Archive for July, 2009

Good communicators make better managers

Friday, July 31st, 2009

The explosion in communication tools, in the last ten years, with corporate websites, e-mail, mobile phones, SMS and the current buzz surrounding social media seems to have blurred the art of communication

Which is the most effective way to communicate with superiors, staff, and clients in the electronic age?

Being a good communicator is not necessarily a natural skill but rather one we learn. Great managers are those individuals who recognise clear communication is an essential part of their job and constantly work to improve their skills.

Effective communication should be open and honest exchanges of information with clear, easy to understand materials and a two-way feedback system. 

Great managers never lose sight of the importance of providing a clear demonstration of their interest in their staff and delivering all the news – both the good and the bad

A recent survey of employees in the US showed less than half (45%) said senior leadership both talks and listens, creating an environment of two-way communication.

Similarly, less than half (49%) say there are procedures in place to raise questions and issues with senior leadership or inform employees on a timely basis about major decisions and developments.
 
Conduct your own communication audits and ask yourself do your communications develop interest and encouraging response as opposed to simply presenting information.

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Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

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Social Not Working

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

 Social networking tools such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter have gained acceptance as a means of marketing and spreading the message online about companies their products and services.

A report issued this week by Nucleus Research suggest that almost half of office employees access Facebook during work, with some spending up to two hours a day posting comments, playing games and uploading lists that causes companies to lose an average of 1.5% of the working day.

With over 87 % of the surveys respondents unable to define, a business reason for social networking it becomes even more expensive than the cost of coffee nd water cooler breaks.

The research does not suggest companies should pull the plug on Facebook in the workplace but highlights a real risk for companies handling secure data where many users already know their corporate e-mail and personal accounts can be monitored by their IT departments whilst Facebook messages are not.

Yes, it does mean your staffs social networking account could be compromising your sophisticated e-mail monitoring software and communication policies.

The knee jerk reaction for many will or already has been to block Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and every other social networking site but before heading down that road think how easily an employee could pull out a web enabled mobile phone and carry on playing Texas Hold Em-Poker or Bejewelled Blitz or sending unmonitored e-mails.

Does you Company allow access to social networking sites in the workplace and if so how do you address the risks to your communications policy?

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The right frame of mind

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

I want to be my own Boss! Words, uttered many times every day by millions of people looking to start their own business, struggling to find a job in the present economy or unhappy with their current  job.

Before you make that first step towards becoming your own Boss, ask yourself, do you have the self-discipline to succeed?

As an employee you may have someone else scheduling your time, telling you when to have lunch, providing direction, giving you various task and other instructions plus the support of your colleagues.

As your own Boss you will be responsible for managing your own time and business activities a task that requires a great deal of self-discipline and focus if you are going to avoid household distractions like television, non business internet surfing,  chatting on IM with your old colleagues, shopping etc.

Distractions that were never around, when you were an employee and can conspire to make the transition from employee to being your own Boss more difficult than many imagine!

If you really want to build a successful business, you will need to leave your ‘employee mentality’ behind and layout some clear rules for yourself and your family that set specific times for both work and family.

Once you have developed your schedule and to-do list stick to it, you will be more productive.

Yes, it is possible to be flexible in your working times to attend the school sports day or special function but the family must understand you will not always be able to take time off and the tasks on your to-do list have still to be completed .

You will not stay in business long if you hide your mistakes or blame them on others, the system, tools or the processes. Your most important lessons come from making mistakes and then correcting them.

Learn from your mistakes! Then fix them! Remember them and find new opportunities.

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Managers who stifle creativity!

Friday, July 3rd, 2009
As a manger and the leader of your team, you have the authority to authorise, encourage or restrict most aspects of your employees working day, and this places you in a position of power and responsibility.
Sadly, the way many organisations approach the management of people and projects kills the incentive to be creative and stifles creative ability.
Some of you will recognise this business model:
Always pretend to know more than everybody around you.
Get employees to fill in time sheets
Run daily checks on progress of everyone’s work
Ensure that highly qualified people do mundane work for long periods
Create barriers between departments
Never speak personally to employees, except when announcing increased targets, shortened deadlines and tightened cost restraints
Ask for a multi page documents to justify every new idea
Call lots of meetings
Place all the emphasis on the budget
Buy lots of computers
To get the best results you have to be good at managing people. Yes success is all about people, great managers make it a priority to build relationships and spend time listening to their people.
What great ideas do you have to motivate your team?

As a Manager and the leader of your team, you have the authority to encourage or restrict most aspects of your employees working day, and this places you in a position of power and responsibility.

Sadly, the way many organisations approach the management of people kills the incentive to be creative and stifles ability.

Some of you will recognise this style of management:

  1. Always pretend to know more than everybody around you.
  2. Insist employees to fill in time sheets
  3. Run daily checks on progress of everyone’s work
  4. Engage highly qualified people in mundane work for long periods
  5. Create barriers between departments
  6. Never speak personally to employees, except when announcing increased targets, cutting deadlines and tightening cost restraints
  7. Ask for a multi page documents to justify every new idea
  8. Call lots of meetings
  9. Place all the emphasis on the budget

To get the best results you have to be good at managing people.

Success is all about people, great managers make it a priority to build relationships and spend time listening to their people.

Do you have some great ideas to motivate a team and get the best out of them or how you deal with a manager who stifles your creativity?

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