Archive for the 'Living With Management' Category

Risk Assessment Process: a Welcome Outline

Auto Date Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Keep in mind that as well as by increasing sales figures, profits can also be improved by minimizing expenditure and more productive use of assets. Employee performance appraisal software, while often forgotten, is a great benefit to companies wishing to do this.

It is common knowledge that a profitable company adapts its workflow to the specialties of each staff member to get the most from them. Pinpointing and making this knowledge ready to use is often where it gets difficult.

To take just one part of this - namely employee evaluation - defining progress and being able to track it is a huge task. You first put employee performance appraisal techniques into action so that you can evaluate the work done by each member of staff. Should you be using traditional methods, your next step will be to manually assess all the raw data you have obtained just to be able to track further development and define goals. Employing performance management software you can be confident that this analysis is taken care of and you need only study the various metrics and factors to determine what the right targets for this employee would be. It also makes following the employee’s development much easier. This eliminates the need to spend time on analysis and is likely to be far more precise. You can also examine all of the performance review forms yourself using the process only to collate and record everything. Performance management software doesn’t only help employees. Both suppliers and clients can be studied using such software, providing you with more performance appraisal tools. For example, when looking at suppliers you can demonstrate their weak points such as poor delivery times, bad loss records, etc. As for clients & affiliates, it’s possible to pin down who bringhs you the most resales if there are payment issues, which client experiences the highest loss percentage, and the solutions to other questions. You can then adjust your ordering and move products around to increase your profits while reducing spending. Who couldn’t benefit from that? This information will allow you to determine a priority demographic. With this demographic in mind advertising becomes more effective and easier to plan.

You can analyze your suppliers to minimize costs and stay abreast of your target market so that you can maximize profit utilizing performance management software. In addition it streamlines the employee performance review and helps set unambiguous targets for your staff. There doesn’t seem to be any upper limit with performance management software backing you up.

Key Issues in People Management

Auto Date Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Succeeding in business depends heavily on the effective management of staff. You may succeed in improving in these techniques. It can be a plus to have a natural affinity for dealing with people, but there are a few things you can do to help the process.

Relationship Building: Begin by memorizing staff’s names. Engage in conversation; look employees in the eye when you are speaking. Show respect, and be attentive to the other person’s point of view, even if you disagree or have another point of view. Listening to everything others say is one of the most crucial human resource management skills you can develop. Welcome any input from your co-workers.

Live up to promises: Keeping your word is key. If you can’t keep your word, the fragile bond of trust is fractured, and if they can’t trust you employees will not offer their best. Everytime you make a statement or give a promise, make sure that you can keep your promises or don’t bother giving your word at all. You will discover, when you can’t be depended on, you can be sure they will act in the same fashion. Be open to any comments: Feedback should be a two way process. Maintaining an open mind regarding other’s ideas is very important in managing staff. If you can prove approachability and openness, you establish that you value your co-worker’s ideas, your thoughts will be appreciated in return. Honest discussion also furthers creative problem solving, innovative methods of achieving the goals of the team, and strengthens the company dynamic. By giving the staff some input, every member of staff invests in the results of the project.

Communication is fundamental: Communication is fundamental to dealing with individuals with skill. Keeping an open door policy, listen attentively to people, be open-minded, and allow each of your team members to express their opinions. Encourage team members not only to speak with you, but to speak to each other. The growth of any business relies a great deal on the interchange of ideas, and in listening to each other, it is simple to recognize problems early, and measures can be implemented before matters get out of hand.

Some effort is necessary, even so the payoffs far outweigh the work. Through establishing the bonds of a good team and by taking heed of what your team has to offer, a thriving business will be yours.

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Effective Talent Management

Auto Date Friday, August 7th, 2009

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People management techniques are crucial for business success. With a little effort you can succeed in improving in these skills. Having a innate skill for communicating with people is a plus, but there are a few things you can learn to help the process. Relationship Development: Begin by remembering staff’s names. Talk to employees; get eye contact during a conversation. Do be respectful, and listen to the other person’s thoughts, regardless of whether you are in agreement with them. Acquiring listening skills is among the greatest things you can do to develop your people management skills. Be sure to welcome any comments from your co-workers.

