How to Give Performance Reviews Your Employees Love to Get

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By Beth Banning

Do your employees seem defensive, and do you feel tense when it's time for the annual performance reviews? Do they often seem to take your constructive feedback as damning criticism?

But, what if every evaluation or feedback you offered was received as a gift? The information in this article can help you create an environment that will empower your business or organization to function from a foundation of corporation and support.

Evaluation and feedback are essential components of human resource management for any business. The only way your people can know what the company needs from them, and the only way to improve in those areas, is to provide candid, timely, and effective job performance evaluations and employee reviews.

So why are these reviews still one of the most painful rituals in business?

Most organizations assume that everyone is on the same page about real value of this feedback. The problems created by this assumption can dramatically limit the amount of useful feedback employees are able to hear.

Not having both alignment and agreement about this opens the way to confusion, misunderstanding, stress, and defensiveness. What's missing in this assumption can be summed up as a lack of a Shared Conscious Intention, which in turn prevents Mutual Buy-in to the review process.

What do we mean by a Shared Conscious Intention?

Whether you are aware of it or not, every time you give feedback to an employee you have an intention. Even an unconscious intention is sensed by others, and if they sense your tension or irritation about the process, they will often take this personally and interpret it as criticism. This creates a hit or miss context for the resulting conversation.

We suggest that before you give one more performance review, or offer any more feedback, you identify what's important to you about giving your feedback in the first place. Identifying what is important will support you in creating a deliberate intention and a solid context within which your feedback can be well received.

So consider this for a moment. How would your next performance reviews be if everyone shared the intention to create a workplace environment of learning, support, and effectiveness? Getting there might look like this.

Imagine sitting in your office. You're about to give an employee evaluation. Your week has already been hectic and you'd much rather get some constructive work done. On top of this, the employee's performance could use some improvement. In fact, you think the employee could be doing a much better job and has been kind of lazy recently.

In this setting your unconscious intention might be to: get this review over with as soon, and as painlessly as possible. And to get this employee to agree that they should be working harder.

How do you think the employee is likely to respond when they sense this underlying intention?

They might think it means that you're just impatient and dissatisfied with their work. From there they can easily become defensive and resistant, trying to ward off any of the negative consequences of your opinions.

How do you think this conversation will go? Can you see how the employee might have a difficult time hearing or incorporating any feedback that you might offer.

Now let's say that, before you give any more feedback, you decide to create a conscious intention. You ask yourself: "What's most important to me, the company, and the employee about giving feedback?"

You might find that it's important to make sure everyone is clear about what is expected of them so that they can be most effective at their jobs. It may also be important that everyone has the freedom to ask questions and to make sure that they get all the support they need to learn and grow. And that this is important for both you and the employees.

Now image walking in to you next performance review and clearly stating that it is your intention to create an environment of clarity, effectiveness, learning and support - and why this is important to you and the company.

How do you think the other person would respond to this intention? Can you see how the conversation would already go differently than the one created by your earlier, unconscious intention?

Clearly identifying what you value about the feedback process is only the first step. The next step, after expressing what's important to you, is to create both alignment and agreement with the employee about this intention.

You do this by asking if these things are important to them as well, and then continuing this dialog until it produces a Shared Conscious Intention with Mutual Buy-in. This creates a powerful framework for performance reviews.

Within this framework most people welcome the opportunity to discuss their strengths and areas for improvement. It eliminates confusion, misunderstanding, stress, and defensiveness, and opens the way for mutual learning, support, and effectiveness. We believe this can produce a fundamental change in the workplace. One that will not only help you to create a highly effective organization, but also improve the quality of life for you and your employees.

You can stop dreading performance reviews and Learn new skills for effective management of your people. Start by signing up for our thought-provoking and motivational Weekly Action Tips at: www.FocusedAttention.com Each tip offers practical, real world advice for creating harmony in your workplace and in your life.

Be The Best Boss You Can Be

By Cash Miller

Being the person in charge can often be very exhilarating for someone experiencing such a feeling for the first time. Whether you are in charge of a project with a team of company employees that are reporting to you or a single employee that you might be responsible for. Either way we all get a rush from the power suddenly handed to us. But those feelings come while working for someone else. Now imagine the rush you will get when you are the ultimate authority over everyone employed by your company! It can be like nothing you've ever experienced before. All the important decisions are yours to make. The fates of your employees are up to you. The future of your company is in your hands. Everything relies on you!

Okay now are we over the rush? Has reality set in yet? I hope so because while it may sound like everything you have ever dreamed that you wanted. It's not an easy thing to be the final authority on everything that happens to a business. It's a lot of hard work. But you do get the chance to be the boss if that is what you really want. So what kind of boss will you be?

