Top Five Critical Management Issues

Top Five Critical Management Issues

Based on the Institute for Corporate Productivity study, what is your critical management issues in your business?  Rank them from 1 (most critical) to 5 (least critical)

Leadership skills and strength in my organization

              1              2             3             4            5

Managing and growing the talent of my organization

             1              2             3             4            5

Managing and implementing change in my organization 

             1              2             3             4            5

Managing and coping with change occurring outside my organization 

             1              2             3             4            5

Developing and executing solid succession plans to insure the future of my organization 
             1              2             3             4            5

If you have other challenges facing your organization, please post your comment and let me know.

Action:

What is one thing you can do to improve your situation?

If you would like to discuss these in more detail, give us a call.

The "Four Great Fears" of Leadership

The "Four Great Fears" of Leadership

How am I doing with the "Four Fears"? 

1 - Not at all like me                  2 - Somewhat like me                        3 - Exactly like me

Great Fear #1 – I’m Not a “Natural Leader”
 1. Just like any other skill, I invest time, money and energy in improving my leadership.

              1              2             3

 2. I evaluate, through feedback and self-evaluation, my strengths and weaknesses as a leader on a regular basis.
              1              2             3

Great Fear # 2   Fear of Failure
3.  I celebrate risks, mistakes and errors.
              1              2             3

4. My team is energized by trying new ways and being challenged to "fail".

              1              2             3

Great Fear # 3   I Don’t Know How to Motivate My Employees
5. I am excited and passionate about our business and the daily work I do.
              1              2             3

6. I understand every team members personal passion and have connected it to the mission of the business.

              1              2             3

Great Fear #4   I Don’t Know What to Do Next

7. I evaluate everything in my business that helped us achieve success and am willing to change it.

              1              2             3

8. We do not rely on "the way we have always done it" to grow the business.                            1              2             3

Results: 

1 - 10 - You have are a consumed by the "Four Fears".

11-20 - You are managing the "Four Fears".

21-24 - You have master the "Four Fears".

Evaluation:

What are 3 things that need to change in order for your score to improve? 

If you would like to discuss these in more detail, give us a call.

Are you a LEADER or a "Downside Manager"?

Are you a LEADER or a "Downside Manager"?

How does my leadership rank? 

1 - Not at all like me                  2 - Somewhat like me                        3 - Exactly like me

1. I know what motives each member of my team.

              1              2             3

2.  Each member of my team knows exactly how they contribute to the overall mission of the company or department.

              1              2             3

3. I have told each member of my team, in specific terms, how they are valued by the company within the last month.

              1              2             3

4. I have defined training (formal and informal training) plan for each team member to help them improve their contribution to the organization.
              1              2             3

5. Every team member has an up to date career plan.

              1              2             3

6. I meet with my team members at least quarterly to review their contributions, goals and expectations.

              1              2             3

Results: 

1- 8 - You have are a "downside" manager.

9-14 - You are trying to engage your team with "traditional" models.

15-18 - You are leading your team by treating them as unique and valued members.

Evaluation:

What are 3 things that need to change in order for your score to improve? 

If you would like to discuss these in more detail, give us a call.

How does your business plan compare?

Do you plan to win or fail to plan?

How does my plan rank? 

1 - Not at all like me                  2 - Somewhat like me                        3 - Exactly like me

1. I have a plan for my success that is less than 1 year old.

              1              2             3

2.  I have key goals that define "Where" I want my business to be in 3-5 years from now.

              1              2             3

3. I have between 3 and 5 key business objectives that define "What" needs to happen to reach my key goals.

              1              2             3

4. I have clearly defined measurable results associated with my objectives.

              1              2             3

5. I have timelines established for each objective and the key actions required to reach them.

              1              2             3

6. My company strategy defines the "How" of reaching my Goals.

              1              2             3

7. I review and update my business plan at least once a year.

              1              2             3

8. Everyone knows how they contribute to the Strategy, Goals and Objectives of the business.

              1              2             3

9. At least monthly, the business plan is reviewed and "course corrections" are taken.

              1              2             3

10. I have complete confidence that my business plan will help me reach my desired results.

              1              2             3

Results: 

10-15 - You have a plan that is stale and needs repairs.

