend to talk more quickly, this in turn can make you sound more tense and stressed. We can vary our voices, pitch, volume and pace in ways to make what we are saying more interesting but also to come across as more relaxed, open and friendly. Try lowering your tone, talk more slowly and softly, this will help you develop rapport more easily.

Helpful Rapport Building Behaviours

•         If you are sitting then lean forward, towards the person you are talking to, with hands open and arms and legs uncrossed.  This is open body language and will help you and the person you are talking to feel more relaxed.

•         Look at the other person for approximately 60% of the time.  Give plenty of eye-contact but be careful not to make them feel uncomfortable.

•         When listening, nod and make encouraging sounds and gestures.

•         Smile!

•         Use the other person’s name early in the conversation. This is not only seen as polite but will also reinforce the name in your mind so you are less likely to forget it!

•         Ask the other person open questions.  Open questions require more than a yes or no answer.

•         Use feedback to summarise, reflect and clarify back to the other person what you think they have said.  This gives opportunity for any misunderstandings to be rectified quickly.

•         Talk about things that refer back to what the other person has said.  Find links between common experiences.

•         Try to show empathy.  Demonstrate that you can understand how the other person feels and can see things from their point of view. When in agreement with the other person, openly say so and say why.

•         Build on the other person’s ideas.

•         Be non-judgemental towards the other person.  Let go of stereotypes and any preconceived ideas you may have about the person.

•         If you have to disagree with the other person, give the reason first then say you disagree.

•         Admit when you don’t know the answer or have made a mistake.  Being honest is always the best tactic, acknowledging mistakes will help to build trust.

•         Be genuine, with visual and verbal behaviours working together to maximize the impact of your communication.

Offer a compliment, avoid criticism and be polite.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

• Formal Communication Channel :  Are the communication channel that are officially recognized by the organization. 

• Information Channel:  Are ways of transmitting information within an organization that bypass formal channels.

Formal Downward Channels

• Chain of command,

• The House Organ,

• Letters and Pay inserts,

• Loud speaker systems,

• Annual report, Employee Hand Book & Pamphlets etc.

• Chain of Command

• Face-to-face interaction.

• Ask questions.

• Written documents

• Letters & Memorandums

• Middle level managers -Translation into the languages of subordinates

• Permanent information such as policies, procedures and rules

The House Organ

News letters or newspapers – contains new products, how well the company is doing, about the policies. Has wide readership.  Depends a lot on Personal interest

Formal Upward Channels.

 Participative management requires a two way communication. These channels are necessary not only to determine if subordinates have understood the information set downward but also to satisfy the need of subordinates to be involved.  A communication effectiveness survey of thousands of employees showed that only half believed that significant upward communication was present.

Informal Communication Channels

• Either lateral or diagonal

• Benefits from established personal relationships and mutual trust.

• Productivity

• Not an automatic process, trust must first develop

• Immediate supervisors might take offense.

Grapevine :

• Transmits information more rapidly, sometimes not as accurately.  Primary sources of current information.

• Basic characteristics: Every Direction.

• Who receives the information.  Some people are tuned into it and some managers are not even aware of the grapevine.

• Beyond the formal organization.

• Communication Networks - The pathways through which messages between and among people in organization flow are Communication Networks.

• Identifying the predominant structural configuration however, helps explain or predict.

• The links of the wheel, chain and Y receive less information than the links of the circle and the completely connected network.

• Completely connected, Feedback, Sharing of the leadership responsibility and decentralization.

• Newly formed a wheel configuration.

DAY 11

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SIX STEPS OF DELEGATION

Developmental, productive - the cornerstone of leadership

Without delegation, leaders cannot lead and managers cannot manage. Delegation develops skills, challenges and retains great people, and in-creases productivity. Yet many people have difficulty delegating. These six steps will help you to delegate effectively.

Delegation requires empowerment and trust. You need to empower people give them the skills and confidence to act and take risks. You need to trust them and accept that mistakes will happen - mistakes that can be rectified and learned from and that are more than made up for by the progress that is achieved. Delegation is essential precisely because it goes directly to the bottom line - it has a huge impact on productivity, innovation and employee engagement and retention.

Delegation can be learned but, to be successful, it rests entirely on having the right mindset. It is about bringing people with you. While experience helps, what is more important is attitude, good communication skills and confidence in yourself. These six stages provide a framework to help you delegate successfully:

1.      Prepare to delegate

Know what you want to achieve. Be clear about goals and priorities and decide how these can be achieved. Plan what needs to happen, and when, and bring people along with you. Winning hearts and minds and making sure people know the reasons for your plan and what is expected of them are essential.

2.      Match the person to the task

Know your people. Understand what they can do, their potential, what would challenge and stimulate them. It also helps to understand their future career plans. Make the most of each person's abilities. Look for potential and take risks. With encouragement, training and trust, you will get more from each person.

3.      Discuss and agree objectives

Engage people with the task that needs to be completed. Everyone needs to understand your thinking, agree with the plan and be clear about what needs to be done and when. Consider constructive criticisms because it can improve your plan and gain the buy-in of others.

4.      Put resources and power in place

Provide the necessary resources and authority. In this way, your people can make decisions and act. Support your people whenever this is needed - they need to know you are behind them.

5.      Monitor progress

Ensure that people are accountable for delivering what is expected of them. Having overall goals and interim targets will help people to stay focused, to meet deadlines and to ensure that standards and results additional art met. The goal is to keep people motivated and on track and to provide support where needed.

6.      Review progress

Learn from experience and feedback. Compare and discuss results and objectives with those involved. Look at what worked well and what could have been done better. Use this to improve future plans.

SKILL CAPSULE: CORPORATE ETIQUETTES

Why is etiquette important?

•          Good manners help you make a positive impression

•          Knowing that you are behaving appropriately helps you feel relaxed and confident so you can focus on business

•          Good manners save you time - you won’t have to spend time soothing hurt feelings or making up for damaging mistakes

•          People like to do business when you make them feel comfortable

Successful Encounters

SMALL TALK SKILLS

Tuning-In Techniques

•          Smile - friendliness / receptivity

•          Open posture - attentive

•          Forward Lean - alert (arm’s distance)

•          Tone - show interest

•          Eye Contact - direct without staring

•          Nod - understanding

Listening Manners

•          Create a setting in which you can listen

•          Tune out internal distractions - (worries)

•          Monitor your body language - receptive

•          Do not interrupt

•          Repeat or paraphrase what was said

Your turn to talk

•          It is appropriate to respond to what someone else has said

•          If you need to start - topics may include: Weather, Sports, Traffic, Business Events, Books, Movies, TV Shows, Meeting Place or City (whichever is appropriate)

•          It is gracious to call the person’s name during the conversation

Your turn to talk - Opening Lines

•          Upbeat Observation – “This is very impressive. It looks like…..”

•          Open Ended Questions - “What do you think of…..?”

•          General Questions - “Where are you from?”

UNDERSTANDING BODY LANGUAGE

o   Person turns away or averts his eyes

(disagreement / annoyed/ distracted)

o   Person turns to face you

(interested)

o   Slouching

(loosing interest)

o   Raising hands to his chest

(honest)

o   Wringing hands, nail-biting, foot tapping, shaking legs

(nervous)

BEHAVIOR        

Talks too much               

Ignores others

Interrupts                          

Only discusses work IMPRESSION CREATED

Nervous/Insensitive

Snobbish

Rude

Too serious

IMPRESSIVE INTRODUCTION

o   First impressions can be lasting ones

o   Say the name of the person who holds position of most authority and importance first

o   Keep it basic - say the name only once

o   Clarify - some information about the person - keep it short

o   When in doubt do not use first names

o   Admit that you have forgotten the name - rather than guess!

o   If someone neglects to introduce you - go ahead and introduce yourself

o   When you are introduced stand up and shake hands

TIPS ON TIMING

o   It is rude to be late

o   Apologize for your delay when you arrive

o   Schedule meetings farther apart

o   Estimate duration of tasks

o   Be more organized

o   Don’t overstay your welcome

PHYSICAL DISTANCE - REASONABLE PROXIMITY

o   In a business setting, you should rarely, if ever, touch a person

o   Comfortable distance - 3 feet - or an arm’s length away

o   It can help to keep your professional reputation intact

OFFICE PARTY MANNERS

o   Be on time

o   Treat your managers with respectful friendliness

o   Look as if you are having fun

o   Don’t flirt

o   Don’t get drunk

o   Don’t gossip

HANDSHAKES

•          Handshakes are the only acceptable physical conduct for men & women in the business arena.

•          Handshakes are the universally accepted business greeting.

•          Hugs & kisses are a taboo in the business arena.

You are judged by the quality of the handshake.

A good hand shake

•          Fingers together with the thumb up and open

•          Slide your hand into the other person’s so that each person's web of skin between the thumb and forefingers touches the other’s

•          Squeezes the hand firmly-Is firm but not bone-crushing

•          Lasts for about 3 seconds

Includes good eye-contact with the other person an is released after the shake, even if the introduction continues

CARD ETIQUETTES

•          Always have an ample supply of easily accessible cards

•          Place them ahead of time in a coat pocket or purse so that you may have them ready to hand at a moment’s notice.

•          Present your cards face up so that to those whom you are giving it can easily read.

•          When handed a card, take the time to read it and check to make sure you have proper pronunciation.

•          Never turn down a card someone gives you.

•          Be selective with distributing cards

•          Include cards with business correspondence.

•          Don’t be anxious to distribute cards

•          In social functions be unobtrusive while giving cards

•          Business cards should not surface during meals , -be discreet

Using two hands to present and take the cards looks elegant

THUMB RULES FOR INTRODUCTIONS

•          Use full names and no “nick“ names

•          Use title where ever applicable “ Dr. “

•          In social settings add a personal interest line along with the name and designation

•          In official settings full name and designation is important

•          In gatherings make an effort that very one is introduced

•          Open doors and let ladies walk in first

•          With a revolving door the male walks in first and hold it for the woman

•          In the escalator male enters first faces the woman to help

•          In a lift the woman gets out first , but while getting out he should be out and make sure the door is open for her.

•          If a man is driving he should open the door for the lady before sitting. At the end there is no need to rush and open

•          Men should volunteer to carry heavy packets of the women

•          There is no rule that only a man should pay when the two go out

•          Never ask women personal questions

GIVING COMPLIMENTS

•          Be consistent - compliment everyone who deserves it

•          Be specific - be direct

•          Don’t confuse praise with feedback

•          When appropriate give praise in public or in writing

•          Be timely

 ACCEPTING COMPLIMENTS

•          Acknowledge the compliment - say “Thank You”

•          Don’t argue with or attempt to qualify the compliment

•          Even when you genuinely disagree with the reason for the compliment, don’t insult the speaker

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW MANAGERS CAN BECOME BETTER COMMUNICATORS

Breakdowns in communication, lowered productivity.  Communication skill can be learned.  Empathy, Listening, Reading skills, Observations, Word choice, Body languages and Action are all involved in improving communication.

Empathy

Does not mean you necessarily agree, understand why that person speaks and acts in a certain way.  “feel” the bitterness. 

Listening

Constant talking interferes with listening and learning.  Average speaking speed is about 120 – 200 words per minute.  Comprehend words is more than four times the speed at which the words are spoken.

Evaluate listening – free time is devoted to evaluating the speakers remarks.

Projective listening – To fully utilize their time, project themselves into the position of the speaker.  Carl Rogers suggested “Each person can speak for himself only after he has related the ideas and feelings of the previous speaker accurately and to that speaker’s satisfaction”.

Reading Skills

Through Training, Reading speeds can be doubled and tripled with little or no loss in comprehension.

Observation

Some Managers are adept at assessing the atmosphere of an organization merely by strolling through its work place.

Word Choice

Simple and Common words.

Body language

90 percent of first impression.

Crossed legs or ankles and folded arms – indicate a defensive posture or a dislike of the situation.  Open position may indicate the opposite as may leaning forward or backward in a relaxed manner. 

A worker facing away, hands in pockets – negative posture. 

Free use of hand gesturing – indicates highly emotional, animated or relaxed relatively carefree.

o   Tense individual – body rigid.

o   Hard gestures – Positive attitude

o   Facial expression is usually understood.  Emotions like anger, interest, happiness, disgust, contempt, surprise, fear and love.

o   A frown, a sarcastic smile, a blank stare and mean to the employee that the manager is not interested.

o   Sweaty hands or nail bitting may mean that the workers feel ill at ease.

o   Actions

o   Desk moved

o   Deliberately restricting their output.

o   Machinery that could do the work of this crew.

o   Guidelines for Dealing with Communication

o   Have a plan.

o   Get organized.

o   Develop the message from the receivers point of view.

o   Select the best way to communicate the message.

o   Look for feedback.

o   Follow up.

o   Do not assume too much.

o   Be a good listener.

o   Use language that other can understand.

o   Observe non verbal cues.

DAY 12

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: KOTTER’S EIGHT–STAGE PROCESS FOR LEADING CHANGE

Achieving progress and getting the right things done in the best way possible

The eight-stage process of creating major change was first outlined by John Kotter in his bestselling book Leading Change; it describes what the leader needs to do to ensure that beneficial change is achieved.

1.      Establish a sense of urgency

As a leader, you should initiate or take control of the process by emphasizing the need for change. The more urgent and pressing the need, the more likely people will be focused. Usually, the leader's role is to stay positive and build on success. However, it can also help to emphasize failure - what might go wrong and how, when and what the consequences could be. You can also emphasize positive elements such as windows of opportunity that require swift and effective change.

2.      Create the guiding coalition

The guiding coalition needs to understand the purpose of the change process. Members should be united, coordinated and carry significant authority. The coalition needs to have the power to make things happen, to change systems and procedures, and to win people over.

3.      Develop a vision and strategy

The guiding coalition needs to create a simple, powerful vision that will direct and guide change and achieve goals. You need to develop a detailed strategy for achieving that vision. The strategy needs to be practical, work-able, understandable, simple and consistent.

4.      Communicate the change vision

Use every means possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies. This will build pressure, momentum and understanding, sustaining a sense of urgency. The guiding coalition should lead by example and act as role models for the behaviour expected of employees.

5.      Empower broad-based action

The leader and the guiding coalition cannot achieve change in isolation - it needs the commitment and effort of others. Provide a blame-free and supportive environment and empower your people by removing obstacles, changing systems or structures that undermine the vision and encouraging risk-taking and non-traditional ideas

6.      Generate short-term wins

These produce momentum and provide an opportunity to build on success. To do this, plan for visible improvements in performance - or 'wins', create those wins and recognize and reward people who make wins possible.

7.      Consolidate gains and produce more change

Once the excitement of the start-up phase has passed, the successes have been built and people know what is needed, people can tire and problems can arise. The key is to move steadily: maintain momentum without moving too fast. You need to continue by using increased credibility and understanding of what is still needed, hiring, promoting and developing people who can implement the changes and reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes and change agents.

8.      Anchor new approaches in the organization's culture

A key danger in managing change is to finish too early. The best situation is often where change, development and continuous improvements become the norm. What matters is making changes that are firmly grounded in the organization. This requires you to explain the connections between the new behaviours or actions and success.

SKILL CAPSULE: QUESTIONING SKILLS

Gathering information is a basic human activity – we use information to learn, to help us solve problems, to aid our decision making processes and to understand each other more clearly.

Questioning is the key to gaining more information and without it interpersonal communications can fail.  Questioning is fundamental to successful communication - we all ask and are asked questions when engaged in conversation. 

We find questions and answers fascinating and entertaining – politicians, reporters, celebrities and entrepreneurs are often successful based on their questioning skills – asking the right questions at the right time and also answering (or not) appropriately.

Although questions are usually verbal in nature, they can also be non-verbal.  Raising of the eyebrows could, for example, be asking, “Are you sure?” facial expressions can ask all sorts of subtle questions at different times and in different contexts.

Critical questioning is an art.  It's the basis of learning. It's also the basis of leadership, decision making, negotiations and practically every other soft skill.

Why Ask Questions?

Although the following list is not exhaustive it outlines the main reasons questions are asked in common situations.

•         To Obtain Information:

The primary function of a question is to gain information – ‘What time is it?’

•         To help maintain control of a conversation

While you are asking questions you are in control of the conversation, assertive people are more likely to take control of conversations attempting to gain the information they need through questioning.

•         Express an interest in the other person

Questioning allows us to find out more about the respondent, this can be useful when attempting to build rapport and show empathy or to simply get to know the other person better.

•         To clarify a point

Questions are commonly used in communication to clarify something that the speaker has said.  Questions used as clarification are essential in reducing misunderstanding and therefore more effective communication

•         To explore the personality and or difficulties the other person may have

Questions are used to explore the feelings, beliefs, opinions, ideas and attitudes of the person being questioned.  They can also be used to better understand problems that another person maybe experiencing – like in the example of a doctor trying to diagnose a patient.

•         To test knowledge

Questions are used in all sorts of quiz, test and exam situations to ascertain the knowledge of the respondent.  ‘What is the capital of France?’ for example.

•         To encourage further thought

Questions may be used to encourage people think about something more deeply.  Questions can be worded in such a way as to get the person to think about a topic in a new way.  ‘Why do you think Paris is the capital of France?”

•         In group situations

Questioning in group situations can be very useful for a number of reasons, to include all members of the group, to encourage more discussion of a point, to keep attention by asking questions without advance warning.  These examples can be easily related to a classroom of school children.

How to Ask Questions

Being an effective communicator has a lot to do with how questions are asked.  Once the purpose of the question has been established you should ask yourself a number of questions:

o    What type of question should be asked?

o    Is the question appropriate to the person/group?

o    Is this the right time to ask the question?

o    How do I expect the respondent will reply?

When actually asking questions – especially in more formal settings some of the mechanics to take into account include:

Being Structured

In certain situations, for example if you are conducting a research project or you work in a profession that requires the recording of information, it may be necessary to ask large numbers of questions. 

In such cases it is usually a good idea to inform the respondent of this before you start, by giving some background information and reasoning behind your motive of asking questions.  By doing this the respondent becomes more open to questions and why it is acceptable for you to be asking them.  

They also know and can accept the type of questions that are likely to come up, for example, “In order to help you with your insurance claim it will be necessary for me to ask you about your car, your health and the circumstances that led up to the accident”. 

In most cases the interaction between questioner and respondent will run more smoothly if there is some structure to the exchange.

Use Silence

Using silence is a powerful way of delivering questions. 

As with other interpersonal interactions pauses in speech can help to emphasise points and give all parties a few moments to gather their thoughts before continuing.

A pause of at least three seconds before a question can help to emphasise the importance of what is being asked.  A three second pause directly after a question can also be advantageous; it can prevent the questioner from immediately asking another question and indicates to the respondent that a response is required.

Pausing again after an initial response can encourage the respondent to continue with their answer in more detail. Pauses of less than three seconds have been proven to be less effective.

Encouraging Participation

In group situations leaders often want to involve as many people as possible in the discussion or debate.

This can be at least partially achieved by asking questions of individual members of the group.

One way that the benefits of this technique can be maximised is to redirect a question from an active member of the group to one who is less active or less inclined to answer without a direct opportunity. Care should be taken in such situations as some people find speaking in group situations very stressful and can easily be made to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or awkward.

Encourage but do not force quieter members of the group to participate.

Critical Questioning vs. Creative Questioning

Creative questioning is the use of curiosity and imagination to generate a productive flows of questions.

Creative questioning is a somewhat vague term. It has evolved because people feel that "critical questioning" sounds too negative.

Critical questioning is a more defined technique that has roots extending back to Socratic Questioning (a method of critical questioning developed by Socrates).

How to Use Critical Questioning

Critical questioning relies on your listening and interpersonal skills. It's pointless to question someone if you're not actively listening to them.

Critical questioning cuts quickly to the heart of ideas. It can easily be perceived as hostile. Use your social skills to soften questions. Add humor or friendly disclaimers.

Use combinations of the following techniques to critically question ideas:

1.      Establish Relevance

Why are we talking about this?

2.      Ask For Clarifications

What do you mean?

3.      Challenge Assumptions

What could we assume instead?

4.      Seek Evidence

Can you give me an example?

5.      Probe Alternatives

What about ...?

6.      Investigate Perspectives

How would .... feel about this?

Is there another way to look at this?

7.      Examine Implications & Consequences

What are you implying?

What does this mean to ....?

What's the global impact?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SPECIAL SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Conversation Control

o   How to handle personal criticism

o   Put forward a proposal.

o   Register a protest.

o   Disagree without being aggressive.

o   How to be creative.

o   How to negotiate.

o   How to buy and sell.

o   How to interview and praise.

o   How to contribute to a meeting.

Importance of Conversation Control

o   Criticism with confidence

o   Get the correct information quickly

o   Talking to people in a convincing way

o   Objections and Opposition

o   Where people are coming

o   Interviewing and appraisal

o   Use the dynamics of conversation for both problem solving and social use with friends

Benefits of Conversation Control

o   Managers often tell that the major problems they face are in responding to the concerns and problems of others and trying to influence people.

o   To be able to manage conflict.

o   To negotiate more effectively.

o   To develop listening skills.

o   To persuade and influence

o   To get people to work together

o   To facilitate problem solving.

o   To get people to think more creatively about the job.

o   To get others more involved in planning and implementation.

DAY 13

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SIX PRINCIPLES FOR GAINING COMMITMENT

Achieving employee engagement during times of transition

What is the goal of employee engagement? Quite simply: to maximize performance and profit. These will not happen if leaders don't have their people's commitment. Gone are the times when leaders simply informed others; nowadays a dialogue needs to take place. People need to feel valued and listened to, and leaders need to inspire, win hearts and minds, and harness talent and potential.

Successful transitions depend on gaining commitment. Without it, companies underperform and strategy is harder to achieve. John Smythe developed six principles to engage employees - releasing creativity, raising productivity and promoting commitment and loyalty. They give people a compelling reason to work for you, to excel, and to implement plans successfully. By listening, engaging, empowering and encouraging people to share ideas, you will build confidence, loyalty and camaraderie.

1.       Develop the right plan and make sure that everyone agrees

Ensure that the senior team has explored all options and developed the best strategy. While teams often agree on a plan, some people may have held back ideas or not been on board. Making sure that everyone at the senior level is on board is critical.

2.      Plan the transition process and prepare a timeline

When planning the timeline for implementation, consider the timing of all demands that will be placed on people, including emotional and motivational aspects.

3.      Decide who is to be involved - and how

Make sure that everyone is clear about who is involved and how and why they are involved - or affected. When people know what their role is and understand your strategy, they are more engaged, adaptable and committed.

4.      Set standards (including role modeling and measuring progress)

Putting standards and timed goals in place enables people to measure progress. The key is to win and maintain people's commitment: measures need to work with people; they should not demotivate. When setting goals, consider the people involved - ask yourself how they would respond.

5.      Connect with each person as an individual

Include opportunities for people to reflect, learn and enjoy working for your company. Implementing a new strategy should be enjoyable - emphasize the excitement, the potential and the opportunities. Include opportunities to celebrate past achievements - moving to the future without a nod to the past is discouraging.

6.      Tell and sell the new strategy

Tap into people's desire to be part of something and interpret situations from their perspective. Empathy is an invaluable tool for generating enthusiasm and commitment. Remember: the version of change you are giving is not the only one people hear. Be honest, keep people informed, and offer a better, more inspirational and convincing explanation of events and strategy.

SKILL CAPSULE: LEARNING SKILL

Almost every action we take is the result of past learning yet, for some people, learning still remains an activity undertaken in, or associated with, an educational context. As babies we learn to eat, to gain attention, to crawl, to walk, etc. and as we develop into children, and our bodies become more functional, we learn an inordinate range of skills. Traditionally, research and studies around learning focused primarily on early-years learning through childhood and adolescence.  However, it is now recognized that learning is a continuous process that commences at birth and continues until death; it is the process through which we use our experience to deal with new situations and to develop relationships. A lot of our learning occurs randomly throughout life, from new experiences, gaining information and from our perceptions, for example: reading a newspaper or watching a news broadcast, talking with a friend or colleague, chance meetings and unexpected experiences.

Many experiences in life provide us with learning opportunities from which we can choose whether or not to learn.  This type of experiential learning is in contrast to more formal approaches to learning such as training, mentoring, coaching and teaching, all of which have some type of structure in that they are planned learning involving a facilitator.

Teaching, training and other structured learning opportunities are activities that one person does to another, while learning is something we can only do for ourselves.

Learning involves far more than thinking: it involves the whole personality - senses, feelings, intuition, beliefs, values and will.  If we do not have the will to learn, we will not learn and if we have learned, we are actually changed in some way.  If the learning makes no difference it can have very little significance beyond being random ideas that float through our consciousness. 

Learning needs to meet some personal need and recognising and identifying such needs enables us to evaluate whether the learning has been worthwhile and successful.

Learning occurs when we are able to:

•         Gain a mental or physical grasp of the subject.

•         Make sense of a subject, event or feeling by interpreting it into our own words or actions.

•         Use our newly acquired ability or knowledge in conjunction with skills and understanding we already possess.

•         Do something with the new knowledge or skill and take ownership of it.

Key Principles of Learning

There are a vast range of theories that attempt to explain and demonstrate the way that people learn. 

Such theories can often contrast with each other depending on the type of learning they describe, for example traditional learning theories associated with children and adolescents engaged in ‘schooling’ may differ from theories associated with adult learning.

The following list is generic and identifies the key principles associated with all types of learning and can be applied to group situations as well as when learning alone or with a mentor, tutor or trainer. 

This list is not exhaustive but it should, however, help you to understand some of the key concepts of learning.

•         People learn best when they are treated with respect and are not talked down to or treated as ignorant.  Establishing ground rules at the start of a training session will reinforce this important principle However, for the training to be most effective and to involve full participation, the trainer should model such exemplar behaviour.

•         Learning opportunities should, when possible, be linked to previous positive experience - this involves self-awareness on the part of the learner and understanding and empathy on the part of any facilitator.  Learning can be blocked by past negative experiences - some people who hated school cannot bear to be in a classroom situation, for example.

• When possible learners should take part in the planning of learning activities.  Learners should be encouraged to be self-directing in terms of goal-setting since this usually improves commitment and motivation and increases participation.  Facilitators should examine the expectations of the learner at the start of a course or session to help to encourage self-direction.

• People learn best when their physical environment is comfortable.  In group situations a positive emotional and supportive environment is also important; individuals in groups tend to learn best when they can socialise and interact with other group members.

• Interaction with a facilitator is vital.  People need to be able to react, question and voice opinions on what they are learning.  Generally, in group situations, quieter members should be gently encouraged for their input.

• Learning activities and/or delivery need to be varied, to cover the range of different learning styles and help the learner maintain interest and motivation.  In a classroom setting, for example, including discussions or other activities, especially some sort of problem solving, as part of a lesson or lecture will enable learners to interact and engage with the subject. 

• Instant rewards help.  People learn best if the results and/or rewards of learning are made clear and can be demonstrated during or immediately after the learning experience.

• Self-evaluation and reflective practice is important.  Learners should be encouraged to reflect on what they have learnt and think about ways that they can further their knowledge.

The PACT Learning Cycle

Many attempts have been made by academics and others to map and explain the learning processes.  It is generally recognised that learning takes place in a repetitive cycle, an ongoing series of processes. 

The diagram below represents a generic learning cycle and uses the acronym PACT.  The cycle is relevant to all types of learning.

The PACT learning cycle stages are:

• Procure. New knowledge (theory) or ability (skill) is acquired.

• Apply. The new knowledge or skill is then practiced in some way.

• Consider. The results of the practice are evaluated and/or assessed.

• Transform. The original knowledge or ability is modified accordingly.

The cycle then continues and repeats.

The PACT cycle should help to demonstrate that learning is an iterative process: our learning evolves as we develop and we utilise early knowledge for later understanding.  There are many examples of these processes in action - usually we learn the basics of a subject or skill before progressing to intermediate , advanced and ultimately expert levels.  At each stage we build on the knowledge and experience we have already acquired, gaining further knowledge, experience or techniques and repeating the learning cycle.

Learning Capacity

Our individual learning capacity varies considerably and will depend not only on ability but also on motivation, personality, learning style and an awareness of our own learning processes. 

Working on an awareness of your own learning processes means 'learning how to learn'. For example, in university settings students are usually taught some study skills, which include learning how to seek information when needed and how to use it appropriately.

In Summary

Learning is an internal activity and a key personal development skill.

Learning is not something that can be directly observed in others.  We can, however, observe the results of learning in ourselves and others – this is why, in formal learning situations, assessment is such a crucial part of the teaching process. 

The results of academic assessment, essays, exams etc. are simply attempts to measure how much an individual has learnt but they cannot measure the actual process of learning.

Learning brings about changes in the way we act, think and/or feel about ourselves, other people and the world around us. Such changes may be permanent or temporary depending on our own perceptions of the importance and relevance of the gained knowledge.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: RECOGNITION OF CUES AND CLUES

All conversations and discussions are full of cues and clues as well as signs and signals.  Others who do not hear and see them will miss the opportunity and the conversation will probably fail.

Disguised Messages

•         Very often people give some of their most important clues through non-verbal behaviour.  The shrug, the hand over, the mouth, the lean backwards or forwards in the chair, clenched fist

•         A cue is a word or phrase you see when you want to give an indication that something is important to you.

•         A clue is a similar set of words, only the key point is that the words as spoken by someone else

Expect Cues and Clues

•         We all miss cues and clues because often we are not quick enough to observe and understand.  We need to listen to the important words people use.  Cues and Clues are difficult to handle because they are not always directly visible.

Identification of Cues and Clues  Basic principles are:

•         First, listen carefully when people use the words “I”, “Me” or “My”.  At that point they are speaking about the most important person in the world – themselves.

•         Second, listen carefully if people follow up comments about themselves with strong adjectives such as “disappointed”, “annoyed”, “worried”, “angry” etc.

•         Third, listen for words which imply the other person is under pressure to do or achieve something.

•         Fourth, listen when people express doubts and concerns.

Signs and Signals

•         Signs refer to the behavioral indicators such a the pointed finger to emphasize a point, the hands over the mouth to guard against the wrong word or the eyes looking forward to help are sings etc.

•         Signals refer to the behavioural indicators others give to you.  When a person is relaxed and at ease he will usually smile more and nod their head.  You can therefore observe, without a word being spoken, the attitude of the person.

DAY 14

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: BELBIN’S TEAM RULES

Building, managing and understanding teams and teamworking

R. Meredith Belbin identified nine ways people work together in teams. Understanding these types will help you build and lead better teams.

Leading a team

While people can have characteristics from different categories, one style tends to dominate. To manage teams effectively, you need to identify and understand the style each person uses. Knowing the type of person each team member is will help you to build the right team, get the most out of people, delegate effectively and manage situations successfully. The information can be used to motivate, secure commitment, encourage the behaviours and actions you are looking for, and help you understand when to challenge and when to hold back. This insight enables you to know what type of support to offer, as well as knowing how to avoid conflict or manage it effectively should it arise.

Belbin's nine team roles

Team role Strengths - contribution to team-working Weaknesses - problems for team-working

Plant Plants are creative and imaginative individuals. Their approach can be unorthodox, unusual or freethinking. As a result, they are particularly effective at solving difficult problems. A propensity to ignore details and become too preoccupied or-focused on one issue, hindering communication and collaboration.

Resource investigator Typically resource investigators are outgoing, extrovert, enthusiastic and communicative. Skills include the ability to explore opportunities and develop contacts. Over-optimistic and positive, rather than realistic or resilient. This can mean that they lose interest after their initial enthusiasm.

Coordinator

Coordinators are mature and confident, able to connect big-picture thinking with detailed implementation, good planning and organizational skills. Too much delegation and co-ordination of others can be seen as manipulative, and they can sometimes be perceived as offloading work.

Shaper

Shapers are challenging, action-oriented and dynamic. Within teams they enjoy decision-making and problem-solving, and bring the drive and courage needed to overcome obstacles. Prone to provocation, and may risk offending team-members' feelings with their focus on action and results (rather than people).

Monitor Evaluator Monitor evaluators' strength is their sober, strategic and discerning approach. They contribute to team effectiveness by viewing all options and displaying sound, accurate judgement An ability to monitor, evaluate and assess is not always dynamic, and their weaknesses can include a lack of drive and ability to inspire others.

Teamworker Teamworkers are especially co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic. They complement a team with their ability to listen, build on ideas, promote collaboration and mutual support and avoid friction. A key weakness is indecision in crunch situations, including those scenarios where there is no 'right' way forward.

Team role Strengths - contribution to team-working Weaknesses - problems for team-working

Implementer Implementers contribute to teams by being disciplined, reliable and efficient. They are especially skilled at turning ideas into practical actions and results

Can slow down teamworking by being inflexible or slow to respond to new options.

Completer finisher Completer finishers deliver on time and succeed by providing the team with a conscientious, anxious approach that looks for errors and omissions. Completer finishers can worry unnecessarily or excessively and sometimes be reluctant to delegate.

Specialist Specialists are single-minded, dedicated self-starters. who contribute to team effectiveness by providing valuable knowledge and skills. The specialist's weakness is their tendency to concentrate on technicalities and they may only contribute in a single narrow area.

The diagnostic questionnaire for BeIbin's team role analysis is available at Belbin Associates' website (www.belbin.com).

SKILL CAPSULE: NUMERACY (NUMBER SKILLS)

Numeracy Skills Count

Improved numeracy skills lead to better paid jobs, greater well-being and a less stressful life.

Numeracy skills are not just for scientists, accountants and the tax man, many professions require at least a basic level of understanding when it comes to numeracy and mathematics. Take some time to develop your numeracy skills - it's never too late to learn.

Chris Humphries, Chairman of National Numeracy, talking to the BBC said:

“It is simply inexcusable for anyone to say ‘I can’t do maths.’”

He continued to suggest that many people cannot get jobs because they struggle to read graphs and interpret documents, while plumbers may find it difficult to do the necessary calculations to install a boiler and as a result lose income. 

Careers New Zealand suggests that basic numeracy, needed for the workforce, should include:

• Counting quantities for a customer.

• The use of percentages and subtraction when giving a discount.

• Using division when calculating costs per head.

• Measuring the area of shapes.

• Calculating fuel consumption.

• Understanding tables in reports and interpreting graphs.

It may come as a surprise that almost half of the working-age population (17 million) of England have numeracy skills equivalent to those expected for an 11 year-old child.

This problem is not unique to England or the UK.

In Australia business leaders were asked how poor numeracy affected their businesses.  Over three-quarters of respondents said that their businesses were affected with almost 40% reporting a moderate to high effect. 

In the USA over a third of all school-age American students are scoring 'below basic' on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Poor numeracy is a huge problem that affects people and organizations in ways that are not immediately obvious.

Adults with poor numeracy skills are twice as likely to be unemployed than those who enjoy some competency in numeracy.  Those adults with at least basic numeracy skills can expect to earn a quarter more than those who lack the necessary skills to solve basic mathematical problems.

Those with poor numeracy skills are less likely to be able to save money on day-to-day affairs, like a visit to the supermarket.Furthermore they are less likely to be able to find or negotiate the best deals on financial products and therefore more likely to pay higher levels of interest on higher levels of debt.   It is well documented that debt problems can lead to stress and/or depression.  Between a third and a half of people with poor numeracy skills have a desire to improve them and less than 4% have actually attended any numeracy classes.

 

Develop Your Numeracy Skills

We believe that everybody has the ability to master basic numeracy. 

We also believe that understanding basic numeracy and mathematics will make a huge difference in all aspects of your life: make you more employable, help you achieve a greater understanding of the world around you, save you time and money and may even improve your well-being and reduce stress. Through clear descriptions, discussion and examples we hope to give our readers a fundamental knowledge of 'Functional Numeracy'.  Our mission is to develop a library of informative, easy-to-follow guides covering the basics of functional numeracy skills - maths you can use every day.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: GROUP DISCUSSION

Purpose

  Personality Traits Gauged in Group Discussion

  Ability to interact in a team

  Communications Skills

  Reasoning ability.

  Leadership skills.

  Initiative & Enthusiasm.

  Assertiveness.

  Flexibility

  Nurturing & Coaching Ability.

  Creativity.

  Ability to think in ones feet.

Types of Topics for Group Discussion

  Factual Topics.

  Controversial Topics.

  Abstract Topics.

  Political.

  Economics.

  Education.

  Environmental.

  Ethics & Law.

  Technology Related.

DAY 15

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DRIVERS OF TRUST AND THE TRUST CYCLE

What we look for when choosing to trust someone

The drivers of trust are the attributes that lead to effective relationships.

The cycle of trust is the process through which trust can be developed and maintained.

Overview

Trust matters because success can be achieved only by working through others. By inspiring trust, you will encourage those around you to be flexible and collaborative. Developing the drivers of trust and maintaining the trust of others will lead to productive business relationships.

The drivers of trust

The main drivers of trust are:

•         fairness

•         dependability

•         respect

•         openness

•         courage •         unselfishness

•         competence

•         supportiveness

•         empathy

•         compassion

By promoting these qualities, relationships with colleagues, customers and stakeholders are more beneficial to everyone involved.

The reality of trust

In reality, the attributes we are more likely to encounter (the reality of trust) are:

•         likeability

•         dependability

•         critical

•         ambition

•         fairness •         professionalism

•         competence

•         respect

•         controlling

•         predictability

The trust deficit

People look for the drivers of trust when deciding when, and how much, to trust someone. When people's expectations are not met, trust and indeed the entire relationship are seriously undermined. It would seem that without a concerted effort to develop and demonstrate these qualities we are unlikely to develop the rapport we need for good working relationships. Avoiding a trust deficit becomes all-important if we are to get the most out of business relationships. By understanding the drivers of trust, along with the cycle of trust, we can better shape the way we relate to others and build successful, reliable and productive relationships.

The Trust Cycle

Explore - understand the issues and priorities Commit — agree what you will

deliver, how and when

Confirm — check that delivery has met the person's expectations Deliver — take action and achieve

what you have promised

By continually following these stages, you will build and maintain the trust that is essential for effective, productive relationships. As trust is such a fragile commodity, failing to achieve any one of these stages will damage the relationship and require you to go back and rebuild it. For this reason, ensuring that trust is maintained - by continually developing the drivers of trust and following the cycle of trust - is less disruptive, less time-consuming and less stressful. It creates the positive and productive relationships that are necessary for success.

SKILL CAPSULE: DELEGATION SKILLS

One of the most important questions to answer if you want to delegate a task, whether at home or in the workplace, is ‘How much control do I want over the task?’.

The answer to this question will drive how you delegate the task, how often you meet with the person doing the work, and what level of detail you want to know about. It will also alter the leadership style that you adopt. What’s more, saying that you want one level of control when actually you want another, is likely to confuse your team and make them anxious and less effective, so it’s really important that you know what you want and communicate it clearly.

From No Control to Total Control

Think of control over the task as being shared in some way between ‘leader’, that is, the person delegating the work, and followers. The level of control can vary from the leader being in total control to the followers being in total control, with a whole spectrum of shared control in between. If the leader is in total control, the leadership style being used is likely to be Commanding  or Pacesetting. Shared control could be Authoritative/Visionary (the leader relies on the quality of their vision to bring their team along), Democratic, Coaching or Affiliative, all of which are very much linked to dialogue.

Total control lying with the followers is not often seen, because of the level of risk to the leader. It is more commonly described as Laissez-Faire leadership, which should give you some idea of the level of esteem in which it is not held by leadership gurus.

Nine Levels of Delegation

With the level of control in mind, we can then move on to think about how you delegate work or tasks. Tim Brighouse, the former Schools Commissioner for London defined nine levels of delegation.

They are:

1. Look into this problem. Give me all the facts. I will decide what to do.

2. Let me know the options available with the pros and cons of each. I will decide what to select.

3. Let me know the criteria for your recommendation, which alternatives you have identified and which one appears best to you with any risk identified. I will make the decision.

4. Recommend a course of action for my approval.

5. Let me know what you intend to do. Delay action until I approve.

6. Let me know what you intend to do. Do it unless I say not to.

7. Take action. Let me know what you did. Let me know how it turns out.

8. Take action. Communicate with me only if the action is unsuccessful.

9. Take action. No further communication with me is necessary.

It will immediately be apparent that there is huge potential for problems if you want to know exactly what is going on, but your subordinate has received the message that you don’t want any further information. Delegating work is obviously a lot more complicated than it looks at first sight.

Key Skills in Delegating Work

Delegating may be complicated, but there are actually only two principle skill areas needed for successful delegating:

1.       Be aware what level of control you want and need, which needs high levels of self-awareness. Good leaders are intrinsically self-aware, and understand how they like to work.

2.       The best leaders are also aware of how their subordinates like to work, and strive to find a balance between the two, to allow their subordinates to grow and develop in their work. You can find out how much control people like by asking them, and negotiating the level of delegation that you use with them so that both of you get some of what you want (and a win-win situation).

Make sure that you are absolutely clear with your subordinate what level of delegation you have used. This requires strong communication skills.

Like so many skills, delegation can be broken down into a relatively straightforward set of skills: in this case, communication and self-awareness. However, also like many others, it takes a fair bit of practice before you’re really comfortable. To get better, it’s a good idea to practise consciously using different levels of delegation, so that you become familiar with the type of language needed for each, and are able to use them comfortably. You will then be able to flex your style to fit the task and the person to whom you are delegating.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE GROUP DISCUSSION

Introducing the topic

  Listening in & butting in.

  Agreeing & giving examples, Disagreeing & giving examples.

  Looking on both sides of a coin. Intervening to get a balanced view.

  Intervening during a conflict, Co-operating & leading.

  No cornering or making fun of participants

  Intervening & giving a chance to a timid participant.

  Giving examples & experiences

  Concluding (has been vigorous, interesting not your own view, no final decision )

DAY 16

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE TRUTHS OF STRATEGY

Who, what, how: succeeding with business strategy

Developing a distinctive, successful business strategy is often over-elaborate and over-complicated. Strategy is simply about understanding where you are now, where you are heading and - crucially - how you will get there.

The idea

Strategy has three essential elements: development, implementation and selling (meaning, obtaining commitment and buy-in). Underpinning all three is choice, in particular the need to choose a distinctive strategic position on three dimensions:

1.       Who to target as customers (and who to avoid targeting)

2.       What products to offer

3.       How to undertake related activities efficiently

In practice

Strategy is all about making tough choices in these three dimensions: who, what and how. It means deciding on the customers you will target and, just as importantly, the customers you will not target. This issue requires a focus on customer segmentation and geography.

Delivering a successful strategy also means choosing the products or services you will offer and what product features or benefits to emphasize. Finally, strategy means choosing the activities you will use to sell your selected product to your selected customer.

This approach sounds simple but there are several key points to note to ensure a successful strategy:

•         Ensure that your strategy creates a unique strategic position. This is achieved by focusing on who your customers are, the value proposition offered to these customers and how you can do this efficiently.

•         Make distinctive, tough choices. To be distinctive and meaningful, strategy must make difficult choices and combine these choices in a self-reinforcing system of activities that fit. Common mistakes include: keeping options open; permitting incentives in the system that enable people to ignore choices; searching for growth in a way that forces people to ignore the firm's strategy, and analysis paralysis.

•         Understand the importance of values and incentives. In particular, the underlying environment of your organization creates the behaviours of that organization. The organization's culture and values, measurement and incentives, people, structure and processes all determine the underlying environment.

•         Gain people's emotional commitment to the strategy. Any strategy, however brilliant, will fail unless people are emotionally committed to its success.

•         Remember, understanding is not the same as communicating. Explain why the strategy is important to the organization and the individual.

•         Do not overlook the knowledge-doing gap. Individuals tend to do the urgent things and not the important ones. There is a gap between what they know and what they do. Remember, what gets measured gets done.

•         Do not believe that 'strategic' means important. Closely linked is the mistaken view that only 'top' people can develop strategic ideas. Ideas can come from anybody, anytime, anywhere.

•         Keep your strategy flexible. All ideas are good for a limited time - not forever. Keep checking the answers to the 'who - what - how' questions. Strategy does not need to be changed too often but it will occasionally require adjusting to suit external circumstances. So, give your people freedom and autonomy to respond and to adjust, without waiting for permission or instructions.

SKILL CAPSULE: INFLUENCING SKILLS

How often have you needed to influence others to do something?

It’s a situation that arises almost every day, whether it’s getting your teenager to tidy their room, or your pre-schooler to get dressed, or a colleague to attend a meeting on your behalf. Some people seem to be able to do it effortlessly, and almost without anyone noticing, whereas others fall back on the power of their position to enforce what they want.

Influencing skills can be learnt just like any others, and they are a key part of being able to influence others to achieve your goals and objectives.

Ways to Influence

Nagging

We all know people who aim to influence by talking constantly. They seem to think they can grind others into submission, by simply reiterating their point of view constantly. This, basically, is nagging. And it does sometimes work, of course, because their colleagues or family give in solely to get some peace. But as a general rule, others influenced in this way probably haven’t bought into the idea, and are not committed to it.

This means that when the going gets tough, the idea could easily just wither and die.

Coercion

Others fall back on the power of their position, and order others to do what they want. This, in its most unpleasant sense, is coercion. Again, their family or colleagues won’t necessarily like what they’re doing. If it’s hard, they may well give up. More orders will be issued, to rescue the idea, but again, may be unsuccessful, because those involved are doing it because they have to, not because they want to.

A Better Way

The ‘Holy Grail’ of influencing, then, is to get others to buy into the idea, and want to do it your way. And the best way of doing that is in a way that others don’t notice. But how?

The fable of the sun and the wind is a good example:

The wind and the sun decided to have a competition to decide once and for all who was stronger. They agreed that the winner would be the one who could influence a man to take off his coat. The wind blew and blew, but the man only held on more tightly to his coat. Then the sun shone gently down, and within minutes, the man took off his coat.

The moral here is that you can’t force someone to do what they don’t want; instead, the art of influencing is to get them to want what you want.

 

Barriers to Successful Influence

One way to think about what works in influencing others is to think about what doesn’t work first.

1. Thinking that you are better at influencing than you are, and therefore failing to hone your skills. Instead, take a long, hard look at yourself, and see where your skills need to be improved.

2. Trying too hard to influence. Seeming too keen probably puts people off faster than anything else.

3. Failing to put in the effort required to get what you want. Nothing, or at least not much, is free in this world.

4. Talking too much. Stop, and just listen to the people you need to influence.

5. Providing too much information, which just confuses people, and makes them think you are trying to blind them with science. What, they ask, are you not telling them?

6. Getting desperate. Like insincerity, people can spot fear at a distance, and don’t like it.

7. Being afraid of rejection. This can even stop people from trying to influence in extreme cases.

8. Not being prepared. You can’t ‘wing it’ every time. Your audience will see through you, and will think that you value your time more highly than theirs.

9. Making assumptions about your audience, and then not being prepared to reassess when new evidence emerges.

10. Forgetting that the whole conversation is important. You need to engage in order to influence, right from the beginning.

Successful Influencing

Research shows that there are a number of things that people like about successful influencers.

Kurt Mortensen’s research suggests that these elements are largely emotional. They include keeping promises, being reliable and taking responsibility, being sincere, genuine, and honest, knowing their subject, and believing in it, building rapport, and being entertaining, as well as not arguing and providing solutions that work.

The key skills for successful influencing, then, are pretty wide. First of all, successful influencers tend to have high self-esteem and good Emotional Intelligence more generally. They really believe that they will succeed.

You also need to remain motivated and believe in yourself and your ideas. Additionally, you need to understand how your audience thinks. Key skills here include Empathy, and good Listening Skills, including Active Listening. If you listen, your audience will usually tell you what and how they are thinking. It also helps to be able to build rapport; people like those who take time to become a friend, as well as an influencer. It follows, really: if we’re honest, we’d all much rather do what a friend suggests than someone we dislike, however sensible the idea. Building rapport also helps to build trust. Good influencers or influencers also have very good Communication Skills.

It’s essential that you can get your point across succinctly and effectively, otherwise you’re never going to influence anyone of the merits of your position.

The final skill of good influencers is being organised. They do their homework, they know their audience and they know their subject. They have taken time to organise themselves and think about what they want to achieve.

Conclusion

It takes time, but develop these skills, and you will start to develop ‘authentic power’, which means that you have power because people believe in what you’re saying. Once you have that, you are likely to be much more successful in influencing and influencing others, whether at home or at work.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO PREPARE FOR A TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW AND COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Isolate yourself, make sure the caller can hear you clearly.

• Make sure at least 20 minutes is available or schedule another time for the call.

• Be sure who will call who. It is recommended that you offer to call the company.

• During the call standup, walk around and smile. All these things make a big difference

• At the conclusion, ask the interviewer about next steps and timing of their hiring process.

• If you are interested, ask for a face-to-face interview.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

        Tell Me About Yourself? - What do you know about our company? How did you learn about this position? What is our current salary? What are your compensation requirements?- Why are you looking for a new position? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK

•         What is your position with this company?

•         How much time would you like to speak on the phone?

•         What position are you considering me for?

•         What are the key things you'd like to learn about my background?

•         What business imperatives are driving the need for this position?

•         What are the  top challenges that I'll face in this job?

•         What are the characteristics of people who are most successful in your company?

•         What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

•         What additional information would you like me to provide?

•         What concern s do you have at this point?

•         When is the best time to follow up with you?

DAY 17

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SWOT ANALYSIS

A valuable decision-making technique

SWOT analysis can work at many different levels: from the overall operation of the organization as a whole to the separate and independent issues affecting a department or a single product.

•         Strengths

•         Opportunities •         Weaknesses

•         Threats

Internal sources of strength and weakness

These are typically found within an organization, whereas opportunities and threats are most often external. Some factors can be sources both of strength and weakness: for example the age of employees. Older employees may denote a stable organization, able to retain employees and maintain a wealth of experience, or it may simply mean that the organization is too conservative. Many factors can be either strengths or weaknesses and they can change from one to the other surprisingly quickly.

External sources of opportunity and threat

These are more difficult to assess than internal ones. Examples of sources of opportunities and threats are detailed below.

Sources of opportunity include:

•         new markets (including export markets)

•         new technologies

•         new products and product enhancements

•         mergers, acquisitions and divestments

•         new investment

•         factors affecting competitors' fortunes

•         commercial agreements and strategic partnerships

•         political, economic, regulatory and trade developments

Sources of threats include:

•      industrial action

•      political and regulatory issues

•      economic issues

•      trade factors

•      mergers and other developments among competitors

•      new market entrants

•      pricing actions by competitors

•      market innovations by competitors

•      environmental factors

•      natural disasters

•      crises, notably including issues of health, safety, product quality and liability

•      key staff attracted away from the business

•      security issues, including industrial espionage and the security of IT systems

•      supply chain problems

•      distribution and delivery problems

•      bad debts (resulting from the fortunes of others)

•      demographic factors and social changes affecting customers' tastes or habits.

SKILL CAPSULE: STRESS MANAGEMENT

Effectively coping with stress, managing stress and finding ways to reduce unnecessary or unhealthy levels of stress are important life skills - skills that everybody needs.

Negative stress, tension and anxiety are extremely common problems in modern life - most people will suffer from potentially dangerous or debilitating symptoms of stress and stress related issues at some point in their lives.

This page (part of a series of stress management pages) provides an introduction or overview to negative stress, together with some of the most common causes of stress and the consequences of inappropriate levels of stress.

Stress is a response to an inappropriate level of pressure. You may encounter stress from a number of sources including:

• Personal Stress: which may be caused by the nature of your work, changes in your life or personal problems.

• Stress in family or friends: which in turn may affect you.

• Stress in your colleagues: which also may affect you.

Stress can be described as the distress that is caused as a result of demands placed on physical or mental energy.  Stress can arise as the result of factors including:

 

Anxiety

Anxiety is caused when life events are felt to be threatening to individual physical, social or mental well-being.  The amount of anxiety experienced by an individual depends on:

• How threatening these life events are perceived to be.

• Individual coping strategies.

• How many stressful events occur in a short period of time.

Tension

Tension is a natural reaction to anxiety.  It is part of a primitive survival instinct where physiological changes prepare the individual for ‘fight or flight’.  This sympathetic response, as it is known, results in a chemical Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) being released in the body and causes muscles to tense ready for action. 

Blood vessels near the skin constrict, to slow bleeding if injury is sustained, and to increase the blood supply to the muscles, heart, lungs and brain.  Digestion is inhibited, the bladder relaxes, the heart rate and breathing speed increase, the body sweats more.  The person affected becomes more alert, their eyes dilate and a surge of adrenaline gives rise to an increase in energy.

These responses are extremely useful in situations of physical danger but, unlike for primitive humans, many of the anxieties of modern life are not ones that can be solved by a ‘fight or flight’ reaction or by any physical response.

Modern day stressful situations tend to continue for much longer periods of time and an immediate response does not relieve the anxiety-provoking situation. Therefore, prolonged states of anxiety can lead to symptoms of stress which prevent the individual from returning to his or her normal, relaxed state. Prolonged stress can therefore be detrimental to health and wellbeing.

Physical Signs of Stress

                In addition to feeling uneasy, tense and worried, physical sensations of continued stress can include:

• Palpitations

• Dizziness

• Indigestion or heartburn

• Tension headaches

• Aching muscles

• Trembling or eye twitches

• Diarrhoea

• Frequent urination

• Insomnia

• Tiredness

• Impotence

People are often unaware that they are suffering from stress and visit the doctor with symptoms of indigestion, muscle pain, headaches, etc.  Severe stress can lead to panic attacks, chest pains, phobias and fears of being seriously ill.

Continued stress can lead to feelings of lethargy and tiredness, migraine, severe stomach upset and sleeplessness.  As with all such symptoms, you should seek the help and advice of a health care professional.  Once symptoms are recognised as being caused by stress it is possible to control and reduce stress levels. This can be done through learning a number of stress reduction techniques.

Stress-Inducing Events and Situations

Different people find different events and situations more or less stressful than others, individuals have a range of events or situations that are particularly stressful to them, most people would agree that major events such as losing a job, divorce or money problems would be stressful for anyone.

Many of the most stressful situations in live come as a result of unplanned changes in personal circumstance.

The following list is compiled from the answers given by a large number of people as to how hard it is to readjust to different life changing events.  A high score shows that people find it hard to readjust to that event, which in turn indicates a high stress factor.

Life changes can have a direct effect on health, either good or bad.  Of people who have a ‘life change score’ of 200-300, half exhibit health problems in the following year.  Of those with a score over 300, 79% become ill in the following year.  The most stressful change is the death of a spouse.  Widowers have a 40% higher death rate than normal and have high rates of illness and depression.

It is not only unpleasant events that can be stressful. Almost any change in circumstances can cause stress - as we readjust. If possible, it is wise to not have too many changes in life at the same time.

In addition to stress being caused by events, certain situations can lead to people feeling stressed; although as mentioned before the degree of stress will depend, amongst other things, on that individual’s coping strategies. 

The environment can make us stressed: for example, noise, crowds, poor lighting, pollution or other external factors over which we have no control can cause us to feel anxious and irritable.

Adjusting to modern-day life can also be a source of stress. We now communicate with people in many different ways, e.g. through the Internet, mobile phones, and various broadcast media, and the expectation of a quick response has increased. 

We also have many more commodities available to us and some people feel an expectation to maintain a certain lifestyle and level of consumerism.  In addition, for many women it is now the norm to manage a full or part-time job and to be the primary carer nurturing a family. All of these changes mean that stress is now unfortunately commonplace in both our personal and professional lives. 

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: COMMUNICATING ASSERTIVELY IN THE WORKPLACE

GETTING STARTED

 Do you find that people get the better of you at work, that you’re always the one that gets pushed around and ends up doing things that you’d rather not do? Does this make you resentful or unhappy because you feel helpless and unable to represent yourself strongly enough in the way you communicate?

Assertiveness is an attitude that honors your choices as well as those of the person with whom you are communicating. It’s not about being aggressive and steamrollering your coworker into submission. Rather, it’s about seeking and exchanging opinions, developing a full understanding of the situation, and negotiating a win–win situation. Ask yourself these questions to determine your level of assertiveness:

•         Do you feel “put upon” or ignored in your exchanges with coworkers?

• Are you unable to speak your mind and request what you want?

• Do you find it difficult to stand up for yourself in a discussion?

• Are you inordinately grateful when someone seeks your opinion and takes it into account?

 If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, you may need to consider becoming more

assertive.

FAQs

Won’t people think me aggressive if I change my communication style?

 There are four types of communication style:

•         aggressive—where you win and everyone else loses

• passive—where you lose and everyone else wins

• passive/aggressive—where you lose and do everything you can (without being too obvious) to make others lose too

• assertive—where everyone wins

If you become more assertive, people won’t necessarily think that you’ve become more aggressive because their needs are met too. All that will happen is that your communication style becomes more effective.

I have had a lifetime of being passive. How can I change that now?

 If you don’t change what you do, you’ll never change what you get. All it takes to change is a decision. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ll naturally observe yourself in situations, notice what you do and don’t do well, and then you can try out new behaviors to see what works for you.

I just don’t have the confidence to confront people. Will becoming assertive help me?

This is a bit like the “chicken and egg.” Once you become assertive, your confidence level will be boosted, yet you need to have sufficient levels of confidence to try it in the first place. Just try the technique out in a safe environment first so that you get used to how it feels, then you can use it more widely.

It’s all right for people who have presence, but I’m small so I’m often overlooked. How can I become assertive?

 Many of the most successful people, in business and in entertainment, are physically quite small. Adopting an assertive communication style and body language has the effect of making you look more imposing. Assume you have impact, visualize it, feel it, breathe it, be it.

I find it hard to say “no” to people. How can I change this?

 Until you get used to being assertive, you may find this difficult. However, one useful technique is to say, “I’d like to think about this first. I’ll get back to you shortly.” Giving yourself time and space to rehearse your response can be really helpful.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Choose the Right Approach

 Becoming assertive is all about making choices that meet your needs and the needs of the situation. Sometimes it’s appropriate to be passive. If you were facing a snarling dog, you might not want to provoke an attack by looking for a win–win situation! There may be other occasions when aggression is the answer. However, this is still assertive behavior as you, rather than other people or situations, are in control of how you react.

You may find it helpful to investigate some specially tailored training courses so that you can try out some approaches before taking on a coworker or manager in a “live” situation. This sort of thing takes practice.

Practice Projecting a Positive Image

 Use “winning” language. Rather than saying “I always seem to get the bum deal!” say “I’ve learned a great deal from doing lots of different things in my career. I’m now ready to move on.” This is the beginning of taking control in your life. Visualize what you wish to become, make the image as real as possible, and feel the sensation of being in control.

Perhaps there have been moments in your life when you naturally felt like this, a time when you’ve excelled. Recapture that moment and “live” it again. Imagine how it would be if you felt like that elsewhere in your life. Determine to make this your goal and recall this powerful image or feeling when you’re getting disheartened. It will reenergize you and keep you on track.

Creating a Positive Impression Prompts Others to Take You Seriously

 This can be done through nonverbal as well as verbal communication. If someone is talking over you and you’re finding it difficult to get a word in edgewise, you can hold up your hand signaling “stop” as you begin to speak. “I hear what you’re saying but I would like to put forward an alternative viewpoint…” Always take responsibility for your communication. Use the “I” word. “I would like…,” “I don’t agree…,” “I am uncomfortable with this…” Being aware of nonverbal communication signals can also help you build rapport. If you mirror what others are doing when they’re communicating with you, it will help you get a sense of where they’re coming from and how to respond in the most helpful way.

Use Positive Body Language

 Stand tall, breathe deeply, and look people in the eye when you speak to them. Instead of anticipating a negative outcome, expect something positive. Listen actively to the other  party and try putting yourself in their shoes so that you have a better chance of seeking the solution that works for you both. Inquire about their thoughts and feelings by using “open” questions, that allow them to give you a full response rather than just “yes” or “no.” Examples include: “Tell me more about why…,” “How do you see this working out?”, and so forth.

Assertiveness also helps you learn to deal with people who have different communication styles. If you’re dealing with someone behaving in a passive/aggressive manner, you can handle it by exposing what he or she is doing. “I get the feeling you’re not happy about this decision” or “It appears you have something to say on this; would you like to share your views now?” In this way, they either have to deny their passive/aggressive stance or they have to disclose their motivations. Either way, you’re left in the driver’s seat.

If you’re dealing with a passive person, rather than let them be silent, encourage them to contribute so that they can’t put the blame for their discontent on someone else. The aggressive communicator may need confronting but do it carefully; you don’t want things to escalate out of control. One option is to start by saying “I’d like to think about it first”: this gives you time to gather your thoughts and the other person time to calm down. When you’re feeling put upon, it’s important to remember that you have as much right as anyone to speak up and be heard.

Conflict is notorious for bringing out aggression in people, but it’s still possible to be assertive in this context. You may need to show that you’re taking them seriously by reflecting their energy. To do this, you could raise your voice to match the volume of theirs, then bring the volume down as you start to explore what would lead to a win–win solution. “I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE UPSET and I would feel exactly the same if I were you…however…” Then you can establish the desired outcome for both of you.

COMMON MISTAKES

You Go Too Far at First

 Many people, when trying out assertive behavior for the first time, find that they “go too far” and become aggressive. Remember that you’re looking for a win–win, not a you win and they lose situation. Take your time. Observe yourself in action. Practice and ask for feedback from trusted friends or colleagues.

Others React Negatively to Your Assertiveness

 Your familiar circle of friends will be used to you the way you were, not the way you want to become. They may try and make things difficult for you. With your new assertive behavior, this won’t be possible unless you let them get away with it. If you find you’re in this situation, try explaining what you’re trying to do and ask for their support. If they aren’t prepared to help you, you may choose to let them go from your circle of friends.

You Bite Off More Than You Can Chew and Get Yourself into Situations

That Are Difficult to Manage

If this happens to you, find a good way of backing down, go away and reflect on what went wrong, rehearse an assertive response, and forgive yourself for not getting it right every time. The more you rehearse the more assertive responses you’ll have in your tool kit when you need them.

DAY 18

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SCENARIO THINKING

Walking the battlefield before battle commences

Scenario thinking is a tool for exploring possible futures. It is used to stimulate debate, develop resilient strategies and test business plans against possible futures. It enables us to think innovatively and to develop strategy that is not constrained by the past. It provides the insight needed to manage uncertainty and risk, set strategy, handle complexity, improve decision-making, reveal current potential, promote responsiveness and control our future.

Overview

Scenarios inform and guide our understanding of possible futures that lie ahead and the forces contributing to those events. The outcomes of different responses to potential developments can be tested, without risk, through exploring various scenarios. The aim is not to predict the future accurately but to experience events before they happen.

Scenario thinking allows us to:

•         reveal new perspectives and identify gaps in organizational knowledge

•         challenge assumptions, overcoming business-as-usual thinking

•         understand the present and identify potential e promote awareness of external events

•         encourage people to share information and ideas

•         improve our responses to events

•         promote a shift in attitude and develop greater certainty

•         promote a shared purpose and direction.

The Strategic Conversation is an ongoing process of assessing the present, creating and testing scenarios, developing and analyzing options, and then selecting, refining and implementing the chosen options. Scenarios should:

•         Involve people at all levels

•         be relevant and valued

•         avoid existing biases

•         be rooted in a thorough analysis of the present.

Initial planning

Create a separate team to plan the process - preferably external people known for innovative, challenging thinking. They should:

•         identify gaps in knowledge, given the business challenges to be faced

•         agree the project's duration

•         interview members of the scenario workshop - asking each person for a 'history of the future' (what could happen and how it happened)

•         collate and analyze their responses in a report, identifying the main issues, ideas and uncertainties. (This will set the agenda for the first workshop.)

Developing the scenarios

The aim is to understand the forces shaping the future. The workshop should develop scenarios that create and assess possible events and their consequences. Participants should:

•         identify the forces that could impact a situation

•         agree two possible opposite outcomes (and the forces involved)

•         identify how these forces are linked

•         decide whether each force has a low or high impact and a low or high probability

•         develop likely 'histories' that led to each outcome, detailing the factors involved.

Analyzing and using the scenarios

Identify the priorities and concerns of people responsible for key decisions in the scenario who are outside the organization - including their likely reactions at different stages in the scenario. Then develop an action plan by working backwards from the scenario's future to the present in order to identify the early signs of change. These can be recognized and acted upon swiftly and effectively, thereby influencing the strategic direction of the company.

SKILL CAPSULE: TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Have you ever wondered how it is that some people seem to have enough time to do everything that they want to, whereas others are always rushing from task to task, and never seem to finish anything?

Is it just that the former have less to do? No, it’s much more likely that they are using their time more effectively and practicing good time management skills.

Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it’s surprisingly hard to do in practice. It requires the investment of a little time upfront to prioritise and organise yourself. But once done, you will find that with minor tweaks, your day, and indeed your week and month, fall into place in an orderly fashion, with time for everything you need to do.

The Key to Good Time Management

Understanding the difference between Urgent and Important

‘Urgent’ tasks demand your immediate attention, but whether you actually give them that attention may or may not matter.

'Important' tasks matter, and not doing them may have serious consequences for you or others.

For example:

• Answering the phone is urgent. If you don’t do it, the caller will ring off, and you won’t know why they called. It may, however, be an automated voice telling you that you may be eligible for compensation for having been mis-sold insurance. That’s not important.

• Going to the dentist regularly is important (or so we’re told). If you don’t, you may get gum disease, or other problems. But it’s not urgent. If you leave it too long, however, it may become urgent, because you may get toothache.

• Picking your children up from school is both urgent and important. If you are not there at the right time, they will be waiting in the playground or the classroom, worrying about where you are.

• Reading funny emails or checking Facebook is neither urgent nor important. So why is it the first thing that you do each day?

This distinction between urgent and important is the key to prioritising your time and your workload, whether at work or at home.

Try using a grid, like the priority matrix, to organize your tasks into their appropriate categories:

Remember, too, that you and your health are important. Just because you have lots to do doesn’t mean that doing some exercise, going for a 10-minute walk or making time to eat properly is not important. You should not ignore your physical or mental health in favour of more 'urgent' activities.

Warning!

Urgency and/or importance is not a fixed status. You should review your task list regularly to make sure that nothing should be moved up because it has become more urgent and/or important.

What can you do if an important task continually gets bumped down the list by more urgent, but still important tasks?

First, consider whether it is genuinely important. Does it actually need doing at all, or have you just been telling yourself that you ought to do it?

Further Principles of Good Time Management

Keep tidy

For some of us, clutter can be both a real distraction and genuinely depressing.

Tidying up can improve both self-esteem and motivation. You will also find it easier to stay on top of things if your workspace is tidy.

If you have a system where everything is stuck on the fridge or notice board pending action, then take off anything that doesn’t need action and/or has been dealt with! That way, you’ll be able to see at a glance what needs doing, and you'll be less likely to miss anything.

Pick Your Moment

All of us have times of day that we work better. It’s best to schedule the difficult tasks for those times.

However, you also need to schedule in things that need doing at particular times, like meetings, or a trip to the post office.

Another useful option is to have a list of important but non-urgent small tasks that can be done in that odd ten minutes between meetings: might it be the ideal time to send that email confirming your holiday dates?

Don’t Procrastinate, but Do Ask Why You’re Tempted

If a task is genuinely urgent and important, get on with it.

If, however, you find yourself making excuses about not doing something, ask yourself why.

You may be doubtful about whether you should be doing the task at all. Perhaps you’re concerned about the ethics, or you don’t think it’s the best option.  If so, you may find that others agree. Talk it over with colleagues or your manager, if at work, and family or friends at home, and see if there is an alternative that might be better.

Don’t Try To Multi-task

Generally, people aren’t very good at multi-tasking, because it takes our brains time to refocus.

It’s much better to finish off one job before moving onto another. If you do have to do lots of different tasks, try to group them together, and do similar tasks consecutively.

Stay Calm and Keep Things In Perspective

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to stay calm. Feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks can be very stressful. Remember that the world will probably not end if you fail to achieve your last task of the day, or leave it until tomorrow, especially if you have prioritised sensibly. 

Going home or getting an early night, so that you are fit for tomorrow, may be a much better option than meeting a self-imposed or external deadline that may not even matter that much.

Take a moment to pause and get your life and priorities into perspective, and you may find that the view changes quite substantially!

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK ABOUT VARIOUS PRACTITIONERS

An ancient Greek mused about the meaning of life, and philosophy was born. The first Roman decided to build a road instead of cutting a path through the jungle, and engineering came into existence One day in primitive times, a human being lent to another whatever then passed for money and got back his original investment plus a little more — and banking had started.

Most people spend part of every working day at some gainful employment, honest or otherwise, and in so doing often contribute their little mite to the progress of the world.

We explore in this chapter the ideas behind people's occupations - and the words that translate these ideas into verbal symbols.

Ideas

1.       Behaviour

By educating and training, this practitioner is an expert in the dark mysteries of human behavior - what makes people act as they'd do, why they have certain feelings, how their personalities were formed - in short, what makes them tick. Such a professional is often employed by industries and institutions to devise means for keeping workers productive and happy and inmates contented. This person may also do private or group therapy.

A psychologist

2.       Worries, fears, conflicts

This practitioner is a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist who has been specially trained in the techniques devised by Sigmund Freud, encouraging you to delve into that part of your mind called 'the unconscious'. By reviewing the experiences, traumas, feelings and thoughts of your earlier years, you come to a better understanding of your present worries, fears, conflicts, repressions, in securities, and nervous tensions — thus taking the first step in coping with them. Treatment, consisting largely of listening to and helping you to interpret the meaning of, your free-flowing ideas is usually given in frequent sessions that may well go on for a year or more.

                                A psychoanalyst

3.       Teeth

This practitioner is a dentist who has specialized in the straightening of teeth.

An orthodontist

4.       Eyes

This practitioner measures your vision and prescribes the type of glasses that will give you a more accurate view of the world. 

An optometrist or (ophthalmic) optician

5.       Glasses

This practitioner makes or supplies lenses according to the specifications prescribed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

A (dispensing) optician

6.       Bones and blood vessels

This practitioner is a member of the profession that originated in 1847, when Andrew T. Still devised a drugless technique of curing diseases by massage and other manipulative procedures, a technique based on the theory that illness may be caused by the undue pressure of displaced bones on nerves and blood vessels

An osteopath

7.       Joints and articulations

The basic principle of this practitioner's work is the maintenance of the structural and functional integrity of the nervous system Treatment, consists of manipulating most of the articulation of the body, especially those connected to the spinal column.

A chiropractor

8.       Feet

This practitioner treats minor foot ailments – corns, calluses, bunions fallen arches, etc.

A chiropodist

9.       Writing

This practitioner analyses handwriting to determine character personality, or aptitudes, and is often called upon to verify the authenticity of signatures, written documents etc.

A graphologist

10.   Getting old

This person deals with the economic, sexual, social, retirement and other problems of the elderly.

A gerontologist

DAY 19

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE BALANCED SCORECARD

Developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, the Balanced Scorecard is a valuable adjunct to traditional business measures that are limited by their focus on past performance. The Balanced Scorecard overcomes this limitation by providing a means of assessing future performance to better inform and guide strategic development.

Overview

The reason for its success is its ability to integrate measures of performance to present a balanced view of a company's overall performance and to pinpoint areas that need completion or further development. The process generates objectives in four areas - financial data, customers' perceptions, essential internal processes, and innovation and learning - and puts in place action plans and continuous assessment. It has been criticized for being too prescriptive and quantitative, but its use can be broadened to include qualitative aspects.

How to use the Balanced Scorecard approach

The approach taken will depend on the company's type, size and structure. However, there are five broad stages:

1.       Prepare, define and communicate the strategy - people need to understand the objectives and how to achieve them

2.       Decide what to measure - typical measures are shown in this table:

Area Aim What to measure

Financial To increase

•         profitability

•         share price

           performance

•         return on assets •         Cash flows

•         Cost reduction

•         Gross margins

•         Return on capital / equity / investments / sales

•         Revenue growth

•         Payment terms

Customers To improve:

•         customer acquisition

•         customer retention

•         customer satisfaction

•         cross-sales volumes •         Market share

•         Customer service and satisfaction

•         Number of complaints

•         Customer profitability

•         Delivery times

•         Units sold

•         Number of customers

Internal processes To improve:

•         core competencies

•         critical technologies

•         employee morale ... and to

•         streamline processes •         Efficiency

•         Lead times

•         Unit costs

•         Waste

•         Sourcing and supplier delivery

•         Employee morale and satisfaction, and staff turnover

•         Internal audit standards

•         Sales per employee

Innovation and learning To promote:

•         new product development

•         continuous improvement

•         employees' training and skills •         Number of new products

•         Sales of new products

•         Number of employees receiving training

•         Outputs from employees' training

•         Training hours per employee

•         Number and scope of skills learned

3.       Finalize and implement the plan - this stage ensures that measures are workable, tailored and adopted. Essentially, this is managing by setting objectives.

4.       Publicize and use the results - being seen to act is important. Also, while ensuring that everyone understands overall objectives, decide who should receive specific information, why and how frequently.

5.       Review and amend the system - to solve any problems and to set new challenges.

SKILL CAPSULE: ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY

The world of work is changing at an ever increasing pace so employers actively seek out graduates who can adapt to changing circumstances and environments, and embrace new ideas, who are enterprising, resourceful and adaptable.

In our list of the top ten skills employers want, flexibility comes ninth.

Some people thrive on change and the unexpected and enjoy alteration to their their routines: they are naturally adaptable.

If you are the kind of person who always has a ‘to do’ list and doesn’t like it when something arises which isn’t on your list, then you probably aren’t naturally adaptable.

 

New graduates will increasingly be recruited for their adaptability

91% of HR directors think that by 2018, people will be recruited on their ability to deal with change and uncertainty says The Flux Report by Right Management.

60% of HR directors identified employee wellness and resilience as key to enabling organisations to achieve their strategic objectives. 53% said that employees’ ability to deal with unanticipated problems is THE key attribute for future business success.

49% of organisations had already introduced improved flexible working arrangements to help staff cope with flux. Other initiatives include increased internal communication from leadership to maintain morale (42%) and promotions but with minimal pay rises (36%).

The Report found that people in their 30s are perceived to be best equipped to deal with changes at work, whilst those in their 50s and 60s were considered least able to cope.

 

You can learn to cope with change

But you can also learn to become more adaptable and to develop your ability to cope effectively with change. You can learn how to become adaptable through experience.  You might even have the advantage over others as you will have used your planning and organising skills to change your behaviour.

 

Flexibility involves:

• adapting successfully to changing situations & environments

• Keeping calm in the face of difficulties

• Planning ahead, but having alternative options in case things go wrong

• Thinking quickly to respond to sudden changes in circumstances

• Persisting in the face of unexpected difficulties

• Anticipating & responding positively to changing environments

• Ability to adapt to change positively in response to changing circumstances

• Taking on new challenges at short notice.

• Dealing with changing priorities/workloads

How can you show a recruiter that you are adaptable?

It’s not sufficient just to say “I am adaptable”, you need to give evidence of your adaptability by giving examples. You can draw on situations like these to help you demonstrate your adaptability:

• Working in a part-time job whilst doing a degree

• Changing holiday plans at the last minute

• Living in another country.

You have to be able to prove to an employer that you can:

• Show willingness to learn new methods, procedures, or techniques and take on new tasks

• Show initiative & self-reliance.

• Look for new ways of doing things and to achieve objectives.

• Make suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of changes.

• Draw conclusions from new and changing information.

• Be resourceful with a positive, 'can do’ attitude to change.

• Respond with energy to new challenges, the unfamiliar and the unexpected.

• Look for ways to make changes work rather than identifying why change won't work.

• Adjust your methods to deal with a changing situation or emergency.

• Shift your priorities in response to the demands of a situation.

• Not be frightened to improvise. You are comfortable about moving into action without a plan: planning on-the-go.

• Be tolerant of time pressure, working well close to deadlines.

• Bounce back from setbacks and maintain a positive attitude.

• Keep an open mind.

• See the bigger picture.

• Like variety.

• Be good at multi-tasking (doing a number of tasks at once): juggling a number of balls at the same time.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK ABOUT VARIOUS SPEECH HABITS

Perhaps some of your richest and most satisfying experiences have been with people to whom you can just talk, talk, talk. As you speak, previously untapped springs of ideas and emotions begin to flow; you hear yourself saying things you never thought you knew.

What kinds of people might you find yourself in conversation with? In this chapter we start by examining ten types, discovering the adjective that aptly describes each one.

Ideas

1.       Saying little

There are some people who just don't like to talk. It's not that they prefer to listen. Good listeners hold up their end of the conversation delightfully — with appropriate facial expressions; with empathetic smiles, giggles. squeals, and sighs at just the right time; and with encouraging nods or phrases like 'go on!', 'Fantastic!'. And then what happened?'

These people like neither to talk nor to listen — they act as if conversation is a bore, even a painful waste of time. Try to engage them, and the best you may expect for your efforts is a vacant stare, a noncommittal grunt, or an impatient silence. Finally, in frustration, you give up, thinking 'Are they self-conscious? Do they hate people? Do they hate me?

The adjective: taciturn

2.       Saying little - meaning much

There is an anecdote about Calvin Coolidge, who, when he was president of the USA, was often called (though probably not to his face) 'silent Cal':

A young newspaperwoman was sitting next to him at a banquet, so the story goes, and turned to him mischievously.

Mr. Coolidge,' she said, 'I have a bet with my editor that I can get you to say more than two words to me this evening.' ’you lose’, Coolidge rejoined simply.

The adjective: laconic

3.       When the words won't come

Under the pressure of some strong emotion — fear, rage, anger, for example, - people may find it difficult, or even impossible, to utter words, to get their feelings unjumbled and untangled enough to form understandable sentences. They undoubtedly have a lot they want to say, but the best they can do is splutter!

The adjective: inarticulate

4.       Much talk, little sense

Miss Bates, a character in the novel Emma, by Jane Austen: ‘so obliging of you! No, we should not have heard, if it had not been for this particular circumstance, of her being able to come here so soon. My mother is so delighted. For she is to be three months with us at least. Three months, she says so, positively, as I am going to have the pleasure of reading to you. The case is, you see that the Campbells are going to Ireland. Mrs. Dixon has persuaded her father and mother to come over and see her directly. I was going to say, but, however, different countries, and so she wrote a very urgent letter to her mother, or her father, I declare I do not know which it was, but we shall see presently in Jane’s letter….

The adjective: garrulous

5.       Unoriginal

Some people are completely lacking in originality and imagination – and their talk shows it. Everything they say is trite, hackneyed, commonplace, humorless — their speech patterns are full of clichés and stereotypes, their phraseology is without sparkle.

The adjective: banal

6.       Words, words, words!

They talk and talk and talk — it's not so much the quantity you object to as the repetitiousness. They phrase, rephrase and re rephrase their thoughts — using far more words than necessary, overwhelming you with words, drowning you with them, until your only thought is how to escape, or maybe how to die.

The adjective: verbose

7.       Words in quick succession

They are rapid, fluent talkers, the words seeming to roll off their tongues with such ease and lack of effort and sometimes with such copiousness, that you listen with amazement.

The adjective: voluble

8.       Words that convince

They express their ideas persuasively, forcefully, brilliantly and in a way that calls for wholehearted assent and agreement from an intelligent listener.

The adjective: cogent

9.       The sound and the fury

Their talk is loud, noisy, clamorous, vehement. What may be lacking in content is compensated for in force and loudness.

The adjective: vociferous

10.   Quantity

They talk a great deal - a very great deal. They may be voluble, vociferous, garrulous, verbose, but never inarticulate, taciturn or laconic. No matter. It's the quantity and continuity that are most conspicuous.

The adjective: loquacious

               

DAY 20

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE 7S MODEL

Assessing business performance

The 7S model is a framework for assessing the performance of a company. It views all seven elements as equally important because they impact on each other - with failure in one area undermining the others. By appreciating how they are related, and assessing performance from this perspective, companies and teams can better align activities to achieve goals.