We've all had bosses we've hated at one time or another. And some people have also managed to have a supervisor or two that they liked. Of course no one is ever going to be the perfect boss but what would you prefer. Do you want to be the tyrant or a person that people like coming to work for? We know that it's not a popularity contest and the needs of the business will always have to come first. But which is better, having employees that actually like to come to work for you each day and can then give their best while on the job or people that hate their work and will always be watching the clock just waiting to go home?

Remember the supervisors you've had at one time or another that were both good to you and that you hated. No one really wants to be the type of boss that everyone hates but sometimes it does turn out that way. You know in your heart that you can do better and you will. You just have to be willing to put forth the effort. All the good intentions in the world will get you nowhere if you are unwilling to act.

So what can you do to be a good supervisor? Many things can be done, in fact more than we can possibly cover but we can mention a few of the more important things that you can do. Be willing to listen. Your employees should always be allowed a voice. People like to know their opinions are valued. And be genuine about soliciting their opinions. Give employee evaluations. Not everyone is going to like what you may have to say about them but if you do it the right way they may come to appreciate the input. Evaluations are a great way to show that you are paying attention to them. Employees that appreciate their jobs will make your that much easier.

Treating your employees with respect each day will always help. Yelling at them and berating them for mistakes they might have made will get you nowhere with them. Acknowledge that a mistake was made and work with the employee to correct. Try to teach them about the mistake was made and how they can prevent such a mistake happening again. Then move on. Because dwelling on something that is over with will not help you either.

Let people know when they have done a good job. Praise is too often withheld or the benefits of acknowledging a good job are ignored. How would you feel if you put forth your best effort to make a project successful and don't even receive a simple thank you for your efforts? Never forget that people are not machines and so they should not be treated as such. Treat your employees how you would want to be treated and you will not go wrong.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out www.smallbusinessdelivered.com

How To Delegate Effectively

By S Lifland

Knowing how to delegate is not an inherent ability. Many managers, supervisors and even senior executives resist handing over tasks and responsibilities because of a variety of operational as well as personal reasons. They may be anxious about surrendering the control they have over various duties, or they may be afraid that subordinates will take exception to delegation. It is critical to rise above these obstacles because delegating effectively can have significant and comprehensive benefit for all involved, especially the company as a whole.

Carol Ellis, in the book Management Skills for New Managers (AMACOM, 2005), states the value of successful delegation: “Managers who delegate effectively have direct reports who are more capable and enthusiastic because of the delegation experience. A good manager knows that delegation is the way to achieve results through others.”
The American Management Association’s Delegation Boot Camp teaches principles that allow supervisors to delegate the appropriate amount of authority and accountability to the right individuals. The seminar provides many constructive recommendations for effective delegation:

Why Delegate At All?
Gains (to the delegator):

* Lessens personal workload, deadlines and pressure

* Frees your own time and energy for tasks that will provide larger benefits

* Makes people ready to handle work and decisions in your absence

* Trains colleagues about your job so you are free to be promoted

* Provides opportunity to assess persons’ ability to handle more responsibility and authority

Gains (to the delegatees):

* Cultivates skills and capabilities, providing experience in completing tasks and making decisions

* Prepares employees for promotion; how to handle more authority and responsibility

* More involvement increases their visibility and prestige within the enterprise

* Helps people feel more important and responsible

* Builds up enthusiasm and self-sufficiency

Gains (to the organization):

* Improves decision making and efficiency via increased participation and experience

* Increased skills, confidence and self-sufficiency builds a stronger, more flexible and more cooperative organization

* Provides an environment of collaboration, confidence and personal responsibility

* Displays the conviction people are important

* Supports unproblematic succession planning and the ability to promote from inside the organization

What Things Should Be Delegated?
Tip – Delegated duties and tasks should be “SMART”:

Specific

Measurable

Appropriate

Reachable

Timebound

Tasks that can be delegated:

* Recurring decisions and duties that others can manage

* Critical deadlines or priorities that you cannot handle, but others can

* Special initiatives not essential to core operations or long-range projects

* More detailed tasks on projects you are handling

* Duties that will help others develop in areas important to their career

What Things Should Not Be Delegated?
Avoid delegation of:

* Tasks private or personal in nature

* Duties that involve unreasonable risk to the delegatee

* Items that necessitate your personal expertise

* Duties that require personal leadership or relationships to succeed

* Items with any sort of legal restrictions

Examples of inappropriately delegated tasks:

* Evaluations of job performance

* Sensitive or confidential matters, especially those requiring disciplinary actions

