4 Ways to Make Your Management Skills More Effective

A good leader provides constant motivation to his/her team to help them maintain excellence and quality in results. A good leader always looks for ways to improve efficiency and quality, especially if this can be done by simplifying processes or without increasing an employee’s workload. Here are some skills you can sharpen to boost your leadership skills and help your team be more effective and increase results. 1-Wander Around Do you remember M.B.W.A. aka Management By Wandering Around? It’s still the best, even if it’s a “virtual MBWA”. Observation often gets neglected due the demands on a leader’s time and schedule. Find ways to schedule regular visits to your team’s work environment into your calendar. If your office is nearby, try blocking out a few minutes before or after lunch to walk through and check on your team. If you’re far away from your team, stay connected and use technology like video calls. Also, when possible travel to their location and spend time working with them on a regular basis. When you visit, notice workflow and ask questions. Is everything going okay? Does everyone understand what they’re working on? If not, who is the best person to assist them? Observing employees work procedures and the work flow is foundational to implementing adjustments and improving results.  To have credibility, a leader must be seen and trusted to be up to date with what is happening in the work place. 2-Feedback and Praise Fair monitoring helps keep the ship on course and gives employees confidence when expectations are clear. Give feedback regularly, especially when things are going well. It’s easy to fall into the trap of only confronting an employee when there’s a problem. Regular praise and feedback help raise employee morale. Everyone likes to feel appreciated. Do your best to provide quick individual assessments on a regular basis. Think of the time and energy you spend on feedback as a direct investment in your team. Set goals with your team and any leaders who work with you. Make sure everyone understands the role they play in reaching those goals. 3-Demonstrate Working Knowledge and Expertise Have you ever seen the show Undercover Boss? One common theme that runs through each episode is the way the leaders have become detached from the actual workings of their businesses. They may have lost touch with how difficult the job can be or may have inadvertently implemented policies or procedures which actually make the average worker’s job harder while not providing adequate compensation for the changes. Good leaders stay connected to their workers. If you do not possess the expertise and knowledge needed for tasks employees regularly complete, consult them regularly and LISTEN. This is important in order to maintain an accurate and informed overall picture of the business. 4-Ability to Anticipate To keep on the cutting edge in business, it’s vital to be open and curious about upcoming trends. While managing the present to ensure ongoing excellence, a good leader also looks towards the future. [...]

By |2021-08-21T15:46:05-04:00August 26th, 2019|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 4 Ways to Make Your Management Skills More Effective
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Top 3 Myths About Change Management

Did you know that... "Studies show that 70% - 80% of change initiatives in organizations fail" -John Kotter As an organizational psychologist, I can tell you that this alarming failure rate is often attributed to the human factor! Here are 3 classical myths that I frequently deal with in my practice. Myth #1 - It is important to communicate the information in groups Several organizations formulate a communications plan and focus on presenting the changes in information sessions to employees. The goal is to deliver the same message to all employees so they can hear it at the same time and in the same way, minimizing misinterpretations and rumors. Warning!! This often has the opposite effect. Within a group, many people avoid speaking and asking questions. I often say "after every meeting, there's a meeting ... it's the real meeting ... the bosses are not invited and employees really say what they think! " What to do? Alternate your modes of communication: large groups, small groups, and individual meetings. Myth #2 - Focus on the benefits of change It is clear that it is important to present the reasons that motivated our organization to implement the change as well as the benefits deriving from the change. We want this to be positive, right? Warning!! Managing change is not about selling. If we talk too much about the positive without addressing the obstacles and potential difficulties, we give the impression of not understanding or care about the impacts and people will be suspicious. What to do? Present a realistic portrait from the start. There are always pros and cons associated with a decision; if you are aware of these, then they must be pointed out. Solutions can be found by working collaboratively. Myth #3 - We must organize meetings when we have NEW information to share We all know that organizing follow-up meetings while implementing change is important. Often, we wait for new information to share before organizing a meeting so that the communication is relevant and value-added. Warning!! The less we communicate in times of change, the less we manage the information. Every day, people are discussing the changes. If we do not plan for frequent dialogue, disinformation and rumors will take over. What to do? Schedule periodic meetings and hold them regardless...whether there is something new to discuss or not. If we cancel a meeting because we are waiting for answers or because there is not much new to discuss ... people will worry. It is better to have short frequent regular meetings and ask people to share where they are, their successes, obstacles, etc. Looking for More Leadership Tools? Get started today with our Leadership Assessment and Development Tool, a test which will help you maximize your leadership impact. The test reveals your strengths and weaknesses and then provides you with a focused development plan, including exercises, which will lead to huge increases in performance. Invest in your leadership potential by taking the test today!