Overview

First developed in the 1970s by McKinsey and refined by Tom Peters, Robert Waterman and Richard Pascale, the 75 model works from the principle that success relies on simultaneously pursuing a combination of seven hard and soft aspects of running a business. Known for changing people's thinking at the time, it still provides a useful framework for assessing and improving a company or how a team is working - identifying gaps and enabling adjustments to be made to ensure that all seven aspects are aligned, working together, and supporting and reinforcing one another. By knowing how things are interrelated, the framework raises awareness of the full impact of any changes.

1.      Strategy

These are plans that determine, define and outline how to fulfill the company's goals and purpose and to achieve competitive advantage.

2.      Structure

This is how the company is organized and how each part relates to the others.

3.      Systems

This is about how both formal and informal business processes function.

4.      Shared values (superordirlate goals)

These are the company's beliefs, values and guiding mission that draw people together and that directly influence their approach, thinking and actions.

5.      Skills

These are the capabilities of both the people and the organization.

6.      Staff

This concerns the nature, type and general abilities of the people employed.

7.      Style

This is the organization's culture and style of leadership that, along with having an internal impact, determine how people outside the organization view the company.

The main point is that all seven elements are interrelated, with each affecting the others. In this, it can be viewed as an early proponent of holistic business. Significantly - and this is of particular relevance to leaders today - it reveals how underperformance can be attributed to neglect in any one of the seven aspects, regardless of strong focus and capabilities in one or more of the others. Richard Pascale subsequently argued that, while it is generally important to view all seven as equally significant to achieving success, having shared values (superordinate goals) is the element that binds all the others together.

SKILL CAPSULE: CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

As professional communicators, we can acknowledge and anticipate that conflict will be present in every context or environment where communication occurs. To that end, we can predict, anticipate, and formulate strategies to address conflict successfully. How you choose to approach conflict influences its resolution. Joseph DeVito offers us several conflict management strategies that we have adapted and expanded for our use.

Avoidance

You may choose to change the subject, leave the room, or not even enter the room in the first place, but the conflict will remain and resurface when you least expect it. Your reluctance to address the conflict directly is a normal response, and one which many cultures prize. In cultures where independence is highly valued, direct confrontation is more common. In cultures where the community is emphasized over the individual, indirect strategies may be more common. Avoidance allows for more time to resolve the problem, but can also increase costs associated with problem in the first place. Your organization or business will have policies and protocols to follow regarding conflict and redress, but it is always wise to consider the position of your conversational partner or opponent and to give them, as well as yourself, time to explore alternatives.

Defensiveness versus Supportiveness

Defensive communication is characterized by control, evaluation, and judgments, whilesupportive communication focuses on the points and not personalities. When we feel judged or criticized, our ability to listen can be diminished, and we may only hear the negative message. By choosing to focus on the message instead of the messenger, we keep the discussion supportive and professional.

Face-Detracting and Face-Saving

Communication is not competition. Communication is the sharing of understanding and meaning, but does everyone always share equally? People struggle for control, limit access to resources and information as part of territorial displays, and otherwise use the process of communication to engage in competition. People also use communication for collaboration. Both competition and collaboration can be observed in communication interactions, but there are two concepts central to both: face-detracting and face-saving strategies.

Face-detracting strategies involve messages or statements that take away from the respect, integrity, or credibility of a person. Face-saving strategies protect credibility and separate message from messenger. For example, you might say that “sales were down this quarter,” without specifically noting who was responsible. Sales were simply down. If, however, you ask, “How does the sales manager explain the decline in sales?” you have specifically connected an individual with the negative news. While we may want to specifically connect tasks and job responsibilities to individuals and departments, in terms of language each strategy has distinct results.

Face-detracting strategies often produce a defensive communication climate, inhibit listening, and allow for little room for collaboration. To save face is to raise the issue while preserving a supportive climate, allowing room in the conversation for constructive discussions and problem solving. By using a face-saving strategy to shift the emphasis from the individual to the issue, we avoid power struggles and personalities, providing each other space to save face. [5]

In collectivist cultures, where the community’s well-being is promoted or valued above that of the individual, face-saving strategies are common communicative strategies. In Japan, for example, to confront someone directly is perceived as humiliation, a great insult. In the United States, greater emphasis is placed on individual performance, and responsibility may be more directly assessed. If our goal is to solve a problem, and preserve the relationship, then consideration of a face-saving strategy should be one option a skilled business communicator considers when addressing negative news or information.

Empathy

Communication involves not only the words we write or speak, but how and when we write or say them. The way we communicate also carries meaning, and empathy for the individual involves attending to this aspect of interaction. Empathetic listening involves listening to both the literal and implied meanings within a message. For example, the implied meaning might involve understanding what has led this person to feel this way. By paying attention to feelings and emotions associated with content and information, we can build relationships and address conflict more constructively. In management, negotiating conflict is a common task and empathy is one strategy to consider when attempting resolving issues.

Gunnysacking

People may be aware of similar issues but might not know your history, and cannot see your backpack or its contents. For example, if your previous manager handled issues in one way, and your new manage handles them in a different way, this may cause you some degree of stress and frustration. Your new manager cannot see how the relationship existed in the past, but will still observe the tension. Bottling up your frustrations only hurts you and can cause your current relationships to suffer. By addressing, or unpacking, the stones you carry, you can better assess the current situation with the current patterns and variables.

We learn from experience, but can distinguish between old wounds and current challenges, and try to focus our energies where they will make the most positive impact.

Managing Your Emotions

“Never speak or make decision in anger” is one common saying that holds true, but not all emotions involve fear, anger, or frustration. A job loss can be a sort of professional death for many, and the sense of loss can be profound. The loss of a colleague to a layoff while retaining your position can bring pain as well as relief, and a sense of survivor’s guilt. Emotions can be contagious in the workplace, and fear of the unknown can influence people to act in irrational ways. The wise business communicator can recognize when emotions are on edge in themselves or others, and choose to wait to communicate, problem-solve, or negotiate until after the moment has passed.

Evaluations and Criticism in the Workplace

Mary Ellen Guffey wisely notes that Xenophon, a Greek philosopher, once said, “The sweetest of all sounds is praise.” [7] We have seen previously that appreciation, respect, inclusion, and belonging are all basic human needs across all contexts, and are particularly relevant in the workplace. Efficiency and morale are positively related, and recognition of good work is important. There may come a time, however, when evaluations involve criticism. Knowing how to approach this criticism can give you peace of mind to listen clearly, separating subjective, personal attacks from objective, constructive requests for improvement. Guffey offers us seven strategies for giving and receiving evaluations and criticism in the workplace that we have adapted here.

Listen without Interrupting

If you are on the receiving end of an evaluation, start by listening without interruption. Interruptions can be internal and external, and warrant further discussion. If your supervisor starts to discuss a point and you immediately start debating the point in your mind, you are paying attention to yourself and what you think they said or are going to say, and not that which is actually communicated. This gives rise to misunderstandings and will cause you to lose valuable information you need to understand and address the issue at hand.

External interruptions may involve your attempt to get a word in edgewise, and may change the course of the conversation. Let them speak while you listen, and if you need to take notes to focus your thoughts, take clear notes of what is said, also noting points to revisit later. External interruptions can also take the form of a telephone ringing, a “text message has arrived” chime, or a coworker dropping by in the middle of the conversation.

As an effective business communicator, you know all too well to consider the context and climate of the communication interaction when approaching the delicate subject of evaluations or criticism. Choose a time and place free from interruption. Choose one outside the common space where there may be many observers. Turn off your cell phone. Choose face-to-face communication instead of an impersonal e-mail. By providing a space free of interruption, you are displaying respect for the individual and the information.

Determine the Speaker’s Intent

We have discussed previews as a normal part of conversation, and in this context they play an important role. People want to know what is coming and generally dislike surprises, particularly when the context of an evaluation is present. If you are on the receiving end, you may need to ask a clarifying question if it doesn’t count as an interruption. You may also need to take notes and write down questions that come to mind to address when it is your turn to speak. As a manager, be clear and positive in your opening and lead with praise. You can find one point, even if it is only that the employee consistently shows up to work on time, to highlight before transitioning to a performance issue.

Paraphrase

If you are the employee, summarize the main points and consider steps you will take to correct the situation. If none come to mind or you are nervous and are having a hard time thinking clearly, state out loud the main point and ask if you can provide solution steps and strategies at a later date. You can request a follow-up meeting if appropriate, or indicate you will respond in writing via e-mail to provide the additional information.

If you are the employer, restate the main points to ensure that the message was received, as not everyone hears everything that is said or discussed the first time it is presented. Stress can impair listening, and paraphrasing the main points can help address this common response.

If You Agree

If an apology is well deserved, offer it. Communicate clearly what will change or indicate when you will respond with specific strategies to address the concern. As a manager you will want to formulate a plan that addresses the issue and outlines responsibilities as well as time frames for corrective action. As an employee you will want specific steps you can both agree on that will serve to solve the problem. Clear communication and acceptance of responsibility demonstrates maturity and respect.

If You Disagree

If you disagree, focus on the points or issue and not personalities. Do not bring up past issues and keep the conversation focused on the task at hand. You may want to suggest, now that you better understand their position, a follow-up meeting to give you time to reflect on the issues. You may want to consider involving a third party, investigating to learn more about the issue, or taking time to cool off.

Do not respond in anger or frustration; instead, always display professionalism. If the criticism is unwarranted, consider that the information they have may be flawed or biased, and consider ways to learn more about the case to share with them, searching for a mutually beneficial solution.

If other strategies to resolve the conflict fail, consider contacting your human resources department to learn more about due process procedures at your workplace. Display respect and never say anything that would reflect poorly on yourself or your organization. Words spoken in anger can have a lasting impact and are impossible to retrieve or take back.

Learn from Experience

Every communication interaction provides an opportunity for learning if you choose to see it. Sometimes the lessons are situational and may not apply in future contexts. Other times the lessons learned may well serve you across your professional career. Taking notes for yourself to clarify your thoughts, much like a journal, serve to document and help you see the situation more clearly.

Recognize that some aspects of communication are intentional, and may communicate meaning, even if it is hard to understand. Also, know that some aspects of communication are unintentional, and may not imply meaning or design. People make mistakes. They say things they should not have said. Emotions are revealed that are not always rational, and not always associated with the current context. A challenging morning at home can spill over into the work day and someone’s bad mood may have nothing to do with you.

Conflict is unavoidable and can be opportunity for clarification, growth, and even reinforcement of the relationship.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO FLATTER YOUR FRIENDS

Words are the symbols of emotions, as well as ideas. You can show you feeling by the tone you use ('You're silly' can be an insult, an accusation, or an endearment, depending on how you say it) or by the words you choose (you can label a quality either 'childish' or ‘childlike’, depending on whether you admire it or condemn it – it’s the same quality, no matter what you call it).

 Consider the interesting types of people described in the following paragraphs, then note how accurately the adjective applies to each type.

Ideas

1.       Put the kettle on, Polly

They are friendly, happy, extroverted, and gregarious - the sort of people who will invite you out for a drink, who like to transact business around the lunch table, who offer coffee as soon as company drops in. They're sociable, genial, cordial, affable – and they like parties and all the eating and drinking that goes with them.

The adjective is: convivial

2.       You can't tire them

Arnold Bennett once pointed out that we all have the same amount of time - twenty-four hours a day. Strictly speaking, that's as inconclusive an observation as Bennett ever made. It's not time that counts, but energy - and of that wonderful quality we all have very different amounts, from the people Who wake up tired, no matter how much sleep they've had, to lucky, well - adjusted mortals who hardly ever need to sleep.

Energy comes from a healthy body, of course; it also comes from a psychological balance, a lack of conflicts and insecurities. Some people apparently have boundless, illimitable energy - they're on the go from morning to night, and often far into the night, working hard, playing hard, never tiring, never worn out or exhausted - and getting twice as much done as any three other human beings.

The adjective is: indefatigable

3.       No tricks, no secrets

They are pleasingly frank, utterly lacking in pretence or artificially in fact quite unable to hide their feelings or thoughts - and so honest and aboveboard that they can scarcely conceive of trickery, chicanery, or dissimulation in anyone. There is, then, about them the simple naturalness and unsophistication of a child.

 The adjective is: ingenuous

4.       Sharp as a razor

They have minds like steel traps; their insight into problems that would confuse or mystify people of less keenness or discernment is just short of amazing.

The adjective is: perspicacious

5.       No placating necessary

They are most generous about forgiving a slight, an insult, an injury. Never do they harbor resentment, store up petty grudges, or waste energy or thought on means of revenge or retaliation. How could they? They're much too big-hearted.

The adjective is: magnanimous

6.       One -person orchestras

The range of their aptitudes is truly formidable. If they are writers they have professional facility in poetry, fiction, biography, criticism, essays - you just mention it and they've done it, and very competently. If they are musicians, they can play the oboe, the bassoon, the French horn, the cello, the piano, the celesta, the xylophone, even the clavichord if you can dig one up. If they are artists, they use oils, water colours, gouache, charcoal, pen and ink - they can do anything! Or maybe the range of their abilities cuts. Across all fields, as in the case of Michelangelo, who was an expert sculptor, painter, poet, architect, and inventor. In case you're thinking 'Jack of all trades….’ you're wrong - they're masters of all trades.

The adjective is: versatile

7.       No grumbling

They bear their troubles bravely, never ask for sympathy, never yield to sorrow, never wince at pain. It sounds almost superhuman, but it's true.

The adjective is: stoical

8.       No fear

I here is not, as the hackneyed phrase has it, a cowardly bone in their bodies. They are strangers to fear, they're audacious, dauntless, contemptuous of danger and hardship.

The adjective is: intrepid

9.       No dullness

They are witty, clever, delightful; and naturally, also, they are brilliant and entertaining conversationalists.

The adjective is: scintillating

10.   City slickers

They are cultivated, poised, tactful, socially so experienced, sophisticated, and courteous that they're at home in any group, at under all circumstances of social intercourse. You cannot help admiring (perhaps envying) their smoothness an self assurance, their tact and congeniality

The adjective is: urbane

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 21 to Day 35)

DAY 21

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE RULE OF 150

A bold way to create the right working conditions.

This rule is about limiting the number of people at any one location to 150.

Overview

The rule is based on the idea that 150 is the largest group size that people can deal with - beyond that number, it is increasingly difficult to form bonds with others. If groups are larger, hierarchies, regulations and formal measures are required. However, with fewer than 150, goals can be achieved informally and people work better and are happier, more motivated and more productive.

Why it works

Co-workers find socializing, teamworking, innovating, collaborating and sharing knowledge easier to achieve in groups of fewer than 150 people. By organizing operations into smaller groups, large companies can gain the benefit of smaller groups - being closer, driven, entrepreneurial, supportive and productive.

The rule in practice

Gore Associates, a high-tech firm, uses this rule. It has 15 plants all within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of one another, and each with fewer than 150 employees. It has resisted the option of merging its separate sites - despite potential cost savings - because the small size of each unit ensures that everyone knows everyone else and works well together.

By organizing itself in this way, Gore, despite being a large company with thousands of employees, is still able to enjoy the entrepreneurial approach of a small start-up. Each unit enjoys the benefits of collective management, which are

•         improved communication

•         greater initiative

•         flexibility.

It is notable that employee turnover is significantly less than the industry average and the company has enjoyed sustained profitability and growth for over 35 years.

This does not mean that Gore has no control or input. It has put a strong managerial system in place to oversee each unit, to ensure that activities are coordinated and efficient. The company also encourages a sense of community and teamwork within these groups - after all, the rule only means that it is possible for workers to form positive bonds with each other, so efforts must still be made to ensure that this happens. In addition, Gore makes sure that it develops a sense of community across the company by encouraging people to communicate and collaborate with workers from other groups.

SKILL CAPSULE: PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Everybody can benefit from having good problem solving skills as we all encounter problems on a daily basis; some of these problems are obviously more severe or complex than others.

It would be wonderful to have the ability to solve all problems efficiently and in a timely fashion without difficulty, unfortunately there is no one way in which all problems can be solved.

You will discover, as you read through our pages on problem solving, that the subject is complex. However well prepared we are for problem solving there is always an element of the unknown. Although planning and structuring will help make the problem solving process more likely to be successful, good judgement and an element of good luck will ultimately determine whether problem solving was a success.

Interpersonal relationships fail and businesses fail because of poor problem solving

This is often due to either problems not being recognised or being recognised but not being dealt with appropriately. Solving a problem involves a certain amount of risk - this risk needs to be weighed up against not solving the problem.

Our problem solving pages provide a simple and structured approach to problem solving.

The approach referred to is generally designed for problem solving in an organisation or group context, but can also be easily adapted to work at an individual level. Trying to solve a complex problem alone however can be a mistake, the old adage: "A problem shared is a problem halved" is sound advice. Talking to others about problems is not only therapeutic but can help you see things from a different point of view, opening up more potential solutions.

What is a Problem?

The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995) defines a problem as:

“A doubtful or difficult matter requiring a solution”

and

“Something hard to understand or accomplish or deal with.”

All problems have two features in common: goals and barriers.

Goals

Problems involve setting out to achieve some objective or desired state of affairs and can include avoiding a situation or event.

Goals can be anything that you wish to achieve, where you want to be. If you are hungry then your goal is probably to eat something, if you are a head of an organisation (CEO) then your main goal may be to maximise profits. In the example of the CEO the main goal may need to be split into numerous sub-goals in order to fulfil the ultimate goal of increasing profits.

Barriers

If there were no barriers in the way of achieving a goal, then there would be no problem.  Problem solving involves overcoming the barriers or obstacles that prevent the immediate achievement of goals.

Following our examples above, if you feel hungry then your goal is to eat. A barrier to this may be that you have no food available - you take a trip to the supermarket and buy some food, removing the barrier and thus solving the problem. Of course for the CEO wanting to increase profits there may be many more barriers preventing the goal from being reached. The CEO needs to attempt to recognise these barriers and remove them or find other ways to achieve the goals of the organisation.

Stages of Problem Solving

Problem Identification:

This stage involves: detecting and recognising that there is a problem; identifying the nature of the problem; defining the problem.

The first phase of problem solving may sound obvious but often requires more thought and analysis. Identifying a problem can be a difficult task in itself, is there a problem at all? What is the nature of the problem, are there in fact numerous problems? How can the problem be best defined? - by spending some time defining the problem you will not only understand it more clearly yourself but be able to communicate its nature to others, this leads to the second phase.

Structuring the Problem:

This stage involves: a period of observation, careful inspection, fact-finding and developing a clear picture of the problem.

Following on from problem identification, structuring the problem is all about gaining more information about the problem and increasing understanding. This phase is all about fact finding and analysis, building a more comprehensive picture of both the goal(s) and the barrier(s). This stage may not be necessary for very simple problems but is essential for problems of a more complex nature.

Looking for Possible Solutions:

During this stage you will generate a range of possible courses of action, but with little attempt to evaluate them at this stage.

From the information gathered in the first two phases of the problem solving framework it is now time to start thinking about possible solutions to the identified problem. In a group situation this stage is often carried out as a brain-storming session, letting each person in the group express their views on possible solutions (or part solutions). In organisations different people will have different expertise in different areas and it is useful, therefore, to hear the views of each concerned party.

Making a Decision:

This stage involves careful analysis of the different possible courses of action and then selecting the best solution for implementation.

This is perhaps the most complex part of the problem solving process. Following on from the previous step it is now time to look at each potential solution and carefully analyse it. Some solutions may not be possible, due to other problems, like time constraints or budgets. It is important at this stage to also consider what might happen if nothing was done to solve the problem - sometimes trying to solve a problem that leads to many more problems requires some very creative thinking and innovative ideas.

Finally, make a decision on which course of action to take - decision making is an important skill in itself

Implementation:

This stage involves accepting and carrying out the chosen course of action.

Implementation means acting on the chosen solution. During implementation more problems may arise especially if identification or structuring of the original problem was not carried out fully.

Monitoring/Seeking Feedback:

The last stage is about reviewing the outcomes of problem solving over a period of time, including seeking feedback as to the success of the outcomes of the chosen solution.

The final stage of problem solving is concerned with checking that the process was successful. This can be achieved by monitoring and gaining feedback from people affected by any changes that occurred. It is good practice to keep a record of outcomes and any additional problems that occurred.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK ABOUT WHAT GOES ON

WORDS are symbols of ideas — and we have been learning, discussing and working with words as they revolve around certain basic concepts.

Starting with an idea (personality types, doctors, occupations, science, lying, actions, speech, insults, compliments, etc.), we have explored the meanings and uses of basic words; then, working from each word, we have wandered off towards any ideas and additional words that a basic word might suggest, or towards any other words built on the same Latin or Greek roots. By this natural and logical method, you have been able to make lasting contact with fifty to a hundred or more words in each chapter. And you have discovered, I think, that while five isolated words may be difficult to learn in one day, fifty to a hundred or more related words are easy to learn in a few sessions.

In this session we learn words that tell what's going on, what’s happening, what people do to each other or to themselves, or what others do to them.

Ideas

1.    Complete exhaustion

You have stayed up all night. And what were you doing? Playing poker, a very pleasant way of whiling away time? No. Engaging in some creative activity, like writing a short story, planning a political campaign, discussing fascinating questions with friends? The examples I have offered are exciting or stimulating – as psychologists have discovered, it is not work or effort that causes fatigue, but boredom, frustration, or a similar feeling.

You have stayed up all night with a very sick husband, wife, child or dear friend. And despite all your ministrations, the patient is sinking. You can see how this long vigil contains all the elements of frustration that contribute to mental, physical, and nervous fatigue.

And so you are exhausted - completely. Your exhaustion is mental, it is physiological, it is emotional.

What verb expresses the effect of the night's frustrations on you?

                                                                                                                                                To enervate

2.    Tongue-lashing

You suddenly see the flashing blue light as you glance in your rear-view mirror. It's the middle of the night, yet the police flasher is as clear as day — and then you hear the wail of the siren. So you pull over, knowing you were speeding along at 70 in a 50 mile-an-hour-limit area-after all, there was not another car in sight on the deserted stretch of road. The police officer is pleasant, courteous, smiling; merely asks for your driver's licence and registration; even says 'Please'. Feeling guilty and stupid, you become irritated. So what do you do? You lash out at the officer with all the verbal vituperation welling up in you from your self -anger. You scold him harshly for not spending his time looking for violent criminals instead of harassing innocent motorists; you call into question his honesty, his ambition, his fairness, even his ancestry. To no avail, of course. What verb describes how you reacted?

                                                                                                                to castigate

3.    Altruistic

Phyllis is selfless and self-sacrificing. Her husband's needs and desires come first – even when they conflict with her own. Clothes for her two daughters are her main concern — even if she has to wear a seven -year -old coat and outmoded dresses so that Paula and Evelyn can look smart and trim. At the dinner table, she heaps everyone's plate — while she herself often goes without. Phyllis will deny herself, will scrimp and save — all to the end that she may offer her husband and children the luxuries that her low self-esteem does not permit her to give herself. What verb expresses what Phyllis does?

                                                                                                                                                to self -abnegate

4.    Repetition

You have delivered a long, complicated lecture to your class, and now, to make sure that they will remember the important points, you restate the key ideas, the main thoughts. You offer, in short, a kind of brief summary, step by step, omitting all extraneous details. What verb best describes what you do?

to recapitulate

5.    No joie de vivre

Perhaps you wake up some gloomy Monday morning (why is it that Monday is always the worst day of the week?) and begin to think of the waste of the last five years. Intellectually, there has been no progress - you've read scarcely half a dozen books haven't made one new, exciting friend, haven't had a startling or unusual thought. Economically, things are no better - same old debts to meet, same old hundred pounds in the bank, same old job, same old routine of the nine -to -five workdays, the cheese or ham salad sandwich for lunch, the same dreary ride home. What a life! No change, nothing but routine, sameness, monotony - and for what? (By now you'd better get up - this type of thinking never leads anywhere, as you’ve long since learnt.) What verb describes how you think you live?

to vegetate

6.    Pretence

Your neighbour, Mrs. Brown, pops in without invitation to tell you of her latest troubles with (a) her boss, (b) her hairdresser, (c) her husband, (d) her children, and/or (e) her gynaecologist.

Since Florence Brown is dull to the point of ennui, and anyway you have a desk piled high with work you were planning to get stuck into, you find it difficult to concentrate on what she is saying. However, you do not wish to offend her by sending her packing, or even by appearing to be uninterested, so you pretend rapt attention, nodding wisely at what you hope are the right places. What verb describes this feigning of interest?

to simulate

7.    Slight hint, no more

You are an authot and are discussing with your editor the possible avenues of publicly and advertising for your new book. At one point in the conversation the editor makes several statements which might – or might not – be construed to mean that the company is going to promote the book heavily. For example, 'If we put some real money behind this, we might sell a few copies', or ‘I wonder if it would be a good idea to get you on a few talk shows……’ No unequivocal commitments, no clear-cut promises, only the slight and oblique mention of possibilities. What verb expresses what the editor is doing?

to intimate

8.    Helpful

Aspirin doesn't cure any diseases. Yet this popular and inexpensive drug is universally used to lighten and relieve various unpleasant symptoms of disease: aches and pains, fever, inflammations, etc. What verb expresses the action of aspirin?

to alleviate

9.    When the bell tolls

John Donne’s lines (made famous by Ernest Hemingway): No mane is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peace of the continent, a part of the maine; is a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is thylesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; Ans therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee are truer than you may think; any person who views another’s pain with complete detachment or indifference is shutting off important feelings. When people have suffered a bereavement (as through death), when they have been wounded by life or by friends, then is the time they most need to feel that they are not alone, that you share their misery with them even if you cannot directly alleviate their sorrow. Your sympathy and compassion are, of course, alleviation enough. What verb signifies this vicarious sharing of sorrow with someone who directly suffers?

                                                                                                                                                To commiserate

10.   When two men propose

Should you marry John or George? (You're strongly and equally attracted to both.) John is handsome, virile, tender; George is stable, reliable, dependable, always there when you need him. George loves you deeply; John is more exciting. You decide on John, naturally. But wait — marrying John would mean giving up George, and with George you always know where you stand; he's like the Rock of Gibraltar (and sometimes almost as dull). So you change your mind — it's George, on more mature reflection. But how happy can you be with a husband who is not exciting? Maybe John would be best after all…..

The pendulum swings back and forth — you cannot make up your mind and stick to it. (You fail to realize that your indecision proves that you don't want to marry either one or perhaps don’t want to give either one up, or possibly don't even want to get married.) First it's John, then it's George, then back to John, then George again. Which is it, which is it? What verb describes your pendulum -like indecision?

To vacillate       

DAY 22

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SERVICE PROFIT CHAIN

Managing the vital link between people and profit

The service profit chain highlights how employee engagement drives improvements in company performance. When employees are able to see the impact of their actions, it changes their approach and improves results.

The idea

The service profit chain is based on the premise that market leadership requires an emphasis on managing value drivers those factors that have the greatest impact on success and provide the most benefit to customers. This concept is then focused on the value drivers that are the most important determinants of success: employee retention, employee satisfaction and employee productivity - it is these that strongly influence customer loyalty, revenue growth and profitability.

How the service profit chain works

In practice: Sears

In the 1990s US-based retailer Sears reversed significant losses by focusing on employee issues in order to turn around the company's fortunes. They examined:

•         how employees felt about working at the company

•         how employee behaviour affected customers

•         how customers' experience affected profits.

Sears asked employees to estimate how much profit was made for each dollar sold. The average answer was 46 cents while the real answer was 1 cent - demonstrating that profitability was poorly understood. The company introduced changes in order to engage with employees and to get them to understand what influences profitability - in particular, to make clear the link between employee behaviour, customer satisfaction and company success. By understanding the implications of their actions, it changed their approach, resulting in sustained improvements in profitability.

In practice: B&Q

At UK retailer B&Q, each percentage increase in staff turnover was costing the company £1 million. By reducing staff turnover from 35 to 28 per cent through its Employee Engagement Programme, the company reduced costs and increased turnover per employee by 20 per cent.

SKILL CAPSULE: WORK ETHIC

The importance of developing a strong work ethic and how the work ethic you develop will impact your future as an employee.

Top 10 Work Ethics

  Attendance

   Character

   Team Work

   Appearance

   Attitude

  Productivity

   Organizational Skills

   Communication

   Cooperation

   Respect

Traits of a Winning Employee

  Limit Absences

Be at work every day possible

        Plan your absences

        Don’t abuse leave time

  Come to work on time

        Be punctual every day

  Be honest

“Honesty is the single most important factor    having a direct bearing on the final success of an individual, corporation, or product.”  Ed McMahon

  Be dependable

        Complete assigned tasks correctly and promptly

  Be loyal

        Speak positively about the company

  Be willing to learn

        Look to improve your skills

  Be a team player

        The ability to get along with others– including those you don’t necessarily like

  Leadership abilities

        The ability to be led and/or to become the leader

  Be a contributing member. The ability to carry your own weight and help others who are struggling

  Accept compromise

        Recognize when to speak up with an idea and when to compromise by blend ideas together

  Dress Appropriately

        Dress for Success!

        Set your best foot forward                        

  Personal hygiene

  Good manners

  Hand shake

  Demeanor

  Eye contact

        Remember that the first impression of who you are can last a lifetime

  Have a good attitude

        Listen to suggestions

        Be positive

  Accept responsibility for ones work

        If you make a mistake, admit it

  Do the work correctly

        Quality and timeliness are prized

  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

  Help out whenever asked

        Do “extras” without being asked

  Take pride in your work

        Do things the best you know how

  Make an effort to improve

        Learn ways to better yourself

  Time Management

        Utilize time and resources to get the most out of both

  Written Communications

        Being able to correctly write reports and memos

  Verbal Communications. Being able to communicate one on one or to a group

  Follow company rules and  policies

        Learn and follow expectations

  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

  Appreciate privileges and don’t abuse them

        Privileges are favors and benefits

  Work hard

        Work to the best of your ability

  Carry out orders

        Do what’s asked the first time

  Show respect

        Accept and acknowledge an individual’s talents and knowledge

Why People Lose Their Jobs:

  They get laid off

        Job loss not their fault

  They get fired

        Job lost because of their actions

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK TO LATE COMERS (GENUINE AND NAUGHTY LATE COMERS)

When you own your own business, you rely on your employees to help you run your company efficiently. If an employee is consistently late, others in the company start to notice, oftentimes causing frustration and friction. Sometimes being late is unavoidable, depending on the circumstances. However, chronic tardiness requires intervention before the behavior becomes a serious problem.

Here are ways to deal with an employee who is constantly late.

1.       Identify the behavior.

It’s understandable if an employee has a legitimate reason for being late every once in a while. Traffic accidents happen, weather intervenes, kids get sick. Life happens and unexpected problems do come up occasionally. What’s not acceptable is an employee who shows up late most of the time.

When a staff member consistently shows up late, he's essentially not respecting your time, or his own. That’s when you need to decide if your employee's behavior is worth condoning or reprimanding.

2.       Be proactive.

Don’t let a person’s excessive tardiness go so long that you react in anger. Remember, you’re tired of the behavior, not the person. Try not to lose your cool. It’s counterproductive to use foul language or threaten an employee.

Deal with the situation as soon as you see a pattern arise; then be proactive. Schedule a time to talk and address the issue one-on-one. Bring documentation of an employee's tardiness into your meeting and ask him what is preventing him for reporting to work on time.

3.       Verbalize your disappointment.

It’s a trick your mother probably used on you as a child. Most people tend to be disappointed in themselves when someone they respect is disappointed in them. When a team member doesn’t follow through on a commitment, explain the consequences of his actions. If he is late to a client meeting, say something like, “The client waited ten minutes for you to arrive. I had to ask Ashley to fill in for you.” Perhaps the employee doesn’t realize (although he should) that his behavior affects his co-workers, as well.

4.       Come up with an action plan.

Don't act in haste. Your employee’s excessive tardiness may be due to a medical issue or family obligations. In that case, you may want to make an exception and suggest a later start time or a more flexible work schedule.

5.       Respect a person’s privacy.

Always try to have difficult discussions in private, especially when disciplinary action might be necessary. If you confront an employee in public, he will be more likely to be embarrassed, humiliated or react defensively. Explain your concerns, cite specific examples and then solicit feedback.

Allow the employee to absorb what you’ve said and respond. Practice effective listening. Your employee will be more apt to respect a fair, honest and forthright approach.

6.       Clearly outline the consequences.

Develop a policy that addresses the consequences for tardiness. For example, if your employee is occasionally late, ask him to make up that time. If he is consistently late, you may choose to issue a written warning, dock his pay or decrease any bonus he receives. If the behavior affects your bottom line or tarnishes a client relationship, you may have to take more serious action.

7.        Reward improvements.

Reinforce change through praise. When you notice an employee has altered his behavior in a positive way, say so. Your simple acknowledgement will let him know he’s on the right track and will also show him that you appreciate his efforts. You'll be surprised how a few kind words go a long way.

DAY 23

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING AND AVOIDING INERTIA

When success traps us in the past

It might seem counterintuitive to warn people about the dangers of success but that is exactly what Donald Sull did when he developed the concept of 'active inertia' - where people repeat the strategies and activities that have worked well in the past.

A reliance on previous thinking and approaches - the formula of success - can cause a company to fail to respond properly to new developments. By applying past approaches to new conditions, the end result can be a downward spiral - leaving an organization vulnerable to more dynamic companies with approaches better suited to the new environment.

How active inertia works

A firm correctly discerns gradual shifts and developments in the external environment, but fails to respond effectively.

Managers get trapped by success, often responding to the most disruptive changes by accelerating activities that succeeded in the past.

The source of active inertia is a company's success formula, the unique set of strategic frames, resources, processes, relationships and values that collectively influence managers' actions.

With time and repetition, people stop considering alternatives to their formula. The individual components of the success formula grow less flexible.

How active inertia happens

Active inertia occurs because people come to rely on a past formula of success, where accepted approaches become entrenched and people stop considering alternatives. Consequently, people continue to respond to external changes by pursuing fixes and activities that worked in the past. However, these responses are likely to be ineffectual because they are based on past success and not current and future needs.

Why a past success formula does not guarantee a successful future

Essentially, like it or not, our brains are lazy - subconsciously preferring the easy route to solving problems and then, equally subconsciously, superimposing a solid layer of reasons to justify our decisions. So it is hardly surprising that our brains fool us into being happy to rely on approaches that have proven successful in the past: it is easy and we have a ready-made wall of rock-solid excuses to hand.

As individuals, our thinking, strategies, Methods, use of resources, relationships and values all become firmly entrenched. The consequence for companies is that this formula becomes so deeply embedded that they are left vulnerable when faced with changing conditions.

It is understandable that past approaches should be so revered and relied upon - they are, after all, the reason for the company's current success. However, we should keep in mind that this formula is exactly that: suited to the current, stable situation - not the future. Companies can suddenly find themselves commercially stranded.

The bottom line is that, when faced with new developments, your approach needs to change accordingly - essentially, the survival of the fittest depends on adaptation.

SKILL CAPSULE: TEAM BUILDING

The roles people play in meetings.

There are a number of different roles that people adopt in meetings, some of which are listed below. These roles are not always constant - one person might adopt several of these roles during one meeting or change roles depending on what is being discussed. Your score for each category should give you some idea of which of these roles you play in teams.

ENCOURAGER

Energises groups when motivation is low through humour or through being enthusiastic. They are positive individuals who support and praise other group members. They don't like sitting around. They like to move things along by suggesting ideas, by clarifying the ideas of others and by confronting problems. They may use humour to break tensions in the group.

They may say:

"We CAN do this!"

"That's a great idea!"

COMPROMISER

Tries to maintain harmony among the team members. They are sociable, interested in others and will introduce people, draw them out and make them feel comfortable. They may be willing to change their own views to get a group decision. They work well with different people and can be depended on to promote a positive atmosphere, helping the team to gel. They pull people and tasks together thereby developing rapport. They are tolerant individuals and good listeners who will listen carefully to the views of other group members. They are good judges of people, diplomatic and sensitive to the feelings of others and not seen as a threat. They are able to recognise and resolve differences of opinion and the the development of conflict, they enable "difficult" team-members to contribute positively.

They may say:

"We haven't heard from Mike yet: I'd like to hear what you think about this."

"I'm not sure I agree. What are your reasons for saying that?"

LEADER

Good leaders direct the sequence of steps the group takes and keep the group "on-track". They are good at controlling people and events and coordinating resources. They have the energy, determination and initiative to overcome obstacles and bring competitive drive to the team. They give shape to the team effort. They recognise the skills of each individual and how they can be used. Leaders are outgoing individuals who have to be careful not to be domineering. They can sometimes steamroller the team but get results quickly. They may become impatient with complacency and lack of progress and may sometimes overreact.

They may say

"Let's come back to this later if we have time."

"We need to move on to the next step."

"Sue, what do you think about this idea?"

SUMMARISER/CLARIFIER

Calm, reflective individuals who summarise the group's discussion and conclusions. They clarify group objectives and elaborate on the ideas of others. They may go into detail about how the group's plans would work and tie up loose ends. They are good mediators and seek consensus.

They may say:

"So here's what we've decided so far"

"I think you're right, but we could also add ...."

IDEAS PERSON

The ideas person suggests new ideas to solve group problems or suggests new ways for the group to organize the task. They dislike orthodoxy and are not too concerned with practicalities. They provide suggestions and proposals that are often original and radical. They are more concerned with the big picture than with details. They may get bored after the initial impetus wears off.

EVALUATOR

Evaluators help the group to avoid coming to agreement too quickly. They tend to be slow in coming to a decision because of a need to think things over. They are the logical, analytical, objective people in the team and offer measured, dispassionate critical analysis. They contribute at times of crucial decision making because they are capable of evaluating competing proposals. They may suggest alternative ideas.

They may say:

"What other possibilities are there?"

or "Let's try to look at this another way."

or "I'm not sure we're on the right track."

RECORDER

The recorder keeps the group focused and organised. They make sure that everyone is helping with the project. They are usually the first person to offer to take notes to keep a record of ideas and decisions. They also like to act as time-keeper, to allocate times to specific tasks and remind the team to keep to them, or act as a spokesperson, to deliver the ideas and findings of the group. They may check that all members understand and agree on plans and actions and know their roles and responsibilities. They act as the memory of the group.

They may say:

"We only have five minutes left, so we need to come to agreement now!"

"Do we all understand this chart?"

"Are we all in agreement on this?"

•         Take Responsibility

•         Let your Work Speak for itself

•         Know your Team Members   

•         Always Compartmentalize 

•         Be a Motivator

•         Appreciate Others

•         Avoid Politics 

•         Ask for Feedback 

•         Develop a Sense of Humor 

•         Be there for your team members when they need you.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK WITH SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Few tips those are important to consider when speaking to senior managers.

1.     Talk to senior managers about strategy – don’t go to them with questions that only pertain to one individual.

First of all, think about the person you’ll be speaking to – is this the right person to answer your question? For example, if your company is going through change, and you go to a senior manager with a question about what is happening specifically to an individual employee, how likely do you think you’ll be to get an answer? Not very!

Senior managers are big picture thinkers; they simply will not have the answers to those individual questions.

2.    Focus on potential outcomes – given the hand you’ve been dealt, realistically, what outcomes can you work toward?

Secondly, think about how you want to frame your question. Since you’re speaking to someone whose day job is about deciding strategy, then using the company’s strategy as a frame is always a good idea. For example, if your company is dependent upon government funding and that funding has been cut, make sure your question is shaped by that knowledge.

3.    Ask questions that will help you judge the quality of your manager’s decision-making process.

In my experience, people are much better at accepting difficult decisions if managers can show that it’s for a really good reason – for example, to keep the business afloat and to remain competitive. If employees think that change is a result of fire-fighting or is poorly thought through, they will become disengaged.

If you want to be able to assess the quality of the decision-making process, you have to have the right information about it; and the only way to get that information is to ask precise questions about it.

What kinds of questions might these be? Anything that will help you understand the strategic narrative – where the company was, where it is now, and where it hopes to be in the future.

Your questions will most probably fall into these categories:

o   Strategy

o   Timelines

o   Measuring success

o   Risk / contingency

o   Communication strategies

4.    Don’t waste their time.

Be sure you talk to two people in the audience ahead of time. Make sure that the information you are discussing is exactly the information they believe your audience will need and want.

5.    Don‘t bore them by reading the agenda.

An executive once told me, “I don’t need to listen to someone going through an agenda. He just wasted a minute of the ten minutes he has.” Instead, spend time telling them things they do not know. Look at your content and cut what your audience already knows. Finally, don’t tell them everything you know or everything you have done. Once again, they don’t want or need to hear or respond to it. What they do want to know is just enough in order to decide on the decision you are recommending.

6.    Provide an executive summary.

Start by sharing the key messages of your presentation right up front. They don’t want to listen for ten minutes until you get to the punch line. Here are two examples of executive summaries.

7.    Don’t show many slides—if any.

If you do show slides, create images that capture your messages. If you read the slides, you’re done for.

8.    Make time for your listeners to ask questions.

Don’t talk so fast and plan to share so much data that your listeners cannot ask questions. Give them time during the talk as well as at the end.

9.    If you are explaining a product or an idea, show or demo it if you can.

Seeing it is better than only hearing about it. That’s why companies give out samples.

10.  Keep the jargon out of the talk – unless they use it themselves.

It’s your job to translate the jargon into everyday language, so that everyone in your audience understands.

11.  Pause between your sentences.

Speak calmly, yet energetically. Don’t bore your audience with your voice. Don’t create a 15-minute talk and try to fit it into a 10-minute slot. Talking fast is not the solution.

12.  Look at each person.

It’s supposed to be a conversation. End each sentence looking at someone, not at the paper or the slide. If it’s part of the culture and appropriate in the setting, before you begin your talk and you are meeting people, shake hands firmly and look at the person when you shake hands.

13.  Answer questions truthfully and concisely

If you don’t know, don’t try to fake it! One strategy is to say, “That number is not on the tip of my tongue; let me get the figure to you later on today.

14.  If someone disagrees, get curious.

Ask a question. Request more information. “Will you say some more about how you see this situation?” Or, “I did not consider this perspective. Let’s talk about it.” Be careful not to put someone down when he or she disagrees with you. Do a practice run. Find a colleague to be really argumentative and practice how to handle the situation.

15.  Be shorter than the time allotted, rather than longer.

Save time for comments and questions. For a 20-minute slot, only talk 10-15 minutes.

16.  Be yourself.

Film yourself and look at your behaviors. Then get rid of the bad habits such as holding your hands in front of you or saying “um.” Keep the good habits, such as pausing between sentences and speaking only about the details your audience needs to know.

DAY 24

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SIX Rs OF BUSINESS

Business is a total activity

Luis Gallardo's Six Rs is a total approach to business — where all activities work together, moving the whole company forward in the same direction.

Having all company activities support one other enables us to develop the right mindset, strategy and approach for growing a successful business. This holistic approach ensures that no part of a company undermines overall goals or the activities of another part of the business. The Six Rs are:

•         Reason

•         Revenue

•         Rousers

•         Reputation

•         Relationships

•         Resilience.

Why the Six Rs matter

The Six Rs should work together, supporting one other and never undermining other business activities or goals. As companies can discover to their cost (witness the damage to sales when legal tax avoidance is revealed), any aspect of running a business can have serious consequences. Conversely, when the various corporate activities support one other, they will strengthen the brand and promote success. Essentially, everyone and all activities should pull together. To have parts, even unwittingly, pulling in different directions will derail strategy and cause a company to veer off course.

Reason

The starting point, and ongoing requirement, for setting and directing all activities is to know the reason why you are in business - your vision, values and purpose. This sets the tone and gains commitment and, consequently, has an enormous impact on customers and achieving goals. Your purpose should be communicated to everyone in the organization. Also, by fitting your products and services to your reason and values, customers and employees will understand what your company means.

Revenue

Managing and maximizing revenues is essential for enacting strategies and building resilience. An often overlooked but critical aspect is the portfolio of clients - it reveals strengths and gaps elsewhere in the company. The important thing is to manage revenues through the prism of the rest of the 6Rs - and to manage the others through the lens of revenue.

Rousers

Engaging your people and aligning their thinking and behaviours to the rest of the company's activities depend on being able to inspire them. This has an enormous impact on all areas of a business - especially customers - and sets the right conditions for people to be innovative and to adapt successfully to change.

Reputation

Reputation is critical to success. It affects employees as well as current and potential customers and all stakeholders. The important point is that reputation can be affected by any aspect of the business - emphasizing the need to ensure that other activities do not undermine reputation.

Relationships

All business - internal and external - is about handling relationships. Everything is affected, with a direct bearing on profitability, so all relationships should be managed carefully, keeping in mind the importance of the Six Rs approach.

Resilience

Developing resilience enables companies to continue achieving goals, to survive difficult circumstances and to take advantage of opportunities. It enables swift and appropriate responses to any developments and the flexibility to adapt to change. Resilience involves being proactive, prepared and having the right mindset to deal with any events, threats or opportunities.

SKILL CAPSULE: DECISION MAKING SKILLS

Decisions aren't easy.

Getting a decision wrong is almost always painful. Not making any decision at all is usually worse.

If there's a single thing that will improve your business results it's better decisions. Every incremental improvement in the quality of your decisions also does wonders for your professional and personal success.

The vast majority of decisions are made with no process at all (or an informal ad hoc process). This is usually a mistake.

Once you become accustomed to process-driven decisions, it's hard to go back. The following process will improve the quality of virtually any decision. 

1. Define Problem or Mission

If I had an hour to save the world

I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem

and one minute finding solutions

~ Albert Einstein

What's your problem? What's your mission?

These questions might seem arbitrarily easy. However, they are important. Even minor differences in problem definition can lead to completely different decisions.

Your problem definition should be simple but avoid ambiguous interpretation. It should get to the heart of what you're trying to solve.

2. Define Objectives

Objectives are goals that you derive from your problem or mission. Most problems will decompose into 3-10 objectives.

3. Prioritize Objectives

Assign priorities to your objectives. Often a simple ranking is enough. ABC analysis is also a good technique (A = very important, B = less important, C = nice to have).

Your prioritized objectives will be used to evaluate potential decisions. Making tough choices at this phase will help you make a better decision.

4. Brainstorm Alternatives

Create a big list of possible solutions. Don't bother evaluating them. Just spit them out. You want the widest list possible. This is an excellent group activity, have a meeting or two.

5. Evaluate Alternatives

Evaluate the list of possible solutions against your prioritized objectives. This doesn't have to be a quantitative evaluation (numerical score). Often qualitative judgments yield the best decisions.

6. Choose Tentative Decision

Choose the best decision from your list.

7. Evaluate Tentative Decision

What will be the full impact of the decision? It may be useful to brainstorm a list of impacts.

If the full impact of the decision doesn't look good go back to step 5 (or as far back as appropriate).

8. Make Decision

Commit to the decision.

9. Identify Actions

Generate a list of actions that implement your decision.

10. Implement Actions

Implement your decision.

11. Perform Lessons Learned

Perform a post decision analysis in the hopes of improving future decisions.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK ABOUT LIARS AND LYING

It was the famous Greek Philosopher and cynic Diogenes who went around he streets of Athens, Lantern in hand, looking for an honest person.

This was over two thousand years ago, but I Presume that Diogenes would have as little success in his search today.  Lying seems to be an integral weakness of mortal character – I doubt that few human beings would be so brash as to claim that they that few human beings would be so brash as to claim that they have never in their lives told be so brash as to claim that they have never in their lives told at least a partial untruth.  Indeed, one philologist goes as far as to theorize that language must have been invented for the sole purpose of deception.  Perhaps so, it is certainly true that animals seem somewhat more honest than humans, maybe because they are less gifted mentally. 

Why do people lie? To increase their sense of importance, to escape punishment, to gain an end that would otherwise be denied them, out of long-standing habit, or sometimes because they actually do not know the difference between act and fancy.  These are the common reasons for falsification.  No doubt there are other, more unusual, motives that impel people to distort the truth.  And, to come right down to it, can we always be certain what is true and what is false?

If lying is a prevalent and all-too-human phenomenon, there would of course be a number of interesting words to describe different types of liars.

Let us pretend (not to get personal, but only to help you become personally involved in the ideas and words) that you are a liar. 

The question is, what kind of liar are you?

•         You don’t fool even some of the people

Everybody knows your propensity for avoiding facts. You have built so solid and unsavoury a reputation that only a stranger is likely to be misled – and then, not for long. – A notorious liar

•         To the highest summits of artistry

Your ability is to drawer – rarely does anyone lie as convincingly or as artistically as you do.  Your skill has, in short, reached the zenith of perfection. Indeed, your mastery of the art is so great that your lying is almost always crowned with success – and you have no trouble seducing an unwary listener into believing that you are telling gospel truth. – A consummate liar

•         Beyond redemption or salvation

You are impervious to correction.  Often as you may be caught in you fabrications, there is no reforming you – go right on lying despite the punishment, embarrassment, or unhappiness that your distortions of truth may bring upon you. – An incorrigible liar

•         Too old to learn new tricks

You are the victim of firmly fixed and deep-rooted habits.  Telling untruths is as frequent and customary and activity as brushing your teeth in the morning, or having toast and coffee for breakfast, or lighting up a cigarette after dinner (if you are a smoker). And almost as reflexive. – An inveterate liar

•         An early start

You have such a long history of persistent falsification that one can only suspect that your vice started when you were reposing in your mother’s womb. In other words, and allowing for a great deal of exaggeration for effect, you have been lying from the moment of your birth. –A congenital liar

•         No let – up

Your never stop lying, While normal people lie on occasion, and often for special reasons, you lie continually – not occasionally or even frequently, but over and over. – A chronic liar

•         A strange disease

You are not concerned with the difference between truth and falsehood; you do not bother to distinguish fact from fantasy.  In fact, your lying is a disease that no antibiotic can cure. – A pathological liar

•         No regrets

You are completely without a conscience. No matter what misery your fabrications may cause your innocent victims, you never feet the slightest twinge of guilt.  Totally unscrupulous, you are a dangerous person to get mixed up with. – An unconscionable liar

•         Smooth!

Possessed of a lively imagination and a ready tongue, you can distort facts as smoothly and as effortlessly as you can say your name.  But you do not always get away with your lies.

Ironically enough, it is your very smoothness that makes you suspect: your answers are too quick to be true.  Even if we can’t immediately catch you in your lies, we have learned from unhappy past experience not to suspend our critical faculties when you are talking.  We admire your nimble wit, but we listen with a skeptical ear. – A glib liar

•         Outstanding!

Lies, after all, are bed – they are frequently injurious to other people, and may have a particularly dangerous effect on you as a liar.  At best, if you are caught you suffer some embarrassment.  At worst, if you succeed in your deception your character becomes warped and your sense of values suffers.  Almost all lies are harmful; some are no less than vicious.

               

If you are one type on liar, all your lies are vicious – calculatedly, predeterminedly, coldly, and advisedly vicious.  In short, your lies are so outstandingly hurtful that people gasp in amazement and disgust at hearting them. – An egregious liar

DAY 25

MANAGEMENT PROCESS: THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP MODEL

How to manage your product portfolio

Identifying which products and investments should be continued (and at what level of investment) is a complicated task. Cutting through this confusion, the Boston Consulting Group model (developed by Bruce Henderson) provides a straightforward means of managing your port-folio of products.

How it works

The model uses a matrix, each box representing a type of product: Star, Cash cow, Question mark and Dog. Products are located in a quadrant according to market growth and market share. The category a product falls into enables you to see whether it is worth pursuing. By Looking at the matrix, it is easy to see why each category has certain characteristics and prospects.

Star

Given the high market growth, this product is obviously a rising star and should be pursued. Coupled with high market share, the risks are minimal and the return will be high. A note of caution, though, is that a growing market will inevitably cost a lot to keep up with so it is advisable to consider your ability to fund this - especially if there are large set-up costs or if you expect a delay in the product generating revenue.

Cash cow

Clearly, given the large market share, there is still a lot of potential for generating revenue. However, given the low market growth, there may be some limiting factors (such as time or changing technology) that suggest you should milk these products as much as you can before the opportunity for high returns dwindles in a declining market. It would be wise to monitor market conditions closely to prevent losses should the market decline rapidly.

Question mark

If a product falls into this category, there are issues that need to be addressed before a decision can be made. Although there is high market growth, you have to ask yourself whether the low market share will generate enough revenue to justify the investment - especially given the likely high costs of keeping pace with a growing market. A key factor in making a decision is having deep-enough pockets either to wait for higher returns as the market grows or to turn it into a Star by securing a stronger market share.

Dog

With low market share and low market growth, this product is going nowhere fast. Clearly, it is not worth pursuing. Sometimes, you may wish to continue with this type of product if it provides other benefits - such as maintaining customer loyalty for your overall brand.

SKILL CAPSULE: SOCIAL SKILLS

Secrets

Respecting other people means you also respect their wishes. If someone tells you a secret or asks you to keep something in confidence, you should. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, it's fine to say that you don't feel comfortable keeping secrets -- just be sure to do this before the person shares their secret with you.

There are some very rare exceptions to this rule: if you find out that someone is being hurt or is in danger and they are afraid to tell anyone, you should encourage them not to keep their secret. If that person is too afraid to talk, you may want to ask an expert (such as a doctor, therapist, or policeman) for their advice - you don't have to give away your friend's secret, but they may be able to help.

Body Language

Consider this, someone starts to tell a story and you sigh and roll your eyes -- your body is telling that person that you're not interested in their story and find it (and perhaps them) boring. If, on the other hand, you make eye contact with them while they are talking and nod or smile in response to what they are saying, your body is telling them "I'm paying attention to what you are saying and find your story and you interesting."

How we carry ourselves can send a message just as clearly as what we say. Standing or sitting up straight, appearing confident, looking people in the eye, and having a smile or pleasant expression gives people the impression that you are polite, confident and pleasant. Scowling, crossing your arms, slouching, or staring off into the distance (even if these are just nervous habits) may make people think that you are angry, unapproachable, or disinterested.

Actions can speak as loudly as words, so the next time you're in a social setting, ask yourself what your body language is saying to people. If you are having a hard time judging the message your body is sending, you may want to ask friends or people you know and trust what they think. Or, you may want to get the opinion of someone who doesn't know you as well. The MTSTCIL staff could help you if you want to work on your body language. Call the center nearest you for advice, tips, or even to set up a meeting and practice role-playing and body language in different settings.

Appearance

The first thing people notice about other people is the way they look. And whether we like it or not, how you look makes an impression on people. But you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

If you look neat and clean, people will feel as though you're the kind of person who makes an effort. A nice appearance shows that you value yourself and what other people think of you.

Putting forth a nice appearance doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money on clothes or accessories. Someone can look slovenly and messy in an expensive suit if they don't brush their hair or clean their clothes. Someone else can appear put together in a old shirt and slacks that have been cleaned and pressed. Showing that you take care over your appearance is more important than what you wear or how expensive your hair cut is.

In addition to taking care over your appearance, it's also important to consider if your appearance is appropriate for the situation. You may look lovely in your party clothes or feel confident in your business suit, but these would look out of place in a more casual setting such as at a picnic or at the movies. It's important to be comfortable in what you're wearing, but you also want to fit in (within reason!) with what other people will be wearing. Wear what suits both you and the situation best: jeans and t-shirts are fine for friends and the movies; a nice shirt and slacks or suit is more appropriate for work; party clothes should be saved for parties or fancy occasions. The same goes for accessories and make up: glitter eye shadow and elaborate hair might be fun after work, but look odd for a business meeting; you may feel most comfortable lounging in sneakers and a baseball cap, but not at a fancy restaurant or party. Think about what the majority of people will be wearing in the situation and wear something that fits in and makes you feel comfortable.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO SPEAK NATURALLY

Consider this statement by Louis Bromfield, a noted American author: ‘If I, as a novelist, wrote dialogue for my characters which was meticulously grammatical, the result would be the creation of a speech which rendered the characters pompous and unreal'. And this one by Jacques Barzun, former literary critic for Harper’s speech, after all is in some measure an expression of character and flexibility in its use is a good way to tell your friends from the robots’

These are typical reactions of professional people to the old restrictions of formal English grammar. Do the actual teachers of English feel the same way?

Grammar is only an analysis after the facts, a post-mortem on usage,’ said the Canadian economist and humorist Stephen Leacockin How to write. Usage comes first and usage must rule.'

One way to discover current trends in usage is to poll a cross section of people who use the language professionally, inquiring as to their opinion of the acceptability, in everyday speech, of certain specific and controversial expressions. A questionnaire I prepared recently was answered by eighty-two such people — thirty one authors, seven book reviewers, thirty-three editors, and eleven professors of English. The results, some of which will be detailed below, may possibly prove startling to you if you have been conditioned to believe, as most of us have, that correct English is rigid, unchangeable, and exclusively dependent on grammatical rules.

1.       Californians boast of the healthy climate of their stair

RIGHT. There is a distinction, says formal grammar, between healthy and healthful. A person can be healthy – I am still quoting the rule –if he possesses good health. But climate must be healthful, since it is conductive to health. This distinction is sometimes observed in writing but rarely in everyday speech, as you have probably noticed. Even the dictionaries have stopped splitting hairs – they permit you to say healthy no matter of the two meanings you intend.

Healthy climate was accepted as current educated usage by twenty six of the thirty three editors who answered the questionnaire, six of the seven book reviewers nine of the eleven professors of English, and twenty of the thirty-one authors. The earlier distinction, in short, is rapidly becoming obsolete.

2.       Her new novel is not as good as her first one.

RIGHT. If you have studied formal grammar, you will recall that after a negative verb the 'proper' word is so, not as. Is this rule observed by educated speakers? Hardly ever

The tally on this use of as showed seventy-four for, only eighty against.

3.       We can’t hardly believe it

WRONG. Of the eighty-two professional people who answered my questionnaire, seventy-six rejected this sentence; it is evident that can’t hardly is far from acceptable in educated speech. Preferred 'usage: We can hardly believe it

4.       This is her.

Wrong. This substitution of her own where the rule requires she was rejected fifty seven of my eighty two respondents. Paradoxically enough although ‘it’s me’ and ‘this is me’ are fully established in educated speech. This is her still seemed to be condemned by the majority of cultivated speakers. Nevertheless the average person I imagine may feel a bit uncomfortable saying this is she-it sounds almost too sophisticated

This is more than an academic problem. If the voice at the other end of a telephone conversation makes the opening move with I’d like to speak to Jane Doe[your name for argument’s sake] you are unfortunately on the horns of a very real dilemma.’ This is she’ may sound prissy – ‘This is her’ may give the impression that you are uneducated. Other choices are equally doubtful. Speaking is suspiciously businesslike if the call comes to your home and I am Jane Doe! ’May make you feel like the opening line id a school play. The need for a decision arises several times in a busy day-and I am sorry to report, the English language is just deficient enough not to be of much help. I wonder how it would be if you just grunted affably?

5.       Who are you waiting for?

Formal grammar not only requires whom but demands that the work order be changed to “For whom are you waiting?’ (Just try talking with such formality on everyday occasions and see how long you’ll keep your friends)

Who is normal popular form as the first word of a sentence no matter what the grammatical construction. The score for acceptance as it stands (with who) was sixty six out of eighty two. If, like most unpedantic speakers, you prefer who to whom for informal occasions, you will be happy to hear that modern trends in English are all in your side.

6.       Please take care of whomever is waiting

Wrong. Whomever is awkward and a little silly in this sentence. It is also contrary to grammatical rule. People who are willing to be sufficiently insufferable to use whomever in this construction have been tempted into error by the adjacent word of. They believe that since they are following a preposition with an objective pronoun they are speaking impeccable grammar. In actually however whomever it is not the object of the preposition of but the subject of the verb is waiting preferably form : please take care of whoever is waiting

7.       Whom would you like to be if you weren’t yourself

Wrong. Here is another and typical example of the damage which an excessive reverence for whom can do to an innocent person’s speech. Judged by grammatical rule whom is incorrect in this sentence (the verb to be requires who); judged by normal speech patterns, it is absurd. This use of whom probably comes from an abortive attempt to sound elegant

8.       My wife has been robbed.

Right-if something your wife owns was taken by means of theft. However, if your wife was kidnapped or in some way talked into leaving you, she was stolen not robbed. To rob is to abscond with the thing itself. Needless to say both forms of activity are highly antisocial and equally illegal

9.       Is this desert fattening

Wrong. The dessert that is fattening is spelt with double s. with s, it’s a desert like the Sahara. Remember the double s in dessert by thinking how much you’d like two portions, if only your waistline permitted.

DAY 26

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE PARETO PRINCIPLE

Finding the right locus and answer using the 80:20 rule

Pareto analysis arose from Vilfredo Pareto's observation that many activities break down into an 80:20 ratio, where 80 per cent of output is due to 20 per cent of the contributory factors. This observation is now used to focus business strategy, problem-solving and operations on the key inputs that are responsible for 80 per cent of the outcome.

How it works

The 80:20 ratio applies both to positive and negative situations, providing a useful means of dealing quickly with problems or opportunities. In other words, by identifying the small number of key factors that are contributing most to a situation, we can better focus efforts to achieve the desired result.

Pareto analysis is only as good as the data that is used, so we need to ensure that all contributory factors are identified and that appropriate and revealing parameters and measures are established and interpreted correctly. Although not everything falls neatly into an 80:20 rule, Pareto analysis is still useful for identifying the main causal factors.

This simple example shows how the process works.

1.       Research and discuss the issue, identifying all contributory factors.

2.       Decide an appropriate time period and method of measurement.

3.       Measure how frequently each factor occurs (or another measure, such as cost).

4.       Rank the factors in descending order, with the largest one first.

5.       Calculate the frequency of each factor as a percentage of the total occurrences (or cost).

6.       Calculate the cumulative percentage (current percentage plus all previous percentages).

7.       Depict this information on a graph - with 'frequency as a percentage of total’ as a bar chart and 'cumulative percentage' as a line, adding a third line showing the 80 per cent cut-off point.

All factors that appear to the left of the intersection of the two lines are the ones contributing to 80 per cent of the result - these are the factors to focus on.

Example of how the Pareto Principle can be displayed

SKILL CAPSULE: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“The capacity for recognizing our own feeling and those for others, for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.”    - Daniel Goleman

EL Competencies

•         Self awareness

•         Self management

•         ‘social awareness’

•         Relationship management

EXAMPLES

  Understanding problems of workers whose houses were washed away during floods.

  Understanding the thought process of a union leader who has come to you for negotiations i.e., his need to balance the interests of workers with the need to come to a reasonable, viable, sustainable settlement.

o   army example : an newly commissioned officer…when he joins his first regiment he has to live with his troops and not in the officer’s mess and has to do the job of the lowest soldier, sweeper or gunner for 3 days and work his way up to an officer rank, having done the job of each higher appointment.

  By doing this he understands the implications of the orders he passes on each of his sub ordinates.

1. Develop Your Emotional Self-Awareness

One of the best ways to develop your awareness of your own emotions is to meditate. Take some time out to relax, being aware of your breathing as it flows in and out. Observe your thoughts and feelings as they come and go, without judging them. This will give you a degree of detachment, as you realise you are more than whatever thoughts and emotions you are experiencing at the time.

Another good way to become more aware and accepting of your emotions is to keep an emotional journal. Just take five minutes each morning to write down how you're feeling. Writing things down in this way gives you a degree of detachment and allows you to express your feelings in a way which is safe. It also allows you to recognise recurring patterns in your emotional responses and gives you a record of how far you have come as you develop your emotional intelligence.

2. Take Responsibility for Your Actions and Feelings

Often we talk about emotions as if they just 'happen', or that other people create them in us, as in 'she made me angry' or 'he upset me'. Some people even seem to have inanimate objects controlling their emotions, as in 'that squeaky gate is really pissing me off!'

So, can other people or even lumps of metal really control your emotions, causing your brain to release exactly the right combination of neuropeptides to experience irritation, fear or guilt? I would suggest not.

All the information we receive from our five senses about what's happening around us is already filtered by the time we become aware of it - first by the limbic system, our primitive emotional brain, and then by our beliefs and the meanings which we put on these events.

The emotional response to the meaning which we place on any given event can happen so quickly that we aren't aware of our filtering process and assigning of meaning which happens in the gap between the triggering event and the response. It feels like the 'trigger' really does cause the emotional response.

However, if that were really the case, then everyone would react in exactly the same way in similar situations - which clearly they don't. One person might get angry, another might get frightened, another find it funny, and another might not even notice.

Here's the thing: in principle, you can change any of your mental filters and emotional responses. This means that you can take "response - ability" - the ability to be able to choose how you want to feel about anything that happens. How? NLP and other technologies for rapid change have a wealth of techniques for helping you to change even the deepest-rooted habitual responses.

3. Remember - You Are Not Your Emotions

There are no "bad" emotions. Whatever you feel is giving you valuable information: either about the situation that you're in, or about some event that's happened in the past that you need to learn from and move on.

A trap that people often fall into is feeling that they 'ought' to feel a certain way - that they are a 'bad person' for feeling emotions they have been brought up to believe are wrong to express or even to feel. If they are on a spiritual path, it can be even worse, as they may feel they 'ought' to be above feeling that way.

Remember, it's how you respond to those feelings that matters. Whatever emotion you're feeling, you still have a choice about how you act on it - and that's what counts. Judging yourself does not make you a better person.

4. Put Yourself In The Other Person's Shoes

Any time that you're dealing with another person - on a date, in a job interview, in a dispute, selling to them, working with them, or just hanging out - things will go more smoothly if from time to time you put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, "What's going on for this person right now? What's important to them? What do they want from this interchange? What might they be feeling?"

Everyone sees the world in different ways, and everything that person does and says makes sense from their viewpoint, even if it makes no sense to you. People make the best choices they can given their unique 'map' of the world - if you assume they have the same map as you, then some of those 'actions' might even seem stupid or malicious. If you get a sense of what's going on for them, you will find them much easier to communicate with.

5. Get Some Distance From The Bad Stuff

I once had a client who came to me for help with anxiety about speaking in public. Every time this person had to give a presentation at work, he found himself experiencing panic symptoms which got stronger as the day approached. He had always got through to the end of the presentation without major disasters, but he hated the experience while it was happening.

With some coaching, he was able to check for things that might go wrong in a less damaging way. By viewing each scenario as a detached observer, in black and white and as a smaller-than-lifesize picture, he was able to see his future self coping with various possible glitches, without having to become emotionally involved in what he was seeing. I also suggested that he finish off by seeing himself in a life-size, colourful picture, giving a perfect presentation, so that he ended his reverie feeling good. He was then able to approach his presentations in a much more resourceful emotional state, and consequently perform much better.

Often the way we feel is a response to 'movies' that our minds run, or to an internal critical voice. While the mind's intention in creating these thoughts and images is positive, the effect is often unhelpful.

The qualities of the pictures, and the volume and tone of internal dialogue, are what give these thoughts their power. A big, bright, moving, 3-D mental picture, especially if we see it as if through our own eyes, will be more affecting than a small, dim, monochrome, 2-D snapshot, whatever the actual content of the picture. Similarly, a loud inner voice with an edge to it will have more of an impact than a softly-spoken voice, whatever it's saying.

You can use your mental 'remote control' to alter the qualities of your mental pictures. Make your good memories and fantasies big, bright, moving and 'real' so you can enjoy the most intense positive feelings from them. If you have to look at bad memories or imagine an unpleasant experience, make the picture small, dim, monochrome and two-dimensional, and look at it as if you were a detached observer. That way you can still get whatever information you need, while minimizing uncomfortable emotional responses.

Emotional Intelligence Map

Self-Awareness                            Empathy

    Emotional Awareness                   Understand Others

    Accurate Self-Assessment            Developing Others

    Self-Confidence                                Service Orientation

Self Management                             Leveraging Diversity

    Self Control                                         Political Awareness

    Trustworthiness                         Social Skills

    Conscientiousness                           Influence                      

    Adaptability                                       Communication

    Innovation                                          Conflict Management

Motivation                                           Leadership

     Achievement Drive                        Change Catalyst

     Commitment                                    Building Bonds

     Initiative                                             Collaboration & Cooperation

     Optimism                                           Team Capabilities

How to Increase Your EQ      

  Conduct a “personal inventory.”

  Analyze the setting & identify skills needed.

  Enlist trusted friends.

  Focus on a few competencies.

  Practice, practice, practice. 

  Be observant and reflective.

  Don’t expect immediate results.

  Learn from your mistakes.

  Acknowledge your successes.

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO TALK ABOUT PERSONALITY TYPES

Every human being is, in one way or another, unique. Everyone's personality is determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Let us examine ten personality types (one of which might by chance be your very own) that result from the way culture growth, family background, and environment interact with heredity.

And, of course, we begin not with the words but with the idea.

Ideas

1.       Me first

Your attitude to life is simple, direct, and aboveboard – every decision you make is based on the answer to one question: ‘what’s in it for me?' If your selfishness, greed, and ruthless desire for self -advancement hurt other people, that's too bad. ‘This is a tough world, pal, dog eat dog and all that, and I, for one, am not going to be left behind!'

An egoist

2.       The height of conceit

'Now, let's see. Have you heard about all the money I'm making? Did I tell you about my latest amorous conquest? Let me give you my opinion — I know, because I'm an expert at practically everything!’ You are boastful to the point of being obnoxious – you have only one string to your conversational bow, namely, yourself, and on it you play a number of monotonous variations: what you think, what you a=have done, how good you are, how you would solve the problems of the world, etc. ad nauseam

                An egoist

3.       Let me help you

You have discovered the secret of true happiness — concerning yourself with the welfare of others. Never mind your own interests how’s the next fellow getting along?

                                An altruist

4.       Leave me alone

Like a biochemist studying a colony of bacteria under the microscope, you minutely examine your every thought, feeling, and action. Probing futile questions like 'what do other people think of Me?, ‘how do I look?’ and 'Maybe I shouldn't have said that?' are you constant nagging companions, for you are unable to realize that others people do not spend much time and energy analyzing you as you think

You may seem unsocial, yet your greatest desire is to be liked and accepted. You may be shy and quiet, you are often moody and unhappy and you prefer solitude or at most the company of one person to a crowd. You have an aptitude for creative work and are uncomfortable engaging in activities that require cooperation with other people. You may even be a genius, or eventually turn into one.

                                An introvert 

5.       Let’s do it together

You would be great as a teacher, counsellor, administrator, insurance agent. You can always become interested — sincerely, vitally interested – in other people's problems. You're the life of the party, because you never worry about the effect of your actions, never inhibit yourself with doubts about dignity or propriety. You are usually happy, generally full of high spirits; you love to be with people – lots of people. Your thoughts, your interests, your whole personality are turned outwards

                                An extrovert

6.       Neither extreme

You have both introverted and extroverted tendencies - at different times and on different occasions. Your interests are turned, in about equal proportions, both inwards and outwards. Indeed, you're quite normal - in the sense that your personality is like that of most people

                                An ambivert

7.       People are no damn good

Cynical, embittered, suspicious, you hate evelyone. (Especially, but never to be admitted, yourself?) The perfectibility of the human race? 'Nonsense! No way! 'The stupidity, the meanness and the crookedness of most mortals ('Most? Probably all!') - that is your favourite theme.

A misanthrope

8.       Women are no damn good

Sometime in your dim past, you were crossed, scorned, or deeply wounded by a woman (a mother, or mother figure, perhaps?). so now you have a carefully constructed defence against further hurt – you hate all women

                                A misogynist

9.       ‘Marriage is an institution - and who wants to live in an institution?'

You will not make the ultimate legal commitment. Members of the opposite sex are great as lovers, roommates, flat or house-sharers but not as lawfully wedded spouses. The ties that bind are too binding for you. You may possibly believe, and possibly, for yourself, be right, that a commitment is deeper and more meaningful if freedom is available without judicial proceedings.

A misogamist

10.   ………. that the flesh is heir to…..

Self denial, austerity, lonely contemplation - these are the characteristics of the good life, so you claim. The simplest food and the least amount of it that will keep body and soul together, combined with abstinence from fleshly, earthly pleasures, will eventually lead to spiritual perfection - that is your philosophy.

An ascetic

DAY 27

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY

Creating unique market opportunities

A Blue Ocean Strategy is one where the key to success Lies not in competing directly with rivals within a market, but in creating an entirely new market where there are currently no competitors and where the potential for high returns is vast.

Developed by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy involves a change in strategic thinking towards a mindset that challenges existing market boundaries, rewrites the rules of competition, and creates a new, as yet uncontested, market space. The theory outlines two attitudes to competition: Red Oceans and Blue Oceans.

The current marketplace for all products and services is made up of Red Oceans (bloody battlegrounds), where boundaries are clearly defined and companies operate within the boundaries of their accepted Red Ocean markets. Here, the entrenched battleground is one where companies compete to gain extra market share within the current market boundary.

A very different attitude pervades the Blue Oceans. These are areas of deep, uncharted, almost limitless potential where the aim is not to compete on traditional grounds but to develop products and services that create entirely new markets. In essence, it is creating customers that do not yet exist.

At its core, Blue Ocean Strategy believes that it is better to create tomorrow's customers through developing a new market rather than scrabbling around trying to capture existing customers in the current marketplace. There may be many justifications for this approach but, quite simply, the reason seems straightforward: to create a monopoly situation and reap the high rewards before competitors enter the new market.

Value creation

Value is achieved by integrating the utility of the product with its cost and price. It is not a case of choosing between competing through managing costs or product differentiation: it is about pursuing both. It is this that creates the value that appeals across customer groups, drawing them into a new market. Think of this as maximizing the gap between the utility of the product and its price (facilitated by lower costs) - the larger this gap, the higher the value and the more it attracts customers.

Blue Ocean Strategy relies on four main principles:

1.       Challenging existing market boundaries. Reconstruct the marketplace, identifying and creating new markets and customers. The Blue Ocean is a vast place where demand is unrealized - it doesn't yet exist. The aim is to bring this demand into existence.

2.       Keeping focused on the overall picture. Be clear about your goals: what matters and needs to be achieved.

3.       Minimizing risk. Assess current industry standards and decide what can be:

a.       eliminated - things that are not necessary

b.       reduced - things that do not need to be done to a high standard

c.       raised - things that should be done better

d.       created - things that have never been offered before.

4.       Planning careful implementation. You will need to overcome barriers and secure the resources and the support of your people (especially key influencers).

SKILL CAPSULE: ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger management is a term used to describe the skills you need to recognize that you, or someone else, is becoming angry and take appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way.

Anger management does not mean internalizing or suppressing anger.

Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion and, when dealt with appropriately, can even be considered a healthy emotion.  We all feel angry from time to time, yet this feeling can lead us to say or do things that we later regret. Anger can reduce our inhibitions and make us act inappropriately.

Anger management concerns recognizing the triggers for anger as early as possible and expressing these feelings and frustrations in a cool, calm and collected way. 

We often have learnt-behaviors as to how to deal with strong emotions, so anger management is about unlearning ineffective coping mechanisms and re-learning more positive ways to deal with the problems and frustrations associated with anger.

There are many anger management techniques that you can learn and practice by yourself or teach to others. However if you, or someone you know, experiences a lot of regular anger or very strong anger (rage) then seeking help, usually in the form of a counselor, can be more effective.

You should seek professional help if anger is having a long-term negative impact on your relationships, is making you unhappy, or is resulting in any dangerous or violent behavior.

Anger Management: Self-Help Techniques

It is important to recognize when you feel angry or experience feelings that may lead to anger.

You should not try to suppress your anger but instead try to understand it and act in a positive way to alleviate negative aspects of your anger.

Take Regular Exercise and Keep Fit

The hormones that we release when we are angry - mainly cortisol and adrenaline - are similar to those produced when we are stressed to help us to escape from danger. The release of these hormones is an evolutionary trait, useful if you are trying to run away from a mammoth but maybe less important in modern life where, for most of us, such life-threatening situations do not occur regularly.

When you exercise regularly your body learns how to regulate your adrenaline and cortisol levels more effectively.  People who are physically fit have more optimum levels of endorphins; endorphins are hormones that make you feel good and therefore less likely to feel angry.

 

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of life and good quality sleep can help combat many physical, mental and emotional problems, including anger. 

When we sleep, the body and mind rest and rebuild damaged cells and neural pathways.  We all know that people often feel better after a good night’s sleep.  The optimum level of good quality sleep is about 7 hours a night, however everybody is different and you may need more or less than this.

Plan ‘Difficult’ Conversations

If you are worried about having a conversation that may leave you feeling angry then try to take control of the situation.  Make notes beforehand, planning what you want to say in a calm and assertive way.  You are less likely to get side-tracked during your conversation if you can refer to your notes.

 

Solutions Are More Important Than Problems

It can be helpful to identify what made you angry in the first place. However, it is more important to focus on a way to resolve problems so that they don’t arise again in the future.

Express Yourself

Wait until you have calmed down from your anger and then express yourself in a calm and collected way. You need to be assertive without being aggressive.

Don't Hold Grudges

We all need to accept that everybody is different and that we cannot control the feelings, beliefs or behaviours of others.

Try to be realistic and accept that people are the way they are, not how we would like them to be.  Being resentful or holding a grudge against somebody will increase your anger and make it more difficult to control. You cannot change how other people behave or think but you can change how you deal with others but working on a positive attitude.

Pick Your Time

Avoid conversations that may make you angry when you are feeling tired, distracted or stressed.  We are more likely to feel and behave in an angry way when there are other worries on our minds.

Humour

It is easy to use inappropriate sarcasm when angry; resist the temptation to do this and instead work on introducing some good humour into potentially difficult conversations.  If you can introduce some humour then resentment will be reduced and your mood lifted.

The simple act of laughing can go along way to reduce anger, especially over the longer term.

 

Breathe Slowly and Relax

Try to reverse the physical symptoms of anger by practising some simple breathing exercises. 

Breathing exercises can help you to relax and slow your heart rate to more normal levels. 

When you start to feel tense and angry, try to isolate yourself for 15 minutes and concentrate on relaxing and calm, steady breathing:

• Inhale and exhale deeply 3 or 4 times in a row.

• Count slowly to four as you inhale.

• Count slowly to eight as you exhale.

• Focus on feeling the air move in and out of your lungs.

• Concentrate and feel your ribs slowly rise and fall as you repeat the exercise.

Stop and revert to normal breathing if you start to feel dizzy at any time.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BASIC RULES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING

  Don’t lecture ---Speak to people around you

  Your eyes should move from eye to eye

  But don’t get distracted

  Speak deliberately

  Speak slowly

  Use language most familiar to you

  No harm in mixing languages

  Give examples

  Ask Questions to the class, ask if understood, indicate 3 to 5 individuals, Help them answer, Help rephrase their answers, Compile over all view, add your inputs,

  Have list of points

  Don’t try to read out

  How to handle a Question from the audience – throw back – ask opinion- encourage response and discussions – compile agreements, moderate discussions

  Pointers

  Bullet points & read them out, explain diagrams,

  Give reason for conclusions

  Never snub a person

  Intervene in cross discussions

  Allow only one person to talk

  Hands and mannerisms

  Avoid embarrassing  situations

DAY 28

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: BENCHMARKING

Measuring performance

Benchmarking establishes standards against which performance can be measured. It is used to assess performance and to set targets across a range of business activities.

Overview

The purpose of benchmarking is to improve efficiency and quality, to determine and promote best practice, to maintain competitiveness and to focus people on the need for change and improvement. Carol McNair and Kathleen Leibfried divide benchmarking into four categories as shown in this table:

Category Aim

Internal Using internal measures to match or surpass current performance, ensure consistent standards throughout the company, eliminate waste and improve operations

Competitive Using competitors' standards to set targets that match or improve upon their performance

Industry Setting benchmarks that are industry standards

Best-in-class To match or surpass the standards of the best companies in any industry or country

Setting benchmarks

The data should be free from bias or vested interests. Using an external company to gather evidence and measure standards will help to maintain impartiality.

Successful benchmarking needs everyone to be 'on the same page' and to understand the process. People need to be clear about what is being measured and what, and it is important to give people the time and resources they need.

While targets need to be realistic and achievable, they also need to ensure that standards are maintained and consistent throughout a company and they should seek to continually improve upon performance. To do this, it is necessary to look at both internal and external evidence.

