Train Yourself through Communications Simplified: Management Capsule

DAY 81

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Using emotional intelligence to increase influence, fulfilment and success

Emotional intelligence (El) is taking information from your own emotions and the emotions of others and then applying that knowledge in order to be more successful.

One of its key strengths is enabling us to sense and use emotions in order to manage situations better, improve decision-making and achieve positive outcomes. By recognizing, understanding and dealing with both our own emotions and those of others, we are more likely to be successful.

Developing emotional intelligence

We are all subject to emotions pulling us in directions that may or not be the best course of action. EI seeks to improve how we respond to emotions to get the most out of ourselves and others.

In Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than I0, psychologist Daniel Goleman details five emotional competencies. These are essential to managing ourselves and to leading people successfully:

1. Knowing your emotions - self-awareness

2. Managing emotions

3. Motivating yourself and others

4. Recognizing emotions in others and showing empathy

5. Handling relationships and staying connected.

The competency hierarchy

These emotional competencies are labelled 1-5 because they build on one another in a hierarchy. For example, we need to be able to identify our own emotional state (competency 1) if we are to manage our emotions (competency 2). Similarly, we need to achieve the first three competencies if we are to use empathy (competency 4) to influence others positively. Finally, the first four competencies are needed to maintain good, successful and productive relationships (competency 5). Each of these emotional competencies are described below.

1. Knowing your emotions — self-awareness

Previous emotional experiences influence our decision-making so it is important to be aware of all our emotions if we are to avoid any negative cycles and, instead, make better decisions.

2. Managing emotions

Once we can recognize these emotions, we can use this knowledge and develop strategies and responses to manage our emotions. This is true of the three main triggers to potentially negative outcomes: anger, anxiety and sadness. This is why El is important during times of change.

3. Motivating yourself and others

It is not enough to know that you should create a supportive, enthusiastic environment; you have to know how to. In order to motivate others, we must understand individuals properly and use this information to achieve our aims. This involves being sensitive to what affects a person's enthusiasm and then providing the right approach.

4. Recognizing emotions in others and showing empathy

To influence others and gain their trust and commitment, it is essential to understand a person's emotions and then respond appropriately.

5. Handling relationships and staying connected

Whenever we relate to someone, there is an emotional transaction that passes between individuals. These interactions have an effect: they make us feel better or worse. This creates a secret economy that is the key to motivating people - a key that we can use to develop better relationships.

SKILL CAPSULE: FROM THE INTERVIEWER’S MANUAL

How an Interviewer listens to you

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or background you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.

1. Confidence & Self-Acceptance
Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes during the pauses in a conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.

2. Follow Through & Persistence
Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through -- at all costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness. Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?

To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.

3. Integrity
Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility, integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)

4. Creativity
The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity. Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.

5. Standards
We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job fit."

6. Clarity of Communication
Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening. Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs of the conversation.

How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically or were they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a highly valuable skill with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs
What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.

8. Commitment
The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the connections they make - this is where commitment is found.
Connection + Consistency = Commitment

9. Passion
Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.

10. Authenticity
Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."

How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a person's authenticity.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CONDUCT BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS

DAY 82

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HEAD, HEART AND GUTS

An integrated approach to leadership

Head, hearts and guts is a shorthand way of saying that leaders and managers need to use three different styles of leadership if they are to be successful.

Overview

To succeed across a range of responsibilities - from making decisions and setting strategy to handling relationships, motivating others and resolving problems - leaders need to use different styles and approaches that are appropriate to each situation and the people involved, to ensure that a company's full potential is realized.

The success of each decision we make and implement depends on accessing a wide range of skills. For example, a strategy based on sound analytics will be ineffective without the courage, emotional intelligence and people skills that are also needed to make it happen.

Often, individuals rely on one preferred way of working, which leads to oversights, missed opportunities and underperformance. For example, relying predominantly on data and rational analysis (head) can make a leader too narrowly focused, while over-emphasizing emotional aspects (heart) can lead to flawed, ill-conceived strategy. Similarly, an almost exclusive dependence on courage (guts) to direct decisions and operations is likely to underestimate some key factors and the opinions of others.

Resolving the challenges leaders face requires brains, emotional intelligence and courage. Ensuring that leaders develop all three enables them to deploy the right approach at the right time to optimize an outcome and to ensure that decisions and relationships are not skewed by an over-reliance on one style. The holistic, integrated approach of head, heart and guts is effective because it sees situations from many angles, giving a fuller picture and a more appropriate way forward.

In practice: a systemic, integrated approach

David L. Dotlich, Peter C. Cairo and Stephen H. Rhinesmith advocate the holistic approach of head, heart and guts to avoid the damaging effects of leaders relying heavily on one method - such as not achieving performance improvements by failing to connect properly with others - and to enable leaders to deal with challenges and uncertainty and to operate effectively.

Implementing a four-stage process will help develop and empower leaders to use their brains, emotional intelligence and courage to meet the many challenges they face.

The four-stage process to developing an integrated approach

1	Address systemic issues Remove potential obstacles that inhibit the ability to show heart and guts behaviours or to challenge existing norms such as a risk-averse culture.
2	Involve the executive committee Get everyone in the organization to buy into this new, integrated approach — it has to become part of the company's culture. For this to happen, you will need to secure the commitment of top management.
3	Use leadership development as a diagnostic tool Bring systemic issues to the attention of top management by encouraging those developing their leadership skills to provide feedback and to share their opinions,
4	Customize the development programme Ensure that the head, heart and guts approach is tailored to your company's specific needs and culture to enable it to be successfully integrated and of maximum benefit

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO IMPROVE WITH EVERY INTERVIEW YOU UNDERGO

REHERSE PERFECT ANSWERS

· After an Interview go back home and write down important questions asked and answer them in a perfect way how you would have desired

PRACTICE

· Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

RECORD LEARNING FROM ALL PREVIOUS JOBS
Embrace the opportunity to describe what you learned from a recent job and how you will handle a similar situation in the future. Describing what you learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner and you look on the positive side of most

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: PANEL INTERVIEW

DAY 83

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Turbo-charge your career and help plan for future progression and success

Career planning needs careful consideration and it may help to create a personal profile highlighting relevant skills, experience, strengths and weaknesses. These can be matched with aspirations and likely challenges - both now and in the future.

Overview

Career and personal development planning enables people to move from where they are to where they want to be. Career planning is a lifelong process of nurturing, shaping and improving skills, knowledge and expertise, in order to enhance effectiveness and adaptability. Career planning also reduces the likelihood that skills will become out of date or obsolete.

It does not necessarily mean preparing for promotion or advancement, although that might be relevant from time to time. It is much more about improving and being ready for new challenges and changing circumstances. Development planning requires a personal commitment to develop and improve. In particular, this means understanding and accepting constructive criticism, and being willing to take measures to improve performance.

Develop your personal profile

This can be created by considering the following:

· Priorities. What values really matter to you personally? Do you know what sort of leader you want to be? It can also help to reflect back over your career and recollect leaders that you feel were particularly good or especially poor. Why did they succeed or fail?

· Work experience. What positions have you held? When did you succeed, and why? How could your performance have been better?

· Achievements. What have been your greatest achievements? What gave you greatest pleasure and what impressed others?

· Personal attitudes. Assessing how you behave in different situations can help to understand the way you feel and behave: where you are likely to be strong and when you might feel less certain. For example:

§ Are you energized around people or do you prefer to spend time alone? ▪ Do you think quickly or do you tend to take time to reflect first?

§ Do you prefer to do a few things well or pursue many things superficially?

§ Are you an open person or more private?

§ Do you prefer order and structure or do you tend to live spontaneously, remaining open to possibilities?

Assess your future options and plans

The value of a personal profile lies in helping to understand yourself: what you like and dislike; where you succeed and fail; and where you are strong and weak.

There are several key questions that can help support an individual's career planning and development:

· What are your goals and aspirations? Why are these important?

· What is your timescale for achieving these goals, and what are the key milestones that will need to be achieved?

· Are your development plans in line with the goals you want to pursue?

· What opportunities are available - now and in the foreseeable future?

· How do your skills match with the business strategy?

· What further support do you need?

· How will you ensure success?

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO PREPARE & BEHAVE DURING THE INTERVIEW

Read the job description and company profile carefully.

· Ask the employer for more details.

· Write down the name & contact number of the recruiter to call back later.

· Find out more about the company, the job and the industry.

· Be punctual for your interview. If you cannot attend contact

· Carry your resume, transcripts, certificates and relevant documents .

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

· Be honest and enthusiastic and highlight your strengths.

· Show loyalty to old employer and fulfill responsibilities before joining.

· Send the employer a Thank You email after the interview.

· Follow up on the status after two or three days showing interest.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: NEGOTIATION SKILLS

DAY 84

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE SELF-DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

Learning to build your skills and effectiveness

The self-development cycle is a method of planning development activities in a rigorous, thorough and practical way.