15-25 - You are trying to align your business activities with your business plan.

25-30 - You are executing your plan and reaching your desired results.

Evaluation:

What are 3 things that need to change in order for your score to improve? 

If you would like to discuss these in more detail, give us a call.

Ten "Business Commandments"

Real leaders know there is a difference between "busy" and productive". Our aim is to achieve our goals -- to be truly productive.

Here are the Ten "Business Commandments".  Take our test and see how you score.

How do you rank? 

1 - Not at all like me                  2 - Somewhat like me                        3 - Exactly like me

1.  Work "On" your Business not "In" your Business

              1              2             3

2.  Control your To-Do List

              1              2             3

3. Have a Positive Attitude

              1              2             3

4. Always Look to Grow

              1              2             3

5. Don't Be Fearful

              1              2             3

6. What More Do I Need to Learn?

              1              2             3

7.  Forget Plan B!

              1              2             3

8. If It Isn't Written It Doesn't Exist

              1              2             3

9. Does Everyone Have the Ability to Make Decisions?

              1              2             3

10. Is Everybody Part of the Self-managing Group?

              1              2             3

Results: 

10-15 - You are under the control of your business

15-25 - You and your business are at odds with each other

25-30 - Your business is under your control

Evaluation:

What are 3 things that need to change in order for your score to improve? 

If you would like to discuss these "commandments" in more detail, give us a call.

Creating a Creative Culture

Creating a Creative Culture

Leadership – Creating a Culture That Makes People Want to Work

Is it the responsibility of leaders to create a positive culture?

The short answer is “yes.”  

Why Leaders Should Care About Affect and CultureA lot of research has been done on how to increase productivity – doing repetitive work quicker, faster and cheaper.  We have all seen these studies, with their time-tested measurements of day-to-day “grind-it-out” work.

However, in these days of furious flux, creativity – finding new and different products and ways to do things -- is generally considered one of the most critical attributes of a successful organization’s work environment.

Researchers from some of the most respected universities in the country – Harvard, Wharton, NYU and Cal/Berkley -- published a paper titled “Affect and Creativity at Work”. (“Affect” is defined as the experience of feeling or emotion, and is related to culture in this study.) 

The scientists reference the studies on tasks -- but then say “Relatively less attention has been paid, however, to organizational creativity as an outcome influenced by affect.” They then go through 32 pages of “researchese” and 4 pages of footnotes to make three critical points in regard to work culture.

FINDING ONE:
An open and positive work culture produces greatly enhanced teamwork and creativity.

The Lessons:
1. Creativity is the heart and soul of teamwork
Effective teamwork is essential to both productive creativity and to the overall success of any business.

The positive effects of productive teamwork can energize an entire organization, while the negative effects of a lack of teamwork can cripple it.

An essential ingredient toeffective teamwork is attracting and keeping the right team members. No matter how hard a group of people try to work together and create an effective team, without the right people for the job, the team will inevitably fail.
           
In order to recruit and retain long-term, effective team members that will provide creative excellence, the corporate culture of your organization must be positive, open and invigorating. Potential team members will thrive in a challenging and creative work.

2. Positive corporate culture comes from the top down
Management is largely responsible for the type of culture that an organization develops. As a manager, you can help foster a good climate in several ways.

1. A great leader always makes their expectations of team members clear.
2. When delegating, always empower each team member with the authority to make and carry out decisions that are required.
3. Always support and back up the decisions made by the team member. If you disagree with their decision, instead of chastising or reprimanding, coach the employee and help them to understand your reasoning.

FINDING TWO:
You have to provide FEEDBACK (in a positive way)

The Lesson:
Recognition is critical to a positive/creative climate
Team members will search out recognition for their creative solutions from their leader.

It’s a lot like raising children – if you don’t regularly give positive recognition for accomplishments, employees will eventually resort to seeking out negative recognition.