By |2020-08-02T13:09:34-04:00July 26th, 2019|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Top 3 Myths About Change Management
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3 Common Performance Management Mistakes

Good Management is Key According to Gallup, a US firm specializing in management research, in a survey of more than one million Americans, "people quit their bosses, not the organization." The effect of mismanagement is widely felt. Gallup also determined that poorly managed teams are on average 50% less productive and 44% less profitable than well-managed teams. As an organizational psychologist, I can confirm that an apparent lack of commitment from employees is often the result of the absence of effective leadership from their boss or bosses! The following are 3 common mistakes that I have often observed in my practice and tips that could help you improve your performance management skills. 1 - Waiting until the end of the project or the year to give feedback We often wait before giving feedback for several reasons: lack of time, we do not want to disrupt, derail or demotivate people; it is unpleasant, etc. But without a concrete way to measure performance, and without feedback, one cannot improve. My advice: Think of "just in time". Feedback must be given quickly to be useful and have the desired impact. Especially with the new generations fueled by instant communications, I recommend using the "48-hour" principle: you have a window of two days after an event to find time to share your observations. 2 - Too much recognition can play tricks on you Managers sometimes ask me if it is really necessary to praise someone for doing a job they are paid to do. Conversely, I am also asked if too much positive feedback could make the employee arrogant or less diligent at their job. However, one of the most frequent complaints at work is the lack of recognition. My advice: There is very little risk associated with frequently highlighting our appreciation. Giving positive feedback remains, in my opinion, a simple and free way to value the members of our team while directly impacting their performance. Remember that positive reinforcement increases desired behaviors and attitudes. 3 – Getting too close to employees Traditionally, managers were recommended to maintain a "professional distance" with employees. Things have changed. In March 2015, Forbes magazine cites several studies that show that friendships at work have several positive effects. My advice: we want to work with people we love. We work harder for a boss who shows interest in us, and not strictly on a professional level. I suggest you review your position and consider the different forms of friendships. Redefine your definition of a "professional friendship." Closer interpersonal contact with people generates commitment usually followed by positive results! Improve Your Performance Management by Understanding Your Team Looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of your team? This Team-Building Assessment Tool is specifically geared for improving team synergy. Learn ways to more effectively manage your team members based on their personality and natural strengths and weaknesses. Improving the effectiveness of your team makes your business more successful. It's an investment worth making. Order your test today. Ingrid Kelada Business Psychologist/Happiness Expert [...]

By |2020-08-02T13:13:32-04:00April 30th, 2019|Leadership Tips, Personality Tests|Comments Off on 3 Common Performance Management Mistakes
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Leadership Tools: 4 Steps to Handle Difficult Relationships

We've all experienced them. We can't get along with everyone, right? Difficult relationships can be stressful, frustrating and exhausting. But it doesn't have to be that way. Unfortunately, there's really no way to run a business or be a leader or work with people without encountering some difficult relationships. With a few simple tools, though, you can learn to minimize the roller coaster ride dealing with these challenges. You can learn to manage your own reactions in ways that put people at ease and diffuse frustrating situations rather than allowing them to escalate into bigger problems. Here are 4 steps which will help you handle these challenging situations in your professional life. Realize You're On the Same Team. Whether the person you are having issues with is a customer, coworker, peer, or friend, recognize that the issue is the problem, not the person. You can't control another person's reaction or perception of the situation, but you can definitely control yours. Take a deep breath and change your focus: be on the same "team" with the person. Try to understand their point of view. Tackle the problem with them, not because of them. Focus on the Issue. Some people may have difficulty communicating or express themselves in a way you would like them to. Instead of reacting to the way a person delivers information, try to focus on the information itself. What is the actual problem? Try using reflective listening, and restate the problem back to the person. "What I hear you saying is, you're upset about this..." or "It sounds like you're bothered by what happened when...". Validate the Person's Feelings. You may not agree with someone, but empathy will go a long way toward mending a breach between business and customer or leader and team member. Take time to really listen to the complaint the person is sharing with you. Don't interrupt. Be conscious of your body language-- make sure your shoulders are open, arms not crossed, your body and face toward the person. Make eye contact. Nod to show you are paying attention and understand what's being said. Say something like, "I'm sorry this experience has made you feel frustrated." Let the person know that their feelings matter. You don't have to agree with the way they behaved or the solution they're asking for. Simply acknowledge how they're feeling. Shift the Conversation Toward the Outcome. Once you've listened and validated the person's feelings, you can begin to shift the conversation away from the problem and focus on the solution. Do this gently but firmly. Sometimes people get stuck in a loop, restating and restating the problem and exacerbating all the negative emotions associated with it. Draw them toward the solution with statements like, "I can tell this is really bothering you. Let's talk about what we can do to solve the issue." Sometimes the person wants an impossible solution which you're not able to provide. What you can do instead is focus on one actionable part of the [...]