The success of the self-development cycle depends on repeating the planning process regularly (at least every year, preferably every six months or when circumstances change, such as taking on a new role). The seven stages of the cycle are:

1. Establish the purpose

You need to keep the overall aim firmly in mind and then ensure that all activities directly support this aim. Without this clear goal in mind it is often difficult to stay on track, keep momentum or maintain motivation.

2. Identify development needs

Identify development needs so that a programme for meeting those needs can be devised. In particular, the needs must be realistic and time-constrained, with a definite deadline.

3. Look at (and for) your opportunities for development

Deciding how to meet your development needs is the next stage and this may include a mix of formal and informal methods. As well as effectiveness, cost and timing, bear in mind your own preferred learning style: what approach suits you best?

4. Formulate an action plan

This will be necessary for more complex development needs requiring a range of activities or an ongoing process. You should also consider how the development process will be supported, perhaps by a mentor.

5. Complete the development activity

This is the core of the process. It is worth considering specifically how the results will be integrated into workplace activities.

6. Record outcomes

Keep track of development activities in order to assess results against planned objectives - reviewing progress and understanding what methods work best - and plan future activities.

7. Review and evaluate

Evaluating an event will help you assess whether the original objective has been met and the development need fulfilled.

SKILL CAPSULE: WHAT INFORMATION TO GATHER ABOUT THE COMPANY

· Industry

· Company position in the industry

· Competitors

· Turn over.

· Market Share.

· What kind of a job it is.

· What kind of a person they are looking for

· Who is your future Boss

· Who will interview

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BULLYING A SUBORDINATE

DAY 85

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUES

Finding the best solution

Resolving problems requires a logical and systematic approach to define the problem, generate solutions, and implement the best option.

Techniques to identify and understand the problem

Being thorough, critical and aware of hidden problem-solving traps, discussing issues and options with others, allowing time to reflect and testing and perfecting solutions will enable you to find the right course of action. Consider your personal style because, no matter how logical a solution seems, your emotions and values will affect your ability to follow through.

Cause-and-effect analysis

This deepens your understanding of the problem, identifying the root causes by collecting data and seeking the opinions of those involved.

Pareto analysis

Based on the view that 80 per cent of problems are caused by 20 per cent of possible causes, this analysis works best when there are only a few main causes that can be ranked. It does not work well for a large number of equally responsible factors. By ranking the causes, the most significant factors are revealed and the problem can be eliminated or its impact reduced.

Here are the four steps in Pareto analysis:

1. Identify the overarching problem.

2. Determine the causal factors and how often they occur.

3. List the biggest factors.

4. Develop a solution, targeting each factor individually.

Kepner-Tregoe (KT) analysis

This is particularly useful for the 'hard' management issues. Its methodical approach identifies what the problem is and explores the differences between what happens and what should happen by listing the possible causes of each problem or, where factors are linked, the whole problem. The process starts by asking:

• What is the problem or deviation? • How does it occur - and how often?

• Where does it occur? • When does it (or did it) occur?

• How big is the problem?

Techniques to generate options and solutions

· When time is short:

§ go ahead and try - if it doesn't work, try something else

§ do some test marketing

§ develop varied and diverse teams

§ get external input

§ reduce hierarchy

§ involve others - remove barriers to creative thinking

§ be less critical of failure - emphasize the importance of trying

§ impose deadlines, to focus efforts.

· Heuristics uses experience to guide decisions.

· Mind-mapping organizes thoughts and ideas clearly, to identify patterns and reveal new approaches.

· Lateral thinking combines ideas and concepts that haven't previously been brought together - think outside the box.

· Question and challenge the way options are generated. Provide a supportive environment that challenges traditional thinking.

· Brainstorming generates, discusses, develops and prioritizes options. When brainstorming, develop lots of ideas, suspend judgement, encourage free thinking, and cross-fertilize ideas.

· Make and implement the decision.

· Select the most promising solution and plan its implementation, and:

§ avoid procrastination, decision avoidance and over-analysis

§ manage risk - assess weaknesses and deal with them

§ value your intuition and experience

§ be confident in your decision and committed to achieving a solution.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO HOLD THE INTERVIEWER’S ATTENTION?

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

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

· Brief overview of most relevant experience. in reverse chronological order)

· Highlight experience, education, "results- focused", "persistence" "detail oriented“

· Ask question to uncover interviewer's job requirements - "Target Question“

· Keep your response brief, between 60 and 90 seconds.

· Can ask the interviewer a question e.g. "Am I giving you too much detail at this point?“ or What parts of my background would you like to discuss first?

EXAMPLE

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

TYPES OF QUESTIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE WORKER

· Do you own a personal computer and, if so, what kind?

· What software do you know how to operate?

· Do you have a fax modem? Yes__________ No__________

· Do you use an e-mail program? Yes__________ No__________

· What literature that relates to your profession do you read, including books, newspapers, trade magazines, etc.?

· What classes or seminars have you taken on your own during the last three years to advance your career and personal growth?

· What efforts have you made at "networking" to advance your career?

· What volunteer or non-profit activities do you engage in?

· Where do you see your profession going in the next five to ten years?

· Where do you see the industry going?

· What are you doing to stay on top of these changes?

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

· What efforts do you make to keep yourself healthy? Do you exercise, eat a proper diet, refrain from smoking, take nutritional supplements, meditate, etc.?

· Who do you consider to be your professional role model? Why do you consider this person to be so special? How can you improve on that person's contributions?

· When it comes to getting paid, are you the type of person that is more interested in a steady paycheck with good benefits or would you rather work for a company where there may be greater risk but yet greater rewards in terms of both pay and job satisfaction? Please explain

· What type of incentive programs have you found to work best?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: HAPPY LEADER

DAY 86

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THINKING FLAWS AND PITFALLS

It's not what we know that matters, but how we react to what we don't know

The way people think, as individuals and collectively, affects the decisions they make in ways that are far from obvious and rarely understood. John Hammond, Ralph Keeney and Howard Raiffa provide intriguing insights in this area.

Thinking flaws cause problems. Evaluate your vulnerability and find ways to counter each trap.

The traps of thinking flaws

· The anchoring trap leads us to give disproportionate weight to the first information that we receive. Solution: be sure about what is happening and ensure that you have all the information.

· The status quo trap biases us towards maintaining the current situation - even when better alternatives exist (caused by inertia or potential loss of face). Solutions: be open, honest and courageous.

· The sunk-cost trap inclines us to perpetuate past mistakes - we have invested so much in this we cannot alter course: Solution: if it's spent, it's spent - worry about the present and future, not the past.

· The confirming-evidence trap results in seeking information to support the current situation and to ignore opposing information. Solution: avoid!

· The framing trap, when we incorrectly state a problem, undermines the decision-making process. Solution: see issues for what they are.

· The over-confidence trap makes us overestimate the accuracy of our forecasts. Solution: be self-critical.

· The prudence trap leads us to be over-cautious when estimating uncertain factors. Solution: be realistic.

· The recent-event trap leads us to give undue weight to recent or dramatic events. Solution: be aware of the trap and counter the danger it poses.

Fragmentation and groupthink

As well as thinking flaws, there are two pitfalls of organizational culture - fragmentation and groupthink:

· Fragmentation - people disagree, either with peers or superiors.

· Groupthink - people suppress ideas and support the group.

Overcoming thinking flaws

· Be bold and don't fear consequences - we over-estimate consequences and tend to discount our ability to make the right choice because of 'loss aversion', where we fear loss hurts more than gain.

· Trust instincts and emotions - we have evolved to make good decisions and manage their implementation.

· Play devil's advocate - searching for flaws and failings strengthens decisions and illuminates factors and biases affecting decisions.

· Avoid irrelevancies - be ready to question the information and its context.

· Reframe the decision - view issues from new perspectives.

· Don't let the past hold you back - regardless of past investments, look for better alternatives.

· Challenge groupthink - people are often afraid to comment because of social pressure. Find out what people really think.

· Limit your options - the more options we have, the harder decisions are. Ruthlessly cut through the options and choose the most promising.

SKILL CAPSULE: STOP PROCRASTINATING

Most people at some time or another will have found themselves putting off starting a task, even though they feel uncomfortable about doing so. This is known as procrastination, which can be defined as:

'The act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.'
Or 'To voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.'

This putting off of important tasks results in a sense of guilt that causes a loss of motivation and personal productivity. It can also lead to stress as a result of disapproval for not meeting commitments.

Almost everyone is guilty of procrastination occasionally. High-priority tasks are usually difficult or time-consuming and it is often easier to find simpler, less important tasks to do instead. Sometimes delaying a high-priority task is completely justified because you don't have all of the information that you need or you feel that the task may be given a lower priority as circumstances change.

If you feel uncomfortable justifying to yourself why you are not getting on with a particular task then you need to accept that you are probably guilty of procrastination

Even if you don't suffer from this problem yourself, it is possible that someone in your team does and you may be able to help him or her to overcome it.