Exhibit integrity: Keeping your word is crucial. If you can’t deliver on what you have promised, the delicate bond of trust is violated, and if they can’t trust you employees will not give you their best. Each time you make a statement or give a promise, do be sure that you can follow through or don’t bother giving your word at all. The truth is, if you can’t be counted on, you can be certain they will behave in a similar manner. Be open to feedback: Feedback must be a two way process. Talent management skills mean being receptive to all feedback. Being accessible and receptive proves that you respect other’s ideas, your opinions will be appreciated in return. Bona Fide discourse in addition promotes fresh ways of thinking, original methods of fulfilling goals, and improves the company dynamic. If team members are given a voice, the success of the business will become important to every team member.

Promote all sorts of communication: Communication is the key to managing people skilfully. Be approachable, use listening skills, welcome all sorts of feedback, and give all of your staff an equal voice. Encourage staff not only to communicate with you, but also to speak to each other. The exchange of ideas is essential in the creative process, and in listening to one another, you can root out any issues early, and measures can be put in place before matters get out of hand. A little time will be essential, still the dividends achieved far outbalance the work. Through establishing the bonds of a good team and taking on board what your employees have to offer, a successful business will be accomplished.

Efficient Talent Management

Auto Date Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Succeeding in the modern business environment depends on good people management skills. With a little effort you may succeed in improving in these skills. Having a intuitive affinity for communicating with people is an advantage, however you can do some things to facilitate the process. Relationship Building: Begin by memorizing a person’s name. Encourage conversation; get eye contact when you are talking. Show respect, also listen to what the other person has to say, regardless of whether you are in agreement or not. Listening to everything staff say is one of the best talent management skills you can learn. Be sure to exhibit an interest in what they can offer the business. Exhibit integrity: Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If your word is not kept, it will damage trust, and without trust employees will not offer their best. Each time you make a commitment or give your word on something, you are squandering your time and effort unless you keep your promises. The truth is, if you can’t be depended upon, you can be certain they will act in the same manner.

Encourage feedback: Feedback must be a mutual process. Maintaining an open mind regarding other’s views is an important skill in effective human resource management. Being approachable and receptive demonstrates that you value other’s feedback, and they should value your thoughts. Open discussion in addition encourages new ideas, ways of fulfilling the mission of the company, and develops the bonds of an excellent team. By giving the staff a voice, the project becomes important to each employee.

Promote communication: People management techniques boil down to the same thing — communication. Be approachable, use listening skills, be open minded, and permit each of your employees a chance to express their views. Staff should be encouraged to communicate with each other as well as with you. The creative process depends to a great extent on the interchange of opinions, and in listening to one another, it becomes easy to discover any issues before they become problems, permitting corrective measures to be implemented to prevent any further problems. Some effort is required, yet the payoff is worthwhile. By inspiring a good team dynamic and by taking on board your team’s opinions, a flourishing business will be accomplished.

Uniform Disapproval and Ignoring the Up-sale

Auto Date Thursday, June 19th, 2008

Jose was enjoying himself. He was enjoying the customer. He was giving advice and the customer was putty in his hands. Jose was up-selling the customer from coach to first-class. Although the resulting sale tripled the price of the tickets, the customer was delighted with the comfort and fun he and his wife would have in first-class.

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw a high-management official take note of my actions,” said Jose. He walked by a couple of times and then went over to Jose’s immediate supervisor and talked to him, while they both watched him. “When my supervisor took me aside an hour later I was ready for a compliment,” Jose confided with a smile, “You don’t hear compliments every day.” He wouldn’t hear one this day, either.