By |2020-08-02T13:52:34-04:00March 31st, 2019|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: 4 Steps to Handle Difficult Relationships
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Leadership Tools: Building Your Ideal Team

  How to Build Your Ideal Team One of the best and sometimes trickiest parts of being a leader is having the opportunity to build your ideal team. Choosing the right employees can make a huge difference in the success of your company. Employees represent and translate your company's values to your clients. What do you look for in an employee? You probably already have an idea of the education or skillset you're looking for. But how do you determine if a person has the right personality or work ethic to be a great fit for your team? When interviewing prospective employees, always try to notice their energy level and to understand their motivators. Does he seem passionate about he's saying? Is she eager to put her skills toward the job? Build Your Ideal Team with the Right Values and Motivation Ask questions about what drives the person. Do his or her values line up with what's important to your organization and objectives? It's important to choose people who value your ideas and goals. People will respond to genuine connection. You'll also want to build your team to include people with a team mindset. Individuals with this mindset will be problem-solvers because they're invested in the success of the team. They'll look for ways to improve their part of the process because it benefits them and benefits the team as a whole. Ask potential applicants how they have handled workplace problems in the past. Did they deal with things in a way you'd like issues to be handled when working for you? Choosing People with Potential to Build Your Ideal Team Further As you meet with applicants, consider not only the current needs of your business, but what you hope to achieve in the next several years. Find individuals who suit your company today and can help you achieve those longer term goals. Look for their potential for the short term as well as future roles. Is this someone who could someday be a manager? Someone who might have explosive sales potential? Remember to hire for ATTITUDE first, as you can always develop SKILLS later. Tools to Help You Build Your Ideal Team One quick way to uncover this and other critical information about individuals is to offer them a Work Personality Index. This personality questionnaire takes about 20 minutes and provides a comprehensive assessment of work behavior. Collect behavioral data on a person's energy and drive, work style, ability to work with others, ability to deal with stress and managerial potential.

By |2020-08-02T13:58:01-04:00January 19th, 2019|Leadership Tips, Personality Tests|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: Building Your Ideal Team
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Leadership Skills: Motivate for Success

Great Leaders Create Great Leaders We’ve all faced the temptation as leaders to simply direct people by letting them know what we need done. Sometimes it feels like if people would just do what we want them to do the way we want them to do it, everything would be so simple. Great leaders resist that temptation because they know the most effective kind of leadership involves empowering their followers and team members to make decisions and take ownership of tasks. Remember: great leaders create more great leaders. Motivating people to take ownership is easier than you think. One of the key components is simply understanding what motivates your team members. What are their values? What do they need from their job in order to feel successful? What type of management style best supports that success?   Identifying Key Motivators You can figure out what motivates your team in lots of ways. When one of your team members brings a new idea or complaint, take the time to listen to what they’re saying. Not just the idea or complaint. Ask why this issue resonates with them. What is it about this problem that feels so important? Take the opportunity to involve the team member in the solution. If the problem is important to your team member, then the solution will be, too. Even if you can’t implement their ideas or solutions, try your best to make them a part of the outcome in a positive way. Compliments are another great motivator. Draw attention to your team members’ successes. Offer praise for a job well done. This might seem like a small thing, but too often in the workplace, we only hear negative feedback when we’re doing something that needs to be corrected. Positive feedback lets us know we’re doing well and motivates us to continue doing those successful things. It makes us feel valued and appreciated.   Tools for Success It might be difficult sometimes to see how different team members’ motivations fit together to benefit the whole group. It might be hard to figure out how to motivate certain people to invest in your goals. Or you might simply be looking for a more comprehensive way to identify what motivates your group. A great tool to help you understand what motivates your team members is a personality test. A test can help identify work motivators, areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, as well as provide a guide toward a more balanced work-life. All these things benefit you as a leader by making your team more effective. I recommend the Career Values Scale, which identifies all of these key areas in about fifteen minutes. Understanding how to best motivate your team helps you build the most powerful, effective group. It allows you to tap into the natural motivations of each member so he or she brings the best possible outcome to the whole group.   Ingrid Kelada Business Psychologist/Happiness Expert KCC Inc.