* Duties that were assigned expressly and entirely to you

* Tasks outside of your area of responsibility, and which you are not authorized to delegate

* Critical circumstances where people need your own leadership or direction

* New projects that entail you personally setting an example or establishing standards

Stay away from delegating to people:

* Who are already overworked

* Who already have other high-priority duties

* Who cannot complete the task within the required timeframe

* Who lack the skills to successfully complete the task unless training will be provided as part of the task

* Who have effectively and repeatedly finished similar tasks, if there are other people available that could benefit from the experience

To improve your proficiency in delegating, the American Management Association offers a one-day Delegation Boot Camp that teaches effective delegation strategies that will make your employees more powerful and self-reliant, increase your and your staff’s productivity, and help lower your personal level of stress.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Shari Lifland manages content for the American Management Association’s website, an organization that offers supervisor training, PMP exam prep, leadership seminars, and many other forms of effective management training. Shari also edits several AMA e-Newsletters, and is associate editor of MWorld.

Favoritism in the Workplace–How to Avoid Even the Perception of It

 By Phil Morettini

1. When a good rapport and shared interests lead to a PERCEPTION that an employee is getting favored treatment from a manager

2. When a manager ACTUALLY PROVIDES unfair preferential treatment for one employee at the expense of others

So you might be thinking, hey, this is pretty subjective stuff. There are many people in the workplace who are extremely sensitive, and are looking around every corner for perceived slights and injustices. Women can be suspicious that they're being shut out of participation in the best projects, or advancement, because of the "Old Boys Club"–oftentimes with good reason, unfortunately. There are also many under-performers who look at other's relationships, in an attempt to convince themselves that it's something other than their own shortcomings that is preventing them from getting ahead.

I don't believe that you can, or should, treat everyone the same. I'm not an advocate of communism. People who perform well should be rewarded. And a single management style doesn't work equally well with all employees. Some people need more attention to fulfill their potential, while others excel with less attention and more autonomy. And speaking strictly about nepotism, just because an employee is related to someone in a position of power, doesn't insure they are lazy or incompetent.

But it is extremely important for management to be hyper-sensitive to this issue. While this is a universal business issue, I feel it is particularly important to high technology enterprises. High Tech companies, particularly startups, are built to move very fast. A big aspect of that speed advantage is often the company cultures, which tend to be open and collaborative. To ignore this issue in a High Tech business is to invite a loss of productivity, or in extreme circumstances, an actual destruction of the company culture that you've worked hard to create.

Resentment can build quickly when favoritism is suspected. Resentment quickly becomes bitterness, and bitterness leads to all sorts of behavior which creates problems for companies. Plummeting productivity, divisions between the perceived "haves" and "have-nots", absenteeism and attrition. All of this has the potential to slow down or even stop a fast-moving, but embryonic, High Tech business very quickly.  

I want to emphasize that it's the PERCEPTION of favoritism that does the damage. If there is actual favoritism, you can argue that management is just getting what they deserve. But I've seen proud managers who think that since they're not actually doing anything wrong, that should be enough–people will recognize it. They may also feel that they are too busy worrying about "real" business problems that are critical to the business in the near term, to be concerned with such "soft"issues. They'll let HR worry about such things. Or since they're not actually guilty, they believe that they just don't need to defend themselves further. Lastly, they might think that since they're the "all powerful" boss, they can do what they want, and no one will challenge their decisions.  

In nearly all cases, no matter the justification, the companies of managers who ignore perceptions of favoritism will suffer as a result of the oversight.

This is a pretty confusing topic, with a lot of room for misperception on both the management and employee sides. But it's extremely important for management to directly address the issue head-on. So what's a manager to do to avoid the PERCEPTION of favoritism, which as discussed above, can be just as damaging as actual favoritism?

I propose that it's not hard to take a common sense approach to favoritism. Here are the rules I suggest management try to live by:

1.Do everything within your power to insure that advancement, perks and compensation are based strictly upon objective performance measures

2.Strive to treat everyone fairly, if not necessarily the same

3.Put yourself in your employee's shoes–think back to before you were a manager, and evaluate whether you might feel a particular action feels like favoritism

4.Create an environment where any employee feels comfortable discussing a perceived injustice with management–this enables managers to nip misconceptions in the bud

5.Practice an open door policy–this also contributes to a culture of trust, which can sooth ruffled feathers before hurt feelings can fester and turn a situation far more sour

6.Manage potential perceptions of favoritism proactively–it's much easier to prevent the perception up front, than it is to "put out the fire" once it's raging