If you want to improve your personal productivity, you will need to identify the types of job you put off and the reasons and excuses you give yourself.

Many people admit to putting off jobs because: they find the job daunting or unpleasant, or they hope that the job will somehow go away, or they just don't know where to start. They may justify this by finding routine tasks to do instead. Alternatively, they may wait until the pressure is really on before starting to take appropriate action.

Putting off jobs we dislike doing is a common trait. Unfortunately, most jobs that are put off don't go away - they remain waiting to be done, and they tend to stay at the back of our minds, often causing feelings of guilt and acting as a distraction.

Another disadvantage of this type of behavior is that it tends to lead to an ever-increasing number of jobs that remain outstanding. This growing list becomes ever more daunting and it then becomes more and more difficult to make a start on any of them.

If you find yourself using your 'To Do' list in the following ways you are delaying tasks and causing yourself unnecessary guilt and stress by doing so. You can also assess how much you procrastinate when making decisions by looking at how many of the common behaviors you exhibit.

Repeatedly handling papers rather than deal with it first time.
Keep on re-reading emails to put of deciding if you should delete / file / respond.
Distract yourself by leaving your desk rather than start on high-level task.
Postpone working on high-level task until you 'Feel like it!'
Start work on high-level task at last minute because you work better under pressure.

The acid test is how your morale, motivation, and personal productivity are affected by putting off a particular task. If you are feeling guilty or embarrassed about your behavior then you need to understand why you are procrastinating as a first step to overcoming this tendency.

If you keep a record of how you spend your day, you can now look back at it and see if you can identify any tasks that you normally have difficulty starting or sticking at. Once you recognize the types of task that cause you to procrastinate, you can try to manage and eliminate this behavior.

One thing that you will need to guard against is the tendency to justify procrastination on the basis that you're just putting a job off until you're 'in the right mood' to do it. Your ability to be successful at any task is not dependent upon your mood. There are occasions when you will have to do something you don't like, even if you don't feel like it - it is just essential that the task is completed. That doesn't mean your results are going to be of a lesser quality, or that the task will be a failure. It just means that in this instance your motivation comes after you've started work on something.

Sometimes, working on a project helps bring about a change in our mood. We can't always expect to be in the right mood all the time. Neither should you expect to be able to work on things in life only when you're in the right mood. These are just elaborate excuses we make up to reinforce our procrastinating behavior.

Psychologists believe that the tendency to put off certain types of activity even when we know it is not in our long-term interests has its roots in behavioral evolution. The theory is that early humans gained more benefit by saving the energy needed to implement long-term plans in favor of saving it for dealing with immediate problems. In other words:

Taking time to think about longer-term plans could be a distraction from short-term survival.

This makes it difficult for abstract motivations to overcome avoidance of tasks that do not give us short-term pleasure. Whilst this hypothesis cannot be proven, it is tempting to believe that the tendency to procrastinate must have some fundamental reason for being so powerful and widespread.

Even if this behavior does have its roots in evolution, it has certainly outlived its usefulness in the modern workplace. As a manager you will have many important tasks that you need to complete. There may be no short-term payoff for you, but their importance as part of the overall success of your organization makes them essential to complete. The issue for you is how to avoid falling into the numerous ways and behaviors we can adopt to 'put off' performing such tasks.

Key Points

Continually putting off important tasks is called 'procrastination.' It results in a sense of guilt that causes a loss of motivation and personal productivity.
Almost everyone is guilty of procrastination occasionally. High-priority tasks are usually difficult or time-consuming and it is often simpler to find easier, less important tasks to do instead.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SUDDENLY LOSING TEMPER

DAY 87

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Which way to go?

Developed by Kurt Lewin, Force Field analysis is a technique that identifies and reviews the conflicting factors affecting an either/or situation or decision in order to assess which of the two options is the correct route to take. It clarifies the issues involved, to help you make the right decision.

Overview

Force Field analysis can be applied to a wide range of issues and is particularly useful when our thinking over an issue has become stuck and we are unsure how to move forward. It works best for decisions or situations with two options. As it looks at the forces driving or blocking movement towards a goal, it is commonly used in coaching.

How it works

1. Create two tables side by side and write the decision that has to be made between them.

2. List the reasons (forces) for change in one table and the forces against change in the other. This list should be thorough and it should accurately and honestly reflect the thoughts, feelings and concerns of the person completing the analysis.

3. Assign a score to each force (1 being rated low, 10 being highly significant). Using weighted arrows is a good way to depict the relative significance of each force. Consider the score you assign to each factor.

4. Total the scores for each side.

5. Review the result:

a. Determine whether the list was as comprehensive and accurate as it could be and reflect on why each force was included and why some factors were left out.

b. Consider why you assigned a particular score to each factor.

c. Decide what the different totals mean to you and how they will influence the decision you make.

6. Reach a decision and examine your goals. As well as seeing the larger picture and weighing up the relative merits of each option, you can then examine the forces in more detail in order to determine the best way to implement your decision — such as whether to change career. Also, while Force Field analysis is used to explore a current choice that has to be made, it can act as a springboard to considering your goals in more detail.

Example of Force Field analysis used to consider a career change

Forces for change	Score		Forces against change	Score
More money	8		Sunk cost - already started current career	2
Better work –life balance	7		Effort required to find the right job	3
Better long-term prospects	5	CHANGE CAREER	Competitiveness of the job market	3
More stimulating and varied	4		Lack of relevant experience	5
Greater responsibility	6		Concerns about self-confidence	7
Greater emphasis on developing new skills	2		Fear of failure	7
Total	32		Total	27

SKILL CAPSULE: RISK MANAGEMENT

Many, many books have been written about risk management, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of consultants offering to help you to manage the risk for your project and/or business. But is risk management really that complicated?

In its simplest terms, risk management is thinking about what could possibly go wrong, deciding how likely and/or catastrophic that would be, and taking action to avoid either the problem or its

Steps for a Successful Risk Management Strategy

1 - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Write down everything that could possibly go wrong, whether it’s big or small.

Include every last little thing that you can think of is relevant. Brainstorming is ideal here, as it’s likely to get all the ideas out. Then you might want to group the ideas into themes. Although this is not absolutely essential, it can be helpful where you have identified a lot of risks, as you can then produce a summary risk register, with one over-arching risk for each theme. You can also see where your risks overlap, and ensure that each one is genuinely different, and it’s easier to think about who might take responsibility for each.

2 - Assign a Date by Which the Risk Will Have Occurred

Every risk needs a date by which it will either have happened, or no longer be at risk of happening.

Agree this date, and enter it in your risk register. It is not good practice to put ‘Ongoing’ under this column, so do try to quantify it if you possibly can.

3 - Quantify your Risks

Now, on a scale of 1–5, where 5 is high, decide how likely each risk is to happen (likelihood). Then decide, again on a scale of 1–5, how much of an impact it would have on the project if it happened (impact).

Again, discussion is very helpful. Agree first what each value means, where, for example, on impact, ‘5’ means that the project could not continue, ‘4’ means that it would have a significant effect on the bottom line, and so on. As you get further down the list of risks, you might want to revisit those you did earlier to make sure your analysis is consistent.

Now multiply ‘likelihood’ by ‘impact’ to give you an overall rating for each risk, from 0 to 25. This will show you where to concentrate your effort. You can use a traffic light system for this, where Red is anything over about 18, Amber is 10–18 and Green is anything under 10. And if you feel that any of them don’t come high enough up, then revisit your analysis. You have to be comfortable with this. Any risk which rates Red or Amber should be mitigated in some way.

4 - Decide on Mitigation

There are four main types of mitigation action or strategy: acceptance, avoidance, limitation and transference.

§ Acceptance means accepting the risk, and taking no action to mitigate it. It’s a reasonable strategy for a risk that will only have a small impact, or is unlikely to happen, and where taking any action to mitigate it could be disproportionately expensive, but it’s not going to work for every risk on your list.

§ Avoidance means making every effort to avoid the risk. This strategy is normally very expensive, and only worthwhile for really catastrophic risks that are almost certain to happen.

§ Limitation is the most usual mitigation strategy, which aims to limit either the likelihood or the impact of the risk, and therefore reduce the effect that it will have on the business or project. It’s a bit like a hybrid acceptance/avoidance strategy.

§ Transference is the transfer of risk to someone else who is prepared to accept it. This is a strategy used by a lot of companies to avoid having to undertake activities which are not part of their core competences but would be a problem if they went wrong. It includes, for example, outsourcing of payroll management.

5 - Re-quantify the Risks

Have another look at each risk. How much does your mitigation reduce the likelihood and/or impact? Recalculate the overall rating for each risk. Any which are still Red or Amber need further mitigation.