Benchmarking is a continual process that needs to adapt quickly to changes - it is no use measuring activities that are no longer relevant or failing to measure activities that are now more significant. To do this effectively, as well as assessing internal operations, you need a keen awareness of your customers, competitors and companies in other sectors. This ensures that benchmarking is focused on the issues that matter now rather than reflecting the past, and is not blinkered by a narrow, internal focus that risks delivering more of the same.

By enabling you to know what competitors are doing and what the most innovative, high-performing companies in other industries are achieving, benchmarking will help to maintain your company's competitiveness.

SKILL CAPSULE: NETWORKING SKILL

Networking is “using the personal relationships people have with one another to increase your exposure to information and opportunity”

Building your network

•       Current network – you already have one!

•          friends, family, lecturers            

•          contacts from voluntary work, societies/clubs              

•          Part-time work, internships voluntary work

•       Expand your network by:

•          Attending careers fairs, employer presentations, conferences

•          Alumni services (Exepert scheme)

•          Ask people you know for other contacts

•          Join professional associations (student membership)

•          Study abroad

•          Online networking

What happens if I Google you?

•       First impressions count – even online!

•       45% of employers use social networks to screen job candidates

•       35% of employers did not offer a job based on a candidate’s content uncovered on a social networking site

•       Facebook, LinkedIn and My Space are targets

•       Provocative photos / references to drinking and drug use are cited  by employers as ‘red flags’

•       Bad mouthing previous employers/colleagues and poor online communication skills also a problem

So…

•       Lock down your Facebook account!

•       Choose and accept your friends wisely

•       Be careful what you post

•       What does your online behaviour / presence say about you?

Linked in

•       Gain access to experts & network

•       Investigate career paths of others

•       Join relevant ‘communities of interest’

•       Search & enquire about jobs

Benefits

The Society You

•       People

•       Competitors

•       Promotion

•       Connections

•       Experience •       Presentation

•       Confidence

•       Communication

•       Relationship-management

What can you do?

•       Go to other society meetings,

•       Society standing

•       Joint events

•       Socials

•       Organise forums/focus groups

Summary

•       70% job vacancies filled by recommendation or referral

•       The wider your network, more likely you are to find the right connections

•       Reach out to personal networks

•       Volunteer, get involved to meet new people

•       Keep your contacts informed – your 1st job won’t be your last (long term process)

‘No man is an island’

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (TYPES OF LETTERS)

Letters are brief messages sent to recipients that are often outside the organization. They are often printed on letterhead paper, and represent the business or organization in one or two pages. Shorter messages may include e-mails or memos, either hard copy or electronic, while reports tend to be three or more pages in length. While e-mail and text messages may be used more frequently today, the effective business letter remains a common form of written communication. It can serve to introduce you to a potential employer, announce a product or service, or even serve to communicate feelings and emotions. We’ll examine the basic outline of a letter and then focus on specific products or writing assignments. All writing assignments have expectations in terms of language and format. The audience or reader may have their own idea of what constitutes a specific type of letter, and your organization may have its own format and requirements. This chapter outlines common elements across letters, and attention should be directed to the expectations associated with your particular writing assignment. There are many types of letters, and many adaptations in terms of form and content, but in this chapter, we discuss the fifteen elements of a traditional block-style letter. Letters may serve to introduce your skills and qualifications to prospective employers, deliver important or specific information, or serve as documentation of an event or decision. Regardless of the type of letter you need to write, it can contain up to fifteen elements in five areas.

Inquiry Letters

An inquiry letter asks for information about a product, service, or procedure. Businesses frequently exchange inquiry letters, and customers frequently send them to businesses. Three basic rules for an effective inquiry letter are to state exactly what information you want, indicate clearly why you must have this information, and specify exactly when you must have it.

Special Request Letters

Special request letters make a special demand, not a routine inquiry. The way you present your request is crucial, since your reader is not obliged to give you anything. When asking for information in a special request letter, state who you are, why you are writing, precisely what information you need, and exactly when you need the information (allow sufficient time). If you are asking for information to include in a report or other document, offer to forward a copy of the finished document as a courtesy. State that you will keep the information confidential, if that is appropriate. Finally, thank the recipient for helping you.

Sales Letters

A sales letter is written to persuade the reader to buy a product, try a service, support a cause, or participate in an activity. No matter what profession you are in, writing sales letters is a valuable skill. To write an effective sales letter, follow these guidelines: (1) Identify and limit your audience. (2) Use reader psychology. Appeal to readers' emotions, pocketbook, comfort, and so on by focusing on the right issues. (3) Don't boast or be a bore. Don't gush about your company or make elaborate explanations about a product. (4) Use words that appeal to readers' senses. (5) Be ethical.The "four A's" of sales letters are attention, appeal, application, and action. First, get the reader's attention. Next, highlight your product's appeal. Then, show the reader the product's application. Finally, end with a specific request for action.In the first part of your sales letter, get the reader's attention by asking a question, using a "how to" statement, complimenting the reader, offering a free gift, introducing a comparison, or announcing a change. In the second part, highlight your product's allure by appealing to the reader's intellect, emotions, or both. Don't lose the momentum you have gained with your introduction by boring the reader with petty details, flat descriptions, elaborate inventories, or trivial boasts. In the third part of your sales letter, supply evidence of the value of what you are selling. Focus on the prospective customer, not on your company. Mention the cost of your product or service, if necessary, by relating it to the benefits to the customer. In the final section, tell readers exactly what you want them to do, and by what time. "Respond and be rewarded" is the basic message of the last section of a sales letter.

Customer Relations Letters

These deal with establishing and maintaining good working relationships. They deliver good news or bad news, acceptances or refusals. If you are writing an acceptance letter, use the direct approach-tell readers the good news up front. If you are writing a refusal letter, do not open the letter with your bad news; be indirect.

Follow-up Letters. A follow-up letter is sent to thank a customer for buying a product or service and to encourage the customer to buy more in the future. As such it is a combination thank-you note and sales letter. Begin with a brief expression of gratitude. Next, discuss the benefits already known to the customer, and stress the company's dedication to its customers. Then extend this discussion into a new or continuing sales area, and end with a specific request for future business.

Complaint Letters. These require delicacy. The right tone will increase your chances of getting what you want. Adopt the "you" attitude. Begin with a detailed description of the product or service you are complaining about. Include the model and serial numbers, size, quantity , and color. Next, state exactly what is wrong with the product or service. Briefly describe the inconvenience you have experienced. Indicate precisely what you want done (you want your money back, you want a new model, you want an apology, and so on). Finally, ask for prompt handling of your claim.

Adjustment Letters. Adjustment letters respond to complaint letters. For an adjustment letter that tells the customer "Yes," start with your good news. Admit immediately that the complaint was justified. State precisely what you are going to do to correct the problem. Offer an explanation for the inconvenience the customer suffered. End on a friendly, positive note. For adjustment letters that deny a claim, avoid blaming or scolding the customer. Thank the customer for writing. Stress that you understand the complaint. Provide a factual explanation to show customers they're being treated fairly. Give your decision without hedging or apologizing. (Indecision will infuriate customers who believe they have presented a convincing case.) Leave the door open for better and continued business in the future.

Refusal of Credit Letters. Begin on a positive note. Express gratitude for the applicant for wanting to do business with you. Cite appropriate reasons for refusing to grant the customer credit: lack of business experience or prior credit, current unfavorable or unstable financial conditions, and so on. End on a positive note. Encourage the reader to reapply later when his or her circumstances have changed.

DAY 29

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Managing your product portfolio

From development and launch, through its peak to eventual decline, a product's life cycle determines the strategy needed to optimize its return at each stage and to develop further products to ensure ongoing profit-ability and competitiveness.

Although not an exact science, the duration of each stage varies according to the product and the markets involved. Some life cycles are obviously shorter than others - such as technology products. With very short life cycles, it is essential to maximize returns as quickly as possible and to be continually developing the next products. A long-lasting branded product, despite undergoing many life cycles, enjoys continuity from its brand name. Companies, however, still have to manage the life cycles of such branded products - planning the next improvement and managing the replacement of the current version.

There are five stages in the product life cycle:

1.       Development - this includes entirely new products and changes or improvements to existing products

2.       Introduction - at this stage, costs can be high relative to revenue

3.       Growth - revenue rises and offsets costs

4.       Maturity - growth slows and competition rises

5.       Decline - sales decline due to increased competition or changing customer preferences

The following describes tactics appropriate to each stage:

Development

Development can be very costly, with unexpected delays, so cash-flow issues are paramount. Researching what customers are looking for and testing prototypes with potential customers will help you develop the right products with fewer glitches - as well as promoting a ready-made pool of customers. Importantly, product development is an ongoing process, ensuring that new products or improvements to existing products are ready to replace current products.

Introduction

Getting the launch right is essential. Raising product awareness quickly requires promotional and advertising investment - depending on the nature of the product, targeting early adopters can be useful at this stage. An aggressive pricing strategy can achieve fast market penetration - although this will depend on the brand's attributes. You could also consider minimizing distribution costs by limiting the availability of the product.

Growth

In the face of more competition, but still with considerable potential revenue and falling unit costs, strategy needs to focus on outcompeting rivals, delivering extra value to customers and increasing market share. Further promotional offers, marketing and advertising campaigns, attractive prices and promoting the product's brand will strengthen your position.

Maturity

Given the influx of competitors, a company is faced with several strategic options to strengthen its market share, including: product differentiation, entering new markets, attracting rivals' customers, a price war, and reducing costs to maintain competitive pricing and profitability. It is important at this stage to monitor the financial situation and the viability of the different options.

Decline

With falling sales and reduced margins, any plans and further investment should be considered carefully. Reducing the available options for the product and reducing the number of markets the product is offered in will re-duce costs. Catering to your core customers to cement their loyalty can also boost profits at this stage. Other tactics to extend the life of a product include product extensions and entering previously untapped markets.

SKILL CAPSULE: ACCOUNTABILITY AT WORK PLACE

What is Accountability in the Workplace?

The employee accountability definition is the responsibility of employees to complete the tasks they are assigned, to perform the duties required by their job, and to be present for their proper shifts in order to fulfill or further the goals of the organization. If tasks are not completed and functions of the job are not performed properly, then that employee will also be responsible for dealing with the repercussions.

 

Examples of Accountability in the Workplace:

• Employees being present for their entire required shift

• Employees completing any tasks that have been designated to them

• Employees being responsible for the specific duties that go along with their job

• Employees being consistent in doing the right thing in all aspects pertaining to their job

• Employees working together towards a common goal for the busines

 

Why is Workplace Accountability Important?

Accountability at work is important to a business’s success as a whole. Every employee, no matter what level of seniority is equally responsible for aiding in the success of the company. In order to achieve the goals of the company, long and short term, it is important that all people within the company work together and share accountability. Employees who work together towards the same overall goal help their workplace to become more accountable, in turn make the business more productive and efficient.

 

How to Increase Employee Accountability at Work

Biometric Devices – such as fingerprint and retinal scanners, allow an employee to clock-in and out for their shifts at work through one of their physical traits. For an employee to be held accountable for their shift, they will have to be present at work in order to sign in/out. Since these devices require the use of an individual’s physical characteristics, it ensures that each employee that is present will be accounted for. Biometric devices also help to eliminate employee time theft or “buddy punching”.

Time and Attendance Software – When you pair biometric devices with a time and attendance software, it allows for much more efficient attendance processing. Once an employee clocks-in for a shift, the information is recorded into the device, and can then be uploaded onto the time and attendance software allowing for accurate tracking of employee attendance. More employees will be accountable for their shifts with more accurate tracking and fewer attendance errors.

SMART Goals – A great way to foster accountability in the workplace is to have your employees set SMART goals for themselves. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and time-bound. Having goals that meet these criteria will allow your employees to feel more able in the work they are doing. It is a way for them to measure their own productivity.

Team Incentive Programs: Team incentive programs will allow employees to motivate themselves to reach their highest accountability and potential. Your employees will work together towards completing common goals, and will be compensated for going above and beyond the goals set out for them.

Prioritization: One reason why employee accountability dwindles, is because employees struggle to balance tasks and goals and eventually become overwhelmed and unable to complete their tasks on time. As a manager of a business, it is important to help your employees prioritize their responsibilities in relation to your company’s overall goals. Helping to prioritize will allow your employees to feel more organized and competent in the tasks they are assigned.

Monitor Progress: Monitoring your employees’ progress will help motivate them to be more productive and accountable. It is only natural that when we know someone is watching our progress that we will try to perform to our best abilities. Along with monitoring employee progress, it is equally important to share progress reports with them so they may learn what areas need more attention and what areas they are excelling in.

Personal Accountability in the Workplace

Personal accountability at work can encompass everything from employees being accountable for themselves, making themselves indispensable, to managers and people in leadership roles showing personal accountability in order to foster an environment of accountability in the office with their employees. If you are not in a management role, demonstrating accountability at work will prove that you are a valuable asset to the company and it will make you an indispensable commodity.

If you are a manager or in a management position, displaying personal accountability will help build a culture of accountability in your company. Your employees will watch as you create an acceptance and understanding of accountability, and will more than likely follow your actions. Knowing that personal accountability is something that even the management is responsible for will help employees feel balanced and bonded through that shared responsibility.

COMMUNICATION CAPSULE: GENERAL COMMUNICATION MANNERS

What to do when you see RSVP on an invitation:

RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".  When you see this on an invitation, it means you should respond to it. Responding to an invitation is polite because it lets people know how many people to expect and how much they will need to serve. 

Listen when someone is talking to you. Show interest.   Listening is a very important part of communication. Whether you are sending or receiving a message, make sure you do your job well.    Think about what you want to say, and then say it.  We avoid errors in language and messages when we think about what we want to say in advance. This is an easy technique that will help you to send clear messages. 

“If you start a conversation with the assumption that you are right or that you must win, obviously it is difficult to talk.” ~Wendell Berry

Conversation DO'S

• Look at the person or people you are talking to

• If you haven't met before, introduce yourself and ask their name

• Use a person's name when talking to them

• Ask questions when you don't understand something

• Stick to the subject

• Say nice things about people and praise those who deserve it

• It's fine to disagree, but disagree politely

 

Conversation DON'TS

• Don't fidget, look elsewhere, or wander off while someone else is talking

• Don't listen in on conversations you aren't part of

• Don't interrupt when someone else is talking

• Don't whisper in front of another person

• Don't whine, tattletale, brag, or say mean things about others

• Don't ask personal questions such as how much things cost or why someone looks or dresses the way they do

• Don't point or stare

• Don't argue about things that aren't important

 

Some Magic Words to Being Polite

• "Thank You"

• "Please"

• "May I ... "

• "Excuse Me"

• "I'm Sorry"

DAY 30

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SYSTEMS THINKING

Building better companies

A company is a collection of systems, and systems within systems. These all need to operate individually and collectively, to drive the business forward. A company's systems need to work with strategy, and they need to be open, adaptive and understood.

Traditional approaches to strategy have emphasized the mechanics of how things work. This can result in too much complexity and 'over-engineering', with processes and systems being overly focused on the present, unable to adapt and failing to win people over. The fundamental flaw is setting a predetermined solution at the start of any redesign, which then influences subsequent thinking, narrowing views and ambitions, and misses better options. Often, the result of re-engineering is an expensive disappointment.

In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge revolutionized business re-engineering by arguing that solutions should be considered only after fully understanding the relationships within and between systems (including the behaviours involved) and examining all related problems and issues. Essentially: go back to basics, look deeper and search further, before you start thinking about solutions. Such open systems thinking builds teams, promotes creativity and develops new approaches. It works with the company's long-term strategy, enabling adaptability and continual improvement. It is not the easiest approach: it is time-consuming and mentally demanding and generates an overwhelming number of questions. It works best when the right culture and mindset exist.

There are seven steps to successful systems thinking:

1.      Explore the situation

Gather the information you need without making judgments or looking for causes and effects. At this stage, do two things:

•         Cast your net wide, collating as much information as possible.

•         Be objective and detached (see things as they are, without an agenda).

2.      Describe the system

To understand what you are dealing with, list and describe the things that have happened - including the culture, people and atmosphere. Identify, date and examine trends and patterns. Position each factor on a diagram to show the relationships that exist between them. This highlights how aspects work together and reveals negative and positive feedback loops to enable you to analyze the systems in more depth later.

3.      Build models

Mathematical and IT tools are useful but they will take you only so far because systems need to be considered as they really function if they are to be understood and improved.

4.      Compare your model to what is actually happening

Check your model against reality to see whether it fits and whether you have understood it correctly or have missed something.

5.      Identify potential improvements

Once you have confirmed that your model is an accurate representation of what is happening, explore ways in which the system can be improved.

6.      Implement your improvements

Monitor changes and identify any further improvements that could be made. It is essential to win people over - successful change depends on people's willingness to work positively with the new systems.

7.      Repeat the process

Systems thinking is a continuous activity; companies need to adapt to change and to take advantage of new opportunities.

SKILL CAPSULE: PARTY ETIQUETTE

A guest's good manners (or party etiquette) includes knowing how to start a conversation — and how to participate in one. Knowing how to mingle with people at a party or other social function is the mark of a gracious guest who's always invited back. Understanding the basic principles of party etiquette can help you socialize better at any gathering, whether the social occasion is a dinner party or an office event.

 A good conversationalist knows how to be patient and not interrupt; be a good listener. And you need to think about what someone is asking and respond appropriately, just as you need to think about what you want to say and say it clearly.

Not everyone is a social butterfly by nature, but don't shy away from conversation just because this form of communication isn't innate. With the following party etiquette tips and a dose of confidence, you can be mixing and mingling in no time:

•         Think about other people and care about them. If you're shy or quiet, learn how to open up to others and not always wait for them to draw you into a conversation. If you're an extrovert and extremely outgoing, you may need to rein in your enthusiasm and let other people have the floor.

•         Act as if you're a host, not a guest. Reach out to people standing by themselves, the white-knuckle drinkers, or those that look obviously uncomfortable. Introduce people to each other. Be helpful, kind, and genuine. Don't be afraid to approach people. Strangers are merely friends you haven't met yet. If you focus on the other person's comfort, you can lose your own self-consciousness.

•         Be pleasant, cheerful, and upbeat when mingling, no matter what your mood. If you've had a bad day, don't rain on anyone else's parade by talking about your negative experience — unless, of course, you want to be left standing alone. And when ending a conversation, say that you enjoyed talking with the person or that it was a pleasure meeting her.

•         Listen more than you talk. You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion. Nothing is more flattering than someone who listens carefully and shows sincere interest in other people.

•         Know how to gracefully end conversations. It is perfectly fine to simply say, "Excuse me, it has been nice meeting you" or "I've enjoyed our conversation." Then visibly move to some other part of the room.

•         Avoid making negative comments on the room, the food, the guests or your host. In any social situation, making negative comments, especially when you're a guest in someone's home, is rude. You never know if another guest can overhear your comments. And, quite often, the person holding the party delegates the actual planning and details to someone else, and you could be speaking with someone that helped with the event.

Basic party etiquette for guests insists that you be mindful of the host or other party planner's feelings.

•         To engage a stranger into a conversation, find a shared interest. Some common topics of interest include: travel, children or pets (if you both have them), hobbies, current news topics (preferably nothing controversial), sports, careers, films, and books.

•         Avoid any type of talk regarding physical injuries, sickness, accidents, or off-color language or jokes. Also, commenting on the host's home, décor, or food; spreading offensive gossip; or bringing up controversial subjects that could make others uncomfortable or angry is a bad idea.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A COMMUNICATOR

Whenever you speak or write in a business environment, you have certain responsibilities to your audience, your employer, and your profession. Your audience comes to you with an inherent set of expectations that you will fulfill these responsibilities. The specific expectations may change given the context or environment, but two central ideas will remain: be prepared, and be ethical.

Communicator Is Prepared

As the business communicator’s first responsibility, preparation includes several facets which we will examine: organization, clarity, and being concise and punctual. Being prepared means that you have selected a topic appropriate to your audience, gathered enough information to cover the topic well, put your information into a logical sequence, and considered how best to present it. If your communication is a written one, you have written an outline and at least one rough draft, read it over to improve your writing and correct errors, and sought feedback where appropriate. If your communication is oral, you have practiced several times before your actual performance.

The Prepared Communicator Is Organized

Part of being prepared is being organized. Aristotle called this logos, or logic, and it involves the steps or points that lead your communication to a conclusion. Once you’ve invested time in researching your topic, you will want to narrow your focus to a few key points and consider how you’ll present them. On any given topic there is a wealth of information; your job is to narrow that content down to a manageable level, serving the role of gatekeeper by selecting some information and “de-selecting,” or choosing to not include other points or ideas. You also need to consider how to link your main points together for your audience. Use transitions to provide signposts or cues for your audience to follow along. “Now that we’ve examined X, let’s consider Y” is a transitional statement that provides a cue that you are moving from topic to topic. Your listeners or readers will appreciate your being well organized so that they can follow your message from point to point.

The Prepared Communicator Is Clear

Interestingly, clarity begins with intrapersonal communication: you need to have a clear idea in your mind of what you want to say before you can say it clearly to someone else. At the interpersonal level, clarity involves considering your audience, as you will want to choose words and phrases they understand and avoid jargon or slang that may be unfamiliar to them. Clarity also involves presentation. A brilliant message scrawled in illegible handwriting, or in pale gray type on gray paper, will not be clear. When it comes to oral communication, if you mumble your words, speak too quickly or use a monotonous tone of voice, or stumble over certain words or phrases, the clarity of your presentation will suffer.

The Prepared Communicator Is Concise and Punctual

It may be tempting to show how much you know by incorporating additional information into your document or speech, but in so doing you run the risk of boring, confusing, or overloading your audience. Talking in circles or indulging in tangents, where you get off topic or go too deep, can hinder an audience’s ability to grasp your message. Be to the point and concise in your choice of words, organization, and even visual aids. There is one possible exception to this principle. Many non-Western cultures prefer a less direct approach, where business communication often begins with social or general comments that a U.S. audience might consider unnecessary. Some cultures also have a less strict interpretation of time schedules and punctuality. While it is important to recognize that different cultures have different expectations, the general rule holds true that good business communication does not waste words or time.

Communicator Is Ethical

Communication can move communities, influence cultures, and change history. It can motivate people to take stand, consider an argument, or purchase a product. The degree to which you consider both the common good and fundamental principles you hold to be true when crafting your message directly relates to how your message will affect others.

The Ethical Communicator Is Egalitarian

The word “egalitarian” comes from the root “equal.” To be egalitarian is to believe in basic equality: that all people should share equally in the benefits and burdens of a society. It means that everyone is entitled to the same respect, expectations, access to information, and rewards of participation in a group. To communicate in an egalitarian manner, speak and write in a way that is comprehensible and relevant to all your listeners or readers, not just those who are “like you” in terms of age, gender, race or ethnicity, or other characteristics. In business, you will often communicate to people with certain professional qualifications. For example, you may draft a memo addressed to all the nurses in a certain hospital, or give a speech to all the adjusters in a certain branch of an insurance company. Being egalitarian does not mean you have to avoid professional terminology that is understood by nurses or insurance adjusters. But it does mean that your hospital letter should be worded for all the hospital’s nurses—not just female nurses, not just nurses working directly with patients, not just nurses under age fifty-five. An egalitarian communicator seeks to unify the audience by using ideas and language that are appropriate for all the message’s readers or listeners.

The Ethical Communicator Is Respectful

People are influenced by emotions as well as logic. Aristotle named pathos, or passion, enthusiasm and energy, as the third of his three important parts of communicating afterlogos and ethos. However, the ethical communicator will be passionate and enthusiastic without being disrespectful. Losing one’s temper and being abusive are generally regarded as showing a lack of professionalism (and could even involve legal consequences for you or your employer). When you disagree strongly with a coworker, feel deeply annoyed with a difficult customer, or find serious fault with a competitor’s product, it is important to express such sentiments respectfully. For example, instead of telling a customer, “I’ve had it with your complaints!” a respectful business communicator might say, “I’m having trouble seeing how I can fix this situation. Would you explain to me what you want to see happen?”

The Ethical Communicator Is Trustworthy

Trust is a key component in communication, and this is especially true in business. As a consumer, would you choose to buy merchandise from a company you did not trust? If you were an employer, would you hire someone you did not trust? Your goal as a communicator is to build a healthy relationship with your audience, and to do that you must show them why they can trust you and why the information you are about to give them is believable. One way to do this is to begin your message by providing some information about your qualifications and background, your interest in the topic, or your reasons for communicating at this particular time.

Being worthy of trust is something you earn with an audience. Many wise people have observed that trust is hard to build but easy to lose. A communicator may not know something and still be trustworthy, but it’s a violation of trust to pretend you know something when you don’t. Communicate what you know, and if you don’t know something, research it before you speak or write. If you are asked a question to which you don’t know the answer, say “I don’t know the answer but I will research it and get back to you” (and then make sure you follow through later). This will go over much better with the audience than trying to cover by stumbling through an answer or portraying yourself as knowledgeable on an issue that you are not.

The “Golden Rule”

When in doubt, remember the “golden rule,” which says to treat others the way you would like to be treated. In all its many forms, the golden rule incorporates human kindness, cooperation, and reciprocity across cultures, languages, backgrounds and interests. Regardless of where you travel, who you communicate with, or what your audience is like, remember how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of your communication, and act accordingly.

DAY 31

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MARKET BARRIERS

Protecting your profits

Market exit and entry barriers have both positive and negative effects on profit, depending on your company's position and on the impact the barriers have on your competitors. A key aspect of awareness of market barriers is that they increase our focus on external issues. In short, it forces us to look up and see the business horizon in much greater detail.

Overview

The word 'barrier' is slightly misleading. While barriers will certainly make you do your sums, consider the ramifications and prepare contingency plans, they also deter your competitors. And that is the point: use barriers to your advantage. Your strategy must include careful calculations about the costs involved and you must balance these against the revenue and market dominance potential, but it should also look for how to exploit barriers to your advantage.

The matrix below summarizes the impact of barriers to entry and exit on profitability.

Low entry barriers Returns: stable

Profit: low Returns: at risk

Profit: low

High entry barriers Returns: stable

Profit: high Returns: at risk

Profit: high

Low exit barriers High exit barriers

Entry barriers

There are many barriers to entry, including:

•         the high cost of capital

•         other companies owning patents and proprietary technology

•         high research and development costs of developing necessary products

•         expensive technology

•         existing companies enjoying economies of scale that you can't afford to match

•         a restricted number of government licences

•         the expense of (or lack of access to) effective distribution channels

•         Your product not being different enough from market leaders.

Exit barriers

There are many exit barriers, including:

•         high fixed costs

•         few buyers for your expensive, specialized equipment

•         contractual salary, redundancy and pension commitments

•         legal regulations

•         outstanding contractual obligations

•         being tied to other companies

•         risk to brand image.

Not only do you need to understand all the costs, legalities and brand issues, you need to understand how barriers work: how they affect you and, importantly, how they will affect your current and potential competitors. Do this and you will determine the business strategy that is right for your company.

For example, the ideal scenario for an established company is to have high entry barriers and low exit barriers. The reasons are self-evident: high entry barriers deter others from entering the market you are already operating in; low exit barriers will not cause you a problem should you decide to change course.

A much less favourable scenario is having low entry barriers but high exit barriers. Obviously, with low entry barriers, competitors can flood into the market. Unfortunately, the high exit barriers will make it difficult and ex-pensive to leave the market, restricting your strategic options in the future.

SKILL CAPSULE: EMPATHY

Empathy is, at its simplest, awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is a key element of Emotional Intelligence, the link between self and others, because it is how we as individuals understand what others are experiencing as if we were feeling it ourselves.

Empathy goes far beyond sympathy, which might be considered ‘feeling for’ someone. Empathy, instead, is ‘feeling with’ that person, through the use of imagination.

Some Definitions of Empathy

Empathy n. the power of entering into another’s personality and imaginatively experiencing his experiences.

Chambers English Dictionary, 1989 edition

"[Empathy is] awareness of others’ feelings, needs and concerns."

Daniel Goleman, in Working with Emotional Intelligence

"I call him religious who understands the suffering of others."

Mahatma Gandhi

"Empathy is intuitive, but is also something you can work on, intellectually."

Tim Minchin

Daniel Goleman, author of the book Emotional Intelligence, says that empathy is basically the ability to understand others’ emotions. He also, however, notes that at a deeper level, it is about defining, understanding, and reacting to the concerns and needs that underlie others’ emotional responses and reactions.

As Tim Minchin noted, empathy is a skill that can be developed and, as with most interpersonal skills, empathising (at some level) comes naturally to most people.

Elements of Empathy

Daniel Goleman identified five key elements of empathy.

1. Understanding Others

2. Developing Others

3. Having a Service Orientation

4. Leveraging Diversity

5. Political Awareness

1. Understanding Others

This is perhaps what most people understand by ‘empathy’: in Goleman’s words, “sensing others’ feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns”. Those who do this:

•         Tune into emotional cues. They listen well, and also pay attention to non-verbal communication, picking up subtle cues almost subconsciously.

Show sensitivity, and understand others’ perspectives.

Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins. - American Indian proverb

• Are able to help other people based on their understanding of those people’s needs and feelings.

All these are skills which can be developed, but only if you wish to do so. Some people may switch off their emotional antennae to avoid being swamped by the feelings of others.

For example, there have been a number of scandals in the National Health Service in the UK where nurses and doctors have been accused of not caring about patients. It may be that they were so over-exposed to patients’ needs, without suitable support, that they shut themselves off, for fear of being unable to cope.

2. Developing Others

Developing others means acting on their needs and concerns, and helping them to develop to their full potential. People with skills in this area usually:

• Reward and praise people for their strengths and accomplishments, and provide constructive feedback designed to focus on how to improve.

• Provide mentoring and coaching to help others to develop to their full potential.

• Provide stretching assignments that will help their teams to develop

1.      Having a Service Orientation

Primarily aimed at work situations, having a service orientation means putting the needs of customers first and looking for ways to improve their satisfaction and loyalty.

People who have this approach will ‘go the extra mile’ for customers. They will genuinely understand customers’ needs, and go out of their way to help meet them.

In this way, they can become a ‘trusted advisor’ to customers, developing a long-term relationship between customer and organisation. This can happen in any industry, and any situation.

There are many non-work situations which require us to help others in some way, where putting their needs centre-stage may enable us to see the situation differently and perhaps offer more useful support and assistance.

2.      Leveraging Diversity

Leveraging diversity means being able to create and develop opportunities through different kinds of people, recognizing and celebrating that we all bring something different to the table.

Leveraging diversity does not mean that you treat everyone in exactly the same way, but that you tailor the way you interact with others to fit with their needs and feelings.

People with this skill respect and relate well to everyone, regardless of their background. As a general rule, they see diversity as an opportunity, understanding that diverse teams work much better than teams that are more homogenous.

People who are good at leveraging diversity also challenge intolerance, bias and stereotyping when they see it, creating an atmosphere that is respectful towards everyone.

5. Political Awareness

Many people view ‘political’ skills as manipulative, but in its best sense, ‘political’ means sensing and responding to a group’s emotional undercurrents and power relationships.

Political awareness can help individuals to navigate organizational relationships effectively, allowing them to achieve where others may previously have failed.

Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion

There is an important distinction between empathy, sympathy and compassion.

Both compassion and sympathy are about feeling for someone: seeing their distress and realizing that they are suffering. Compassion has taken on an element of action that is lacking in sympathy, but the root of the words is the same.

Empathy, by contrast, is about experiencing those feelings for yourself, as if you were that person, through the power of imagination.

Three Types of Empathy

Psychologists have identified three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy and compassionate empathy.

• Cognitive empathy is understanding someone’s thoughts and emotions, in a very rational, rather than emotional sense.

• Emotional empathy is also known as emotional contagion, and is ‘catching’ someone else’s feelings, so that you literally feel them too.

• Compassionate empathy is understanding someone’s feelings, and taking appropriate action to help.

Towards Empathy

It may not always be easy, or even possible, to empathize with others but, through good people skills and some imagination, we can work towards more empathetic feelings. 

Research has suggested that individuals who can empathize enjoy better relationships with others and greater well-being through life.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EYE TO EYE CONTACT IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

Eye contact

Lock eye contact with one person when making a point. Look at people in each quadrant of the room, doing this to people in various parts of the audience, not just the front. Hold the gaze briefly before moving on. 

10 Reasons Eye Contact Is Everything in Public Speaking

1. Focusing your eyes helps you concentrate. When your eyes wander, they take in random, extraneous images that are sent to your brain, slowing it down.

2. When you fail to make eye contact with your listeners, you look less authoritative, less believable, and less confident.

3. When you don't look people in the eye, they are less likely to look at you. And when they stop looking at you, they start thinking about something other than what you're saying, and when that happens, they stop listening.

4. When you look someone in the eye, he or she is more likely to look at you, more likely to listen to you, and more likely to buy you and your message.

5. When you look a person in the eye, you communicate confidence and belief in your point of view. One of the most powerful means of communicating confidence and conviction is sustained, focused eye contact.

6. Sustained, focused eye contact makes you feel more confident and act more assertively. It may feel weird at first, but when you practice, it becomes a habit that gives you power.

7. When your listeners see your eyes scanning their faces, they feel invited to engage with you. They feel encouraged to signal to you how they feel about what you're saying--with nods, frowns, or skeptical raisings of their eyebrows.

8. As a result, your listeners are transformed from passive receivers to active participants. Your monologue takes the form of a dialogue, albeit one in which you speak words while they speak with gestures and facial expressions. Your speech or presentation is suddenly a conversation.

9. However, to have a successful dialogue with your audience, you must respond to what your listeners are signaling. So, for instance, when you see skepticism, you might say, "I know it seems hard to believe, but I promise you, the investment makes sense. The data bears it out."

10. Finally, when you look someone in the eye for three to five seconds, you will naturally slow down your speech, which will make you sound more presidential. In fact, you will find that you are able to pause, which is one practice that has helped President Obama become a powerful and effective orator.

Looking into the eyes of others may make you feel as if you are staring at them, but you are not doing any such thing. You are simultaneously being assertive and empathetic, because you are asserting your opinion and then watching their faces to understand their response.

With practice, you will master this important skill and turn it into a behavior that will serve you well in all areas of your life.

DAY 32

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SIX PS OF STRATEGIC THINKING

Following the right path

Strategy is an overused word, but it simply means moving from where you are now to where you want to be. The Six Ps framework helps to guide thinking when developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing strategy,

Overview

Business strategy is a total activity, with every part of the organization connected and working together successfully. Because of this, some of the best-laid plans can go awry or fail to achieve their potential because of simple oversights or by a failure to properly explore an issue. The Six Ps highlight how all aspects of a business must work together, and how shortcomings in one part will affect other aspects of your strategy.

Using the Six Ps framework will help to keep the strategy focused on the most important issues as well as enabling you to understand exactly what is happening, to look at issues creatively, to develop solutions, to monitor progress and to think strategically.

The Six Ps of strategic thinking are Plan, Ploy, Pattern, Position, Perspective and Process, explained in the following flow chart.

PLAN - Know where you are headed, and design the plan that will get you there.

PLOY - Determine the tactics that will deal effectively with competitors or others in your own company.

PATTERN - Assess the patterns of behaviour that are apparent in order, for example, to improve processes or to identify potential customers and markets.

POSITION - Know where your company fits in the market relative to the competition.

PERSPECTIVE - Assess the current character of the company and consider how this could be improved to better match strategic aims.

PROCESS (programme of activities) -, Develop, monitor and improve a programme of activities to achieve your strategy.

SKILL CAPSULE: BUILD SELF CONFIDENCE

The Power of Thought

  All behavior begins and ends as thoughts

  Bad thoughts vs. Good thoughts

  Think-Feel-Act model

Importance of Thoughts

  Thoughts are unavoidable

  Our thoughts influence our actions

  Self-fulfilling prophecy

How thoughts works for you

  Imagine of a time in the pass where you felt anxiety.

  What was the situation?

  What did it feel like?

  What lead up to this feeling?

  What was the outcome?

  Let’s look at this closer to see what was happening in the situation and how you could of changed the thought that lead to the feelings that lead to the action that let to the…

Decoding Self-Confidence

  The belief in oneself

  A self-confident person thinks that he or she can reach a goal or cope with a that situation

  What happens when confidence is lost?

Learned Helplessness

  Identified by Psychologist Martin Seligman

  The tendency for humans and animals alike to become helpless at things they can not change

  Illustration: Poor dog

So people that are self-confident think and act differently?!

  While our thoughts affect our confidence, our behaviors foster it!

  Nothing creates the belief that something can be done like actually doing that something!

  Nothing succeeds like Success!

Four Techniques for Building Self-Confidence

1)     Regulate your emotional level

  Being aware of our feelings helps us recognize what we are thinking

  Reduce the drive to avoid your goal

  Block the fear producer from your awareness

  Use relaxation techniques

2)     Seek Affirmation

  What does Stewart Smally say?

  Works just as well in an academic setting

  Encouragement

3)     Pick the Right Models

1)     Are women on the cover of Vogue the best way to judge your own body?

2)     Pick ones who are similar to yourself-ones who don’t have an army at there disposal to get them looking the way they do.

3)     Maybe even choose a student in class who you know succeeds and watch how they do it

4)     Just Do It

  What better way is there to convince yourself of your own capability to cope or perform successfully than trying it and having a successful experience!

  Reasonable risk

  Bite-Size pieces

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PUBLIC SPEAKING - NOT SPEAKING IN PUBLIC

Public speaking is a skill that is the backbone of success - whether on campus or in the business world. At School assemblies and congregations, teachers feel proud if a student asks a knotty question or two to the dean or the principal. It is seen as a sign of confidence and courage.

However, speaking in public gatherings in the professional world is altogether a different ball game. There may be nothing wrong in having the self -belief and audacity to stand up and pull the spotlight towards oneself — except that the environment and context in the professional world is very different. The big man or woman in the business world has a very different role as compared to the principal or dean in school. If they do not like someone’s face, that person can get into real trouble. Hence, it is important that any exposure to the senior management be carefully managed. Public forum, however, is not a great place for this.

You will find yourself in situations that give you opportunities to speak out and attract attention in public. Annual staff meeting or company town hall meetings are such occasions. These gatherings are summoned when the CEO or a senior executive is visiting one of his offices or the CEO wants to announce the annual performance to his staff in general. To understand how you should conduct yourself at such meetings, you must first appreciate why such gatherings are called in the first place.

The not-so-explicit purpose, in many cases, is to carefully cultivate a pro-employee image for the CEO; to send out a message that is friendly and accessible to his people; to have these gestures noticed by the company board; largely to have an ego massage through an address of his fiefdom; and also seize the opportunity to travel the globe at the expense of the firm. Yes, there are exceptional, organizations and CEOs who genuinely want to connect with their people and maintain full transparency. But these are exceptions, not the norm.

It stands to reason that the average CEO cannot be expected to personally know a large number of people. So the not –stated purpose of a town hall meeting is to get this large gathering of  people to get to know the CEO. Period.

So long as we show up on time and remain a passive listener, no damage is done. The mine -fields get laid only when the CEO, out of courtesy, opens the house to questions. This is when we should get wary. By keeping quiet, you will not lose out because a large majority would also be doing precisely that.

Many young professionals harbor the feeling that by asking questions during these public gatherings and moving the spotlight to themselves, they will be able to show off. However smart they may be, this is like playing with fire. Even if they intend to throw a few ms volleys, they may manage to put the CEO in a tight spot, who may not be prepared, or willing to discuss a particular subject in public, or the question may turn out to be an embarrassment to this executive's immediate boss. You never know what reactions it may elicit from the powers that be. So never hijack their show.

It happened with Vir, a young professional in a consumer company, who was very keen to make his presence felt during the annual staff dinner with the Chairman. He had completed his training and started his sales assignment three months ago. During these months he had slogged hard and had met almost all the retail distributors in his assigned territory. Not even seasoned sales managers could claim to cover the entire territory in such a short period. It was quite an achievement and his branch manager was very proud of it. However, Vir wanted to make sure that even the Chairman knew about this feat. As expected, the Chairman opened the floor for questions and Vir had already rehearsed his. “…..why is it that our company offers a limited credit period of 90 days? I have studied our balance sheet and it appears that given our cash position, we can easily offer more and capture more market share.....All the 245 retailers (emphasizing the large number) that I met in the last three months were clamoring for an increase to 120 days."

Even though Vir had conveyed his brilliant achievement and demonstrated a keen understanding of financial matters, the faces of his branch manager and the regional manager turned pale while that of the Chairman turned red. It was against the company's global policy to offer sales credit beyond 60 days. The news that this particular branch was offering a 90 -day credit was a shock to the Chairman. A higher receivable level was a clear risk to business.

Obviously, this harmless question led to a full-scale enquiry into the branch operations where Vir's managers were hauled up. He ended up making powerful enemies in the system which will not be of any help to his career prospects in the organization. Many careers are prematurely truncated or side -lined when things go awry at public forums. Someone put it very well: “The difference between a smart man and a wise man is that a smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows whether or not to say it”

There are better and more effective ways of drawing the attention of your senior management.

DAY 33

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PORTER’S GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES

Choosing the road ahead

Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies describe how a company develops competitive advantage across its chosen market. There are three generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and focus.

Overview

A company chooses to pursue one of two types of competitive advantage: either with lower costs than its competitors, or by differentiating itself along dimensions valued by customers so it can command a higher price. A company also chooses one of two types of scope: either focus (offering its products to selected segments of the market) or industry-wide, offering its product across many market segments. The generic strategy reflects choices made about both the type of competitive advantage and the scope. The concept was first described by Michael Porter in 1980.

Cost leadership

The strategic aim is to offer competitive prices by reducing costs and to also use lower costs to raise profit margins, fund discount campaigns, or launch an aggressive price war to gain market share and eliminate the competition. Reducing costs can also open up new markets that were less able to sustain higher prices. Another advantage of lowering costs is providing flexibility should suppliers raise prices unexpectedly and suddenly, without you also having to raise prices.

The risks, however, are that other companies can copy your methods, eroding any advantage you have, and the lack of investment in research and development will leave your products looking dated and inefficient compared to those of competitors with better equipment and methods.

Differentiation

Developing distinctive products for different segments separates you from the competition. It creates product desirability, strengthens your brand, promotes customer loyalty, provides competitive advantage, enables higher prices and delivers higher returns. Your products can be differentiated from those of your competitors but you can also differentiate your own products from one another to target different customer groups and markets.

The risks are higher costs and waste and the potential for more complex operations.

Focus

While focus incorporates aspects of cost leadership and differentiation, it is concerned with targeting products and services at one market segment, gaining increased share in that segment. The risk is that this will produce a narrow view that is overly focused on the short term, on too few factors, and on a less lucrative or unstable market and thus fails to see potential elsewhere.

SKILL CAPSULE: DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Why are Professional Development Skills Important?

Professional development is not a new concept, but it is becoming increasingly important. The continuing pace of change in materials science and engineering means that what we learned in our initial training courses soon becomes dated and irrelevant. It has been estimated that the half-life of technical knowledge is about seven years. Furthermore, the amount of knowledge - and the amount of information - continues to increase. Materials science and engineering has become knowledge intensive: we have entered the knowledge-based economy.

In this new world, it is impossible for us to know all that there is to know, yet access to the knowledge base is increasingly readily available. So what will make us good materials technologists, rather than poor ones, is that our knowledge is more relevant, and more current, and is applied more efficiently and effectively.

The work-place has also changed, with the result that materials scientists and engineers are expected to have a wider range of skills (see table 1). We increasingly work in teams on projects and much of what we do is virtual rather than tangible. As one project ends, another begins, and so we move from project to project, from team to team, and from one work-place to another. Indeed, for many, the increasingly itinerant nature of work leads us into several different careers during our working lives.

These are strong, compelling reasons for professional development skills, but there are many more!

• A better informed and more sophisticated public is demanding a higher duty of care and level of service from professionals.

• Linked to this is the increasing risk of claims for negligence from professionals deemed to have 'failed' in their duty or given poor advice.

• Within organisations, modern quality management systems demand that qualified people are in place to make decisions.

What is Professional Development?

Professional development is the process by which a person maintains the quality and relevance of professional services throughout his/her working life. It has been defined by the Institute for Continuing Professional Development as:

'The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and the development of personal qualities necessary for the education of professional and technical duties throughout the practitioner's working life.'

It follows that we have an ethical responsibility as professional materials technologists to continue our professional development throughout our careers.

Professional development is not a product, devised by training providers and academic institutions. It is a mindset, a habit to acquire.

Professional development requires self-directed, independent learning. It also demands an active rather than passive approach to learning. It differs from other forms of learning because it requires us to decide that needs to be learned or un-learned, how to learn it, and how to test and assess our learning. These are issues that we will discuss below.

 

Effective Professional Development

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cheshire Cat.

'I don't much care where,' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'So long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'

Lewis Carroll (1865), p54

The European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) has issued a discussion document (Padfield et al., 1998) with the intention of stimulating debate on professional education and lifelong learning for engineers. This document defines professional development skills as the ability of the learner, fluently and without external direction, to:

• audit and assess what they already know and can do

• work out, at a level of detail that will differ from individual to individual, a career and a learning development plan

• integrate, into their learning, acknowledgement of their need for continuing personal development in the private as well as the professional realms

• understand the qualities of different kinds of knowing, of understanding, and of skills and competences and understand how the different kinds of knowledge inter-relate and reinforce each other

• reflect upon their knowledge, establishing links between different kinds of knowledge, and formulating relevant theoretical constructs to explain it

• conduct research into elements of professional knowledge, practice and competence that lie within the context of their work, in pursuit of solutions to 'problems of the day', personal professional development, and (more generally) the development of their profession

The above is a list of 'performance criteria' by which we might assess our professional development skills. However, what is missing from the list is the route by which we might achieve these objectives. It is suggested that a five step approach is used:

 

STEP 1 - Profiling Ourselves

This is the starting point for our individual professional development plan and should contain the ingredients from the table below:

The personal profile - based upon the Macmillan open learning course for Nursing

Working Life List strengths and successes

Identify expertise that has not been exploited

Skills inventory Rate skills and competences on a scale of 1-5

Identify skills needing further development

Values, attitudes and beliefs Review the opinion of others

Evaluate your own views and opinions

Learning skills Identify types of learning preferred

Developing our personal profile will make use of the reflective practices discussed in step 5.

 

STEP 2 - Define the Strategy

Our professional development needs to be correctly focused for maximum impact so that it meets both our individual development needs and those of the organisation for which we work (see Table 2 below). If our employer has in place an annual staff review and appraisal process, then our individual aspirations and the organisational goals may have been reviewed, and a training and development plan agreed for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, we should discuss our professional development needs with our manager and our training or human resources department.

Fragmented approach to CPD Focussed approach to CPD

Not linked to organisational goals Linked to both organisational and individual needs

Seen as a cost not an investment Viewed as an investment in human resource management

Focussed on training (discontinuous) not development (continuous) Focussed on on-the-job development and skills development in addition to knowledge-based training

Unsystematic Evaluated with both pre- and post- course assessment

Menu driven, like ordering from a mail catalogue About 'learning' as opposed to 'training'

About directive training and knowledge acquisition Transferred to action and change in the workplace

Viewed as unimportant, with course attendance frequently cancelled due to pressure of work or lack of commitment Flexible in application including open, distance and self-development

Not transferred, with learning rarely being implemented at the workplace

Viewed as a reward for good performance

Table 2: The differences between a Fragmented approach to CPD and a Focussed approach - based upon Willie (1991)

 

STEP 3 - Develop an Action Plan

Putting the strategy into action can be the biggest challenge. An action plan can help. An effective action plan has four key ingredients:

• A clear statement of the goal to be achieved

• The actions required to achieve the goal

• The target timescale for achieving the goal

• Criteria to assess when we have reached our goal

In order to deliver the action plan, we will have to seek out opportunities for learning and skills development, ideally in partnership with our employer. And since professional development benefits both the employee and the employer, we might find that our employer asks us to make a contribution to our own professional development, by committing some of our own time and perhaps by sharing the costs.

Having established our action plan, we next need to decide how we are to go about the learning process.

 

STEP 4 - Learning Styles

Research commissioned by the British Audio Visual Society in 1988 suggests that we remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 80% of what we say and 90% of what we say and do at the same time. For this reason, Fisher (2000) recommends that we integrate learning and working, so that we learn within the context of our work using real-world problems. Then the time and effort we invest in professional development is rewarded by immediately assisting us to complete the task in hand. Fisher believes the immediate usefulness of the learning greatly improves our motivation to learn.

Whilst this may be generally true for groups of people, as individuals, we each have our own preferred learning styles.

There are many ways to categorize learning styles, but the simplest places learners into one or more of three categories:

• Visual - those who learn best through their eyes and what they see and read. The ideal learning approaches in this case will involve studying magazines and books and learning online.

• Auditory - those who learn best by hearing things, either on tape or in discussion. Dialogue and discussion is important to their learning process. The ideal learning environment is the classroom, but discussions with colleagues and audio tapes can also be useful.

• Kinesthetic/Tactile - those who learn best by 'doing', such as taking their own notes or participating in demonstrations and hands-on projects. Ideal structure: magazine and online learning; classroom that encourages participation.

It is important to analyse the way we learn best before devising the learning strategy/action plan to achieve our goals. Like me, you might find the way that you learn changes as your grow older. I now find myself drawing upon my past professional experience to build new knowledge and understanding, whereas before I could assimilate facts almost effortlessly.

 

STEP 5 - Evaluation and Reflection

'One day when Pooh Bear had nothing else to do, he thought he would do something, so he went round to Piglet's house to see what Piglet was doing .... (To) his surprise he found that the door was open, and the more he looked inside, the more Piglet wasn't there.'

 A Milne (1928), p163

As we have seen, good professional development relies strongly on self-analysis and appraisal to develop our personal profile and to analyse our preferred learning styles. This is not necessarily easy for a number of reasons. First, it can be hard to understand ourselves and 'see ourselves as others see us.' Second, reflecting on skills and competences is not something that engineers are necessarily trained to do. Third, as the pace of life continues to increase, it is not easy to find time for self-analysis and reflection.

Mentoring is one way of overcoming these problems. A mentor is someone who can advise and guide you in your career. He or she has a number of roles - as an appraiser, a supporter, a communicator and a motivator. The relationship therefore is different from that between a superior and his/her subordinate, and it is unlikely that a manager can carry out these functions. A good mentor has coaching skills, is trustworthy, respected and is free from major distractions either within or outside the workplace. Choose one with care!

Without a mentor, reflection is also not always a productive experience. It can be a bit like looking for Piglet - we can spend time thinking without arriving at a conclusion. It helps, of course, if we have a structure to our thinking. The key questions are:

• What is happening/has happened?

• What brought this about?

• What went well and what did not go well?

• How can the situation be improved?

• What might we learn from the situation that might influence future action?

It is recommended that we carry out this reflective evaluation both during and at the end of any task or learning we might undertake. One way of encouraging reflective practise in our professional life is to keep a reflective diary or log.

Many of us keep diaries that list our business or social appointments. Some of us also keep 'to do' lists. A reflective log is like a personal diary or record in which we note not just what we have done or accomplished, and what we have learned but also reflect on our feelings. What did we find difficult? What should we do to resolve the situation?

Often, a particular incident requires us to take a look at ourselves and our performance. Such critical incident analysis should be reported in the log or diary. As engineers, we make good use of major disasters and failures in our teaching and learning. However, when it comes to personal reflection, we should take care to include successes as well as difficulties so that we keep a balanced record of our achievement.

As well as providing a focus for us to reflect on professional experiences, the reflective diary also has a role in helping us to evaluate our learning. Some useful questions are: 'Was the learning task appropriate to our needs? Was it efficient, achieving the desired outcome with the appropriate effort? Was it economic?'

Reviewing our reflective diary can also provide useful information. By looking back on our experiences, we can reassess our goals. What have we accomplished? What should the next steps be? This leads us naturally back to revisit and update our professional profile and our action plan.

And so the process continues....

Professional institutions are struggling to find ways of evaluating professional development. There is still a tendency to measure the inputs (number of hours) rather than the outputs (increased competence). The establishment of competence statements in the 3rd edition of Standards and Route to Registration as a professional engineer (SARTOR 3) by the UK Engineering Council provides a useful structure. The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining has adapted and developed these competences within the discipline of materials engineering and has specified over 100 areas in which Materials Technologists should demonstrate competence. However, whilst these are useful standards, we should remember that professional development is not a product or an outcome - it is a process.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: MEETING THE LISTENER’S BASIC NEEDS

Not all oral presentations involve taking a position, or overt persuasion, but all focus on the inherent relationships and basic needs within the business context. Getting someone to listen to what you have to say involves a measure of persuasion, and getting that person to act on it might require considerable skill. Whether you are persuading a customer to try a new product or service, or informing a supplier that you need additional merchandise, the relationship is central to your communication. The emphasis inherent in our next two discussions is that we all share this common ground, and by understanding that we share basic needs, we can better negotiate meaning and achieve understanding.

"Reasons for Engaging in Communication" presents some reasons for engaging in communication. As you can see, the final item in the table indicates that we communicate in order to meet our needs. What are those needs? We will discuss them next.

Reasons for Engaging in Communication

Review Why We Engage in Communication

Gain Information We engage in communication to gain information. This information can involve directions to an unknown location, or a better understanding about another person through observation or self-disclosure.

Understand Communication Contexts We also want to understand the context in which we communication, discerning the range between impersonal and intimate, to better anticipate how to communicate effectively in each setting.

Understand Our Identity Through engaging in communication, we come to perceive ourselves, our roles, and our relationships with others.

Meet Our Needs We meet our needs through communication.

Communication is the foundation of the business relationship, and without it, you will fail. If they feel on edge, or that they might be pushed around, made to feel stupid, or even unwanted, they will leave and your business will disappear. On the other hand, if you make them feel welcome, provide multiple ways for them to learn, educate themselves, and ask questions in a safe environment, you will form relationships that transcend business and invite success.

Once we have been integrated in a group, we begin to assert our sense of self and self-respect, addressing our need for self-esteem. Self-esteem is essentially how we feel about ourselves. Let’s say you are a male, but you weren’t born with a “fix-it” gene. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but for many men it can be hard to admit. We no longer live in a time when we have to build our own houses or learn about electricity and plumbing as we grow up, and if it is not part of your learning experience, it is unreasonable to expect that you’ll be handy with a wrench from the first turn.

Your audience will share with you a need for control. You can help meet this need by constructing your speech with an effective introduction, references to points you’ve discussed, and a clear conclusion. The introduction will set up audience expectations of points you will consider, and allow the audience to see briefly what is coming. Your internal summaries, signposts, and support of your main points all serve to remind the audience what you’ve discussed and what you will discuss. Finally, your conclusion answers the inherent question, “Did the speaker actually talk about what they said they were going to talk about?” and affirms to the audience that you have fulfilled your objectives.

Social Penetration Theory

The field of communication draws from many disciplines, and in this case, draws lessons from two prominent social psychologists. Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor articulated the social penetration theory, which describes how we move from superficial talk to intimate and revealing talk. We come to know more about the way a person perceives a situation (breadth), but also gain perspective into how they see the situation through an understanding of their previous experiences (depth). Imagine these two spheres, which represent people, coming together. What touches first? The superficial level. As the two starts to overlap, the personal levels may touch, then the intimate level, and finally the core levels may even touch. Have you ever known a couple—perhaps your parents or grandparents—who have been together for a very long time? They know each other’s stories and finish each other’s sentences. They might represent the near overlap, where their core values, attitudes, and beliefs are similar through a lifetime of shared experiences.  

We move from public to private information as we progress from small talk to intimate conversations. Imagine an onion. The outer surface can be peeled away, and each new layer reveals another until you arrive at the heart of the onion. People interact on the surface, and only remove layers as trust and confidence grows.

DAY 34

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PESTLIED ANALYSIS

Looking outwards for opportunities

Using PESTLIED analysis improves awareness of the impact of external factors. Given the huge number of influences - both opportunities and threats - it is essential to constantly scan the environment for changes and adjust strategy and operations accordingly.

Overview

When running a business it is always advisable to keep a wide range of external matters in view. PESTLIED provides a format to check that strategy and plans have adequately accounted for external factors and to conduct an overall review of how the company is performing and how it could be improved. Significantly, by valuing and using this format, it encourages people to always look beyond the company to notice opportunities and threats. It therefore works well with the technique of SWOT analysis.

The broad areas to consider that form part of PESTLIED analysis are outlined below.

Political

Consider the governmental actions that could affect your company - from local councils and national governments to larger, supranational bodies.

Economic

Understand all current and potential financial aspects (in different countries) that are either detrimental or offer opportunities - such as taxation, financial regulations, interest rates and currency markets.

Social

Knowing about developing trends, the general mood of a country, and people's beliefs, changes in tastes and fashions and their expectations has always been important, but never more so than today, with the rise and power of social media.

Technical

We are living in an age where knowledge and use of the latest technologies are everything. These can reduce costs and enable us to offer better products and services. It is an inescapable fact: the company that doesn't move with new technology rapidly becomes outdated and out-competed.

Legal

Not conducting due diligence and not knowing exactly what legalities and regulations are involved is irresponsible and risky. While this should be normal in terms of your current places of operation, you should also look to possible future developments and to what is happening (and likely to happen) in other countries. Are there better places to base your operations and will future changes make somewhere else advantageous? When entering new markets, it is important to know all legal aspects so that you set the right strategy and ensure that all legal obligations are met.

International

This is a broad area covering everything from what is happening in international politics and economics to exchange rates and stock markets. The point is: cast your net wide and be aware of changes on the international stage.

Environmental

Your brand is affected by everything your company does, including its environmental policy. You also need to consider current and likely environmental regulations when setting and implementing strategy.

Demographic

Demographic changes have a huge impact on companies and yet they are often poorly understood. This is a serious oversight. Demographics should inform business decisions: not only will it affect the availability of workers and pension obligations, but it will also determine current and future market opportunities.

SKILL CAPSULE: SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats)  Analysis

•          The SWOT Analysis framework is a very important and useful tool to use in marketing Management and other business applications.

•          As a basic tool its mastery is a fundamental requirement for the marketer, entrepreneur or business person.

•          A clear understanding of SWOT is required for business majors.

What is a SWOT Analysis?

•          A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process.

•          Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T).

•          Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis.

The SWOT Matrix

•          The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates.

•          As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection.

•          The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into an environmental scan:

The SWOT Framework

SWOT Analysis Framework

                   Environmental Scan        

                                 /                    \           

Internal Analysis                    External Analysis

/              \                              /                   \

Strengths Weaknesses      Opportunities   Threats

Strengths

•          A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used for developing a competitive advantage. Examples of such strengths include:

•          Patents

•          Strong brand names

•          Good reputation among customers

•          Cost advantages from proprietary know-how

•          Exclusive access to natural resources

•          Good access to distribution networks

Weaknesses

•          The absence of certain strengths are a weakness. For example, the following may be considered weaknesses:

•          Lack of patent protection

•          A weak brand name

•          Poor reputation among customers

•          High cost structure

•          Lack of access to best natural resources

•          Lack of access to key distribution channels

•          In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength.

•          For example, a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity.

•          While this capacity may be considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment.

Opportunities

•          The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Some examples of such opportunities include:

•          An unfulfilled customer need

•          Arrival of new technologies

•          Loosening of regulations

•          Removal of international trade barriers

Threats

•          Changes in the external environmental also may present threats to the firm. Some examples of such threats include:

•          shifts in consumer tastes away from the firm's products

•          emergence of substitute products

•          new regulations

•          increased trade barriers

The SWOT Matrix

•          A firm should not necessarily pursue the more lucrative opportunities (overextending).

•          Rather, it may have a better chance at developing a competitive advantage by identifying a fit between the firm's strengths and upcoming opportunities.

•          In some cases, the firm can overcome a weakness in order to prepare itself to pursue a compelling opportunity.

SWOT  / TOWS Matrix

•          To develop strategies that take into account the SWOT profile, a matrix of these factors can be constructed.

•           The SWOT matrix, can be changed into what is known as the TOWS Matrix that is shown on the next slide:

SWOT / TOWS Matrix

TOWS Analysis Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities S-O Strategies W-O Strategies

Threats S-T Strategies W-T

Strategies

SWOT / TOWS Matrix

•          S-O strategies pursue opportunities that  fit well the company's strengths.

•          W-O strategies overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities.

•          S-T strategies identify ways that the firm can use its strengths to reduce its vulnerability to external threats.

•          W-T strategies make a defensive plan to prevent the firm's weaknesses from making it susceptible to external threats.

SWOT Interactions

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH TRADE UNION

When unions negotiate, they are unlikely to be trying to put one over on you. They are defending the pay and conditions of their members and want to see your organisation survive these difficult times. So step back from “us and them” positions and discuss the interests you and the union may share, no matter how limited. Here are six aspects of negotiation to keep in mind.

1 Identify distributive bargaining issues

Distributive bargaining is a term for those pay and rations issues that create the us-and-them scenario. Identifying these issues will help you to avoid “positions” (such as “No way are they getting that”) and to focus instead on interests (“Why do they want that? Is there anything else in our locker that might help?”). This is the area that, if managed poorly, often leads to industrial relations problems, so you need to identify the distributive issues and dig deeper to find the real interests.

2 Seek out integrative issues

Integrative bargaining is often over issues where you should be able to find common ground fairly easily. Equality, quality of working life and so on are historical labour goals. If you can park these issues in a separate arena from distributive bargaining, improved working relations between you and union representatives may be more likely and trust can be developed.

3 Build relationships

To build a close working relationship with union representatives and foster mutual respect, there must be consistency in your team. It is no use chopping and changing negotiators or delegating to less senior staff. Of course, some union representatives may perceive the attempt to build relationships as a sham to start with. But you should persevere. Make an effort to develop professional working relations with union reps as well as your own colleagues.

4 Understand the union’s mandate

Negotiators are usually agents, so the deals they reach are often contingent on winning approval from others. You must keep in mind that union representatives often have a narrow mandate and that any agreements they negotiate are provisional until ratified by their members. Sometimes, deals reached in good faith can be rejected by members. You can help to avoid this by not striving to reach a quick conclusion even if you are under pressure to get a deal.

5 Exchange information

You will find it easier to reach agreements when you have demonstrated your openness by putting all your cards on the table. This will seem like heresy to hardcore negotiators. However, effective negotiation is not a game of poker, it is a serious business. There is no point in keeping information away from unions. If you can keep unions up to speed with all matters relevant to employment issues, you are more likely to discover that trade unions can be constructive allies, especially in difficult times.

6 Hold regular joint reviews

You should sit down with union representatives and your team to review how negotiations are doing. You need to be confident that the process is meeting the interests of all sides. Too often, negotiation becomes a once-a-year affair. Hold joint reviews every six months or so to conduct a health check. You should find that this will also help to improve working relations and will go some way to building mutual understanding of interests while breaking down positions.

Key points

- Identify positions.

- Recognise shared interests.

- Encourage open information exchanges.

- Avoid strong-arm tactics.

- Accept unions do not usually seek employer downfall.

- Understand that the mandate of negotiators is provisional.

DAY 35

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE DYNAMICS OF PARADIGM CHANGE

Creating better futures

Introducing changes in an organization is difficult. Changing your entire business model is even harder - not least because the need for such a fundamental shift often doesn't occur to us or is full of the fear of uncertainty. Even so, competition doesn't stand still and companies need to adapt; sometimes the answer may require a shift in the basic paradigm.

Overview

When things need to change, people often prefer manageable adjustments because they are cautious and dislike uncertainty. While some issues can be solved with smaller improvements, sometimes a larger shift in thinking is needed. Having the courage and creativity to change a company's fundamental business model radically isn't easy but may be the only real answer to a problem or even point the way to a better future. After all, your current situation is ultimately resting on the paradigm that has got you to this point. So, tweaking this and that further up the line may help to a degree but may not be tackling the root cause of the problem: a flawed or outdated business model. You are not likely to make significant changes to your situation without questioning the basic paradigm of your company and considering whether it is time to overhaul the entire business model.

One of the main hurdles in dealing with a failing or underperforming company is overcoming people's mental blocks that seriously limit the scope of strategic thinking. Such strategic inertia is a recipe for long-term decline because, when a company doesn't keep pace with external developments, its strategy drifts. It is essential to break out of the business-as-usual mindset and to open your thinking to possibilities. Competition doesn't stand still and neither should your business model.

The process of paradigm change

The following diagram outlines three stages of improving business performance. The first step involves tightening controls. The second step involves developing new strategies that are still aligned with the current paradigm. The third step involves changing the paradigm itself.

Crucially, this model is designed to improve business performance. It therefore starts with an existing model or paradigm, translated into a strategy which is then implemented. The opportunity and impetus to improve the business model becomes compelling only after the strategy has been implemented and the effects on performance are assessed. At that point the process of reinvention can gain pace starting with step 1 - the need for tighter controls - before moving to steps 2 and 3.

SKILL CAPSULE: CHAIRING A MEETING

 If a meeting is going to achieve its objectives efficiently then it is essential that someone takes the role of defining the topics to be covered, facilitating the discussions, and ensuring that decisions are reached and accepted. This role is known as the meeting Chair and carries with it the ultimate responsibility for the success of the meeting.

All meetings require a Chair because without one there is no one to control and direct the proceedings. The Chair must establish their authority from the outset of the meeting and remain in control until the meeting ends.

The most important responsibilities of the Chair are to ensure that:

• All the business is discussed in line with the timed agenda

• Everyone's views are heard and discussed

• Clear decisions are reached and accepted

All the business is discussed in line with the timed agenda

The meeting agenda is a very important tool and is one clear way for the Chair to set expectations of what topics will be covered by the meeting. Each item on the agenda should have a set amount of time allocated to it, as this informs attendees of the relative importance and complexity of each item. The agenda is one of the key tools by which the Chair leads the meeting and ensures that all those involved can make useful contributions. It also discourages digressions and arguments from taking up too much time.

Everyone's views are heard and discussed

As Chair one of your key responsibilities is to ensure that the meeting is conducted in a manner that is as inclusive as possible. Your behavior and manner will set the tone of the meeting and you are the key instrument in managing this process.

Not everyone will be familiar with formal meeting procedure and people who are not comfortable with what is going on around them are less likely to take the risk of speaking up. This can result in some attendees becoming so alienated and intimidated that they are unable to contribute to the meeting.

In your position as Chair you need to be mindful of such behaviors and draw people into the discussion by reducing the barriers to participation by creating an environment that allows for the expression of diverse ideas and approaches to be heard in a non-judgmental atmosphere.

Within this environment attendees should feel confident that their contributions are valued and can be articulated without fear of personal attacks or point scoring. By making sure that all of the attendees contribute and are given a respectful hearing, the Chair will maximize the opportunities offered by the meeting to make the best decisions possible.

Clear decisions are reached and accepted

One key role you perform as Chair is to present information and summaries clearly so that decisions can be agreed on and a consensus achieved. You will need to do this as arguments are presented and an overview of them needs to be stated to ensure the discussion reaches a timely conclusion.

You need to ensure that the meeting's objectives are achieved so that everyone leaves the meeting cognizant of the decisions made and responsibilities allocated.

During the meeting, as Chair you must focus on the decisions required of the meeting, ensure that all participants are accorded adequate time, decide when to end debate on each topic and summarize it, use appropriate questions to clarify information or re-direct discussion, listen carefully to all contributions, and summarize proceedings with an emphasis on decisions taken and future plans.

Throughout the meeting there are certain competencies a Chair will need to illustrate so that he or she commands the respect and authority necessary to perform his or her role effectively during the time span of the meeting:

• An understanding of the issues and topics being discussed.

• A willingness to listen attentively to the discussions.

• The ability to prevent discussions wandering and to prevent those without anything new to add repeating the same point.

• The ability to recognize when a point has been fully discussed and to sum up.

• Impartiality, which ensures that all attendees have an equal opportunity to express their point of view.

• Diplomacy, which shows respect for the views and actions of others.

The above are all key ingredients for a productive meeting. A tactful but assertive Chair will facilitate an effective meeting, and that's what everyone wants.

The selection of a Chair for a formal meeting may be subject to certain meeting rules. For example, the company secretary may be required to chair the AGM. Informal meetings may select a Chair by a simple vote or via instructions from whoever has called the meeting.

Sometimes there is a rotating Chair where everyone gets a turn at leading the proceedings. Whilst this idea is democratic and inclusive, it is unlikely that the skills and qualities required of an effective Chair will be found in all of those attending the meeting.

Everyone can learn how to chair a meeting effectively, it just takes a bit of thought and practice. You will get more confident with experience. Try watching how other people chair meetings, and seeing what works and what doesn't.

This Meeting Agenda Checklist outlines the five key areas you need to address to produce an effective agenda. This Meeting Attendee List Template provides you with a sheet to record everyone who needs to receive copies of meetings minutes. This Meeting Action List Template enables you to record actions, responsibilities and timescales that result from the meeting.

Skill Capsule: Project Management Perspective

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the constraints on scope, time, quality and cost. Projects need to be managed to meet their objectives, which are defined in terms of expectations of time, cost, and quality.

For example, Project Scope: To move the organization's head office to another location. Its requirements are:

• Time: Complete by March 2017

• Quality: Minimize disruption to productivity

• Cost: Not spend more than $125,000

The scope of the project is defined as: 'the totality of the outputs, outcomes, and benefits and the work required to produce them'.

This can change over time, and it is the project manager's responsibility to ensure the project will still deliver its defined benefits. Consequently, a project manager must maintain focus on the relative priorities of time, cost, and quality with reference to the scope of the project.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management in the following way:

'Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet project requirements.'

This definition begs the question 'Exactly what knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques will I need to successfully manage a project?' In order to answer this question, it is helpful to look at project management from three different perspectives.

1. How the project fits into the organization - This refers to both the project and the individuals who will be involved in it, including how their responsibilities are defined and how they interact with each other.

2. How the project will evolve over time - This is referred to as the project life cycle and is the chronological sequence of activities that need to happen in order to deliver the project. Whatever their differences, all projects will by definition share a similar life cycle; they will all have a beginning, middle, and an end.

3. What skills are required to successfully manage the project - These are usually referred to as 'Project Functional Areas' because there are discrete areas within project management that can be considered in isolation even though they are interdependent.

This might sound unnecessarily complicated, but looking at a project from each of these three viewpoints will give you a much better understanding of the whole process than using any one of them individually.

To use an analogy: Imagine that a ship is traveling from London to New York.

The organizational perspective would be concerned with which members of the crew were responsible for doing what and how they communicated and interacted with each other.

The life cycle of the voyage would be concerned with where the ship was and what it was doing at any point from the beginning to the end of the journey.

The functional areas would be things like navigation, collision avoidance, routine maintenance, etc. Even though these activities would be taking place continuously and interdependently, it is still possible to think about them as discrete areas of knowledge.

This analogy is not perfect but it does illustrate that when you are studying a complex activity it can be helpful to look at it from a variety of perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of the whole.

Key Points

• Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals.

• The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the constraints on scope, time, quality and cost.

• Project management can be thought of in terms of organizational, life cycle, and functional area perspectives.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN

A rumor that the CEO is ill pulls down the stock price. A plant explosion kills several workers and requires evacuating residents on several surrounding city blocks. Risk management seeks to address these many risks, including prevention as well as liability, but emergency and crisis situations happen nevertheless. In addition, people make errors in judgment that can damage the public perception of a company. The mainstream media does not lack stories involving infidelity, addiction, or abuse that require a clear a response from a company’s standpoint. In this chapter we address the basics of a crisis communication plan. Focus on key types of information during an emergency:

o    What is happening?

o    Is anyone in danger?

o    How big is the problem?

o    Who reported the problem?

o    Where is the problem?

o    Has a response started?

o    What resources are on-scene?

o    Who is responding so far?

o    Is everyone’s location known?

You will be receiving information from the moment you know a crisis has occurred, but without a framework or communication plan to guide you, valuable information may be ignored or lost. These questions help you quickly focus on the basics of “who, what, and where” in the crisis situation.

Developing Your Crisis Communication Plan

A crisis communication plan is the prepared scenario document that organizes information into responsibilities and lines of communication prior to an event. With a plan in place, if an emergency arises, each person knows his or her role and responsibilities from a common reference document. Overall effectiveness can be enhanced with a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities for an effective and swift response. The plan should include four elements:

o    Crisis communication team members with contact information

o    Designated spokesperson 3.

o    Meeting place/location

o    Media plan with procedures

A crisis communication team includes people who can

a.       decide what actions to take

b.       carry out those actions

c.       offer expertise or education in the relevant areas.

By designating a spokesperson prior to an actual emergency, your team addresses the inevitable need for information in a proactive manner. People will want to know what happened and where to get further details about the crisis. Lack of information breeds rumors, which can make a bad situation worse. The designated spokesperson should be knowledgeable about the organization and its values; be comfortable in front of a microphone, camera, and media lights; and be able to stay calm under pressure. Part of your communication crisis plan should focus on where you will meet to coordinate communicate and activities. In case of a fire in your house, you might meet in the front yard. In an organization, a designated contingency building or office some distance away from your usual place of business might serve as a central place for communication in an emergency that requires evacuating your building. Depending on the size of your organization and the type of facilities where you do business, the company may develop an emergency plan with exit routes, hazardous materials procedures, and policies for handling bomb threats, for example. Safety, of course, is the priority, but in terms of communication, the goal is to eliminate confusion about where people are and where information is coming from. Whether or not evacuation is necessary, when a crisis occurs, your designated spokesperson will gather information and carry out your media plan. He or she will need to make quick judgments about which information to share, how to phrase it, and whether certain individuals need to be notified of facts before they become public. The media and public will want to know information and reliable information is preferable to speculation. Official responses help clarify the situation for the public, but an unofficial interview can make the tragedy personal, and attract unwanted attention. Remind employees to direct all inquiries to the official spokesperson and to never speak “off the record.” Enable your spokesperson to have access to the place you indicated as your crisis contingency location to coordinate communication and activities, and allow that professional to prepare and respond to inquiries. coordinate communication and activities, and allow that professional to prepare and respond to inquiries. When crisis communication is handled in a professional manner, it seeks not to withhold information or mislead, but to minimize the “spin damage” from the incident by providing necessary facts, even if they are unpleasant or even tragic.

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 36 to Day 50)

DAY 36

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ANSOFF’S PRODUCT MATRIX

Getting from A to B

Ansoff’s Product Matrix provides a useful means of clarifying your thinking through generating a snapshot of where you are and where you would like to be and enabling you to identify strategic priorities.

By helping you to see the gap between the current situation and your goals, the Product Matrix serves to illuminate your situation, your goals, your thinking and the route you need to take. Knowing your goal isn't enough: you need to know what needs to be done to get there. Strategy consists of two elements: portfolio strategy and competitive strategy. Portfolio strategy sets the goals for each product and market, while competitive strategy determines how to achieve those goals.

The grid

The grid has four areas that point to different options, depending on your current situation and goals.

Current product New product

Current market Market penetration

Increase market share Product development

Develop new products for existing markets

New market Market development

Take existing products into new markets Diversification

Develop entirely new products for new markets

The portfolio strategy explores each product and market combination as geographical growth vectors. These vectors have three aspects - market needs, market location and product needs (such as required technology). The three-dimensional nature of Ansoff's grid highlights the many points of intersection of current and potential products, market locations and market needs. By seeing how these aspects intersect, it will clarify the strategic options that are open to your company.

Ansoff's Product Matrix provides a clear snapshot to help you set and achieve strategic goals. There are four aspects to using the matrix that are all connected - the priorities you set in one will inevitably affect the others. The four aspects are:

1.       The geographical growth vector. Know where you are and where you want to be. Assess your current product and market combinations and decide what and where you would like those combinations to be in the future.

2.       Competitive advantage. Determine your core strengths and what gives you a competitive edge. Then identify the resources and capabilities needed to achieve goals - know what your company does well and not so well and the skills, resources and technology it will need to acquire.

3.       Synergies. Identify synergies between activities, cut costs and bolster competitiveness.

4.       Flexibility. Ensure that your company is prepared for the unexpected and is able to respond quickly and effectively to change. Make sure that one part of the company can incorporate change without harming other parts.

SKILL CAPSULE: TEAM SPIRIT

• It has a range of individuals who contribute in different ways (see the roles above) and complement each other. A team made up just of planners would find it difficult to cope with changing deadlines or plans whereas a team full of spontaneous individuals would be disorganized: you need both types. A good team produces more than the individual contributions of members.

• Clear goals are agreed on that everyone understands and is committed to.

• Everyone understands the tasks they have to do and helps each other.    

• It has a coordinator who may adopt a leadership style from autocratic to democratic depending on the circumstances. Different people may assume the role of leader for different tasks.

• There is a balance between the task (what do we need to do?) and the process (how do we achieve this?)

• There is a supportive, informal atmosphere where members feel able to take risks and say what they think.

• The group is comfortable with disagreement and can successfully overcome differences in opinion.

• Be Committed to the Common Goal Be Committed to the Common Goal

• There is a lot of discussion in which everyone participates. Group members listen to each other and everyone's ideas are heard.

• Members feel free to criticise and say what they think but this is done in a positive, constructive manner.

• The group learns from experience: reviewing and improving performance in the light of both successes and failures.

• Do not Compete with each other

• Communicate Openly & Directly

• Resolve Conflict Mutually & Openly

• Empathize & Understand to be Understood

• Support & Respect Individual Differences

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: DELIVERING A NEGATIVE NEWS MESSAGE

The negative news message delivers news that the audience does not want to hear, read, or receive. Delivering negative news is never easy. Whether you are informing someone they are being laid off or providing constructive criticism on their job performance, how you choose to deliver the message can influence its response. [1] Some people prefer their bad news to be direct and concise. Others may prefer a less direct approach. Regardless whether you determine a direct or indirect approach is warranted, your job is to deliver news that you anticipate will be unwelcome, unwanted, and possibly dismissed.

There are seven goals to keep in mind when delivering negative news, in person or in written form:

1. Be clear and concise in order not to require additional clarification.

2. Help the receiver understand and accept the news.

3. Maintain trust and respect for the business or organization and for the receiver.

4. Avoid legal liability or erroneous admission of guilt or culpability.

5. Maintain the relationship, even if a formal association is being terminated.

6. Reduce the anxiety associated with the negative news to increase comprehension.

7. Achieve the designated business outcome.

Negative News Message Sample Script

Parts of the Negative News Message Example

Buffer or Cushion Thank you for your order. We appreciate your interest in our product.

Explanation We are writing to let you know that this product has been unexpectedly popular, with over 10,000 requests on the day you placed your order.

Negative News This unexpected increase in demand has resulted in a temporary out-of-stock/backorder situation. We will fulfill your order, received at 11:59 p.m. on 09/09/2009, in the order it was received.

Redirect We anticipate that your product will ship next Monday. While you wait, we encourage you to consider using the enclosed $5 off coupon toward the purchase of any product in our catalog. We appreciate your business and want you to know that our highest priority is your satisfaction.

You want to avoid legal problems when communicating bad news. You cannot always predict how others are going to respond, but you can prepare for and deliver your response in ways that lower the risk of litigation in four ways:

1.       Avoid abusive language or behavior.

2.       Avoid contradictions and absolutes.

3.       Avoid confusion or misinterpretation.

4.       Maintain respect and privacy.

Sarcasm, profanity, shouting, or abusive or derogatory language is an obstacle to clear communication.