7.If at all possible, avoid family relationships within the workplace. If this isn't possible, apply the highest performance standard possible to the relative in the junior position

Phil Morettini is President of PJM Consulting, Management Consultants to Tech Companies PJM provides assistance in Management, Product Marketing and Biz Dev. More Articles at www.pjmconsult.com/philsblog.html "> Tech Management Blog . Contact Phil at www.pjmconsult.com"> Software Management Consulting

For Smoother Operations, Reduce the Number of People Involved

By Donald Mitchell

Organizations usually see themselves as smoothly coordinated operations, even when they are not. A baseball analogy can help us see the point. Early in the 20th century, the Chicago Cubs team members Joe Tinkers, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance were baseball's most celebrated double-play combination. Joe Tinkers would scoop up the ball at shortstop and wing it to Evers covering second base. Evers would touch the bag or tag the runner sliding towards him, then snap the ball to Frank Chance on first before the batter arrived at the bag. "Tinkers to Evers to Chance" became part of American folk idiom.

I Like Company

Most organizations start off in Tinkers to Evers to Chance mode. But soon, more jobs are added to perform the same amount of work. It's like having all nine baseball players handle the baseball after it's hit. Runners will be safe at second and first when that happens.

Why does this needless proliferation happen? Managers enjoy the prestige of having more people reporting to them. Insecure managers will use the bloated staff to cross-check for errors so that the manager looks good in the monthly reports. Also, compensation usually reflects the size of the reporting staff. Bureaucracy is just another way for managers to reward themselves at the expense of the organization and its stakeholders. Of course, incompetent managers will also reflexively hire more people when tasks are left uncompleted due to illness or temporary spikes in demand. But adding excess people to a process is often about as helpful as having a marathon runner wear combat boots.

Hands Off!

Many people in bureaucracies find job security in "owning" a piece of an important process. Let's say that this person has to check incoming orders for errors. Well, all organizations depend on incoming orders. Grab a piece of that process, and you'll be one of the last to see your job eliminated. Yet most of these order processes can be automated. Customers can place orders that go directly to shipping. Error-checking programs can prompt customers to make corrections before the order is finalized.

If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again

Left unchecked, organizations create redundancies that double or triple the workload … and still fail. In part, failure results because eliminating the last scintilla of errors may cost as much as eliminating the first 99.9 percent of errors. More likely, however, is that the bureaucracy is built up to make the managers feel safer. New process designs rarely reflect sophisticated knowledge of error-reduction methods. Rather, the designs allow senior bureaucrats to assign blame for errors to others.

STALL ERASERS

Standing Room Only

At times, unorthodox methods are needed to help workers break out of their bad habits. A venture capitalist noticed that his colleagues were happy to sit at their desks drinking coffee and filling out administrative reports. But money in venture capital comes from working with entrepreneurs. The venture capitalist's solution: Buy stand-up desks. None of his colleagues were psychologically or physically able to stand at those desks all day. Usually, they headed for the field by mid-morning to round up prospective investments and investors or to improve current investments.

I Love the Sound of Feet Leaving the Meeting

In the early 1990s, Sears hired the former chief of logistics for the U.S. military effort following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, William G. Pagonis. He quickly halved the time it took to ship apparel from suppliers to Sears' stores. Suppliers who missed deadlines were fined.

Another improvement focused on cutting back on time executives spent in meetings. In a simple expedient (reminiscent of those stand-up desks), Pagonis removed the chairs from meeting rooms. Those in attendance got to the point quickly or shut up entirely. His meetings rarely exceeded 15 minutes. In the past, managers felt that they had to speak up to earn their keep. Now they knew better and stopped wasting valuable time.

STALLBUSTERS

Spot Checking

A high percentage of bureaucracy involves having checkers checking on checkers, a direction usually chosen for the laudatory purpose of effectively controlling the organization. Spot checking works almost as well and is a lot less expensive. To spot check correctly, ask a statistician to help you design a process to spot check. Rarely will you need to check more than a couple of thousand incidents, even if you want to get a handle on millions of occasions.

Streamline Processes

In lengthy processes, orders and offerings sit around 99 percent of the time waiting for people to do the next little bit. If you reduce the number of people who are involved, the process duration dramatically shortens. Cross-train people to do all of the tasks that are needed at each important stage, and you may take weeks out of the process.

Map out how long each part of the process lasts now and who does what. Alongside that lengthy list, lay out a way to reduce the steps, shorten elapsed time, and limit the number of people involved. If your organization is like most, you can probably create a 96 percent reduction in elapsed time during the process.