Without feedback, your team members are unable to measure their results. A lack of feedback creates confusion, missed expectations and disappointment. 

FINDING THREE:
Consistency is critical – both in attitude AND in providing new challenges

The Lessons:
1. Provide new challenges
Although an employee may be an outstanding member of a team, you must not overlook the fact that he or she is an individual.

In order to keep the most effective team members, you must provide new opportunities and challenges. The alternative is boredom and eventual mediocrity of your team members.

2. Creativity and continuing effectiveness aren’t “automatic
Don't get fooled into thinking that simply putting a group of individuals together, giving them an assignment and setting them out to accomplish the task will create a high-performing team.
     
You need to develop the team through some type of team dynamics exercise.

They should learn to work with each other's different personalities instead of everyone conforming to yours.

They need a structure to work through various changes and trials. And, finally, they need to develop a sense of community.

Get 2012 ROLLING by leveraging the LMI process to drive an organizational culture shift.

Call or email today to discover how.

Helping Columbus LEAD for over 40 years.

Michael D. Diercks

mdiercks@lmi-columbus.com

614-823-8150

www.lmi-columbus.com

Is Leadership A "Soft" Skill?

Is Leadership A "Soft" Skill? 

NO!  Strong results are a direct effect of good leadership. An effective leader understands the connection between leadership, performance and people development. She builds a culture that promotes and rewards personal growth.

 

Lack of leadership commitment to people performance can have an enormous cost. An effective organization has a team of enthusiastic, motivated employees. What if some employees are not motivated and maybe even become demotivated?

Employees in an organization fall into one of four quadrants. Employees in each quadrant impact organizational results.

In his first day, a new hire is motivated but not yet competent. Through orientation this employee moves from quadrant 1 to quadrant 2. He is now a motivated, functioning member of the organization.

Unfortunately, over time many employees move from quadrant 2 to quadrant 3. They are competent but have lost motivation. They go through the motions but make no effort to improve and excel.

The extent of this problem is well documented. “A mere 14 percent of employees around the world are highly engaged in their work. In other words, roughly 85 percent of people at work are giving significantly less of themselves than they could.” From the Towers Perrin Survey of 86,000 employees around the world.

Employees move from quadrant 2 to 3 for numerous reasons, including no connection to the mission of the organization, weak supervision, confusing direction and siloed operations.

When these conditions persist some employees move to quadrant 4. They are demotivated, they lose interest over time, and they become incompetent.

This takes a person far beyond the lack of motivation we saw in quadrant 3. People in quadrant 4 complain in the parking lot with the fatal disease called ………….

Ain’t It Awful Here?

Their negative attitudes poison the organization’s culture and the work of others.

The lower productivity in quadrants 3 and 4 has an enormous cost. If 30% of employees in a 200 person organization with a $8 million payroll are in quadrant 3 and are only 60% productive the cost is $960,000. If we assume a product / service gross margin of 30% the organization must sell $3.2 million to recover the wasted payroll investment.

In addition to productivity costs, employee failure costs include time wasted by managers, the cost of repairing fractured team morale, and replacement hiring costs.

Effective leadership is key to employee and organizational achievement.

Effective leadership builds a results based culture based of enthusiastic, motivated, confident employees committed to achieving the organization’s vision. Employees desire to improve personally and to meet challenging goals. They feel valued and rewarded.

Effective leaders understand a basic truth: no company with unhappy unmotivated employees ever performed well. Ongoing employee development strengthens results and brings competitive advantage in your marketplace.

Thanks to Tom Northup, LMI and author of the book, "Five Hidden Mistakes CEOs Make; How to Unlock the Secrets that Drive Growth and Profitability" endorsed by Marshall Goldsmith author of the New York Times best seller, "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" and Mike Weaver, Achievement Associates, to whom he credits much of this material.

Helping Columbus LEAD for over 40 years.

Michael D. Diercks

mdiercks@lmi-columbus.com

614-823-8150

www.lmi-columbus.com