Negative Message Checklist

1.       Clear goal in mind

2.       Clear instructions from supervisor (legal counsel)

3.       Clear understanding of message

4.       Clear understanding of audience/reader

5.       Clear understanding of procedure and protocol

6.       Clear, neutral opening

7.       Clear explanation without admission of guilt or culpability

8.       Clear statement of impact or negative news

9.       Clear redirect with no reminders of negative news

10.   Clear results with acceptance or action on negative news

Presenting Negative News in Person

Most of us dislike conflict. It may be tempting to avoid face-to-face interaction for fear of confrontation, but delivering negative news in person can be quite effective, even necessary, in many business situations. When considering a one-on-one meeting or a large, formal meeting, consider the preparation and implementation of the discussion. Your emotional response to the news and the audience, whether it is one person or the whole company, will set the tone for the entire interaction. You may feel frustrated, angry, or hurt, but the display of these emotions is often more likely to make the problem worse than to help solve it. Emotions can be contagious, and people will respond to the emotional tone of the speaker. If your response involves only one other person, a private, personal meeting is the best option, but it may not be available. Increasingly people work and contribute to projects from a distance, via the Internet, and may only know each other via e-mail, phone, or videophone/videoconferencing services. A personal meeting may be impractical or impossible. How then does one deliver negative news in person? By the best option available to both parties. Written feedback may be an option via e-mail, but it takes time to prepare, send, receive, process, and respond—and the written word has its disadvantages. Miscommunication and misinterpretation can easily occur, with little opportunity for constructive feedback to check meanings and clarify perceptions. The telephone call allows both parties to hear each other’s voices, including the words, the inflection, the disfluencies, and the emotional elements of conversation. It is immediate in that the possibility of overlap is present, meaning not only is proximity in terms of voice as close as possible, but both parties may experience overlaps as they take turns and communicate. Telephone calls allow for quick feedback and clarification questions, and allow both parties an opportunity to recycle and revisit topics for elaboration or a better understanding. They also can cover long distances with reasonable clarity. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) allows you to do the same with relatively little cost.

While there are distinct advantages, the telephone lacks part of the nonverbal spectrum available to speakers in a live setting. On the telephone, proximity is a function of response time rather than physical space and the degree to which one person is near another. Time is also synchronous, though the telephone crosses time zones and changes the context as one party may have just arrived at work while the other party is leaving for lunch. Body language gets lost in the exchange as well, although many of us continue to make hand gestures on the phone, even when our conversational partners cannot see us. Paralanguage, or the sounds we hear that are not verbal, including pitch, tone, rate, rhythm, pace, articulation, and pronunciation are all available to the listener. As we can see, the telephone call allows for a richer communication experience than written communication, but cannot convey as much information as would be available in person. Just as a telephone interview may be used for screening purposes while a live interview is reserved for the final candidates, the live setting is often considered the best option for delivering negative news.

Live and in person may be the best option for direct communication with immediate feedback. In a live setting time is constant. The participants may schedule a breakfast meeting, for example, mirroring schedules and rhythms. Live, face-to-face communication comes in many forms. The casual exchange in the hallway, the conversation over coffee, and the formal performance review meeting all have interpersonal communication in common.

If you need to share the message with a larger audience, you may need to speak to a group, or you might even have to make a public presentation or speech. If it needs a feedback loop, we often call it a press conference, as the speech is followed by a question and answer session. From meeting in the hallway to live, onstage, under camera lights and ready for questions, the personal delivery of negative news can be a challenging task.

DAY 37

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: RESOURCES AND THE CRITICAL PATH

The drivers of business performance

'Resources' is an overused term in business but any factor providing value or benefit, from whatever origin, is a resource that can be used to benefit the business. Increasing and strengthening resources over time can be seen as the critical path to business success.

Managing resources

Assessing which resources are important involves taking a view across the whole of the business and identifying those factors, direct or indirect, tangible or intangible, that can be expanded and used for competitive advantage. Understanding which resources are most important and how they should be managed requires a clear understanding of the nature of each resource, in terms of the following:

•         The interaction between resources. Resources can combine in a cycle to accelerate their growth. For example, rising sales volumes may lead to more cash and more internal capacity, both of which can be used to generate increasing sales, perhaps by entering new markets, in a self-sustaining cycle. Similarly, product quality (an intangible resource) may lead to increased sales, and this in turn can generate sufficient cash to continue improving product quality (and continue increasing sales). In the same way that resources can interact to reinforce one another, they can also interact by limiting one another.

•         The fragility of the resource. Cash, quality, customers, staff, reputation and most other resources can all disappear with remarkable speed and ease. It is, therefore, important to control the main factors likely to damage or undermine resources. For example: cash needs to be monitored and controlled; quality can be eroded by suppliers; service can be undermined by the attitudes of personnel; and brand reputation may be damaged by the actions of distributors.

•         The quality of resources. It is worth considering how the quality of re-sources can be developed. For example, a customer base is a valuable re-source, but its quality might be improved by increasing customer loyalty to your brand - for instance, by using customer loyalty schemes.

How resources affect performance

Resources have a special characteristic: they fill and drain over time. Since a firm's performance at any time directly reflects the resources available, it is essential that we understand how those resources develop over time and how we can control that process. To build strong business performance, we need to know:

•         how many resources are available

•         how fast these numbers are changing

•         how strongly these factors are being influenced by things under our control and by other forces

•         how resources interrelate with one another.

In a system where resources are integrated and working together, what matters is not the uniqueness of individual resources but how they combine and work together to deliver value for customers. To manage resources and ensure that they drive performance in the desired direction, start by understanding how resources work together.

SKILL CAPSULE: SELF MOTIVATION

No one can motivate anyone to do anything. All a person can do for another is provide them with incentives to motivate themselves. Here are ten very effective strategies to help you get up and get moving toward actualizing your enormous, untapped potential.

•         Be willing to leave your comfort zone. The greatest barrier to achieving your potential is your comfort zone. Great things happen when you make friends with your discomfort zone.

•         Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Wisdom helps us avoid making mistakes and comes from making a million of them.

•         Don’t indulge in self-limiting thinking. Think empowering, expansive thoughts.

•         *Choose to be happy. Happy people are easily motivated. Happiness is your birthright so don’t settle for anything else.

•         Spend at least one hour a day in self-development. Read good books or listen to inspiring tapes. Driving to and from work provides an excellent opportunity to listen to self-improvement tapes.

•         Train yourself to finish what you start. So many of us become scattered as we try to accomplish a task. Finish one task before you begin another.

•         Live fully in the present moment. When you live in the past or the future you aren’t able to make things happen in the present.

•         Commit yourself to joy. C.S. Lewis once said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”

•         Never quit when you experience a setback or frustration. Success could be just around the corner.

•         Dare to dream big dreams. If there is anything to the law of expectation then we are moving in the direction of our dreams, goals and expectations.

The real tragedy in life is not in how much we suffer, but rather in how much we miss, so don’t miss a thing.

Charles Dubois once said, “We must be prepared, at any moment, to sacrifice who we are for who we are capable of becoming.”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: COMMUNICATION IS SUCCESS

You are as good as your communication skills. Your bosses, colleagues or associates can only assess you based on what they hear from you and what they read from you. Extensive knowledge or brilliant performance is tip good if it cannot be articulated in crisp and clear, business -language. Faltering or fumbling over the written or verbal media can effectively lead to a faltering or fumbling career.

Here it is important to highlight that the lingua franca  of the globalized business world is beyond doubt, English — whether you are in Asia, Middle East, Europe or Latin America. Such is the level of interdependence and globalization of the world that even in the staunchly nationalistic countries like China, France and Germany, English is now being taught from kindergarten.

If an executive is not fluent in this language, he does not have the slimmest chance of assuming higher responsibilities. Agreed, that if he is a great engineer or programmer, or an analyst, he can do his job even without being perfect in English. But what if he wants to move up the corporate hierarchy?

When an organization has to select a new leader they are not scouting for the most skilled analyst, sales person, programmer or engineer, they are looking at someone who can be the company's brand ambassador to the outer world. Someone who can engage with other unit heads, with clients, dealers, business associates, competitors and regulators; articulate well at client presentations, seminars and conferences; in short, be the face of the company.

Organizations love hard working and intelligent executives at entry levels even those who find it difficult to pen an error -free memo or stand up and make a confident presentation. However, when it comes to promoting an executive to a mid or senior level position, they do not mind his technical mediocrity as long as he comes with great communication skills.

Remember , of course, that there is a world of difference between the language, of a worker and the language of a leader. A worker is mostly focused on accomplishing his tasks. He has to speak the language ofhis clients, associates or colleagues — be it German, Hindi or Arabic — and probably can get away with that. However, as you keep going up the hierarchy, senior managers of a company are expected to transform into leaders, who are not only focused on tasks but more importantly provide the vision to the entire organization while managing the work environment. To do their jobs well, leaders must be able to connect with internal and external constituents with great ease and aplomb. They have to be masters at using the language of the leaders, whether you call it Queen's English, native English or any other!

Outside the academic world, success to a large degree comes from the power of communication skills. Hence, while you are putting in so much to build a solid foundation for your career, if required, invest some more time and money in becoming a pro at writing and speaking the lingua franca of the business world. English is the language of opportunities. Master it.

DAY 38

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DEVELOPING INTANGIBLE RESOURCES

Intangibles: what they are, why they matter, and what they can do for you

Soft 'intangible' factors can play a crucial role in developing a business's competitive performance. For example, a charity with strong commitment from its donors will achieve its goals more easily, and a business with a culture that encourages coaching, risk-taking, new ideas and avoids blame is more likely to make improvements and achieve progress.

Unfortunately, intangibles can be tough to manage. You may easily borrow cash, buy production capacity or hire staff, but it is slow and difficult to build staff morale, a strong reputation, support from a charity's donors or to generate new ideas.

Overview

Resources can typically be classified into two of four categories: either direct or indirect and tangible or intangible.

•         Direct resources are those factors such as staff expertise, cash or intellectual property that can be developed and nurtured by the business. Customers are, perhaps, the biggest single direct resource. (Viewing customers as a resource focuses thinking on how to accumulate and retain them.)

•         Indirect resources are those factors that have a bearing on the quality, strength and value of resources. For example, effective training and development policies are an indirect resource, as they build the effectiveness of staff expertise.

•         Tangible resources are those that can be physically seen, such as cash, inventory, sales volumes and customers; typically, these have the highest profile within the organization, as they are the most apparent.

•         Intangible resources such as service quality, brand reputation or staff expertise are also vitally important to success.

Of these, intangible resources can be the hardest to manage (and the easiest to ignore). Several techniques will help ensure that intangible resources are working well with the rest of the business:

•         Identify the most important intangibles. Since your performance relies on concrete resources, assess whether an intangible factor is likely to influence your ability to win or lose the resources. It is not advisable to waste time examining too many factors, as it is more likely that only one or two factors will have a significant impact.

•         Be clear which of these factors genuinely 'accumulate' through time and which are simply current features of the business. 'Quality' and 'service' reflect the balance between what has to be done and what is available to do it, in which case they do not accumulate. Reputation, motivation, commitment and relationships, on the other hand, are built up and drain away over time in response to events.

•         Assess intangibles carefully, identif9 the best measure and also the events causing each intangible to rise or fall. Look for ways to strengthen intangibles.

•         Build intangible measures into your performance tracking system. Reporting systems now commonly incorporate soft measures (as distinct from hard data, such as financial measures) from various parts of the organization, recognizing that soft measures such as engagement or reputation are crucial to a well-performing system.

•         If you don't know, don't ignore the issue. Soft factors are influencing your organization, continually and powerfully. Remember, if you choose to ignore them, you are not, in fact, really leaving them out. Instead, you are assuming that they are satisfactory and unchanging. This is unlikely to remain correct, so make your best estimate and start tracking and understanding them.

SKILL CAPSULE: 7 MISTAKES CAN DAMAGE YOUR TEAM BUILDING EFFORTS

1. Lameness

Your icebreakers crash and burn. Your activities are boring. Your workshops are pointless.

Don't underestimate the difficulties of planning and executing team building events. Professional facilitation is often a good idea.

If you're on a budget you'll need to plan well. Try things out with a small group first.

2. Lack of Inclusion

Forcing everyone in the team to participate in the boss's favorite hobby is not always a good idea.

Activities such as golf that require a predefined skillset may end up embarrassing those who aren't good at it. Employees may feel that the boss is just showing off her skills with her golfing cronies.

Go for activities that put everyone on a level playing field. Activities your team has never tried before can work. Take an ice sculpting class.

3. Negativity

Activities should have a positive focus. The last thing you want is for your team building to turn into a complaint session.

Structured activities specifically designed to bring out the best in your team are better than sitting around gossiping.

4. Lack of Creativity

Team building exercises should break people out of their patterned behaviors to generate creative sparks.

Get people dancing, moving, thinking and creating things that they would never create in their daily work.

Going out to a movie doesn't cut it.

5. Static Social Interaction

Team building should encourage people to socially interact in new ways.

Going for dinner and having everyone sit with their best work pals doesn't accomplish much.

Structure is required to break old social patterns. Play games that encourage people to interact in new ways.

6. Ethical Danger

Taking your employees on an overnight excursion, loading them up with alcohol and not allowing them to invite their partners is a recipe for regret, family problems and broken interpersonal relationships.

In many cultures, wine has long social and business traditions. However, it comes with risks.

7. Physical Danger

There's a human instinct to build teams with danger. Ask skydivers — they'll tell you that mortal danger is a great way to build teams.

The problem is that if you encourage your employees to take physical risks, that's your legal responsibility. It's also your ethical responsibility.

If your employees are driving home it's a bad idea to load them up with alcohol.

If nothing else make sure that your employees all survive your team building exercises. Keep your people safe.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTRODUCING A SPEAKER

A speaker introduction involves establishing the person’s credibility, motivating audience interest, and saying what the speaker could not say. Not many speakers will jump to the stage and share their list of accomplishments, as this would appear arrogant and could quickly turn off an audience. At the same time, if you are able to share that they have turned two companies around and would like to share lessons learned, your audience may see the value in giving their attention. Being designated to introduce a speaker is an honor and an important duty that requires planning and preparation.

Scot Ober states, “Remarks should be directed at welcoming the speaker and establishing his or her qualifications to speak on the topic.” You may start with a quote from their work, or a quote from a publication or colleague describing them. You may decide to use humor. All these options are available, but whatever you choose, let respect and dignity be your overriding goal. The function and role of the introduction is to focus the spotlight squarely on the speaker. You should not distract the audience from that task with your dress, gestures, antics, or by talking about yourself.

The person you are introducing may already be well known to the audience, but you can always find some new information to share. You may need to consider the unusual, or the little known, when introducing someone who is famous. You may also consider mentioning their most recent work or activity as it relates to the topic of the presentation. Avoid the “laundry list” approach to a summary of their education and experience, as this may bore the audience. Instead, focus on something specific and relevant. Your range of options is almost limitless, but your time frame and overall function are not. You need to be brief, and you need to establish the speaker’s credibility while motivating interest.

According to Bonnie Devet, “Performing the role of introducer also reinforces the rhetorical principles seminal to any business writing course: the need for ethos (credibility of both speakers and introducers), for audience-based discourse, and for accuracy.” Think of an introduction as a speech in miniature. Your purpose is to inform, your time frame is (typically) one to three minutes, and your specific purpose is to inform the audience about the speaker’s qualifications, credibility, and enthusiasm for the topic he or she will cover.

DAY 39

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MARKET POSITIONING AND VALUE CURVES

Choosing the best position in the market for your business or product

A value curve is a way of highlighting customers' needs and preferences. This can be used to understand a firm's competitive position, as well as potential trade-offs, opportunities and areas for further development.

Competing firms emphasize and trade off different things that customers value. For example:

•         The UK retailer The Body Shop traded the slick packaging, clinical approach and glamorous image traditionally favored by the cosmetics industry in return for a lower price and a more sustainable identity (see diagram).

•         In the USA South-West Airlines pioneered low-cost aviation by trading the features of traditional air travel in return for the benefits of cheap, point-to-point travel.

•         Multiplex cinemas traded the conventional convenience and centrality of town centre locations in return for the benefits of space and a different experience for customers.

•         Home Depot expanded into out-of-town locations on freeways and employed ex-contractors as a way of providing a new level of service and value for customers who did not typically visit home building stores.

The concept of value curves highlights several points about market positioning:

•         Competing firms emphasize and trade off different values (e.g. luxury may be traded for a lower price).

•         Customers value specific features (e.g. price, packaging) differently at different times.

•         Different values enable firms to target new, different - and possibly un-fulfilled - market segments, potentially increasing the size of the market.

•         Initially, strategic innovators (e.g. South-West Airlines) create new 'market space', gradually redefining the market.

•         It can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for incumbents to successfully copy new arrivals. This is because internal cultural and resource issues keep firms anchored in their conventional way of working.

•         When reviewing a value curve, consider the trend: how are things changing?

SKILL CAPSULE: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Managing performance is a continuous process which involves making sure that the performance of employees contributes to the goals of their teams and the business.

Good performance management helps everyone in the organisation to know:

• what the business is trying to achieve

• their role in helping the business achieve its goals

• the skill and competencies they need to fulfil their role

• the standards of performance required

• how they can develop their performance and contribute to development of the organisation 

• how they are doing 

• when there are performance problems and what to do about them.

If employees are engaged in their work they are more likely to be doing their best for your organisation. An engaged employee is someone who:

• takes pride in their job and shows loyalty towards their line manager, team or organisation

• goes the extra mile - particularly in areas like customer service, or where employees need to be creative, responsive or adaptable.

The way to manage performance should be fair to all staff and decisions should be based on merit, managers must not discriminate against employees in the way they manage performance.

All managers with responsibilities for performance management must receive training to help them manage performance effectively. This should include information on the objectives of performance management, how it will operate and what their role will be. Employees will also need training in how to set their objectives and training in other aspects of the system.

There are three aspects to planning an individual's performance:

1. objectives which the employee is expected to achieve

2. competencies or behaviours - the way in which employees work towards their objectives

3. personal development - the development employees need in order to achieve objectives and realise their potential

A regular dialogue between line managers and their team members is at the heart of performance management. Managers should discuss work as it goes along by holding regular informal meetings about:

• how the employee is doing in terms of objectives and competencies and might be added to the employees record of achievement

• things to think about that might be enhanced further

• areas to work on and any concerns about performance. These can feed into the employee's development plan.

Reviewing performance typically has three elements:

1. regular informal meeting where line managers discuss current work and development

2. formal interim meeting to discuss progress against performance plan

3. annual appraisal review where the work of the year is discussed and feedback given.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: REACTING TO DIFFICULT TYPES

Most people want to avoid conflict and potentially stressful situations – this is human nature.   

People often find it easier to avoid communicating something that they think is going to be controversial or bad, putting off the communication and letting the situation fester. 

There are two distinct types of difficult conversation, planned and unplanned:

•      Planned conversations occur when the subject has been given thought, they are planned as the time, place and other circumstances have been arranged or are chosen for a reason.  Planned difficult conversations could include asking an employer for a pay-rise or perhaps telling your parents that you are leaving home to live somewhere else.   Although these situations are, by their nature, difficult they are controlled and as long as time has been taken to prepare and think properly about how others may react they can often end up being easier than imagined.

•      Unplanned difficult conversations take place on the spur of the moment; these are often fuelled by anger which can, in extreme cases, lead to aggression. .  Often, after an unplanned difficult conversation we feel a surge of emotion – regret or shame if things didn't go too well or potentially a boost to self-esteem and confidence if they did.  After such encounters it is wise to reflect and learn from our experiences trying to find positives and ways of improving future unplanned difficult conversations.

Certain jobs and roles require difficult communication to be handled professionally, with empathy, tact, discretion and clarity.  Some examples are:

Politicians often have to communicate bad news, for example, failures in their departments, scandals, not meeting targets etc. As Politicians are in the public eye they may be judged by how well they communicate bad news.  They will worry about their electorate and the repercussions for their self-image, their political party and their country.  It is not unusual for Politicians to use ‘spin doctors’ and ‘public relation gurus’ who can advise, alleviate personal blame and find positives in potentially bad news. Another trick sometimes used by politicians is to coincide the release of bad news with some other, unrelated big news story, with the hope that media and public attention will be focused elsewhere.

Doctors and other Health Care Professionals may need to communicate bad or unexpected news to patients and relations of patients, for example, diagnosis and prognosis.  Such professionals will have received training and will have worked in practise scenarios to help them to deliver such news effectively and sensitively.

Police and other Law Enforcement Officers may need to communicate bad news to victims of crime or their family and friends.  Such professionals will have received at least basic training in delivering bad news.

Managers in organisations may need to communicate difficult information on several levels, to staff who are under-performing or if redundancies are necessary.  Managers may also need to report bad news upwards to directors or board members, perhaps profits are down or some arm of the organisation is failing.

Your Job. Whatever your line of work, there will be times when, you will need to be able to communicate difficult information effectively to others. This is an important employability skill, something that many employers will look for. You may be asked to give examples in a job interview or during some sort of appraisal or professional development programme.

 

Emotion and Change

There are two main factors that make communication seem difficult: emotion and change.

Emotion

People tend to look at emotions as being positive or negative.  Happiness is positive and therefore sadness must be negative, calmness is positive whereas stress and anxiety are negative.  Emotions are, however, a natural response to situations that we find ourselves in, and the only time that we need to be concerned is when we consistently feel emotions inappropriate to our current situation.  Emotions are therefore not positive or negative but appropriate or inappropriate. 

When faced with unexpected news we may find ourselves becoming upset, frustrated, angry – or perhaps very happy and excited.  It is helpful to recognise how we react to things emotionally and to think of different ways in which emotions can be controlled if necessary.  Similarly, if we need to communicate information which may have an emotional effect on another person, it is helpful to anticipate what that effect might be and to tailor what we say or write accordingly.

Change

Often difficult conversations are about some sort of change, for example, changes in your job or ways of doing things, changes in finances or health, changes in a relationship. It is important to remember that change is inevitable.

Different people handle change in different ways, some respond very positively to a change in circumstances whereas others may only be able to see problems and difficulty at first.   If possible it is beneficial to think about the positive side of the change and the potential opportunities that it may bring. It is better for an individual’s well-being if they are able to embrace change as positively as possible, thus helping to minimise stress and anxiety.

 

Dealing with Difficult Conversations

There has to be a balance between communicating something difficult and being as sensitive as possible to those concerned.  The skill set required to do this may seem somewhat contradictory as you may need to be both firm and gentle in your approach. 

 

Information Gathering

Make sure you have your facts straight before you begin, know what you are going to say and why you are going to say it.  Try to anticipate any questions or concerns others may have and think carefully about how you will answer questions.

Being Assertive

Once you are sure that something needs to be communicated then do so in an assertive way. Do not find yourself backing down or changing your mind mid-conversation, unless of course there is very good reason to do so.

Being Empathic

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about how they will feel about what you are telling them; how would you feel if the roles were reversed?  Give others time to ask questions and make comments.

 

Being Prepared to Negotiate

Often a difficult situation requires a certain amount of negotiation, be prepared for this.  When negotiating, aim for a win-win outcome – that is, some way in which all parties can benefit.

 

Using Appropriate Verbal and Non-Verbal Language

Speak clearly avoiding any jargon that other parties may not understand, give eye contact and try to sit or stand in a relaxed way.  Do not use confrontational language or body language.

 

Listen

When stressed we tend to listen less well, try to relax and listen carefully to the views, opinions and feelings of the other person/people.  Use clarification and reflection techniques to offer feedback and demonstrate that you were listening.

 

Staying Calm and Focused

Communication becomes easier when we are calm, take some deep breaths and try to maintain an air of calmness, others are more likely to remain calm if you do.  Keep focused on what you want to say, don’t deviate or get distracted from the reason that you are communicating.

DAY 40

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: PORTER’S FIVE FORCES

How competitive is your company?

Porter's Five Forces model provides a deeper understanding of a firm's current competitiveness and highlights options to improve competitiveness.

Michael Porter outlines five forces for competitive analysis:

1.       New entrants

2.       Substitute products

3.       Buyers

4.       Suppliers

5.       Existing competitors.

1.      New entrants

Ask yourself how easy it is for new companies to enter the market. There are many factors to consider, including barriers to entry (such as patents and high set-up costs), attractiveness of profit margins and the strength of your brand.

2.      Substitutes

Assess how easy it is for your products to be substituted by other products. This includes all alternatives - not just similar products. For example, airlines compete with train and coach companies, not just other airlines.

3.      Buyers

Review how strong your buyers are. Is it a buyers' market? Can buyers switch to competitors easily? Are some of your customers in such a strong position that this leaves you vulnerable? If your business-to-business buyers are operating at low profit margins, what impact will this have on your company?

4.      Suppliers

Assess the strength of your suppliers. Are you dependent on a particular supplier - and how can this be mitigated? Does the supplier rely on your custom or could it easily take its operating capacity to other companies or sell directly to your customers? Could you use alternative products or methods to reduce your vulnerability?

5.      Existing competitors

Understand your competitors and how you compare to them.

•         What threat do they pose?

•         What are their strengths and weaknesses?

•         Could there be a price war or other aggressive strategies - and would you be able to survive such tactics?

•         Are they innovative?

•         Are customers able to move to other companies easily?

•         Now many competitors are there?

•         Which companies are the strongest?

•         Are there any newcomers ready to take the market by storm or render your products redundant?

Assessing competitiveness through all five forces will help you to determine how the company is performing, its strengths and weaknesses and the direction it is heading in. Because a weakness of Porter's approach is the focus on external issues, it is often used alongside complementary models that are better at revealing the internal issues that impact on a company's competitiveness.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

Become a Friendlier Person

1.       Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.

2.       Give honest, sincere appreciation.

3.       Arouse in the other person an eager want.

4.       Become genuinely interested in other people.

5.       Smile.

6.       Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

7.       Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

8.       Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

9.       Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely. Win People to Your Way of Thinking

10.   The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

11.   Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.”

12.   If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

13.   Begin in a friendly way.

14.   Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.

15.   Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.

16.   Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

17.   Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.

18.   Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.

19.   Appeal to the nobler motives.

20.   Dramatize your ideas.

21.   Throw down a challenge. Be a Leader

22.   Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

23.   Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.

24.   Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.

25.   Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

26.   Let the other person save face.

27.   Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”

28.   Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.

29.   Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

30.   Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BODY LANGUAGE

What do we mean by “Body Language” ??

The medium through which people and communicate using gestures, expressions and posture.

Why is Body Language important?

Body language plays a big role in intuition as it gives us messages about the other person, that we can interpret at an intuitive level.

Components of Body Language

•         Facial Expression including Eye contact

•         Gestures

•         Stance

•         Space Relationship

Facial Expressions

•         There are some universal facial expressions; a smile, a frown, a scowl.

•         Eye contact is direct and powerful. 

•         The use of eye contact varies significantly from culture to culture

Gestures

•         Fidgeting shows boredom and restlessness.

•          Pressing fingers together to form a steeple shows interests, assertiveness and determination.

•         Touching the nose or rubbing eyes indicates discomfort.

•         A hand to the back of the neck may indicate withdrawal from a conversation.

Open Stance

•         Interested people always have an erect posture, pay attention and lean forward

•         A firm handshake will give the impression of assertiveness or honesty

•         People showing open hands, both feet planted on the ground are accepting

•         A head tilted to the side indicates interest

Closed Stance

•         Leaning backwards demonstrates aloofness or rejection

•         Folding arms across ones chest or body is protective and gives the impression of a closed, guarded and defensive character.

•         People with arms folded, legs crossed and bodies turned away are signalling that they are rejecting messages.

•         A head down is negative and judgmental

Space

•         There are four distinct zones in which most people operate:

•         Intimate Area 15-50 cm

•         Personal Area 0.5-1m

•         Social Area 1-3m

•         General Area 3m

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR INTERPRETATION

Brisk, erect walk Confidence

Standing with hands on hips Readiness, aggression

Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly Boredom

Sitting, legs apart Open, relaxed

Arms crossed on chest Defensiveness

Walking with hands in pockets, shoulders hunched Dejection

Hand to cheek Evaluation, thinking

Touching the lips, rubbing or hiding the nose with fingers Doubt, lying, hiding

Rubbing the eye Doubt, disbelief

Hands clasped behind back Anger, frustration, apprehension

Locked ankles Apprehension

Head resting in hand, eyes downcast Boredom

Rubbing hands Anticipation

Open palm Sincerity, openness, innocence

Pinching bridge of nose, eyes closed Negative evaluation

Tapping or drumming fingers Impatience

Steepling fingers Authoritative

Patting/fondling hair Lack of self-confidence; insecurity

Tilted head Interest

Stroking chin Trying to make a decision

Looking down, face turned away Disbelief

Biting nails Insecurity, nervousness

Pulling or tugging at ear Indecision

DAY 41

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: INNOVATION HOTSPOTS

How to build a culture of innovation

Developed by Professor Lynda Gratton, Innovation Hotspots occur where conditions are right and there is encouragement - they cannot be formally imposed. Encouragement is needed in four areas, which are:

1.       a co-operative mindset

2.       boundary spanning

3.       developing a sense of purpose

4.       productive capacity.

1.      A co-operative mindset

A co-operative mindset results from a company's practices, processes, behaviours and norms - the behaviour of top management is significant. People have to want to share both explicit and tacit knowledge. Several elements are vital:

•         Consider relationships when selecting staff.

•         Emphasize relationships in inductions.

•         Provide mentoring.

•         Emphasize collective rewards over individual ones.

•         Establish structures that facilitate peer-to-peer working.

•         Develop social responsibility.

2.      Boundary spanning

This involves thinking beyond your immediate boundaries - seeing the larger picture. This involves:

•         being undeterred by physical distance

•         welcoming a diverse range of ideas, insights, experience and people

•         being willing and able to explore issues together

•         networking and building bridges for others to cross

•         using different levels of co-operation (e.g. use strong ties where developing trust quickly is important; use weak ties to generate a lot of ideas)

•         listening and reflecting in conversations rather than just pushing a point of view.

3.      Developing a sense of purpose

Pose challenging (or 'igniting') questions. These don't have a 'right' answer; they invite exploration of options. They inspire and engage people and lead to a new vision that provides purpose and energy.

4.      Productive capacity

Ensuring that a hotspot realizes its full potential relies on building productive capacity by:

•         understanding and appreciating the talents of others

•         obtaining practical, public and explicit commitment from participants

•         harnessing the creative energy which results from problem-solving and decision-making

•         synchronizing time, especially where different time zones have to be accommodated or where there are different attitudes to time

•         ensuring that pressure is neither too high, where people burn out, or too low, where they lose interest.

Innovation relies on teamwork, agility and the ability to lead change. Crucially, it is about mindset: you need to think like an innovator and you need to encourage this in others. Innovation isn't only about products - it's about understanding customers and building a brand, improving efficiency, reducing costs, improving the quality and quantity of people's work and removing constraints.

SKILL CAPSULE: PERSONAL GROOMING

PERSONAL GROOMING & CLOTHING – WOMEN

•         Makeup should be subtle-down to a minimum.

•         Never wear contrasting undergarments under light tops as it will show

•         Avoid Chunky, jangling jewelry, bangles, anklets or anything which creates sound.

•         This also includes duppattas with bells etc on them.

•         Your shirts collar, cuffs should be clean and there should be no missing buttons

•         Keep your nails clean and polished.

•         When choosing nail varnish color, choose colors which are light, neutral and closer to your skin color. Bright colors like red, green, blue, purple are absolutely a no-no.

•         Ensure your breath is Fresh and clean. There should be no odor from the mouth. If you are prone to bad breath, consult a dentist and gargle with mouthwash frequently, especially after eating.

•         Preferably use lipsticks in matt shades. Use a lip liner to outline our lips before you fill in your lips with lipstick. When outlining your lips, stick to the natural curves of your lips. The lip liner should be a shade darker or the same shade as the lipstick.

•         Lipsticks shades to be worn at work should be light in color and not dark shades. The shades should be natural in color rather than bright and dark. Light pinks, light browns and skin tones are appropriate

•         Pick the Right perfume: Ideally, perfume is never to be worn at work. What you can use however is cologne, body sprays/ mists, and deodorants etc.

•         Whilst selecting cologne, opt for one that smells fresh and tingling, nothing to heavy in aroma. Steer clear from strong fruity or spicy smells for work.

•         Use deodorant / Anti per spirant

•         Wear long lasting make-up

•         If you like wearing saris it is advisable to wear chiffon, georgette or cotton handloom ones during summer and pure silks in winter, they impart a sophisticated image

•         Sari should be worn neatly in a professional style.

•         Handloom saris need to be starched and ironed well otherwise they drape unflatteringly on your body with numerous unsightly creases.

Pin the sari well so that it does not fall

•         Put the pin on the back shoulder as this keeps the sari intact and does not show the pin too.

•         Don't wear a very flared petticoat inside.

•         Have Small prints rather than large in saris. Plain and bordered saris are much better. Loud colors, double shaded saris should be avoided.

•         No cut sleeves blouse, or plunging neck lines please.

•         Traditional salwar kameez with dupatta can be worn.

•         Do not match Indian and western clothes.

•         Don’t let any straps, lingerie, lace show or any panty lines show from beneath your skirt or trousers.

•         Always carry a clean hanky.

Never wear Loud shocking colors, clinging or short skirts, Trousers without a jacket and see through fabrics.

•         A skirt worn should be no more than an inch high above your knee. Full- length ‘A’ line skirts also can be worn. With a short skirt, stockings are a must.

•         If you have long hair, never keep it untied, pull it back from your face and tie it up in a French roll or a good old-fashioned bun at the nape of your neck.

•         Hair should preferably be styled and cut to shoulder length, or shorter. It makes you look neat and professional. With a sari, a bun at the nape of the neck, is ideal.

•         For business wear, shoe/boots/heel styles must be closed-toe and closed-heel .No strappy sandals or chappals please. Open toed shoes are acceptable if they have a business look. No sequin work, just plain simple leather footwear works best for sandals.

•         Heel height should not be too high or low. 2 inch heel is ideal

•         Nicked heels, scruffy toes, or unpolished footwear scream failure.

•         Never wear golden, silver or sequined shoes to the office.

•         Its always better, that your socks are of same color as the trousers as it gives a polished look as there is no break in vision

•         Never wear white socks to office

•         Dress for comfort and professional effect.

ACCESSORIES

•         Pearls, white gold, silver and precious stones look very elegant in office than chunky gold jewelry.

•         Bangles or ‘Kadha’s which do not jingle with Indian dresses and a fine bracelet with western dress can be worn to work.

•         Earrings should not dangle below the ear lobe. No more than an inch in length is acceptable.

•         Nose pins and studs are acceptable. Nose rings are unprofessional.

•         All tattoos must be covered while at work.

•         Always wear sheer socks/ stockings with shoes under skirts. No bare skin should show.

•         Match the color of your purse and shoes

•         Have good quality accessories like a folder, briefcase, handbag, watch, mobile, mobile cover, Key chain

PERSONAL GROOMING & CLOTHING – MEN

•          Shaving daily is a must. If you want to keep a moustache or beard, it should be neat and well trimmed.

•          Trim hair which may frequently peep out from your nose and ears.

•         Keep your hair way above your collar and keep side burns trimmed and short.

•         Your hairstyle should reflect your personality and should be kept groomed and, of course, clean at all times.

•          Keep nails short and clean, as your hands are seen while communicating.

•         When it comes to wearing a fragrance, always remember… a little dab is just enough.

 Use deodorant / Anti per spirant

•          Opt for one that smells fresh and tingly, nothing to heavy in aroma. Steer clear from strong fruity or spicy smells for work.

•          Darker suits carry more authority; the most powerful colors are dark blue, grey and black.

•          Solid colors and pinstripes are best, as long as pinstripes are muted and narrow.

 Safari suits are not formal.

•          The shirt should be light colored, either plain or with horizontal or vertical stripes in light shades

•          Loud and big checks and Prints of any kind are to be avoided.

•          A long-sleeved shirt should always be buttoned at the cuffs and never rolled up.

 White, off white, blue, cream, beige, baby pink, pale n light yellow are the best office colors.

•          Always wear an ironed shirt, even if the shirt claims to be "wash and wear."

 When wearing long-sleeved shirts, cuffs should extend a quarter inch below suit sleeve.

•          Cotton/polyester blends are acceptable. The higher the cotton content, the better you'll look.

•          The legs of the trousers must not be so long as to fall in folds over the shoe.

•          Trousers should be short enough to look neat and long enough to cover the bare skin above the socks when they are hitched up in a sitting posture

•          A printed, striped or checked shirt ought to be worn with plain trouser

 If the trousers are striped or checked, the shirt should be plain.

•          If the trousers are of dark color then the shirt should be of complimentary light color. e.g. a light blue shirt with dark blue trousers.

•          When wearing a shirt without a tie, only the two collar buttons may be left undone

 Your tie should compliment and add color to your suit.

•          Width should be approximately the same as lapels, generally 2 ¾-3 ½ inches wide.

 Linen wrinkles too easily. satin ties are too flashy , but 100 percent silk ties make the most powerful and professional impact and are also the easiest to tie.

•          Front end of the tie should touch the tip of the belt and back end tucked in well.

 Avoid ties with cartoons, huge flowers etc.

•          Black and brown leather are the best colors.

•          Black/brown lace up shoes, cap toe, and wingtips are the most conservative.

•          Shoes should be well polished and in good condition.

•          Socks should complement the suit.

•          They should not bunch around your ankles.

•          They should be long enough that skin is not seen when legs are crossed.

•          Its always better, that your socks are of same color as the trousers as it gives a polished look as there is no break in vision

•          White socks and sports socks are a big no-no.

ACCESSORIES

•         Jewelry should be very simple and conservative. Nothing more than a wedding band, and a single, very fine gold chain is acceptable.

•         Briefcases should be leather; brown and black are the best colors.

•         Watches should be simple and plain. Avoid leather, metal straps are the best.

•         Belts should be leather and should match or complement shoes (blue/black/gray suit = black belt and shoes; brown/tan/beige suit = brown belt and shoes). The buckle should be simple and sober.

•          Tie pins and cuff links add to your professional demeanor, so use them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO CONTROL BODY LANGUAGE

The effective use of body language plays a key role in communication. Here are ten tips for powerful body language I’ve learned during the past two decades of coaching teams around the world:

1.       To boost your confidence, assume a power pose

Research at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools shows that simply holding your body in expansive, “high-power” poses (leaning back with hands behind the head and feet up on a desk, or standing with legs and arms stretched wide open) for as little as two minutes stimulates higher levels of testosterone—the hormone linked to power and dominance—and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Try this when you’re feeling tentative but want to appear confident. In addition to causing hormonal shifts in both males and females, these poses lead to increased feelings of power and a higher tolerance for risk. The study also found that people are more often influenced by how they feel about you than by what you're saying.

2.      To increase participation, look like you’re listening

If you want people to speak up, don’t multitask while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward, nodding, and tilting your head are other nonverbal ways to show you’re engaged and paying attention. It’s important to hear people. It’s just as important to make sure they know you are listening.

3.      To encourage collaboration, remove barriers

Physical obstructions are especially detrimental to collaborative efforts. Take away anything that blocks your view or forms a barrier between you and the rest of the team. Even during a coffee break, be aware that you may create a barrier by holding your cup and saucer in a way that seems deliberately to block your body or distance you from others. A senior executive told me he could evaluate his team’s comfort by how high they held their coffee cups. It was his observation that the more insecure individuals felt, the higher they held their coffee. People with their hands held at waist level were more comfortable than those with hands chest high.

4.      To connect instantly with someone, shake hands

Touch is the most primitive and powerful nonverbal cue. Touching someone on the arm, hand, or shoulder for as little as 1/40 of a second creates a human bond. In the workplace, physical touch and warmth are established through the handshaking tradition, and this tactile contact makes a lasting and positive impression. A study on handshakes by the Income Center for Trade Shows showed that people are two times more likely to remember you if you shake hands with them. The trade show researchers also found that people react to those with whom they shake hands by being more open and friendly.

5.      To stimulate good feelings, smile

A genuine smile not only stimulates your own sense of well-being, it also tells those around you that you are approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. A genuine smile comes on slowly, crinkles the eyes, lights up the face, and fades away slowly. Most importantly, smiling directly influences how other people respond to you. When you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way. Our webinar on Body Language Basics for Managers will refine your body language skills and teach you how to read your employees' nonverbal signals.

6.      To show agreement, mirror expressions and postures

When clients or business colleagues unconsciously imitate your body language, it’s their way of nonverbally saying that they like or agree with you. When you mirror other people with intent, it can be an important part of building rapport and nurturing feelings of mutuality. Mirroring starts by observing a person’s facial and body gestures and then subtly letting your body take on similar expressions and postures. Doing so will make the other person feel understood and accepted.

7.      To improve your speech, use your hands

Brain imaging has shown that a region called Broca’s area, which is important for speech production, is active not only when we’re talking, but when we wave our hands. Since gesture is integrally linked to speech, gesturing as we talk can actually power up our thinking.

 Whenever I encourage executives and others to incorporate gestures into their deliveries, I consistently find that their verbal content improves. Experiment with this and you’ll find that the physical act of gesturing helps you form clearer thoughts and speak in tighter sentences with more declarative language.

8.      To learn the truth, watch people’s feet

When people try to control their body language, they focus primarily on facial expressions, body postures, and hand/arm gestures. Since the legs and feet are left unrehearsed, they are also where the truth can most often be found. Under stress, people will often display nervousness and anxiety through increased foot movements. Feet will fidget, shuffle, and wind around each other or around the furniture. Feet will stretch and curl to relieve tension, or even kick out in a miniaturized attempt to run away. Studies show that observers have greater success judging a person’s real emotional state when they can see the entire body. You may not know it, but instinctively you’ve been reacting to foot gestures all your life.

9.      To sound authoritative, keep your voice down

Before a speech or important telephone call, allow your voice to relax into its optimal pitch (a technique I learned from a speech therapist) by keeping your lips together and making the sounds “um hum, um hum, um hum.” And if you are a female, watch that your voice doesn’t rise at the ends of sentences as if you are asking a question or seeking approval. Instead, when stating your opinion, use the authoritative arc, in which your voice starts on one note, rises in pitch through the sentence and drops back down at the end. Receive personalized feedback on your tone and body language by enrolling in our Executive Presence for Women seminar.

10. To improve your memory, uncross your arms and legs

Body language researchers Allan and Barbara Pease report a fascinating finding from one of their studies: When a group of volunteers attended a lecture and sat with unfolded arms and legs, they remembered 38% more than a group that attended the same lecture and sat with folded arms and legs. To improve your retention, uncross your arms and legs. If you see your audience exhibiting defensive body language, change tactics, take a break, or get them to move—and don’t try to persuade them until their bodies open up.

o    90 percent of first impression.

o    Crossed legs or ankles and folded arms – indicate a defensive posture or a dislike of the situation.  Open position may indicate the opposite as may leaning forward or backward in a relaxed manner. 

o    A worker facing away, hands in pockets – negative posture. 

o    Free use of hand gesturing – indicates highly emotional, animated or relaxed relatively carefree.

o    Tense individual – body rigid.

o    Hard gestures – Positive attitude

o    Facial expression is usually understood.  Emotions like anger, interest, happiness, disgust, contempt, surprise, fear and love.

o    A frown, a sarcastic smile, a blank stare and mean to the employee that the manager is not interested.

o    Sweaty hands or nail bitting may mean that the workers feel ill at ease.

o    Actions

o    Desk moved

o    Deliberately restricting their output.

o    Machinery that could do the work of this crew.

o    Guidelines for Dealing with Communication

o    Have a plan.

o    Get organized.

o    Develop the message from the receivers point of view.

o    Select the best way to communicate the message.

o    Look for feedback.

o    Follow up.

o    Do not assume too much.

o    Be a good listener.

o    Use language that other can understand.

o    Observe non verbal cues.

DAY 42

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DEEP DIVE PROTOTYPING

Developing creative, practical solutions

Developed and popularized by the consultancy firm IDEO, Deep Dive Prototyping is a focused, team-based approach to generating solutions to a particular problem or challenge. It is a useful way of stimulating creative thinking and to capture and fine-tune ideas.

The process

A deep dive combines brainstorming and prototyping (building and exploring a potential solution) to devise actions that will help move a business forward. There is no time limit, and the main stages are:

•         Build a team that has a mix of strengths and approaches.

•         Define the design challenge - to do this, understand your market, customers, technology and constraints and use this information to develop key themes.

•         Visit experts, and gather information on markets, customers - and ideas generally.

•         Share ideas.

•         Brainstorm and vote - this involves intensive brainstorming and discussion to imagine new concepts and ideas based around the main themes.

•         Develop a fast prototype.

•         Test and refine the prototype, streamlining ideas to improve the proto-type and to overcome obstacles - at this stage, evaluate and prioritize ideas and decide how they can be implemented.

•         Focus on the prototype and produce a final solution.

•         Give credit to those involved - this promotes motivation and encourages continued innovative thinking.

SKILL CAPSULE: : HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING

Fundamental Principles for Overcoming Worry

  Live in “day tight compartments.”

  How to face trouble:a. Ask yourself, “What is the worst that can possibly happen?”b. Prepare to accept the worst.c. Try to improve on the worst.

  Remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for worry interns of your health

Basic Techniques in Analyzing Worry

  Get all the facts

  Weigh all the facts — then come to a decision.

  Once a decision is reached, act!

Write out and answer the following questions

  What is the problem?

  What are the causes of the problem?

  What are the possible solutions?

  What is the best possible solution?

Break the Worry Habit Before It Breaks You

  Keep busy

  Don’t fuss about trifles.

  Use the law of averages to outlaw your worries.

  Cooperate with the inevitable.

  Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth and refuse to give it more.

  Don’t worry about the past.

 Cultivate a Mental Attitude that will Bring You Peace and Happiness

  Fill your mind with thoughts of peace, courage, health and hope

  Never try to get even with your enemies.

  Expect ingratitude.

  Count your blessings — not your troubles.

  Do not imitate others.

  Try to profit from your losses.

  Create happiness for others.

The Perfect Way to Conquer Worry ---- Pray

Don't Worry about Criticism

  Remember that unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment.

  Do the very best you can

  Analyze your own mistakes and criticize yourself

Prevent Fatigue and Worry and Keep Your Energy and Spirits High

  Rest before you get tired.

  Learn to relax at your work.

  Protect your health and appearance by relaxing at home.

  Apply these four good working habits. Clear your desk of all papers except those relating to the immediate problem at hand Do things in the order of their importance. When you face a problem, solve it then and there if you have the facts necessary to make a decision. Learn to organize, deputize and supervise.

  Put enthusiasm into your work

  Don’t worry about insomnia.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: MYTHS AND REALITIES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Now that you have identified your purpose, chosen your topic and thesis statement, gathered and organized your material, you are almost ready to put your speech into its final form. At this juncture, let’s examine some common public speaking myths and outline the guidelines you’ll need to consider as you prepare to face your audience. There are a lot of myths associated with public speaking. In many ways these guidelines dispel common perceptions of public speaking and may lead you to be more open with yourself and your audience as you prepare and present your speech.

Speaking in Public Is Not Like Killing Lions

From an evolutionary biology perspective, our bodies have developed to respond to stress in advantageous ways. When we needed to run from a bear, hunt a lion, or avoid a snake, our bodies predictably got us prepared with a surge of adrenaline. Hunters who didn’t respond well to stress or failed at hunting were less likely to live long enough to reach maturity and reproduce. So we have the successful hunter to thank for our genes, but people in developed countries today do not need hunting skills to feed their families. While food is still an issue in many parts of the world, our need to respond to threats and stress has shifted from our evolutionary roots to concern over our job, our relationships, and how we negotiate a modern economy. Communication is a great resource and tool, and we can apply the principles and lessons to ourselves. We can create the perception that the speech is like defeating the lion and really get ourselves worked up. Or we can choose to see it as a natural extension of communication with others.

Speaking in public itself is not inherently stressful, but our response to the stimulus can contribute to or reduce our level of stress. We all will have a stress response to a new, unknown, or unfamiliar stimulus. Nevertheless, the butterflies in our stomach are a response we can choose to control by becoming more familiar with the expectations, preparation, and performance associated with speaking in public.

You Don’t Have to Be Perfect

Letting go of perfection can be the hardest guideline to apply to ourselves. It’s also in our nature to compare ourselves to others and ourselves. You might forgive a classmate for the occasional “umm” during a speech, but then turn right around and spend a lot of mental effort chastising yourself for making the same error in your presentation. We all have distinct strengths and weaknesses. Knowing yourself and where you need to improve is an important first step. Recognizing that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that you won’t become a world-class speaker overnight, may be easier said than done. It may help to recognize that your listeners don’t want to see you fail; on the contrary, they want you to do well, because when you do, they will be able to relax and enjoy your presentation. You might be surprised to know that not everyone counts each time you say “umm.” However, if “umm,” “ahhh,” or “you know what I mean” are phrases that you tend to repeat, they will distract your audience from your message. Eliminating such distracting habits can become a goal for improvement. Improvement is a process, not an end in itself; in fact, many people believe that learning to speak in public is more about the journey than the destination. Each new setting, context, and audience will present new challenges, and your ability to adapt, learned through your journey of experience, will help you successfully meet each new challenge.

Organization Is Key to Success

Have you ever thought of a great comeback to something someone said a while after they said it? Wouldn’t it have been nice to be quick and articulate and able to deliver your comeback right then and there? Speaking in public gives you a distinct advantage over “off the cuff” improvisation and stumbling for the right comeback. You get to prepare and be organized. You know you’ll be speaking to an audience in order to persuade them to do, think, or consider an idea or action. What issues might they think of while you are speaking? What comebacks or arguments might they say if it were a debate? You get to anticipate what the audience will want to know, say, or hear. You get to prepare your statements and visual aids to support your speech and create the timing, organization, and presentation of each point. Many times in life we are asked to take a position and feel unprepared to respond. Speaking in public gives you the distinct opportunity to prepare and organize your ideas or points in order to make an impact and respond effectively.

Speaking in Public Is Like Participating in a Conversation

Some people feel that the level of expectations, the need for perfection, or the idealistic qualities we perceive in eloquent speakers are required, and then focus on deficiencies, fears, and the possibility of failing to measure up. By letting go of this ideal, we can approach the challenge with a more pragmatic frame of mind. The rules we play comfortably by in conversation every day are the same as we shift to a larger conversation within the context of public speaking. This viewpoint can offer an alternative as you address your apprehensions, and help you let go of unrealistic expectations.

DAY 43

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DEVELOPING CREATIVE THINKING

Making creativity the norm

Edward de Bono sees creativity as a learnable skill, one that is best harnessed through formal techniques. He proposes that parallel thinking is a more useful and effective means of putting creative talent to work.

Formal creativity works because it works with the way everyone's brains work: both consciously and subconsciously, we automatically filter, categorize, process and organize information. Building on this, de Bono argues that parallel thinking is more effective for generating the results that make a difference to companies. (Parallel thinking is when each individual puts forward their own thoughts in parallel with those of others. In this way, each individual is able to complement, enrich and build on one another's thinking, rather than competing or attacking the thoughts of others.)

The reason why this is more important than ever is because what companies previously relied on for competitive advantage - competence, information and technology - are now easy-to-obtain commodities. These are all buyable commodities, enabling your competitors to rapidly erode any advantage you may have had. Today, what matters is creating value from these commodities.

Understanding creativity

Creativity solves problems, challenges existing methods, and provides a better and constantly improving way forward. Given the reward, companies need to know how best to harness creativity in a way that is useful. A major flaw in traditional brainstorming is that it assumes that, if you give people the freedom to express themselves, they will magically become creative. This is not the case. For organizations, useful creativity needs to be a formal activity that requires thinking that provokes and challenges a current situation and then searches for answers.

Provoke, challenge and search for solutions

Given the brain's natural inclination to organize information and think laterally, we can tackle issues by simply taking a random starting point. Our brains will automatically process information, make connections and point us in new directions. Allowing such randomness in selecting a starting point is important. It suggests new possibilities and takes thinking along new paths. Significantly, it is likely that our brains have already processed information and are subconsciously suggesting such opening gambits because they could be highly relevant. This serves to break us out of the current doldrums and set us on a new course.

Next, our new thinking needs to move forward: to challenge the information it is processing. Just because something has always been done a certain way does not mean it is carved in stone: methods can always be improved upon. Constantly questioning and challenging is a mindset that is a huge source of competitive advantage precisely because it is the way that companies create value from their resources. An important point to remember is that even when something seems to be working and is successful it doesn't mean it is the best that it can be. Once thinking challenges the norm, we will automatically explore alternative and potentially better solutions.

Creating a culture of creativity in a world where competence, knowledge and technology are no longer enough is now the true source of success.

SKILL CAPSULE: LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The ability to lead effectively is based on a number of key skills. These skills are highly sought after by employers as they involve dealing with people in such a way as to motivate, enthuse and build respect.

Leadership roles are all around us, not just in a work environment.

They can be applied to any situation where you are required to take the lead, professionally, socially and at home in family settings. Ideally, leaders become leaders because they have credibility, and because people want to follow them.

Two questions which are often asked are:

o   What exactly is a leader? and

o   How is being a leader different from being a manager?

Many people also wonder if leadership can really be taught. People with vested interests (academics and those offering leadership training or literature of some sort) are convinced that it can. Many successful leaders, however, have never had any formal training. For them leadership is a state of mind, and it is their personalities and traits that make them successful leaders.

One of the most important aspects of leadership is that not every leader is the same. Of course we have all heard jokes about ‘mushroom’ leadership (keep them in the dark and feed them on manure) and ‘seagulls’ (swoop in, squawk, and drop unpleasant things on people), but joking aside, there are many different styles of leadership.

Different leadership styles are appropriate for different people and different circumstances, and the best leaders learn to use them all.

You can of course learn about effective leadership skills and practices but being able to implement them yourself may require an altogether different set of skills and attitudes. The question “Can leadership be taught?” has no simple answer and we do not want to argue for one side or the other, but rather keep an open mind on the subject and provide information about the skills good leaders need.

Perhaps the most important skill a leader needs is to be able to think strategically. Leadership is all about having a vision of where you want to be and working to achieve that vision. 

Characteristics of a leader

•         Leaders are Inspirational

•         Leaders develop/celebrate their people

•         Leaders take personal responsibility for the results

o   APR - absolute personal responsibility

•         Lead by example

•         Leaders keep asking the right questions

•         Leaders know their roles but work at contributing

•         Leadership is about social responsibility

How to be a leader in the corporate scenario

•         Everyone needs to think like a leader

o   Small daily acts of greatness

o   Run to what you are resisting and embrace change as you grow

o   Stay hungry.  Nothing fails like success

•         Business is about relationships with

o   External customers

o   Internal customers

•         Be a leader thru personal leadership; concentrate on

o   Being an excellent human being

o   Your health

o   Goal

o   Values

•         Leave a legacy - making a difference

o   Live your life in such a way that when you die the undertaker has tears in his eyes.  -- Mark Twain

•         Build a culture

o   Have conversations, make your employees part of the dream

•         Create rituals

o   daily morning huddle

o   Welcome meeting, discussion on values

•         Make them heroes

o   You get what you celebrate

o   Honor them when they uphold a value

•         Use training as a tool to

o   Create a creative workplace

•         Hire spectacular people

o   Spectacular people make a spectacular company

•         Create a hungry culture

o   Build

o   Talk

o   Celebrate

o   Go that extra mile

4-tactics towards Personal Leadership

•         Set a principal philosophy and precise goals

o   Make time to think

o   Leaders are more thoughtful than other people

o   Time to strategize

o   Time to plan

o   Live your life as your own.  Be yourself

•         Do the most difficult thing first thing in the morning

o   Build self-discipline

o   Get up at 5:00 a.m.

o   Finish what you start

o   Keep self promises

o   Keep a journal to capture

o   Learning - risks you have taken

o   Frustrations

o   Hopes and dreams

o   Ideas

o   Build relationships:

o   RANEF -

o   Be real

o   Be authentic

o   Be nice

o   Be ethical

o   Be fun

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO INTRODUCE A TOPIC AND HOW TO BUTT IN DURING A GD

Initiating a topic is a double-edged sword. When a candidate initiates, apart from grabbing an opportunity to speak, he also grabs the attention of examiners and fellow candidates. So, if a candidate who initiates is able to make a favourable first impression through his content and communication skills, it will help him sail through the GD.

On the other hand, if a candidate stammers, stutters or quotes wrong facts and figures, the damage done is irreparable. The candidate who initiates also has the onus of giving the GD the right perspective or framework. So, initiate only if you have in-depth knowledge about the topic at hand.

•         Try to bring new ideas in a GD.

•         You can creatively modify ideas presented by others and develop them during the GD.

•         Try to gain support from other participants of the Group Discussion through your body language, eye contact and oral etiquette.

•         Find out if the Group Discussion is on track or not. If a GD is going off track, try to bring it back on the topic.

•         Identify a way to enter a Group Discussion, as every GD has its highs and lows. Try to enter a GD during low times

•          Try to enter the GD after a participant has made his point but do not take much time.

•         Try to enter a Group Discussion by making a supportive or appreciating statement in favour of the last point made as people will think you are favouring them and they will let you speak.

•         When raising an objection to a point kept by another speaker, back it up with a solid reason to get the point across. 

•         If people agree with you it's good if not do not force them but politely tell them to think over your opinion too.

It takes great talent to speak sense continuously and hold everyone’s attention. Once you have made a breakthrough in the GD, try to steer the conversation or discussion towards a goal or some sort of conclusion.

DAY 44

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE DISCOVERY CYCLE (ORCA)

Evaluating innovations

Discovery - making things known or visible - is a vital precursor for innovation. The Discovery Cycle is a way of choosing new ideas that are profitable and scalable.

The Discovery Cycle has four stages, summarized in the acronym ORCA:

1.       Observation. Understand how the world is changing - for example, by looking for anomalies, paradoxes, peripheral developments and direct experience.

2.       Reflection. Techniques that work best at this stage include zooming in and out, using a muse, suspending judgement, slowing down, reflecting on what's missing, restructuring data to simplify patterns, juxtaposing pieces of different information (bisociation) and taking time to rest.

3.       Conversation. People set the pace and scope for innovation, so the best techniques to use at this stage include contrasting views, setting the agenda, framing the issues and generating hypotheses.

4.       Analysis. The final stage of the Discovery Cycle involves gathering systematic evidence, classifying and categorizing data, naming, completing data analysis and hypothesizing.

Lessons from great innovators

What lessons do innovators have for us? Several come to mind:

•         Build on the ideas of others / collaborate. That should be easy for scientists who are, in the words of Isaac Newton, 'standing on the shoulders of giants

•         Take an unorthodox, distinctive approach.

•         Embrace diversity.

•         Create a diverse, open and creative culture.

•         Develop empathy for the consumer or customer (understand people).

•         Execute and practically take action.

•         Be confident and bold.

•         Find your motivation; enjoy your work.

This list also highlights three other vital points:

1.       Innovation relies on teamwork, agility and the ability to lead change, the other elements of this programme.

2.       Innovation is about mindset: you need to think like an innovator and you need to encourage that in others.

3.       Innovation isn't only about products: it is about improving efficiency, reducing costs, improving the quality and quantity of people's work, removing constraints - and that's just internally; it also means serving and understanding customers, building a brand - and more.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO BE POLITE

Being polite means being aware of and respecting the feelings of other people.  We may not always notice politeness but we usually notice rudeness or inconsiderate behaviour.

This page takes a step back and covers some of the fundamentals of building and maintaining relationships with others.  We provide examples of the most common behaviours that are considered polite.

Politeness can and will improve your relationships with others, help to build respect and rapport, boost your self-esteem and confidence, and improve your communication skills.

Many of the points raised on this page may seem obvious (in most cases they are common-sense) but all too often social manners are overlooked or forgotten.  Take some time to read through the following points and think about how being polite and demonstrating good social etiquette can improve your relationships with others.

It is easy to recognise when people are rude or inconsiderate but often more difficult to recognise these traits in yourself. Think carefully about the impressions you leave on others and how you can easily avoid being considered ill-mannered or ignorant.

Politeness Guidelines

You can apply the following (where appropriate) to most interactions with others – friends, colleagues, family, customers, everybody!

Always use common sense and try to behave as appropriately as possible, taking into account any cultural differences.

•         Say hello to people – greet people appropriately, gain eye contact and smile naturally, shake hands or hug where appropriate but say hello, especially to colleagues and other people you see every day. Be approachable. Do not blank people just because you’re having a bad day

•          Take time to make some small talk - perhaps mention the weather or ask about the other person’s family or talk about something that is in the news. Make an effort to engage in light conversation, show some interest, but don’t overdo it. Remain friendly and positive and pick up on the verbal and non-verbal signals from the other person.

•         Try to remember things about the other person and comment appropriately – use their spouse’s name, their birthday, any significant events that have occurred (or are about to occur) in their life.  Always be mindful of others’ problems and difficult life events.

•         Always use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  Make sure you thank people for their input or contribution and always include ‘please’ when asking for something. If somebody offers you something use 'Yes please' or 'No thank you'.

•         Praise and/or congratulate others on their achievements.  Praise needs to be seen as genuine – this can be difficult if you feel jealous or angry.

•         At work be polite and helpful to your subordinates as well as your bosses.  Respect and acknowledge the positions, roles and duties of others.

•         Use appropriate language – be respectful of gender, race, religion, political viewpoints and other potentially controversial or difficult subjects.  Do not make derogatory or potentially inflammatory comments.

•         Learn to listen attentively - pay attention to others while they speak – do not get distracted mid-conversation and do not interrupt.

•         Respect other people's time.  Try to be precise and to-the-point in explanations without appearing to be rushed.

•         Be assertive when necessary but respect the right of others to be assertive too.

•         Avoid gossip.  Try to have positive things to say about other people.

•         Apologize for your mistakes.  If you say or do something that may be considered rude or embarrassing then apologize, but don’t overdo your apologies.

•         Avoid jargon and vocabulary that may be difficult for others to understand – explain complex ideas or instructions carefully.  Do not appear arrogant.

•         Respect, and be prepared to listen to, the ideas and opinions of others.

•         Dress appropriately for the situation.  Avoid wearing revealing clothing in public and avoid staring at others who are wearing revealing clothing.  Avoid being dressed too casually for the situation.

•         Use humour carefully.  Aim not to cause any offence and know the boundaries of appropriate language for different situations.

•         Practise good personal hygiene.  Wash and brush your teeth regularly, change your clothes and use deodorant. Avoid strong perfumes, after-shaves or colognes.

•         Be punctual.  If you have arranged to meet somebody at a certain time make sure you are on time, or even a few minutes early.  If you are going to be late let the other person/people know as far in advance as you can.  Do not rely on feeble or exaggerated excuses to explain lateness.  Respect other people’s time and don’t waste it.

•         Always practise good table manners. When eating around others avoid foods with strong odours, do not talk with your mouth full or chew with your mouth open, and eat quietly. 

•         Do not pick your nose or ears, chew on your fingers or bite your fingernails in public.  Also avoid playing excessively with your hair.

Good manners cost nothing but can make a big difference to how other people feel about you, or the organisation you are representing. When you’re polite and show good manners others are more likely to be polite and courteous in return.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO CONCLUDE AND SUM UP IN GD

Summarisation Techniques

Most GDs are left without a conclusion, and it isn't even essential that a group reach one. Remember that a GD is about getting to know one's personality traits and it is the process, not the conclusion that reveals these traits. Even though not every GD is concluded, everyone is still summarised. While a conclusion represents a final stage, where the entire group decides in favour or against a topic, in the case of a summarisation a candidate summarises in a nutshell what the group has discussed. The following points should be kept in mind while summarising a discussion:

1.       No new point should be taken up.

2.       A person should not share his or her own viewpoint alone.

3.       A summary should not dwell only on one side of the GD.

4.       It should be brief and concise.

5.       It should incorporate all the important points spoken.

If a candidate has been told by the examiner to summarise a GD, this means it has come to an end. It is not advisable to add anything once a GD has been summarised.

A simple framework for a summary can be, 'We had a healthy group discussion and, as a group, evaluated this topic from different perspectives. Some of my friends spoke in favour of the topic and the reasons they gave were (elaborate), while some good points against the topic were (elaborate). In all, we had a very good discussion with everyone participating enthusiastically.'

The initiation and summarisation techniques mentioned above will help you make an impact and succeed in a Group Discussion.

DAY 45

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID (BOP)

Developing the innovator's mindset

If a company goes to the bottom of the wealth pyramid and builds affordable products, creates awareness and provides access, then the market is phenomenal.

The late Professor C.K. Prahalad argued that there is a 'poverty penalty' where the poorest people pay more for everything because they don't have a choice: they are stuck with local monopolies and bad products and services.

Research recently highlighted by the World Resources Institute shows that the world's four billion poorest people represent a US$5 trillion market opportunity. There are several other issues at the bottom of the pyramid: e

•         Pricing is vital. At the BOP, you need to start with an affordable price, understanding that price minus profit equals the acceptable level of cost. This different way of thinking leads to a new range of exciting options.

•         Innovation is essential. This can be accelerated and improved by focusing on BOP markets because minor, incremental changes won't be enough: the market requires a fundamental rethink.

•         Businesses need to substitute investment for collaboration. Management time is needed to increase collaboration - and it is cheaper than simply in-vesting cash.

Companies that ignore growth markets will be left behind - and will have five years, at best, before businesses from growth markets start competing with them.

Developing the innovator's mindset

Where can you improve your approach to innovation? Ask yourself the following questions and mark yourself out of 10 for each attribute: this will help highlight areas for improvement.

When innovating, how effectively do you:

•         engage as many people as possible ...?

•         ... and build an open, diverse and positive team?

•         define the specific challenge or issue?

•         challenge assumptions: yours and other people's?

•         confront challenges and problems?

•         understand that good ideas can come from anywhere?

•         follow through - by being practical and realistic, and planning implementation?

•         focus on the benefits as well as the potential pitfalls?

•         question? Questioning is a great way both to provide support (e.g. what help do you need?) and challenge (how can we do this faster/cheaper?)

•         give praise and credit: build momentum (revolutions fail, flywheels succeed)?

•         be open, build relationships?

•         remove constraints, tirelessly?

•         remember the essentials of leading change? (See Number 35.)

•         balance intuition and analysis?

•         build collaboration and teamwork? (Think of the 5Ms: meaning, mindset, measurement, mobilizing, mechanisms for renewal.)

•         avoid the pitfalls of decision-making? ZSee the description of inhibitors below which ones are your greatest vulnerability?)

•         consciously develop your skills?

•         design matters? (This affects how people feel about something: whether it's credible, engaging, worthwhile.)

The inhibitors of creative thinking are shown in this table.

Personal blocks Problem-solving blocks Contextual blocks

Lack of self- confidence Solution fixedness Scientific reasoning provides a panacea

A tendency to conform Premature judgement Resistance to new ideas

A need for the Familiar Use of poor approaches Isolation

Emotional 'numbness' Lack of disciplined effort Negativity towards creative thinking

Saturation Experts Excessive enthusiasm

Poor language skills Autocratic decision- making Lack of imaginative control

Rigidity Overemphasis on competition or co-operation Lack of smart goals, clear vision or timescale

SKILL CAPSULE: DEVELOPING OTHERS

"Developing Others" ranks dead last on just about every organizational skill level survey with which I've been involved or have read. 

It's not because people lack awareness of its importance; quite the contrary. It's because development takes time. It involves getting to know people and their capabilities at more than a surface level. To develop people, you have to follow a few fundamental steps.

Here's How To Begin

1. Start with an accurate picture of the person's strengths and weaknesses. They can't grow if they don't have good information about themselves. And managers can't help them develop without the same kind of clarity.

2. Get ongoing feedback from multiple sources. The key words here are ongoing and multiple. 

Ongoing: Performance improves with information that is provided as close to an event as possible. That way, the situation is still fresh and the details clear. If I get feedback in November about something that happened in February, what am I really supposed to do about it? And I have to ask myself: "If it's so important, why did you wait this long to tell me?"

Multiple sources: We all have bosses and peers; if we're managing, we also have direct reports. When I do 360s for clients, I always insist on feedback from people outside of the person's direct chain of command, even external customers if there is a lot of customer interaction. When someone is working across boundaries on a project, there's a wealth of information available about the ability to build relationships and influence outside of the "power" sphere. 

3. Give first-time tasks that progressively stretch people. In a series of leadership conferences we conducted between 2006-2009, participants told us that the single most valuable contributor to their leadership growth was a series of stretch assignments. No one grows from doing the same thing more and more. '

4. Build a learner mentality. Encourage your people to think of themselves as professional learners as well as (job title). In meetings and one-on-on one, ask:

• What are you learning that's new or different?

• Where have you seen yourself improve most in the past year?

• What have you learned in one situation that you can now use in others?

5. Use coaching, mentoring, classroom, online, books, coursework, and stretch assignments to promote and reinforce learning and development.

One of the byproducts of developing your people: you gain satisfaction and stature as a result of their success. 

Who will you help today?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: TELEPHONE ETTIQUTE

Office Phones

•         Answer the phone in 3 rings or less

•         Never answer with just “Hello.”

•         Ask permission to place someone on hold.

•         Limit hold time to 30-40 seconds.  If longer, call back.

•         When on the phone, give full attention to the caller – no on-site conversations, etc.

•         When someone calls you, you should NOT hang up first.

•         When you place a call that will take some time, ask if the person if he/she has time to talk.

•         If the phone connection is lost, the initial caller should call back.

•         Never place someone on the speakerphone without asking permission.

•         Return calls in 24 hours or less.

•         Establish a call-back hour each day

Voice Mail

•         Your voicemail greeting should be short and informative – identify yourself and encourage person to leave a message

•         Check voice mail at least two times per day

•         When leaving a message, leave name, number, reason for call, and time you can be reached – be brief

•         Do not use voice mail for bad news, confidential information, or complicated directions

•         Do not leave “angry” messages

•         Do not leave the same message multiple times; use another contact message

Cellular Phones

•         Turn OFF cell phones during ALL meetings.  (If expecting emergency call, notify meeting participants in advance.) 

•         Cell phone calls should be brief.

•         Company cell phones should only be used for company business.

•         Remove yourself from the presence of others when making a cell phone call

•         Do NOT talk on a cell phone:

•         When walking on the sidewalk/street

•         Driving a car

•         In a theatre

•         In a restaurant

•         In a classroom

•         In any other public place

FAXES

•         Only fax short documents – use overnight delivery for long documents

•         “Junk” mail should be sent 3rd class – never faxed

•         Faxes should contain yours and recipient’s name and contact information

•         Never read another’s fax

Copiers

•         Smaller jobs go first

•         Large jobs should allow small jobs to interrupt

•         Return machine to original configuration

DAY 46

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SIX THINKING HATS

If you want to get ahead, get a hat

Created by Edward de Bono, the Six Thinking Hats technique details the different styles of thinking that we use when making decisions.

Overview

People tend to have a preferred thinking style which, no matter how useful, can overlook solutions to problems that would only be revealed through other ways of thinking. The Six Thinking Hats method gives us the flexibility either to use the style that is appropriate to a situation or the ability to gain a fuller picture by applying more than one thinking style to a problem.

Each thinking hat represents a different way of thinking. By seeing situations from these different perspectives, you are more likely to make and implement the right decision. For example, seeing a strategy only from a logical and rational perspective may result in a failure to see a better solution or potential obstacles to implementation that creative and sensitive thinking could reveal.

The Six Thinking Hats

•         White hat. This approach focuses on available data. It involves looking at the information you have to see what you can learn from it — identifying gaps in your knowledge and, by analysing past trends and data, trying either to fill them or take account of them.

•         Red Hat. This style looks at problems using intuition, gut reaction and emotion. Try to think how other people will react emotionally and try to understand the responses of people who don't know, or may not share, your reasoning.

•         Black Hat. This looks at all the bad points of an issue, looking for why it won't work. It highlights the weak points in a plan, enabling you to eliminate or change them or to prepare contingency plans — helping to make plans more resilient. A key strength of this approach is that problems can be anticipated and countered.

•         Yellow Hat. This style involves positive thinking and optimism, helping you to see the benefits of a decision. Another advantage is that it enables you to keep going during difficult situations.

•         Green Hat. This involves developing creative solutions. Thinking is free-wheeling, and there is little criticism of ideas.

•         Blue Hat. This emphasizes control of processes and is common among those chairing meetings. When ideas are running dry, it is useful to combine this approach with Green Hat thinking, as its creative approach will stimulate fresh ideas.

SKILL CAPSULE: MANAGING CHANGE

Organizational change occurs when a company makes a transition from its current state to some desired future state. Managing organizational change is the process of planning and implementing change in organizations in such a way as to minimize employee resistance and cost to the organization while simultaneously maximizing the effectiveness of the change effort.

Today's business environment requires companies to undergo changes almost constantly if they are to remain competitive. Factors such as globalization of markets and rapidly evolving technology force businesses to respond in order to survive. Such changes may be relatively minor—as in the case of installing a new software program—or quite major—as in the case of refocusing an overall marketing strategy, fighting off a hostile takeover, or transforming a company in the face of persistent foreign competition.

Organizational change initiatives often arise out of problems faced by a company. In some cases, however, companies change under the impetus of enlightened leaders who first recognize and then exploit new potentials dormant in the organization or its circumstances. Some observers, more soberly, label this a "performance gap" which able management is inspired to close.

But organizational change is also resisted and—in the opinion of its promoters—fails. The failure may be due to the manner in which change has been visualized, announced, and implemented or because internal resistance to it builds. Employees, in other words, sabotage those changes they view as antithetical to their own interests.

AREAS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Students of organizational change identify areas of change in order to analyze them. Daniel Wischnevsky and Fariborz Daman, for example, writing in Journal of Managerial Issues, single out strategy, structure, and organizational power. Others add technology or the corporate population ("people"). All of these areas, of course, are related; companies often must institute changes in all areas when they attempt to make changes in one. The first area, strategic change, can take place on a large scale—for example, when a company shifts its resources to enter a new line of business—or on a small scale—for example, when a company makes productivity improvements in order to reduce costs. There are three basic stages for a company making a strategic change: 1) realizing that the current strategy is no longer suitable for the company's situation; 2) establishing a vision for the company's future direction; and 3) implementing the change and setting up new systems to support it.

Technological changes are often introduced as components of larger strategic changes, although they sometimes take place on their own. An important aspect of changing technology is determining who in the organization will be threatened by the change. To be successful, a technology change must be incorporated into the company's overall systems, and a management structure must be created to support it. Structural changes can also occur due to strategic changes—as in the case where a company decides to acquire another business and must integrate it—as well as due to operational changes or changes in managerial style. For example, a company that wished to implement more participative decision making might need to change its hierarchical structure.

People changes can become necessary due to other changes, or sometimes companies simply seek to change workers' attitudes and behaviors in order to increase their effectiveness or to stimulate individual or team creative-ness. Almost always people changes are the most difficult and important part of the overall change process. The science of organization development was created to deal with changing people on the job through techniques such as education and training, team building, and career planning.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

A manager trying to implement a change, no matter how small, should expect to encounter some resistance from within the organization. Resistance to change is normal; people cling to habits and to the status quo. To be sure, managerial actions can minimize or arouse resistance. People must be motivated to shake off old habits. This must take place in stages rather than abruptly so that "managed change" takes on the character of "natural change." In addition to normal inertia, organization change introduces anxieties about the future. If the future after the change comes to be perceived positively, resistance will be less.

Education and communication are therefore key ingredients in minimizing negative reactions. Employees can be informed about both the nature of the change and the logic behind it before it takes place through reports, memos, group presentations, or individual discussions. Another important component of overcoming resistance is inviting employee participation and involvement in both the design and implementation phases of the change effort. Organized forms of facilitation and support can be deployed. Managers can ensure that employees will have the resources to bring the change about; managers can make themselves available to provide explanations and to minimize stress arising in many scores of situations.

Some companies manage to overcome resistance to change through negotiation and rewards. They offer employees concrete incentives to ensure their cooperation. Other companies resort to manipulation, or using subtle tactics such as giving a resistance leader a prominent position in the change effort. A final option is coercion, which involves punishing people who resist or using force to ensure their cooperation. Although this method can be useful when speed is of the essence, it can have lingering negative effects on the company. Of course, no method is appropriate to every situation, and a number of different methods may be combined as needed.

TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING CHANGE EFFECTIVELY

Managing change effectively requires moving the organization from its current state to a future desired state at minimal cost to the organization. Key steps in that process are:

1. Understanding the current state of the organization. This involves identifying problems the company faces, assigning a level of importance to each one, and assessing the kinds of changes needed to solve the problems.

2. Competently envisioning and laying out the desired future state of the organization. This involves picturing the ideal situation for the company after the change is implemented, conveying this vision clearly to everyone involved in the change effort, and designing a means of transition to the new state. An important part of the transition should be maintaining some sort of stability; some things—such as the company's overall mission or key personnel—should remain constant in the midst of turmoil to help reduce people's anxiety.

3. Implementing the change in an orderly manner. This involves managing the transition effectively. It might be helpful to draw up a plan, allocate resources, and appoint a key person to take charge of the change process. The company's leaders should try to generate enthusiasm for the change by sharing their goals and vision and acting as role models. In some cases, it may be useful to try for small victories first in order to pave the way for later successes.

Change is natural, of course. Proactive management of change to optimize future adaptability is invariably a more creative way of dealing with the dynamisms of industrial transformation than letting them happen willy-nilly. That process will succeed better with the help of the the company's human resources than without.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS

Spend more time around people. Don't be mean or rude; you do not want to lose any potential friends. Be nice and friendly. If you want to make friends, you first need to put yourself out there somehow in order to meet people. If you just sit alone, friends might come to you, but that's not likely. If you're still in school, sit somewhere with other people. It doesn't have to be the "popular"/ "cool" table, or a crowded one, but one with at least two other people. Hang out with many others. The popular kids won't matter when you're older, but a true friend will be there for you forever. Remember, friends seldom come knocking on your door while you sit at home playing on your laptop. Popular people aren't always going to be mean to you. They just need to know you a little better.

Join an organization or club with people who have common interests. You don't necessarily need to have a lot of common interests with people in order to make friends with them. In fact, some of the most rewarding friendships are between two people who don't have much in common at all, but if you like a specific topic, try searching for just a location. It's a great way to meet new local people! Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are great way to meet new people and learn more about the people you meet. When you are chatting just say are you on Facebook? Or what is your name on Twitter? A church, Mosque, temple or other house of worship is a great place to start since you have at least have a religious faith in common. However, if you do enter a religious building, remember to be respectful in the house of their God. Just remember to be safe on the internet, you don't know who is actually on the other end most of the time. Which is good.

Join a sports team. A common misconception about this is that you have to be really good at playing a particular sport in order to make friends with others on the team, but not all teams are so competitive. As long as you enjoy the sport and support your teammates, joining a local team with a laid-back attitude could be a great way to make new friends. But a sports team isn't the only way. If you play instruments or sing, try joining a band or choir.

Volunteer. Volunteering is also a great way for people of all ages to meet others. By working together you build bonds with people, and you might meet others who have a passion for changing things the way you do (a common cause).

Talk to people. You can join a club, go to school, or go to church but you still won't make friends if you don't actually talk to people. By the same token, you don't have to be involved with an organization to be social, and any time you talk to someone, you have a chance at making a lasting friend. You can talk to anybody: the clerk at the video store, the person sitting next to you on the bus, or the person in front of you in the lunch line. Don't be too picky. Most conversations will be a dead-end of sorts, when you may never talk to that person again, or you just remain acquaintances—but once in a while you'll actually make a friend.

Make eye contact and smile. If you have an unfriendly countenance, people are less likely to be receptive to your friendship. Try not squinting (get some glasses), looking bored, frowning or appearing blankly deadpan, folding your arms (this practically screams "don't talk to me") or hanging out in a corner; such habits may make you look troubled or disinterested.

Start a conversation. There are many ways to do this; a comment about your immediate environment (The weather is a classic: "At least it's not raining like last week!"), a request for help ("Can you help me carry a few boxes, if you have a minute?" or "Can you help me decide which one of these is a better gift for my mom?") or a compliment ("That's a nice car." or "I love your shoes."). Follow up immediately with a related question: Do you like this warm weather? What kinds of gifts do you normally buy for your mom? Where did you get shoes like that?

Make small talk. Keep the 30% talking/70% listening, ratio in mind during small talk when possible. Keep in mind that this is only a general rule, and that the optimal ratio of listening to talking is dependent on room temperature, time of day, and number of conversational participants.

Introduce yourself at the end of the conversation. It can be as simple as saying "Oh, by the way, my name is...". Once you introduce yourself, the other person will typically do the same. Remember his or her name! If you show that you remembered things from your past conversation(s) with the person, not only will you look intelligent but he or she will see that you were paying attention and are willing to be a true friend.