Today, the elapsed time standard for processes is very short … often as little as a few minutes. In industries where parts suppliers provide the goods to their manufacturing customers "just in time" (just before the part is used), suppliers usually determine what and how to ship to the customer rather than waiting for an order. Billing and payment are usually tied to scanning incoming packages.

Go for Massive Continuous Improvement of Your Most Important Tasks

For decades the mantra of many management experts has been "continuous improvement." But those experts were usually thinking about making 1 percent improvements. We recommend instead that you continuously seek breakthrough solutions. You'll run rings about the usual continuous improvement people. The more frequently you set goals and the higher those goals are, the more you'll learn and achieve. Get going at getting better at your most important tasks!

Here are questions to help you succeed with massive continuous improvement:

1. What should you be measuring?

2. How can you measure those areas?

3. How often should improvement goals be set?

Now, get on with eliminating unneeded involvement … even if the source is your own irrational connection to approving every detail personally!

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Donald Mitchell is coauthor of six books including The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook. You can read about his work on creating 2,000 percent solutions by registering for free at www.2000percentsolution.com .

Conflict…A New Perspective

Successful organizations, have one thing in common, an atmosphere free of conflict. Click here to learn how your organization can create an atmosphere of cooperation and shared goals!

An article of 804 words focusing on how to understand and transcend conflict by embracing diversity of thought and focusing on the outcome desired.
I was recently asked to address the issue of conflict resolution at the hospital of one of our clients. In today’s fast-paced and stressed-out society, conflict resolution is a critical issue. People don’t always have the time or the tools to handle conflict.

The word ‘conflict’ connotes something bad. People think of conflict and they think of two people in a heated argument. But as the workplace shapes itself to recognize and be more accepting of diversity and differing opinions and as companies write their diversity policies, why not change the way we view conflict and embrace it as something to be valued instead of dispelled?

Conflict Defined

Conflict is defined as a disagreement, a battle or to be at odds. In essence, conflict is a differing of opinions, point of views or ideas. Conflict occurs when two or more people see things from different perspectives, given their education, background, upbringing, knowledge of the issue, beliefs, time of day, mood, etc. Is this not the definition of diversity? Diversity is a variety, an assortment or a mixture. And accepting diversity means accepting that people have inherently different views on how they see the world and how to get things done.

The Source Of Conflict

So why then do people get so uptight and agitated when disagreements occur? There are two main reasons: one, when the idea is presented and then rejected, the person may take it as a personal attack. The second reason is that the person might be attached to it being done their way.

As a leader and a role model, recognize there is always another way to accomplish something, not just your way or the way it’s always been done. Be open to receiving input from others, recognizing that their perspective offers you the opportunity to see the issue or problem in a way that you might not have considered. When you present your suggestions and opinions, detach yourself from whether your suggestion is implemented. While it may seem like the best choice from your vantage point, realize there may be many other factors that go into making the decision and that it’s not about you as a person.

Acknowledge The Conflict

When faced with conflict, don’t run from it; acknowledge it for what it is – diversity of thought. Ask each person to share his or her ideas. Compliment each of them on their innovative and unique perspectives. Praise each of those on your team so they understand how important their differing opinions are. By doing so, you are demonstrating leadership and showing respect for their diverse perspectives. Seek to understand where each person is coming from and help each of the participants understand the other’s point of view. Once you understand the framework behind their perspective, you can help to dissolve the conflict and refocus their energies on finding solutions.

Focus On The Outcome

When its time to focus on selecting the most appropriate course of action, focus on achieving the best possible outcome. Take the focus off the people in the conflict and the conflict itself and focus on solving the problem. Use the tools you have available – your company policies, your vision statement and the mission of your organization - to guide you in selecting the best path for reaching the outcome you desire.

In order to transcend conflict and embrace diversity of thought, you can brainstorm to explode the possibilities and then explore the alternatives. Try coming up with suggestions by asking “what if” questions with possible scenarios. What strategy, suggestion or idea will bring about the best outcome in this situation given the mission of your department or organization? Then decide how to proceed. The bottom line: it doesn’t matter what suggestion is used or who thought of it, only that the strategy chosen best represents the mission of your organization and is the one that has the best chance for success.

Transcend Conflict

In order to transcend conflict, learn to celebrate the differing perspectives of colleagues. Make it part of the culture of your company to seek new perspectives and challenge personal paradigms. Make it okay to question the way people think and act. If you want to change the culture within your company, you have to make it okay to think and act differently. It starts with creating an environment that embraces differences, which happens through the actions of leaders, not with policies or planning.

