Management Skills Articles

As human beings, this question is never far from the center of our minds, especially when faced with challenges. In the face of diversity, it is natural to question our existence. Life can seem senseless at times given the confusion about the meaning of many of life’s experiences. Consequently, there is an ongoing attempt to make sense of it all by many, including me. It is my contention, as it is many others, that we are spiritual beings manifested on earth for the purpose of having human experiences.

“When you throw dirt, you lose ground.” – Texas Proverb Nothing tears down relationships, teamwork, effectiveness, and productivity like the office rumor mill and gossip. Some refer to this as water cooler chit chat. There are certain type individuals that will go straight to the source to handle a breakdown, and then there are others who will complain and whine to everyone but the person they have a grievance with. The problem is not that these breakdowns occur; the pr

In my last article, "What's the Difference betwee Empowering and Enabling?" we laid out the story of "Jeff" and the line at his door, everyday. And, everyday, Jeff was working until way into the evening while his people left at 5 or 5:30 and waved goodbye to Jeff. Imagine how that must feel?

A common cause of frustration in communicating with others is the difference between logical and values-based decision makers. Logical decision makers (like Mr Spock in the original Star Trek series) need sound reasoning to be the basis of their well thought through decisions. They remain distant from the impact of their decisions and take a helicopter view of the situation. It makes sense to them that each topic and decision is treated as a black box with inputs and outputs. Events create data which is then fed into the black box for the decision making process.

Thanks to internet for revolutionizing the entire face of social interaction, research and business! All wholesalers now operate an online store, have maintained a complete and comprehensive product catalogue, ensure secure online payment and employ such order placement methods which facilitates retailers in buying goods online. Though many retailers now make online purchase but a great number of them still stick to the traditional methods of purchasing as they don’t want t

Don’t you get a little weary listening to all the experts trumpeting, then droning on-and-on that ‘it’s all about relationships’. It troubles me since no one has taken time to analyze what it takes in developing quality long-term relationships. It’s important because all of us in one degree or ...

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation have changed the work landscape in IT organisations. ERP implementation basically takes into account people and technology. An ERP package monitors the work flow of the entire organisation and it also connects the people from each other. Earlier only big multinational companies preferred to go for ERP implementation due to high costs involved. Now most of the companies opt for ERP package implementation to gain the competitive

One of the most important things a manager can do to set healthyboundaries in the office is to define a dress code. It's morecritical today than ever before. Young men today show up for jobinterviews wearing shorts and muscle shirts. Others look likethey just crawled out of bed wearing baggy jeans pulled down toreveal their boxer shorts, baseball cap turned sideways andthree-day stubble. Young women show up wearing mini skirts as ifthey just came from a nightclub. Others wear

dradalat@gmail.com MINA MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE-MALAYSIA Leadership is a great quality and every great organizational success besides other factors owes its credit to the leader who led it to glory. Small groups, families, organizations, states, empires and even the world at large need good ...

Do you dread public speaking? Do you avoid situations where you might have to stand up in front of others? You are not alone. Research once found that people feared public speaking even more than death! If like many people, you are filled with apprehension about presenting to groups, you can turn this around. Here are three steps to help you on your way to being a confident, successful presenter: Step 1: Tune in to WII FM Radio You will be presenting to a group of people. Why should they listen to you? They will be thinking:"Whats In It For Me?" Put yourself in their shoes.

If you have a team of managers, explain why this is the best solution for your company's needs. Perhaps you have multiple departments to manage and you need to create a hierarchy within the company. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each individual on your team and convince investors that each person is going to be able to carry their weight and move the company forward towards its goals. What will your management team look like. It's extremely important that you analy

One reason many people go into business for themselves is that they have a strong independent streak and want to do things their way (or, is that just me?). However, that drive for independence can also be a detriment. One of the downfalls of being a solo entrepreneur can be not having other people to bounce your ideas off. If you are like me, you have a strong sense of independence but you also thrive in an environment where you have other people to share your ideas with. Collaborating with your peers can help take your business to a new level.