Initiate a get-together. You can chat your heart out but it won't get you a friend if you don't open up the opportunity for another conversation or meeting. This is especially important if you meet someone who you aren't otherwise likely to meet again. Seize the day!

Pursue common interests. If you've discovered that the person you're talking to has a common interest, ask them more about it and, if appropriate, whether they get together with others (in a club, for example) to pursue this interest. If so, this is a perfect opportunity to ask about joining them. If you clearly express interest (when? where? can anyone come?) they'll probably invite you. If you have a club, band, church, etc. that you think they might enjoy, take the opportunity to give them your number or email address and invite them to join you.

Ask them out for lunch or coffee. That will give you a better opportunity to talk and get to know each other a little bit better. A good way to extend yourself is to say: "Hey, well, I've got to go, but if you ever want to talk over lunch or coffee or anything like that, let me give you my number/e-mail address." This gives the person the opportunity to contact you; they may or may not give you their information in return, but that's fine. Maybe they don't have time for new friends—don't take it personally! Just offer your contact information to whoever seems to be potentially a good friend, and eventually somebody will get in touch.

Don't do anything to pressure someone into being friends with you. Never chide acquaintances for failing to invite you to a party, for example; don't call someone repeatedly or stop by uninvited (unless you have established that stopping by unannounced is OK); and refrain from overstaying your welcome anywhere. In general, take friendship slowly, and don't try to force intimacy to grow quickly. The move from acquaintance to friend can take a long time. It's understandable to want more of a good thing, but try to err on the side of less. If you are not sure about the pace of your new friendship, check in with your friend and ask directly. Too much, too fast can be scary or intimidating, and not everybody is able to say "Slow down..." - instead, they may run the other way!

Be loyal to a friend. You've probably heard of fair-weather friends. They're the ones who are happy to be around you when things are going well, but are nowhere to be found when you really need them. Part of being a friend is being prepared to make sacrifices of your time and energy in order to help out your friends. If a friend needs help with an unpleasant chore, or if he or she just needs a shoulder to cry on, be there. If your friends make a joke, laugh with them. Never complain about a friend.

Be a good friend. Once you've started spending time with potential friends, remember to do your part (e.g. initiating some of the activities, remembering birthdays, asking how the other person is feeling) or else the friendship will become unbalanced and an uneasiness or distance is likely to arise. Be reliable. If you and your friend agree to meet somewhere, don't be late, and do not stand them up. If you're not going to make it on time or make it at all, call them as soon as you realize it.

Apologize and ask to reschedule. Don't make them wait for you unexpectedly; it's rude, and it is certainly not a good way to launch a potential friendship. When you say you'll do something, do it. Be someone that people know that they can count on.

Be a good listener. Many people think that in order to be seen as "friend material" they have to appear very interesting. Far more important than this, however, is the ability to show that you're interested in others. Listen carefully to what people say, remember important details about them (their names, their likes and dislikes), ask questions about their interests, and just take the time to learn more about them. You don't want to be the guy or girl that always has a better story than anyone else or that changes the subject abruptly instead of continuing the flow of conversation. These people appear too wrapped up in themselves to be good —"one-ups-man-ship" is a put down.

Be trustworthy. One of the best things about having a friend is that you have someone to whom you can talk about anything, even secrets that you hide from the rest of the world. The key to being a good confidante is the ability to keep secrets, so it's no secret that you shouldn't tell other people things that were told to you in confidence. Keep in mind that recent studies show that people rarely keep secrets. Before people even feel comfortable opening up to you, however, you need to build trust.

Choose your friends wisely. As you befriend more people, you may find that some are easier to get along with than others. While you always give people the benefit of the doubt, sometimes you realize that certain friendships are unhealthy, such as if a person is obsessively needy or controlling towards you, constantly critical, or introducing dangers or threats into your life. If this is the case, ease your way out of the friendship as gracefully as possible. Preoccupy yourself with other things, such as a new volunteer opportunity, so that you can honestly say that you don't have enough time in your schedule to spend time with them (but don't substitute their time for time with other friends; they may notice and become jealous, and more drama will ensue). Cherish those friends you make who are a positive influence in your life, and do your best to be a positive influence in theirs.

Put emphasis on the good, unique qualities about yourself. Are you funny? If yes, then great, a little humor always keeps conversation light and happy, and people love to be around someone who makes them laugh. If you have a quirky, different style of humor then make sure you let them know that the things you say are in fact a joke, so that you don't just come across as simply weird. This way they will understand a bit more about you too, which could potentially spark their interest. If you are a unique person, then show it!

Encourage your friend: A very good friend encourages their friend. They will remain with them in both good as well as bad times. Never ever make fun or laugh at your friend in front of others. If someone is making fun of them a good friend will come to save or support their friend.

Be confident. Many people are not very confident. They are reserved, timid and afraid to start a conversation. Make the effort and start talking no matter how uncomfortable it feels.

Don't separate your friend from the rest of the group. Some people get jealous of their friends if they talk to other people or make other friends. Most people don't like it and would no longer want to hang out with you.

Keep in touch. Many people often times lose contact with their friends because they're either too busy, or just don't value their friends enough. When you lose connection with a friend, the friendship may fizzle out, and when you do try to contact them again, it's hard to rekindle the friendship.

Maintaining friendship is a hard work. Make time and share your life with them. Be respectful to their decisions. Being grateful to their kindness and be flexible with their ideas. Strive to keep in contact overtime. Hope you'll enjoy a lifelong friendship with people you like.

DAY 47

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: INNOVATION CULTURE

Peter Drucker's seven steps for developing a creative culture

Innovation is a company-wide activity. Creative, profitable ideas are needed to succeed, and history has shown us that great ideas come from many different people. Instead of relying on ad hoc suggestions or the skills of a few talented individuals, companies need to create an innovative culture.

Where does innovation come from?

While some people are known for their innovative thinking, successful and profitable ideas can come from anyone. To tap into this potential, what is needed is a culture that empowers people to question and think critically and creatively and then to share their ideas with others.

Innovation is not a rarefied activity or the domain of specialists. Neither is it solely about making huge leaps in thinking - smaller, incremental improvements are also significant sources of advantage. Innovation is not necessarily about large RECD budgets - important new ideas come from anywhere, at any time. It is a company-wide activity, reaching every aspect of running a business - from products and services to operations, decision-making and training. They are all sources of competitive advantage, and having an innovative culture will lead to continual improvements.

Creating an innovative organization

What distinguishes an innovative company from the rest is its dedication to creativity. Having the right culture and processes will lead to creative thinking, a challenging mindset and innovation. Innovative companies develop a creative culture where people challenge, innovate and look for opportunities. They adapt structures and procedures to enable innovation to flourish. Also, they often link with external experts to add to internal, innovative resources,

Peter Drucker outlines seven steps that promote innovation in a company:

1.       Analyse the reasons for unexpected successes.

2.       Examine why events were different from anticipated results.

3.       Challenge the status quo by examining why underperformance has become an accepted state.

4.       Determine how to take advantage of market changes.

5.       Be aware of broader developments in society, to identify potential opportunities.

6.       Consider the impact of changes in the economy and recognize the business opportunities they may offer.

7.       Think about how new information, ideas and technology affect customers.

Innovative organizations also have a general environment and culture that values and fosters innovation. Research by the Talent Foundation identified five catalysts for successful innovation:

1.       Consciousness. Each person knows the goals of the organization and believes that they can play a part in achieving them.

2.       Multiplicity. Teams and groups contain a wide and creative mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds and ideas.

3.       Connectivity. Relationships are strong and trusting and are actively encouraged and supported within and across teams and functions.

4.       Accessibility. Doors and minds are open; everyone in the organization has access to resources, time and decision-makers.

5.       Consistency. Commitment to innovation runs throughout the organization and is built into processes and leadership style.

If you are building an innovation culture in your business or team, it can help to ask yourself which of these catalysts you can improve. How will you do this?

SKILL CAPSULE: DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY

People cling to information like a frog adrift in the ocean clings to a coconut.

When making decisions, people avoid choices for which they're missing information. This sound's reasonable enough. After all, why would you choose something if you're not sure about it?

The problem is that people can be perfectionists when it comes to information for decisions. It has be shown in sociological experiments that missing information causes people to make irrational choices. This is known as the Ambiguity Effect.

The ambiguity effect is a bias for perfect information in decision making. In other words, people prefer making a bad decision where all information is known to making a good decision that involves missing information.

The ambiguity effect has numerous business implications for sales, marketing, employee motivation and decision making.

It has been shown in sociological experiments that the ambiguity effect is fairly common. However, it doesn't affect everyone.

Some people are completely comfortable making choices that involve a degree of ambiguity. People can also be trained to make better decisions in ambiguous situations.

In business, ambiguity is the rule not the exception.

Leaders are expected to make timely, logical decisions in the face of ambiguity. This skill is often referred to as "Dealing with Ambiguity".

Dealing with Ambiguity may sound like a fluffy skill but it's important.

One of the basic functions of leadership is to provide certainty to followers — to provide direction. Leaders who freeze in the face of uncertainty aren't leading. Leaders who make bad choices because they can't tolerate ambiguity are destructive.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: MAINTAINING A CONTACT LIST

How do you maintain your business contact list?

Just twenty or thirty years ago, business people kept all of their contact information in address books and rolodexes. Then, in the early days of email, people began to store this information within email clients or in Personal Information Management (PIM) software.

Fast-forward to the present day, and things have become rather more complicated. For a start, each contact record contains far more information than it did in the past. As well as multiple postal addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, people now have Twitter IDs, Facebook accounts and Skype names.

In addition, people need access to their contact list from a range of places and devices – their cellphone or smartphone, their laptop, their iPad, and their office computer…. and, needless to say, the lists always needs to be up to date and synchronized.

The technology exists to store and synchronize all this information reliably, yet many people still find themselves with many different sets of contacts, SIM-card based address books, and a host of outdated, redundant numbers in their cellphones. This article suggests seven simple ways to get your contacts organized for the modern world.

1. Choose One Main List

You will never get your contacts organized if you don’t choose one main place to store them. This can then become the list that you synchronize all of your devices with.

2. Have a Clear-out

Sadly, there isn’t technology that knows if people have moved office, no longer work for a certain company, or have changed cellphone provider. If you want a reliable contact list, someone needs to spend time verifying, cleaning up and filling in gaps on the information.

3. Abandon Manual Synchronization

Although Blackberries and iOS devices allow you to sync with desktop software using a USB cable, remember that we are now comfortably into the 21st century! Flaky manual synchronization should be left in the past.

4. Use the Cloud

Use a cloud-based service that allows for the storage and synchronization of contacts, such as Gmail, iCloud or Yahoo. That way, your contacts are available from any Internet-enabled computer, as well as all of your synchronized devices. As an even better alternative……

5. Use Exchange

The ActiveSync capabilities of Microsoft Exchange, either local or hosted, mean that all manner of devices including iPhones, iPads and Android devices can keep emails, contacts and calendars synchronized at all times. Once you are using Exchange, you only need to maintain the contact list that forms part of your Exchange mailbox and it can populate the address book on every device you own. It even plays nicely with Apple’s iCal!

6. Don’t Use Separate Phonebooks

Make sure your mobile devices are configured to save everything back to your main contact list—the one that you use to synchronize. Some devices, such as Android cellphones, allow you to merge contact details in order to remove existing duplicates.

7. Keep it Up-to-date

Once your contact list is in good shape and synchronizing to all your devices, be sure to maintain it. Add new contacts in full, so you don’t end up with “James 1, James 2, James 3” in your phone list, and delete any contacts you no longer need.

There’s no doubt following these steps will improve your efficiency and put all the contact information you need at your fingertips wherever you happen to be. Maybe it’s time to set aside some time for that initial clear out?

DAY 48

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DISNEY’S CREATIVITY STRATEGY

When you need more than just the bare necessities

We all have a preferred thinking style - some of us are dreamers, while others are realists or critics. This can prevent us seeing an issue from other angles. Walt Disney's method uses all three of these thinking styles to help view a situation from different perspectives and find the best way forward.

Problem solving, decision-making and planning suffer when we have too narrow a focus, yet it can be difficult to change how we naturally approach issues. Using Disney's three styles together will improve your decision-making.

•         The Dreamer, who is a dreamer, is focused on potential and possibilities.

•         The Realist focuses on practical aspects and implementation.

•         The Critic questions and challenges plans and assumptions, and notices potential problems or flaws.

Using the Disney method

1.       Select an issue you want to address but put it to one side while you get into the right frame of mind.

2.       Go to three different places to think about the issue from each perspective (you will associate each environment with that approach). These can be entirely different places or simply different parts of one room.

3.       For each way of thinking (starting with dreamer, moving to realistic and then to critic), first remember a time when you were either creative, realistic or critical. This will help you access that style and apply it to the current situation.

4.       In each frame of mind, address the issue at hand solely from that perspective. This will let you get the most out of each perspective, revealing more options and ideas.

•   In the dreamer space, let your ideas flow freely.

•   In the realist space, think about how the ideas you have created can be implemented. How can they be achieved? What needs to happen?

•   In the critic space, question and challenge your ideas and plan. Identify strengths and weaknesses; look for flaws; look for gaps or potential problems. Determine what needs to be done better.

5.       Once you have completed these four stages, go back to the beginning and re-evaluate your original dream and plan through each thinking stage in turn. You can repeat this process until you feel the plan works well from each perspective.

Types of questions to ask at each stage

Dreamer Realist

•      Why am I doing this? •      How can I make that happen?

•      Can it be done better? •      Who else do I need to make it work?

•      What would I like to happen? •      What needs to happen - and when?

•      Wouldn't it be great if…..? •      What resources do I need?

•      What reward or result would I like? •      How much will it cost?

Critic

Does the idea really have potential?

Is the objective achievable?

Are there any barriers or resource issues?

Does the plan work? Consider issues such as timing, cost or market potential.

How can the plan be improved - are there gaps or are some things unnecessary?

SKILL CAPSULE: FACING CRITICISM AT WORK

Criticism at work can affect every part of your life, adding stress during work hours and invading your thoughts outside the office. If you don't handle it well, negative feedback from your superiors and colleagues can ultimately derail your career.

You can't prevent being criticized, but controlling your own reaction can turn a negative situation into a positive one, says Alison Green, "People too often take criticism as a personal attack, or as a signal that all the things they've done right aren't being appreciated," Green explains. Not all criticism is bad, and sometimes it can provide feedback that's valuable to your success.

Here are six tips for dealing with criticism at work:

Take time to really listen

If a colleague or higher-up has something negative to say, don't disregard their comments even if you don't have a high opinion of the person. Instead of shutting down, stay objective about what he or she is saying (just as you would in any other situation).

"Be genuinely open to hearing what the other person is saying and try not to interrupt or jump to conclusions," says Curtis Odom, principal of Prescient Talent Strategist, a Boston-based talent management firm. Odom suggests using active listening techniques throughout the conversation like paraphrasing what you're hearing in your own words and making eye contact to show you're actively engaged.

Ask questions

Even the slightest bit of negative criticism is easy to misinterpret.

Be prepared to ask follow-up questions during the conversation in order to prevent a bigger misunderstanding down the road. Asking questions not only shows that you're eager to figure out a solution, but the colleague's responses can help you gauge whether the negative feedback is relevant.

"Ask for specific examples and instances of the types of behavior that are at the root of the feedback," says Odom. "If the atmosphere is becoming tense, introduce a more positive approach by asking for examples of the behavior your reviewer would like to see more of."

Don't get defensive

Whether at work or at home, it's easy to get defensive when being criticized. Fight the urge and give your boss or co-worker a fair chance to express his or her thoughts. "The person giving you the feedback might have a reasonable point, which you'll never pick up on if you're busy thinking about how to defend yourself," says Green.

Stay calm

Don't loose your cool, especially in a professional setting. "Being calm and rational is essential," says Caroline Dowd-Higgins, director career and professional development at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Save your anger for discussing the incident outside of work.

Think about whether it's the feedback or how it was given that's making you angry. Most of the time it's how the negative feedback was delivered rather than the content that people find offensive, explains Dowd-Higgins. "If feedback is presented in a constructive environment, criticism can be more easily digested," she says.

Determine if it's accurate

Even if the criticism was conveyed in a startling way, there might be some truth to what your boss or colleague is saying. "Don't brush it off," says Green.

"Responding with a brusque 'okay' and nothing more makes it look like you're just interested in ending the conversation," Green says. Instead, take a step back to assess the situation. Speak to mentors, family members or others in your office to help you understand whether the criticism is valid.

Address the problem

No matter who's at fault, it's important to address the problem, whether it's changing your own actions, acknowledging a misunderstanding or looking for others to change their ways.

If the negative feedback is coming from you boss, accepting the feedback can help you improve in the future

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONFERENCE

The main reasons for researchers to participate in scientific conferences are the following:

• to get informed about the state-of-the-art

• to present their own research, and get reactions from peers

• to have their paper published in the conference proceedings

• to meet others working in the same domain

While the first two reasons may seem most obvious, in practice the last two are more important. The reason is that there are other methods to get informed or to present your research, e.g. using preprints on the web, that demand less time and money than travelling to conferences. Moreover, the typical time slot in a conference for presenting a paper (about 20 minutes) is too short to effectively convey complex, technical and novel ideas. At best, the presentation will create sufficient interest so that listeners get motivated to investigate the work further, by contacting the speakers, or reading their papers.

On the other hand, publication typically happens more quickly and easily via proceedings, where there is a tight deadline, than via journals. Moreover, acceptance of papers for publication is the most common demand of funding agencies, both to sponsor conference participation and to fund research in general. Finally, nothing can as yet replace face-to-face conversation in a pleasant, informal setting, such as a conference dinner or coffee break, as a way to quickly exchange a variety of experiences, establish personal relationships and thus perhaps lay the foundation for future collaboration.

This implies some tips for effective conference-participation that will not be obvious to beginning researchers:

• the best conferences are not the biggest or those with the most famous speakers, but those with the best opportunities for informal contact. Small, intimate workshops are usually more effective than huge conferences with hundreds or thousands of participants

• almost no researchers travel to conferences abroad without presenting a paper, since otherwise they would not get any travel allowance or publication

• conference presentations should not aim at completeness or thoroughness, but at raising interest; details can always be given in reply to questions later or in the paper for the proceedings

• don't feel obliged to participate in all the sessions of what is typically a gruelling breakfast-to-dinner schedule; rather use the occasion to start talking to others, who may also be hanging out around the coffee place or dinner hall

 

Typical Conference Organization

For the prospective participant, a scientific conference starts with a First announcement and Call for Papers (CFP). The CFP is a text, typically circulated via electronic mailing lists, and stored on the conference's website, that announces the general objectives of the planned conferences and lists basic information such as time, place, organizers and scientific committee. Its most important function is to invite scientists world-wide to submit papers for possible presentation at the conference. Therefore, it lists general requirements for submissions such as length (from a half page abstract to a 20 page full paper), address and deadline for submission.

 

Selection of papers

If you are interested to participate in the conference, you will submit a paper/abstract to the organizers. They will pass it on the members of the scientific/progam committee for refereeing. On the basis of the referee report and the number of available slots in the program, the conference chair will decide whether your paper can be accepted or not. You should get an acceptance/rejection message before a fixed deadline, typically not later than a month or two after the submission deadline and 3-4 months before the start of the conference. With your letter of acceptance, you can ask for funding for travel, accommodation, and conference registration, all of which can be pretty expensive.

Sometimes papers can be accepted either for oral presentation, or as posters. In the latter case, you are expected to turn the paper into a large format text with illustrations, good for visual inspection, that will be hung on walls or panels in the conference center. At a designated time, you will be expected to stand near your poster in order to be able to answer eventual questions about it. Posters are typically used to give less good contributions still the chance to be presented, without taking time in the conference schedule.

If your paper/poster is accepted, you may be asked to prepare a final document version of it, before or after the conference, for publication in the conference proceedings. Proceedings are typically published as stand-alone volumes, though sometimes they are turned into special issues of journals, or published only electronically on the web. Final versions are typically more polished, extended and corrected compared to initial submissions, and may need to fulfill detailed formatting requirements.

 

The conference program

Once all contributions have been selected, the conference organizers will be able to produce a detailed conference program. This will typically include the following sections:

• registration: where you pay or confirm payment of the registration fee, and in return receive a badge identifying you as participant, plus documentation such as the latest program, invitations to social events, etc.

• plenary sessions: general opening and closing of the conference, panel discussions, and talks by "invited" speakers, i.e. renowned experts in the domain, whose costs are paid by the organizers, presenting the "state-of-the-art"

• parallel sessions: more specialized sessions with "contributing" speakers (selected on the basis of submissions, and having to pay to participate), that take place simultaneously in different rooms. Often such sessions or "symposia" are organized by their chairperson independently of the main conference committee, who is responsible for the focus and the selection of contributors. Smaller conferences (workshops) may not have parallel sessions.

• social events: coffee breaks, lunches, receptions, conference dinner, excursions, etc.

Typical international conferences last 3-5 days, starting around noon on the first day to give participants the time to register, and ending on the afternoon of the last day, with sometimes a half-day break in the middle for a touristic excursion.

In spite of this seemingly short duration, conferences are typically exhausting, not only because of all of the stress accompanying travel and presentation, but because participants tend to be engaged in listening to/participating in highly intellectual conversation from morning till evening. Participants generally return home tired but stimulated and exhilarated by all the new ideas, informations, contacts, and plans they got. Unfortunately, most of those never get realized, as the participants come back home to everyday routine with all its more pressing and practical problems...

DAY 49

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE MATE MODEL FOR STRATEGIC SELLING

Achieving your sales objectives

Segmenting and managing your contacts within a client organization in terms of their support for your sales objectives is a highly effective way of developing client relationships and selling.

Four steps

•         Step 1: define your unique sales objective.

•         Be clear about what you are selling and when, and the value it brings. What makes it an attractive proposition? What is its value for the organization or client? This sounds simple but it can be muddled or overlooked, with disastrous consequences.

•         Step 2: identify all the players using the MATE model.

•         MATE highlights the need to focus on Money, Allies, Technical experts and End users. Identify each contact (including those you don't know), recording their job title and name.

Money

They have the ultimate veto on sales Allies

They provide useful information, can guide you and influence others to support your objective

Technical experts/assessors

They filter out information, can be gatekeepers, can influence ‘Money’ End users

They use, manage or work with your products

  Money. The budget holder has authority over the decision to spend. They tend to focus on the bottom line and have the power of veto. They will ask: 'What impact will this have and what return will we get?'

  Allies /Advocates. These can help guide you during the sales process. They provide valuable information, can lead you to the right people and may be influential. Allies are both inside and outside the organization.

  Technical experts. They are gatekeepers who evaluate technical aspects of the proposal. They do not have final approval but offer recommendations to the decision-maker. They can say 'no' on account of technical issues. They ask whether the product or service matches their specifications.

  End users. They judge the impact of your proposal on their job performance. They will implement or work with your solution, so their success is linked to your product and they will want to influence the decision to buy. They ask: Will it work for me or my department?

•         Step 3: consider each individual's level of support.

•         Having placed each individual on the MATE model, assess their level of support for your sales objective as high, medium or low.

•         Step 4: consider each individual's level of influence.

•         Assess each individual's influence within their organization — high, medium or low.

Check for warning signs

Ensure that there are no threats to the sale by asking yourself the following:

  Have I at least one person for each area?

  Am I free from concerns about their influence?

  Have I made personal contact with them?

  Do I know their response modes and what they are looking for?

Identify your tactics to further the sale and eliminate warning signs

Throughout, be honest and prepared to challenge and develop your thinking. With the information you have gathered, contact the key people, establish rapport and understand their needs.

SKILL CAPSULE: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What is Organizational Development?

•          It is the application of social science techniques to plan change in organizational settings for the purpose of enhancing organizational effectiveness and the development of individuals.

Underlying Values

•          Concept of people

•          Concern for science

•          Democratic principles

•          The helping relationship

Potential Conflicts with  OD

•          Conflict with profit making

•          Conflict with managerial prerogatives

Team Building

•          Improved group processes

•          Communication

•          Goal clarification

•          Role clarification

•          Task orientation

Survey Feedback

•          Small meetings to feedback survey results

•          Meetings used to formulate change

•          Managers conduct meetings to indicate commitment

Employee Involvement

•          Quality of worklife

•          Quality circles

•          Total quality management

Re-Engineering

•          Job redesign

•          Teamwork

•          Work performed by most appropriate person

•          Advanced information technologies used

OD Effectiveness

•          More impact on organizational than individual outcomes

•          Works better for white collars than blue collars

•          Works better if multiple techniques are used

•          Technological change shows more positive outcomes

Measurement Problems

•          Difficult to isolate cause of outcomes since OD efforts often involve multiple changes

•          May be the result of Hawthorne effects

•          Change may be due to maturation or passage of time and not intervention

Ethical Issues

•          The role of the OD practitioner

•          Who’s values

Backwards & Forwards

•          Summing up: We looked at OD values and how the process operates.  We explored major approaches and the difficulties inherent in evaluating interventions

•          Looking ahead: We conclude the semester by looking at organizational behavior in a global context

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO PREPARE A CV

A résumé is a document that summarizes your education, skills, talents, employment history, and experiences in a clear and concise format for potential employers. The résumé serves three distinct purposes that define its format, design, and presentation:

1.      To represent your professional information in writing

2.      To demonstrate the relationship between your professional information and the problem or challenge the potential employer hopes to solve or address, often represented in the form of a job description or duties

3.      To get you an interview by clearly demonstrating you meet the minimum qualifications and have the professional background help the organization meet its goals

An online profile page is similar to a résumé in that it represents you, your background and qualifications, and adds participation to the publication. People network, link, and connect in new ways via online profiles or professional sites like LinkedIn. In many ways, your online profile is an online version of your résumé with connections and friends on public display. Your MySpace and Facebook pages are also often accessible to the public, so never post anything you wouldn’t want your employer (current or future) to read, see, or hear. This chapter covers a traditional résumé, as well as the more popular scannable features, but the elements and tips could equally apply to your online profile.

Main Parts of a Résumé

Regardless of the format, employers have expectations for your résumé. They expect it to be clear, accurate, and up to date. [1] This document represents you in your absence, and you want it to do the best job possible. You don’t want to be represented by spelling or grammatical errors, as they may raise questions about your education and attention to detail. Someone reading your résumé with errors will only wonder what kind of work you might produce that will poorly reflect on their company. There is going to be enough competition that you don’t want to provide an easy excuse to toss your résumé at the start of the process. Do your best work the first time.

Contact Information

This section is often located at the top of the document. The first element of the contact information is your name. You should use your full, legal name even if you go by your middle name or use a nickname. There will plenty of time later to clarify what you prefer to be called, but all your application documents, including those that relate to payroll, your social security number, drug screenings, background checks, fingerprint records, transcripts, certificates or degrees, should feature your legal name. Other necessary information includes your address, phone number(s), and e-mail address. If you maintain two addresses (e.g., a campus and a residential address), make it clear where you can be contacted by indicating the primary address. For business purposes, do not use an unprofessional e-mail address like sexiluvr93@hotmale.com or tutifruti@yafoo.com. Create a new e-mail account if needed with an address suitable for professional use.

Objective

This is one part of your résumé that is relatively simple to customize for an individual application. Your objective should reflect the audience’s need to quickly understand how you will help the organization achieve its goals.

Education

You need to list your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first. List the school, degree, and grade point average (GPA). If there is a difference between the GPA in your major courses and your overall GPA, you may want to list them separately to demonstrate your success in your chosen field. You may also want to highlight relevant coursework that directly relate to the position.

Work Experience

List in reverse chronological order your employment history, including the positions, companies, locations, dates, duties and skills demonstrated or acquired. You may choose to use active, descriptive sentences or bullet lists, but be consistent. Emphasize responsibilities that involved budgets, teamwork, supervision, and customer service when applying for positions in business and industry, but don’t let emphasis become exaggeration. This document represents you in your absence, and if information is false, at a minimum you could lose your job.

Types of Résumés

Type Function Advantage Disadvantage

1. Reverse Chronological Reverse chronological résumés (also called reverse time order) focus on work history. Demonstrates a consistent work history It may be difficult to highlight skills and experience.

2. Functional Functional résumés (also called competency-based résumés) focus on skills. Demonstrates skills that can clearly link to job functions or duties It is often associated with people who have gaps in their employment history.

3. Combination A combination résumé lists your skills and experience first, then employment history and education. Highlights the skills you have that are relevant to the job and provides a reverse chronological work history Some employers prefer a reverse chronological order.

4. Targeted A targeted résumé is a custom document that specifically highlights the experience and skills that are relevant to the job. Points out to the reader how your qualifications and experience clearly match the job duties Custom documents take additional time, preparation, analysis of the job announcement, and may not fit the established guidelines.

5. Scannable A scannable résumé is specifically formatted to be read by a scanner and converted to digital information. Increasingly used to facilitate search and retrieval, and to reduce physical storage costs Scanners may not read the résumé correctly.

Use Key Words

Just as there are common search terms, and common words in relation to each position, job description, or description of duties, your scannable résumé needs to mirror these common terms. Use of nonstandard terms may not stand out, and your indication of “managed employees” may not get the same attention as the word “supervision” or “management.”

Follow Directions

If a job description uses specific terms, refers to computer programs, skills, or previous experience, make sure you incorporate that language in your scannable résumé. You know that when given a class assignment, you are expected to follow directions; similarly, the employer is looking for specific skills and experience. By mirroring the employer’s language and submitting your application documents in accord with their instructions, you convey a spirit of cooperation and an understanding of how to follow instructions.

Insert a Key Word Section

Consider a brief section that lists common words associated with the position as a skills summary: customer service, business communication, sales, or terms and acronyms common to the business or industry.

Make It Easy to Read

You need to make sure your résumé is easy to read by a computer, including a character recognition program. That means no italics, underlining, shading, boxes, or lines. Choose a sans serif (without serif, or decorative end) font like Arial or Tahoma that won’t be misread. Simple, clear fonts that demonstrate no points at which letters may appear to overlap will increase the probability of the computer getting it right the first time. In order for the computer to do this, you have to consider your audience—a computer program that will not be able to interpret your unusual font or odd word choice. A font size of eleven or twelve is easier to read for most people, and while the computer doesn’t care about font size, the smaller your font, the more likely the computer is to make the error of combining adjacent letters.

Printing, Packaging and Delivery

Use a laser printer to get crisp letter formation. Inkjet printers can have some “bleed” between characters that may make them overlap, and therefore be misunderstood. Folds can make it hard to scan your document. E-mail your résumé as an attachment if possible, but if a paper version is required, don’t fold it. Use a clean, white piece of paper with black ink; colors will only confuse the computer. Deliver the document in a nine- by-twelve-inch envelope, stiffened with a sheet of cardstock (heavy paper or cardboard) to help prevent damage to the document.

A résumé will represent your skills, education, and experience in your absence. Businesses increasingly scan résumés into searchable databases.

DAY 50

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE TEN CS OF SELLING ONLINE

Building a successful business online

Centered round meeting customers' needs, the Ten Cs are the key drivers of selling and succeeding with business online. Which factors are most significant for your company will vary over time, depending on the situation - such as its stage of development, competitive position, type of market or brand strength.

1.      Content

Content sets the tone and should drive your brand. It should be clear, compelling, engaging, entertaining, informative, visually appealing and tailored to the target audience. Enable customers to access information quickly and easily and to control the flow of information.

2.      Communication

Communication is more than providing information. It is about listening, building trust and having a one-to-one relationship with customers. Understand what interests and motivates customers, give them the opportunity to interact, act on feedback and use clickstream data to monitor behaviour.

3.      Customer care

Customers need to trust you - to have confidence in purchases and to know that personal data is secure and that after-sales support is available. Provide various payment methods, enable customers to track orders and respond quickly to questions. Positive experiences enable up-selling, cross-selling, repeat business and personal recommendations.

4.       Community and culture

People look to the Internet to network and socialize. Provide expert information, allow people to react, ensure that information is accessible, clear and entertaining, and enable customers to meet and interact.

5.      Convenience

Customers have high expectations, so assess each feature from your customers' viewpoint. Online experiences need to be smooth, effective, quick, easy and convenient. Ensure that navigation is clear and intuitive.

6.       Connectivity

Make the site compelling and 'sticky' - so that customers stay longer, return often and recommend it. Ensure that customers value it by providing high-quality content and incentives to return. Enable customers to visit other sites that provide complementary information - such as skiing companies linking to weather channels.

7.      Cost and profitability

Your online strategy - objectives, priorities and benefits - needs to be clearly understood and planned. Focus on cost control and profit maximization to ensure that the site is profitable.

8.      Customization

Plan customization from the outset rather than grafting it on later. Ensure that products meet customer's requirements through dialogue. Make sure that customers know what they can and cannot choose. Develop and refine customization to maintain competitiveness.

9.      Capability

To improve capabilities, encourage your people to see the Internet as a tool for meeting customer needs. Set, implement measure and monitor objectives. Ask customers what they want and what they think of your plans.

10. Competitiveness

Continually review and refine your strategy relative to competitors. You need keen market awareness - you need to know what competitors have done, are doing and may do. Consider the worst-case scenario to make your online strategy durable and realistic.

SKILL CAPSULE: CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

 

Planning Effective Meetings

Meeting management tends to be a set of skills often overlooked by leaders and managers. The following information is a rather "Cadillac" version of meeting management suggestions. The reader might pick which suggestions best fits the particular culture of their own organization. Keep in mind that meetings are very expensive activities when one considers the cost of labor for the meeting and how much can or cannot get done in them. So take meeting management very seriously.

The process used in a meeting depends on the kind of meeting you plan to have, e.g., staff meeting, planning meeting, problem solving meeting, etc. However, there are certain basics that are common to various types of meetings. These basics are described below.

 

Selecting Participants

•            The decision about who is to attend depends on what you want to accomplish in the meeting. This may seem too obvious to state, but it's surprising how many meetings occur without the right people there.

•            Don't depend on your own judgment about who should come. Ask several other people for their opinion as well.

•            If possible, call each person to tell them about the meeting, it's overall purpose and why their attendance is important.

•            Follow-up your call with a meeting notice, including the purpose of the meeting, where it will be held and when, the list of participants and whom to contact if they have questions.

•            Send out a copy of the proposed agenda along with the meeting notice.

•            Have someone designated to record important actions, assignments and due dates during the meeting. This person should ensure that this information is distributed to all participants shortly after the meeting.

 

Developing Agendas

•            Develop the agenda together with key participants in the meeting. Think of what overall outcome you want from the meeting and what activities need to occur to reach that outcome. The agenda should be organized so that these activities are conducted during the meeting.

In the agenda, state the overall outcome that you want from the meeting

•            Design the agenda so that participants get involved early by having something for them to do right away and so they come on time.

•            Next to each major topic, include the type of action needed, the type of output expected (decision, vote, action assigned to someone), and time estimates for addressing each topic

•            Ask participants if they'll commit to the agenda.

•            Keep the agenda posted at all times.

•            Don't overly design meetings; be willing to adapt the meeting agenda if members are making progress in the planning process.

•             Think about how you label an event, so people come in with that mindset; it may pay to have a short dialogue around the label to develop a common mindset among attendees, particularly if they include representatives from various cultures.

 

Opening Meetings

•            Always start on time; this respects those who showed up on time and reminds late-comers that the scheduling is serious.

•            Welcome attendees and thank them for their time.

•            Review the agenda at the beginning of each meeting, giving participants a chance to understand all proposed major topics, change them and accept them.

•            Note that a meeting recorder if used will take minutes and provide them back to each participant shortly after the meeting.

•            Model the kind of energy and participant needed by meeting participants.

•            Clarify your role(s) in the meeting.

 

Establishing Ground Rules for Meetings

You don't need to develop new ground rules each time you have a meeting, surely. However, it pays to have a few basic ground rules that can be used for most of your meetings. These ground rules cultivate the basic ingredients needed for a successful meeting.

•            Four powerful ground rules are: participate, get focus, maintain momentum and reach closure. (You may want a ground rule about confidentiality.)

•            List your primary ground rules on the agenda.

•            If you have new attendees who are not used to your meetings, you might review each ground rule.

•            Keep the ground rules posted at all times.

 

Time Management

•            One of the most difficult facilitation tasks is time management -- time seems to run out before tasks are completed. Therefore, the biggest challenge is keeping momentum to keep the process moving.

•            You might ask attendees to help you keep track of the time.

•            If the planned time on the agenda is getting out of hand, present it to the group and ask for their input as to a resolution.

 

Evaluations of Meeting Process

•         It's amazing how often people will complain about a meeting being a complete waste of time -- but they only say so after the meeting. Get their feedback during the meeting when you can improve the meeting process right away. Evaluating a meeting only at the end of the meeting is usually too late to do anything about participants' feedback.

•         Every couple of hours, conduct 5-10 minutes "satisfaction checks".

•         In a round-table approach, quickly have each participant indicate how they think the meeting is going.

•         Calculate the Cost of Meetings

•         Evaluating the Meeting Process

•         Evaluating the Overall Meeting

 

Evaluating the Overall Meeting

•         Leave 5-10 minutes at the end of the meeting to evaluate the meeting; don't skip this portion of the meeting.

•         Have each member rank the meeting from 1-5, with 5 as the highest, and have each member explain their ranking

•         Have the chief executive rank the meeting last.

 

Closing Meetings

•         Always end meetings on time and attempt to end on a positive note.

•         At the end of a meeting, review actions and assignments, and set the time for the next meeting and ask each person if they can make it or not (to get their commitment)

•         Clarify that meeting minutes and/or actions will be reported back to members in at most a week (this helps to keep momentum going).

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTRAPERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Intrapersonal communication can be defined as communication with one’s self, and that may include self- talk, acts of imagination and visualization, and even recall and memory. [1] You read on your cell phone screen that your friends are going to have dinner at your favorite restaurant. What comes to mind? Sights, sounds, and scents? Something special that happened the last time you were there? Do you contemplate joining them? Do you start to work out a plan of getting from your present location to the restaurant? Do you send your friends a text asking if they want company? Until the moment when you hit the “send” button, you are communicating with yourself.

Communications expert Leonard Shedletsky examines intrapersonal communication through the eight basic components of the communication process (i.e., source, receiver, message, channel, feedback, environment, context, and interference) as transactional, but all the interaction occurs within the individual. Perhaps, as you consider whether to leave your present location and join your friends at the restaurant, you are aware of all the work that sits in front of you. You may hear the voice of your boss, or perhaps of one of your parents, admonishing you about personal responsibility and duty. On the other hand, you may imagine the friends at the restaurant saying something to the effect of “you deserve some time off!”

From planning to problem solving, internal conflict resolution, and evaluations and judgments of self and others, we communicate with ourselves through intrapersonal communication.

All this interaction takes place in the mind without externalization, and all of it relies on previous interaction with the external world. If you had been born in a different country, to different parents, what language would you speak? What language would you think in? What would you value, what would be important to you, and what would not? Even as you argue to yourself whether the prospect of joining your friends at the restaurant overcomes your need to complete your work, you use language and symbols that were communicated to you. Your language and culture have given you the means to rationalize, act, and answer the question, “What are you doing?” but you are still bound by the expectations of yourself and the others who make up your community.

The second major context within the field of communication is interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication normally involves two people, and can range from intimate and very personal to formal and impersonal. You may carry on a conversation with a loved one, sharing a serious concern. Later, at work, you may have a brief conversation about plans for the weekend with the security guard on your way home. What’s the difference? Both scenarios involve interpersonal communication, but are different in levels of intimacy. The first example implies a trusting relationship established over time between two caring individuals. The second example level implies some previous familiarity, and is really more about acknowledging each other than any actual exchange of information, much like saying hello or goodbye.

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 51 to Day 60)

DAY 51

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL SALES MEETINGS

From great rapport to a sale

Successful sales meetings are critical. This is true for both sides: your company's future depends on sales, and clients want to find the right supplier. Selling is a highly skilled art, one that is rooted in one fundamental principle: trust.

Overview

These seven steps will help you to make the difference and turn sales meetings into a win-win for all concerned. Each step provides an invaluable framework to building the right relationship with your potential clients - skills that can be used in a wide range of business situations.

Step 1 Build rapport Connect with you the client - establish common ground and empathize.

Create a positive working relationship and remain professional.

Be warm and assertive and ask open questions.

Dress to establish credibility.

Step 2 Send confirmation of your purpose Be clear, concise and appealing.

This shows why the meeting is important, establishes your capability and enables you take to control.

Step 3 Introduce yourself and your company Your client needs to have confidence in you and your company. Your ability to direct the rest of the meetings relies on this first impression.

Be succinct and aim to impress - include how you have helped other companies. Use positive, non-committal words such as 'hopefully' and 'possibilities'.

Step 4 Fact-finding This helps you to know your potential client and tailor your offer This includes knowing both the company's situation and the people you are meeting with - ensure that your presentation appeals to and resonates with those listening.

Step 5 Explore needs and wants This is where sales are made or lost. Focus on their needs and what they are looking for If you want to include things they haven't previously considered, give a compelling reason. Explain how what you are offering will make a difference to their business.

Use GRIP: Goals, Reality, Implications, Plans. Focus on what they are looking for and value. Ask open, probing questions - and listen. Don't be afraid of silence - people need time to think about points.

Step 6 The presentation Tailor your presentation to what the client needs. It is no good having bells and whistles if they are of no use to your client.

Be enthusiastic and warm and tie your solution to the client's needs.

Step 7 Advancing and closing All previous steps rely on this last stage.

End meetings by focusing on building the relationship.

Agree next steps and reaffirm commitment.

Be confident and warm, follow up quickly and deliver on promises.

SKILL CAPSULE: DELIVER MOTIVATIONAL LECTURE

Is it possible to motivate someone in under 5 minutes? Yes! In fact, a motivational speech is actually a collection of small snippets of inspirational speeches that could be taken apart and delivered on their own. It has been said that the best motivational speeches are short so the thoughts can be easily remembered and recalled.  The most successful speeches are those that don't conjure up the traditional image of 'speech' but, instead, take the audience on an enjoyable journey from one thought to the next.

Leaders regularly need to boost morale and the most impactful way to do it is through a speech. Here are some tips to construct a quick and timely motivational speech:

OPEN. Get their attention. You have 10 seconds or less to get people's attention. This is not the place to smother the group with facts and information. Open with some drama and create some excitement: Say something startling or provocative. Use relevant, timely information. Share a short, funny, motivational story that links to the goal of your motivational speech.

Decide what needs to be said and what doesn't. This is something many people overlook. Don't overwhelm people with too much information, especially technical information that requires study and deliberation to really understand. Decide what your main goal is (what you want to motivate people to do), then focus and simplify your message around this.

Close with impact. To end an inspirational speech, quickly sum up your points and leave the audience with an inspirational and uplifting message. Every motivational speech should give people hope, a feeling that things are progressing, and that their efforts are making a difference.

Delivery. An inspirational speech is part content and part delivery. I believe delivery is even more important than information. Content is an abundant commodity easily accessible through Google or other search engine of choice. It is your ability to deliver the information with charisma that makes your inspirational speech impactful.

When giving an inspirational speech, focus on increasing your energy level, pausing after important points and speaking to the audience not at them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW TO AVOID BEING MISQUOTED

Give Them the Facts: The more you say, the more you stray. A lot of spokespeople get misquoted because they say too much. Instead of spending most of your interviews providing reporters with endless background, write a one- or two-page fact sheet which lays out the basic facts.

Providing reporters with a written fact sheet in advance of your interview allows you to tell reporters what the story means rather than what it is. By doing so, your quote will contain your interpretation of the facts instead of raw facts devoid of context.

Because you’ve said less and repeatedly emphasized the meaning of the story, you’ve given reporters more opportunities not only to get your quote right, but to make it meaningful.

DAY 52

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE BUYER’S CYCLE

Understanding how customers buy

Successful selling requires understanding of how and why people buy. By understanding each stage of the Buyer's Cycle, you will be able to influence current and potential customers.

Empathy and seeing situations from a client's point of view is fundamental. Customers think about three things:

1.       their current situation

2.       how your product will affect that situation

3.       whether it will close a gap and take them closer to their goals.

When selling to an organization, the different people involved can have different views and priorities.

How the Buyer's Cycle works

Awareness

 

Information

 

Prioritization

 

Purchase

 

Use

 

Reuse

Advocacy

1.       Awareness. Catch the customer's attention - make them curious about and familiar with your product. Create awareness of your product so as to lead the customer to the next stage: wanting to know more.

2.       Information. Make information clear, useful, relevant and compelling, with the right amount of detail for the customer. Too much will be irrelevant, tedious and boring for some; too little will lack the necessary detail for others. The information and how you present it will lead the customer towards prioritizing their needs in relation to your product.

3.       Prioritization. This is when decisions are made. Understand your customer's needs, 'would like to haves', their situation and financial concerns. Essentially, help them find the product that is right for them. Without this, the advocacy stage will not occur - they will not recommend you to others.

4.       Purchase. Make the process of buying as simple, streamlined and efficient as possible. If the process is tedious or complicated, the sale may fall through. This applies to both business-to-business and business-to-consumer selling. Ensure that customers are pleased with their purchases.

5.       Use. The sale is not the end of the selling process. How customers use products affects repeat business and recommendations. Provide good products, generous guarantees and great after-sales support to move customers to the next two stages: reuse and advocacy.

6.       Reuse. Repeat customers are lucrative. They are high-margin customers, requiring little marketing spend to increase revenue. Also, they recommend your product to others through personal and career contacts and social media.

7.       Advocacy. It is called the Buyer's Cycle for a reason: advocacy leads directly back to the awareness stage. Recommendations reduce the cost and difficulty of gaining other customers. To potential customers, a recommendation brings a product to their attention, removes uncertainty and builds a desire to own it.

SKILL CAPSULE: NOTE-TAKING

Effective note-taking is an important transferable skill, a skill that can be applied in all aspects of life, socially, at work and during study.

Note-taking is a powerful aid to communication, a way of summarising and retaining the key points from what you’ve heard and understood.

There are different approaches to note taking, depending on the type of communication you’re engaged in.  This page covers effective note-taking for verbal exchanges – that is, summarising what has been said, in face-to-face conversations, over the phone and in group situations – like in meetings or when attending a lecture.

There are times in life when effective note-taking of the written word is also important – especially when studying. 

What is Note-Taking?

Note-taking is, simply, a way of concisely recording important information so that you can recall it later.

Regardless of how good you think your memory is - you will need to take notes in certain situations to remind yourself what was said.  It is a mistake to think, when going to a meeting or attending a lecture or some other important talk, that you will remember the details of what has been said - you won’t.  You may well remember the overall topic of the discussion, even some very specific details, but you won’t remember everything.

It is important to recognise that taking notes should not distract you from listening intently to what the speaker is saying.  Effective note-taking involves listening whilst jotting down key points that will be important later: in a business meeting this may include action points that you have agreed to attend to; in a lecture this may include new vocabulary or theories that you can investigate further later.

Before you can take effective notes you need to be somewhat organised.  It may seem obvious but you need to remember to take some appropriate note-taking equipment with you to meetings, lectures etc. The nature of the ‘appropriate’ note-taking equipment will depend partly on you and partly on the circumstances.  The simplest low-tech way of taking notes is to use a pen (or series of different coloured pens) and a pad of paper. Bring plenty of paper and at least one spare pen or pencil.

Some people prefer to take notes on a laptop, tablet, smartphone or some other device – this is fine as long as you are very comfortable with the technology - so that they can concentrate fully on their notes – not on the actual process of writing them.  If you are using some form of computer to take notes it is usually a good idea to turn off any messaging services first – otherwise you are likely to be distracted by new emails, text messages or the like.

When you arrive at the meeting or lecture try to sit so that you can clearly see and hear the main speaker.

General Note-Taking Guidelines:

•         Before you start taking any notes be clear about why you are attending the talk or meeting.  What are you hoping to learn or gain from it?  Think of your notes as a guide to your learning and development after the event.  You notes form part of a working document that you’ll return to and add to later.

•         Think about whether or not a point is noteworthy before you write it down – do not take notes for the sake of taking notes.  Otherwise you’ll end up with lots of irrelevant points, which will distract you from the important things.  You probably only really need to make notes on things that are new to you.

•         Do not write down everything that is said, word-for-word, that would be transcribing, which is an altogether different skill.  Concentrate on the key points, remain alert and attentive and listen to what is being said.

•         Write in your own style and use your own words, you don’t need to worry too much about spelling, grammar, punctuation or neatness as long as you can read your notes later and they make sense to you.  Your personal note-writing system will evolve and improve with practice.

•         Try to use short concise points, single words or phrases or short sentences, use bullet or numbered lists if necessary.  If you are using a pen and paper then it is easy to add linking lines to join ideas and concepts.

•         Write down in full, key information that can’t be shortened: names, contact details, dates, URL’s, references, book titles, formulas etc.

•         Use abbreviations to help you – just note what they mean!

•         Use underlining, indentation, circle words or phrases, use highlighter pens – whatever system works for you to emphasis the most important points and add some structure to your notes.

•         Use some sort of shorthand system that you will understand later – develop this system as you become more skilled at note-taking.

•         Don’t panic if you miss something.  You can usually ask the speaker to repeat a point or ask a college or peer after the event.  Note down that you have missed something to remind you to do this.

Once the event has finished:

 As soon as possible, after the event, you should review and, where necessary, rework your notes.   Fill in any gaps, adding content and further research to your notes.  If your notes are handwritten you may want to type them into a computer.  The more you interact with your notes the more you will remember and ultimately learn.

If possible share and/or compare your notes with a colleague or peer.  Discuss your understandings and fill in any gaps together.

The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method of note-taking is highly effective, see if it works for you.

•         Divide your sheet of paper, as the diagram, so you have a wide left margin (the recall area) and a deep (summary area) at the bottom.  Leaving the rest of the sheet for the notes you take while attending the class or meeting.

•         Write notes in the ‘note taking area’.  After the event fill in any gaps in your notes, try to leave some white space between points.  For each major point or idea covered in your notes write a ‘cue word’ or ‘keyword’ in the recall area of your sheet.

• For example: If your notes were about ‘note taking methods’ and you had a section describing the Cornell Method then you would probably write ‘Cornell’ or ‘Cornell Method’ in your recall area aligned with the specific notes.

•         Use the summary area to write a brief summary of what your sheet contains – it may be useful to colour code this area.  The summary will help you to find relevant notes later when you need to review them – this is especially useful for students when revising for exams or writing an assignment.

The Cornell Method of note-taking can be used as a powerful aid to recalling information.  Test your memory and knowledge by putting another sheet of paper over the ‘note taking area’ so just the ‘recall area’ is visible.  Use the phases in your recall area as your cue and recite as much information about each point as you can remember – check what you have remembered with your main notes.  You will quickly find where the gaps in your knowledge are.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PRESENCE OF MIND DURING A SPEECH

What is meant by presence of mind? Let us see whether the intelligence alone helps us to succeed in life. Even if we are most efficient in performing our works, the presence of mind is often required. What is meant by -presence of mind-? It is the capacity to think quickly, to act wisely and solve the problem, in case of emergency. If a crisis comes, we should not overflow with emotions, creating a tension mood in the atmosphere. We should stay calm and act sensibly. The self-control is very much necessary, to act with presence of mind. We should not say whatever we think and do whatever we like, in case of emergency. Thinking in the right path and doing the right thing are most important. For using intelligence correctly, presence of mind is required.

Where to apply presence of mind? Saying that we should act calmly in emergent situation, we should not delay. We should learn to act fast and in the correct method, to solve the problem. It is not that presence of mind is required only in emergency situations. In an interview or competition, we should prove our ability by applying our presence of mind. In the competitive world, there are many qualified persons in all fields. While going for job hunting, the final decision will be taken by testing our presence of mind. We should learn to master others, by our acts. We should show how we are more fit than others, by proving our intelligence and acting with presence of mind.

What are the situations compelling to act with presence of mind? For a sales person, to convince a customer and make him to buy his product is very much required. If his intelligence could not help, he has to apply his presence of mind. He may tell some practical examples which the customer may show interest or he may act in a practical way. I have heard a story of a salesman who could not make the customer to buy his scent. The salesman pretended as if he spilled scent on the floor of the house of customer accidently. When he was about to leave, the customer called him and made a great purchase of scent, as he liked the appealing smell of the scent.

In a meeting many people were talking for hours and the audience were not at all interested in the speech. When the last person came, nobody had the mind to listen. He just stood in front of the mike and told,- I have prepared a lot to share with you and I would like to share with you on some other day. Thank You-. That small speech impressed everybody, as he acted with presence of mind. The positive use of intelligence and timely action along with presence of mind, could help to earn good name.

The time conscious is more important. In one incident, the police people removed the timer, before the bomb squad arrived. If the bomb explode before the arrival of bomb squad, that may end in heavy loss to human lives and other things. The courage and the presence of mind of these police people were appreciated by all.

By training our brain and sharpening the memory, the power of presence of mind could increase. We should practice to act promptly and sensibly. We should keep our mind alert. We should try to find out the best solution for a problem, quickly. The children should be trained well to use the presence of mind. In the school, the teachers may test the presence of mind, by asking several questions. At home, the parents and other family members, may equip the child to act with presence of mind. For everybody, the presence of mind is required, to act correctly, in emergent situations.

DAY 53

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PRICING

Choosing the best strategy

Getting the price right from the outset is imperative: the wrong price can undermine your whole business strategy. Once set, prices can be difficult to change.

Price supports a range of business aims: increasing loyalty, prolonging a product's lifespan, entering new markets, manipulating special offers and driving out competition. To choose a pricing strategy you need in-depth understanding of markets, customers, strategic aims and your company.

Know how sensitive price is

Is demand elastic - where small changes in price lead to significant changes in demand? Or is it inelastic - where changes in price have little effect on demand? Does the product have 'snob' value, where demand increases with high prices?

Know the market

What are customer perceptions and behaviour? Will you accept the pricing culture - or challenge it?

Competitive issues and price innovation

Are there few direct competitors? Are some competitors vulnerable to lower prices?

Costs and break-even analysis

Selling at cost establishes market share or drives out competitors - break-even analysis determines the price that covers costs. Review all costs, including the possibility of suppliers increasing prices.

Pricing strategies

Strategy Idea/aim Issues

Loss leading Price is less than cost

Remove competitors or establish market share If demand is too high, losses escalate.

Difficult to increase prices later

Could you survive a price war?

Penetration pricing Break-even price and aggressive marketing

Market penetration and gaining market share Used in very competitive markets and to undermine established leader

Relies on unit costs falling as demand rises

Risk of competitors reducing prices

Milking or skimming Premium price for high quality version

To generate further profit from established product Return limited by higher costs of supplying product

Relies on ability to convince customers

Small size of market

Target pricing Set minimum level of profit, estimate sales then set price Relies on accurate sales estimates

Failing to account for competitors' actions

Price differentiation Variable prices for different markets Generates the most revenue from a product

Relies on barriers to entry --- e.g.-tariffs or high costs - to prevent others buying in cheaper markets and reselling

Relies on consumer ignorance (or acceptance) of cheaper prices elsewhere.

Marginal cost pricing Price reflects additional cost of supplying extra unit Used when cost of extra unit is significantly higher

Need to explain price differences to customers

Variable pricing Prices reduced, to increase sales

Raised, to deter sales - if production at capacity Often used in extreme situations

Price fluctuations risk alienating or confusing customers

Average cost pricing Set base price by adding total costs and desired profit margin and dividing by likely sales Accepted by customers

Relies on accurate estimates

Is competitive: companies with lowest costs charge lowest prices

Customary pricing Same price for smaller product Can increase profits

Useful when costs are rising and demand is slow

Risks alienating customers

Barrier pricing Reduce prices to deter or remove new entrants Aggressive strategy to defend established position

Used in highly competitive or price-sensitive markets

Despite legal restrictions, companies act together to maintain barrier pricing

SKILL CAPSULE: SELF MANAGEMENT

A key skill in self-management is self regulation. Self-regulation refers to individuals monitoring, controlling and directing aspects of their learning for themselves.

Self-Management Strategies

• Monitor – don’t just let things happen, assess and see why then pick a strategy

• Evaluate – take the time to ask if things are working out for you

• Reinforce

Time Management/Anti-Procrastination Strategies

• Prioritise

• Plan

• Break things into small, manageable pieces

• Goal Setting

• Be Specific

• Use all time - e.g. even travel time can be used to review or quiz oneself

• Action builds momentum – do something, anything

• Make a commitment – create a deadline if one doesn’t exist or you need an earlier one

Attitude/Confidence Strategies

• Stop making excuses – instead think in terms of challenges

• Focus on effort not results

• Thought stopping

• Reframe  - e.g. “want” instead of “should”

• Self-Talk – use positive thoughts and challenge negative thoughts

• Affirm Yourself – use positive phrases including “I”, like “I can do this” and say them often

• Exert Control over what you can, accept what you cannot change

Handling Distractions

• Get more active in the study process – ask yourself questions, join a study group, try to teach someone else

• Distribute study instead of cramming – easier to concentrate for shorter periods

• Keep memo or notebook - for thoughts or things to do that keep popping into your head

• Assign Worry Time - if you have a problem or difficulty to deal with

• Re-focus attention – by using trigger words like “just listen”

• Build time – do something for five minutes, then next time 7 minutes, etc.

• Routine – organise environment etc., much like an athlete before an event

Mind and Body

• Eat, sleep and exercise properly

• Don’t ignore emotions or thoughts

• Manage your stress

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Communication is the sharing of understanding and meaning, but what is intercultural communication? If you answered, “The sharing of understanding and meaning across cultures,” you’d be close, but the definition requires more attention. What is a culture? Where does one culture stop and another start? How are cultures created, maintained, and dissolved? Donald Klopf described culture as “that part of the environment made by humans.” From the building we erect that represents design values to the fences we install that delineate borders, our environment is a representation of culture, but it is not all that is culture.

In defining intercultural communication, we only have eight components of communication to work with and yet we must bridge divergent cultures with distinct values across languages and time zones to exchange value, a representation of meaning. It may be tempting to consider only the source and receiver within a transaction as a representation of intercultural communication, but if we do that, we miss the other six components—the message, channel, feedback, context, environment, and interference—in every communicative act. Each component influences and is influenced by culture. Is culture context? Environment? Message? Culture is represented in all eight components every time we communicate. All communication is intercultural.

Let’s take this intranational comparison a step further. Within the same family, can there be intercultural communication? If all communication is intercultural, then the answer would be yes, but we still have to prove our case. Imagine a three-generation family living in one house. The grandparents may represent another time and different values from the grandchildren. The parents may have a different level of education and pursue different careers from the grandparents; the schooling the children are receiving may prepare them for yet another career. From music, to food preferences, to how work is done may vary across time; Elvis Presley may seem like ancient history to the children. The communication across generations represents intercultural communication, even if only to a limited degree. But suppose we have a group of students who are all similar in age and educational level. Do gender and the societal expectations of roles influence interaction? Of course. And so we see that among these students not only do the boys and girls communicate in distinct ways but also not all boys and girls are the same. With a group of sisters, there may be common characteristics, but they will still have differences, and these differences contribute to intercultural communication. We are each shaped by our upbringing and it influences our worldview, what we value, and how we interact with each other. We create culture, and it creates us.

Communication with yourself is called intrapersonal communication, which may also be intracultural, as you may only represent one culture. But most people belong to many groups, each with their own culture. Within our imaginary intergenerational home, how many cultures do you think we might find? If we only consider the parents and consider work one culture, and family another, we now have two. If we were to examine the options more closely, we would find many more groups, and the complexity would grow exponentially. Does a conversation with yourself ever involve competing goals, objectives, needs, wants, or values? How did you learn of those goals, or values? Through communication within and between individuals, they themselves representatives of many cultures. We struggle with the demands of each group and their expectations and could consider this internal struggle intercultural conflict or simply intercultural communication.

 Intercultural communication is a fascinating area of study within business communication, and it is essential to your success. One idea to keep in mind as we examine this topic is the importance of considering multiple points of view. If you tend to dismiss ideas or views that are “unalike culturally,” you will find it challenging to learn about diverse cultures. If you cannot learn, how can you grow and be successful? Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view other cultures as inferior to one’s own. Having pride in your culture can be healthy, but history has taught us that having a predisposition to discount other cultures simply because they are different can be hurtful, damaging, and dangerous. Ethnocentrism makes us far less likely to be able to bridge the gap with others and often increases intolerance of difference. Business and industry are no longer regional, and in your career, you will necessarily cross borders, languages, and cultures. You will need tolerance, understanding, patience, and openness to difference.

A skilled business communicator knows that the process of learning is never complete, and being open to new ideas is a key strategy for success.

DAY 54

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE FOUR PS OF MARKETING

Using the marketing mix

The marketing mix includes Product, Place, Price and Promotion and this can be used to successfully position a product in the market.

Edmund Jerome McCarthy framed the marketing mix as the Four Ps. While it may look simple, the point is that marketing is more than a reactive enterprise, responding to a product after it has been developed. It should also be a proactive activity that informs every aspect of a product's design and development.

Applying the Four Ps is a rigorous and ongoing process that questions and challenges every aspect of a product to improve the product offering - to get the marketing mix right. Each part affects the others (both supporting and potentially undermining), necessitating a coordinated approach to marketing strategy and the need to embed marketing into all other aspects of the business - from product design to strategic direction. By considering marketing issues from the start, you are more likely to develop the right products and then to get those products right.

Product: designing the products that customers want

•         Understand customers - what do they want, how will they use the product, how the product will be perceived, what level of after-sales support will they expect?

•         Consider the effect of costs on price and, as a consequence, on customers.

•         Use market and customer insight to inform the product's features - including its name, attributes, colour, size and any relevant attributes.

•         Get branding right, along with differentiating it from competitors' products.

Place: reaching customers

•         Be clear about where and how products will reach customers - for example, the channels, regions and segments where they will be marketed and sold.

•         Understand your customers - where they look for products and where they make purchases.

•         You need to determine the channels you will use and consider distribution issues - including any barriers to entry.

Price: setting the right price

•         Know what the customer will be prepared to pay and consider how customers' perceptions are guided by price.

•         Decide a price that allows for discounts to be used effectively - such as encouraging bulk sales at a price that does not fall below costs.

•         Be aware of competitors' prices and consider the potential for a price war.

•         You will need to consider how demand will be affected at different prices.

•         Ensure that the price does not needlessly sacrifice your profit margin.

•         Consider price from other perspectives such as branding.

Promotion: making people aware of the product and enticing them to buy

•         Decide how and when to appeal to customers.

•         Know which type of promotion and incentive (for example, buy one get one free) would work best for particular customers.

•         To plan a successful advertising campaign, you will need to know your customers. For example: Where do they go (and when)? What do they do? What do they read? What (and who) influences them?

•         Be aware of competitors' campaigns and improve upon them.

SKILL CAPSULE: PRESENTING TO LARGE GROUPS AND CONFERENCES

Much of our section on Presentation Skills applies to both large and small groups, but there are a number of issues that are particularly important when presenting to large groups.

Developing an understanding of these issues will help you to get your message across more effectively.

This page explains more about these issues, and how you can overcome any problems to present effectively even to very large groups or at major events.

The Structure of a Large Event

In this context, ‘large’ is taken to mean an event involving more than 100 people. It will usually be a conference or similar event. There will be a number of invited speakers, a formal programme of presentations, and the conference will probably last at least a day.

There may be both large and small presentations going on at the same time. The larger presentations are usually called ‘plenaries’ and involve all participants. The smaller ones are called ‘breakouts’ or ‘workshops’, and will be of interest to a limited number of people only.

Usually, the first or most important plenary presentation is called the keynote speech.

The seats will almost invariably be laid out ‘theatre’ style, which means rows of seats.

Occasionally, they may be in ‘café’ style, with large round tables holding 10 or 12 people. Here the seats will be placed so that people can see the screen and speaker without having to turn around. The 'cafe' style layout is used more commonly for ‘awaydays’ and interactive events, rather than formal conferences.

Implications for Presenters: There are various key areas that presenters at large events, such as conferences should consider.

These include:

  Positioning

  Equipment

  Lighting

  Managing your Nerves

1. Positioning

A large, formal event will almost always have a podium or stage where you will be expected to stand and give your presentation.

There may be a lectern, although that will often depend on the type of event as many events have moved away from this kind of system now. It sounds obvious, but you will also be in a very large room, holding a lot of people.

You will therefore be physically separated from your audience, both by distance and height.

2. Equipment

You will almost always have professional sound and audio-visual equipment at a large event.

You will be expected to send your presentation in advance, and it will be loaded up for you, ready to present. You will probably, in a modern conference centre, have a wireless control for your slides, as well as a wireless microphone.

A more old-fashioned venue might have wired systems that will tether you to one spot.

Really large venues may even have cameras projecting you onto screens above the stage so that those at the back can see you more clearly.

These systems allow you to reach out to your audience and engage with them better, because everyone will be able to see and hear you clearly.

3. Lighting

The main hall in most conference venues has no natural light.

It may have stage-type lighting, and the lights in the room will be dimmed during the presentations, with a spotlight on the presenter.

    This makes it nearly impossible to see your audience, or make personal eye contact with any of them.

4. Managing your Nerves

Some people find presenting to large numbers of people much more nerve-wracking.

This is partly an issue about not knowing the members of the audience, and partly the potential for embarrassment if you do something wrong. And of course, when you’re nervous and tense, you are by definition less relaxed.

What all of this means is that it is much, much harder to build rapport with your audience.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SPEAKING ETHICALLY AND AVOIDING FALLACIES

What comes to mind when you think of speaking to persuade? Perhaps the idea of persuasion may bring to mind propaganda and issues of manipulation, deception, intentional bias, bribery, and even coercion. Each element relates to persuasion, but in distinct ways. In a democratic society, we would hope that our Bill of Rights is intact and validated, and that we would support the exercise of freedom to discuss, consider and debate issues when considering change. We can recognize that each of these elements in some ways has a negative connotation associated with it. Why do you think that deceiving your audience, bribing a judge, or coercing people to do something against their wishes is wrong? These tactics violate our sense of fairness, freedom, and ethics.

Eleven Points for Speaking Ethically

Do not:

•         use false, fabricated, misrepresented, distorted or irrelevant evidence to support arguments or claims.

•          intentionally use unsupported, misleading, or illogical reasoning.

•         represent yourself as informed or an “expert” on a subject when you are not.

•         use irrelevant appeals to divert attention from the issue at hand.

•         ask your audience to link your idea or proposal to emotion-laden values, motives, or goals to which it is actually not related.

•         deceive your audience by concealing your real purpose, by concealing self-interest, by concealing the group you represent, or by concealing your position as an advocate of a viewpoint.

•         distort, hide, or misrepresent the number, scope, intensity, or undesirable features of consequences or effects.

•         use “emotional appeals” that lack a supporting basis of evidence or reasoning.

•         oversimplify complex, gradation-laden situations into simplistic, two-valued, either-or, polar views or choices.

•         pretend certainty where tentativeness and degrees of probability would be more accurate.

•         advocate something which you yourself do not believe in.

Aristotle said the mark of a good person, well spoken was a clear command of the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. He discussed the idea of perceiving the many points of view related to a topic, and their thoughtful consideration. While it’s important to be able to perceive the complexity of a case, you are not asked to be a lawyer defending a client.

Avoiding Fallacies

Fallacies are another way of saying false logic. These rhetorical tricks deceive your audience with their style, drama, or pattern, but add little to your speech in terms of substance and can actually detract from your effectiveness. There are several techniques or “tricks” that allow the speaker to rely on style without offering substantive argument, to obscure the central message, or twist the facts to their own gain. Here we will examine the eight classical fallacies. You may note that some of them relate to the ethical cautions listed earlier in this section. Eight common fallacies are presented in table "Fallacies". Learn to recognize these fallacies so they can’t be used against you, and so that you can avoid using them with your audience.

Fallacy Definition Example

1. Red Herring Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue, particularly by relating the issue to a common fear. It’s not just about the death penalty; it’s about the victims and their rights. You wouldn’t want to be a victim, but if you were, you’d want justice.

2. Straw Man A weak argument set up to be easily refuted, distracting attention from stronger arguments What if we released criminals who commit murder after just a few years of rehabilitation? Think of how unsafe our streets would be then!

3. Begging the Question Claiming the truth of the very matter in question, as if it were already an obvious conclusion. We know that they will be released and unleashed on society to repeat their crimes again and again.

4. Circular Argument The proposition is used to prove itself. Assumes the very thing it aims to prove. Related to begging the question. Once a killer, always a killer.

5. Ad Populum Appeals to a common belief of some people, often prejudicial, and states everyone holds this belief. Also called the Bandwagon Fallacy, as people “jump on the bandwagon” of a perceived popular view. Most people would prefer to get rid of a few “bad apples” and keep our streets safe.

6. Ad Hominem “Argument against the man” instead of against his message. Stating that someone’s argument is wrong solely because of something about the person rather than about the argument itself. Our representative is a drunk and philanderer. How can we trust him on the issues of safety and family?

7. Non Sequitur “It does not follow.” The conclusion does not follow from the premises. They are not related. Since the liberal antiwar demonstrations of the 1960s, we’ve seen an increase in convicts who got let off death row.

8. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc “After this, therefore because of this,” also called a coincidental correlation. It tries to establish a cause-and-effect relationship where only a correlation exists. Violent death rates went down once they started publicizing executions.

Avoid false logic and make a strong case or argument for your proposition. Finally, here is a five-step motivational checklist to keep in mind as you bring it all together:

1. Get their attention

2. Identify the need

3. Satisfy the need

4. Present a vision or solution

5. Take action

This simple organizational pattern can help you focus on the basic elements of a persuasive message when time is short and your performance is critical.

DAY 55

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE TEN RULES OF CROSS-SELLING

Improving profitability

Cross-selling is offering one or more different products or services to a customer who has already made a purchase. The potential for increased profit is considerable, but mishandling the process can be self-defeating in the long term or even risk the original sale.

Overview

Successful cross-selling depends on understanding customer behaviour and how customers make decisions. The key is to focus completely on the customer. Fundamentally, honesty, integrity and trustworthiness are the hall-marks of successful cross-selling. To have real benefit, always keep in mind that you are aiming to increase profitability by building long-term relationships, encouraging customer recommendations and developing a valued brand - none of this will happen if customers are sold the wrong products or feel misguided in any way.

Applying the ten rules

To guide companies in using the process successfully and avoiding the pitfalls, John Domanski devised ten rules of cross-selling:

1.       Don't cross-sell too soon. Do not risk losing the customer completely by cross-selling too soon - make sure the first purchase is finalized.

2.       Stick to the rule of 25, where the value of the cross-sale does not increase the original order by more than 25 per cent.

3.       Focus on long-term profit. Cross-selling needs to offer a customer the most suitable product or service and so build a long-term relationship and encourage personal recommendations. Simply pushing high-mar-gin items is ultimately unprofitable because disappointed customers will not return.

4.       Add value for customers, always. Cross-selling is not a means of disposing of unwanted stock - it is about adding value for customers.

5.       Keep all items in the sale connected. From the customer's perspective, additional products or services must be related to the first item.

6.       Sell the customer something they already know: offer additional products or services that the customer is already familiar with. This is not the time to introduce new products or services.

7.       Use technology to understand the customer. Develop a system that links items together so that, when a customer makes a purchase, the list of cross-selling opportunities is immediately apparent. It then becomes a question of offering items that are appropriate to each particular customer.

8.       Keep sales teams as well as customers informed about products. Sales teams need to know all your products and services thoroughly. Detailed understanding is needed to know which products to offer and to handle customers' questions.

9.       Use your best people and ensure continuous improvement. When introducing new cross-selling opportunities, use your best people to test the process and improve how it works.

10.   Incentivize your sales teams to cross-sell (it is still cost-effective). Always remember that motivation and compensation affect the performance of sales teams. Co-opting Einstein's equation, E- M C2 sums this up, where E is the person's effort, M is the level of motivation and C is the amount of compensation - effort directly following better compensation and motivation speaks for itself.

SKILL CAPSULE: AUDITING SKILLS

Why do we have to Audit?

•         Auditing is not a choice or option, it must be done & every organization must do it that has a management system.

•         ISO9001 has the requirement that is …… that internal audits are to be planned & conducted to determine whether or not the management systems:-

o   Conform to the planned arrangements

o   Have been properly implemented & maintained

o   Are effective in meeting the organization’s policy & objectives

What Do We Audit For ? Evidence !

•         As auditors we are to look for the evidence necessary to verify whether or not the management systems put into place by an organization meets or conforms to established requirements & is performing as specified.

•         Additionally we look for evidence that verifies that planning arrangement, procedures & objectives are also being met.

The Internal Auditor

Internal Auditor Role:-

•         Plays extremely important part with in the management system

•         The organization &  top management will depend on the Internal Auditors to provide the vital information necessary for the effective continuity of the system & operation of the organization.

•         The Internal Auditor:-

o   Should understand the gravity of the task they are performing

o   Never back away from impartiality & objectivity

o   Should be proactive

o   Should be positive

o   Should have values

o   Should have positive people skills

Auditor Responsibilities

•         Assist in the audit activities under the direction of the team leader (lead auditor)

•         Comply with applicable audit requirements

•         Communicate & clarify audit requirements

•         Plan & carry out assigned responsibilities effectively & efficiently

•         Document all observations

•         Report the audit results

•         Verify effectiveness of corrective actions

•         Retain & safeguard audit documents

Ultimately, responsibilities must be established by each organization in its own audit program procedures.

Personal Attributes of Auditors   (ISO 19011:2011, 7.2.2)

Ethical – Fair, truthful, sincere, honest, discreet

Open-minded – Willing to consider alternative ideas

Diplomatic – Tactful in dealing with people

Observant – Aware of surroundings & activities

Perceptive – Instinctively aware of & understand situations

Versatile – Able to adjust to different situations

Tenacious – Persistent, focused on achieving objectives

Decisive – Reaching timely conclusions

Self-reliant – Functions independently

       Generic Knowledge of Auditors   (ISO 19011:2011, 7.2.3.2)

•         Audit principles, procedures 7 techniques

•         Management system & reference documents

•         Organizational contest

•         Applicable laws, regulations& other relevant requirements              

Education, Work, auditor Training & Audit Experience    (7.2.4)

Education requirements should include:-

•         Sufficient education to acquire generic & specific knowledge & skills described in ISO 19011:2011 clause 7.2.4

•         Completion of generic & specific auditor training, internally or externally

•         Work experience should include:-

o   Experience with technical, managerial or professional position involving judgment, problem-solving & communication with various parties   

Benefits of Auditing

Audits can help:-

•         Verify conformity to requirements

•         Increase awareness & understanding

•         Provide a measurement of effectiveness of the system to management

•         Reduce the risk of system failure

•         Identify improvement opportunities

•         Initiate the corrective action cycle

•         Initiate the preventive action cycle

•         Types of Audit Relationship

•         1St Party Audit  -  Organization auditing its own system

•         2ndParty Audit  -  Organization auditing its supplier

•         3rdParty Audit  -  Organization audited by an independent organization such as a certification body.

•         Principles of Auditing 

•         Ethical Conduct   -  The foundation of professionalism

•         Fair presentation - The obligation to report truthfully  & accurately

•         Due professional care – The application of diligence & judgement in auditing

•         Independence – The basis for the morality of the audit & objectivity of audit conclusion

•         Evidence based approach – The rational method for reaching conclusions in a systematic audit process       

Audit Activities

•         Initiating the audit :-Definition of objectives, Scope & criteria, Determination of the feasibility of the audit, establishing the audit team

•         Initial document review:-Review relevant documents (procedures, work instructions, flowcharts etc.)

•         Preparing on-site audit activity:-Planning on-site activities (check list), audit team work assignment, work documents

•         On-site audit activities:-Opening meeting, collection & verifying information, audit findings, communication with auditee, closing meeting

•         Reporting on the audit:-Audit report preparation, report approval & distribution

•         Audit completion:-Audit is completed when the plan is completed & report distributed

•         Audit follow up:-Verification of completion & effective action

Do’s & Don’t

                         Do                                                             Do Not

Put the speaker at ease                           Be judgmental

Show you want to listen                         Cause interference

Remove distraction                                   Be close minded (attitude)

Keep calm                                                       Have wishful hearing

Ask questions                                                Talk excessively

Stop talking!!

 

Audit Findings

•         Audit findings – results of the evaluation of the collected audit evidence against audit criteria

o   Conformity or non –conformity with audit criteria

o   Opportunity for improvement

•         Certification bodies use the following

o   Nonconformities (Major/Minor)

o   Opportunity for improvement /Observation

Preparing Audit Report

  The audit report should contain at least :-

o   The audit objectives

o   The audit scope, particularly identification of the organizational & functional units or processes audited & the time period covered

o   Identification of the audit client (the auditee)

o   Identification of the audit team leader & members

o   The date & places where the on-site audit activities were conducted

o   The audit criteria

o   The audit findings

o   The audit conclusions

Conclusion as an Auditor….

An Auditor should always:

•         Prepare     -     Know the subject material

•         Learn          -     Thoroughly about the organization

•         Control       -     The audit

•         Assist          -      Where there is misunderstanding

•         Listen          -      To what Auditee / interviewee is saying

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: VIRAL MESSAGES

What was once called “word of mouth” advertising has gone viral with the introduction of social marketing via the Internet. What was once called a “telephone chain,” where one person called another in order to pass along news or a request in a linear model, has now gone global. One tweet from Twitter gets passed along and the message is transmitted exponentially. The post to the Facebook page is seen before the nightly news on television. Text messages are often real time. Radio once beat print media to the news, and then television trumped both. Now person-to-person, computer-mediated communication trumps them all at the speed of light—if the message is attractive, relevant, dramatic, sudden, or novel. If no one bothers to pass along the message, or the tweet isn’t very interesting, it will get lost in the noise.

What, then, makes a communication message viral?

Let’s look at the June 2009 death of Michael Jackson for an example of a viral message and see what we can learn. According to Jocelyn Noveck, news of his death spread via Twitter, text messages, and Facebook before the traditional media could get the message out. People knew about the 911 call from Jackson’s home before it hit the mainstream media. By the time the story broke, it was already old. People may not have had all the facts, but the news was out. Communities, represented by families, groups of friends, employees at organizations, had been mobilized to spread the news. They were motivated to share the news, but why?

Effective Viral Messages

Viral messages are words, sounds, or images that compel the audience to pass them along. They prompt people to act, and mobilize communities. Community mobilization has been studied in many ways and forms. We mobilize communities to leave areas of disaster, or to get out and walk more as part of an exercise program. If we want people to consider and act on a communication message, we first have to gain the audience’s attention. In our example, communities were mobilized to share word of Jacksons’ passing. Attention statements require sparks and triggers. A spark topic “has an appeal to emotion, a broad base of impact and subsequent concern, and results in motivating a consensus about issues, planning, and action.”

In the example of Michael Jackson, the consensus may be that he died under suspicious circumstances, but in other examples, it could be that the product or service being discussed is the next cool thing. The message in social marketing and viral messages does not exist apart from individuals or communities. They give it life and attention, or ignore it.

If you want to design a message to go viral, you have to consider three factors:

1.       Does it have an emotional appeal that people will feel compelled to share?

2.       2. Does it have a trigger (does it challenge, provide novelty, or incorporate humor to motivate interest)?

3.       3. Is it relevant to the audience?

An appeal to emotion is a word, sound, or image that arouses an emotional response in the audience. Radio stations fill the airwaves with the sounds of the 1980s to provoke an emotional response and gain a specific demographic within the listening audience. The day after the announcement of Michael Jackson’s death broke, you could hear his music everywhere. Many people felt compelled to share the news because of an emotional association to his music, the music’s association to a time in their lives, and the fact that it was a sudden, unanticipated, and perhaps suspicious death.

A trigger is a word, sound, or image that causes an activity, precipitates an event or interaction, or provokes a reaction between two or more people. In the case of Michael Jackson, the triggers included all three factors and provoked an observable response that other forms of media will not soon forget. His death at a young age challenged the status quo. In the same way, videos on YouTube have earned instant fame (wanted or unwanted) for a few with hilarious antics, displays of emotion, or surprising news. The final ingredient to a viral message is relevance. It must be immediately accessible to the audience, salient, and important. If you want someone to stop smoking, graphs and charts may not motivate them to action. Show them someone like them with postsurgery scars across their throat and it will get attention. Attention is the first step toward pre contemplation in a change model that may lead to action.