What Jose wasn’t ready for was chastisement. “The manager’s only concern was about my uniform! Can you believe that? I was wearing a non-regulation sweater vest. I had a regulation vest back-ordered from HR, but it hadn’t come. Mine was really close in color and style.”

Smiling at the memory, Jose continued, “I was so amazed. Here I was making a customer really happy. And I had just made the company an extra $600 and all management saw was my vest.”

Part of a supervisor’s job is to make sure employees are presentable and if uniforms are required then the supervisor’s job is to make sure that uniforms are worn. However, it’s the mark of lazy supervision when the only thing they can see is the uniform. Supervisors need to see the employee and how they perform.

In Jose’s case the manager was close enough to hear part of the conversation. Even if the manager had no clue as to what was going on at the ticket counter, he still should have seen the delight of the customer.

What did Jose think of the manager? “I had always gotten along with both of them before. I explained about the sweater-vest and told my supervisor about the up-sale. He just kinda shrugged his shoulders. I don’t think he ever told the manager anything.”

Jose confided, “You know, every time I hear or see that manager, I remember that day. What in the world did he think he was doing? Doesn’t he know what we’re in business for? Isn’t helping customers and making money more important than a piece of clothing? Why couldn’t he see what was going on?”

Sometimes we get distracted, and sometimes we take the easy way out, but we uniformly should never lose track of customer service and sales . . . and those that are doing the job.

Author Don Doman: Don is a published author of books for small business, corporate video producer, and owner of Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which provides business training products. Don also owns Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com), which provides business training programs and previews 24-hours a day.

How To Rebuild Trust

Auto Date Friday, June 13th, 2008

Here are some quick thoughts on ways to turn things around.

  • Determine the real reasons why trust has diminished. Is it a problem in your industry? Something that happened in your company such as layoffs? Or is it personal - they don’t trust you? Don’t rush out and create a new program or incentive scheme until you know the nature of the problem.
  • Determine what the implications of lower trust are. What is missing as a result? Does customer service or quality suffer? Is loyalty lower?
  • Now you’ve got the data you need to begin to address the problem. Be wary of window-dressing solutions. Don’t try to pump people up or paint over the problems. You’ll just waste your money and will risk adding to the cynicism. The only way to rebuild trust is to focus on the level of trust you want and confront the real reasons why there is a gap between what you want and what you’ve got.
  • Trust is hard to build and easy to destroy, so you must be patient. Set long-term goals. Don’t expect a single meeting or some grand event to turn things around. This situation is similar to a marriage in which one partner had an affair. It takes a long time to rebuild trust in the other person. In fact, they may never regain the level of trust they enjoyed prior to the affair.

Rick is an advisor to organizations on ways to lead Change without Migraines. He is author of many books on change including Why Don’t You Want What I Want? and Beyond the Wall of Resistance. You can access free articles and tools at http://www.beyondresistance.com.

Five Ways to Use a Meeting

Auto Date Friday, May 16th, 2008

1) Determine a person’s ability to plan. Does the person who called the meeting have a clear goal and a specific plan to achieve it. People who do, recognize the value of preparation and can be trusted with larger projects.

2) Measure teamwork. How are the participants working together? Are they making methodical progress toward an agreement, decision, or solution? Are the more skilled participants helping the others? Is the group working toward a result that benefits everyone? People who work as a team contribute more to productivity.

3) Demonstrate communication. How well do the participants state their ideas? Do they speak clearly? And do they pay attention when others speak? People who communicate well avoid problems such as misunderstandings and arguments.

4) Determine how people think. Are the participants offering ideas that logically follow what the last person said? How innovative, practical, or useful are the ideas? Are people focused on details or major projects? Are they focused on what happened or upon what happens next? Certainly people think differently, and this helps you observe their strengths.

5) Observe ethics. What are the participants proposing? What values are revealed by their suggestions? What type of actions do they admire? What do they support and what do they oppose? How much respect do the participants show for each other? Good ethics keep a business on the right side of good.

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Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit www.stevekaye.com