Coaching tip: Create a regular forum for people to attend moderated by a manager, coach or facilitator, where your team members can discuss situations that occurred, how they handled them and how else they could’ve responded. By creating a forum for discussion and dialogue, it challenges people to reach beyond their own limited view to see and learn more of the possibilities that exist.

About the Author

Julie Fuimano is a Personal & Career Coach and author of “101 Tips For Developing The Leader In You!” Her passion is coaching clients to stop struggling and start enjoying themselves! For your free coaching consultation, visit Julie at www.nurturingyoursuccess.com, write to her at Julie@nurturingyoursuccess.com or call her directly at (484) 530-5024.

When to Use an Advisory Board a Consultant or Both To Help Grow Your Business

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend an EDI (Case Western University) program on boards of advisors.

I learned that boards of advisors, unlike directors, have no formal power or fiduciary duties, but rather serve at the pleasure of the business owner.

With clear direction, they can really assist a CEO to grow his/her firm, particularly if the CEO´s expertise is not in sales or marketing.

Boards of advisors, according to one of the course leaders, are preferable to consultants who cost more and are more biased. Having more than just an academic interest in this debate I began to wonder when is it appropriate to use a board of advisors, a consultant or both?

Using a Board of Advisors
If carefully recruited, a board of advisors can provide a CEO with unbiased knowledge, expertise and feedback.

Advisors seem to be best at evaluating and appraising the ideas or directions that the owner is contemplating or finalizing.

Most advisors are busy senior executives and modestly compensated to serve on a board. Accordingly, they are rarely able to fully contest or disprove the summary information they are given, which usually arrives on short notice.

Rather, they can react with wisdom, counsel, and "a second opinion" to a pre-developed idea or plan.

Advisors are like Focus Groups
The real value of a board of advisors appears to resemble that of a focus group. Focus groups are used by marketing executives as a way to predict the behavior of their market place prior to a product launch or other major promotion.

Successful focus groups demonstrate three common characteristics:

    * They are used to react to new ideas, concepts and approaches, but never to invent a new idea
    * The effectiveness of a focus group is largely the function of how well the moderator has prepared an agenda and a discussion guide for running the meeting
    * They consist of intelligent, outspoken, and knowledgeable participants who constructively complement each other´s opinions and reactions.

If Advisory Boards resemble focus groups, then the burden is on the CEO or President to serve as the moderator.

He or she must prepare all the analysis, invent the new ideas and ensure that implementation and other tactical plans are in place for a good board to absorb and provide a response. And this is where a consultant can help.

Consultants are like Employees
A good consultant can be invaluable to a company leader if a specific skill set is missing or overstretched within the company.

Consultants bring expertise, experience and are generally unbiased if they are not selling other products or over-extending their assignments. Accordingly, consultants can prepare all the analysis, invent the new ideas and ensure that execution and other tactical plans are in place.

Furthermore, in lieu of staff, consultants can develop information, create tactics and even implement programs. Boards cannot and will not do a company´s work.

Use an Advisory Board and Consultants Together for Maximum Results.
Many presidents use an advisory board meeting as a forum for their employees and consultants to present progress on key projects.

This way a company leader can oversee the development, creation and production of the critical work and then have an advisory board react and respond to the results.

So, when should an owner or CEO use a board of advisors or a consultant to help grow their business? It does not need to be an either/or decision.

Rather, use a consultant to help you when you don´t know what you don´t know or to create what you don´t have. Then use a board of advisors for unbiased input when you know what you don´t know.

Andy Birol can be reached via email or at http://www.andybirol.com..
Andrew J. Birol is President of Birol Growth Consulting, who helps owners grow their businesses by growing their best and highest use(R). Andy can be reached at 440-349-1970, by email at abirol@andybirol.com, or on the web at www.andybirol.com.

Guard against conflicting messages

Roy Bartell

Did you ever consider that, without knowing it, you may be inadvertently sending the wrong messages to your customers? Consider the three following points:

   What you promise versus what you do.

 You can send a conflicting message if you lead customers to expect a level of service that differs from what you normally provide. Over-eagerness to be more responsive, or to match or exceed a competitor's service, may cause you to commit to an overly ambitious level of service. Customers who fail to receive the promised services quickly learn to ignore your claims and to expect instead, the level of service they are actually receiving.

   What you imply versus what you do.

 Even without making an overt promise of service, it's easy to crate a conflicting message. My customer surveys, for example, tell customers their feedback is important? Consequently, some customers assume they will be informed about the survey results or any changes that will take place as a consequence of the results. Such notification rarely takes place. As a result, if changes are implemented, customers see little connection between their feedback and the changes. Failure to follow up on what customers perceive as a promise may be one reason that lower response rates are seen in any subsequent surveys.