DAY 56

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DIFFERENTIATION

Giving customers a reason to choose your products

Differentiating one product from another creates new market opportunities: allowing variable pricing, increasing profit margins and distinguishing your products from competitors'. Differentiation takes many forms - from a product's features, price and reliability to emotional, aspirational attributes and branding.

Overview

In markets awash with products and services, getting customers to recognize and choose your products is difficult. Differentiating from competitors gives customers a reason to choose your product rather than a competitor's, and making this choice easy for customers is important.

Like it or not, our brains are remarkably lazy and prefer to make decisions with the least effort. This is not to say we are not fussy - clearly, we need to be convinced about the value the differentiation offers. However, the point is that differentiation itself prompts the customer into seeing a difference and helps to narrow down the decision-making process - in other words, it makes things easier. So, it is important to make your customers aware of how your product is different.

How to differentiate your products

•         Know your strengths and weaknesses - and your competitors'. By understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, and those of your competitors, you will know what attributes you can leverage and what you need to do differently in order to outcompete rivals and to appeal to customers.

•         Focus on customers. Differentiation strategy needs a keen focus on customers. Knowing what will appeal to them and how they will respond to any developments or changes in tastes and attitudes should always inform your strategy - including recognizing new customer groups and opportunities.

•         Compete with yourself. Many companies offer products that compete with their own products. By offering differentiated products, you will ap-peal to a broader range of customers and occupy a larger portion of the entire market, restricting the space available for competitors.

•         Be aware of shifts in the marketplace. Differentiation is never a static situation. Competitors will copy your products or services and erode any advantage you once had. They will also use differentiation to capture your customers. You will need to continually scan the marketplace to assess competitors and to identify new opportunities.

SKILL CAPSULE: SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

  "Become genuinely interested in other people." -People are usually interested in themselves. However, according to Alfred Adler, people who are not interested in others usually have the greatest difficulties in life. “In order to make friends, we should put ourselves out to do things for other people - things that require time, energy, unselfishness and thoughtfulness”

For example, try to remember all your friends’ birthdays

  “Showing a genuine interest in others not only wins friends for you, but may develop in its customers a loyalty to your company.” However, as with every other principle, the interest you show in others must be sincere.

  "Smile." A smile says a lot, and it can brighten another person’s day. It tells people, “I like you,” “You make me happy,” “I am glad to see you.” According to Professor James McConnell, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, “People who smile tend to manage, teach, and sell more effectively, and to raise happier children. There’s far more information in a smile than a frown. That’s why encouragement is a much more effective teaching method than punishment.” You should smile when you’re on the phone as well, because your smile comes through in your voice.

  "Remember that a man's name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any

language."-“The average person is interested in his or her own name than in all the other names on earth put together”-Most people do not remember names, because they do not want to take the time or energy to concentrate on repeating someone’s names in their minds. Remembering the other person’s name will work magic

  "Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves."

You should listen intently when you are in a conversation with another person, and become genuinely interested in what that other person is saying, because “that kind of listening is one of the highest compliments we can pay anyone.”-

You will seem like you are a good conversationalist if you are just a good listener and encourage others to talk. Many people fail to make a good impression because they do not listen attentively -If you want people to dislike you, “Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don’t wait for him or her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of the sentence” Ask questions that the other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments "Talk in the terms of the other man's interest."

  Talking in terms of the other person’s interests pays off for both parties. The road to a person’s heart is to talk about things he or she treasures most" Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.” Always make the other person feel important John Dewey says “the desire to be important is the deepest urge in human nature Phrases like, “I’m sorry to trouble you” “Would you be so kind as to “Would you mind?” “Thank you” Will help “Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATOR

Make no mistake: The starting point in being persuasive is to build trust and credibility so that when you seek to persuade, people will give you a fair hearing. You can then draw from the following suggestions to successfully prepare and present your case.

Choose Your Cases Wisely

If you repeatedly try to gain buy-in for things that are exceedingly unlikely, blatantly unrealistic, or technically impossible, you risk creating a cry-wolf reaction in those you're trying to persuade. Once that happens, they won't take you seriously when you have a legitimate matter to put forward.

Still, sometimes it's worth a shot. One project manager, Cliff, summoned the courage to ask his boss for a three-month leave to pursue some personal goals. Cliff was so sure the answer would be "Are you out of your mind?" that he almost didn't hear his boss say, "OK, let's find a way to make this happen."

Be Specific About Your Desired Outcome

If, for example, you'd like more (of whatever), be precise. Two additional testers or twelve? Five new laptops or fifteen? An extra week or two months? And explain why. Most people want to know the "why" behind the "what."

To support your proposal, gather as much relevant data as you can. This will show you've given the matter serious thought and are not just acting on a whim. The fact that you've done your homework gives you a distinct advantage over those who demand, plead, or whine in hopes of being persuasive.

Do for Others Before Asking Them to Do for You

According to the reciprocity principle, people feel obligated to give back when a favor—even an unrequested favor—has been done for them. In my favorite book on persuasion, Influence, author Robert Cialdini points out that even people we don't like have an improved chance of getting us to do what they want merely by doing us a small favor beforehand. According to Cialdini, the result is often a positive response to a request "that, except for an existing feeling of indebtedness would have surely been refused."

This principle has chilling implications when applied for nefarious purposes. But what could be better than providing genuine value to others as a consistent practice? Then, when you seek their support for something that's important to you, they may be more inclined to give it.

Focus on Issues Pertinent to Those You Want to Persuade

How will they benefit from your desired outcome? What issues could make it difficult for them to honor your request? What objections might they have and how can you counter these objections?

Consider, also, what these people emphasize when they seek to persuade. If, for example, they stress facts and figures, strive to do the same. If they focus on how people—or productivity, deadlines, etc.—will be affected, orient your key points accordingly. The more your own case meshes with what matters to these people, the better your chances of winning them over.

Persuade Professionally

Compelling though your case may be, sputtering and stammering will weaken its impact. Too many "ums" and "uhs" won't help either, nor will staring at the ceiling in hopes of sudden inspiration once you're on the spot.

If you'll be making your case in spoken form, practice it as if you're giving a presentation. If it'll be in written form, make it articulate. A typo-laden email message may be fine for trivial communications, but if you want to be persuasive about important matters, a polished, professional-looking write-up will carry more weight.

Pay Attention to Timing

Teammates who slave over buggy code all weekend may be too bleary-eyed on Monday to care what you want. Your manager may not be sympathetic to your ideas after going a few rounds with a demanding, scope-expanding customer. Some people can't focus before their first (or fifth) cup of coffee. So don’t just pop into the other party's office or cubicle when the mood strikes you and assume you'll get undivided (or even fractional) attention.

I recall a fellow named Hank who was so eager to present his Great Idea to his boss, Chuck, that he confronted Chuck at 8 a.m. on Chuck's first day back from vacation. Not only did Chuck have emails overflowing his inboxes, but his own manager had graciously welcomed him back with a crisis. Did Chuck pay attention to Hank's idea? Not a chance.

Don't Expect an Instantaneous Yes

It might not be a stretch to persuade a coworker to change today's lunch date to tomorrow. But making a pitch for something big, such as the adoption of agile methods, is unlikely to get an immediate "Sure, why not?" (Wouldn't that be wonderful?)

Getting buy-in for something that entails a major change usually takes patience and quiet persistence. Let the idea seep in. Show how other organizations or teams have benefited. Find credible allies who can add clout to your case. Suggest ways to start small and with minimal risk. Give it time. Building your case slowly and steadily will improve your odds of success.

If the Answer Is No, Learn from the Rejection

If you get turned down, accept the decision gracefully. Arguing and "yes, but"-ing will simply peg you as a nuisance, making it even harder to succeed next time around.

Instead, request an explanation and then do your own personal retrospective. Ask yourself: Do I still think my proposal was realistic and reasonable? Did I package my idea appropriately? What should I do differently next time around?

DAY 57

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: CURRY’S PYRAMID FOR MARKETING AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Segmenting, understanding and managing customers

How much do you invest in courting customers? The answer should depend on the profit they create. Curry's Pyramid provides a clear summary of your most valuable customers (and unprofitable ones) so that you can target your money, efforts and strategy accordingly.

Without customer segmentation, companies risk: wasting resources on loss-making customers; missing opportunities to increase profit through other customers; and alienating their most profitable ones. Curry's Pyramid helps to identify each group, clarify your thinking and determine your marketing and customer-relationship strategies - identifying groups to cross-sell and up-sell to.

The basis of Curry's Pyramid is the revenue each customer group generates. It works from the 80/20 rule, where 20 per cent of the customers generate 80 per cent of the revenue, and 80 per cent of the customers provide 20 per cent of the revenue. This means:

•         taking good care of the top 20 per cent of customers

•         moving customers in lower-revenue-generating segments up the value chain

•         understanding your reasons for marketing to low-profit segments

•         questioning why you keep loss-making customers.

The pyramid can reflect different things - not simply revenue. It could depict profit margin per segment. Viewing groups solely in terms of revenue or profit margins is only part of the story - other factors need to be considered, such as brand and market presence. Nonetheless, given that a small customer group generates the bulk of your revenue and is probably highly profitable, Curry's Pyramid is useful for analyzing customers and developing marketing strategy.

In practice

Decide how you are going to segment customers - for example, by revenue generation or profit margin per customer.

1.       Collate and analyze the data.

2.       Use this information to review and inform your marketing strategy.

3.       Incorporate broader strategic aims into marketing strategy. Don't just focus on the now: consider potential customers (move customers up the value chain and turn prospective customers into actual ones).

4.       Determine the levels of marketing costs that each segment justifies and develop tactics that are cost-sensitive and tied to revenue.

5.       Take very good care of your most profitable customers.

Finally, Curry's Pyramid is designed to achieve one aim: to ensure that your company is customer-driven. If you are not focused 100 per cent on customers, then you are looking in the wrong direction.

SKILL CAPSULE: TWELVE WAYS TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING

1.       "Avoid arguments." Avoid an argument at all costs, even if you know that you’re right. You cannot win an argument. If you lose an argument, you lose; if you win an argument, you still lose, because you make the other person feel inferior. “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still”

Guide to avoiding arguments:

  Welcome the disagreement.

  Distrust your first instinctive impression.

  Control your temper.

  Listen first.

  Look for areas of agreement.

  Be honest.

  Promise to think over your opponents’ ideas and study them carefully.

  Thank your opponents sincerely for their interest

  Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem.

2.       "Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong." Do not tell people they are wrong, especially if they are adamant about their beliefs, or else they will resent you. It will make the other person want to fight. Do not be afraid to admit you’re wrong. Let people admit they’re wrong first (i.e. if you’re the boss of a company,  ask the employees where they thing something is wrong, then you make suggestions to improve it. "If you're wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically." Admit that you’re wrong do it quickly, openly, and with enthusiasm

3.       “Say about yourself all the derogatory things you know the other person is thinking or wants to say or intends to say and say them before that person has a chance to say them. The chances are a hundred to one that a generous, forgiving attitude will be taken and your mistakes will be minimized.

4.       "Begin in a friendly way." Begin in a friendly way before you state your problem or else you would find difficulty in find a solution Convince the other person you are his friend Compliment the other person

5.        "Start with questions the other person will answer yes to." Keep emphasizing on things which you agree, “that you are both striving for the same end and that your only difference is of method and not of purpose” Keeps the other person saying “yes” and never “no”, because the listener will move in the more affirmative direction. More “yeses” mean you will be more likely to get a yes for your ultimate proposal

6.       "Let the other person do the talking." Let the person talk themselves out, since they know more about their own business and problems. However, if you disagree with something the other person says, DO NOT INTERUPPT you should listen patiently and with an open mind.  Letting the other person do the talking has benefits. During a job interview, you should get to know about the other person and his/her company Successful people like to reminisce about the company’s beginnings and his Struggles

7.       "Let the other person feel the idea is his/hers." Consult others in their wishes and desires For example, if you are a sales manager, you should ask your employees what they expect from you, and what they think you have a right to expect from them. No one likes to be told what to do; we like to think we are buying something because we want or, or we do something because we want to

8.       "Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view." Put yourself in the other person’s shoes; look at the other’s POV Cooperativeness in conversation is achieved when you consider the other person’s ideas and feelings as important as your own Ask yourself, “Why would he or she want to do it?”

9.       "Sympathize with the other person." A phrase to stop arguments or make the other person listen attentively: “I don’t blame you one iota for feeling as you do. If I were you, I would undoubtedly feel just as you do” Sympathize with the other person’s point of view

10.   "Appeal to noble motives." A person usually has two reasons for doing something: one that sounds good and a real reason. People will act favorably if you make them feel that you consider them honest, upright and fair.

11.   "Dramatize your ideas." The truth has to be made vivid, dramatized. This is similar to commercials comparing their brand to another

12.   "Throw down a challenge." When nothing else works, stimulate competition

“People love the chance to prove his or her worth, to excel, to win”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: MAKING AN ARGUMENT

Let’s start with a classical rhetorical strategy. It asks the rhetorician, speaker, or author to frame arguments in the following steps:

Classical Rhetorical Strategy

1. Exordium Prepares the audience to consider your argument

2. Narration Provides the audience with the necessary background or context for your argument

3. Proposition Introduces your claim being argued in the document

4. Confirmation Offers the audience evidence to support your argument

5. Refutation Introduces to the audience and then discounts or refutes the counterarguments or objections

6. Peroration Your conclusion of your argument

This is a standard pattern in rhetoric and you will probably see it in both speech and English courses. The pattern is useful to guide you in preparing your document and can serve as a valuable checklist to insure you are prepared. While this formal pattern has distinct advantages, you may not see it used exactly as indicated here on a daily basis.

Effective Argumentation Strategies:

Here is a useful way of organizing and remembering seven key argumentative strategies:

1.       Argument by Generalization

2.       Argument by Analogy

3.       Argument by Sign

4.       Argument by Consequence

5.       Argument by Authority

6.       Argument by Principle

7.       Argument by Testimony

Evidence

Here are three guidelines to consider in order to insure your evidence passes the “so what?” test of relevance in relation to your claim. Make sure your evidence has the following traits:

1.       Supportive. Examples are clearly representative, statistics are accurate, testimony is authoritative, and information is reliable.

2.       Relevant. Examples clearly relate to the claim or topic, and you are not comparing “apples to oranges.”

3.       Effective. Examples are clearly the best available to support the claim, quality is preferred to quantity, there are only a few well-chosen statistics, facts, or data.

Appealing to Emotions

Emotions are a psychological and physical reaction, such as fear or anger, to stimuli that we experience as a feeling. Our feelings or emotions directly impact our own point of view and readiness to communicate, but also influence how, why, and when we say things. Emotions influence not only how you say or what you say, but also how you hear or what you hear. At times, emotions can be challenging to control. Emotions will move your audience, and possibly even move you, to change or act in certain ways.

Marketing experts are famous for creating a need or associating an emotion with a brand or label in order to sell it. You will speak the language of your audience in your document, and may choose to appeal to emotion, but you need to consider how the strategy works, as it may be considered a tool that has two edges.

Emotional resistance involves getting tired, often to the point of rejection, of hearing messages that attempt to elicit an emotional response. Emotional appeals can wear out the audience’s capacity to receive the message. As Aristotle outlined, ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and pathos (passion, enthusiasm, and emotional response) constitute the building blocks of any document. It’s up to you to create a balanced document, where you may appeal to emotion, but choose to use it judiciously.

Do not

•          use false, fabricated, misrepresented, distorted, or irrelevant evidence to support arguments or claims

•          intentionally use unsupported, misleading, or illogical reasoning

•          represent yourself as informed or an “expert” on a subject when you are not

•          use irrelevant appeals to divert attention from the issue at hand

•          ask your audience to link your idea or proposal to emotion-laden values, motives, or goals to which it is actually not related

•          deceive your audience by concealing your real purpose, your self-interest, the group you represent, or your position as an advocate of a viewpoint

•          distort, hide, or misrepresent the number, scope, intensity, or undesirable features of consequences or effects

•          use emotional appeals that lack a supporting basis of evidence or reasoning

•          oversimplify complex, gradation-laden situations into simplistic, two-valued, either-or, polar views or choices

•          pretend certainty where tentativeness and degrees of probability would be more accurate

•          advocate something that you yourself do not believe in.

The art of argument in writing involves presenting supportive, relevant, effective evidence for each point and doing it in a respectful and ethical manner.

DAY 58

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE TIPPING POINT

Malcolm Gladwell's insights into the way ideas spread

The emergence, spread and decline of products or ideas is a phenomenon that is rarely understood. Gladwell's insight into social dynamics, however, reveals the trends of human behaviour.

Malcolm Gladwell likens the rapid growth, decline and coincidence of ideas to epidemics. Ideas are 'infectious', fashions represent 'outbreaks' and new ideas and products are 'viruses' - and advertising is a way of infecting others. He shows how a factor tips when a critical mass is reached. This is when a shoe becomes a fashion craze, social smoking becomes addiction and crime becomes a wave. The idea of the 'tipping point' provides insight into how to launch products successfully.

1.      The law of the few

Epidemics need a small number of people to transmit their infection to many others - those who travel and socialize can turn a local outbreak into a global pandemic. For business, word of mouth is critical. Those who speak the most (and are influential) create epidemics of ideas. These people are connectors, mavens and salespeople.

•         Connectors bring people together. They influence the spread of epidemics through their networks. Masters of the 'weak tie' (friendly, superficial connections), they spread ideas far.

•         Mavens - information specialists - are subtly different. They focus on the needs of others rather than their own, and have the most to say. Teachers are a good example.

•         Salespeople concentrate on the relationship, not the message, and are persuasive because they have better 'sales' skills, non-verbal communication and 'motor mimicry' (imitating others' emotions and behavior to gain trust).

Tipping points need connectors, mavens and salespeople.

2.      The stickiness factor

With products or ideas, how attractive it is matters as much as how it is communicated in determining whether it spreads. Its 'stickiness' determines whether it passes by or catches on. To reach a tipping point, ideas have to be compelling and attractive. The Information Age has created a stickiness problem - the clutter of messages we face leads to products being ignored. To create epidemics, it is increasingly important to present the message effectively. If contagiousness is a function of the messenger, stickiness is a property of the message.

3.      The power of context

We rarely appreciate how our personal lives are affected by circumstances. Changes in the context of a message can create an epidemic. An example is the 'broken windows theory' - if someone sees a single broken window, that person may believe there is an absence of control and authority. Consequently, they are more likely to commit other crimes. A broken window or graffiti invites more serious crimes, spawning a crime wave. Glad well argues that our circumstances, or context, matter as much as character and that we can control the tipping point by altering the environment.

SKILL CAPSULE: BRAINSTORMING TO EVOLVE CULTURAL PILLARS FOR YOUR COMPANY

What is brainstorming

“The best way how to have a good idea is to have many ideas“

•         method of thinking up solutions, concepts, ideas in problem solving

•         using the brain to storm new ideas in groups

•         “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.“

Why and When Use It

•         the creative process is not always easy (problems of fear, criticism, no existing solutions yet)

•         one person has a limited capacity

•         people tend to judge new ideas immediately (a change is difficult for a human being)

How does it work

•         in a group of people

•         free associations to the topic given

•         relaxed and friendly atmosphere

•         deferred judgements – release the human mind, lateral thinking

The key rules

•         relaxed atmosphere - completely free

•         no criticism or judgements

•         quantity matters

•         all ideas legitimate

•         all ideas put on the sheet of paper

•         evaluation only after the session

Benefits Of Brainstorming

Wider picture

Fun

Cheap

Quick

Team building

Greater acceptance

Why and when use it

Specific questions:

•      How can we promote our products?

•      What can our company do in 5 years hence?

•      What can we do to solve the problem xy?

•      How can we improve co-operation of a and b?

-          What do our customers really want?

-          What opportunities do we have this year?

-          How can we have more fun at work?

BRAINSTORMING CONSTRAINTS

•         does not rank the ideas

•         cannot help you select the important ones

•         does not suggest the best solutions

•         must be amended by other

methods

CONDUCTING THE SESSION

•         Specify the objectives – make sure that everybody is happy with the central question.

•         Decide the roles: - leader, recorder, panel.

•         Explain the rules (or make sure that everybody knows them. Eventually – a warm-up exercise for fun). You can let people to jot down a few ideas before starting.

•         Begin by going around, after some rounds, open the floor.

•         Record the ideas exactly, clarify only in the end.

•         Suspend judgements !

•         Encourage the ideas, even the most radical and far-fetched. Allow the late coming ideas, do not hurry.

•         At the end – eliminate duplicates, clarify, thank the participants.

EVALUATION PHASE

•         Put the evaluation off / next day

•         Add newly born ideas to the list

•         Group similar ideas together

•         Select the best or most interesting suggestions

•         Create teams which will work on them further

•         Inform people about the results

Mistakes to be avoided

•         people are negative in advance (it will not work anyway)

•         too many brainstormings in the company

•         bad atmosphere in the beginning

•         bad experience with the method

•         judgements occur during the session

•         any criticism and personal attacks

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: STANCE AND WHAT TO DO WITH ONES ARMS WHILE SPEAKING

When you are speaking in public, remember to use your body as an integral part of your communication. Speaking is like song and dance: The words and movement should fit perfectly together.

 

Stance

When you stand, do so with intent. As default, stand straight, facing the audience, with a vertical spine and head balanced.

To present a strong opinion, plant your feet slightly apart and perhaps put your hands on your hips.

To give something, point one foot forward, pointing towards the audience and angle your body at 45 degrees.

Beware of 'happy feet' where nervousness makes you shuffle or pace around. Also avoid defensive, deceptive, aggressive or other negative body language. A typical defensive stance is to cover your genitals in the 'fig-leaf' posture. It is better to be open and (reasonably) relaxed.

 

Arms

At the start of the presentation open your arms with palms up and diagonally out in an embrace to welcome and greet everyone. Push palms up and together towards them when presenting an idea to them. Point to parts of the audience with open palm up (not the 'scolding' finger).

Beware of excessive gestures and too much 'windmill' arm movement. It is better to make fewer big gestures that accompany your key points only.

 

Hands

Shape things with your hands, making circles as containers and holding precious ideas between your fingers. Think about how people can see you and do things in profile when your hands in front of you may not be seen.

Generally avoid putting hands below the waist as it draws attention to the nether regions. Also do not touch your face or head.

DAY 59

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: GRIP

Building customer motivation

Successful selling involves showing customers how your product will make a difference to them. Use GRIP to understand a client's goals, assess their situation, and identify the gap between what they have and what they would value and their motivation to buy.

The four stages are:

• Goals                                  • Implications

• Reality                              • Plan.

Stage Your aims How Result

Goals: building a vision

Thinking about the future creates a positive mindset that sees opportunities, is motivated to change and ready to see how your offer will make a difference Help the client see how their current situation could be improved

Encourage them to question and challenge the present, think enthusiastically and creatively and build a vision of the future Ask open questions about the future - encouraging customers to create a vision of the future and realize what’s lacking 

While knowing their current situation, focus on the future Everyone is clear about the gap between where they are and where they would like to be

The client is thinking about possibilities and wanting to achieve their vision

Reality: what stands between you and your goals

Explore the current situation in detail Clarify what needs to be done to make the client's ideal solution happen Ask questions about their current situation: what they like and what frustrates them Client sees the extent of the gap and the need for action

If no gap exists, time is saved not pursuing the sale further

Implications: seeing a different future

Explore the implications and importance of change. Move the client towards a decision

Don't rush to your offer because this stage provides valuable insight to better tailor your offer Not to rush to making an offer

Establish a good relationship with client

Understand their needs and hopes Be empathetic, listen and ask questions that explore the situation and goals

Help client to see the extent of the gap and understand the difference change would make Knowing client's commitment

Developing trust and a strong relationship

An enthusiastic client

Plan: achieving your goals

Use the information to tailor your offer, build relationships and gain commitment Enable your client to achieve goals, offering the solution for their needs

Ensure customer feels unrushed, comfortable and confident

Make the right sale - for repeat business Use information so solution meets their needs and expectations

Work with client to make adjustments The sale

A long-term business relationship

SKILL CAPSULE: WRITING GOOD REPORTS

Writing good business reports doesn’t come easily to everyone. Many people consider the task boring and difficult. Inexperienced writers often feel they have to produce great tomes that include everything they know, resulting in long documents that are a nightmare both to write and read. Writing reports can be a satisfying experience, though, especially when the result is an elegant document that meets your objectives. Remember: your purpose is to present relevant information that allows good decisions to be made, or outlines the effects of decisions that have already been made. Good reports are succinct, helpful, and written with the reader and his or her perspective firmly in mind. They should be structured so that the logic of their arguments can be followed easily, with enough information to make the case but not so much that the writing becomes tedious.

 

What You Need to Know

I have a report to write that covers issues that could become large and unwieldy. How do I control the scope of the material?

Try these techniques for controlling scope and content:

• Take the time for a detailed conversation with the person requesting the report. Ask about the specific objectives of the report.

• Think carefully about your audience, their perspective, their background knowledge of the topic, and their likely investment in it.

• Work out your desired outcome, which will help you to organize your information and arguments.

• It may seem obvious that the report should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but many report writers lose track of this basic structure. Plan the sections and sub-sections carefully and logically.

• Find, organize, and analyze the information that you want to include. Then exclude anything you don’t really need.

• After you’ve written a draft, check and double-check your work. If at all possible, ask someone else to read the report and give you feedback on whether it flows logically and convincingly.

I work in a technical area and much of my information is numerical. How can I make this compelling reading?

Unless your readers are highly technical, reams of numbers or formulas will turn them off. Make the data come alive by describing in lively terms what the numbers mean. Whenever possible, present data in easy-to-grasp graphs, charts, or other illustrations.

 

How can I show myself in the best light when I write a report?

Producing a highly professional document may help you advance your career as well as meet the objectives of the report, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking of the report as your résumé. It’s a vehicle to show your professional expertise, not an excuse to show off. Follow the basic rules: logical organization, simple and straightforward language. Don’t pepper the document with the latest acronyms and jargon. If you do need to use an acronym, write out the term the first time you use it. If you need to use a technical term that many in your audience may not understand, include a brief definition. If the report must use acronyms and terms specific to the field, consider including a glossary at the back.

You may include a line that will help the reader recognize your expertise, for example: “The current debate about [subject] goes beyond the scope of this report, but my conclusions take in account the relevant issues.”

 

What to Do                 

Know What Impact You Want to Have on Your Audience

To write a good report, you need to be clear about your audience, what they know already, and what they’ll learn from your final document.

You may be writing for a number of different reasons, but each will inform the approach you take:

• justifying a decision that has already been made and reviewing its effectiveness.

• developing a persuasive argument in support of a particular decision

• providing background knowledge for a debate or a decision in which you have no investment.

Each possibility suggests an organizing framework.

Visualize your finished document at the outset and get a sense of how you’d like the readers to feel as they read through it. This will help you decide what to include, what to leave out, and what tone will work best.

 

Set the Context

Your first task is to draw readers into the material and to remove anything that would detract from them understanding it fully. Think of creating a “frame” through which readers view the topic. This frame may be a summary at the beginning of the report of its purpose, scope, structure, and any assumptions on which it’s based. You may include an outcomes statement to set expectations and guide the reader on how the contents of the report should be considered or applied. For example: “This report will contribute to the debate on [subject]” or “This report will set out the rationale for making a decision on [subject]… and conclude with a recommendation on what this decision should be.”

Present the Key Issues, Themes, and Arguments

Identify the key issues and themes that will be developed in the main body of the report, and help the reader by providing signposts—subheads, etc.,—for where those themes will be found. Rather than crisscross themes, introduce and address each theme separately and develop your argument logically. Do not conflate personal opinions with the facts; be accurate and objective in the way you present your data, findings, or discussion points.

Explore the Implications

Now that you’ve identified and explained the key issues and themes, you need to expand on their underlying causes and consequences. Explore possible solutions, being careful to cover any implications, including costs (often overlooked). Your logic will pull the readers along and help them to come to the same conclusions as you do. If your report is designed to favor one option out of many, this is clearly the way you want to go!

Look to the Future

Some of your readers won’t be natural decision makers and may feel uncomfortable when weighing a number of options. Help them along by including a forward-looking section where you explain why one decision is better than another. Sometimes, you can do this most effectively by painting a picture of the future if the “ideal” decision isn’t made. If you do take this approach, however, you must be absolutely sure that your logic is watertight, as any gaps will give others an excellent opportunity to launch counterarguments.

Conclude and Make Recommendations

Powerful conclusions reiterate the points made, draw all the threads together, and assert what needs to be done next.

Prepare the Executive Summary

Although the executive summary usually comes at the beginning of any report, it’s actually much easier and more effective to write it after you write the report. You’ll have thought through your arguments to their logical conclusions, all of which should still be clear in your mind, so it should be a relatively simple task to summarize. Remember that the summary need only be a few paragraphs long. Its purpose is to give the reader a brief overview of the report’s content and outcome.

Here’s a quick checklist covering the main structural points along with some items to consider when reviewing your document.

Context Do you have a clear understanding of the purpose of the report and its scope and expected outcome? Have you considered the readers and understood their needs, perspective, and motivations for reading the report?

Organization Have you made sure that your document is ordered logically and that your arguments are robust? Is there an obvious beginning, middle, and end to your report? Is there a logical thread?

Presentation Is the document attractive to the eye? This includes layout, formatting, and use of tables, figures, and illustrations. It’s true that pictures can say a thousand words, but make sure they’re relevant and add something to the report. Make sure there is enough white space for easy reading but not so much that the report looks weak.

Content Have you covered all the key issues? Have you differentiated between fact and opinion? Have you outlined your assumptions? Are your facts accurate? Are your arguments clear and free from personal or unreasoned bias?

Style Is your writing concise and your meaning clear and consistent? Have you checked your spelling and grammar?

Conclusions and Recommendations Are your conclusions a natural outcome of the arguments in your report? Are your recommendations based upon your conclusions and free from prejudice or bias?

And finally… Have you included a succinct executive summary? Does the report look professional as you page through it one last time?

 

What to Avoid

 

Your Report Is Too Long

Many people assume that they must include everything they know about a topic or issue in a report. Remember that “less is more”and include only information that is essential to the logic and purpose of the report or that provides important background.

 

Your Report is Too Subjective

It’s easy to weave too much of yourself into a report, especially if you feel strongly about the subject or have a vested interest in it. But the result can be a report that doesn’t help your audience and may even damage your credibility. Avoid unsubstantiated statements or emotional assertions Instead, use solid information and examples to support your points. If there are web sites or publications that bolster your argument, list them as references to further build your credibility and allow readers to conduct their own research.

 

You Assume That Others Think Like You

Report writers often assume that their audience thinks as they do and will see an argument along the same lines. Don’t fall into this trap; remember that others approach topics with their own perspective and logic. Part of knowing your audience is anticipating their arguments to your case. When you address these arguments in your report, you can show respect for the audience while you politely counter the arguments themselves. Ask a colleague to read your report and alert you to any unwarranted assumptions about your readers.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HOW LOUD ONE SHOULD SPEAK

Do you often talk in a soft and muffled voice? Have you ever been told by people to speak up or repeat yourself often? Such situations can be quite embarrassing though there are chances that you already know how to talk without faltering. You might have had a phone conversation in which the connection was poor or the recipient had a hearing problem when you spoke loudly and clearly without even being conscious of it. Thus, we conclude that human speech is a complicated process. The lungs, vocal cords and sinuses all contribute to the tone, quality and volume of human voice while the lips, tongue and other structures in the mouth control the way we form words. Most people are not trained to speak as it just comes quite naturally to them. We humans learn it by observing others. However, there are specific techniques that develop the quality and tone of the voice and allow us to speak loudly and clearly without vocal strain. If you can consciously make it a habit, then it would be a great way to get yourself heard all the time. Here are some tips to help you attain that.

Talking Aloud

Know Your Message Before You Speak

Understanding the message before you speak helps you to get rid of initial jitters. It also helps you plan your words and anticipate others’ reactions. If you are not sure about your message, you will not be able to state it with confidence. Avoid rushing into it without solidifying your stance.

Breathing Is The Key

Start breathing from your diaphragm. The vocal cords are just like reeds in a clarinet as they produce vibration as the air passes over them. The stronger the flow of air, the louder will be the sound. You can inhale and exhale deeply to increase the volume of air in the lungs. With this kind of breathing, your stomach will expand and contract with each breath.

Relax Your Shoulders

Tension in the neck and shoulders restrict the flow of air and constrict the vocal space. The vocal cords must vibrate together, but if the space is much constricted, it is like the dampening effect on the piano. In order to loosen the shoulders and neck, shrug the shoulders up and down and rotate the head in both directions.

Proper Posture

Maintain the correct posture. Keep your shoulders neutral and your head centered. The ears must be in line with the shoulders and the chin must be in a relaxed position. Do remember not to jut your chin forward. Avoid drooping and keep the spine nonaligned and rib cage comfortable.

Speak In Natural Voice

You can speak in your natural voice. Speaking in a tone outside the natural voice can put more tension on the vocal cords. To find your natural voice, inhale deeply by opening the mouth wide. Exhale the air by making a ‘ha’ sound. Make your mouth wide open as you talk. Much sound will not come, as it has to sneak past the closed teeth and the lips.

Speak In An Even Voice

You must try to talk in an even voice, not letting all the air go into one phase and resulting in yell. Having taken a deep breath, you will have plenty of air to sustain you to talk the rest of the sentence.

Avoid Yelling

You must avoid yelling as it tightens the vocal cords and causes damage. You can often practice this exercise to know the difference between yelling and volume control. Open the diaphragm to the rate of airflow and observe the way the sound gets softer and louder. You can do the same exercise and also try to affect the volume by tightening the vocal cords. While yelling, note the tension in the neck and strangled quality of the sound.

Do Not Get Scared Of Telling The Wrong Thing

Ensure you do not get scared of speaking the wrong thing. Once you commit a mistake, just as everyone else, you can correct yourself and carry on with the conversation. Some people are strong at this. If you need practice, understand that it is a skill in which you are not strong at, but something which you can master.

Slow Down Your Conversation

If you are talking too fast, it is considered as a symptom of nervousness. However, doing so will only make your speech seem inarticulate. So, while engaging in conversation, even while talking loudly, speak slowly to make the words understandable.

Practice Makes You Perfect

Though it takes a little time to perfect the technique, it is only through practice you can become a master in it. Practice makes you the president of a speech club in no time.

Tips To Remember

• Familiarize with the way of breathing, as it will help you raise your voice. Your lungs contain 1500 miles of airways and over 300 million alveoli. Every minute, you breathe 13 pints of air.

• Understand the reason why speak in a soft voice – is it because you are self-conscious and you dislike being forceful or confrontational. Addressing these issues will help you to be more comfortable in speaking up.

• The best posture to talk loud is while you stand up. Once you are in an erect position, your lungs will enlarge to the fullest ability. Your diaphragm will also be clear enough in order to raise your voice easily.

• Practicing yoga helps to get a kick in the voice as yoga exercises makes the lungs less stressed out. This enables you to speak loudly, maintaining the clarity.

• Ensure not to shy away from talking loudly. The sooner you get comfortable with the new loud voice, the better you feel after each conversation.

Warnings

• Ensure not to strain voice. You can just speak strongly by letting the air out at an even speed.

• Make sure you do not shout while engaged in conversation as it can lead to damage to the voice.

• Never talk loudly in unnecessary situations as it is annoying and you will be greeted with weird looks.

• Always understand the fine line between talking loudly, and shouting at some one.

Speaking loud and clear makes your requests and complaints distinctive and reduces the chances of your point going ignored. It also reduces the need for long lectures and supplementary advisory statements. Avoid feeling as if no one is listening to you by making it unworkable not to understand your intentions. Clarity in expression shows your self-assurance and forces others to consider your requirements.

DAY 60

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE INFORMATION LIFE CYCLE

Using information to its full effect

A modern competitive company is only as good as its ability to use information.

Overview

Improving how your organization gathers and uses information will enhance analysis, decision-making, operations and strategic development. This starts with knowing how information flows, what it is used for and how it is applied. This is known as the information life cycle. How you use information at every stage of this cycle is critical to achieving targets, optimizing performance and revealing new opportunities.

Understand information requirements

 

Generate the right information

Review and analyze information

Store and retrieve information

Use and act upon information

Start by understanding what information your company needs - and why it is needed

This will enable you to gather the right data for all aspects of your company and to put systems in place to ensure that it is routinely gathered, consistent, reliable and made available to yourself and others now and in the future. To do this, you will need to ask others what information they need (including the best sources of that data) and when they need it.

Then, generate the right data

Make sure that the information is fit for purpose. For the right decisions to be made, the right data has to be collected. There are two aspects to this: generating the data you know you will need and gathering data that has yet to reveal valuable insight. Too often, information remains hidden - to be of use, it must be gathered, collated and organized effectively.

Next, review and analyze the information

How you review and analyze the information will determine the quality of problem-solving, decision-making, operational management and strategic development. To review the current situation, make sense of data and to highlight trends, gaps, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, subject the information to quantitative methods, rigorous assessment and discussions.

Make sure that you store the information and are able to retrieve it

To be effective and of use, information needs to be stored properly and it needs to be cost-effective. It needs to be widely available and easily accessible. Make sure that it is clearly labeled and organized - and that people know how to access it. Also, information should be kept relevant and up to date.

Finally, use and act upon the information

Surprisingly, given that gathering information is an expensive, time-consuming process, some people neglect to follow through fully on what the data is telling them. To be of use, you have to be prepared to listen to what the data is saying and be prepared to take action - choosing to ignore the data is likely to lead strategy in the wrong direction, fail to resolve a problem or leave opportunities untapped. By improving the quality of how you identify the information you need and how information is gathered, analyzed and stored, you will be better able to see what needs to happen, to make the right decisions, and to guide strategy and implementation.

SKILL CAPSULE: 31 CORE COMPETENCIES EXPLAINED

 I. Competencies Dealing with People

The Leading Others Cluster

1. Establishing Focus: The ability to develop and communicate goals in support of the business' mission.

•         Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the business.

•         Ensures that people in the unit understand how their work relates to the business' mission.

•         Ensures that everyone understands and identifies with the unit's mission.

•         Ensures that the unit develops goals and a plan to help fulfill the business' mission.

2. Providing Motivational Support: The ability to enhance others' commitment to their work.

•         Recognizes and rewards people for their achievements.

•         Acknowledges and thanks people for their contributions.

•         Expresses pride in the group and encourages people to feel good about their accomplishments.

•         Finds creative ways to make people's work rewarding.

•         Signals own commitment to a process by being personally present and involved at key events.

•         Identifies and promptly tackles morale problems.

•         Gives talks or presentations that energize groups.

3. Fostering Teamwork: As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team; as a team leader, the ability to demonstrate interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together.

Behaviors for Team Members

•         Listens and responds constructively to other team members' ideas.

•         Offers support for others' ideas and proposals.

•         Is open with other team members about his/her concerns.

•         Expresses disagreement constructively (e.g., by emphasizing points of agreement, suggesting alternatives that may be acceptable to the group).

•         Reinforces team members for their contributions.

•         Gives honest and constructive feedback to other team members.

•         Provides assistance to others when they need it.

•         Works for solutions that all team members can support.

•         Shares his/her expertise with others.

•         Seeks opportunities to work on teams as a means to develop experience, and knowledge.

•         Provides assistance, information, or other support to others, to build or maintain relationships with them.

Behaviors for Team Leaders

•         Provides opportunities for people to learn to work together as a team.

•         Enlists the active participation of everyone.

•         Promotes cooperation with other work units.

•         Ensures that all team members are treated fairly.

•         Recognizes and encourages the behaviors that contribute to teamwork.

4. Empowering Others: The ability to convey confidence in employees' ability to be successful, especially at challenging new tasks; delegating significant responsibility and authority; allowing employees freedom to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues.

•         Gives people latitude to make decisions in their own sphere of work.

•         Is able to let others make decisions and take charge.

•         Encourages individuals and groups to set their own goals, consistent with business goals.

•         Expresses confidence in the ability of others to be successful.

•         Encourages groups to resolve problems on their own; avoids prescribing a solution.

5. Managing Change: The ability to demonstrate support for innovation and for organizational changes needed to improve the organization's effectiveness; initiating, sponsoring, and implementing organizational change; helping others to successfully manage organizational change.

Employee Behaviors

•         Personally develops a new method or approach.

•         Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.

•         Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.

Manager/Leader Behaviors

•         Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative solutions.

•         Takes the lead in setting new business directions, partnerships, policies or procedures.

•         Seizes opportunities to influence the future direction of an organizational unit or the overall business.

•         Helps employees to develop a clear understanding of what they will need to do differently, as a result of changes in the organization.

•         Implements or supports various change management activities (e.g., communications, education, team development, coaching).

•         Establishes structures and processes to plan and manage the orderly implementation of change.

•         Helps individuals and groups manage the anxiety associated with significant change.

•         Facilitates groups or teams through the problem-solving and creative-thinking processes leading to the development and implementation of new approaches, systems, structures, and methods.

6. Developing Others: The ability to delegate responsibility and to work with others and coach them to develop their capabilities.

•         Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others.

•         Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to be more successful; provides effective coaching.

•         Gives people assignments that will help develop their abilities.

•         Regularly meets with employees to review their development progress.

•         Recognizes and reinforces people's developmental efforts and improvements.

•         Expresses confidence in others' ability to be successful.

7. Managing Performance: The ability to take responsibility for one's own or one's employees' performance, by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing performance problems and issues promptly.

Behaviors for employees

•         With his/her manager, sets specific, measurable goals that are realistic but challenging, with dates for accomplishment.

•         With his/her manager, clarifies expectations about what will be done and how.

•         Enlists his/her manager's support in obtaining the information, resources, and training needed to accomplish his/her work effectively.

•         Promptly notifies his/her manager about any problems that affect his/her ability to accomplish planned goals.

•         Seeks performance feedback from his/her manager and from others with whom he/she interacts on the job.

•         Prepares a personal development plan with specific goals and a timeline for their accomplishment.

•         Takes significant action to develop skills needed for effectiveness in current or future job.

Behaviors for managers

•         Ensures that employees have clear goals and responsibilities.

•         Works with employees to set and communicate performance standards that are specific and measurable.

•         Supports employees in their efforts to achieve job goals (e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a buffer).

•         Stays informed about employees' progress and performance through both formal methods (e.g., status reports) and informal methods (e.g., management by walking around).

•         Provides specific performance feedback, both positive and corrective, as soon as possible after an event.

•         Deals firmly and promptly with performance problems; lets people know what is expected of them and when.

Communication and Influencing Cluster

8. Attention to Communication: The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed.

•         Ensures that others involved in a project or effort are kept informed about developments and plans.

•         Ensures that important information from his/her management is shared with his/her employees and others as appropriate.

•         Shares ideas and information with others who might find them useful.

•         Uses multiple channels or means to communicate important messages (e.g., memos, newsletters, meetings, electronic mail).

•         Keeps his/her manager informed about progress and problems; avoids surprises.

•         Ensures that regular, consistent communication takes place.

9. Oral Communication: The ability to express oneself clearly in conversations and interactions with others.

•         Speaks clearly and can be easily understood.

•         Tailors the content of speech to the level and experience of the audience.

•         Uses appropriate grammar and choice of words in oral speech.

•         Organizes ideas clearly in oral speech.

•         Expresses ideas concisely in oral speech.

•         Maintains eye contact when speaking with others.

•         Summarizes or paraphrases his/her understanding of what others have said to verify understanding and prevent miscommunication.

10. Written Communication: The ability to express oneself clearly in business writing.

•         Expresses ideas clearly and concisely in writing.

•         Organizes written ideas clearly and signals the organization to the reader (e.g., through an introductory paragraph or through use of headings).

•         Tailors written communications to effectively reach an audience.

•         Uses graphics and other aids to clarify complex or technical information.

•         Spells correctly.

•         Writes using concrete, specific language.

•         Uses punctuation correctly.

•         Writes grammatically.

•         Uses an appropriate business writing style.

11. Persuasive Communication: The ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that make an impact and persuade their intended audiences.

•         Identifies and presents information or data that will have a strong effect on others.

•         Selects language and examples tailored to the level and experience of the audience.

•         Selects stories, analogies, or examples to illustrate a point.

•         Creates graphics, overheads, or slides that display information clearly and with high impact.

•         Presents several different arguments in support of a position.

12. Interpersonal Awareness: The ability to notice, interpret, and anticipate others' concerns and feelings, and to communicate this awareness empathetically to others.

•         Understands the interests and important concerns of others.

•         Notices and accurately interprets what others are feeling, based on their choice of words, tone of voice, expressions, and other nonverbal behavior.

•         Anticipates how others will react to a situation.

•         Listens attentively to people's ideas and concerns.

•         Understands both the strengths and weaknesses of others.

•         Understands the unspoken meaning in a situation.

•         Says or does things to address others' concerns.

•         Finds non-threatening ways to approach others about sensitive issues.

•         Makes others feel comfortable by responding in ways that convey interest in what they have to say.

13. Influencing Others: The ability to gain others' support for ideas, proposals, projects, and solutions.

•         Presents arguments that address others' most important concerns and issues and looks for win-win solutions.

•         Involves others in a process or decision to ensure their support.

•         Offers trade-offs or exchanges to gain commitment.

•         Identifies and proposes solutions that benefit all parties involved in a situation.

•         Enlists experts or third parties to influence others.

•         Develops other indirect strategies to influence others.

•         Knows when to escalate critical issues to own or others' management, if own efforts to enlist support have not succeeded.

•         Structures situations (e.g., the setting, persons present, sequence of events) to create a desired impact and to maximize the chances of a favorable outcome.

•         Works to make a particular impression on others.

•         Identifies and targets influence efforts at the real decision makers and those who can influence them.

•         Seeks out and builds relationships with others who can provide information, intelligence, career support, potential business, and other forms of help.

•         Takes a personal interest in others (e.g., by asking about their concerns, interests, family, friends, hobbies) to develop relationships.

•         Accurately anticipates the implications of events or decisions for various stakeholders in the organization and plans strategy accordingly.

14. Building Collaborative Relationships: The ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.

•         Asks about the other person's personal experiences, interests, and family.

•         Asks questions to identify shared interest, experiences, or other common ground.

•         Shows an interest in what others have to say; acknowledges their perspectives and ideas.

•         Recognizes the business concerns and perspectives of others.

•         Expresses gratitude and appreciation to others who have provided information, assistance, or support.

•         Takes time to get to know coworkers, to build rapport and establish a common bond.

•         Tries to build relationships with people whose assistance, cooperation, and support may be needed.

•         Provides assistance, information, and support to others to build a basis for future reciprocity.

15. Customer Orientation: The ability to demonstrate concern for satisfying one's external and/or internal customers.

•         Quickly and effectively solves customer problems.

•         Talks to customers (internal or external) to find out what they want and how satisfied they are with what they are getting.

•         Lets customers know he/she is willing to work with them to meet their needs.

•         Finds ways to measure and track customer satisfaction.

•         Presents a cheerful, positive manner with customers.

II. Compentencies Dealing with Business

The Preventing and Solving Problems Cluster

16. Diagnostic Information Gathering: The ability to identify the information needed to clarify a situation, seek that information from appropriate sources, and use skillful questioning to draw out the information, when others are reluctant to disclose it

•         Identifies the specific information needed to clarify a situation or to make a decision.

•         Gets more complete and accurate information by checking multiple sources.

•         Probes skillfully to get at the facts, when others are reluctant to provide full, detailed information.

•         Routinely walks around to see how people are doing and to hear about any problems they are encountering.

•         Questions others to assess whether they have thought through a plan of action.

•         Questions others to assess their confidence in solving a problem or tackling a situation.

•         Asks questions to clarify a situation.

•         Seeks the perspective of everyone involved in a situation.

•         Seeks out knowledgeable people to obtain information or clarify a problem.

17. Analytical Thinking: The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.

•         Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternatives.

•         Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information.

•         Identifies a set of features, parameters, or considerations to take into account, in analyzing a situation or making a decision.

•         Approaches a complex task or problem by breaking it down into its component parts and considering each part in detail.

•         Weighs the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making a decision.

•         Identifies many possible causes for a problem.

•         Carefully weighs the priority of things to be done.

18. Forward Thinking: The ability to anticipate the implications and consequences of situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible contingencies.

•         Anticipates possible problems and develops contingency plans in advance.

•         Notices trends in the industry or marketplace and develops plans to prepare for opportunities or problems.

•         Anticipates the consequences of situations and plans accordingly.

•         Anticipates how individuals and groups will react to situations and information and plans accordingly.

19. Conceptual Thinking: The ability to find effective solutions by taking a holistic, abstract, or theoretical perspective.

•         Notices similarities between different and apparently unrelated situations.

•         Quickly identifies the central or underlying issues in a complex situation.

•         Creates a graphic diagram showing a systems view of a situation.

•         Develops analogies or metaphors to explain a situation.

•         Applies a theoretical framework to understand a specific situation.

20. Strategic Thinking: The ability to analyze the organization's competitive position by considering market and industry trends, existing and potential customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.

•         Understands the organization's strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.

•         Understands industry and market trends affecting the organization's competitiveness.

•         Has an in-depth understanding of competitive products and services within the marketplace.

•         Develops and proposes a long-term (3-5 year) strategy for the organization based on an analysis of the industry and marketplace and the organization's current and potential capabilities as compared to competitors.

21. Technical Expertise: The ability to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skill in a technical

area.

•         Effectively applies technical knowledge to solve a range of problems.

•         Possesses an in-depth knowledge and skill in a technical area.

•         Develops technical solutions to new or highly complex problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.

•         Is sought out as an expert to provide advice or solutions in his/her technical area.

•         Keeps informed about cutting-edge technology in his/her technical area.

The Achieving Results Cluster

22. Initiative: Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it.

•         Identifying what needs to be done and takes action before being asked or the situation requires it.

•         Does more than what is normally required in a situation.

•         Seeks out others involved in a situation to learn their perspectives.

•         Takes independent action to change the direction of events.

23. Entrepreneurial Orientation: The ability to look for and seize profitable business opportunities; willingness to take calculated risks to achieve business goals.

•         Notices and seizes profitable business opportunities.

•         Stays abreast of business, industry, and market information that may reveal business opportunities.

•         Demonstrates willingness to take calculated risks to achieve business goals.

•         Proposes innovative business deals to potential customers, suppliers, and business partners.

•         Encourages and supports entrepreneurial behavior in others.

24. Fostering Innovation: The ability to develop, sponsor, or support the introduction of new and improved method, products, procedures, or technologies.

•         Personally develops a new product or service.

•         Personally develops a new method or approach.

•         Sponsors the development of new products, services, methods, or procedures.

•         Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.

•         Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.

•         Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative solutions.

25. Results Orientation: The ability to focus on the desired result of one's own or one's unit's work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.

•         Develops challenging but achievable goals.

•         Develops clear goals for meetings and projects.

•         Maintains commitment to goals in the face of obstacles and frustrations.

•         Finds or creates ways to measure performance against goals.

•         Exerts unusual effort over time to achieve a goal.

•         Has a strong sense of urgency about solving problems and getting work done.

26. Thoroughness: Ensuring that one's own and others' work and information are complete and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations; following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments have been fulfilled.

•         Sets up procedures to ensure high quality of work (e.g., review meetings).

•         Monitors the quality of work.

•         Verifies information.

•         Checks the accuracy of own and others' work.

•         Develops and uses systems to organize and keep track of information or work progress.

•         Carefully prepares for meetings and presentations.

•         Organizes information or materials for others.

•         Carefully reviews and checks the accuracy of information in work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance) provided by management, management information systems, or other individuals and groups.

27. Decisiveness: The ability to make difficult decisions in a timely manner.

•         Is willing to make decisions in difficult or ambiguous situations, when time is critical.

•         Takes charge of a group when it is necessary to facilitate change, overcome an impasse, face issues, or ensure that decisions are made.

•         Makes tough decisions (e.g., closing a facility, reducing staff, accepting or rejecting a high-stakes deal).

III. Self-Management Competencies

28. Self Confidence: Faith in one's own ideas and capability to be successful; willingness to take an independent position in the face of opposition.

•         Is confident of own ability to accomplish goals.

•         Presents self crisply and impressively.

•         Is willing to speak up to the right person or group at the right time, when he/she disagrees with a decision or strategy.

•         Approaches challenging tasks with a "can-do" attitude.

29. Stress Management: The ability to keep functioning effectively when under pressure and maintain self control in the face of hostility or provocation.

•         Remains calm under stress.

•         Can effectively handle several problems or tasks at once.

•         Controls his/her response when criticized, attacked or provoked.

•         Maintains a sense of humor under difficult circumstances.

•         Manages own behavior to prevent or reduce feelings of stress.

30. Personal Credibility: Demonstrated concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable, and trustworthy.

•         Does what he/she commits to doing.

•         Respects the confidentiality of information or concerns shared by others.

•         Is honest and forthright with people.

•         Carries his/her fair share of the workload.

•         Takes responsibility for own mistakes; does not blame others.

•         Conveys a command of the relevant facts and information.

31. Flexibility: Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one's preferred way of doing things.

•         Is able to see the merits of perspectives other than his/her own.

•         Demonstrates openness to new organizational structures, procedures, and technology.

•         Switches to a different strategy when an initially selected one is unsuccessful.

•         Demonstrates willingness to modify a strongly held position in the face of contrary evidence.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: COMMUNICATING WITH INTROVERTS AND EXTROVERTS

The Sunny side

o    Introvert energy is from within; they avoid the crowd and like independent activity.

o    Do not conclude that there is something wrong if they want to be alone.

o    Nonverbal communications can tell more.

o    Schedule appointment with introvert rather that dropping in.

o    They are more difficult to get to know -reserved and share with a few.

o    They have a small group of friends.

o    Some of most social communicators can be closet introverts.

The Shadow Side

o    Introversion can be viewed as weakness by dominant group.

o    Introvert can be viewed as antisocial-a lone wolf who needs to be fixed.

o    Introvert can be viewed as arrogant, condescending, and unfriendly.

o    Others can project their fears onto quiet one.

Tips for introverts (communicating with extroverts)

o   PRACTICE NON PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION –chit chat.

o   LOOK ALIVE –quick response, lively attitude.

o   BE EXPRESSIVE –show interest, emotion, involvement.

o   INITIATE CONTACT –start a conversation.

o   PROVIDE FEEDBACK –state how you feel.

o   CHANGE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION-relax, smile, establish eye contact 

Tips for extroverts (communicating with introverts)

o   RESPECT PRIVACY –don't pry, do not impose, allow room.

o   TAKE TIME TO LISTEN –be patient, check your tendency to fill the silence.

o   FOSTER TRUST –guard secrets and check your tendency to share too honestly as it may appear burlesque and harsh comment on others in their absence. 

o   DO NOT OVERPOWER –tone down.

o   DO NOT JUDGE –accept that people are different.

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 61 to Day 80)

DAY 61

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: INFORMATION ORIENTATION

Understanding the connection between investments in IT and improvements in business performance

What is the connection between a company's investments in IT and improvements in bottom-line performance? The answer lies with its Information Orientation.

Developed by Professor Donald Marchand, Information Orientation provides a framework for building and managing strategic IT capabilities that will optimize their value to organizations. His approach encompasses three in-formation capabilities:

1.       Information behaviours and values

2.       Information management

3.       IT practices.

These capabilities work together and determine how effectively companies use information. The 15 competencies within these capabilities can be seen below in the Information Orientation Maturity model (source: Professor Donald Marchand):

Information Orientation

Information technology practices capability Information management practices capability Information behaviours and values capability

IT for management support Sensing Proactiveness

IT for Innovation support Processing Sharing

IT for business process support Maintaining Transparency

IT for operational support Organizing Control

Collecting Formality

Integrity

Information management practices

Enabling your organization to focus on the right information requires the correct processes to be established and managed and it needs employees to be properly trained to use them. This involves sensing, processing, maintaining, organizing and collecting information. Also, to improve the quality of information that is made available, it is essential to avoid (or minimize) information overload.

Information technology practices

Business strategy and IT strategy are inseparable. IT applications and infrastructure reach every aspect of running a business, from supporting operations and business processes to innovation and decision-making.

In their research, Donald Marchand and William Kettinger found that companies do not always have the same information capabilities in all their units. To be of most use and to avoid potentially damaging gaps, the Information Orientation measures need to be applied consistently throughout the organization.

Information behaviours and values

Organizations need to promote the information behaviours and values that are needed for the effective use of information - integrity, formality, control, transparency, sharing and proactiveness - and remove the barriers that impede information flow and use.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO WRITE A NEWSLETTER

1. Keep your strategic audiences in mind, always.

What is relevant to them? What is important?

2. Effective management involves planning and influence.

Develop a publication structure, an editorial calendar and written writers guidelines.

3. A newletter must be sustainable.

Be realistic about the amount of content you can consistently produce.

4. Begin with good basics and build on solid ground.

The most basic newsletter should have a few lead stories, shorter news items, and a message from your leader. A more developed publication might include features, departments, columns, an editorial, cartoon, in-house news, news tidbits, regional round-ups, etc.

5. Deadlines are sacred.

Build in a safety cushion to allow for unexpected delays. [ TOP ]

6. An editor, like a captain, needs to know where the ship is going.

When dealing with writers, negotiate topic, length, treatment and deadline before assigning an article. Include important sources and the key questions which the story will address.

7. Offer feature writers a byline and an author's note.

Writers gain exposure and your publication gains credibility.

8. Be concerned about how your newsletter reads before you worry about how it looks .

Attractive graphics can obscure important content needs. Relevant and well-written content should be able to stand on its own, even as plain text.

9. If you're doing an emailed newsletter, 'clean and simple' spells 'effective'.

Keep it to plain text. Be concise, and put an 'in-this-issue' outline at the top. The footer should have complete 'subscribe' and 'unsubscribe' information. You should archive back issues, with an annotated index, on your website.

10. Good writing and good editing require direction and hard work.

Your copy should sing rather than drone. It should ring when tapped. Write compact copy in the active voice. Edit for clarity, conciseness, jargon, length, correctness. The bottom line is your readership; give them top priority. 

11. Lead with strong items that have broad appeal.

Learn from the best daily newspapers: "People decide within seconds whether or not to read."* Your editorial or a message from the CEO should have a regular spot after the lead items. In-house or more parochial news should have a regular spot much further in. This gives you the best chance of competing for attention, while those familiar with your newsletter know where to find what they want.

12. Learn the distinction between simple information and a story.

Information comes to life as a story when someone talks about it. Try to cite sources as part of the way you do things.

13. Any successful newsletter depends on plentiful and reliable sources.

Consider an acknowledgment box that lists everyone who contributed to an issue. This will reward people for helping and encourage others to participate.

14. Look for reader feedback, always.

Watch to see how people scan your publication. Talk with a new sampling of readers after each issue. Do a formal readership survey on a regular basis. Track what's happening.

15. The true test of performance is behavior.

You'll know you have an effective publication when your strategic audiences clip and save articles and when people are eager to write for it.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: TALK ABOUT YOURSELF IN AN INTERVIEW

Knowing how to talk about yourself in a way that conveys your strengths quickly, clearly, and professionally can set the tone for the entire interview. Some simple steps to address that not-so-simple question:

1. Focus on what the interviewer wants to know

This first question is the time to help the interviewer start to see why you’re the best person for the job—not the time to talk about your family history and hobbies. It’s important to focus on stories and professional experiences that will etch a memory in the employer’s mind, rather than give a run-down of your entire background.

Understand areas where you can “bridge” your previous experience to this job, and sell the employer on what they’ll gain by hiring you. Perhaps your résumé doesn’t have a flashy school or a Fortune 500 company on it, but you came up with a social media strategy that doubled your last company’s Twitter followers. For an employer looking to gain more traction in social media networks, this would be a valuable accomplishment to highlight.

Similarly, be relevant: if you extol your financial planning skills in an interview for a marketing job, or your Excel model-building skills in a sales interview, it’ll likely fall on deaf ears. Make sure the answer you plan paints a picture of your skills for this job.

2. Think about what others say about you

If talking about yourself seems daunting, consider what your friends and family would say. Are you the one who always steps up to organize the office charity event? Or do your friends describe you as the best person to turn to in a crisis? Perhaps you can juggle many responsibilities well under stress, or you excel at organizing large quantities of information.

Each of us has unique strengths, so don’t be afraid to talk about yours. Women tend to underestimate themselves in the work environment and downplay their talents. But that’s not going to land you the job!

3. Put some color behind “go-to” words

Phrases like hard-working, detail-oriented, team player, and problem solver are all over résumés. And they’re not bad, per se, but what do they mean?

For example, if someone told you that she was a problem solver, would you remember that as well as if she’d told you that she drove her boss across town in a foot of snow to attend an important client meeting because he couldn’t get a taxi? Using buzz words in an interview should only be a jumping-off point for talking about a specific experience that will showcase your talents.

4. Keep it short

Your interviewer has other questions for you, and a 15 minute monologue is not the best way to get a conversation going. Pick 2-3 points to highlight in your “tell me about yourself” answer, and an example or two that lets you bring your experience to life.

Then let your interviewer talk. She may ask you follow-up questions, which is great—but give her the chance!

DAY 62

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SIX SIGMA

The technique for measuring and improving product quality

Sigma is a term that is used to show how much something deviates from the norm (or target). Six Sigma uses statistical analysis and benchmarking to identify these deviations in order to improve quality and efficiency. Originally developed by Motorola to deal with manufacturing issues, it is now used in many other business contexts.

Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-led approach to measuring and evaluating costs. By measuring how much costs add value for customers, Six Sigma is useful for managing costs effectively and improving operations and strategy. By exposing costs that do not add value, companies can eliminate them and divert resources accordingly. Advantages include:

•         improved performance and the elimination of waste

•         efficient operations and greater control over quality issues

•         reduced costs and increased profitability e decisions and strategy informed by actual data

•         focus on adding value for customers

•         increased employee engagement and commitment

•         setting targets, and focusing people on achieving them.

Using Six Sigma

Six Sigma involves identifying problems and non-value-adding costs and then improving processes and reducing waste as much as possible. The aim is to get a system to operate with Six Sigma quality - a state where defects are minimal. The process in question is measured against benchmarks 1-6 to judge efficiency, where level 6 is the best. For example, a manufacturing process that operates with only 3.4 defects per million outputs would equate to level 6.

A key aspect of the technique is to appoint senior people to champion Six Sigma and for them to create teams of experts to plan and execute the project. The process involves five main steps (known by the acronym DMAIC) with an optional sixth step (T):

1.       Defining the opportunity. The project's exact purpose and parameters should be clearly stated and should factor in customer requirements.

2.       Measuring performance. Relevant and revealing data should be collected.

3.       Analysing the opportunity. Identify problems and where the causes lie.

4.       Improving performance. Design new methods and test them through analysis, simulations or pilot tests.

5.       Controlling performance. Set up procedures that continually monitor performance so that any problems can be immediately highlighted and dealt with.

6.       Transferring best practice. Improvements, information and ideas should be spread throughout the company.

DMAIC is used to evaluate existing processes. A variation on this, known as DMADV (the last two letters standing for Design an alternative and Verify the new design), is used for projects aiming to create a new process.

SKILL CAPSULE: SKILLS TO WRITE A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

An effective business proposal informs and persuades efficiently. It features many of the common elements of a report, but its emphasis on persuasion guides the overall presentation.

Common Proposal Elements

Idea

Effective business proposals are built around a great idea or solution. While you may be able to present your normal product, service, or solution in an interesting way, you want your document and its solution to stand out against the background of competing proposals. What makes your idea different or unique? How can you better meet the needs of the company that other vendors? What makes you so special? If the purchase decision is made solely on price, it may leave you little room to underscore the value of service, but the sale follow-through has value. For example, don’t consider just the cost of the unit but also its maintenance. How can maintenance be a part of your solution, distinct from the rest? In addition, your proposal may focus on a common product where you can anticipate several vendors at similar prices. How can you differentiate yourself from the rest by underscoring long-term relationships, demonstrated ability to deliver, or the ability to anticipate the company’s needs? Business proposals need to have an attractive idea or solution in order to be effective.

Traditional Categories

You can be creative in many aspects of the business proposal, but follow the traditional categories. Businesses expect to see information in a specific order, much like a résumé or even a letter. Each aspect of your proposal has its place and it is to your advantage to respect that tradition and use the categories effectively to highlight your product or service. Every category is an opportunity to sell, and should reinforce your credibility, your passion, and the reason why your solution is simply the best.

Business Proposal Format

Cover Page Title page with name, title, date, and specific reference to request for proposal if applicable.

Executive Summary Like an abstract in a report, this is a one- or two-paragraph summary of the product or service and how it meets the requirements and exceeds expectations.

Background Discuss the history of your product, service, and/or company and consider focusing on the relationship between you and the potential buyer and/or similar companies.

Proposal The idea. Who, what, where, when, why, and how. Make it clear and concise. Don’t waste words, and don’t exaggerate. Use clear, well-supported reasoning to demonstrate your product or service.

Market Analysis What currently exists in the marketplace, including competing products or services, and how does your solution compare?

Benefits How will the potential buyer benefit from the product or service? Be clear, concise, specific, and provide a comprehensive list of immediate, short, and long-term benefits to the company.

Timeline A clear presentation, often with visual aids, of the process, from start to finish, with specific, dated benchmarks noted.

Marketing Plan Delivery is often the greatest challenge for Web-based services—how will people learn about you? If you are bidding on a gross lot of food service supplies, this may not apply to you, but if an audience is required for success, you will need a marketing plan.

Finance What are the initial costs, when can revenue be anticipated, when will there be a return on investment (if applicable)? Again, the proposal may involve a one-time fixed cost, but if the product or service is to be delivered more than once, and extended financial plan noting costs across time is required.

Conclusion Like a speech or essay, restate your main points clearly. Tie them together with a common them and make your proposal memorable.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Ethos refers to credibility, pathos to passion and enthusiasm, and logos to logic or reason. All three elements are integral parts of your business proposal that require your attention. Who are you and why should we do business with you? Your credibility may be unknown to the potential client and it is your job to reference previous clients, demonstrate order fulfillment, and clearly show that your product or service is offered by a credible organization. By association, if your organization is credible the product or service is often thought to be more credible. In the same way, if you are not enthusiastic about the product or service, why should the potential client get excited? How does your solution stand out in the marketplace? Why should they consider you? Why should they continue reading? Passion and enthusiasm are not only communicated through “!” exclamation points. Your thorough understanding, and your demonstration of that understanding, communicates dedication and interest. Each assertion requires substantiation, each point clear support. It is not enough to make baseless claims about your product or service—you have to show why the claims you make are true, relevant, and support your central assertion that your product or service is right for this client. Make sure you cite sources and indicate “according to” when you support your points. Be detailed and specific.

Two Types of Business Proposals

Solicited

If you have been asked to submit a proposal it is considered solicited. The solicitation may come in the form of a direct verbal or written request, but normally solicitations are indirect, open-bid to the public, and formally published for everyone to see. A request for proposal (RFP), request for quotation (RFQ), and invitation for bid (IFB) are common ways to solicit business proposals for business, industry, and the government.

RFPs typically specify the product or service, guidelines for submission, and evaluation criteria. RFQs emphasize cost, though service and maintenance may be part of the solicitation. IRBs are often job-specific in that they encompass a project that requires a timeline, labor, and materials. For example, if a local school district announces the construction of a new elementary school, they normally have the architect and engineering plans on file, but need a licensed contractor to build it.

Unsolicited

Unsolicited proposals are the “cold calls” of business writing. They require a thorough understanding of the market, product and/or service, and their presentation is typically general rather than customer-specific. They can, however, be tailored to specific businesses with time and effort, and the demonstrated knowledge of specific needs or requirement can transform an otherwise generic, brochure-like proposal into an effective sales message. Getting your tailored message to your target audience, however, is often a significant challenge if it has not been directly or indirectly solicited. Unsolicited proposals are often regarded as marketing materials, intended more to stimulate interest for a follow-up contact than make direct sales. Sue Baugh and Robert Hamper encourage you to resist the temptation to “shoot at every target and hope you hit at least one.” A targeted proposal is your most effective approach, but recognize the importance of gaining company, service, or brand awareness as well as its limitations.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CALL OUT TO A PERSON 200M AWAY

DAY 63

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: KAIZEN

Ensuring continual improvement through gradual change

The Kaizen approach involves making small, gradual and continual improvements to business processes.

Overview

Popularized by Masaaki Imai, Kaizen sees quality improvements as a company-wide process, involving everyone, at every level. In particular, it emphasizes the role of people who use the processes because they are best placed to recognize where changes should be made - thereby tapping into a huge source of talent, knowledge and ideas. By using your existing workforce and making gradual changes, you are more likely to minimize expenditure on experts, capital costs and expensive research and development teams. By encouraging everyone to think about how to improve quality, you promote teamwork and foster people's pride in their work and their sense of shared ownership of the company's future - where people are motivated and all pulling in the same direction.

Succeeding with Kaizen

To adopt a Kaizen approach, do the following:

•         Encourage, empower and enable the people who carry out an activity to suggest improvements.

•         Aim to make many gradual and continual improvements rather than radical changes.

•         Use hard evidence and quantitative methods to assess a situation.

•         Consider creating Kaizen groups to meet regularly, to discuss issues and propose and develop improvements.

Kaizen certainly has its critics and it does have some problems and limitations:

•         Its total approach can overshadow the potential contribution of key people and research and development teams. This can be addressed by managing talent - and each individual - appropriately and in the best way. For example, consider using the Nine-Box Grid (see No. 88).

•         Kaizen's focus on everyday processes and its emphasis on gradual change is at odds with the current speed of innovation and market changes and the huge advantages that arise from leaps in thinking and approaches (particularly the concept of 'value innovation').

•         Employees can feel undue pressure to be constantly thinking of how to improve. While, for some, the pressure to think how to improve is valuable, the key is to ensure that pressure does not become stress.

SKILL CAPSULE: EVENT MANAGEMENT: HOW TO ORGANIZE A CULTURAL PROGRAM.

1.       Plan and coordinate

Planning and coordination lays the foundation for a successful event. You need to consider what, who, why, where and when aspects of the event. While planning, set realistic expectations but also list down experimental aims. To start with,

• Make a good team with differently skilled members for making agendas and preparing schedules

• Understand your client’s expectation and identify the target audience

• Analyze the cost and prepare a budget

• Prepare an invitation and list down the programs in the event

• Prepare a deadline for each activity

• Collaborate consistently to ensure timely actions

2.      Start the action

This is the time when you will have to divide your enthusiasm in too many ideas. This is a critical stage of the event where you confirm key things like the date, venue and the speaker. During this stage,

• Get approval for the budget

• Start social media marketing campaign on sites like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

• Market the event by informing media, preparing brochure, sending mails, etc.

• Keep your attendees engaged during the event (by posting event updates on social media)

• Collaborate with the team to ensure that the plans are on track

• Plan travel and transportation arrangements

• Seek special permits from the local governing bodies

3.      Stay active 24-36 hours before the event

If you utilize this time effectively, your event will be a success. Measure the execution of your plans, collaborate with all the stakeholders, sponsors, speakers, guests and your team members. Get final approvals from the vendor of catering, fireworks, decoration, etc. Before 24-36 hours,

• Create the list of guests who responded with RSVP

• Make a list of table accessories like pen, notepad, brochure, bottle of water, etc.

• Ensure all activities are running on time including transportation arrangements

• Remind VIPs about the event, and have volunteers to guide them to the event

• Confirm venue arrangements like lights, decorations, volunteers, security, etc.

• Prepare a minute-by-minute plan for the event

4.      How to manage the final day?

After all the hard work, you are anxiously waiting for the event to start. This is the time to ensure that all things are there and working as planned. Don’t assume; take control of things. On the day of the event,

• Arrive at the event’s location with volunteers and team members hours before the event time

• Check whether all the electronic equipment are working properly (microphones, lights, speakers, etc.)

• Setup a beautiful reception and helpdesk

• Allocate space for sponsors to place their banners

• Ensure that the host/anchor has details of the VIPs to avoid any blunder

• Hire a dedicated photographer to capture special moments, sponsor banners and key people

• Confirm stock of food, water, flowers, etc.

5.      Learn from the event

The event is over, you received appreciation for your efforts, but you thing there is a lot of scope for improvement. Thus after the event, you should collect meaningful information from the participants. Send feedback forms, gather feedback, understand participants’ reactions, gauge expectations and measure the impact of your event. This will help you get valuable insights for nourishing your managerial skills and shaping the future events based on the received feedback.

In conclusion I would say,

Event management is one such profession where failure has no hiding place. No matter what confidence or managerial arsenal you bring on board for the event, loopholes in any of the above mentioned stages will land you in an embarrassing situation. To avoid blunders, you can take assistance from event management and registration softwares. So consider these tips and avoid any uncertainties during the event.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ANNOUNCE (SHOUT) ON SHOP FLOOR " FACTORY CLOSED DUE TO HEAVY RAINS"

DAY 64

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MANAGING KNOWLEDGE

Making the most of your organization's information, expertise and experience

Knowledge is a powerful company asset. Capturing, managing realizing and using knowledge in all its forms to create extra value and advantage is the lifeblood of successful organizations.

Overview

Knowledge in organizations often lies dormant because it is not recognized as having potential. Companies need to actively look for sources of knowledge and consider how best to use that information. A large stumbling block is the accessibility of information that resides in different parts of a company. IT overcomes this problem, linking parts of a company and making the information accessible to everyone. By centralizing information and encouraging people to use it, knowledge becomes a powerful company asset.

There are many sources of knowledge, including: your people, customers, intellectual property, databases, research and links with external experts. Customers should not be overlooked or underused - they are not constrained by internal thinking traps, may have ideas for products that are clearly sought after and form a ready-made target market.

Peter Drucker believes that the way in which companies manage knowledge determines their success. He divides the process into capturing knowledge, storing information, generating ideas and distributing information.

Capture

Encourage everyone to pool and share their knowledge, to enable others to use it Generate ideas

Promote an innovative culture where everyone feels positive about suggesting new ideas

Store information

Develop the right IT system that is capable of storing and ordering information effectively as well as being easily accessible Distribute information

Create an atmosphere where everyone shares information rather than holding it back to promote their own position

Effective knowledge management is not simply about amassing as much information as possible and storing it. The information needs to be ordered and stored efficiently, to enable the right people to access the right information easily and quickly. Information overload - not being able to see the wood for the trees - is no good to anyone. This is not to say that access should be limited - anyone should be able to access information, with the exception of anything sensitive. The point is that people should be aware of what information is likely to be relevant to them (and how to access it) and encouraged to use it and to share their own knowledge and information.

SKILL CAPSULE: PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the constraints on scope, time, quality and cost. Projects need to be managed to meet their objectives, which are defined in terms of expectations of time, cost, and quality.

For example, Project Scope: To move the organization's head office to another location. Its requirements are:

• Time: Complete by March 2017

• Quality: Minimize disruption to productivity

• Cost: Not spend more than $125,000

The scope of the project is defined as: 'the totality of the outputs, outcomes, and benefits and the work required to produce them'.

This can change over time, and it is the project manager's responsibility to ensure the project will still deliver its defined benefits. Consequently, a project manager must maintain focus on the relative priorities of time, cost, and quality with reference to the scope of the project.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management in the following way:

'Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet project requirements.'

This definition begs the question 'Exactly what knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques will I need to successfully manage a project?' In order to answer this question, it is helpful to look at project management from three different perspectives.

1. How the project fits into the organization - This refers to both the project and the individuals who will be involved in it, including how their responsibilities are defined and how they interact with each other.

2. How the project will evolve over time - This is referred to as the project life cycle and is the chronological sequence of activities that need to happen in order to deliver the project. Whatever their differences, all projects will by definition share a similar life cycle; they will all have a beginning, middle, and an end.

3. What skills are required to successfully manage the project - These are usually referred to as 'Project Functional Areas' because there are discrete areas within project management that can be considered in isolation even though they are interdependent.

This might sound unnecessarily complicated, but looking at a project from each of these three viewpoints will give you a much better understanding of the whole process than using any one of them individually.

To use an analogy: Imagine that a ship is traveling from London to New York.

The organizational perspective would be concerned with which members of the crew were responsible for doing what and how they communicated and interacted with each other.

The life cycle of the voyage would be concerned with where the ship was and what it was doing at any point from the beginning to the end of the journey.

The functional areas would be things like navigation, collision avoidance, routine maintenance, etc. Even though these activities would be taking place continuously and interdependently, it is still possible to think about them as discrete areas of knowledge.

This analogy is not perfect but it does illustrate that when you are studying a complex activity it can be helpful to look at it from a variety of perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of the whole.

Key Points

• Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals.

• The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the constraints on scope, time, quality and cost.

• Project management can be thought of in terms of organizational, life cycle, and functional area perspectives.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: READ OUT TO YOUR PARTNER WHO WILL WRITE FACING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER

DAY 65

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ACHIEVING A WIN-WIN OUTCOME

The six pitfalls of negotiations

By learning where the pitfalls lie in negotiations, it is possible to sidestep them and ensure results that last for all the parties involved.

Harvard Business School professor James Sebenius argues that six mistakes are responsible for the failure of negotiations. By avoiding them you can negotiate your way to success. These pitfalls are as follows:

1.       Neglecting the other side's problems. If you do not understand the problems your negotiation partner needs to overcome, you will not offer them the correct solution and you will lose an effective bargaining chip.

2.       Letting price bulldoze other interests. It is easy to focus exclusively on price. Make sure you consider other important factors - such as creating a positive working relationship and goodwill between both sides, and a deal-making process that is respectful and fair to everyone.

3.       Letting positions drive out interests. While two sides of a debate may have opposing positions, they may also have compatible interests. Rather than working to persuade someone to abandon their position, it can be more productive to work on innovating and creating a deal that is able to satisfy a range of interests. Here, keep the big picture in mind: don't give up or fail because the detailed working is difficult or frustrating.

4.       Searching too hard for common ground. Common ground can help negotiations, but different interests allow both sides to get something out of the deal. The key is to give and get: don't simply look for disappointing compromises.

5.       Neglecting BATNA. BATNA stands for 'best alternative to a negotiated agreement' - that is, the options if the deal falls through. These may include approaching other companies or adjusting your business model. By fully analysing your prospects - and your partner's prospects - you can decide what to offer in the negotiation and when to offer it.

6.       Failing to correct for skewed vision. Two types of bias can be present - role bias and partisan perception. Rote bias (the confirming evidence trap) is the tendency to interpret information in self-serving ways, overestimating your chances of success. Partisan perception (the overconfidence trap) is the propensity to glorify your own position while vilifying opponents. Overcome these biases by placing yourself in the position of your 'opponent'

Actions of successful negotiators

As well as an ability to avoid pitfalls, great negotiators also have other qualities:

•         They understand the other side's aims, perspectives and experience - essential to persuading them why they should agree.

•         They also thoroughly research an individual or company before negotiations. They do not limit research to information relevant to the deal. Broadening the scope to the industry, goals and market conditions pro-vides extra weight in negotiations.

•         They are measured and avoid being overly aggressive. They may show firmness but remember that mutual understanding and rapport is essential.

•         Above all, they seek a 'win-win' outcome by thoroughly exploring the full range of potential agreements that would allow both sides to benefit from the negotiation.

SKILL CAPSULE: GOAL SETTING FOR MANAGERS

Many people begin their career in management with high hopes of making an impression on their bosses by developing the business or by implementing new and better ways of doing things. Unfortunately, most of them find that they are so busy handling day-to-day issues that there never seems to be time for anything else

Furthermore, comparatively few people have tangible goals; most have the awareness that things could be improved but only vague ideas about how to achieve these improvements.

All tasks are either reactive or proactive. Reactive tasks are when you react to situations that occur, and are driven by events and the actions of other people. Conversely, proactive tasks are when you seek opportunities to make a positive impact in the workplace and are driven by you.