Adapted from Effective Delegation Skills for Managers: Five Steps to Maximize Your Time & Employee Resources! by Joy HubernnMost of the personnel managers I know complain about disastrous results when they attempt delegating. I frequently hear, “I might as well just do it myself. But it’s not a good use of my time!” If you implement the five simple tips in this article I assure you enormous strides will be made in your effectiveness when delegating. nnMany people don’

Several of my coaching clients have requested support with either time management or work life balance When we have a discovery conversation on their challenge there is generally much more to discuss on the topic of insufficient delegation. They're keeping excessive responsibilities, authority and duty to their and their company's detriment. Consequently they under perform at their own level. They hold themselves back or suffer from a lack of balance in their lives with too many hours at work.

Myth #1 - Every conflict can be resolved. When I conduct a conflict resolution seminar, I ask my class whether they believe that every conflict can be resolved, and a show of hands usually indicates that most of them think there is always a way to resolve the problem. Perhaps they only vote this way because it seems like the right answer, but they are always shocked when I prove to them that not every disagreement can be resolved. The reason that not every conflict can be r

LAYOFF FEARS QUESTION I am nervous about today’s financial challenges. I think my company is going to start layoffs soon. There are lots of meetings and whispering going on among executives. I can’t afford to get laid off right now because my husband hasn’t been getting consistent work, so there is a lot of pressure on me to keep up with our bills. Do you think there is anything I can do to avoid being laid off if my company is considering it? ANSWER Yes! There are several things you can do that will help to avoid getting laid off.

When you meet someone for the first time in a business setting, you may only have one chance to make a connection that lasts. So how can you make the most of the opportunity? Here are three steps to help you make a good impression and build strong business relationships. Use these to make better connections in your personal life as well. Step 1: Connect using Language Research in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) shows that we communicate with others on a subconscious level. What is your predominant style of communicating? Visual You think in pictures.

Wait a minute before you start with that project. Did you take time to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses? Did you check to see if there are any opportunities you can take advantage of or if there are any threats that you should steer clear of? If you haven’t, then you might as well be initiating this project with your eyes closed. So what can you do to avoid running head on to a disaster with your project? There is one simple technique you can use to identify all the st

Hats off to James Allen. In his book “As a Man Thinketh,” Allen wrote a phrase that I consider to be the grounding principle for anyone who wants to transform his reality and achieve great success. Here is what he said: "A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He ...

A number of years ago, Holiday Inn built an advertising campaign around the sloga "The best surprise is NO surprise!" That slogan would also make good advice today to managers when it comes to giving performance reviews. Few managers enjoy giving performance reviews. Why? There seems to be ...

In management coaching, we can assume that individuals will learn in a very definite way. For example, a Manager may assume that if you tell them, people will learn; others will say that it is better to show them, and then they will learn. Managers think this because that has been their own experience. However, a simple fact of life is that not everyone is like them! In fact, as a rough guide, you can assume that only 20 per cent of the population are like you, and the other

Years ago, when I was on the road as a sales executive, I worked for a company where the sales manager loved having what he called an 'emergency' business meeting.Sometimes he would call on a Friday afte oon telling me that I had to attend so to get to this crazy business meeting, I had to drive for quite some time just to get there. When I got there, more often than not his meeting agenda would be about stuff that could have waited till Monday morning or even a simple phone

Have you ever set a goal, or had one set for you, and you really believed deep down that you couldn't do it? What happened? You were right weren't you? Conversely have you ever had a goal where you knew for sure that this was a piece of cake? Yes, and you were right again, weren't you? Each News Year some of you will set "Resolutions" that you will; improve business revenue, rnhave a better sales quarter, rncut costs; spend more time with staff and less on paperwork; go to the gym, rnlose weight, rnstop smoking; drink more (water) and so on....