   What you say versus how you say it.

 Conflict may occur between statements you make and the way you look or sound when you make them. People often give greater credence to your demeanor or the tone of your voice than the specific words you use. Its subtleties such as these that make the difference in how customers rate their satisfaction with the service they receive. If you answer the phone sounding bored or fatigued, or revealing the stress you may be experiencing, callers can hear how you feel - even if your words suggest otherwise.

Conversely, if you answer enthusiastically, you communicate to the caller that you're pleased to hear from them. Especially in the case of customer support, to a person with a problem, nothing is as reassuring as someone who sounds eager to help.

 

Keep in mind that everything you do or say has the potential to influence perceptions and create expectations. Continually ask yourself what expectation you may be creating and explore ways to eliminate any causes for conflict.

About the Author

By: Roy Bartell

If there was a simple process for maximizing your communications, would you master it?

Sixty five percent of voluntary terminations are the result of unresolved conflict. A huge percentage of couples who get divorced say that the decision was based at least in part because they couldn't communicate.
Success in business and in life requires an atmosphere of shared goals in order to be successful in the long run. "Strategic Conversations" can help.

Strategic conversations, generically speaking, is a straightforward process that aligns five key principles of behavior and applies them to the various environments in which we live our lives.
The process is an essential aide in the team building, leadership and management development, conflict resolution and conflict preventions processes. Formally, "Strategic Conversations" adds to the above a professionally facilitated peer group, think tank, and mentoring process.

Giving Back: Good For The Community And Good For Business

During the season of celebration and family traditions it´s an appropriate time to remind ourselves that it´s important, not only to worry about the company profits but also to give back to the local community.

And you don´t have to be Bill Gates and Microsoft Corporation to do it.

Almost any size organization, with or without a philanthropic budget, can find ways to "do good." But the following story is the best recent example I´ve heard of "doing good."

If you owned a landscaping design firm and garden center, you could follow the lead of Ken Warfield, owner of Living Landscapes, located in Barnegat, NJ.

A local school principal called Warfield as well as other area businesses looking for some donated mulch to put in the school´s courtyard area where students had begun a garden with donated plants and seedlings a few years prior.

Warfield said, "Sure" without hesitation, noting that he would donate the entire amount needed and went to the school to measure the area for the amount of mulch that would be necessary.

He was dismayed by what he saw when he viewed the disheveled appearance of the courtyard. It was badly in need of serious landscaping repair.

A day or so later, when the school had a half-day session, Warfield packed up seven trees that when blooming will provide a canopy of white and red flowers, some other plants, materials and supplies from Living Landscapes and showed up at the closed school with a small crew to work some magic.

When the principal saw what Warfield had done, he was completely overwhelmed by this selfless gesture from a local business owner.

The school principal not only expressed his gratitude to Warfield and Living Landscapes; he contacted two area newspaper editors. They promptly sent out photographers and reporters to interview the principal and Warfield.

The story and schoolyard transformation appeared in both local newspapers.

Warfield is a little embarrassed by all the hoopla and attention since he just quietly, on his own, decided to make a difference in the lives of local schoolchildren.

It was something that he wanted to do and could accomplish with a few hours of hard work, the donation of some trees and a little of his heart.

The fact is that this event will probably pay off royally for Living Landscapes in increased name recognition in one of the firm´s primary market areas.

Editorial coverage of good deeds such as this one can exercise significant positive influence on an organization´s image.

Firms spend major amounts of their marketing budgets on branding, focusing their efforts on creating attention-getting logos and taglines, hoping that it will keep their names and products in the forefront of their markets´ minds. Living Landscapes accomplished the same thing unwittingly just by giving back to the local community.

Here are a couple of other ideas to get you thinking.

If you own or work for a multimedia services company, perhaps you could donate equipment for an evening entertainment event that supports a local hospital, nursing home or children´s daycare center.

Or you could assist a local, community theater that´s struggling through the setup of its sound system. A technology consulting company might offer their old computers, servers and networking expertise to a local inner city school system.

If your business expertise lies in marketing or public relations, you could volunteer your time with a local nonprofit agency such as I do with an organization that provides services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

I support the agency´s staff in developing communication strategies and sometimes provide input to their publications and promotional campaigns, maintain their website and serve on their Board of Directors. It takes only 10 hours or so a month and makes me feel good.

During the holiday season when business may slow down and you have the opportunity to plan and package your new ideas for the coming year, why not spend a little time brainstorming about some ways to support a local organization?

You´ll feel good about yourself, help your local area residents and just maybe strengthen your company´s image in its marketplace as well.