To be an effective manager, it is far more beneficial in the long term to be proactive. Behaving proactively revolves around anticipating events and using initiative to predict the likely outcome, whilst being in a position to respond and take the appropriate action when needed.

Those who gain recognition and promotion in organizations are usually those who are proactive; they are those who use their initiative to make things happen. In order to truly be proactive, however, there are two things that need to be addressed.

The first is that a certain amount of time needs to be freed up from handling routine tasks, resolving crises, and handling interruptions. You can discover how to do this for yourself by reading the other personal productivity eBooks on this website.

The second thing that you need to do is to be able to set goals that will inspire you and your team to make things happen. Setting goals that motivate people is not easy and requires effort and good judgment.

Many people confuse goal setting with wishful thinking and you can see examples of this in organizational and departmental mission statements that are usually so vague as to be virtually meaningless. Some examples, taken from Fortune 500 companies, include:

'To achieve profitable growth through superior customer service, innovation, quality and commitment.'

'To combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best value for consumers.'

'Be the best in the eyes of our customers, employees and shareholders.'

These mission statements are fairly typical and whilst there is nothing wrong with them per se, they seldom inspire anyone to do anything specific to help achieve them.

If a goal is to be motivational then it must have an objective that is clear and well specified in what should be achieved; it must identify exactly what needs to be done and in what timeframe. It must also define a clear outcome that is measurable and can be assessed.

There are three commonly used methods of setting goals. These are the 4CF Method, the SMART Method and the Backwards Goal Setting Method.

As well as setting goals for your team as a whole, you will usually be expected to set targets for each team member as part of their annual appraisal process. How successful you are in doing this will have a big influence on not only their productivity but also on how they perceive you as a manager.

If you set goals that are unambiguous and measurable then most people will rise to the challenge or at least strive to achieve them to the best of their ability. On the other hand, nothing destroys morale faster than not knowing what you're expected to achieve or how your efforts will be measured.

As a manager, it is very time consuming to try to keep track of an employee's work and to motivate them on a continuous basis. Goals are, therefore, an important tool, since they function as a self-regulatory mechanism that provides each team member with clear objectives.

Goal setting can aid individual performance in four ways:

1. Goals allow team members to be focused and committed to achieving the end result.

2. Goals serve as an energizer; goals stimulate people to make an extra effort to achieve them.

3. Goals encourage team members to use their initiative to make effective decisions with long-term impacts. This often results in more efficient and successful working practices that are driven from the bottom up rather than by management.

4. Goals motivate employees to organize their time efficiently to maximize productivity.

Remember, the attainment of your own targets is highly dependent on your staff achieving the goals you have set them, so be careful to set goals that are constructive as well as productive.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: GIVE A DICTATION TO YOUR PARTNER STANDING 15 FEET AWAY

DAY 66

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE FOUR FACES OF MASS CUSTOMIZATION

Cost-effective ways to tailor your products

Mass customization uses mass production methods that are capable of providing customers with tailor-made products.

Overview

Technological changes have ushered in a new era of delivering custom-made products on a large scale. Customers are able to choose different features so that products can match their own needs. It is used across a range of industries, greatly increasing both customer appeal and market opportunities. Although how this is done will depend on the nature of the product, IT facilitates mass customization and streamlines the process.

Successful mass customization strikes the right balance between offering choice and the costs involved and ease of use for customers. It is no good providing so much choice that the costs are prohibitive or the customer is so overwhelmed that they are put off making a purchase. It is essential to find out what features matter most to customers, along with any operational limitations, in order to set workable and profitable limits on available options. These choices need to be reviewed regularly to take advantage of new technology and changing demand, as well as maintaining competitiveness. Also, it is important to streamline the process and change your existing methods to ensure that production and processes can cope seamlessly and efficiently with the many different products that need to be built for each customer.

What customers want

Mass customization Operational capability

Costs involved

Impact on other products

It is easy to get caught up in the whole process - with the potential of appealing to customers becoming the overriding focus and overlooking the significant logistical and financial problems involved. To be successful, the strategy must have a keen focus on capabilities, costs and the impact on your other products. As with all strategies, a company's overall profitability should be the priority.

Mass customization requires:

•         a system for the customer to specify requirements easily (e.g. online ordering, call centre)

•         advanced manufacturing systems that enable economies of scope, keeping cost and price low

•         a build-to-order approach, with the product not made until the order is received

•         a minimum-order quantity of one.

The four faces of mass customization

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Joseph Pine and James Gilmore highlighted the four faces of mass customization:

1.       Collaborative customization. The consumer and producer work together to define customer requirements. Examples include computers, clothing and footwear, furniture and some services.

2.       Adaptive customization. The product is designed so that users can alter it themselves to fit unique requirements on different occasions. Examples include high-end office chairs and certain electronic devices.

3.       Cosmetic customization (also called 'personalization'). The product is unique in appearance only. Examples include putting a customer's chosen text or image on T-shirts, mugs, pens and so on.

4.       Transparent customization. The producer provides customized product without the consumer being necessarily being aware that it has been customized. This can be used when consumers' needs are predictable or can be easily deduced, and when customers do not want their requirements repeated. Examples include repeat orders for customized clothing or specialist chemicals.

SKILL CAPSULE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COACHING AND TRAINING

One of your prime functions as a manager is to develop those reporting to you so that they attain their maximum potential and productivity for the organization and themselves. There are many different ways individuals learn:

•          Skills can be developed through coaching

•          Skills can be taught

•          Skills can be learned from an expert

•          Skills can be reviewed by looking at past behaviors

Organizations may use all four methods to assist the development of their employees. Managers are increasingly expected to be able to competently perform each of the four 'learning' roles - trainer, coach, mentor, and counselor - for their team as the need arises.

Expecting every manager to be able to perform each role to the same level of competency is in many ways unreasonable. Organizations often poorly equip managers to perform these roles and offer little guidance as to how best to perform the role. You need to understand how each form of learning operates, and the differences between them, and ensure your behaviors match the role you need to perform in order to meet your objectives.

The role of 'manager as coach' is becoming more widespread, especially in organizations that have a culture of empowerment. This creates more and more situations where managers find themselves in a coaching role rather than that of trainer, mentor, or counselor. The rest of this section is dedicated to explaining how the coaching role differs from that used when training, mentoring, or counseling people.

The ways in which the coaching and training roles approach learning are quite different. Training is principally directive: it is driven by the trainer, who will control most of both the process and the content in order to transfer knowledge or develop a new skill as efficiently as possible. The effectiveness of training depends on the competence of the trainer and the aptitude of the trainee for the subject being taught.

Coaching on the other hand is driven by questions addressed to the coachee, who then explores what they already know, but in a way that would probably not occur to them without the guidance of a coach. The coach controls the process, but for it to be really effective, the coachee has to own the content.

Another difference is that people are often trained in groups and this does not reduce the quality of the training received in any appreciable way. However, coaching must always be done on a one-to-one basis.

Although they are distinct activities, training and coaching can work well when used together. One obstacle encountered in business education is the difficulty of transferring skills and enthusiasm from a training course to the workplace. Coaching can be an excellent way of helping people to apply what they learn from a training course and incorporate it into their day-to-day work.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: DICTATION TO WHOLE CLASS

DAY 67

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PROCESS MANAGEMENT

Putting customers at the heart of your business processes

Process management cuts across departments and functions and seeks to group tasks together to improve the way they work and, importantly, to deliver greater value to customers.

Overview

Process management measures, monitors, analyses and improves business activities, making processes efficient, responsive and adaptable. Re-engineering, as Michael Hammer advocated, is imperative because, by focusing on process improvements, companies are better placed to enhance the value they provide to customers. Fundamentally, to get the most from process management it has to be part of the organization's culture. Looking for ways to improve should be part of people's thinking and approach, and change should be welcomed, not reluctantly accepted.

There are many different routes to managing and transforming processes. Accenture's Five Rs outline how to improve a process:

1.       Reconfigure

2.       Reorder

3.       Reallocate

4.       Relocate

5.       Reduce

Accenture also highlights the qualities of process excellence. A process should:

•         deliver the most value and get rid of waste

•         be clearly outlined, with details of the process stored and accessible

•         be easy to understand and follow and have flexibility

•         minimize the time spent on it

•         provide immediate feedback

•         be linked to the company's other processes

•         be focused on customers and be user-friendly.

SKILL CAPSULE: REGISTER YOUR NEW WEBSITE

Below is the steps included while creating / Hosting / Register a New Website.

1.       Design the Web Pages using HTML, JSP, PHP, etc.            

2.       Get the Domain Name for the Website. This is simply name of the Website. Ex . www.abc.co.in, www.xyz.co.in, etc.

3.       Choose the Webhost Server which allows us save the Web Pages and access it from the Internet.

4.       After uploading the webpages in Webhost Server under the domain name and location, Test the Website. Check for the Bugs and rectify.

5.       Take a Security Measures like port blocking, unauthorized access, SSL, etc.

When the Website is ready, Submit it to the Search Engines like Google, Bing, etc. using the Submission Page link.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EXTEMPORE SPEECH ON UNKNOWN TOPIC -SURVIVAL ON STAGE (TRICKS) ASK QS, SUMMARIZE, GIVE EXAMPLES

DAY 68

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM)

Putting quality at the heart of your business

Total quality management is an all-encompassing approach to quality throughout an organization. It makes quality the business of everyone in the company and puts it at the heart of every business operation.

TQM seeks to raise standards, ensure minimum standards and make continual improvements for the benefit of customers and stakeholders. It is simply an approach. How it is achieved varies according to the preferences and priorities of each company, with the processes, tools and measurements employed supporting the principle itself.

TQM maintains quality and improves products and practices to deliver advantages that improve competitiveness, profitability and long-term success.  As well as minimizing waste, it empowers and motivates individuals, promotes teambuilding, secures customer loyalty and improves relationships with suppliers. With processes measured against a standard, expected outcome, quality can be monitored effectively and efficiently – with shortfalls immediately highlighted. TQM reaches every part of a company, from corporate responsibility to organizational culture.

Key points

•         Everyone need to be committed to delivering and improving quality standards. Leaders need to be behind TQM and gain the commitment of everyone – by empowering, motivating and encouraging positive participation.

•         Focus on goals and what is needed. Be clear about your purpose, vision and what you want TQM to achieve. Focus on customer needs(current and future). Importantly, your goals need to be realistic and achievable.

•         Don’t be distracted. Being overly focused on securing certificates and awards blinkers thinking and missed potential. By focusing too much on processes, TQM can cement suboptimal practices and anchoring traps. This is a failure of how TQM is implemented rather than the principle itself.

•         Market awareness. TQM would be of limited used without market awareness (including possible changes in tastes or technology). Understanding what others are achieving (inside and outside you industry)will help you remain competitive and identify opportunities.

•         Integrate TQM into all activities.Putprocesses in place so that TQM runs smoothly, is easy to use, becomes an automatic part of operations and is transparent (employees should not feel spied on or undermined).

•         Manage the extra workload. Manage the extra workload TQM places on employees by ensuring that you people have a positive attitude towards TQM and can incorporate changes without being demotivated. TQM should not distract employees from their main activities.

•         Using appropriate measures. Measurement need to be accurate and revealing. Subject your approach to criticism by asking: Are you measuring the right things and how can measures be improved?

•         Use the information. Use data to inform decision-making and strategy and to achieve continual improvements and long-term growth. Analysis needs to be perceptive, insightful and creative. The information should be organized and stored so that it is easily accessible and of use to others.

•         Be prepared for the full impact. TQM is a way of thinking that pervades the entire company. This affects every aspect of running a business – from employee motivation, refocusing priorities and changing business practices through the changes in culture and strategic direction.

SKILL CAPSULE: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP (SL)

Overview:

•          Strategic leadership & top-level managers importance

•          Top management teams and effects on firm performance

•          Managerial succession process

•          Value of strategic leadership in determining firm’s strategic direction

•          Importance of strategic leaders in managing firm’s resources

•          Organizational culture and actions to sustain it

•          Ethical practices: establishment and emphasis

•          Importance and use of organizational controls

Strategic Leadership and Style

 Strategic leadership: the ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility, and empower others to create strategic change as necessary

•          Multifunctional task that involves

o   Managing through others

o   Managing an entire enterprise rather than a functional unit

  Corporate, business, and international strategies

o   Coping with change from internal and external environments

o   Attracting and managing human (includes intellectual) capital

o   Being able to meaningfully influence others

o   Strategic leaders make a major difference in how well a firm performs

•          Strategic Leadership and the Strategic Management Process

•          Effective strategic leadership is the foundation for successfully using the strategic management process

•          Strategic leaders:

o   Shape the formation of vision and mission

o   Facilitate strategy formulation and strategy implementation

o   Are needed for the achievement of strategic competitiveness and above-average returns.

The Role of Top-Level Managers

•          Top level managers play a critical role in strategy formulation and implementation

o   Their strategic decisions influence how an organization is designed and how goals are achieved

o   Top managers also develop structure, culture, reward systems, and policies/SOPs

•          Having a top management team with superior managerial skills is critical (and can be a source of CA and AAR)

•          Managers make a difference because of the discretion (or latitude for action) they use when making strategic decisions

•          This discretion influences firm outcomes like performance

•          A manager’s decision-making discretion is determined by several factors

Managerial Succession

•          The choice of executives is a critical decision with important implications for the firm’s performance

•          Organizations select managers and strategic leaders from two types of managerial labor markets

o   Internal Managerial Labor Market – opportunities for managerial positions to be filled from within the firm

o   External Managerial Labor Market – opportunities for managerial positions to be filled by candidates from outside of the firm

•          Impacts company performance and the ability to embrace change in today's competitive landscape

•          Succession, top management team composition and strategy are related

Managerial Succession

•          Benefits of Internal Managerial Labor Market

o   Leads to continuity and continued commitment to firm’s vision, mission, and strategies

o   Insiders are familiar with company products, markets, technologies, and operating procedures

o   Reduces turnover of existing personnel many of whom possess valuable firm-specific knowledge

o   Favored when the firm is performing well

•          Benefits of External Managerial Labor Market

o   Long tenure with the same firm is thought to reduce innovation

o   Outsiders bring diverse knowledge bases and social networks, which offer the potential for synergy and new competitive advantage

Key Strategic Leadership Actions

•          Determining Strategic Direction

o   Involves specifying the vision and the strategy to achieve this vision over time

  Vision is a picture of what the firm wants to be and in broad terms what it wants to ultimately achieve

o   Strategic direction is framed within the context of the opportunities and threats over next 3-5 years

o   Includes a core ideology and an envisioned future

o   Should serve to motivate, “push”, and guide the organization

•          Establishing Balanced Organizational Controls

o   Strategic leaders are responsible for the development and effective use of strategic and financial controls

o   Controls provide the parameters for implementing strategies as well as the corrective actions to be taken when implementation related adjustments are required

o   The challenge is to achieve an appropriate balance of financial and strategic controls

  The Balanced Scorecard

  Framework that allows strategic leaders to verify that they have established both financial and strategic controls to assess firm performance

  Underlying premise is that firms jeopardize their future performance possibilities when financial controls are emphasized at the expense of strategic controls

  An appropriate balance of strategic and financial controls allows firms to achieve higher level of performance.

  Uses multiple perspectives

•          Developing Policies and Procedures

o   Policies and procedures - are written or unwritten standards or styles of behavior that govern how people act and lead people to behave in predictable ways

o   Can facilitate good strategy implementation:

o   Can increase efficiency because they standardize work behavior and specify the best way to accomplish a task

o   Provide top down guidance about how certain things need to be done

o   They help ensure consistency in how strategy critical activities are performed

o   Different types of firms make use of different types and numbers of policies and procedures

o   Firms need to create a strong supportive fit between policies and procedures and strategy

•          Developing Reward Systems

o   It can be argued that rewards are the single most powerful tool for winning the commitment of employees to effective strategy implementation

o   Rewards are an important tool used to achieve behavioral control.

o   Firms should create a results oriented system in which those achieving objectives are generously rewarded and those not achieving objectives are not rewarded

o   Rewards and incentives should also be tied to strategy:

  Cost leaders should reward people for being efficient and for identifying ways to reduce costs

  Differentiators should reward people for being innovative

o   The bottom line is that firms need to reward and motivate people in ways that are supportive of strategy and strategy implementation

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: DEBATE PREPARED

DAY 69

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE EFQM MODEL

A practical guide to managing quality

The EQFM model is a quality-management tool that is used to assess how a company's systems and processes are performing, and also to in-form strategy and business re-engineering.

Overview

Named for the European Foundation for Quality Management, the model aims to assess and inform the design of a company's structures, processes and management. At its core is the knowledge that quality management is not a fragmented, piecemeal activity: its reach is far broader. Quality and excellence are achieved by ensuring that all parts of a company work together effectively. Systems, procedures, strategy, resources and people all need to support one another and pull in the same direction.

How the EFQM model works

The model is highly customer-focused and results-driven and it shows how results can be achieved by exploring the links between what you are doing and the results you get. The model is divided into two main aspects: results and enablers, with results informing our learning to better inform enablers in the future.

•         Results are reviewed over four areas: key performance, people, customers and society.

•         Enablers are examined through five categories: leadership, people, policy and strategy, partnerships and resources, and processes.

Using the right performance indicators and monitoring techniques is critical - based on the philosophy that what gets measured gets managed. The information you gather is then used to set the right strategy, innovate and make further improvements. This builds an organization that learns, adapts and achieves more.

Learning and innovation

Successful companies learn from their results, and this learning feeds back into each of the five enablers. This cycle of assessing, measuring, learning and redesigning is a continuous process that reaches into all aspects of running a company, including softer issues such as culture, levels of employee engagement and leadership. Quality management is not simply concerned with technical processes; these are important but they are not the only factors we need to consider. Like any system, parts that work together build on each other constructively, amplifying the benefits. So it is with quality management: hard and soft issues need to be on the same page, supporting one other.

Enablers

Leadership

People

Policy and strategy

Partnerships and resources

Resources Results

Key performance 

People

Customers

Society

Learning and innovation

For each enabler, with reference to results, review how it is working and identify what works well, any gaps that exist, what needs to be done better and how all the enablers either work together or create barriers to achieving excellence.

SKILL CAPSULE: TALENT BUILDING & RETENTION OF CORE TEAM THROUGH EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION

Developing talent in your small business is part of the larger talent management process that occurs over the years. In a “global and virtual workforce,” says Nancy R. Lockwood in “Talent Management: Driver for Organizational Success,” your employee base is increasingly diverse. This new diversity opens up opportunities to develop talent to achieve your vision. Developing talent also means projecting the skills you will need in the future and making sure those talents are there when shortages are projected.

Step 1

Identify your small business goals over the coming years. Clarify the demands your goals place on employee skill sets. Look for “talent gaps”--skill sets lacking in your current work force--advises RMG Consulting.

Step 2

Devise a plan to recruit the talent you need and to develop talent you have. Develop talent over time using seminars, workshops and other professional development tools.

Step 3

Provide employees with tools to assess their professional goals and their strengths, advises the website All Things Workplace. Provide opportunities for employees to reject performing roles they do not want to do.

Step 4

Meet with employees to discuss their places in your business. Guide them to prepare for movement into more challenging tasks that match your company goals.

Step 5

Perform regular reviews and evaluations. Meet with your managers to assess progress and changes. Meet with employees to check on their development. Engage in dialog about your business strategies and their roles in your vision.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: READ OUT YOUR ESSAY TO THE CLASS

DAY 70

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE DEMING CYCLE: PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT

Planning for improvement

The Deming Cycle promotes learning and continuous improvement through its four sequential steps: Plan - Do - Check - Act.

The model provides a clear, logical process for making continuous improvements, and focuses your thinking on the actual details and on what your purpose and objectives are so that you can better turn your goals into reality. Importantly, it breaks companies out of the Plan - Do - Plan -Do approach by formally building measurement, review, amendments and learning into the process. The cycle is self-explanatory:

•         Plan — draw up a plan

•         Do — implement the plan

•         Check — measure and assess progress

•         Act — make necessary refinements

Critically, the experience, information, feedback and analysis you learn at each stage is then used to improve the current plan and subsequent projects.

The cycle of learning

Each step will obviously cover many factors, and these will differ from project to project and company to company, depending on the issues and circumstances faced.

Plan

Gather information about what is currently happening and think about what you would like to happen.

Decide:

•      what you would like the future to look like

•      what your goals are

•      theimpact on those involved - and their likely responses. How can these be handled effectively?

•      how your goals can be achieved.

Draw up an implementation plan - know what is to be done, and when.

Do

Implement the plan carefully.

Make sure your people have the necessary training.

Changes are best introduced in discrete steps so that results can be accurately measured.

Check

Collate all measurements, feedback and information.

Assess how the plan is working.

Determine whether the goals have been achieved.

Act

Roll out the successful changes you've made to other functions.

Use the information, learning and experience from this experience both to plan further improvements to this plan and to inform new projects.

 

 

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO COMPLAIN (EFFECTIVELY)

There are some people who are incredibly effective at making complaints. They seem to know instinctively how to pitch their problem, what to say, and what to do to get apologies, refunds, or other satisfactory outcomes.

Other people find that they just seem to end up shouting in frustration down the phone.

So what is it that the first group does that the second does not?

This page unpicks some of the issues involved in complaining and helps you learn how to complain effectively, whether in person or on the phone.

What is an Effective Complaint?

An effective complaint is one that is heard by the person at whom it is aimed, and which gets a result that pleases the complainant.

There are a number of simple rules to follow that will make your complaints more effective.

Rule 1:

Know what you want to achieve

The most effective complainants are those who have a clear idea of what they want to achieve from their complaint, and who set it out clearly to the person to whom they are complaining.

If you want a refund, for a product or service that didn't live up to your expectations, say so. If a refund won’t be enough, say that too. If you are simply looking for an apology, then make it clear. This makes your complaint much easier to deal with and also more likely to be resolved to your satisfaction.

Rule 2:

Threaten the company’s reputation

Effective complaints threaten to damage the company’s reputation in some way.

Not overtly; you don’t have to say ‘If you don’t respond, then I’ll go public’. It’s enough to say ‘I was really happy with you, and would have recommended you to all my friends, but now I don’t think I will’.

This will make the company concerned aware that you might just start telling your friends about your experience or, worse, talking about it via social media.

Rule 3:

Aim high and get personal

Most companies have a designated complaints procedure. You will probably get a reasonable result if you go through that procedure.

However, you’ll get at least that level of response if you write or email the chief executive directly, by name. You can generally find the details on the company’s website or via Google.

At the very worst, the chief executive’s PA will send your letter or email straight into the general complaints procedure. But it’s quite likely that the chief executive will at least see your email and that you will get some kind of personal response.

Rule 4:

Write or go in person, don’t phone

It is possible to make effective complaints by phone but, in general, the odds are stacked against you.

In the first place, you can’t see who you are talking to. You are therefore easy to fob off. A very junior person may promise to look into it and then do nothing. If you write or email the chief executive, your complaint is much harder to ignore. And if you’re standing at the reception desk, or on the shop floor, demanding to see someone senior every two or three minutes, you’re likely to get a much faster response because you’re embarrassing them.

Reputational damage is bad news for most companies.

If you really have to complain by phone, then remain focused on what you want to achieve and state it clearly:

  Make sure that you keep a full record of the conversation, including the name of the person to whom you spoke.

  If you’re not satisfied, ask to speak to that person’s manager and don’t allow yourself to be fobbed off with ‘He/she is on a coffee break right now’. Ask when they’ll be back and request that they call you back on return.

  Ask for the manager’s name and, if they don’t call you back, call again and ask to speak to them.

  Be persistent.

Rule 5:

Use social media, especially if you don’t get an immediate response

A complaint expressed via Twitter, especially with the hashtag of the company’s name together with ‘bad customer service’, is likely to get a very quick response.

Most large companies have someone monitoring Twitter for any sign of activity about them. Again, it’s about reputational damage. To make the matter even more high profile, aim your tweet at the chief executive if he or she is active on Twitter, using their @handle at the beginning of your tweet. Make sure that you have spent time crafting your tweet carefully to express the nature of your complaint, or saying how long it has taken to respond to your original complaint.

Rule 6:

Expect the unexpected

Don’t be thrown by a company’s response to your complaint. If you’ve complained effectively, you may well get a much higher level of response than you were expecting.

For example, the chief executive’s PA or a very senior manager may call you, or you may get a personal email or tweet from the chief executive. Whatever the level of the response, don’t feel that you need to jump at the first offer made: you can always say ‘Well, that sounds quite good, and I’d like that very much, but I’m still not confident that you’ve really taken on board x’. Quite apart from anything else, that gives you thinking time.

Rule 7:

Don’t get mad, get even

You’re angry. That’s why you’re complaining. But try to get calm before you email or pick up the phone.

Make sure that you’re right to be angry before you start jumping in at the deep end. Are you sure you haven’t misunderstood? Sometimes it can be better to wait a day or so before deciding whether to complain, although there will obviously be times when you just need to wade in, all guns blazing.

Rule 8:

If you don’t get the response that you want, say so

There is no point in seething to yourself. If you are talking to someone and they don’t seem to be listening to you, then say so.

If they are responding to a completely different point, then make that clear. If they are being downright rude, then ask politely if they are aware of how rude that sounded. And if you’re not happy that the person to whom you are talking has the authority to agree the response that you want, then ask to speak to their manager.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PREPARE A LECTURE AND DELIVER TO ONE

DAY 71

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SUPPLY CHAINS

Adding value at every stage of your business

Supply chain management is about achieving success - not just for yourself but for others. No matter where your company is placed in the supply chain, it is important to understand the whole chain so that you can better manage and support everyone involved - that way, everyone wins.

Overview

Maximizing profits for your company is best achieved by understanding the needs of your suppliers and the companies you supply. This requires one basic component that is often neglected: strong business relationships in general and great communication in particular. By talking to your suppliers and clients you will better understand their needs and capabilities, but, more than that, you will be able to create a dialogue where you can all develop a better route to success. Figuring things out together is the core of supply chain excellence.

Business strategy needs to start by looking at how the supply chain is structured. Your approach will reflect the needs of your company. You also need to be creative. Are there new technologies that could rewrite your current supply chain? Could you cut out your current clients and sell direct to customers?

Example: supply chain for a car company

Raw materials

e.g. Mining company producing aluminium ore Primary manufacturer

e.g. Company producing sheet aluminium Fabricator

e.g. Company that turns aluminium sheets into car parts Product producer

e.g. Company that assembles parts into cars Consumer marketer

e.g. The company or division that markets the car Retail

e.g. The local dealer that sells the car directly to customer

                Upstream organizations                                                              Downstream organizations

      Centre of gravity

Each company is dependent on the others in the supply chain. This means that everyone needs to consider the needs of other companies and, most importantly, the ultimate end user: the customer. The advantages of cutting stages out of the supply chain are self-evident: better prices for customers, faster service and greater control, and competitive advantage. Essentially, supply chains require careful management: companies rely upon one another. By developing the right strategy together, everyone wins.

SKILL CAPSULE: COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

 Identifying the competencies that an individual already has and those that they need to develop is a skill that is often neglected. In many instances managers never receive any formal training in this area and are often left to read a personnel manual or base their behavior on their own appraisal experiences. Understanding how to assess an individual's competencies from the behaviors they exhibit is a key management skill.

Competencies are distinct from goals. Goals are concerned with 'what' has been accomplished; competencies are concerned with 'how' it was accomplished.

Both of these factors are equally important since it would be possible for someone to achieve all of his or her performance goals whilst creating problems with customers, suppliers, and co-workers. In fact, focusing exclusively on the achievement of performance goals with no reference as to how they have been achieved can prove disastrous in the long term.

For example, if a sales person has achieved all of their sales targets by misleading customers about product functionality or delivery dates then this would impact on other people in the organization and may damage the reputation of the organization itself.

Similarly, a technical support team member might have a good record of resolving technical problems, but if they appear condescending towards customers then this will need to be dealt with before it causes damage to the organization's image.

It can be tempting to focus your attention on goal attainment and disregard the behavioral aspects of performance, because goals are generally much easier to define and measure than competencies. However, you need to take account of both goals and competencies if you want to improve your team's performance in a way that benefits the whole organization.

You can use our Competency Observation Template to help you to keep high-level notes on each team member's progress in developing their competencies, and our Competency Evaluation Template will help you to record how and when an individual displayed the required competencies identified in their last appraisal.

In many organizations the appraisal cycle is used to assess future development needs as well as assess current performance. The appraisal cycle usually looks something like this:

Both competencies and goals are equally important and focusing exclusively on the achievement of performance goals with no reference as to how they have been achieved is a shortsighted approach for the following reasons:

Firstly, because the way in which people achieve their goals has implications for the organization as a whole and ignoring this aspect of performance simply because it is difficult to measure can lead to serious problems.

Secondly, the work that you do to develop the competencies of your team members represents a direct investment in their future. Most people consider any increase in their skills and marketability as a positive thing and in the absence of a monitory reward (something you may not be able to offer) it can keep them motivated and engaged with their work. The time that you invest in developing your team can more than make up for the time you would spend dealing with motivation problems or resignation and recruitment issues.

Finally, your organization will only be successful in the long term if it can realize the potential of everyone who works there. Whilst it is true that there are costs incurred when developing people's competencies, it is still far cheaper to do so than to buy in the skills from outside, with all of the attendant uncertainty, risk, and management overhead that this involves.

Key Points

• Competencies are distinct from goals. Goals are concerned with 'what' has been accomplished; competencies are concerned with 'how' it was accomplished.

• Assessing an individual's competencies from the behaviors they exhibit is a key part of conducting a performance appraisal.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PREPARE LECTURE AND DELIVER TO CLASS

DAY 72

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: RATIO ANALYSIS

Revealing measurements

Ratios assess business performance at strategic and operational levels. When compared to ratios for previous periods, they show trends and patterns.

Use the most effective ratios for each situation and choose appropriate time periods. Knowing the ratios other organizations monitor provides access to similar information. Use ratios creatively and extensively to provide insight into performance. Make sure that everyone knows what the ratio measures and what it means — use graphs to reveal trends. A ratio measures only one aspect and is only as good as the data it is based on. Moreover, its value depends on interpretation. Understanding causes requires further analysis.

Gross profit margin ratio

This is the relationship between revenue and costs. If gross profit is too low, either prices are too low or costs are too high

Gross profit ÷ Sales x 100 = Gross profit margin

Net profit ratio

This is the relationship between revenue and costs. If it is too low, or falling, costs may be rising or revenue falling.

Net profit ÷ Sales x 100 = Net profit margin

Average debtor collection periods

365 x Debtors (amount owed to your business) = Average debtor collection period

Average creditor payment period

365 x Creditors (amount owed by your business) = Average creditor payment period

Current ratio

This is normally between 1.5 and 2. If it is less than 1, current liabilities exceed current assets, thus risking insolvency (though thus depends on the industry).

Current assets ÷ Current liabilities = Current ratio

The quick ratio (acid test)

The quick ratio deducts from current assets those assets difficult to turn into cash quickly. This is normally between 0.7 and 1. If it stands at 1 or more, quick assets exceed current liabilities and the business is safe.

Quick assets ÷ Current liabilities = Quick (or 'Acid test') ratio

The gearing ratio

This measures solvency. Apart from new and small businesses, gearing should not exceed 50 per cent.

Loans + Bank overdraft ÷ Equity + Loans + Bank overdraft = Gearing

The price/earnings ratio (P/E)

This values a company.

Share price ÷ Earnings per share = Price/earnings ratio

The higher the P/E ratio, the more the company is worth. This is relative to competitors. Earnings rise when share prices rise - which can be misleading. Past earnings may not reflect future growth.

Return on equity

Net profit after tax ÷ Equity capital = Return on equity

Fluctuations in a supplier's prices

Supplier's current prices ÷ Supplier's previous prices

Suppliers' delivery times

Value of outstanding orders with suppliers ÷ Value of average daily purchases

A supplier's reliability

Value of overdue orders from a supplier ÷ Average daily purchases from all suppliers

Employee productivity

Profit ÷ Number of employees

Value-added per employee

Sales minus material costs ÷ Average number of employees

Sales growth

Sales for the period ÷ Sales for a previous period = Sales growth

Market share, to monitor product portfolio

Current market share ÷ Previous market share = Market share ratio

Value of work in hand

Value of orders in hand ÷ Average value of daily sales = Size of order book

Marketing efficiency

This is sales to cost ratio.

Marketing spend ÷ Revenue = Marketing efficiency

SKILL CAPSULE: WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work-life balance is a term used for the idea that you need time for both work and other aspects of life, whether those are family-related or personal interests. The saying goes that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’.

But work, or at least some kind of contributory effort, whether paid or voluntary, is often recognised as being important for personal satisfaction, so it seems likely that ‘all play’ would be dull too.

The Origin of the Idea of ‘Work-Life Balance’

The idea that rest is vital for productive work goes back millennia.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

In the 1800s, during and following the industrial revolution, industrialists and unions alike agreed that workers needed a day off. This later became a two-day ‘weekend’. But in those days, ‘work’ was mostly manual, and once workers left the site, they also left their work behind. They were genuinely able to rest, away from work, without having to think about it or worry about what might be going on in their absence.

Times have changed dramatically.

The phrase ‘work-life balance’ is rather more recent in origin. It was probably first used in the UK in the late 1970s, and in the US in the mid-1980s. It has, however, taken on a new meaning with the recent technological changes that have made it possible for workers to stay in touch 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Smart phones, remote working technology and the like have meant that, even on holiday, people find it hard to ‘switch off’ and genuinely rest, and the complaint is often that people are expected to be ‘on-call’ at all times, without being allowed to have a life outside work.

The Importance of Work-Life Balance

Broadly, Maslow says that people have needs, which had to be met in order. Before anything else can be considered, basic physiological needs such as food, water, and shelter must be provided. After that, people need to feel safe, and then to be loved and belong to a group.

They then move on to issues of self-esteem, cognitive needs, and aesthetic needs, and finally, at the top of the pyramid, there is self-actualisation, or achieving your full potential as a human being.

What this means in practice is that work provides for basic needs: money earned provides food, and shelter, and a regular income means safety. Work also allows people to belong to a group, and doing well at work boosts self-esteem. The lower levels are all largely met through aspects of working.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Love and Belongingness, Esteem Needs, Cognitive Needs, Aesthetic Needs and Self-Actualisation.

At the top of the pyramid, however, are needs which are hard to meet with work alone, and this is where lifestyle choices, and having time for leisure, become important.

This explains partly why a work-life balance is a relatively modern concept, because you truly do need all the basic needs to be met before you have time or energy, or need, to worry about aesthetics or self-actualisation.

Stress and Rest

While some level of stress can be very productive, prolonged and high levels of stress can lead to mental health problems, including burnout and depression. These are not just personal problems: time off work for mental health problems is extremely expensive for businesses.

It is well-documented that rest and, particularly, being able to detach from work is vital for reducing stress.

With almost half of people reporting that their jobs are either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful in a survey in the US, this means that the idea of a work-life balance is increasingly important to the economy.

Achieving a Work-Life Balance:

A Suggested Process

Achieving a work-life balance can be a challenge, but these ideas should help you to make a start:

1. What is the nature and scale of the problem?

Before you can make things better, you have to understand the problem.

Try keeping a diary for a week, and set out how much time you spend on each activity, both at work and outside. That will give you an idea of your current work-life balance. You may also find it helpful to separate chores, including driving children to activities, and ‘fun’.

Warning! You may be surprised by the results.

A recent study using this technique found that women who reported having a good work-life balance and those who felt that they were spending too much time at work actually had very similar diaries. Much of it was a matter of perception.

Just seeing how much leisure time they had often made the participants feel better immediately.

Once you can see how your life separates into work and ‘other’, and into chores and fun, you can start to work out how to make changes to improve the balance.

2. Identify the ideal scenario

In many ways, this process is a bit like strategic thinking.

First you need to know where you are, then where you want to be. Think about how you would like your life to look.

    What would be the ideal balance between work and home?

    How would you like to be spending your time?

Top tip: Clocks

One very useful technique for this is ‘clocks'.

Draw two clock faces on a page, one for an ideal week day and one for an ideal day at the weekend.

Split the day up into chunks to show how you would like to spend it: how much time in bed, how much time doing chores and other necessary but boring things, how much time working, and how much time on other things.

Be specific about the other things, whether those are playing with the children, practising a musical instrument or learning a language. The discipline of having a clock face forces you to fit your activities into the time available, and you can see whether your ambitions are realistic.

You can expand this to seven clock faces, one for each day of the week, if you wish.

WARNING! Be realistic about your ambitions. You do need to do boring stuff like cleaning and laundry from time to time, or pay someone else to do it.

3. What changes do you need to make to get from ‘now’ to ‘future’?

Look at your current situation and at your ideal scenario.

G  Identify three to five key changes that will help you to move from ‘now’ to ‘future’. For example, if you have identified that you want to confine weekend overtime to an hour in the evening on Sunday night, then what do you need to do to achieve that?

Concrete steps that you could take include:

  Telling your colleagues that you will not be checking emails at the weekend;

  Putting an out-of-office notification on your email to remind people;

  Putting your work phone and computer away somewhere during the weekend. If your work emails come to your personal smartphone, then remove the account, or get a dedicated phone for work; and

  Telling your family what you intend so that if they catch you checking emails they can remind you. If you have enough time outside work, but you feel that it’s all swallowed by chores, then steps to take might include:

  Working out whether you can afford to have a cleaner;

  Asking your spouse, and if appropriate, children, to do more chores, and agreeing a reasonable split or rota; and

  Identifying one day per week which is ‘chore-free’.

Remember……it is possible to achieve a reasonable work-life balance, but you have to want to do it.

You can take control of your life, and make time for the things that matter to you, but nobody else is going to do that for you. If you want to spend more time out of work, then you will have to start leaving work earlier or arriving later.

You may need to learn to be more assertive with your colleagues, and particularly start to say ‘no’, if anyone asks you to take on more. But once you start looking to make changes, you may be surprised how easy it is to achieve a better work-life balance.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: EXTEMPORE LECTURE TO CLASS

DAY 73

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MAPPING AND MITIGATING RISK

Can you afford not to?

In order to minimize the chances of things going wrong, it is important to focus on the quality of what people do: doing the right things right reduces risks and costs.

Mapping risk

If the ability to control the risk is plotted against its potential impact, as shown in the diagram below, you can decide on actions either to Communication Exercise greater control or to mitigate the potential impact. Risks falling into the top-right quadrant are the priorities for action, although the bottom-right quadrant (total/significant control, major/critical impact) should not be ignored, as management complacency, mistakes and a lack of control can lead to the risk being realized.

 

 

No control

Weak control

Significant control

Total control

Minor Significant Major Critical

                                                                               

Potential Impact

                                                               

Quantifying potential risks

Because each risk may have a different level of impact, quantifying their effects is essential. Risks can be mapped both in terms of likely frequency and potential impact, with the emphasis on significance. Also, the potential consequences of risk may be ranked on a scale ranging from inconvenient to catastrophic.

                       High

 Monitor - risk is unlikely but potentially significant; prepare contingency measures Danger - risk is high and impact significant. Action needed urgently

Monitor - risk and impact low, but may change

Minimize - risk is likely but impact small. Reduce the likelihood of it occurring at all and check that potential impact stays low

                               

                  Low

                                                      Low                                                                                                 High

                                                                                Probability of the risk occurring

When mitigating risks, start by reducing or eliminating those that result only in cost: essentially non-trading risks (these might include property damage risks, legal and contractual liabilities and business interruption risks, and can be thought of as the 'fixed costs' of risk). Other ways that risks can be reduced or mitigated are to share them with a partner, to monitor them or subject them to contingency plans. For example, acceptable service level agreements from vendors are essential to reduce risk. Joint ventures, licensing and agency agreements are also different ways of mitigating risk.

Finally, actively managing and using information is also crucial. Risk management relies on accurate, timely information. Management information systems should provide details of the likely areas of risk and of the information that is needed to control the risks. This information must reach the right people at the right time, so that they can investigate and take corrective action.

SKILL CAPSULE: GIVING LECTURES AND SEMINARS

Both lectures and seminars are frequently used in higher and further education, and increasingly in schools too.

Although lectures, in particular, are very similar to giving presentations, the term ‘lecture’ is uniquely used for some kind of educational session.

Lectures offer a good way to provide a large amount of information to a big group in a short space of time.

Seminars enable group discussion and checking that your students have understood the subject in a much smaller group.

Defining Lectures and Seminars

lecture  n. a lesson or period of instruction, a discourse on any subject, especially a professorial or tutorial discourse. seminar n. a class at which a group of students and a teacher discuss a topic.

Lectures, then, basically consist of one person (the lecturer) standing at the front of the room, and speaking, or giving a presentation, to everyone in the room.

Lectures are not primarily interactive opportunities, although students may well ask questions about the content if they do not understand.

Seminars, however, are a discussion opportunity.

Seminars may also be called study groups, work-groups, or discussion groups. The students are expecting, and expected, to interact with the tutor and with each other.

Choosing a Lecture or Seminar

It should immediately be clear that the two types of session lend themselves to very different topics and also require different skills from those running them.

When to choose a……lecture…seminar

When you need to get a large amount of information across to a big group in a short space of time;     When the group needs or wants to discuss alternative ideas and debate their merits;

When the group needs to know about facts or alternative theories, but not to discuss their relative merits;      When you want to check the group’s understanding about a particular topic;

When you want the group to know and understand a particular idea in some detail;    When there are fewer facts, and the topic is more a matter of opinion and/or there are several possible alternative interpretations and actions;

When you are the expert and your role is to provide information. When you feel that your role is to facilitate discussion and not to provide information.

This distinction is perhaps becoming less clear-cut, with many tutors using lectures as a more interactive discussion session, designed to engage students and keep them awake.

It’s far from the old stereotype of a lecturer who stands at the front and reads out the handout, making copious notes on a whiteboard as he does so. This is particularly the case for social sciences and other more nuanced subjects, where there is less ‘truth’ and more ‘opinion’.

In reality, how you approach your lectures is very much up to you.

Giving a Lecture

Giving a lecture is very like giving a presentation to a large group, except that you are unlikely to have a microphone.

You may therefore find it helpful to work through our series of pages on Presentation Skills to help you prepare, organise your material, and write the presentation.

Perhaps the key difference is the duration of the session.

Presentations tend to be 20 minutes to half an hour, followed by a question session. Lectures are expected to last the full duration of the session, with little or no designated question time. The duration of the session will be set by the institution, but is often one or two hours. This means that some sort of visual aid is probably going to be essential to keep your students’ attention.

Lecture theatres often have banked seating to ensure that all students can see, which can give the feeling of being at the bottom of a large goldfish bowl, or perhaps in the arena in ancient Rome. But the importance of making eye contact and engaging with your audience are no different.

Some lecturers find it helpful to identify one or two students whom they know well enough from seminars or tutorials to assess when they might be getting confused. If your key students start to look worried, it’s as well to pause and check everyone understands the topic.

It’s also worth pausing periodically and asking if anyone has any questions or would like you to go over any particular points. After all, you are there to teach and, if you’ve lost them all, it’s not much help.

Your students will also appreciate a handout. If you are using slides, this will often be a copy of them. You should hand this out at the beginning of the lecture, so that they can supplement it with their own notes if they wish. You should also make sure that they have any handouts or slides  electronically, for those who make notes on a laptop or tablet.

Some lecturers provide background reading in advance of their lectures. However, don’t be surprised if nobody has read it.

Giving a Seminar

Your first role as a seminar tutor is to provide materials in advance for your students to prepare. This may be some background reading, or perhaps a case study to consider. You may also want to provide some potential discussion questions for your students to start to consider their answers.

At the seminar itself, you need to begin by setting the scene at the beginning of the seminar. In an ideal world, your students will have prepared and come ready to discuss a particular question or set of questions, but it won’t hurt to remind them of the subject and give them a starting point for discussion.

You may want to start with three or four slides to set out the background to the seminar. Consider this as a mini-presentation. For more ideas about how to do this effectively.

You should then kick off the discussion by asking a question. After that, your key role is to facilitate discussion.

Have a series of questions ready to move the discussion through key areas of the subject.

You can either share these questions at the beginning of the seminar, or just interject them at suitable moments, either when the discussion flags or to move it through the key areas.

One of the key roles of a facilitator at any event is to help the group to manage their time so that they have a chance to discuss everything.

During your preparation, make sure that you consider how long the group will need to spend on each item or discussion question, and that they have enough time to discuss everything. If not, cut down the number of questions! You can always bring them in later should discussion flag earlier than expected.

A Word of Warning

This is a very general guide to the specifics of lectures and seminars, which is designed to help those new to lecturing and/or organising seminars.

However, what you actually do will depend on you, your students and also, to some extent, your institution, whether school, college or university. You should check any guidance carefully, and also ensure that you are providing educational opportunities that work for your students.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: MOTIVATION LECTURE

DAY 74

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SHAREHOLDER VALUE ANALYSIS

Consistently increasing the value of a business for shareholders

Shareholder value analysis sees the worth of a company as the long-term value it creates for shareholders. Originally proposed by Alfred Rappaport, it can be applied to the whole company, a business unit or specific project and is used to determine a company's direction and to measure progress.

Dealing with long-term profit forecasts, it focuses efforts on creating long-term shareholder value. Freeing strategic thinking from the limitations of other financial measures that can be overly focused on past data or short-term issues, it better informs a company's strategy and puts the focus on securing future financial stability and growth. This makes it particularly important for determining the long-term direction of a company or business unit. A significant advantage is that it can be used across a range of operating units, regardless of any differences between financial measures that are in place.

The method

Obviously, the calculations involved in shareholder value analysis are many and complex. The following is designed to show the general principle of what is being determined.

•         First, estimate the total net worth of a company, unit or project - that is, assets minusliabilities. (This involves using discounted cash flows and subtracting expected capital costs.)

•         Then divide this by the number (or value) of shares. This reveals the return to shareholders:

(total net worth - liabilities) ÷ number of shares = return

•         If this return is higher than the costs involved, then value has been created for shareholders - clearly, the larger this difference between return and costs (also known as equity return and equity costs), the more shareholder value is added.

return - costs = shareholder value

Limitations

Awareness of its limitations and being clear about what you expect to get out of the process will help you to use shareholder value analysis effectively.

•         It involves painstaking assessment, valuation and analysis - these take considerable time and money.

•         Predictions about future cash flows and costs can never be accurate. As well as basing the value of a company on guesses, these figures are subject to unforeseen changes.

•         It can skew strategy to only considering shareholder value as a measure of worth. Not all value in a company lies in its return to shareholders. It is important not to lose sight of other factors, with different measures - such as corporate social responsibility, customers and employees.

SKILL CAPSULE: GIVING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK

In life as much as in work, it’s important to know how to provide feedback to others, effectively and constructively without causing offence.

There are many opportunities in life for providing others with feedback, from commenting on the way that your colleague has carried out a task, to discussing your children’s behaviour with them.

This page focuses on the process of communicating with someone about something that they have done or said, with a view to changing or encouraging that behaviour. This is often called ‘giving feedback’, and when you do, you want your feedback to be effective.

'Feedback' is a frequently used term in communication theory. It is worth noting that this page is not about what might loosely be called ‘encouragement feedback’—the ‘yes I’m listening’-type nods and ‘uh-huhs’ which you use to tell someone that you are listening.

What is Effective Feedback?

For our purposes, we will define effective feedback as that which is clearly heard, understood and accepted. Those are the areas that are within your power. You have no control over whether the recipient chooses to act upon your feedback, so let’s put that to one side. 

So how can you make sure that your feedback is effective?

Develop your feedback skills by using these few rules, and you’ll soon find that you’re much more effective.

1. Feedback should be about behaviour not personality

The first, and probably the most important rule of feedback is to remember that you are making no comment on what type of person they are, or what they believe or value. You are only commenting on how they behaved. Do not be tempted to discuss aspects of personality, intelligence or anything else. Only behaviour.

2. Feedback should describe the effect of the person’s behaviour on you

After all, you do not know the effect on anyone or anything else. You only know how it made you feel or what you thought. Presenting feedback as your opinion makes it much easier for the recipient to hear and accept it, even if you are giving negative feedback. After all, they have no control over how you felt, any more than you have any control over their intention. This approach is a blame-free one, which is therefore much more acceptable.

Choose your feedback language carefully.

Useful phrases for giving feedback include:

    “When you did [x], I felt [y].”

    “I noticed that when you said [x], it made me feel [y].”

    “I really liked the way that you did [x] and particularly [y] about it.”

    “It made me feel really [x] to hear you say [y] in that way.”

3. Feedback should be as specific as possible

Especially when things are not going well, we all know that it’s tempting to start from the point of view of ‘everything you do is rubbish’, but don’t. Think about specific occasions, and specific behaviour, and point to exactly what the person did, and exactly how it made you feel. The more specific the better, as it is much easier to hear about a specific occasion than about ‘all the time’!

4. Feedback should be timely

It’s no good telling someone about something that offended or pleased you six months later. Feedback needs to be timely, which means while everyone can still remember what happened. If you have feedback to give, then just get on and give it. That doesn’t mean without thought. You still need to think about what you’re going to say and how.

5. Pick your moment

There are times when people are feeling open to feedback and times when they aren’t. Have a look at our page on emotional awareness and work on your social awareness, to help you develop your awareness of the emotions and feelings of others. This will help you to pick a suitable moment. For example, an angry person won’t want to accept feedback, even given skilfully. Wait until they’ve calmed down a bit.

Feedback doesn’t just happen in formal feedback meetings.

Every interaction is an opportunity for feedback, in both directions. Some of the most important feedback may happen casually in a quick interchange, for example, this one, overheard while two colleagues were making coffee:

Mary (laughing): “You remind me of my mum.”

Jane (her boss): “Really, why?”

Mary: “She gets really snappy with me when she’s stressed too.”

Jane: “Oh, I’m so sorry, have I been snapping at you? I am a bit stressed, but I’ll try not to do it in future. Thank you for telling me, and I’m sorry you needed to.”

Mary had, quite casually, raised a serious behavioural issue with Jane. Jane realised that she was fortunate that Mary had recognised the behavioural pattern from a familial situation, and drawn her own conclusions.

However, Jane also recognised that not everyone she would ever work with would do the same. Having been made aware of her behaviour, she chose to change it. Mary had also, casually or not, given feedback in line with all the rules: it was about Jane’s recent behaviour, and so was specific and timely, and showed how Mary perceived it. It was also at a good moment, when Jane was relaxed and open to discussion.

Receiving Feedback

It’s also important to think about what skills you need to receive feedback, especially when it is something you don’t want to hear, and not least because not everyone is skilled at giving feedback.

Be Open To The Feedback

In order to hear feedback, you need to listen to it. Don’t think about what you’re going to say in reply, just listen. And notice the non-verbal communication as well, and listen to what your colleague is not saying, as well as what they are.

For example, you might say:

    “So when you said …, would it be fair to say that you meant … and felt …?”

    “Have I understood correctly that when I did …, you felt …?”

Make sure that your reflection and questions focus on behaviour, and not personality. Even if the feedback has been given at another level, you can always return the conversation to the behavioural, and help the person giving feedback to focus on that level.

Emotional intelligence is essential. You need to be aware of your emotions (self-awareness) and also be able to manage them (self-control), so that even if the feedback causes an emotional response, you can control it.

And Finally…

Always thank the person who has given you the feedback. They have already seen that you have listened and understood, now accept it.

Acceptance in this way does not mean that you need to act on it. However, you do then need to consider the feedback, and decide how, if at all, you wish to act upon it. That is entirely up to you, but remember that the person giving the feedback felt strongly enough to bother mentioning it to you.

Do them the courtesy of at least giving the matter some consideration. If nothing else, with negative feedback, you want to know how not to generate that response again.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ORGANISING LECTURE

DAY 75

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SIX LEVELS OF STRATEGIC AGILITY AND COST CONTROL

Managing Costs and preparing for the future.

The future arrives quickly and in ways that continually surprise: only those ready to adapt will survive and prosper. Companies need to create the processes that enable them to adapt easily, quickly and effectively to changes and opportunities without harming other parts of the company.

A company’s processes do not exist separately from the people who run them. Administrators enable the rapid adaptation needed to succeed while protecting the whole company. By creating self-adaptive systems, companies are more than robust-they maximize potential. This requires redesigning systems to:

1.   enable people to determine and make necessary changes so that processes adapt quickly, successfully and effectively

2.   decouple processes so that changes in one part do not harm other parts. 

The dangers of cost-cutting

When times are tough, companies cater to the short term and cut costs. However, long term needs are important. John Wells has identified six typical responses from companies that are facing cost cutting pressures.

•         Level Zero. Leaders promise cuts but don’t deliver –long term success doesn’t materialize. Their focus is on other, narrow goals – not on creating a company capable of rapid and successful adaptation.

•         Level One. Drastic, arbitrary, ill-conceived cuts are made that fail to deal with the causes of difficulties. Only by resolving fundamental, structural causes can a company hope to redress the situation.

•         Level Two. Redesigning processes to meet current needs. While this cuts immediate costs, it fails to build for the future. This leads to higher costs as the company repeatedly overhaul the system to keep pace with competitors.

•         Level Three. Although future needs are considered, plans are constrained by the need to stagger initiatives according to what can be afforded.

•         Level Four. Leaders plan for the unknown by creating adaptable systems that are decoupled from each other so that targeted changes can be made easily, without harming other activities.

•         Level Five. Leaders ensure that companies can weather storms. Systems are decoupled and people are seen as enabler of those systems. Decoupling is the first step, but the right culture need s t be in place to make it happen. Trust and enable your people to assess situations and make changes quickly and effectively. This is when companies are agile and adaptive.

The problem of IT

IT structure is problematic: it is company-wide and an entrenched monolith – so much so that IT is often quoted as a major barrier to change. It is essential that IT does not impede the ability of individual parts of a company to adapt. Decoupling processes are necessary for adaptive systems.

Only by creating a culture of self–adaptation will companies be future-proof.

SKILL CAPSULE: WORKING IN GROUPS AND TEAMS

Being in groups is part of everyday life and many of us will belong to a wide range of groups, for example: family groups, social groups, sports groups, committees, etc.

This page concentrates on groups that have been specially formed to fulfil some purpose, or groups that are a drawing together of people with shared experience.  This type of group is often also referred to as a team.

What are Groups and Teams?

There is some confusion about the difference between a group and a team; traditionally academics, communication and management theorists use the terms: group, group-working, group-interaction, group-structure etc. to refer to the dynamics of people working together towards a common cause.

The word group however has a broader meaning – a group of passengers on a flight have a common characteristic – to travel, but they are not necessarily working towards a common cause.  Groups do not even need to refer to people, for example, a group of products in a supermarket, in this case the group is arbitrary and could be defined by any number of variables.

A team is generally more specific.  We would not refer to our airline passengers as a team, unless they crashed on a desert island and needed to work together to survive.  The distinction is that a team is working together for a common cause.  A group of schoolchildren may be in the same class, whereas a team of schoolchildren may be working together on a specific project within the class.

When we talk about groups and teams we use the terms interchangeably – it is possible to have a group without a team but not a team without a group.  Although we use the word team throughout our pages we use the following definition of group:

  A group is a collection of people with some common characteristics or purpose.

  A group can consist of any number of people.

  People in groups interact, engage and identify with each other, often at regular or pre-determined times and places.

  The group members share beliefs, principles, and standards about areas of common interest and they come together to work on common tasks for agreed purposes and outcomes.

  People in groups are defined by themselves and by others as group members, in other words individuals are aware that they are part of a group.

  Important Defining Features of Groups:

  People who can identify with each other.  Sharing ideas, beliefs and/or experience of common areas.

  People who frequently and regularly engage with each other, agreeing on a purpose and working together on shared tasks.

  People who recognise themselves and are recognised by others as part of a group.

Types of Groups

Groups may be formal, brought together for a particular purpose, or they may be informal such as family groups, groups of friends or colleagues.  You may come into contact or work with a range of different groups.

These types of group may include:

  Work Groups:  Either formal, such as teams, committees or training groups, or informal maybe setup to tackle an ad-hoc problem.

  Neighbourhood Groups:  An example of a neighbourhood group would be one established to develop local amenities.

  Social Groups | Special Interest groups:  These are groups established to meet the needs of a particular sector (e.g. age group, gender) or interests (e.g. music or sports).  Examples include Women’s Institute and Scouts.

  Self-Help Groups:  Such groups are often established to work through particular emotions or to provide support for people with a certain illness, e.g. helping to overcome an addiction such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

  Inter-Agency Groups:  These are developed between agencies/organisations that work in related fields to improve product and/or client services.  In addition, they aid communication and establish joint ventures to prevent duplication and confusion.

  Pressure Groups:  The function of pressure groups is to challenge the status quo, often by using high profile tactics to gain media attention to achieve their aims.

  Task-Based and Experience-Based Groups

  Groups can also be sub-divided in two ways:

o   Groups established to carry out specific tasks are known as task-based groups, such as a pressure groups.

o   Groups which are based on the experiences of their members are known as experience-based groups, such as a self-help group.

  The distinction between task-based groups and experience-based groups is important because it affects how the group is formed, organised, led and what roles the individual group members play.

  Task-Based or Content Groups

These types of group focus on the achievement of specific goals and the individual members of the group work towards completing these goals.  These types of group are common in organisations and include groups set up to work on specific projects – perhaps the design of a new product.

  Experience-Based or Process Groups

These types of group focus on the individual group members and how they interact, support and grow together, an example would be a group established to support people suffering from stress.

  Group Communication. When people are part of a group they interact and communicate in different ways to how they would on a one-to-one basis.

These differences include:

The Individual Member within a Group

Through networking within a group people come to a greater understanding about other group members and the wider environment – seeing things from other people’s point of view.  Also, within a group situation, people often learn about who they are and their strengths and weaknesses through comparison with other group members.

Groups are important to personal development as they can provide support and encouragement to help individuals to make changes in behaviour and attitude.  Some groups also provide a setting to explore and discuss personal issues.  A group setting can allow people to become more confident and learn new interpersonal, social and practical skills through observation as well as practice.

These skills can be developed within a group setting and then effectively used in individual situations.  As group membership can improve self-esteem and confidence so it can also improve self-motivation and the desire to learn and develop.

The Group as a Whole

From the experience of belonging to different groups, it quickly becomes obvious that groups are often made up of individuals with very different personalities, attitudes and ideas.  For a group to function well a bond needs to be developed so that individual differences can be used for the wider interests of the group.  ‘Cohesiveness’ is the term used to describe this mutual bonding between members, with each having a strong sense of belonging to the group.

Cohesiveness is, in part, the measure of the success of the group. A group with more cohesiveness is more likely to keep its members than that of a group with little cohesiveness. Members of a high-cohesive group are likely to talk in group terms, using 'we' instead of 'I' when talking about group activities. The more cohesive a group the greater the sense of team spirit and the more individual members will cooperate with each other. A low-cohesive group may find that members frequently miss meetings; sub-groups or cliques may form within the original group and there is likely to be an underlying sense of frustration as the goals of the group are less likely to be attained.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SPEAK TO TRADE UNION LEADERS TO PACIFY THEM

DAY 76

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DISCOUNTED CASH-FLOW ANALYSIS

Understanding the time value of money

We all know that cars depreciate in value from the moment we drive away from the sales forecourt, and that the money cannot be spent on anything else. Essentially, discounted cash flow is no different. Money has a value - one that changes through time. Inflation means that cash today is worth more than cash tomorrow. That is where discounted cash flow comes in: it is a means of tracking true worth and guiding business and investment decisions.

Overview

When deciding where to invest, you need to take three things into account.

1.       Is the risk worth the investment?

2.       Are there other projects that would be more lucrative? That is, what is the opportunity cost of using the money in this way rather than on something else?

3.       Will the return, over the estimated timescale, outdo inflation? In other words, would you have been better off investing your money elsewhere?

As a starting point, look at the current inflation rate, historical inflation rates, and possible future rates for the markets you are operating in. For example, if inflation is running at 2 per cent (and this is indicative of the historic trend and is unlikely to be eroded by future changes), you will know that, if you invest a certain sum over a certain period, you will need to obtain a return of at least the original sum plus this inflation figure — otherwise, you would have been better off spending your money elsewhere.

The five steps of discounted cash-flow analysis

These five steps will help you to determine the level of investment a project can justify.

1.       Identify exactly how the investment will be used — including the timing of all costs and likely sales.

2.       Determine both the positive and negative cash flows over time.

3.       Estimate the cash flow for when the project has been fully implemented and is likely, given unchanging markets, to continue.

4.       Apply the discounted cash-flow figure. This will reveal whether the original investment is worth making. This involves considering how much risk is involved, the cost of any loans, and inflation. This is not an exact science, so it is useful to create best-, medium- and worst-case scenarios. You will also need to consider the expectations of investors.

5.       Finally, compare your discounted cash flow with each year of operations. Decide whether the returns justify the investment.

Importantly, profit is not simply a case of deducting costs from sales: it is about knowing the opportunity cost of your money.

SKILL CAPSULE: INTERVIEWING SKILLS

Here we look at the skills you need to be an effective interviewer, an important skill-set when attempting to find the best possible candidate for a job.

This page provides a framework for the recruiting process, from preparation, interviewing, reviewing and decision making.

Interviewing, by itself, is not a very reliable way of selecting potential employees however skilled the interviewer, and it is particularly unreliable if there is just a single interviewer. Ideally you should include a test of some kind, whether problem-solving or giving a presentation, and include other people in the selection process to get a second opinion and avoid bias.

Preparing for the Interview

Good preparation for an interview is absolutely key. Exactly what you need to do will vary depending on your role in the interview.

You may be:

  The recruiting manager, the person who is going to be managing the person recruited on a day-to-day basis, and therefore probably has the best understanding of the job requirements;

  There to give a second opinion of the candidate. Such interviewers usually, but not always, have some knowledge of the job requirements.

  An independent assessor or HR representative, there to manage the process and ensure that it is fair for all candidates. They are unlikely to have detailed knowledge of the job.

  Perhaps the most important aspect of successful interviewing is knowing what you’re looking for in a candidate.

  Make sure that you have a detailed job description and person specification that sets out what you really want from the person. Try to avoid jargon. If you haven’t written the particulars yourself, speak to the person who did and make sure you understand exactly what they meant.

  Read the applications for all the candidates that you will be interviewing.

  Ideally, you should score each candidate against the criteria in the person specification. Scores out of five are usual, where five is excellent and one is ‘does not show this at all’.

  If you’re holding a panel interview, the panel needs to meet beforehand and discuss interview tactics.

  Ideally, the interviewers (or panel) should carry out the short-listing for the interview, comparing the individual members’ scores for each candidate and agreeing on a panel score.

  The panel then need to agree what questions should be asked and who is going to ask which questions, or cover which areas. It’s also helpful to discuss which areas are most important in case some areas have to be left unexamined.

  Finally, the panel needs to agree what a ‘good’ answer to any particular question will look like, and how far they are prepared to probe to try to obtain one.

On the Day of the Interview

  A key skill for interviewers is to be able to build rapport swiftly and help candidates feel relaxed.

  When you meet the candidates make eye contact, offer a handshake and smile at them. Understand that they are probably feeling quite nervous.

  Everyone is nervous in an interview so candidates will be better able to show you what they can do if you can help them to relax.

  Your role, as the interviewer, is not to trip up the candidates. You’re there to find out if they can do the job or not.

  Invite the candidate to sit down, and indicate a chair. It stops them worrying about what they should do.

  One interviewer will generally lead the interview, they should:

  Introduce the members of the interview panel and outline the process of the interview.

  Explain broadly what the interview is going to cover and who is going to ask questions. It is also useful to explain what other members of the panel will be doing: making notes, observing, or perhaps adding supplementary questions.

  Start off the process with a simple question such as ‘Tell us what you do in your current job’.

Presentations

If you have asked the candidates to prepare a presentation, start with that.

  You can then ask them for more details about aspects of their presentation that you found either interesting or concerning. Set aside at least 10 minutes for questioning after the presentation.

  Candidates can also be asked to do a written test. It is helpful to have the results of the tests in front of you during the interview so that you can ask them about anything that emerges.

Asking Questions

Interview questions generally take three forms: experience- or competence-based questions, hypothetical questions, and personal awareness questions.

  Experience-Based Questions

  These questions are designed to explore what the candidate has done, and the skills that they have previously demonstrated. They take the form:

o   “Tell me about a time when you….”

o   “Can you tell me how you have gone about solving a particular problem that you have faced at work?”

These questions have one big drawback: they don’t explore potential. What a candidate has previously done may not translate to your organization or your job.

If you are interviewing candidates who don’t have much work experience, it’s hard for them to demonstrate the skills from the past. It’s therefore also helpful to use a few hypothetical, or problem-solving questions.

Hypothetical Questions

These questions are designed to explore how candidates will deal with the problems that are likely to face them in this post. You may provide them with a written statement of the problem, perhaps as half a page of bullet points, or just outline it to them, and ask them to consider what they would do to address the problem.

    Many interview processes use a candidate presentation to explore this area, for example asking candidates to present on what they see as the first five issues to be addressed in the job and how they would go about doing so.

Personal Awareness

These questions are designed to explore the fit between the candidate’s needs and what the job or organisation can offer. For example, you might ask the candidate to tell you what motivates them, or what strengths they bring to the job. Good questions of this type ask the candidate to rank their requirements or strengths. This enables you to assess how personally aware they are, and also whether you can provide the necessary motivation and/or use their strengths.

Such questions might include:

  “Please tell us, in descending order, the top five factors that keep you motivated on the job”

  “Tell us the most effective ways of managing you”

  “What have recent appraisals and feedback suggested is an area for further work for you, and how are you addressing it?”

There is no space in a serious interview for ‘quirky’ questions such as ‘If you were a car/animal/country, what would you be?’. Anyone worth their salt will have prepared a stock answer, and you will find out nothing. Don’t waste everybody's time.

When you’ve asked all your questions, make sure that you offer the candidate the opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Their questions may be illuminating: for example, do they seem to be interested largely in the job, or in the perks that accompany it?

Making Notes and Scoring

As a general principle, the person asking the questions should focus on the candidate while they are answering. Watching their body language, and listening carefully to what they’re saying.

Don’t try to make notes while the candidate is answering the question; you can do that once they’ve finished. In a panel interview, the other members of the panel should make notes as the question is being answered, but making sure that they too are listening and aware of the candidate’s body language.

Each panel member or interviewer should score the candidate on each criterion as the interview progresses.

You can always amend an earlier assessment, but after 45 minutes you won’t remember the earlier answers clearly enough to do all the scoring at the end.

For the same reason, the panel should also discuss each candidate immediately after they have left the room and agree their scores against the criteria.

Making a Decision

Your final decision should be based on the scores you have given each candidate.

If, when you get to the end of the process, one or more interviewers feels that the ‘wrong’ candidate has emerged as successful then it’s helpful to examine why this is so. Have you missed a key job skill? Or was there something that they said which should have resulted in a lower score?

It’s fine to revisit the process and come up with a different answer, as long as you can justify it in the event of an appeal by the candidate. At this stage, the role of the independent assessor, if there is one, is to ensure that the process is fair to all candidates.

‘Gut instinct’ is a very poor selection tool.

‘Liking’ someone in an interview usually means either that they were very good at building rapport, or that they remind you of someone you like.

Likewise, not really taking to someone usually just means that they were nervous, or said or did something that reminded you of someone you dislike or don’t get on with.

This is NOT an indication of how well they could do the job, although it may tell you something about their fit with the team. However, unless you have clearly indicated in advertising that this is a factor, it’s not a good idea to take it into account.

Besides, every oyster needs grit to make pearls and every team needs someone who will disagree with the consensus from time to time.

A Final Word of Warning

At the end of the interview process, you will hopefully have selected a suitable candidate. That may turn out to have been a good decision, or not.

Give yourself more chance of success by always taking up references, and not just in writing. Phone the referee as well and have a personal chat. People may say things in person that they wouldn’t put in writing and you may save yourself an expensive error.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SPEAK TO BOSS AND CONVINCE HIM THAT WE NEED TO START A NEW BUSINESS

DAY 77

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ECONOMIES OF SCALE

Increasing your profit margins

High costs hit profits, and one vital way of reducing costs is to develop economies of scale where the cost of producing individual units falls as the volume of production increases.

Overview

Given that fixed costs need to be divided between the total number of units produced, the more units produced the lower unit costs become. Economies of scale can be achieved when your suppliers are able to offer lower prices for large orders, or because your own means of production reaches a large enough scale for goods to be produced more cheaply - perhaps through more efficient equipment or where fixed costs are divided over many more units.

The graph below shows the average cost per unit falling as production levels increase:

 

 

                                                               

                                                                Output

The benefits

Economies of scale:

•         improve efficiency

•         boost profitability

•         may lead to price reductions

•         enable resources to be used efficiently

•         optimize output

•         emphasize a focus on costs

•         enable us to question current methods and look for improvements.

Why it matters

Achieving economies of scale is not simply about increasing profit margins. It is also about passing these savings on to customers by offering competitive prices, and benefiting shareholders and people who invest and risk their capital by building the value of the business.

Economies of scale are all about crunching the numbers and looking for ways to reduce those numbers even further. It may involve making substantial investments in new equipment. Again, it is a simple case of doing the sums: calculating all the costs, investment: price and expected sales and then seeing what comes out. The goal is to reduce average unit costs while being mindful of other considerations, such as the need to maintain an acceptable standard of quality and brand values.

The importance of managers taking economies of scale into account is clearly seen in the publishing industry. A short print run of a book is very expensive. The high fixed costs of the set-up are divided between a small number of books. These costs can be recouped only by charging a high price per book, which then has the disadvantage of being uncompetitively priced. When those high initial costs are spread over a larger print run, average cost per unit falls dramatically.

Admittedly, however, economies of scale are not always the only consideration - risk is also an important factor. Not only is there no point in achieving economies of scale if the product doesn't sell, it has simply exposed you to greater risk or limited your strategic options by tying money up. Nonetheless, economies of scale enable companies to be more competitive and to increase their profit margins.

SKILL CAPSULE: 5 INTERVIEW TIPS

1. What are you looking for?

Interviewing is just like playing darts. The interviewer's screening criteria is the target and each dimension of your talent is represented by a dart.  At the start of the interview you must find the target and decide which 3 "experience darts" to present. "What skills do you feel are required to be successful in this position?" is an effective question for you to ask at the start ("opening phase") of the interview.

2. Ask Questions:

It is your responsibility to make sure the interview is an interview and not an interrogation. You do this by asking questions throughout the interview.

3 . Specific Examples:

Interviewers ask questions about your past experience to predict your future performance.  In response to their questions provide specific examples of your work and life experience. Focus on the actions you took and the results achieved.  Interviewers are less interested in what "the team did" or what you were "responsible for".

4. How do you like me so far?

At the conclusion of each interview ask the interviewer for their opinion of your background. Ask them what t they feel your strengths are and what concerns they have about your ability. Interviewers form opinions based on a 45 minute interview. The potential for misunderstanding is enormous. Ask a couple questions at the end to make sure they understand your e xperience accurately.

5. Visual Aids:

Bring visual aids whenever applicable to convey the quality of your work. You can even prepare a few PowerPoint slides or one page document to communicate the quality of your work. Visual aids can include anything that you feel conveys what you have done and what you can do.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CONFERENCE CALL WITH 3 DEPARTMENTAL HEADS

DAY 78

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PRICE ELASTICITY

The way things are priced

Elasticity determines how flexible prices are. If a product is highly elastic, a company will find it difficult to increase the price because customers can go elsewhere, either to competitors or to purchasing entirely different goods. If it is inelastic, sales are less dependent on price - perhaps there are few suppliers and the product is essential.

Can you charge more for a product? Price elasticity answers that simple question, indicating the price you can set, which markets to enter and the levels of justifiable investment.

•         If your product is highly sensitive to price changes, focus on reducing costs or achieving market dominance by creating a stronger brand. Aim to create artificial scarcity or desirability to lower the price elasticity for your product. Alternatively, focus on reducing costs to raise profit margins.

•         If your product is less sensitive to price, you can increase profit through higher prices because people have fewer options. With cost reductions, price inelasticity is a recipe for supra-normal profits. Theoretically - brand issues and company longevity aside - the ultimate goal in a free market is monopolistic profits. Here, high price inelasticity is ideal - enter quickly, scoop profits and switch lanes when others enter the market.

Because free markets are free, companies can never be certain about how secure their positions are. Companies that once enjoyed price inelasticity and now rest on their laurels may often find themselves on the wrong side of enterprising, innovative, disruptive start-ups with new technologies and better products. Also, when price inelasticity becomes too high for an essential product provided through few companies (an oligopoly), governments often step in and regulate prices.

Veblen goods

Usually, when prices rise, demand falls. However, with 'Veblen goods' (goods with snob value), demand rises when price increases. Here, perception is everything: customers value products because they are expensive.

Price elasticity in detail

Elasticity is calculated as the percentage change in demand divided by the percentage change in price. The negative or positive sign in the answer only indicates the relationship between demand and price. Except in the case of Veblen goods, the sign is usually negative because price rises reduce demand, so the negative sign is usually ignored. It is the extent of the change that indicates price elasticity:

•         If the percentage change in demand is less than the change in price, demand is relatively inelastic. (See graph 1; the answer is less than one.)

•         If the percentage change in demand is greater than the change in price, demand is relatively elastic. (See graph 2; the answer is greater than one.)

The area of the rectangle under each price/quantity combination reveals the impact of price levels on revenue.

SKILL CAPSULE: COMMON MISTAKES IN AN INTERVIEW

Interrogations one sided questioning and Interview is 2 sided. Having no questions prepared indicates you are not interested and not prepared. Interviewers are more impressed by the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make. Before each interview make a list of 5 questions you will ask.

 Making a Positive out of a Weakness "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not fooled. Highlight a skill that you wish to improve upon and describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skill. the question and what your answer indicates about you.

Only Researching the Company, What about You? Job seekers must  research themselves by taking inventory of their experience, knowledge and skills. Formulating a talent inventory prepares you to immediately respond to any question about your experience. You must be prepared to discuss any part of your background.

 Leaving Cell Phone On: We may live in a wired, always available society, but a ringing cell phone is not appropriate for an interview. Turn it off before you enter the company.

 Waiting for a Call: Time is your enemy after the interview.  After you send a thank you email and note to every interviewer, follow-up a couple days later with either a question or additional information.  Contact the person who can hire you , not HR (Human Resources).  Additional information can be details about your talents, a recent competitor's press release or industry trends. Your intention is to keep their memory of your fresh.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: INTRODUCE AND PRESENT A TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION TO THE CLASS

DAY 79

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: SEVEN STEPS FOR SURVIVING A DOWNTURN

How businesses come through tough times stronger than before

What are the practical steps a business should take when faced with in-tensifying competition or a market downturn? There is no magic formula, just seven areas where practical action will help ensure continued success.

1.      Develop the right strategy

A strategy has three elements: development, implementation and selling (gaining commitment and buy-in). Underpinning all three is choice, in particular the need to choose a distinctive, competitive position with three dimensions. These dimensions are:

1.       who to target as customers (and who to avoid targeting)

2.       what products to offer

3.       how to undertake related activities.

2.      Focus decisions on the lost profitable areas

Concentrating on products and services with the best margin will protect or enhance profitability. This might involve redirecting sales and advertising activities.

3.      Strengthen customer focus

Customer focus matters because this is how firms retain existing customers, sell more to existing customers and attract new business (from the market and also from competitors). This means segmenting markets and using data mining and the Internet for decision-making.

4.      Increase sales revenue

This can be achieved by increasing the effectiveness of your pricing, sales teams, sales process, sales activities and channels - or a combination of all five. An invaluable technique here is measurement.

5.      Manage the money

The financial issues that influence success are cash management, costs, revenue and investment. Keep control of costs, reduce them aggressively wherever possible, and manage your cash by controlling suppliers' and customers' payment terms.

6.      Develop profitable new products

While it may be risky to develop a new product in a downturn, inaction may be riskier the momentum of innovation is what will carry you beyond the downturn. If you stay the same during a period of increased competition and falling demand, you will fall even further and faster behind your competitors.

7.      Remember the basics of sales, finance and leadership

•         Match customers' needs and wants with your product.

•         Meet with customers, gain their trust - and sell.

•         Choose the best pricing strategy and consider using price innovations.

•         Review past sales techniques and refine your approach.

•         Make your product easy to buy.

•         Develop an awareness of competitors and build your competitive advantage.

•         Evaluate and develop the performance of sales teams.

•         Review costs and understand cost structures.

•         Manage debtors, purchasing, overheads and creditors.

•         Demonstrate a desire to learn, not blame.

•         Encourage people to find cost savings.

•         Keep people informed.

Above all, keep your head. There is no silver bullet to surviving a downturn. It is a time for sound common sense, energy and calmness, and the business basics.

SKILL CAPSULE: WHAT IS THE INTERVIEWER LOOKING FOR?

•         Personality

•         Motivation

•         Attitude

•         General Awareness

•         Qualification

•         Job Skills

•         Drafting Skills

•         Industry Knowledge

•         General Knowledge

•         Team Spirit

•         Leadership Qualities

•         Communication Skills

•         Social Skills

•         Flexibility

•         Alertness

•         Decision Making

•         Go Getting Attitude

•         Conflict Management Skills

•         Problem Solving Skills

•         Extra Curricular Activities

•         Loyalty, Integrity

•         Honesty

•         Patience

•         Initiative

•         Enthusiasm

•         Artistic Skills

•         Creativity

•         Negotiating Skills

•         Presentation Skills.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: DEBATE UNPREPARED

DAY 80

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

How effective are you?

In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, writer Stephen Covey outlines the following set of activities and attitudes that promotes good leadership skills.

1.      Be proactive

This involves self-determination and the power to decide the best response to a situation, so you can control your environment rather than it controlling you.

2.      Begin with the end in mind

This is essential to both personal leadership and to leading others. To achieve your aims, concentrate on activities that are relevant. This will help you to keep focused, to avoid distractions and to be more productive and successful.

3.      Put first things first

Effective personal management involves organizing and implementing activities that will help you and your team to achieve your aims. While habit 2 requires mental creation, habit 3 is about physical creation.

4.      Think win - win

Leadership requires good interpersonal skills, as achievements often depend on the co-operation of others. Covey argues that win-win is based on two assumptions: there is plenty for everyone and success tends to follow a co-operative approach rather than the confrontation of win-or-lose.

5.      Seek to understand first and then seek to be understood

Covey argues that for good communication you need to 'diagnose before you prescribe' - this is an extremely powerful tool.

6.      Synergize

Leaders need to understand how to use co-operation creatively. Given the principle of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, organizing co-operative activities to utilize each person's strengths will promote a successful outcome. Covey argues that this requires us to see both the good and the potential in the other person's contribution.

7.      Sharpen the saw

Self-renewal both enables and strengthens the other habits. Covey divides the self into four parts - spiritual, mental, physical and social/emotional - which should all be developed if you wish to become a highly effective leader.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO PREPARE EMOTIONALLY FOR THE INTERVIEW

Hiring is an emotional process for both the candidate and the interviewer.

•         The hiring process is shrouded with a veneer of logic “to hire the best qualified person”,

but in reality it is grounded with emotion.

•         Your enthusiasm, confidence and energy will determine whether or not you get hired.

•         Normally the most qualified person never gets hired.

•         This is because personality “fit” and the candidate's personal qualities are extremely important & give support to the interviewers.

•         Interviewers receive and interpret all  inputs coming from you and evaluated your emotional state.

•         When you are feeling great you project a positive image of yourself and are more “likable” and “hire-able.”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 81 to Day 100)

DAY 81

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Using emotional intelligence to increase influence, fulfilment and success

Emotional intelligence (El) is taking information from your own emotions and the emotions of others and then applying that knowledge in order to be more successful.

One of its key strengths is enabling us to sense and use emotions in order to manage situations better, improve decision-making and achieve positive outcomes. By recognizing, understanding and dealing with both our own emotions and those of others, we are more likely to be successful.