Inventory and control of materials are one part of the stewarding department’s responsibility, particularly the chief steward’s. This includes, of course, control of chemicals. Now, the primary reason for controlling the use of chemicals is to save money. Why Control the Use of Chemicals? As stated above, the main reason why the stewarding department has to control their use of chemicals such as cleaning agents, detergents, sanitizers, etc. is to save money, of course. Le

In today’s world most large companies act as global players. They pursue opportunities around the world. A typical large project is a coordination effort of simultaneous complex tasks and activities in different geographic areas. The members of a global project team are geographically distributed; they share one vision, but have diverse cultural and linguistic background. The project’s early planning stages may be led from London, detailed planning and engineering

“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” – General George S. Patton A few years ago, I was asked to teach a workshop called, "Dreams Never Die - How to keep your dreams alive after 50". It is true that dreams never die, but they can wind up fading into the woodwork of our lives if they aren't cultivated and nurtured into reality. What I realized is that while all of us have dreams most people aren't sure how to actualize those dreams. We tend to

If you were to conduct the research, you would find that there is a lot of information out there on New Age thinking, New Thought Spirituality, New Consciousness, New Energy, and Metaphysics in general. However, you will find that most of the information points to how to apply its principles to everyday life for spiritual or personal development. Hardly any points to incorporating these practices in organizations or business in general. The closest thing to it is the incorporation of a ‘green’ consciousness in companies.

What does it mean to listen effectively? It means that you are in the moment and open to the message that is coming your way. When you are listening effectively you are receiving, interpreting, and responding appropriately to the message that is being given. The type of response required, or desired, depends on the situation. The more effectively you listen, the more likely it is you will be able to respond appropriately. Here are some tips for becoming an effective listener:r

A question was raised recently about what causes employee disengagement and what can be done about it. This is a broad subject and requires investigating the root cause of the disengagement before the best course of action can be determined. The danger of applying a one-size-fits-all approach is that only the symptoms are treated and the underlying problems persist. This may provide temporary relief but you will soon be dealing with the same problem again, and again, and again.r

Hearing the objection "I'm happy with my current vendor" from a prospective customer is a wonderful thing! Why? There are two reasons for a customer to tell you "I'm happy with my current vendor", and both are good. The first reason is that bad sales people out there have trained him to use "I'm happy with my current vendor" because is it gets rid of bad sales people. If this is the case, the objection is an auto response and we can handle it. We simply have to show him that we are not a bad salesperson, instead we are a vendor who has his best interests at heart.

In the last week I have worked with 2 different people who are struggling to get their message across. They each have an idea and are being blocked by another persons’ apparent stubbornness. In each case when they analysed what was happening they discovered that the other person was not in fact being stubborn, but they were reacting emotionally to an inexpertly delivered message. What to do if you are being blocked.

How to Exercise Complete Respect in a Positive Directionnby J. Bert Freema Includes excerpts from the book Taking Charge of Your Positive Direction also by J. Bert Freema Respect is the core of relationships and relationships are what make today’s families, businesses and organizations work. When respect is exercised in a positive direction, it adds power to relationships. Additionally, when respect is exercised to treat others the way they want to be treated, it adds value

Due to recent cutbacks and until further notice, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. -- Unknown If you are over the age of 55, you may assume you won't be around in 2030. Keep reading. The odds favor you being here then … unless you are already over 70. Even so, you may want to know what your descendants will face. If you are under 55, you might see threats ahead and describe 2030 in pessimistic ways due to your sense of certain troubling and deteriorating trends:

Last week I was coaching with a highly focused and talented leader. He asked me if he was using the “right” leadership style. What a great question! The conversation proceeded and we worked through what was appropriate to his goals, his personality, his long term outcomes and the situation at hand. Do you have a leadership style, or do you stumble through each day hoping not to make too many mistakes. Have you through about how you want to lead? Do you adapt your style for different people and different situations or do you adopt a one size fits all.

In the words of Saint Augustine, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." This implies that if you do not travel you will end up having a very narrow vision and in fact an incomplete knowledge of exactly what the entire world is like. In this period of globalization and liberalization, it is of major value to travel to different places to enhance your experience and knowledge in order to attain self-development and growth.