Kelly Griffin can be reached via email or at http://www.kellygriffin.com/.
Kelly Griffin is a communications generalist who thrives on a good challenge and tight deadlines. With an extensive background in both business to business and consumer marketing, there are few projects beyond her capabilities. An expert in the development of collaterals and the management of creative and sales teams, Kelly, along with her team, has received over 50 national and regional awards for projects, writing, and promotional campaigns.

Spare time is devoted to volunteer work with Womanspace, Inc. in Mercer County , NJ, an agency that provides services to victims of domestic violence. A member of the Board of Directors for years, Kelly is immediate past president of the Board and chairs the Planning and Development Committee as well as being a member of the Executive and Outreach Committees.

What´s Bothering Managers?

Where do we begin? Tired of playing `piggy in the middle´?

They cop flack from both sides – upper management and the people they `manage´. Tired of being one of the first to blame when things go wrong?

Frustrated by the lack of back up and support from the upper echelons who expect them to perform the daily miracles required to produce excellent results?

They don the title of Manager or Supervisor and suddenly they are expected to know all about Human Resource issues, communication, handling people, Unions, etc.

One day they are `the best´ at whatever they do and on the strength of that, chosen for promotion. The next day they are the Manager, still the best at whatever it is they do, but no further ahead with the knowledge they need to succeed in their new position.

Do they complain and possibly risk losing their new hard-worked-for position or the respect of upper levels of management?

Or do they struggle on doing the best they can? As individuals, they can seek further training in their own time to learn effective people handling skills, and many managers do this.

However, if you take an honest look at an overall Organization, you´ll probably find many departmental Heads in the same position – good at what they do, but lacking the skills needed for effective `management´.

So when does the responsibility for further training become an Organizational issue and not an individual issue?

For those with their eyes on a promotion, it would be in their best interests to have this training now. Then, when they are the best at what they do AND they have the skills necessary to be effective Managers and Supervisors, they have a lot more to offer a Company.

For those who have already been thrust into the position of Supervisor or Manager, it is the company´s responsibility to ensure they have all the tools and training necessary in order for them to perform their duties effectively.

One step Managers can take to make their job easier is to take a long hard look at their own areas of weakness.

Be honest. Brainstorm with your department and ask for their honest opinions – make it clear that this is not a blame apportioning exercise and that opinions shall be treated with respect.

Instead of feeling that one is on their own in the improvement stakes, make it a departmental responsibility.

What can everyone do to ensure your department runs more smoothly and easily? Create a focus on what is already working and build from there.

For those things which definitely are not working, brainstorm as a team.

Ask your workforce what they need from you in order to do their jobs more efficiently. Do they need more training? More autonomy? More supervision? Regular feedback? Weekly meetings with you?

Tell your workforce what you need from them. If you want them to just get on with the job and only bother you when there is a problem that only you can help with, let them know. If you´d rather they reported weekly to you on the progress of certain projects, tell them. Chances are none of you are mind-readers!

Your role as Manager will be greatly improved if you open the lines of communication. Do not apportion blame.

Rather than seeing your role in terms of "managing", think of it in terms of coaching or mentoring. Experience has shown that employees respond better to coaching/mentoring techniques than they do to the traditional management methods.

This means never being too busy for your staff, never being too self-important, and making time to be their Team Leader. Pay attention to what they say to you.

Take the time to listen and learn from and with them. And expect your own `Manager´ or President/CEO to do the same. Have a meeting and be open. You cannot work in the dark. Say what you need in order to do your job properly.

When talking with your staff or higher management, here are 6 tips to help you get the most out of it:

1. Listen carefully. Don´t be thinking ahead of what you want to say – put that aside while the other person is talking and just concentrate on what they are saying to you.

2. Repeat back what you think they said to ensure you have understood. Use phrases like "I understand what you mean," or "I see your point", and when you don´t, ask them to clarify. Get to the bottom of it.

3. Be honest about your own shortcomings and admit to your mistakes. And if you are going to give feedback, be careful not to do it in a blaming sense.

Keep emotion out of it and just stick to the facts. Do not resort to name-calling or putting anybody else down in order to justify your position.

4. Apologize where an apology is called for. Don´t try to make excuses for poor performance – focus instead on what can be done to improve/rectify the situation.

5. Ask for input/ideas on how to improve the situation.

6. If the timing is bad for your discussion, be honest and say that you need time to think over what has just been said and make a time for follow up.

As a Manager, you may sometimes feel you have to be all things to all people. It doesn´t have to be that way if you focus on a team spirit. You are all in it together and the responsibility for making anything "work" should be a team effort.

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