6 - Assign Responsibility

Every risk needs to have a single owner. That’s not necessarily the person who is going to carry out all the mitigation. It’s the person who is responsible for ensuring that the mitigation happens, and who answers to the Board or project manager for the risk. It is no good assigning risk ownership to someone who is not present, as they are unlikely to accept it. Every risk should be owned by someone who is round the table and part of the risk discussions. If you don’t have the right people round the table, get them there.

7 - Periodically Review and Close/Move to the Issues List

Every few months, at least, you should review the risk register, and check:

Progress on mitigation, and whether the mitigation is still relevant, or if more and/or different action is necessary;
Whether any of the risks are past their ‘sell-by’ date, and can therefore be closed (that is, you can agree that they are no longer likely to happen), or have already happened, and should therefore be moved to the ‘Issues list’.

8 - Deal with Issues

Alongside the risk register, you also need to maintain an active ‘issues list’, which includes all those risks which have already happened, and therefore become issues, and how you are managing them. This may be the same as the original mitigation, or it may require different action now the event has definitely happened.

Take Ownership of Risk Management

One final point, and one to ignore at your peril.

It’s no good having the best risk analysis in the world if nobody has read it, and nobody takes action as a result.

Risk management, and crucially, the thinking about ‘what could possibly go wrong, and what should we do to prevent it?’ should be a key part of your strategy development. It needs to be integral to your organisation at all levels.

You may be surprised at the previously unmentionable concerns which become discussable in the context of a conversation about risks and how to manage them.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: CORNERING A SUBORDINATE

DAY 88

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE NINE-BOX GRID

Assessing performance and potential

The Nine-Box Grid measures individuals' performance and potential - identifying areas for improvement and highlighting their development needs.

Overview

The Nine-Box Grid is especially popular in organizations and among professionals who are particularly focused on developing their current and potential leaders, and for whom developing talent is a priority. In essence, it takes a view of an individual's success and effectiveness in their current role (performance), while adding the perspective of their future potential - what they are capable of contributing and achieving. The grid can help organizations understand what is needed for success both now and in the future, and how to ensure that people are recruited and developed in the most effective way possible, benefiting the organization and each individual.

The grid's greatest value lies in the dialogue it creates and the focus it provides. The multiple perspectives provide for a much more accurate assessment than simply one person's opinion. Also, the process helps to identify development needs as well as highlighting where performance needs to be improved.

Using the Nine-Box Grid: key questions

When assessing a person's performance and potential, it can help to keep several questions in mind:

· How well have they achieved their goals and objectives? What evidence is there?

· What do they do successfully and how can they improve their performance?

· What are this person's motivations? How can I get them engaged with the changes that are needed?

· What are their development needs? What activities might work best to help them make progress and achieve their potential?

· What will success look like?

High /above target (approximately 15% of an organization’s employees)	Trusted professional High performance, low potential · High performer, may be hard to replace(e.g. specialist role) · Maybe a technical expert – focus on retention and motivation · Reached career potential – provide support, perhaps encourage them	Strong performer High performance, medium potential · Significantly exceeds expectations and has potential (and possibly expects) to be promoted · Find ways to develop their potential. E.g coaching, stretch goals or new assignments	Top talent High performance, high potential · Has clear capacity to advance beyond their current role · Significantly exceeds objectives –may push boundaries and press for change
Medium /on target (approximately 75%)	Skilled Performance meets expectations, low potential · Solid performer, possibly a specialist, but with limited potential for promotion · Consider coaching from manager	Core performer with potential Performance meets expectation medium potential · Delivers expectations as the potential to do more · Needs to be developed tested and challenged – find ways to stretch and test their abilities	Strong potential Performance meets expectations , high potential · Under-utilized talent who could achieve even more · Find ways to stretch, stimulate and develop (or they may leave)
Low /below target (Approximately 10%)	Watchlist Low/unacceptable performance, low potential · Performance is weak and unacceptable and potential may have been reached · Find ways to improve performance – consider development activities, a move to another role, or exit	Weak performer Low /unacceptable performance medium potential · Good potential but underperforms against objectives · Focus on their motivation and fitb with the role, they ma be in the worj=ng role, consider redeployment	Emerging star Low /unacceptable performance, high potential · May be new ti the role · Strong potential but may need support to improve performance · Manage closely, srt SMART objectives and help them succeed
	Low/limited	Medium /can be developed	High / new challenge needed

Potential

The aspiration for most organizations is to have their employees in the shaded areas of the grid; here, they are either performing to the best of their ability, or they are strong performers with the ability to go even further.

By using the opinions of several people, the Nine-Box Grid generates more accurate assessments. The process also helps to focus thinking on what exactly is expected of leaders and what success looks like.

SKILL CAPSULE: 14 PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Knowledge management is a political topic.
After all, knowledge underlies everything your business does. Your strategies, programs, projects, processes and communications depend on knowledge.
Your knowledge management program needs the support of executive management to have any chance of success. Knowledge management principles define your high level approach to managing your organization's knowledge.
They make a clear policy statement that align your organization around a knowledge management approach.

Definition: Knowledge Management Principles
Knowledge management principles are an enduring set of guidelines for managing knowledge that are established by an organization, program or team.

Establishing principles is one of the most effective actions management can take to support your knowledge management program.
Your knowledge management principles will be unique to your organization. The following examples are a starting point.
1. Knowledge is a Valuable Asset

Knowledge management is based on the idea that knowledge is an asset that should be managed (just as capital assets are managed).
Explicitly stating that knowledge is a valued asset makes it clear that teams are expected to manage and protect knowledge.
2. Knowledge is Stored in A Central Repository

One of the biggest problems that knowledge management programs face is islands of knowledge. Teams and individuals have a tendency to horde knowledge in their own makeshift repositories.
This principle makes it clear that everything goes into one central repository. Your knowledge repository (e.g. enterprise content management system) should allow teams and users to create their own knowledge spaces.

3. Knowledge is Retained

Knowledge is retained according to organizational retention policies. Retention may be managed with a set health check criteria for knowledge. For example, knowledge that is old, unreferenced and unused may be pruned.

4. Knowledge is Quality Controlled

Set the expectation that knowledge is quality controlled. For example, quality guidelines may state that document authorship (who contributed to knowledge) be captured.

5. Knowledge is Sustained

A sustainable approach to knowledge management. For example, minimizing the resources used by knowledge repositories.

6. Knowledge is Decentralized

Most knowledge management responsibilities lie with those teams closest to the knowledge. It's a bad idea to centralize all knowledge management processes.

7. Knowledge is Social

Knowledge that sits on a shelf has no value. The value of knowledge depends on communication and socialization. The creation, assessment, improvement and use of knowledge is largely a social process.

8. Knowledge is Shared

A primary goal of knowledge management is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Encourage your organization to share (e.g. lunch and learn sessions).

9. Knowledge is Accessible

Knowledge is more valuable when it's accessible to a wide audience. Privacy and confidentiality prevent most organizations from sharing all knowledge. However, it's important to set the expectation that a valid reason is required to restrict access.
The concept of accessibility also addresses access to knowledge for individuals with disabilities or special needs.

10. Knowledge is Secured

Knowledge is your most valuable information. It's critical that information security best practices be followed for knowledge management processes and tools.

11. Knowledge is Searchable

Search is a critical tool for knowledge discovery. Executive management may choose to make search a priority.

12. Work Produces Knowledge

Set the expectation that every program, project, process and initiative is expected to generate knowledge. In some organizations, every meeting is expected to generate knowledge.

13. Knowledge is Measured

Require teams to measure their knowledge management processes and knowledge assets.

14. Knowledge is Improved

Knowledge that isn't improved quickly loses it's value. Knowledge management is a process of continual improvement.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: THREATENING WITH JOB OR TERMINATION

DAY 89

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Using personality types

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric test to identify personality types and to understand how people perceive the world and make decisions. These types reveal an individual's preferred way of thinking that affects how they view themselves, relate to others and approach situations, problem-solving and decision-making.

MBTI is based on Carl Jung's psychological types, and organizes types into four opposite pairs of personality preferences in four categories (Attitudes, Perceiving Functions, Judging Functions and Lifestyle):

1. Attitudes: Extraversion or Introversion

2. Perceiving Function: Sensing or Intuition

3. Judging Function: Thinking or Feeling

4. Lifestyle: Judging or Perceiving

These pairs are assigned letters to highlight which combination is dominant - there are 16 combinations. MBTI does not assess ability or make value judgements. It simply identifies the main personality type - for example, while people can use all four Perceiving and Judging Functions (sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling) at different times, they tend to use one more than the others. The combinations are revealing. For example, the four Functions operate in conjunction with the Attitudes, with each Function being used in either an extraverted or introverted way. A person whose dominant Function is extraverted intuition (EN) uses intuition very differently from someone who tends towards introverted intuition (IN).

