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

Ø  Attendance

Ø   Character

Ø   Team Work

Ø   Appearance

Ø   Attitude

Ø  Productivity

Ø   Organizational Skills

Ø   Communication

Ø   Cooperation

Ø   Respect

Traits of a Winning Employee

Ø  Limit Absences

Be at work every day possible

        Plan your absences

        Don’t abuse leave time

Ø  Come to work on time

        Be punctual every day

Ø  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

Ø  Be dependable

        Complete assigned tasks correctly and promptly

Ø  Be loyal

        Speak positively about the company

Ø  Be willing to learn

        Look to improve your skills

Ø  Be a team player

        The ability to get along with others– including those you don’t necessarily like

Ø  Leadership abilities

        The ability to be led and/or to become the leader

Ø  Be a contributing member. The ability to carry your own weight and help others who are struggling

Ø  Accept compromise

        Recognize when to speak up with an idea and when to compromise by blend ideas together

Ø  Dress Appropriately

        Dress for Success!

        Set your best foot forward                        

Ø  Personal hygiene

Ø  Good manners

Ø  Hand shake

Ø  Demeanor

Ø  Eye contact

        Remember that the first impression of who you are can last a lifetime

Ø  Have a good attitude

        Listen to suggestions

        Be positive

Ø  Accept responsibility for ones work

        If you make a mistake, admit it

Ø  Do the work correctly

        Quality and timeliness are prized

Ø  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

Ø  Help out whenever asked

        Do “extras” without being asked

Ø  Take pride in your work

        Do things the best you know how

Ø  Make an effort to improve

        Learn ways to better yourself

Ø  Time Management

        Utilize time and resources to get the most out of both

Ø  Written Communications

        Being able to correctly write reports and memos

Ø  Verbal Communications. Being able to communicate one on one or to a group

Ø  Follow company rules and  policies

        Learn and follow expectations

Ø  Get along with co-workers

        Cooperation is the key to productivity

Ø  Appreciate privileges and don’t abuse them

        Privileges are favors and benefits

Ø  Work hard

        Work to the best of your ability

Ø  Carry out orders

        Do what’s asked the first time

Ø  Show respect

        Accept and acknowledge an individual’s talents and knowledge

Why People Lose Their Jobs:

Ø  They get laid off

        Job loss not their fault

Ø  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

Ø  Understanding problems of workers whose houses were washed away during floods.

Ø  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.

Ø  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      

Ø  Conduct a “personal inventory.”

Ø  Analyze the setting & identify skills needed.

Ø  Enlist trusted friends.

Ø  Focus on a few competencies.

Ø  Practice, practice, practice. 

Ø  Be observant and reflective.

Ø  Don’t expect immediate results.

Ø  Learn from your mistakes.

Ø  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

Ø  Don’t lecture ---Speak to people around you

Ø  Your eyes should move from eye to eye

Ø  But don’t get distracted

Ø  Speak deliberately

Ø  Speak slowly

Ø  Use language most familiar to you

Ø  No harm in mixing languages

Ø  Give examples

Ø  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,

Ø  Have list of points

Ø  Don’t try to read out

Ø  How to handle a Question from the audience – throw back – ask opinion- encourage response and discussions – compile agreements, moderate discussions

Ø  Pointers

Ø  Bullet points & read them out, explain diagrams,

Ø  Give reason for conclusions

Ø  Never snub a person

Ø  Intervene in cross discussions

Ø  Allow only one person to talk

Ø  Hands and mannerisms

Ø  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 1^st 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

o  All behavior begins and ends as thoughts

o  Bad thoughts vs. Good thoughts

o  Think-Feel-Act model

Importance of Thoughts

o  Thoughts are unavoidable

o  Our thoughts influence our actions

o  Self-fulfilling prophecy

How thoughts works for you

o  Imagine of a time in the pass where you felt anxiety.

o  What was the situation?

o  What did it feel like?

o  What lead up to this feeling?

o  What was the outcome?

o  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

o  The belief in oneself

o  A self-confident person thinks that he or she can reach a goal or cope with a that situation

o  What happens when confidence is lost?

Learned Helplessness

o  Identified by Psychologist Martin Seligman

o  The tendency for humans and animals alike to become helpless at things they can not change

o  Illustration: Poor dog

So people that are self-confident think and act differently?!

o  While our thoughts affect our confidence, our behaviors foster it!

o  Nothing creates the belief that something can be done like actually doing that something!

o  Nothing succeeds like Success!

Four Techniques for Building Self-Confidence

1)     Regulate your emotional level

o  Being aware of our feelings helps us recognize what we are thinking

o  Reduce the drive to avoid your goal

o  Block the fear producer from your awareness

o  Use relaxation techniques

2)     Seek Affirmation

o  What does Stewart Smally say?

o  Works just as well in an academic setting

o  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

o  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!

o  Reasonable risk

o  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.