When you delegate effectively the person you delegate to is both willing and able to take on your task. Being able to shift someone else’s mood up a notch is a useful life skill and is especially useful for leaders and influencers. Being able to shift others moods is a core part of Emotional Intelligence.

We cover the topic of Locus of Control in our Leadership programs, so it is 2nd nature for me to take full ownership for whatever outcomes I am creating in my life. After all why teach it if I am not living it? REcently I have had some events seemingly “happen to me” which rocked my belief in my own control over the results I get. Before I get on with that part of the story a short discussion on what exactly is Locus of Control and how can we use it…rnr

One reason many people go into business for themselves is that they have a strong independent streak and want to do things their way (or, is that just me?). However, that drive for independence can also be a detriment. One of the downfalls of being a solo entrepreneur can be not having other people to bounce your ideas off. If you are like me, you have a strong sense of independence but you also thrive in an environment where you have other people to share your ideas with. Collaborating with your peers can help take your business to a new level.

There was a very poor man who was very hungry and desperate for help. Hearing about the generosity of Prophet Muhammad he approached him and asked for his help and charity. The Holy Prophet instead asked him to bring whatever he has from his home. The man returned with an old copper mug. The ...

ADDING MORE VALUE TO CUSTOMERS Why do people buy a product or service? Or, for that matter, why do people do all the things they do? There is a very critical and one answer and that is people buy a product or service to get better value for their money. People also do all the other things ...

Conflict is part and parcel of life and conflicts do occur in every organization or between and among organizations. To effectively and constructively deal with conflicts people need to understand the dynamics of conflicts and the strategies for effectively dealing with them. An understanding of ...

My friend and former colleague (UD 1996), Brooke Packard Blanchard, sent me this story. We don’t know the author. If you do, please let me know. I would love to give him or her the proper credit. The story may make you sad at first. But put the wise words to work and it will serve to boost morale and productivity. ***** This conversation was heard on a ham radio. A gentleman was speaking with a smooth voice like he belonged in the broadcasting business.

Instagram is one of the most misunderstood social media applications in business marketing. Some companies have just don't see the importance in investing the time and energy into selling themselves through pictures. If you are one of those companies, or work for one of those companies, just remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. What Companies Should Use Instagram?

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

This past week I attended the CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers) Unconventional Convention in Montreal – and it delivered many ‘unconventional’ ideas and approaches that can be applied to business… and to life. If you or your business is looking to roar in to the new year with new focus and new strength, Ian Thomas, an animal tracker and business strategist from South Africa, has a great model for you. Thomas talks about “The Power of the Pride” and how bus

Channel marketing is now an necessary element of the marketing procedure. In a number of forms of businesses where manufacturers believe getting to a client straightaway might not be the best solution channel marketing is considered the best method to improve sales. Under this method, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) take help of marketers, resellers, VARS (Value Added Resellers) to get their items get to the buyers. This method is proved to be an in efficient way to i

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A really great employee is “rewarded” with a promotion to a leadership position, and now they are failing miserably. You’ve noticed their motivation and drive decline, and their stress increase exponentially. “They were so good,” you say to yourself, “what happened to them?” The answer to that question could be several things (which we’ll discuss later), but throughout my career I have seen senior leaders immediately jump to

Jim and I were in New York to collect the Bronze Medal for Body-Mind-Spirit Book-of-the-Year (Body Brilliance--Bronze Medal winner, who knew? We were also there to enjoy Book Expo ’07 (What a rush! 300,000 folks and books, books, books, for three WHOLE days). My friends Brooke and Lee turned me on to a life shattering (in the best way) book: Busting Loose From the Money Game by Robert Scheinfeld. Brooke was carrying on about this fantastic book she was reading. I picked up

I was recently asked to speak to a team of independent distributors for a health and wellness company to give them some step by step action steps to get them ready to tackle a 90-day challenge that will help them achieve their next level of success. The challenge involves giving away 90 magazines in 90 days. That seems easy to do, but without a committed action plan it's easier not to do.