The personality types

ATTITUDES
Extraversion – e Draws energy from action Acts first, reflects, then acts again Motivation tends to decline Flow of energy directed outwards towards others Action-oriented and prefers dealing with a broad range of issues Prefers frequent interaction with others	Introversion – i Energy drops during actions Prefers to reflect, then act, then reflect Needs time out to reflect and re-energize Flow of energy directed inwards towards concepts and ideas Prefers in-depth thinking Prefers substantial, meaningful interaction with others
PERCEIVING FUNCTIONS - INFORMATION GATHERING
Sensing – s Likely to trust information that is present and tangible Tends to distrust baseless hunches Prefers details and facts - believing meaning is in data	Intuition – n Trusts data that is abstract or theoretical More interested in possibilities Tends to trust flashes of insight Believes meaning lies in how the data fits patterns and theories
JUDGING FUNCTIONS - MAKING DECISIONS
Thinking – t Tends to take a detached approach to making decisions Measures decisions against a given set of rules and by what is reasonable, logical, causal and consistent	Feeling - f Makes decisions through association and empathy Sees problems from the inside, and seeks a solution that considers those involved and is consensual and harmonious
LIFESTYLE - RELATING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
Judgement – j Prefers certainty and having matters settled Indicates how they show others which judging Function they tend towards -Thinking or Feeling: · Tj types appear logical · FJ types appear empathetic	Perceiving – p A preference for keeping decisions open and flexible Indicates how they show others which Perceiving Function they tend towards - Sensing or Intuition (N): · SP types appear concrete · NP types appear more abstract

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO TEST MOTIVATION

· Environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.

· Imagine you got national award five years from now. Why? Circumstances?

· What goals, including career goals, have you set for your life?

· Define “success” for your career? Now & at the end of your work life.

· Example of how you motivated another person.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ORGANISING A SEMINAR

DAY 90

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE JOHARI WINDOW

Developing yourself and strengthening teams

Developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, the Johari Window assigns aspects of personality to four 'window panes. Each pane represents the parts of our personality that are either known or unknown to ourselves or others. Its purpose is to improve self-awareness by clarifying what we know about ourselves and discovering how we appear to others and to act as a measure of relationships and how a team is functioning.

How it works

Include descriptions about yourself in each quadrant (characteristics, behaviours, beliefs, capabilities) and ask others to compile lists of descriptions of you - add these to each window pane. The aim is to reduce aspects we hide from others and become aware of traits we're blind to, to improve our self-awareness and build stronger teams and effective relationships.

Known to others	*Being open* *Things I know and like others to know* This reveals aspects that you are aware of and like others to know about. It is how you like to project yourself and how you manage your reputation. self-worth and ego. Members of strong, established teams are more open, fewer traits are hidden and work well together. Aim: to move aspects from other quadrants into this one because people work effectively in open honest, co-operative, trusting teams	*Blind spots* *Things others know but I do not* This reveals aspects you are not aware of but that others notice. Knowing how you appear to others improves your self- awareness and enables you to explore your behavior. Team members do not work well together when there are blind spots because it causes friction and resentment. Although comments can be difficult to hear, they will help to build better relationships
Not known to others	*The hidden self* *Things I know but conceal from others* This reveals aspects that you are aware of but prefer to conceal. Being aware of these traits (and reasons for concealment) improves self- awareness, relationships and the need to take action - to build trust, improve relationships and create positive, blame-free environments Teams work better when hidden traits are revealed and discussed, enabling people to communicate and work together, free of mistrust and misunderstanding. Fundamentally, have a culture where individuals are not afraid to be open and honest.	*The unknown self* *Things neither I nor others know* Given that these are things not consciously known, this is difficult. Look deeply and reflectively by yourself or with others (such as a coach) to reveal deeper truths, motivations, beliefs and issues. Moving these from the subconscious to the conscious enables you to deal with issues and move forward. Moving these issues into the open pane, depends on their nature - some things are personal and of no relevance to business. To reveal hidden talents, try new activities or courses. Companies should provide opportunities for individuals to discover new talents and encourage people to try new things, take risks and achieve their full potential.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

· When you had to work closely with a coworker whom you disliked. How did you make the relationship work so you could succeed for your company?

· When you disagreed with the decisions of your manager or supervisor. Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction or did nothing change?

· When you worked with a friend. What did you do to ensure that the friendship bore positive results for your company?

· How did you resolve a conflict? What happened to the coworker or team?

· Describe behaviors, actions, or attitudes you are most likely to conflict with at work? Give an example of a situation you addressed in the past? How was it resolved?

· Name factors that make you an effective, valued coworker in your current job? What would your supervisor say are the three most important factors?

· If you have reporting staff, how would these staff members describe you?

· Describe a time when you demonstrated that you have the ability and desire to work effectively with your coworkers.

· When you have entered a new workplace, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: GIVING A FAREWELL SPEECH

DAY 91

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING

Developing organizational learning

Double-loop learning is a way to break people out of a cycle that just perpetuates the way things are done. Double-loop learning encourages critical reflection of an issue, enabling people to question what under-pins accepted methods, thinking and processes. Quite simply, it encourages people to ask why something is the way it is.

Overview

Organizational learning matters for many reasons. In particular, it supports successful and relevant problem solving and decision-making, avoiding slow responses and stagnation and ensuring the long-term profitability of a company. To help organizations improve how they learn, Chris Argyris and Donald Schon distinguished between single-loop and double-loop learning. Single-loop learning simply maintains and improves an existing process - it doesn't question the validity of the process. Double-loop learning involves challenging the existence and function of a process, enabling a step-change in how a company operates.

Instead of simply measuring what people do, double-loop learning is about looking at what they do not do and then changing methods, behaviour and thinking accordingly. Fundamentally, it is about challenging the status quo, testing how people both learn and apply that learning and then encouraging the adoption of a more critical approach to making improvements across a wide range of activities - from processes and plans to goals and values.

The key point of double-loop learning is that it encourages people to raise their sights from the mundane and accepted, freeing them from the constraints of existing business dogma, encouraging them to see the bigger picture and refocusing their thinking towards how to achieve even greater advances. This enables them to assess situations and problem-solve effectively and creatively to produce ideas that are more likely to lead to the right changes and deliver significant success.

Organizational learning

Single-loop learning	Tackles an issue by observing results, evaluating the situation within the current, accepted approach and devising solutions that operate within these boundaries. It seeks to improve by simply doing something better.
Double-loop learning	Considers an issue through critical reflection, challenging assumptions and thinking creatively. This type of organizational learning aims to make significant improvements through identifying the fundamental changes that are necessary to gain competitive advantage.

Following on from double-loop learning, William Isaacs advocates triple-loop learning, where people need to be constantly aware of how their language and behaviour influences the thinking and assumptions of everyone else in the company, to avoid perpetuating erroneous thinking and methods and to create the right culture and mindset.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

o You attend a weekly staff meeting with your supervisor. How do you communicate it to your reporting staff and coworkers?

o Information you believe to be untrue or confidential has reached you via the grapevine. What actions will you take?

o Example of a time when you were part of a project or team and you never knew what was happening.

o Rate your communication skills on a scale of 1 to 10

o Describe the work environment or culture and its communication style in which you experience the most success.

o Describe five things about the communication within an organization that must be present for you to work most effectively?

o How often do you believe it is necessary to withhold information Under what circumstances do you limit communication in your experience?

o How have you handled a boss, who fails to adequately communicate?

o When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ADDRESSING YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME

DAY 92

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HERON’S SIX CATEGORIES OF INTERVENTION

How to help others achieve more

Developed by the psychologist John Heron, this model identifies six different approaches to helping someone during coaching, training or development sessions. Which approach is used depends on the person, the situation and their goals, and success requires the flexibility to deploy the right style at the right moment. The model can be applied to many situations where you want to offer support, guidance or feedback.

Using the categories

These are Heron's Six Categories of Intervention:

1. Prescriptive

2. Informative

3. Confrontational

4. Cathartic

5. Catalytic

6. Supportive

It is not enough to want to help people overcome difficulties or face challenging situations; what matters is knowing how best to help each particular person. And that depends on knowing which style to use at the right time. The first three categories are authoritative, where the aim is largely to provide information and to direct the person to a particular solution. The last three aim to build people's self-confidence and to encourage them to find their own solutions. While you will sometimes need to adapt your style during a conversation, it is important to plan ahead and think about what style will be most helpful.