Developing emotional intelligence

We are all subject to emotions pulling us in directions that may or not be the best course of action. EI seeks to improve how we respond to emotions to get the most out of ourselves and others.

In Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than I0, psychologist Daniel Goleman details five emotional competencies. These are essential to managing ourselves and to leading people successfully:

1.       Knowing your emotions - self-awareness

2.       Managing emotions

3.       Motivating yourself and others

4.       Recognizing emotions in others and showing empathy

5.       Handling relationships and staying connected.

The competency hierarchy

These emotional competencies are labelled 1-5 because they build on one another in a hierarchy. For example, we need to be able to identify our own emotional state (competency 1) if we are to manage our emotions (competency 2). Similarly, we need to achieve the first three competencies if we are to use empathy (competency 4) to influence others positively. Finally, the first four competencies are needed to maintain good, successful and productive relationships (competency 5). Each of these emotional competencies are described below.

1.      Knowing your emotions — self-awareness

Previous emotional experiences influence our decision-making so it is important to be aware of all our emotions if we are to avoid any negative cycles and, instead, make better decisions.

2.      Managing emotions

Once we can recognize these emotions, we can use this knowledge and develop strategies and responses to manage our emotions. This is true of the three main triggers to potentially negative outcomes: anger, anxiety and sadness. This is why El is important during times of change.

3.      Motivating yourself and others

It is not enough to know that you should create a supportive, enthusiastic environment; you have to know how to. In order to motivate others, we must understand individuals properly and use this information to achieve our aims. This involves being sensitive to what affects a person's enthusiasm and then providing the right approach.

4.      Recognizing emotions in others and showing empathy

To influence others and gain their trust and commitment, it is essential to understand a person's emotions and then respond appropriately.

5.      Handling relationships and staying connected

Whenever we relate to someone, there is an emotional transaction that passes between individuals. These interactions have an effect: they make us feel better or worse. This creates a secret economy that is the key to motivating people - a key that we can use to develop better relationships.

SKILL CAPSULE: FROM THE INTERVIEWER’S MANUAL

How an Interviewer listens to you

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or background ¬ you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.

1. Confidence & Self-Acceptance

Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes ¬ during the pauses in a conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.

2. Follow Through & Persistence

Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through -- at all costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness. Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?

To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.

3. Integrity

Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility, integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)

4. Creativity

The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity. Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.

5. Standards

We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job fit."

6. Clarity of Communication

Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening. Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs of the conversation.

How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically ¬ or were they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a highly valuable skill ¬ with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs

What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.

8. Commitment

The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the connections they make - this is where commitment is found.

Connection + Consistency = Commitment

9. Passion

Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.

10. Authenticity

Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."

How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a person's authenticity.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CONDUCT BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS

DAY 82

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HEAD, HEART AND GUTS

An integrated approach to leadership

Head, hearts and guts is a shorthand way of saying that leaders and managers need to use three different styles of leadership if they are to be successful.

Overview

To succeed across a range of responsibilities - from making decisions and setting strategy to handling relationships, motivating others and resolving problems - leaders need to use different styles and approaches that are appropriate to each situation and the people involved, to ensure that a company's full potential is realized.

The success of each decision we make and implement depends on accessing a wide range of skills. For example, a strategy based on sound analytics will be ineffective without the courage, emotional intelligence and people skills that are also needed to make it happen.

Often, individuals rely on one preferred way of working, which leads to oversights, missed opportunities and underperformance. For example, relying predominantly on data and rational analysis (head) can make a leader too narrowly focused, while over-emphasizing emotional aspects (heart) can lead to flawed, ill-conceived strategy. Similarly, an almost exclusive dependence on courage (guts) to direct decisions and operations is likely to underestimate some key factors and the opinions of others.

Resolving the challenges leaders face requires brains, emotional intelligence and courage. Ensuring that leaders develop all three enables them to deploy the right approach at the right time to optimize an outcome and to ensure that decisions and relationships are not skewed by an over-reliance on one style. The holistic, integrated approach of head, heart and guts is effective because it sees situations from many angles, giving a fuller picture and a more appropriate way forward.

In practice: a systemic, integrated approach

David L. Dotlich, Peter C. Cairo and Stephen H. Rhinesmith advocate the holistic approach of head, heart and guts to avoid the damaging effects of leaders relying heavily on one method - such as not achieving performance improvements by failing to connect properly with others - and to enable leaders to deal with challenges and uncertainty and to operate effectively.

Implementing a four-stage process will help develop and empower leaders to use their brains, emotional intelligence and courage to meet the many challenges they face.

The four-stage process to developing an integrated approach

1 Address systemic issues

Remove potential obstacles that inhibit the ability to show heart and guts behaviours or to challenge existing norms such as a risk-averse culture.

2 Involve the executive committee

Get everyone in the organization to buy into this new, integrated approach — it has to become part of the company's culture. For this to happen, you will need to secure the commitment of top management.

3 Use leadership development as a diagnostic tool

Bring systemic issues to the attention of top management by encouraging those developing their leadership skills to provide feedback and to share their opinions,

4 Customize the development programme

Ensure that the head, heart and guts approach is tailored to your company's specific needs and culture to enable it to be successfully integrated and of maximum benefit

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO IMPROVE WITH EVERY INTERVIEW YOU UNDERGO

REHERSE PERFECT ANSWERS

•         After an Interview go back home and write down important questions asked and answer them in a perfect way how you would have desired

PRACTICE

•         Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

RECORD LEARNING FROM ALL PREVIOUS JOBS

Embrace the opportunity to describe what you learned from a recent job and how you will handle a similar situation in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner and you look on the positive side of most

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PANEL INTERVIEW

DAY 83

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Turbo-charge your career and help plan for future progression and success

Career planning needs careful consideration and it may help to create a personal profile highlighting relevant skills, experience, strengths and weaknesses. These can be matched with aspirations and likely challenges - both now and in the future.

Overview

Career and personal development planning enables people to move from where they are to where they want to be. Career planning is a lifelong process of nurturing, shaping and improving skills, knowledge and expertise, in order to enhance effectiveness and adaptability. Career planning also reduces the likelihood that skills will become out of date or obsolete.

It does not necessarily mean preparing for promotion or advancement, although that might be relevant from time to time. It is much more about improving and being ready for new challenges and changing circumstances. Development planning requires a personal commitment to develop and improve. In particular, this means understanding and accepting constructive criticism, and being willing to take measures to improve performance.

Develop your personal profile

This can be created by considering the following:

•         Priorities. What values really matter to you personally? Do you know what sort of leader you want to be? It can also help to reflect back over your career and recollect leaders that you feel were particularly good or especially poor. Why did they succeed or fail?

•         Work experience. What positions have you held? When did you succeed, and why? How could your performance have been better?

•         Achievements. What have been your greatest achievements? What gave you greatest pleasure and what impressed others?

•         Personal attitudes. Assessing how you behave in different situations can help to understand the way you feel and behave: where you are likely to be strong and when you might feel less certain. For example:

  Are you energized around people or do you prefer to spend time alone? ▪ Do you think quickly or do you tend to take time to reflect first?

  Do you prefer to do a few things well or pursue many things superficially?

  Are you an open person or more private?

  Do you prefer order and structure or do you tend to live spontaneously, remaining open to possibilities?

Assess your future options and plans

The value of a personal profile lies in helping to understand yourself: what you like and dislike; where you succeed and fail; and where you are strong and weak.

There are several key questions that can help support an individual's career planning and development:

•         What are your goals and aspirations? Why are these important?

•         What is your timescale for achieving these goals, and what are the key milestones that will need to be achieved?

•         Are your development plans in line with the goals you want to pursue?

•         What opportunities are available - now and in the foreseeable future?

•         How do your skills match with the business strategy?

•         What further support do you need?

•         How will you ensure success?

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO PREPARE & BEHAVE DURING THE INTERVIEW

Read the job description and company profile carefully.

•         Ask the employer for more details.

•         Write down the name & contact number of the recruiter to call back later.

•         Find out more about the company, the job and the industry.

•         Be punctual for your interview.  If you cannot attend contact

•         Carry your resume, transcripts, certificates and relevant documents .

•         Look into the eyes of the interviewer and act confidently.

•         Be honest and enthusiastic and highlight your strengths.

•         Show loyalty to old employer and fulfill responsibilities before joining.

•         Send the employer a Thank You email after the interview.

•         Follow up on the status after two or three days showing interest. 

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: NEGOTIATION SKILLS

DAY 84

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SELF-DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

Learning to build your skills and effectiveness

The self-development cycle is a method of planning development activities in a rigorous, thorough and practical way.

The success of the self-development cycle depends on repeating the planning process regularly (at least every year, preferably every six months or when circumstances change, such as taking on a new role). The seven stages of the cycle are:

1.      Establish the purpose

You need to keep the overall aim firmly in mind and then ensure that all activities directly support this aim. Without this clear goal in mind it is often difficult to stay on track, keep momentum or maintain motivation.

2.      Identify development needs

Identify development needs so that a programme for meeting those needs can be devised. In particular, the needs must be realistic and time-constrained, with a definite deadline.

3.      Look at (and for) your opportunities for development

Deciding how to meet your development needs is the next stage and this may include a mix of formal and informal methods. As well as effectiveness, cost and timing, bear in mind your own preferred learning style: what approach suits you best?

4.      Formulate an action plan

This will be necessary for more complex development needs requiring a range of activities or an ongoing process. You should also consider how the development process will be supported, perhaps by a mentor.

5.      Complete the development activity

This is the core of the process. It is worth considering specifically how the results will be integrated into workplace activities.

6.      Record outcomes

Keep track of development activities in order to assess results against planned objectives - reviewing progress and understanding what methods work best - and plan future activities.

7.      Review and evaluate

Evaluating an event will help you assess whether the original objective has been met and the development need fulfilled.

SKILL CAPSULE: WHAT INFORMATION TO GATHER ABOUT THE COMPANY

•         Industry

•         Company position in the industry

•         Competitors

•         Turn over.

•         Market Share.

•         What kind of a job it is.

•         What kind of a person they are looking for

•         Who is your future Boss

•         Who will interview

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BULLYING A SUBORDINATE

DAY 85

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUES

Finding the best solution

Resolving problems requires a logical and systematic approach to define the problem, generate solutions, and implement the best option.

Techniques to identify and understand the problem

Being thorough, critical and aware of hidden problem-solving traps, discussing issues and options with others, allowing time to reflect and testing and perfecting solutions will enable you to find the right course of action. Consider your personal style because, no matter how logical a solution seems, your emotions and values will affect your ability to follow through.

Cause-and-effect analysis

This deepens your understanding of the problem, identifying the root causes by collecting data and seeking the opinions of those involved.

Pareto analysis

Based on the view that 80 per cent of problems are caused by 20 per cent of possible causes, this analysis works best when there are only a few main causes that can be ranked. It does not work well for a large number of equally responsible factors. By ranking the causes, the most significant factors are revealed and the problem can be eliminated or its impact reduced.

Here are the four steps in Pareto analysis:

1.       Identify the overarching problem.

2.       Determine the causal factors and how often they occur.

3.       List the biggest factors.

4.       Develop a solution, targeting each factor individually.

Kepner-Tregoe (KT) analysis

This is particularly useful for the 'hard' management issues. Its methodical approach identifies what the problem is and explores the differences between what happens and what should happen by listing the possible causes of each problem or, where factors are linked, the whole problem. The process starts by asking:              

• What is the problem or deviation?                      • How does it occur - and how often?

• Where does it occur?                                                 • When does it (or did it) occur?

• How big is the problem?

Techniques to generate options and solutions

•         When time is short:

  go ahead and try - if it doesn't work, try something else

  do some test marketing

  develop varied and diverse teams

  get external input

  reduce hierarchy

  involve others - remove barriers to creative thinking

  be less critical of failure - emphasize the importance of trying

  impose deadlines, to focus efforts.

•         Heuristics uses experience to guide decisions.

•         Mind-mapping organizes thoughts and ideas clearly, to identify patterns and reveal new approaches.

•         Lateral thinking combines ideas and concepts that haven't previously been brought together - think outside the box.

•         Question and challenge the way options are generated. Provide a supportive environment that challenges traditional thinking.

•         Brainstorming generates, discusses, develops and prioritizes options. When brainstorming, develop lots of ideas, suspend judgement, encourage free thinking, and cross-fertilize ideas.

•         Make and implement the decision.

•         Select the most promising solution and plan its implementation, and:

  avoid procrastination, decision avoidance and over-analysis

  manage risk - assess weaknesses and deal with them

  value your intuition and experience

  be confident in your decision and committed to achieving a solution.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO HOLD THE INTERVIEWER’S ATTENTION?

Attention Level – 0 to 10 Seconds is 100% , 10 to 60 Seconds it falls to 50%,  60 to 90 it falls to almost 10% if there are no interruptions. Near the end of your long response the interviewer starts to formulate their next question unless you keep them engaged. By asking a question you promote two-way communications and minimize the risk of talking too much.  This helps you ensure they are listening while you talk.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

•         Brief overview of most relevant experience. in reverse chronological order)

•         Highlight experience, education, "results- focused", "persistence" "detail oriented“

•         Ask question to uncover interviewer's job requirements -  "Target Question“

•         Keep your response brief, between 60 and 90 seconds.

•         Can ask the interviewer a question e.g. "Am I giving you  too much detail at this point?“ or What parts of my background would you like to discuss first?

EXAMPLE

 "I am a presently ‘Senior Executive Accounts’.  I have a lot of experience in tax issues and audit. (expertise and skills)  My experience includes carrying internal audit for ISO 9000 and resolving tax issues for the last 2 years (insert knowledge or skill)  I have worked in the Construction Industry and t6he Media Industry. My background also includes roles as Junior Accountant (position title), Senior Accountant (position title) and Senior Auditor (position title).  My education/certifications include CA (degree or certification) and M. Com.  I would like to be described by my Colleagues as ‘results focused’ & ‘details oriented. Highlights of my professional accomplishments include winning the “Employee of the Year Award in 2003 and the ‘Best Suggestion Award in 2004

TYPES OF QUESTIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE WORKER

•         Do you own a personal computer and, if so, what kind?

•         What software do you know how to operate?         

•         Do you have a fax modem?                Yes__________ No__________

•         Do you use an e-mail program?       Yes__________ No__________ 

•         What literature that relates to your profession do you read, including books, newspapers, trade magazines, etc.?              

•         What classes or seminars have you taken on your own during the last three years to advance your career and personal growth?

•         What efforts have you made at "networking" to advance your career? 

•         What volunteer or non-profit activities do you engage in?

•         Where do you see your profession going in the next five to ten years?

•         Where do you see the industry going?                           

•         What are you doing to stay on top of these changes? 

•         What are the most important things to you about any job?  Is it the pay, the opportunities, feelings of self-worth, fellow employees, location, benefits, etc.? 

•         What efforts do you make to keep yourself healthy?  Do you exercise, eat a proper diet, refrain from smoking, take nutritional supplements, meditate, etc.?

•         Who do you consider to be your professional role model? Why do you consider this person to be so special?  How can you improve on that person's contributions? 

•         When it comes to getting paid, are you the type of person that is more interested in a steady paycheck with good benefits or would you rather work for a company where there may be greater risk but yet greater rewards in terms of both pay and job satisfaction?  Please explain 

•         What type of incentive programs have you found to work best?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HAPPY LEADER

DAY 86

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THINKING FLAWS AND PITFALLS

It's not what we know that matters, but how we react to what we don't know

The way people think, as individuals and collectively, affects the decisions they make in ways that are far from obvious and rarely understood. John Hammond, Ralph Keeney and Howard Raiffa provide intriguing insights in this area.

Thinking flaws cause problems. Evaluate your vulnerability and find ways to counter each trap.

The traps of thinking flaws

•         The anchoring trap leads us to give disproportionate weight to the first information that we receive. Solution: be sure about what is happening and ensure that you have all the information.

•         The status quo trap biases us towards maintaining the current situation - even when better alternatives exist (caused by inertia or potential loss of face). Solutions: be open, honest and courageous.

•         The sunk-cost trap inclines us to perpetuate past mistakes - we have invested so much in this we cannot alter course: Solution: if it's spent, it's spent - worry about the present and future, not the past.

•         The confirming-evidence trap results in seeking information to support the current situation and to ignore opposing information. Solution: avoid!

•         The framing trap, when we incorrectly state a problem, undermines the decision-making process. Solution: see issues for what they are.

•         The over-confidence trap makes us overestimate the accuracy of our forecasts. Solution: be self-critical.

•         The prudence trap leads us to be over-cautious when estimating uncertain factors. Solution: be realistic.

•         The recent-event trap leads us to give undue weight to recent or dramatic events. Solution: be aware of the trap and counter the danger it poses.

Fragmentation and groupthink

As well as thinking flaws, there are two pitfalls of organizational culture - fragmentation and groupthink:

•         Fragmentation - people disagree, either with peers or superiors.

•         Groupthink - people suppress ideas and support the group.

Overcoming thinking flaws

•         Be bold and don't fear consequences - we over-estimate consequences and tend to discount our ability to make the right choice because of 'loss aversion', where we fear loss hurts more than gain.

•         Trust instincts and emotions - we have evolved to make good decisions and manage their implementation.

•         Play devil's advocate - searching for flaws and failings strengthens decisions and illuminates factors and biases affecting decisions.

•         Avoid irrelevancies - be ready to question the information and its context.

•         Reframe the decision - view issues from new perspectives.

•         Don't let the past hold you back - regardless of past investments, look for better alternatives.

•         Challenge groupthink - people are often afraid to comment because of social pressure. Find out what people really think.

•         Limit your options - the more options we have, the harder decisions are. Ruthlessly cut through the options and choose the most promising.

SKILL CAPSULE: STOP PROCRASTINATING

Most people at some time or another will have found themselves putting off starting a task, even though they feel uncomfortable about doing so. This is known as procrastination, which can be defined as:

'The act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.'

Or 'To voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.'

This putting off of important tasks results in a sense of guilt that causes a loss of motivation and personal productivity. It can also lead to stress as a result of disapproval for not meeting commitments.

Almost everyone is guilty of procrastination occasionally. High-priority tasks are usually difficult or time-consuming and it is often easier to find simpler, less important tasks to do instead. Sometimes delaying a high-priority task is completely justified because you don't have all of the information that you need or you feel that the task may be given a lower priority as circumstances change.

If you feel uncomfortable justifying to yourself why you are not getting on with a particular task then you need to accept that you are probably guilty of procrastination

Even if you don't suffer from this problem yourself, it is possible that someone in your team does and you may be able to help him or her to overcome it.

If you want to improve your personal productivity, you will need to identify the types of job you put off and the reasons and excuses you give yourself.

Many people admit to putting off jobs because: they find the job daunting or unpleasant, or they hope that the job will somehow go away, or they just don't know where to start. They may justify this by finding routine tasks to do instead. Alternatively, they may wait until the pressure is really on before starting to take appropriate action.

Putting off jobs we dislike doing is a common trait. Unfortunately, most jobs that are put off don't go away - they remain waiting to be done, and they tend to stay at the back of our minds, often causing feelings of guilt and acting as a distraction.

Another disadvantage of this type of behavior is that it tends to lead to an ever-increasing number of jobs that remain outstanding. This growing list becomes ever more daunting and it then becomes more and more difficult to make a start on any of them.

If you find yourself using your 'To Do' list in the following ways you are delaying tasks and causing yourself unnecessary guilt and stress by doing so. You can also assess how much you procrastinate when making decisions by looking at how many of the common behaviors you exhibit.

• Repeatedly handling papers rather than deal with it first time.

• Keep on re-reading emails to put of deciding if you should delete / file / respond.

• Distract yourself by leaving your desk rather than start on high-level task.

• Postpone working on high-level task until you 'Feel like it!'

• Start work on high-level task at last minute because you work better under pressure.

The acid test is how your morale, motivation, and personal productivity are affected by putting off a particular task. If you are feeling guilty or embarrassed about your behavior then you need to understand why you are procrastinating as a first step to overcoming this tendency.

If you keep a record of how you spend your day, you can now look back at it and see if you can identify any tasks that you normally have difficulty starting or sticking at. Once you recognize the types of task that cause you to procrastinate, you can try to manage and eliminate this behavior.

One thing that you will need to guard against is the tendency to justify procrastination on the basis that you're just putting a job off until you're 'in the right mood' to do it. Your ability to be successful at any task is not dependent upon your mood. There are occasions when you will have to do something you don't like, even if you don't feel like it - it is just essential that the task is completed. That doesn't mean your results are going to be of a lesser quality, or that the task will be a failure. It just means that in this instance your motivation comes after you've started work on something.

Sometimes, working on a project helps bring about a change in our mood. We can't always expect to be in the right mood all the time. Neither should you expect to be able to work on things in life only when you're in the right mood. These are just elaborate excuses we make up to reinforce our procrastinating behavior.

Psychologists believe that the tendency to put off certain types of activity even when we know it is not in our long-term interests has its roots in behavioral evolution. The theory is that early humans gained more benefit by saving the energy needed to implement long-term plans in favor of saving it for dealing with immediate problems. In other words:

Taking time to think about longer-term plans could be a distraction from short-term survival.

This makes it difficult for abstract motivations to overcome avoidance of tasks that do not give us short-term pleasure. Whilst this hypothesis cannot be proven, it is tempting to believe that the tendency to procrastinate must have some fundamental reason for being so powerful and widespread.

Even if this behavior does have its roots in evolution, it has certainly outlived its usefulness in the modern workplace. As a manager you will have many important tasks that you need to complete. There may be no short-term payoff for you, but their importance as part of the overall success of your organization makes them essential to complete. The issue for you is how to avoid falling into the numerous ways and behaviors we can adopt to 'put off' performing such tasks.

Key Points

• Continually putting off important tasks is called 'procrastination.' It results in a sense of guilt that causes a loss of motivation and personal productivity.

• Almost everyone is guilty of procrastination occasionally. High-priority tasks are usually difficult or time-consuming and it is often simpler to find easier, less important tasks to do instead.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SUDDENLY LOSING TEMPER

DAY 87

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Which way to go?

Developed by Kurt Lewin, Force Field analysis is a technique that identifies and reviews the conflicting factors affecting an either/or situation or decision in order to assess which of the two options is the correct route to take. It clarifies the issues involved, to help you make the right decision.

Overview

Force Field analysis can be applied to a wide range of issues and is particularly useful when our thinking over an issue has become stuck and we are unsure how to move forward. It works best for decisions or situations with two options. As it looks at the forces driving or blocking movement towards a goal, it is commonly used in coaching.

How it works

1.       Create two tables side by side and write the decision that has to be made between them.

2.       List the reasons (forces) for change in one table and the forces against change in the other. This list should be thorough and it should accurately and honestly reflect the thoughts, feelings and concerns of the person completing the analysis.

3.       Assign a score to each force (1 being rated low, 10 being highly significant). Using weighted arrows is a good way to depict the relative significance of each force. Consider the score you assign to each factor.

4.       Total the scores for each side.

5.       Review the result:

a.       Determine whether the list was as comprehensive and accurate as it could be and reflect on why each force was included and why some factors were left out.

b.       Consider why you assigned a particular score to each factor.

c.       Decide what the different totals mean to you and how they will influence the decision you make.

6.       Reach a decision and examine your goals. As well as seeing the larger picture and weighing up the relative merits of each option, you can then examine the forces in more detail in order to determine the best way to implement your decision — such as whether to change career. Also, while Force Field analysis is used to explore a current choice that has to be made, it can act as a springboard to considering your goals in more detail.

Example of Force Field analysis used to consider a career change

Forces for change Score Forces against change Score

More money 8 Sunk cost - already started current career 2

Better work –life balance 7 Effort required to find the right job 3

Better long-term prospects 5 CHANGE

  CAREER Competitiveness of the job market 3

More stimulating and varied 4 Lack of relevant experience 5

Greater responsibility 6 Concerns about self-confidence 7

Greater emphasis on developing new skills 2 Fear of failure 7

Total 32 Total 27

SKILL CAPSULE: RISK MANAGEMENT

Many, many books have been written about risk management, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of consultants offering to help you to manage the risk for your project and/or business. But is risk management really that complicated?

In its simplest terms, risk management is thinking about what could possibly go wrong, deciding how likely and/or catastrophic that would be, and taking action to avoid either the problem or its

Steps for a Successful Risk Management Strategy

 

1 - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Write down everything that could possibly go wrong, whether it’s big or small.

Include every last little thing that you can think of is relevant. Brainstorming is ideal here, as it’s likely to get all the ideas out. Then you might want to group the ideas into themes. Although this is not absolutely essential, it can be helpful where you have identified a lot of risks, as you can then produce a summary risk register, with one over-arching risk for each theme. You can also see where your risks overlap, and ensure that each one is genuinely different, and it’s easier to think about who might take responsibility for each.

 

2 - Assign a Date by Which the Risk Will Have Occurred

Every risk needs a date by which it will either have happened, or no longer be at risk of happening.

Agree this date, and enter it in your risk register. It is not good practice to put ‘Ongoing’ under this column, so do try to quantify it if you possibly can.

 

3 - Quantify your Risks

Now, on a scale of 1–5, where 5 is high, decide how likely each risk is to happen (likelihood). Then decide, again on a scale of 1–5, how much of an impact it would have on the project if it happened (impact).

Again, discussion is very helpful. Agree first what each value means, where, for example, on impact, ‘5’ means that the project could not continue, ‘4’ means that it would have a significant effect on the bottom line, and so on. As you get further down the list of risks, you might want to revisit those you did earlier to make sure your analysis is consistent.

Now multiply ‘likelihood’ by ‘impact’ to give you an overall rating for each risk, from 0 to 25. This will show you where to concentrate your effort. You can use a traffic light system for this, where Red is anything over about 18, Amber is 10–18 and Green is anything under 10. And if you feel that any of them don’t come high enough up, then revisit your analysis. You have to be comfortable with this. Any risk which rates Red or Amber should be mitigated in some way.

4 - Decide on Mitigation

There are four main types of mitigation action or strategy: acceptance, avoidance, limitation and transference.

  Acceptance means accepting the risk, and taking no action to mitigate it. It’s a reasonable strategy for a risk that will only have a small impact, or is unlikely to happen, and where taking any action to mitigate it could be disproportionately expensive, but it’s not going to work for every risk on your list.

  Avoidance means making every effort to avoid the risk. This strategy is normally very expensive, and only worthwhile for really catastrophic risks that are almost certain to happen.

   Limitation is the most usual mitigation strategy, which aims to limit either the likelihood or the impact of the risk, and therefore reduce the effect that it will have on the business or project. It’s a bit like a hybrid acceptance/avoidance strategy.

  Transference is the transfer of risk to someone else who is prepared to accept it. This is a strategy used by a lot of companies to avoid having to undertake activities which are not part of their core competences but would be a problem if they went wrong. It includes, for example, outsourcing of payroll management.

5 - Re-quantify the Risks

Have another look at each risk. How much does your mitigation reduce the likelihood and/or impact? Recalculate the overall rating for each risk. Any which are still Red or Amber need further mitigation.

 

6 - Assign Responsibility

Every risk needs to have a single owner. That’s not necessarily the person who is going to carry out all the mitigation. It’s the person who is responsible for ensuring that the mitigation happens, and who answers to the Board or project manager for the risk. It is no good assigning risk ownership to someone who is not present, as they are unlikely to accept it. Every risk should be owned by someone who is round the table and part of the risk discussions. If you don’t have the right people round the table, get them there.

 

7 - Periodically Review and Close/Move to the Issues List

Every few months, at least, you should review the risk register, and check:

• Progress on mitigation, and whether the mitigation is still relevant, or if more and/or different action is necessary;

• Whether any of the risks are past their ‘sell-by’ date, and can therefore be closed (that is, you can agree that they are no longer likely to happen), or have already happened, and should therefore be moved to the ‘Issues list’.

8 - Deal with Issues

Alongside the risk register, you also need to maintain an active ‘issues list’, which includes all those risks which have already happened, and therefore become issues, and how you are managing them. This may be the same as the original mitigation, or it may require different action now the event has definitely happened.

Take Ownership of Risk Management

One final point, and one to ignore at your peril.

It’s no good having the best risk analysis in the world if nobody has read it, and nobody takes action as a result.

Risk management, and crucially, the thinking about ‘what could possibly go wrong, and what should we do to prevent it?’ should be a key part of your strategy development. It needs to be integral to your organisation at all levels.

You may be surprised at the previously unmentionable concerns which become discussable in the context of a conversation about risks and how to manage them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CORNERING A SUBORDINATE

DAY 88

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE NINE-BOX GRID

Assessing performance and potential

The Nine-Box Grid measures individuals' performance and potential - identifying areas for improvement and highlighting their development needs.

Overview

The Nine-Box Grid is especially popular in organizations and among professionals who are particularly focused on developing their current and potential leaders, and for whom developing talent is a priority. In essence, it takes a view of an individual's success and effectiveness in their current role (performance), while adding the perspective of their future potential - what they are capable of contributing and achieving. The grid can help organizations understand what is needed for success both now and in the future, and how to ensure that people are recruited and developed in the most effective way possible, benefiting the organization and each individual.

The grid's greatest value lies in the dialogue it creates and the focus it provides. The multiple perspectives provide for a much more accurate assessment than simply one person's opinion. Also, the process helps to identify development needs as well as highlighting where performance needs to be improved.

Using the Nine-Box Grid: key questions

When assessing a person's performance and potential, it can help to keep several questions in mind:

•         How well have they achieved their goals and objectives? What evidence is there?

•         What do they do successfully and how can they improve their performance?

•         What are this person's motivations? How can I get them engaged with the changes that are needed?

•         What are their development needs? What activities might work best to help them make progress and achieve their potential?

•         What will success look like?

 

High /above target (approximately 15% of an organization’s employees) Trusted professional

High performance, low potential

•         High performer, may be hard to replace(e.g. specialist role)

•         Maybe a technical expert – focus on retention and motivation

•         Reached career potential – provide support, perhaps encourage them Strong performer

High performance, medium potential

•         Significantly exceeds expectations and has potential (and possibly expects) to be promoted

•         Find ways to develop their potential. E.g coaching, stretch goals or new assignments Top talent

High performance, high potential

•         Has clear capacity to advance beyond their current role

•         Significantly exceeds objectives –may push boundaries and press for change

Medium /on target (approximately 75%) Skilled

Performance meets expectations, low potential

•         Solid performer, possibly a specialist, but with limited potential for promotion

•         Consider coaching from manager Core performer with potential

Performance meets expectation medium potential

•         Delivers expectations as the potential to do more

•         Needs to be developed tested and challenged – find ways to stretch and test their abilities Strong potential

Performance meets expectations , high potential

•         Under-utilized talent who could achieve even more

•         Find ways to stretch, stimulate and develop (or they may leave)

Low /below target (Approximately 10%) Watchlist

Low/unacceptable performance, low potential

•         Performance is weak and unacceptable and potential may have been reached

•         Find ways to improve performance – consider development activities, a move to another role, or exit Weak performer

Low /unacceptable performance medium potential

•         Good potential but underperforms against objectives

•         Focus on their motivation and fitb with the role, they ma be in the worj=ng role, consider redeployment Emerging star

Low /unacceptable performance, high potential

•         May be new ti the role

•         Strong potential but may need support to improve performance

•         Manage closely, srt SMART objectives and help them succeed

Low/limited Medium /can be developed High / new challenge needed

                                                                                                                Potential

The aspiration for most organizations is to have their employees in the shaded areas of the grid; here, they are either performing to the best of their ability, or they are strong performers with the ability to go even further.

By using the opinions of several people, the Nine-Box Grid generates more accurate assessments. The process also helps to focus thinking on what exactly is expected of leaders and what success looks like.

SKILL CAPSULE: 14 PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Knowledge management is a political topic.

After all, knowledge underlies everything your business does. Your strategies, programs, projects, processes and communications depend on knowledge.

Your knowledge management program needs the support of executive management to have any chance of success. Knowledge management principles define your high level approach to managing your organization's knowledge.

They make a clear policy statement that align your organization around a knowledge management approach.

Definition: Knowledge Management Principles

Knowledge management principles are an enduring set of guidelines for managing knowledge that are established by an organization, program or team.

Establishing principles is one of the most effective actions management can take to support your knowledge management program.

Your knowledge management principles will be unique to your organization. The following examples are a starting point.

1. Knowledge is a Valuable Asset

Knowledge management is based on the idea that knowledge is an asset that should be managed (just as capital assets are managed).

Explicitly stating that knowledge is a valued asset makes it clear that teams are expected to manage and protect knowledge.

2. Knowledge is Stored in A Central Repository

One of the biggest problems that knowledge management programs face is islands of knowledge. Teams and individuals have a tendency to horde knowledge in their own makeshift repositories.

This principle makes it clear that everything goes into one central repository. Your knowledge repository (e.g. enterprise content management system) should allow teams and users to create their own knowledge spaces.

3. Knowledge is Retained

Knowledge is retained according to organizational retention policies. Retention may be managed with a set health check criteria for knowledge. For example, knowledge that is old, unreferenced and unused may be pruned.

4. Knowledge is Quality Controlled

Set the expectation that knowledge is quality controlled. For example, quality guidelines may state that document authorship (who contributed to knowledge) be captured.

5. Knowledge is Sustained

A sustainable approach to knowledge management. For example, minimizing the resources used by knowledge repositories.

6. Knowledge is Decentralized

Most knowledge management responsibilities lie with those teams closest to the knowledge. It's a bad idea to centralize all knowledge management processes.

7. Knowledge is Social

Knowledge that sits on a shelf has no value. The value of knowledge depends on communication and socialization. The creation, assessment, improvement and use of knowledge is largely a social process.

8. Knowledge is Shared

A primary goal of knowledge management is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Encourage your organization to share (e.g. lunch and learn sessions).

9. Knowledge is Accessible

Knowledge is more valuable when it's accessible to a wide audience. Privacy and confidentiality prevent most organizations from sharing all knowledge. However, it's important to set the expectation that a valid reason is required to restrict access.

The concept of accessibility also addresses access to knowledge for individuals with disabilities or special needs.

10. Knowledge is Secured

Knowledge is your most valuable information. It's critical that information security best practices be followed for knowledge management processes and tools.

11. Knowledge is Searchable

Search is a critical tool for knowledge discovery. Executive management may choose to make search a priority.

12. Work Produces Knowledge

Set the expectation that every program, project, process and initiative is expected to generate knowledge. In some organizations, every meeting is expected to generate knowledge.

13. Knowledge is Measured

Require teams to measure their knowledge management processes and knowledge assets.

14. Knowledge is Improved

Knowledge that isn't improved quickly loses it's value. Knowledge management is a process of continual improvement.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: THREATENING WITH JOB OR TERMINATION

DAY 89

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Using personality types

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric test to identify personality types and to understand how people perceive the world and make decisions. These types reveal an individual's preferred way of thinking that affects how they view themselves, relate to others and approach situations, problem-solving and decision-making.

MBTI is based on Carl Jung's psychological types, and organizes types into four opposite pairs of personality preferences in four categories (Attitudes, Perceiving Functions, Judging Functions and Lifestyle):

1.       Attitudes:                                            Extraversion                     or                           Introversion

2.       Perceiving Function:                     Sensing                                or                           Intuition

3.       Judging Function:                           Thinking                             or                           Feeling

4.       Lifestyle:                                             Judging                                                or                           Perceiving

These pairs are assigned letters to highlight which combination is dominant - there are 16 combinations. MBTI does not assess ability or make value judgements. It simply identifies the main personality type - for example, while people can use all four Perceiving and Judging Functions (sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling) at different times, they tend to use one more than the others. The combinations are revealing. For example, the four Functions operate in conjunction with the Attitudes, with each Function being used in either an extraverted or introverted way. A person whose dominant Function is extraverted intuition (EN) uses intuition very differently from someone who tends towards introverted intuition (IN).

The personality types

ATTITUDES

Extraversion – e

Draws energy from action Acts first, reflects, then acts again Motivation tends to decline

Flow of energy directed outwards towards others Action-oriented and prefers dealing with a broad range of issues

Prefers frequent interaction with others

Introversion – i

Energy drops during actions Prefers to reflect, then act, then reflect

Needs time out to reflect and re-energize

Flow of energy directed inwards towards concepts and ideas

Prefers in-depth thinking

Prefers substantial, meaningful interaction with others

PERCEIVING FUNCTIONS - INFORMATION GATHERING

Sensing – s

Likely to trust information that is present and tangible

Tends to distrust baseless hunches Prefers details and facts - believing meaning is in data Intuition – n

Trusts data that is abstract or theoretical

More interested in possibilities

Tends to trust flashes of insight

Believes meaning lies in how the data fits patterns and theories

JUDGING FUNCTIONS - MAKING DECISIONS

Thinking – t

Tends to take a detached approach to making decisions

Measures decisions against a given set of rules and by what is reasonable, logical, causal and consistent Feeling - f

Makes decisions through association and empathy Sees problems from the inside, and seeks a solution that considers those involved and is consensual and harmonious

LIFESTYLE - RELATING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Judgement – j

Prefers certainty and having matters settled Indicates how they show others which judging Function they tend towards -Thinking or Feeling:

•         Tj types appear logical

•         FJ types appear empathetic Perceiving – p

A preference for keeping decisions open and flexible

Indicates how they show others which Perceiving Function they tend towards - Sensing or Intuition (N):

•         SP types appear concrete

•         NP types appear more abstract

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO TEST MOTIVATION

•         Environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.

•         Imagine you got national award five years from now. Why? Circumstances?

•         What goals, including career goals, have you set for your life?

•         Define “success” for your career? Now & at the end of your work life.

•         Example of how you motivated another person.

 COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ORGANISING A SEMINAR

DAY 90

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE JOHARI WINDOW

Developing yourself and strengthening teams

Developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, the Johari Window assigns aspects of personality to four 'window panes. Each pane represents the parts of our personality that are either known or unknown to ourselves or others. Its purpose is to improve self-awareness by clarifying what we know about ourselves and discovering how we appear to others and to act as a measure of relationships and how a team is functioning.

How it works

Include descriptions about yourself in each quadrant (characteristics, behaviours, beliefs, capabilities) and ask others to compile lists of descriptions of you - add these to each window pane. The aim is to reduce aspects we hide from others and become aware of traits we're blind to, to improve our self-awareness and build stronger teams and effective relationships.

Known to others

Being open

Things I know and like others to know

This reveals aspects that you are aware of and like others to know about. It is how you like to project yourself and how you manage your reputation. self-worth and ego.

Members of strong, established teams are more open, fewer traits are hidden and work well together.

Aim: to move aspects from other quadrants into this one because people work effectively in open honest, co-operative, trusting teams Blind spots

Things others know but I do not

This reveals aspects you are not aware of but that others notice. Knowing how you appear to others improves your self- awareness and enables you to explore your behavior.

Team members do not work well together when there are blind spots because it causes friction and resentment. Although comments can be difficult to hear, they will help to build better relationships

Not known to others

The hidden self

Things I know but conceal from others

This reveals aspects that you are aware of but prefer to conceal. Being aware of these traits (and reasons for concealment) improves self- awareness, relationships and the need to take action - to build trust, improve relationships and create positive, blame-free environments

Teams work better when hidden traits are revealed and discussed, enabling people to communicate and work together, free of mistrust and misunderstanding. Fundamentally, have a culture where individuals are not afraid to be open and honest. The unknown self

Things neither I nor others know

Given that these are things not consciously known, this is difficult. Look deeply and reflectively by yourself or with others (such as a coach) to reveal deeper truths, motivations, beliefs and issues. Moving these from the subconscious to the conscious enables you to deal with issues and move forward. Moving these issues into the open pane, depends on their nature - some things are personal and of no relevance to business.

To reveal hidden talents, try new activities or courses. Companies should provide opportunities for individuals to discover new talents and encourage people to try new things, take risks and achieve their full potential.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

•         When you had to work closely with a coworker whom you disliked. How did you make the relationship work so you could succeed for your company?

•         When you disagreed with the decisions of your manager or supervisor. Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction or did nothing change?

•         When you worked with a friend. What did you do to ensure that the friendship bore positive results for your company?

•         How did you resolve a conflict? What happened  to the coworker or team?

•         Describe behaviors, actions, or attitudes you are most likely to conflict with at work? Give  an example of a situation you addressed in the past? How was it resolved?

•         Name factors that make you an effective, valued coworker in your current job? What would your supervisor say are the three most important factors?

•         If you have reporting staff, how would these staff members describe you?

•         Describe a time when you demonstrated that you have the ability and desire to work effectively with your coworkers.

•         When you have entered a new workplace, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: GIVING A FAREWELL SPEECH

DAY 91

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING

Developing organizational learning

Double-loop learning is a way to break people out of a cycle that just perpetuates the way things are done. Double-loop learning encourages critical reflection of an issue, enabling people to question what under-pins accepted methods, thinking and processes. Quite simply, it encourages people to ask why something is the way it is.

Overview

Organizational learning matters for many reasons. In particular, it supports successful and relevant problem solving and decision-making, avoiding slow responses and stagnation and ensuring the long-term profitability of a company. To help organizations improve how they learn, Chris Argyris and Donald Schon distinguished between single-loop and double-loop learning. Single-loop learning simply maintains and improves an existing process - it doesn't question the validity of the process. Double-loop learning involves challenging the existence and function of a process, enabling a step-change in how a company operates.

Instead of simply measuring what people do, double-loop learning is about looking at what they do not do and then changing methods, behaviour and thinking accordingly. Fundamentally, it is about challenging the status quo, testing how people both learn and apply that learning and then encouraging the adoption of a more critical approach to making improvements across a wide range of activities - from processes and plans to goals and values.

The key point of double-loop learning is that it encourages people to raise their sights from the mundane and accepted, freeing them from the constraints of existing business dogma, encouraging them to see the bigger picture and refocusing their thinking towards how to achieve even greater advances. This enables them to assess situations and problem-solve effectively and creatively to produce ideas that are more likely to lead to the right changes and deliver significant success.

Organizational learning

Single-loop learning Tackles an issue by observing results, evaluating the situation within the current, accepted approach and devising solutions that operate within these boundaries. It seeks to improve by simply doing something better.

Double-loop learning Considers an issue through critical reflection, challenging assumptions and thinking creatively. This type of organizational learning aims to make significant improvements through identifying the fundamental changes that are necessary to gain competitive advantage.

Following on from double-loop learning, William Isaacs advocates triple-loop learning, where people need to be constantly aware of how their language and behaviour influences the thinking and assumptions of everyone else in the company, to avoid perpetuating erroneous thinking and methods and to create the right culture and mindset.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

o   You attend a weekly staff meeting with your supervisor. How do you communicate it to your reporting staff and coworkers?

o   Information you believe to be untrue or confidential has reached you via the grapevine. What actions will you take?

o   Example of a time when you were part of a project or team and you never knew what was happening.

o   Rate your communication skills on a scale of 1 to 10

o   Describe the work environment or culture and its communication style in which you experience the most success.

o   Describe five things about the communication within an organization that must be present for you to work most effectively?

o   How often do you believe it is necessary to withhold information Under what circumstances do you limit communication in your experience?

o   How have you handled a  boss, who fails to adequately communicate?

o   When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ADDRESSING YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME

DAY 92

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HERON’S SIX CATEGORIES OF INTERVENTION

How to help others achieve more

Developed by the psychologist John Heron, this model identifies six different approaches to helping someone during coaching, training or development sessions. Which approach is used depends on the person, the situation and their goals, and success requires the flexibility to deploy the right style at the right moment. The model can be applied to many situations where you want to offer support, guidance or feedback.

Using the categories

These are Heron's Six Categories of Intervention:

1.       Prescriptive

2.       Informative

3.       Confrontational

4.       Cathartic

5.       Catalytic

6.       Supportive

It is not enough to want to help people overcome difficulties or face challenging situations; what matters is knowing how best to help each particular person. And that depends on knowing which style to use at the right time. The first three categories are authoritative, where the aim is largely to provide information and to direct the person to a particular solution. The last three aim to build people's self-confidence and to encourage them to find their own solutions. While you will sometimes need to adapt your style during a conversation, it is important to plan ahead and think about what style will be most helpful.

Category Style Type of comment/ question

Prescriptive Offering advice and directing the individual ‘You need to consider ...' 

‘It would be useful to ...

Informative Giving useful information or instructions to help with a situation and guiding the person to a solution ‘This happens because…’

‘The reason for that is ...’

 Confrontational Being positive, confront and challenge the Person to direct them to a solution or course of action 'You said this happened…..but...'

‘Given the situation, why did you ...?'

 Cathartic Encouraging individuals to express their feelings and release built up stress, animosity and tension 'If that person was here, what would you like to say to them?' 

How did that make you feel?'

Catalytic Adopting a reflective style to promote others to be reflective and to identify their own solutions 'How could that situation have been handled differently, and would it have made a difference?'

'What effect do you think that approach had?'

Supportive Being empathetic to establish rapport, convey that you are on their side and build their confidence by emphasizing their achievements and capabilities 'You must have felt...'

I can see why you …'

'You are good at…’

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

o   Give an example of a successful project , your role& why it succeeded?

o   Describe two situations from your past work experience in which you have determined a team was the best potential solution to a problem, a needed process improvement, or a planned change. How did each work out?

o   What actions and support, in your experience, make a team successful?

o   Give me an example of a time when your work group or department worked especially well with another work group or department to accomplish a goal.

o   Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? If so, what assessment did you make of the reasons for the failure

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: REPEATING INTRODUCTIONS

DAY 93

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: RECONCILING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Benefiting from cultural diversity

Globalization has brought many benefits and opportunities, as well as risks. One of the greatest advantages is the ability to work with new people, cultures and perspectives. Management writer Fons Trompenaars highlights several principles to ensure success.

Managing cross-cultural relationships involves three stages:

1.       Being aware of the origins, nature and influence of cultural differences

2.       Respecting cultural differences in style and approach

3.       Reconciling cultural differences by showing people how to use a variety of values and approaches.

Universalism versus particularism

•         For universalists, rules and procedures are applied consistently

•         For particularists, relationships and flexibility are more important.

Universalists assume that certain standards are right and attempt to change attitudes to match their own. Particularist societies are characterized by the bonds of relationships rather than rules.

Individualis versus communitarianism

Individualist cultures (such as Israel, Canada and the USA) are self-oriented, emphasizing individual freedom and responsibility. Communitarian cultures (such as Mexico, India and Japan) emphasize the group and common goals.

Neutral versus affective

This focuses on the extent to which people display emotions and the interaction between reason and emotion in relationships. In neutral cultures, people are taught that it is incorrect to display emotion. In affective cultures, people express their emotions.

Specific versus diffuse

This affects the way people approach situations and their involvement in relationships. People from 'specific'-oriented cultures consider each element of a situation, analysing parts separately before putting them back together. People from 'specific'-oriented cultures separate work from personal relationships. In 'diffuse'-oriented cultures people see elements as part of a bigger picture with individualism subsumed. Examples of diffuse societies include China, Nigeria and Kuwait.

Achievement versus ascription

This focuses on how personal status is assigned. Achieved status (as found in, for example, the USA, Australia and Canada) relates to an individual's actions, whereas ascribed status (as found in, for example, Egypt, Argentina and the Czech Republic) is concerned with who you are.

Sequential versus synchronic

This is about perceptions of time. People in sequential cultures view time as a series of events, taking time and schedules seriously. Synchronic cultures view past, present and future as interrelated and do several things at once.

Internal versus external control

This has to do with the extent to which people believe that they're in control or are affected by their environment. People who have an inter-nally controlled view believe that they dominate their environment. Those with an externally controlled view focus on their environment rather than themselves.

Reconcile differences in the following ways:

•         Look for opportunities and value from both perspectives.

•         Define issues in terms of dilemmas or end results - what needs to be achieved - instead of focusing on the means. Find ways to avoid compromise as this is often the lowest common denominator.

•         Reach out to colleagues of different orientations. Their perspectives and experiences are potentially interesting and advantageous.

•         Be willing to invest effort in communicating across cultural boundaries.

•         Respect and practice generic and local business customs.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

o   How would your subordinates describe your management style?

o   How would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

o   Give me an example of handling underperforming employee

o   Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10

o   Provide three examples that demonstrate your selected number is accurate.

o   Describe work environment or culture or mgt in which you succeeded.

o   Give example of exceptional employee who sought more responsibility. Describe how you handled this situation day-to-day and over time.

o   Describe three components of your philosophy of management

o   What value can you add,  to an organization’s culture and work environment.

o   What factors are crucial for you to work most effectively?

o   Tell me how you have managed employee performance.

o   At a new workplace you will you develop relationships with new coworkers

o   How will you provide direction and leadership for a work unit.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: WHISTLE AND BURP.

 Invite three couples to take part in this simple game. Ask them to sit together at the front of the group. Give each of the boys five crackers and give each of the girls a can of coke. On the signal the boys must eat the crackers as fast as possible and then whistle a pre-selected tune to the satisfaction of the rest of the group. They then hand over to their partner (girl) who must drink the coke and then burp audibly. The first couple to finish wins a packet of crackers and a can of coke!

DAY 94

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE STRATEGIC HRM MODEL

Connecting HR with business strategy

The Human Resources Management (HRM) model integrates human resource plans directly into business strategy.

While assuming some aspects of corporate life as given, such as employee buy-in and effective team work, the HRM model serves to encourage you to gather the facts, focus your thinking, illuminate insightful information, examine the situation and develop HR solutions. The use of the model depends on how committed those involved are in following through on its findings and, more crucially, on how well the priorities of HR are already synced with the wider strategic aims of the company.

1.      Preparation

Set the scene ... Make sure senior management and leaders are on board and open to change, and establish the HR review team.

2.      Analyse your current and future HR profile

Look at all the various factors as they are and what you'd like them to be, including working practices, organizational and HR structure, compliance issues and culture. Always include hard data - if you're not dealing with facts, your findings and recommendations will be flawed.

Importantly, identify the gaps between what you have and what you need.

3.      Identify the main HR issues

Given the gap between the current situation and the company's strategic goals, decide the key HR issues involved in achieving goals - these range from seeking cultural change and downsizing to acquiring highly skilled personnel and stronger leadership.

4.      Develop an organization plan for HR

Divide your plan into four sections: people, processes, organization and technology. Review each aspect and develop an HR plan that meets the company's strategic aims.

5.      Devise a plan for implementation

Prioritize the needs and detail how the plan will be achieved and who will be responsible for each aspect of implementation.

6.      Implement your plan

Monitor and review progress - adjust your plan where necessary.

Most importantly, win hearts and minds and support your people. Your plans will be for nothing if you don't win people over and help them during the process of change.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS LEADERSHIP SKILLS

•         Tell me how you proceeded with the reorganization?

•         Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its success.

•         Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, Describe how you led & how people responded to your leadership.

•         How would  your reporting staff or your peers comment about your

•         Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.

•         How would you build support for goals and projects from people who do not report to you and over whom you have no authority. Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you can build the needed support.

•         What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.

•         During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have leadership ability and skill.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: KNOTS

 Divide your group into teams of 6-8. Each team forms a small circle. Ask them to extend their right hand across the circle and hold the left hand of the other team member opposite them. Then extend their left hand across the circle and hold the right hand of another group member. The task is to unravel the spider's web of interlocking arms without letting go of anyone's hands. Give them a three minute time limit to complete the task. Pressure!

DAY 95

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS

Working across borders

Geert Hofstede's model identifies five important dimensions of cultural differences that companies need to address when they operate internationally. When working with people from different countries, understanding the cultural differences will facilitate a more successful and effective relationship.

Overview

Companies often operate in a multicultural environment and Hofstede's model is used to improve the ability to work successfully across different countries. It helps people to recognize and understand the behavior and approaches of people from different cultures and, in turn, to appreciate how their own behaviours and actions are likely to be interpreted. Originally four, a fifth dimension was added later. These are shown in this diagram.

Cultural differences

1.       Individuals’ expectations of power and control 2.     A culture of individualism or collectivism 3.       A masculine or feminine culture 4.                    A Culture of uncertainty and avoidance or risk taking 5.       Long-term or short-term orientation

1.      Individuals' expectations of power and control

Referred to as the Power Distance Index, this indicates the amount of power that people operating at the same level expect to have. People at similar levels but working in different countries will have very different expectations of how much control and power they expect to have. In some cultures, employees at a lower level will not expect much power because they operate in highly centralized and hierarchical systems. In other countries, employees at the same lower level will expect to have more power and control.

2.      A culture of individualism or collectivism

A general culture of individualism or collectivism can pervade a particular country. Knowing this will help you to deal appropriately and effectively with the people involved.

3.      A masculine or feminine culture

This refers to a country's general approach, values and style. For example, in masculine countries, dominance, assertiveness and ambition are all emphasized while, in feminine countries, relationship building, nurturing and supporting are highly valued.

4.      A culture of uncertainly and avoidance or risk taking

Some cultures are characterized by risk aversion. These will often have regulations and practices in place to protect people against uncertainty - providing them with a higher degree of security. Conversely, some countries thrive on risk taking. This obviously has huge implications for setting and implementing strategy and for conditions of employment.

5.      Long-term or short-term orientation

It is important to know whether the people in a country tend to focus on the future or on the immediate. Their values and priorities may be at odds with colleagues from different countries.

Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions is a useful reminder to be aware of differences and to plan accordingly when operating in multicultural environments. However, as with all models that focus on generalities, care should be taken as people are individuals and can have values, approaches and expectations that are different from their country's average.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASK ABOUT A PERSON’S WEAKNESSES

o   Conventional Approach : State a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive like “I'm a workaholic and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to the best of my abilities.”

o   Interviewers want to see  how you handle this & what your response indicates about you.

o   Highlight your strengths for this position

o   Highlight an area that you are working to improve upon

o   Describe what you are doing to improve

o   Describe how this new skill improves your value to the company & Finally, ask a question.

EXAMPLE

“While there are several strengths I bring to this position, including being a top performer in my previous position and possessing strong industry knowledge, I am currently working to enhance my knowledge in the areas of business finance. I feel this is important because it allows me to directly relate products and services to customer's return-on-investment and to recommend department cost saving initiatives.

Would you like me to elaborate on either of these?”

NOTE : Asking a question will make the interview more conversational and avoid it becoming an interrogation.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BACKWARD CLUMPS

Divide into pairs. Ask each pair to sit on the floor with their partner, backs together, feet out in front and arms linked. Their task is to stand up together. Once everyone has done this, two pairs join together and the group of four try to repeat the task. After they succeed, add another two and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together. A sight to behold!

DAY 96

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ECOSYSTEMS, PARADIGMS AND THE CULTURE WEB

Understanding and managing the culture of your team or organization

Organizations can be viewed as a system of mutually reinforcing resources - an ecosystem. Closely related to the ecosystem is another factor affecting a firm's success: its cultural paradigm. When people join an organization they are taught that 'this is the way we do things. Understanding this paradigm is enhanced using a culture web.

Cultural ecosystems

Culture is collective and learned. It keeps organizations rooted in past methods and shapes behaviour - which is why understanding culture is important to changing behaviour or implementing new strategies. Culture can change in two ways: through incremental evolution or revolution. Sometimes, when the culture is out of line with the needs of the market, a radical break with the past is needed.

What is required is an emphasis on managing value drivers (aspects that make the greatest difference and provide most benefit to customers). Of these value drivers, employee-related factors (such as employee retention, satisfaction and productivity) determine customer service, revenue growth and profitability.

Paradigms

A paradigm can be defined as the beliefs and assumptions that employees hold about an organization and take for granted. This is an inevitable feature of working in organizations - people make assumptions. They are positive when they are used to define an organization's competencies and formula for success, successfully guiding the way people work as well as allowing the organization to develop. If the paradigm is mismanaged, however, it will act as a conservative influence and a barrier to progress, adaptability and change. A valuable technique for managing paradigms is to be explicit about them, discussing their key elements and mapping them in a culture web.

The culture web

An organization's culture or paradigm is best understood through a culture web. The central paradigm is comprised of several interrelated elements:

•         Stories and myths are tales (some real, some imagined) that symbolize what the organization is about.

•         Symbols include logos, titles and terminology that best capture the way people work.

•         Power structures are closely associated with the central paradigm and include powerful managerial groups (such as directors and the board) as well as groups that make the most money or create the brand.

•         Organizational structure, which is often changed and may be easy to change, is an important aspect of the culture web. It includes formal ways of working, it reflects the power structures and it signals what is important in the organization.

•         Control systems include any aspect of the organization that enables it to exert control. This includes remuneration, measurement and reward systems that indicate what behaviours are important in the organization.

•         Rituals are best described as 'the way we do things here’. Often taken for granted, they include links within the organization and any activities that reflect its nature and character.

The paradigm should reflect both the ecosystem and the sources of internal competitive advantage - for example, the tacit knowledge and experience of employees should be reflected in the paradigm.

SKILL CAPSULE: NETWORKING & GETTING AN INTERVIEW CALL (RULES)

o   Make a personal connection with everyone you contact.

o   Speak in your own voice and words.

o   Keep track of every contact and schedule your follow-up calls.

o   Walk around when you make the calls.

o   Describe what you're looking for in detail.

o   Ask for what you want specifically.

o   Commit to making a few calls every day.

o   Set your pace and keep going.

o   Get over any hurdles.  Keep contacting people.

  Your goal is to build your network of contacts, then the job will find you.

  SENDING THE EMAIL(EXAMPLE)

Hello Mr ---------,

Mr._____________suggested I contact you. I am an experienced __________looking to learn more about opportunities in the _____industry, and _______thought you would be a good person for me to contact.

  TYPICAL CALL(EXAMPLE)

You: "Hi my name is ________________ . Mr. .   ______________ gave me your name. Did I catch you at a good time?" (Asking this question demonstrates your respect for their time. This also makes certain you have their attention. The person will answer one of three ways.)

  You:

"The reason I'm calling is that _______thought you might have some ideas for me about targets for my job search like professional associations, companies to target or colleagues of yours." (It is imperative that you are specific about what you are looking for. The more specific you are the more likely they will be able to help you ) "Have you had a chance to have a look at my resume?"

  "I would love to have the opportunity to meet you and present myself. Would it be possible to meet with you for a half hour at your convenience?"

Networking Contact:

"No"

  Remain Prepared Always Because When Opportunity Calls It Is Too Late To Prepare

  Most job seekers wait until they have an interview to prepare. You can do very little.. Most job seekers spend more time and money on their resume than their interviews.  Your resume can not get you a job. Only a great interview will get you hired.

  Assuming you've got good interview skills because, you're good at your job, you're a good communicator, or you're qualified will not help you get hired.  All these assumptions are false.  The skil ls to do a job are different from the skills required to get a job.

  So what can you do to get ready before the company calls you for the interview?

  Get Questioned & Interviewed

List the questions you expect and the questions you fear.  Write your responses.  Practice responding out loud.  Have a friend practice interview you using the questions.  Keep each response to 60-90 seconds.  Ask a question after each response.

  Get Your Talent Inventoried

Create a list of your talents and skills called your ?Talent Inventory?. Your skills come from work, volunteering, hobbies, school and life.   Formulating your talent inventory prepares you for any question about your skills. 

  Get Phoned

How will you handle the unexpected phone interview?  Ask the caller to schedule a time later when you can talk privately.  Schedule the call like a face -to-face interview and you call them.  Ask how much time they'd like to speak and what they want to learn about you during the call.   

  Get Your Questions

Make a list of 5+ business focused questions you will ask interviewers.  Bring this list to the interview along with a note pad

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ON THE SPOT SPEAKING / HOW TO COVER UP ON HAUL WHILE SPEAKING

DAY 97

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

Understanding how organizations think, behave and develop

An organization's culture can be defined as: the patterns of behaviour that are encouraged or discouraged by people and systems over time Understanding the components of culture is essential for them to be managed effectively.

Overview

An organization's culture is largely shaped by four factors: its systems, symbols, behaviours and beliefs.

•         Systems are the way that people are supported. They include: planning and budgeting; performance review and reward; measurement and reporting; and learning and structure.

•         Symbols are about the way resources are allocated and include issues such as: how time is spent; people promotions and exits; as well as offices, car parks and titles.

•         Behaviours are the things that people do. They include: what is role modelled; meetings and conferences; and emails and other interactions with others.

•         Beliefs are the intangible views, perceptions, stories, myths and legends that permeate the organization and fundamentally affect the depth, speed and quality of thinking, decisions and effort.

Six tools for managing organizational culture

There are six tools or levers to use to shape an organization's culture:

1.       Vision - a clear, compelling view of the organization's purpose and how it will prosper. This guides the way people work.

2.       Values - the mindset and behaviour that characterize the way people work,

3.       Practices - how the values of an organization are translated into how it acts.

4.       People - the personalities, priorities, experiences and attitudes of the individuals who build and sustain the culture.

5.       Narrative - the story of the business: the heritage, successes and leg-ends that shape people's perceptions and affect their levels of engagement, excitement and action.

6.       Place - where people work, their physical environment and equipment, which can significantly affect the values and behaviours of people in the organization.

SKILL CAPSULE: ASKING YOU WHY YOU LEFT THE LAST JOB

1.       Be Succinct -  "My company merged with another firm and the new management wanted to bring in their own team. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

2.       Provide References and Proof - Provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

3.       Tell the Truth in Balance  Interviewers want to know that you were not the problem and to understand how you handled yourself.  Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

4.        Tell what you learned. - Demonstrates  you are a life-long learner & you look on the positive side.

5.       Speak Positively - Any negativity will only reflect negatively on you.  Do not express anger.

6.       Tell the Truth- Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

7.       Look them in the Eye  This  will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hide.

8.       Practice and Conquer Your Fear.  Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE:  READING AND WRITING IN PAIRS (BACK TO BACK)

DAY 98

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MANAGING CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS

Working successfully with people from different cultures

The best organizations recognize that, in a world where standardization and processes dominate, it is the combination of different people and the fusion of different ideas that generates progress and promotes success.

The best businesses reach out to customers and employees, managing and valuing cross-cultural relationships and ensuring maximum productivity, innovation and sales. Cultural diversity can be a valuable differentiator, enabling organizations to attract and retain the best people and helping them achieve their full potential.

Managing cross-cultural relationships is achieved by making decisions based on merit, encouraging different perspectives and challenging those behaviours that undermine other cultural or gender groups. It also means developing attitudes, practices and procedures that provide genuine equality of treatment and opportunity for all employees. Several specific techniques are particularly valuable.

Prepare for working across cultures

Broaden and develop your perspective by considering the following:

•         Your own culture is unique. When working across borders you are the stranger.

•         The culture you ignore most is your own. Look at yourself from the outside: What do others think?

•         Others think and act differently from you.

•         While your behaviour needs to adapt to norms, expectations and local customs, this does not mean imitating.

Be patient

Accept that your concept of time may be different - time frames may not be shared.

Beware of the 'denial of difference' and `illusion of similarity'

People may be excessively polite as a way of denying difference. Statements such as 'We share the same language ... we are united by the same industry, business or values' can hide a desire to avoid confronting the reality of cultural differences. Denying difference matters because it means we achieve only the lowest common denominator.

Take care when making jokes

Some jokes not only fail to travel across cultures, but they also cause offence. Humour can be a great support in cross-cultural situations but can also be culturally insensitive.

Understand each individual

Check your views and assumptions with others and:

•         recognize that you may hold stereotypical views

•         accept that cultural factors are mistakenly attributed to both sides

•         understand motives behind a specific behaviour. Don't superficially judge behaviours against your own standards.

Reconcile differences

Resolve cultural differences by doing the following:

•         Look for opportunities and the value of both perspectives, rather than favoring one or the other or seeing conflicts between different values.

•         Define issues in terms of dilemmas or end results - what it is that needs to be achieved - instead of focusing on the means. Find ways to avoid compromise as this is often simply the lowest common denominator.

•         Reach out to colleagues of different orientations. Their different perspectives and experiences are potentially interesting and a valuable advantage.

•         Be willing to invest effort communicating across cultural boundaries.

Respect and practice generic and local business customs, especially when it comes to communication.

SKILL CAPSULE: WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY OR CAREER?

This is normal and healthy. However, you must have a well structured response

"I'm concerned that you don't have any previous experience in this field (or industry).“

The strategy is to focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have.

YOUR RESPONSE

First: “That's a good concern. I'd like to share with you some additional information about that.”

Second: “From my previous experience, industry research and informational interviews, I've learned that to be successful in this career (or this industry) requires the following :

(a)

(b)

Third: List your strengths and highlight how they will be useful to the company.

EXAMPLE “A Passionate attention to detail, persistence & unwavering focus on results, staying current on industry dynamics and professional certifications, as well as the flexibility and intellectual agility to respond to constant change.”

Fourth: You ask a question. “I can give you specific examples where I've demonstrated each of these talents. Which of these qualities would you like me to elaborate upon?”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE:  READING ALOUD TO CLASS

DAY 99

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE EIGHT PRECONDITIONS FOR DIVERSITY

Diversity and competitive advantage

In a world where standardization and homogeneity dominate, diversity provides a distinctive source of competitive advantage: Eight preconditions are necessary for a business or team to benefit from identity-group differences.

Overview

Diversity is about understanding and respecting the different perspectives of our employees and customers, and it is a vital issue for a variety of commercial reasons. For example, we know that differences between people contribute significantly to making our businesses more innovative. This is not simply about visible differences such as gender, ethnicity, disability or age: it is about different perspectives on working and leadership, decision-making, managing relationships, innovating and growing our businesses.

Diversity matters because it helps us to keep pace with social and demo-graphic change. It is a diverse world, and to be successful our business needs to reflect that diversity. Understanding and valuing diversity also helps ensure compliance with legal requirements. Finally, a positive approach to diversity matters because it is what our employees want: they feel valued and make better contributions as a result.

The eight preconditions for diversity

1.       Leaders must genuinely value variety of insight and opinion.

2.       Leaders must be consistent and persevere when encouraging diversity.

3.       High standards of performance must be expected from everyone.

4.       The leader needs to ensure that the working environment stimulates, encourages and supports personal development.

5.       The leader needs to encourage openness, with a high tolerance for debate.

6.       The team climate (culture) must make people feel valued and keen to contribute.

7.       The vision for the team must be clear, compelling and, crucially, practical - informing and guiding behaviour.

8.       The team needs to be egalitarian and non-bureaucratic - this helps people exchange ideas and value constructive challenges to the usual way of doing things.

                                                                                         

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS SALARY DESIRED

ASKED FIRST TIME“I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position.”

IF ASKED AGAIN“I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range.”

IF ASKED A THIRD TIME “When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential , location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested.”

NOTE

       Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SHORT WRITE UP ON SUBJECT OF ONES CHOICE AND PRESENTING IT

DAY 100

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PETER SENGE’S FIFTH DISCIPLINE

Creating a learning organization

If companies are to succeed and achieve more during times of volatility, opportunity and change, they need to be learning organizations where everyone and every function are encouraged and supported to continually adapt and improve.

Overview

Peter Senge proposed that organizations need to become learning organizations, where the full abilities of their people are harnessed to propel the company to achieve more and go further. A learning organization ensures that all aspects of a company - its people, processes and operations - are able to continually learn and adapt and are working together towards the same goal. Underpinning the learning organization is a culture of creativity: to think bigger, to think bolder, to think outside the box and, importantly, to know you can make it happen. To do this, companies need to address five areas(disciplines):

1.       Systems thinking

2.       Personal mastery

3.       Mental models

4.       Building a shared vision

5.       Team learning

Each discipline is looked at from three perspectives. For each discipline, ask:

•         What is the essence of what is hoped for?

•         What are the principles that should guide this aspect?

•         What are the practices that need to occur to make it happen?

Your people's ability to question, challenge and create depends on the environment, processes and expectations within which they work, By creating the right environment, culture and systems, your company will respond to change more quickly, instigate new market standards and become the dominant player - in short, you'll outdo the competition.

1.      Systems thinking

Integrate all parts of the company - ensure that everyone and all processes are synced and are capable of continual learning and creating new possibilities. Systems thinking brings all the disciplines together and, for this reason, is considered the essence of a learning organization.

2.      Personal Mastery

The success of an organization depends completely on enabling and empowering its people to learn, challenge and create.

3.      Mental models

Mental models are the way we interpret the world around us and condition how we behave and react. While these models can be useful, we should not be constrained by them. True progress can only be made when we are liberated from following ingrained models and are free to explore options.

4.      Building a shared vision

A shared vision gains commitment and motivates people to work well together and to think bigger. It guides people's thinking, provides a rallying point for everyone in the business, and profoundly affects their decision-making. It's as simple as that.

5.      Team learning

Building creative and effective teams draws on many skills. Everyone should be working and learning together towards the same goals. By sharing knowledge and ideas, we learn more as a group than we would as individuals. Consequently, when companies ensure great teamworking, they are far more likely to be market leaders.

At the core of Senge's Fifth Discipline is creation: it is not enough to be reactive; success requires us to be proactive.

SKILL CAPSULE: QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK DURING AN INTERVIEW

 Interviewers are more impressed with your questions than any selling points

Write your questions by starting with “What” or “How”.  Limit  “Why” questions because these cause the interviewer to defend or justify a decision or condition. 

 Never inquire about “What you get.”  For example, questions like “How much vacation time do new employees get?” or “How much sick time off do I get?”  These questions send the message that you are most interested in what you can get rather than what you can do for the company.

 The following are examples of questions you can ask.  These examples are presented to encourage you to write your own questions.

 Be as company and industry specific as possible when creating your own questions.

 EXAMPLES  

•         What are the key business reasons driving the need for this position?

•         Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in this job?

•         What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

•         What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

•         Describe the top three initiatives for your company/department and how this position is linked to these initiatives.

•         What are the key metrics for measuring success in this position?

•         What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

•         How do you feel my style will compliment the team culture?

•         How would you describe the qualities of the most successful people at your company?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BETTER TRANSLATIONS

Translations gone wrong can teach us much about words and meaning. Can you think of a word or phrase that just doesn’t sound right when it was translated from English into another language, or vice versa? Share it with the class and discuss what a better translation would be.

PROFILE OF THE PROFESSOR

Profile of the Professor

Train yourself to be a Public Speaker

INTERNATIONAL COACH for Public Speaking and Communications

Helps the common man to train himself and master verbal and written Communications. It also helps him to become a competent Public Speaker.

Communications When Simplified Can Be Taught to Every One…

Dr. (Colonel) JC John

Mobile: +91 9177122256, +91 8978378989, 9870307775

Email: jcjohn24111955@hotmail.com, winning@in.com

He has a total work experience of over 38 years in top leadership positions.

CORPORATE WORK EXPERIENCE

Current Position – Chief Operations Officer, Verifacts Services

Formerly

  Vice President (Head) Human Resource.

  Chief Executive Officer - TOPSGRUP Risk Intelligence (India)  

  Professor (Communications & Public Speaking) - Hinduja Management College, Mumbai

  Director - Adecco India

  Vice President (HR) - Ramky Enviro Engineers

  Vice President - Hinduja Group

  Senior Instructor - Military College of Communications (MHOW) 

  Senior Teaching Faculty - Military Intelligence College (Pune) 

  Chairman of Communications Forum - CNI

  Vice President (Head HR) - Hinduja Media Group (HTMT)

  General Manager (Head Marketing) - Unity Infraprojects Ltd

  Project Head - World Bank Bhuj Earthquake Reconstruction - Unity Infraprojects Ltd

Professional Overview

  Doctoral Studies (PhD thesis) on ‘Building Competitive Advantage through Strategic HR’ submitted to Mumbai University in July 2010

  R A M K Y Group (Market Leader in Environmental Engineering) as Head – HR.

  Alumnus of Premier Institutions like JNU, NDA (Khadakvasla), Pune University (MBA)

  Core Competencies :

o    Strategy & Policy Formulation - Coaching in Public Speaking

o    Culture Building Interventions - Adoption of Best HR Practices

o    Industrial Negotiations - Training and Development

o    Team Building - Change Management

o    Competency Mapping - 360 Degrees Appraisals

o    Turn Around Specialist

o    Coaching in Public Speaking

  Experience in conducting workshops on

o    Culture Building

o    Execution Excellence

o    Communication

o    Negotiation Skills

o    Motivation

o    Leadership

  An enterprising leader with the ability to motivate personnel towards achieving organizational objectives.

  Vast experience in incorporating

o    Best HR Practices

o    360 Degrees Appraisals (Dr TV Rao- IIM-A)

o    ERP (JD Edwards)

o    Balanced Score Card Career

o    Succession Planning

o    Management Development Programmes.

  Winner of “AVISHKAAR 2007”(Governor’s Presentation of Research Projects Award)

Educational Qualifications & Training Courses

  Doctorate (PhD) Thesis on Strategic HR to Build a Competitive Advantage

  MBA (HR & Industrial Relations) – Pune University

  B. Sc (Physics Maths) – JNU

  Execution Excellence Course in Centre for Organizational Excellence(COD) Hyderabad

  Strategic Leadership Programme (IIM, Ahmedabad)

  Lead Auditors Course in Quality Assurance at Lloyds’ Register for ISO 9000

  WBS Course on Brockbank Strategic Model

  Branding & Strategy by Martin Lindstrom

  360 Degrees Appraisals by Dr TV Rao (IIM Ahmedabad)

TRAINING WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED

Design of Tailor –Made Training Workshops: Has designed and run tailor-made training workshops on different aspects of managerial communication for Senior & Middle managers of Unity Infraprojects Ltd, Clough Engineering (Australia), Hinduja Media (HTMT), TOPSGRUP Ltd, R A M KY Enviro Engineers Ltd, Victor India, Hinduja College and many other frontline institutions / companies Training Workshops in the following:

  Communication Skills

  Excellence in Analysis and Problem Solving

  Decision Making Skills

  Influencing Skills

  Negotiation Skills

  Team Building

  Motivation

  Strategic Leadership

  Persuasive Communicator

  Conducting Top Management Meetings

  Visioning : Vision, Mission, Values

  Just Talk - Never mind who is listening

  Let us Discuss and have Fun

  Conveying Bad News

  Goal Setting & Measurement of Performance

  Talent Building & retention of core team through employee engagement and motivation.

  Acquiring requisite skills and competencies.

  Training and guiding teams towards identifying factors critical for success

  Event Management: How to organize a Cultural Program.

  Brainstorming to evolve Cultural Pillars for your company

Books

  (2010). Strategic Human Resource Management

  (2007). Management Techniques of the Army usable in a Corporate Environment

  (2004). The Art of Business Letter Writing.

More...

Company Name: R A M K Y ENVIRO ENGINEERS LTD

Position Title : Head HR & ADMINISTRATION

Specialization : Strategic HR, IR, Statutory Compliances, Training, OD, Recruitment

Industry : Environmental Engineering (Market Leader)

Work Profile

Head of Corporate HR of 8 group companies.

Focused on strategic HR standardization of all HR policies of all group companies.

Talent management across the group.

Culture building & change management.

Giving strategic input in all HR & strategic issues

Design Organization Structure and implement HR Systems & Policies.

Build systems to ensure high motivational levels and conduct Employee Engagement Surveys.

Benchmarking best HR practices in industry for continuous improvements.

Career planning & development of employees.

Carrying out Competency Building / Mapping and implementation of training.

Designing & Implementation of internal communication policy in the organization.

Statutory Compliance & Government Liaison.

Company Name: HINDUJA MEDIA GROUP (HTMT)

Position Title: Vice President (HR)

Specialization : HR, IR, Corporate Training & Communications

Industry : Media / ITES

Date Joined/Left : March 2005 to November 2009

Work Profile

Formulate HR Strategy and Resource Planning.

Design Organization Structure and implement HR Systems & Policies.

Build Culture focused on Innovation & Customer Focus.

Build systems to ensure high motivational levels and conduct Employee Engagement Surveys.

Benchmarking best HR practices in industry for continuous improvements.

Career planning & Development of employees.

Carrying out Competency Building / Mapping and implementation of training.

Co ordination and conduct of Weekly Management Committee Meetings for Departmental Heads and ensure implementation of all decisions taken.

Designing & Implementation of internal communication policy in the organization.

Statutory Compliance & Government Liaison.

Achievements & Recognition

  Winner of PhD Research Trophy for “Adoptable Strategic HR Processes of Defence Forces” for Mumbai and nominated for State Governor’s Trophy for Avishkaar 2007)

  Introduced E - Recruitment & recruited 400 IT Professionals, Engineers and Technicians in 10 days for roll out of Conditional Access System (CAS) for Cable TV

  Managed merger of 3 companies & set up systems and processes.

Introduced “Open Door Policy” with direct access for all employees to HR Head and brought down attrition rate to 7%

  Carried out Competency Mapping and implemented retraining & redeployment.

  Designed and conducted Soft Skill Training for CAS Call Centre

Drafted HR & Admin Manual, Performance Management & Incentive Scheme.

  Initiated CULTURE BUILDING based on recommendations of Prof Brockbank.

  Conceived Fun Work Place Development & Motivational Strategies.\

  Introduced ISO 9000 (Theme Audit Process with help of LLOYD’s REGISTER) as ‘Management Representative’ & ensured compliance of Quality Assurance Processes.

  Settled critical labour issues and negotiated out of court settlement for cases in “Labour Court & Industrial Courts.”

  Evolved anti-pilferage measures and brought down Administrative costs by 18%.

Company Name: Unity Infraprojects Ltd (Total 6 years)

Position Title : Head HR & Administration

Specialization : HR & Administration

Industry : Infrastructure

Date Joined : March 1999

Date Left : Feb 2005

Achievements and Recognitions

  Settled Labour disputes in ‘World Bank Earthquake Reconstruction Project’ in BHUJ & helped turn around the project from loss from Rs 7 Crores to a profit of Rs 1 Crore (The project was spread over 200 Kms in 17 locations in Kutch, Gujarat).

  Assisted “WORKING ENVIRONMENT STUDY” by Deloitte Haskins & Sells and headed the “Fun Work Place Development” drive in my company.

  Introduced exhaustive “Induction Program” to help accept company culture.

  Designed Training Capsule on ‘Communication Skills (Verbal & Written)’

  Won Process Champion Award in 2004.

  Got 3 promotion in 6 years

  Organized “Petro Tech Exhibition” for Joint Venture with CLOUGH AUSTRALIA in Delhi.

  Organized Office Complex and set up HR & Administration System & Carried out Liaison with Centre & State Govts and ONGC for Joint Venture.

  Secured 300 Crore project of Junone Dam in Jalgaon. & other smaller projects.

  Won Best Employee Award in 2002

  Won Special Award for Training ‘Best Trainer 2001’

Organisation Name: Indian Army (Total 21 years)

Position Title : Commanding officer

Specialization : Operations, HR & Administration

Industry : Defence Service

Date Joined : December1977

Date Left : March 1999

Achievements and Recognitions:

  7 years in recruitment and member of Selection Committee.

  Head of Army Unit of strength of 600 members

  Handled ‘Foreign Delegations’ at the senior level

  Chief Administrator & Trainer & Won Chief of Army Staff Commendation

  6 years ‘Teaching Experience as Faculty in ‘Faculty of Specialized Intelligence’ in MCTE MHOW & INTELLIGENCE SCHOOL PUNE (Won Award of BEST INSTRUCTOR in 1989)

Areas Of Strength

  Designing and implementing ‘Processes & Systems’

  Widely travelled with capability in Rapport Building with 'Regional & Foreign Delegations'

  Visioning & Conducting Strategy Brainstorming Sessions.

  Event Management (Petrotech 2003) & hosting of large seminars & banquets.

  People Management & Conflict Resolution.

Extra Curricular Activities

  Tennis (Winner Veteran’s Cup 2009 & Jalandhar Open 1985),

  Certified Golf Coach & Trainer by International Golf Union (Handicap 8)

  National level player in Football, Hockey and Athletics, Represented NDA (Khadakvasla)

  Member of Counselor Group of CNI Youth Council

  Teaching & counseling of weak students in Maths & English.

  Publish personal BLOG on Equity Investments www.indiashareanalysis.blogspot.com

Family Details

– Married with 2 children

References:-

1. Mr. Ravi Mansukhani (CEO HINDUJA MEDIA) Mobile No 982069900.

2. Brigadier T Sridharan (DIRECTOR, HINDUJA MEDIA) Mobile No 9820134016