Category	Style	Type of comment/ question
Prescriptive	Offering advice and directing the individual	‘You need to consider ...' ‘It would be useful to ...
Informative	Giving useful information or instructions to help with a situation and guiding the person to a solution	‘This happens because…’ ‘The reason for that is ...’
Confrontational	Being positive, confront and challenge the Person to direct them to a solution or course of action	'You said this happened…..but...' ‘Given the situation, why did you ...?'
Cathartic	Encouraging individuals to express their feelings and release built up stress, animosity and tension	'If that person was here, what would you like to say to them?' How did that make you feel?'
Catalytic	Adopting a reflective style to promote others to be reflective and to identify their own solutions	'How could that situation have been handled differently, and would it have made a difference?' 'What effect do you think that approach had?'
Supportive	Being empathetic to establish rapport, convey that you are on their side and build their confidence by emphasizing their achievements and capabilities	'You must have felt...' I can see why you …' 'You are good at…’

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

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

o Describe two situations from your past work experience in which you have determined a team was the best potential solution to a problem, a needed process improvement, or a planned change. How did each work out?

o What actions and support, in your experience, make a team successful?

o Give me an example of a time when your work group or department worked especially well with another work group or department to accomplish a goal.

o Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? If so, what assessment did you make of the reasons for the failure

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: REPEATING INTRODUCTIONS

DAY 93

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: RECONCILING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Benefiting from cultural diversity

Globalization has brought many benefits and opportunities, as well as risks. One of the greatest advantages is the ability to work with new people, cultures and perspectives. Management writer Fons Trompenaars highlights several principles to ensure success.

Managing cross-cultural relationships involves three stages:

1. Being aware of the origins, nature and influence of cultural differences

2. Respecting cultural differences in style and approach

3. Reconciling cultural differences by showing people how to use a variety of values and approaches.

Universalism versus particularism

· For universalists, rules and procedures are applied consistently

· For particularists, relationships and flexibility are more important.

Universalists assume that certain standards are right and attempt to change attitudes to match their own. Particularist societies are characterized by the bonds of relationships rather than rules.

Individualis versus communitarianism

Individualist cultures (such as Israel, Canada and the USA) are self-oriented, emphasizing individual freedom and responsibility. Communitarian cultures (such as Mexico, India and Japan) emphasize the group and common goals.

Neutral versus affective

This focuses on the extent to which people display emotions and the interaction between reason and emotion in relationships. In neutral cultures, people are taught that it is incorrect to display emotion. In affective cultures, people express their emotions.

Specific versus diffuse

This affects the way people approach situations and their involvement in relationships. People from 'specific'-oriented cultures consider each element of a situation, analysing parts separately before putting them back together. People from 'specific'-oriented cultures separate work from personal relationships. In 'diffuse'-oriented cultures people see elements as part of a bigger picture with individualism subsumed. Examples of diffuse societies include China, Nigeria and Kuwait.

Achievement versus ascription

This focuses on how personal status is assigned. Achieved status (as found in, for example, the USA, Australia and Canada) relates to an individual's actions, whereas ascribed status (as found in, for example, Egypt, Argentina and the Czech Republic) is concerned with who you are.

Sequential versus synchronic

This is about perceptions of time. People in sequential cultures view time as a series of events, taking time and schedules seriously. Synchronic cultures view past, present and future as interrelated and do several things at once.

Internal versus external control

This has to do with the extent to which people believe that they're in control or are affected by their environment. People who have an inter-nally controlled view believe that they dominate their environment. Those with an externally controlled view focus on their environment rather than themselves.

Reconcile differences in the following ways:

· Look for opportunities and value from both perspectives.

· Define issues in terms of dilemmas or end results - what needs to be achieved - instead of focusing on the means. Find ways to avoid compromise as this is often the lowest common denominator.

· Reach out to colleagues of different orientations. Their perspectives and experiences are potentially interesting and advantageous.

· Be willing to invest effort in communicating across cultural boundaries.

· Respect and practice generic and local business customs.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

o How would your subordinates describe your management style?

o How would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

o Give me an example of handling underperforming employee

o Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10

o Provide three examples that demonstrate your selected number is accurate.

o Describe work environment or culture or mgt in which you succeeded.

o Give example of exceptional employee who sought more responsibility. Describe how you handled this situation day-to-day and over time.

o Describe three components of your philosophy of management

o What value can you add, to an organization’s culture and work environment.

o What factors are crucial for you to work most effectively?

o Tell me how you have managed employee performance.

o At a new workplace you will you develop relationships with new coworkers

o How will you provide direction and leadership for a work unit.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: WHISTLE AND BURP.

Invite three couples to take part in this simple game. Ask them to sit together at the front of the group. Give each of the boys five crackers and give each of the girls a can of coke. On the signal the boys must eat the crackers as fast as possible and then whistle a pre-selected tune to the satisfaction of the rest of the group. They then hand over to their partner (girl) who must drink the coke and then burp audibly. The first couple to finish wins a packet of crackers and a can of coke!

DAY 94

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE STRATEGIC HRM MODEL

Connecting HR with business strategy

The Human Resources Management (HRM) model integrates human resource plans directly into business strategy.

While assuming some aspects of corporate life as given, such as employee buy-in and effective team work, the HRM model serves to encourage you to gather the facts, focus your thinking, illuminate insightful information, examine the situation and develop HR solutions. The use of the model depends on how committed those involved are in following through on its findings and, more crucially, on how well the priorities of HR are already synced with the wider strategic aims of the company.

1. Preparation

Set the scene ... Make sure senior management and leaders are on board and open to change, and establish the HR review team.

2. Analyse your current and future HR profile

Look at all the various factors as they are and what you'd like them to be, including working practices, organizational and HR structure, compliance issues and culture. Always include hard data - if you're not dealing with facts, your findings and recommendations will be flawed.

Importantly, identify the gaps between what you have and what you need.

3. Identify the main HR issues

Given the gap between the current situation and the company's strategic goals, decide the key HR issues involved in achieving goals - these range from seeking cultural change and downsizing to acquiring highly skilled personnel and stronger leadership.

4. Develop an organization plan for HR

Divide your plan into four sections: people, processes, organization and technology. Review each aspect and develop an HR plan that meets the company's strategic aims.

5. Devise a plan for implementation

Prioritize the needs and detail how the plan will be achieved and who will be responsible for each aspect of implementation.

6. Implement your plan

Monitor and review progress - adjust your plan where necessary.

Most importantly, win hearts and minds and support your people. Your plans will be for nothing if you don't win people over and help them during the process of change.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS LEADERSHIP SKILLS

· Tell me how you proceeded with the reorganization?

· Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its success.

· Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, Describe how you led & how people responded to your leadership.

· How would your reporting staff or your peers comment about your

· Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.

· How would you build support for goals and projects from people who do not report to you and over whom you have no authority. Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you can build the needed support.

· What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.

· During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have leadership ability and skill.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: KNOTS

Divide your group into teams of 6-8. Each team forms a small circle. Ask them to extend their right hand across the circle and hold the left hand of the other team member opposite them. Then extend their left hand across the circle and hold the right hand of another group member. The task is to unravel the spider's web of interlocking arms without letting go of anyone's hands. Give them a three minute time limit to complete the task. Pressure!

DAY 95

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS

Working across borders

Geert Hofstede's model identifies five important dimensions of cultural differences that companies need to address when they operate internationally. When working with people from different countries, understanding the cultural differences will facilitate a more successful and effective relationship.

Overview

Companies often operate in a multicultural environment and Hofstede's model is used to improve the ability to work successfully across different countries. It helps people to recognize and understand the behavior and approaches of people from different cultures and, in turn, to appreciate how their own behaviours and actions are likely to be interpreted. Originally four, a fifth dimension was added later. These are shown in this diagram.

		Cultural differences

1. Individuals’ expectations of power and control	2. A culture of individualism or collectivism	3. A masculine or feminine culture	4. A Culture of uncertainty and avoidance or risk taking	5. Long-term or short-term orientation

1. Individuals' expectations of power and control

Referred to as the Power Distance Index, this indicates the amount of power that people operating at the same level expect to have. People at similar levels but working in different countries will have very different expectations of how much control and power they expect to have. In some cultures, employees at a lower level will not expect much power because they operate in highly centralized and hierarchical systems. In other countries, employees at the same lower level will expect to have more power and control.

2. A culture of individualism or collectivism

A general culture of individualism or collectivism can pervade a particular country. Knowing this will help you to deal appropriately and effectively with the people involved.

3. A masculine or feminine culture

This refers to a country's general approach, values and style. For example, in masculine countries, dominance, assertiveness and ambition are all emphasized while, in feminine countries, relationship building, nurturing and supporting are highly valued.

4. A culture of uncertainly and avoidance or risk taking

Some cultures are characterized by risk aversion. These will often have regulations and practices in place to protect people against uncertainty - providing them with a higher degree of security. Conversely, some countries thrive on risk taking. This obviously has huge implications for setting and implementing strategy and for conditions of employment.

5. Long-term or short-term orientation

It is important to know whether the people in a country tend to focus on the future or on the immediate. Their values and priorities may be at odds with colleagues from different countries.

Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions is a useful reminder to be aware of differences and to plan accordingly when operating in multicultural environments. However, as with all models that focus on generalities, care should be taken as people are individuals and can have values, approaches and expectations that are different from their country's average.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASK ABOUT A PERSON’S WEAKNESSES

o Conventional Approach : State a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive like “I'm a workaholic and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to the best of my abilities.”

o Interviewers want to see how you handle this & what your response indicates about you.

o Highlight your strengths for this position

o Highlight an area that you are working to improve upon

o Describe what you are doing to improve

o Describe how this new skill improves your value to the company & Finally, ask a question.

EXAMPLE

“While there are several strengths I bring to this position, including being a top performer in my previous position and possessing strong industry knowledge, I am currently working to enhance my knowledge in the areas of business finance. I feel this is important because it allows me to directly relate products and services to customer's return-on-investment and to recommend department cost saving initiatives.
Would you like me to elaborate on either of these?”

NOTE : Asking a question will make the interview more conversational and avoid it becoming an interrogation.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BACKWARD CLUMPS

Divide into pairs. Ask each pair to sit on the floor with their partner, backs together, feet out in front and arms linked. Their task is to stand up together. Once everyone has done this, two pairs join together and the group of four try to repeat the task. After they succeed, add another two and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together. A sight to behold!

DAY 96

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: ECOSYSTEMS, PARADIGMS AND THE CULTURE WEB

Understanding and managing the culture of your team or organization

Organizations can be viewed as a system of mutually reinforcing resources - an ecosystem. Closely related to the ecosystem is another factor affecting a firm's success: its cultural paradigm. When people join an organization they are taught that 'this is the way we do things. Understanding this paradigm is enhanced using a culture web.

Cultural ecosystems

Culture is collective and learned. It keeps organizations rooted in past methods and shapes behaviour - which is why understanding culture is important to changing behaviour or implementing new strategies. Culture can change in two ways: through incremental evolution or revolution. Sometimes, when the culture is out of line with the needs of the market, a radical break with the past is needed.

What is required is an emphasis on managing value drivers (aspects that make the greatest difference and provide most benefit to customers). Of these value drivers, employee-related factors (such as employee retention, satisfaction and productivity) determine customer service, revenue growth and profitability.

Paradigms

A paradigm can be defined as the beliefs and assumptions that employees hold about an organization and take for granted. This is an inevitable feature of working in organizations - people make assumptions. They are positive when they are used to define an organization's competencies and formula for success, successfully guiding the way people work as well as allowing the organization to develop. If the paradigm is mismanaged, however, it will act as a conservative influence and a barrier to progress, adaptability and change. A valuable technique for managing paradigms is to be explicit about them, discussing their key elements and mapping them in a culture web.

The culture web

An organization's culture or paradigm is best understood through a culture web. The central paradigm is comprised of several interrelated elements:

· Stories and myths are tales (some real, some imagined) that symbolize what the organization is about.

· Symbols include logos, titles and terminology that best capture the way people work.

· Power structures are closely associated with the central paradigm and include powerful managerial groups (such as directors and the board) as well as groups that make the most money or create the brand.

· Organizational structure, which is often changed and may be easy to change, is an important aspect of the culture web. It includes formal ways of working, it reflects the power structures and it signals what is important in the organization.

· Control systems include any aspect of the organization that enables it to exert control. This includes remuneration, measurement and reward systems that indicate what behaviours are important in the organization.

· Rituals are best described as 'the way we do things here’. Often taken for granted, they include links within the organization and any activities that reflect its nature and character.

The paradigm should reflect both the ecosystem and the sources of internal competitive advantage - for example, the tacit knowledge and experience of employees should be reflected in the paradigm.

SKILL CAPSULE: NETWORKING & GETTING AN INTERVIEW CALL (RULES)

o Make a personal connection with everyone you contact.

o Speak in your own voice and words.

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

o Walk around when you make the calls.

o Describe what you're looking for in detail.

o Ask for what you want specifically.

o Commit to making a few calls every day.

o Set your pace and keep going.

o Get over any hurdles. Keep contacting people.

Ø Your goal is to build your network of contacts, then the job will find you.

Ø SENDING THE EMAIL(EXAMPLE)
Hello Mr ---------,
Mr._____________suggested I contact you. I am an experienced __________looking to learn more about opportunities in the _____industry, and _______thought you would be a good person for me to contact.

Ø TYPICAL CALL(EXAMPLE)
You: "Hi my name is ________________ . Mr. . ______________ gave me your name. Did I catch you at a good time?" (Asking this question demonstrates your respect for their time. This also makes certain you have their attention. The person will answer one of three ways.)

Ø You:
"The reason I'm calling is that _______thought you might have some ideas for me about targets for my job search like professional associations, companies to target or colleagues of yours." (It is imperative that you are specific about what you are looking for. The more specific you are the more likely they will be able to help you ) "Have you had a chance to have a look at my resume?"

Ø "I would love to have the opportunity to meet you and present myself. Would it be possible to meet with you for a half hour at your convenience?"
Networking Contact:
"No"

Ø Remain Prepared Always Because When Opportunity Calls It Is Too Late To Prepare

Ø Most job seekers wait until they have an interview to prepare. You can do very little.. Most job seekers spend more time and money on their resume than their interviews. Your resume can not get you a job. Only a great interview will get you hired.

Ø Assuming you've got good interview skills because, you're good at your job, you're a good communicator, or you're qualified will not help you get hired. All these assumptions are false. The skil ls to do a job are different from the skills required to get a job.

Ø So what can you do to get ready before the company calls you for the interview?

Ø Get Questioned & Interviewed
List the questions you expect and the questions you fear. Write your responses. Practice responding out loud. Have a friend practice interview you using the questions. Keep each response to 60-90 seconds. Ask a question after each response.

Ø Get Your Talent Inventoried
Create a list of your talents and skills called your ?Talent Inventory?. Your skills come from work, volunteering, hobbies, school and life. Formulating your talent inventory prepares you for any question about your skills.

Ø Get Phoned
How will you handle the unexpected phone interview? Ask the caller to schedule a time later when you can talk privately. Schedule the call like a face -to-face interview and you call them. Ask how much time they'd like to speak and what they want to learn about you during the call.

Ø Get Your Questions
Make a list of 5+ business focused questions you will ask interviewers. Bring this list to the interview along with a note pad

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: ON THE SPOT SPEAKING / HOW TO COVER UP ON HAUL WHILE SPEAKING

DAY 97

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

Understanding how organizations think, behave and develop

An organization's culture can be defined as: the patterns of behaviour that are encouraged or discouraged by people and systems over time Understanding the components of culture is essential for them to be managed effectively.

Overview

An organization's culture is largely shaped by four factors: its systems, symbols, behaviours and beliefs.

· Systems are the way that people are supported. They include: planning and budgeting; performance review and reward; measurement and reporting; and learning and structure.

· Symbols are about the way resources are allocated and include issues such as: how time is spent; people promotions and exits; as well as offices, car parks and titles.

· Behaviours are the things that people do. They include: what is role modelled; meetings and conferences; and emails and other interactions with others.

· Beliefs are the intangible views, perceptions, stories, myths and legends that permeate the organization and fundamentally affect the depth, speed and quality of thinking, decisions and effort.

Six tools for managing organizational culture

There are six tools or levers to use to shape an organization's culture:

1. Vision - a clear, compelling view of the organization's purpose and how it will prosper. This guides the way people work.

2. Values - the mindset and behaviour that characterize the way people work,

3. Practices - how the values of an organization are translated into how it acts.

4. People - the personalities, priorities, experiences and attitudes of the individuals who build and sustain the culture.

5. Narrative - the story of the business: the heritage, successes and leg-ends that shape people's perceptions and affect their levels of engagement, excitement and action.

6. Place - where people work, their physical environment and equipment, which can significantly affect the values and behaviours of people in the organization.

SKILL CAPSULE: ASKING YOU WHY YOU LEFT THE LAST JOB

1. Be Succinct - "My company merged with another firm and the new management wanted to bring in their own team. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

2. Provide References and Proof - Provide references from a former colleague and boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to ensure you are believed.

3. Tell the Truth in Balance Interviewers want to know that you were not the problem and to understand how you handled yourself. Don't just state the circumstances of your departure; also add any facts that positively reflect on your performance.

4. Tell what you learned. - Demonstrates you are a life-long learner & you look on the positive side.

5. Speak Positively - Any negativity will only reflect negatively on you. Do not express anger.

6. Tell the Truth- Do not speculate on the motives or feeling of the other people involved in the events of your departure. Focus only on the facts of what happened and what you did.

7. Look them in the Eye This will convey your confidence, communicate that this is the truth and that you have nothing to hide.

8. Practice and Conquer Your Fear. Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?”) and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: READING AND WRITING IN PAIRS (BACK TO BACK)

DAY 98

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: MANAGING CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS

Working successfully with people from different cultures

The best organizations recognize that, in a world where standardization and processes dominate, it is the combination of different people and the fusion of different ideas that generates progress and promotes success.

The best businesses reach out to customers and employees, managing and valuing cross-cultural relationships and ensuring maximum productivity, innovation and sales. Cultural diversity can be a valuable differentiator, enabling organizations to attract and retain the best people and helping them achieve their full potential.

Managing cross-cultural relationships is achieved by making decisions based on merit, encouraging different perspectives and challenging those behaviours that undermine other cultural or gender groups. It also means developing attitudes, practices and procedures that provide genuine equality of treatment and opportunity for all employees. Several specific techniques are particularly valuable.

Prepare for working across cultures

Broaden and develop your perspective by considering the following:

· Your own culture is unique. When working across borders you are the stranger.

· The culture you ignore most is your own. Look at yourself from the outside: What do others think?

· Others think and act differently from you.

· While your behaviour needs to adapt to norms, expectations and local customs, this does not mean imitating.

Be patient

Accept that your concept of time may be different - time frames may not be shared.

Beware of the 'denial of difference' and `illusion of similarity'

People may be excessively polite as a way of denying difference. Statements such as 'We share the same language ... we are united by the same industry, business or values' can hide a desire to avoid confronting the reality of cultural differences. Denying difference matters because it means we achieve only the lowest common denominator.

Take care when making jokes

Some jokes not only fail to travel across cultures, but they also cause offence. Humour can be a great support in cross-cultural situations but can also be culturally insensitive.

Understand each individual

Check your views and assumptions with others and:

· recognize that you may hold stereotypical views

· accept that cultural factors are mistakenly attributed to both sides

· understand motives behind a specific behaviour. Don't superficially judge behaviours against your own standards.

Reconcile differences

Resolve cultural differences by doing the following:

· Look for opportunities and the value of both perspectives, rather than favoring one or the other or seeing conflicts between different values.

· Define issues in terms of dilemmas or end results - what it is that needs to be achieved - instead of focusing on the means. Find ways to avoid compromise as this is often simply the lowest common denominator.

· Reach out to colleagues of different orientations. Their different perspectives and experiences are potentially interesting and a valuable advantage.

· Be willing to invest effort communicating across cultural boundaries.

Respect and practice generic and local business customs, especially when it comes to communication.

SKILL CAPSULE: WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY OR CAREER?

This is normal and healthy. However, you must have a well structured response

"I'm concerned that you don't have any previous experience in this field (or industry).“

The strategy is to focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have.

YOUR RESPONSE

First: “That's a good concern. I'd like to share with you some additional information about that.”

Second: “From my previous experience, industry research and informational interviews, I've learned that to be successful in this career (or this industry) requires the following :

(a)

(b)

Third: List your strengths and highlight how they will be useful to the company.

EXAMPLE “A Passionate attention to detail, persistence & unwavering focus on results, staying current on industry dynamics and professional certifications, as well as the flexibility and intellectual agility to respond to constant change.”

Fourth: You ask a question. “I can give you specific examples where I've demonstrated each of these talents. Which of these qualities would you like me to elaborate upon?”

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: READING ALOUD TO CLASS

DAY 99

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: THE EIGHT PRECONDITIONS FOR DIVERSITY

Diversity and competitive advantage

In a world where standardization and homogeneity dominate, diversity provides a distinctive source of competitive advantage: Eight preconditions are necessary for a business or team to benefit from identity-group differences.

Overview

Diversity is about understanding and respecting the different perspectives of our employees and customers, and it is a vital issue for a variety of commercial reasons. For example, we know that differences between people contribute significantly to making our businesses more innovative. This is not simply about visible differences such as gender, ethnicity, disability or age: it is about different perspectives on working and leadership, decision-making, managing relationships, innovating and growing our businesses.

Diversity matters because it helps us to keep pace with social and demo-graphic change. It is a diverse world, and to be successful our business needs to reflect that diversity. Understanding and valuing diversity also helps ensure compliance with legal requirements. Finally, a positive approach to diversity matters because it is what our employees want: they feel valued and make better contributions as a result.

The eight preconditions for diversity

1. Leaders must genuinely value variety of insight and opinion.

2. Leaders must be consistent and persevere when encouraging diversity.

3. High standards of performance must be expected from everyone.

4. The leader needs to ensure that the working environment stimulates, encourages and supports personal development.

5. The leader needs to encourage openness, with a high tolerance for debate.

6. The team climate (culture) must make people feel valued and keen to contribute.

7. The vision for the team must be clear, compelling and, crucially, practical - informing and guiding behaviour.

8. The team needs to be egalitarian and non-bureaucratic - this helps people exchange ideas and value constructive challenges to the usual way of doing things.

SKILL CAPSULE: HOW TO ASSESS SALARY DESIRED

ASKED FIRST TIME“I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position.”
IF ASKED AGAIN“I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range.”
IF ASKED A THIRD TIME “When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential , location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested.”
NOTE

Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: SHORT WRITE UP ON SUBJECT OF ONES CHOICE AND PRESENTING IT

DAY 100

MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: PETER SENGE’S FIFTH DISCIPLINE

Creating a learning organization

If companies are to succeed and achieve more during times of volatility, opportunity and change, they need to be learning organizations where everyone and every function are encouraged and supported to continually adapt and improve.

Overview

Peter Senge proposed that organizations need to become learning organizations, where the full abilities of their people are harnessed to propel the company to achieve more and go further. A learning organization ensures that all aspects of a company - its people, processes and operations - are able to continually learn and adapt and are working together towards the same goal. Underpinning the learning organization is a culture of creativity: to think bigger, to think bolder, to think outside the box and, importantly, to know you can make it happen. To do this, companies need to address five areas(disciplines):

1. Systems thinking

2. Personal mastery

3. Mental models

4. Building a shared vision

5. Team learning

Each discipline is looked at from three perspectives. For each discipline, ask:

· What is the essence of what is hoped for?

· What are the principles that should guide this aspect?

· What are the practices that need to occur to make it happen?

Your people's ability to question, challenge and create depends on the environment, processes and expectations within which they work, By creating the right environment, culture and systems, your company will respond to change more quickly, instigate new market standards and become the dominant player - in short, you'll outdo the competition.

1. Systems thinking

Integrate all parts of the company - ensure that everyone and all processes are synced and are capable of continual learning and creating new possibilities. Systems thinking brings all the disciplines together and, for this reason, is considered the essence of a learning organization.

2. Personal Mastery

The success of an organization depends completely on enabling and empowering its people to learn, challenge and create.

3. Mental models

Mental models are the way we interpret the world around us and condition how we behave and react. While these models can be useful, we should not be constrained by them. True progress can only be made when we are liberated from following ingrained models and are free to explore options.

4. Building a shared vision

A shared vision gains commitment and motivates people to work well together and to think bigger. It guides people's thinking, provides a rallying point for everyone in the business, and profoundly affects their decision-making. It's as simple as that.

5. Team learning

Building creative and effective teams draws on many skills. Everyone should be working and learning together towards the same goals. By sharing knowledge and ideas, we learn more as a group than we would as individuals. Consequently, when companies ensure great teamworking, they are far more likely to be market leaders.

At the core of Senge's Fifth Discipline is creation: it is not enough to be reactive; success requires us to be proactive.

SKILL CAPSULE: QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK DURING AN INTERVIEW

Interviewers are more impressed with your questions than any selling points

Write your questions by starting with “What” or “How”. Limit “Why” questions because these cause the interviewer to defend or justify a decision or condition.

Never inquire about “What you get.” For example, questions like “How much vacation time do new employees get?” or “How much sick time off do I get?” These questions send the message that you are most interested in what you can get rather than what you can do for the company.

The following are examples of questions you can ask. These examples are presented to encourage you to write your own questions.

Be as company and industry specific as possible when creating your own questions.

EXAMPLES

· What are the key business reasons driving the need for this position?

· Describe the three top challenges that I'll face in this job?

· What has to happen for you to know you've hired the best person?

· What are the key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?

· Describe the top three initiatives for your company/department and how this position is linked to these initiatives.

· What are the key metrics for measuring success in this position?

· What competitors do you feel present the strongest competition?

· How do you feel my style will compliment the team culture?

· How would you describe the qualities of the most successful people at your company?

COMMUNICATION EXERCISE: BETTER TRANSLATIONS

Translations gone wrong can teach us much about words and meaning. Can you think of a word or phrase that just doesn’t sound right when it was translated from English into another language, or vice versa? Share it with the class and discuss what a better translation would be.

Management Capsule - 100 Day Wonder (Day 81 to Day 100)

Steps for a Successful Risk Management Strategy

1 - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

2 - Assign a Date by Which the Risk Will Have Occurred

3 - Quantify your Risks

4 - Decide on Mitigation

5 - Re-quantify the Risks

6 - Assign Responsibility

7 - Periodically Review and Close/Move to the Issues List

8 - Deal with Issues

Take Ownership of Risk Management

3. Knowledge is Retained

4. Knowledge is Quality Controlled

5. Knowledge is Sustained

6. Knowledge is Decentralized

7. Knowledge is Social

8. Knowledge is Shared

9. Knowledge is Accessible

10. Knowledge is Secured

11. Knowledge is Searchable

12. Work Produces Knowledge

13. Knowledge is Measured

14. Knowledge is Improved

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