By |2019-11-05T07:29:15-04:00October 24th, 2018|Leadership Tips, Personality Tests|Comments Off on Leadership Skills: Motivate for Success
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Leadership Tools: Clarity in Communication

Clarity Begins with Our Mighty Minds Did you know our brains communicate information at the rate of some four billion neuron impulses per second? All that information feeds through our senses, and yet we're only consciously aware of about 2,000. That's only 0.00005%. If you stop to think about it, you'll begin to notice things you normally wouldn't be aware of. The feel of air moving in and out of your nose, throat, and lungs. The touch of clothes on your skin. The thrum of your pulse. The number of things in your field of vision- most of which you probably weren't actively looking at. Before I pointed these things out, you probably didn't even notice them. The good news is that our brains have developed highly sophisticated ways of sifting out the less important information and pushing the important stuff to the top of our notice. This keeps us from getting overwhelmed with the vast ocean of data being registered in our minds every minute of every day. Assumptions Create Gaps What isn't so great is the fact that this can allow us to make some wrong assumptions as our brains sort and filter the information. Some gets deleted, some distorted, and some generalized. Lots of times, those processes serve us well, but sometimes the mind connects dots it shouldn't. Sometimes we don't even realize that's happened. You've probably had an experience like this: you have a conversation with a coworker. You think you've communicated your ideas clearly. You think you understand his point-of-view, too. Only later do you realize what you thought your coworker was asking you to do isn't actually what he meant. You've made an assumption based on some vague information, and now you have to go back and fix the work. Our assumptions can create gaps in communication. Sometimes we realize we need more information and can ask for it right away. But other times we don't realize it until a problem arises. Pursuing Clarity Examples of vague statements can be things like, "Make sure everyone appreciates our efforts," or "Increase morale in the team." What do you think those statements mean? What action are they asking for specifically? There's a lot of room for interpretation! The best way to avoid problems arising from vague statements is to improve your communication skills.  Be aware of the pitfalls of miscommunication- loss of time, productivity, and frustration among your team members, for instance. Learn to recognize vague statements and ask clarifying questions. "What do you mean when you say this...?" "How would you like me to accomplish this task?" "What kind of results are you looking to achieve?" Asking these kinds of probing questions will help your team focus on the important tasks at hand and help filter out harmful assumptions. You'll build strong communication between yourself and your coworkers. All of these are key to successful leadership.   Did you know that 80% of people don't ask questions when someone's not clear?  Let's change that number...ask [...]

By |2020-08-02T14:25:55-04:00September 12th, 2018|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: Clarity in Communication
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Leadership Tools: Conquering Fear

What do you fear?Stop for a moment and think about this: what keeps you from living your dreams?What problem tends to dominate the average person's life without us even noticing?The answer: FEAR!People live every day in fear. Fear of not delivering, of dissapointing others, of being judged, of losing wealth, fear of conflict with loved ones, fear of making the wrong decisions. We are afraid to be ourselves, afraid to grow up, afraid to make commitments. The list goes on and on.Think for a moment. Does this apply to you? The fear of living life to the fullest may have paralyzed you. If you let it, this fear will cause you to hold yourself back in your business and in your personal life.Most people live life in the grip of this fear without ever becoming aware that it has control over them. Fear can turn your dreams of financial freedom, loving relationships, and a fulfilling and significant life into a pattern of bad habits like procrastination and negative self-talk.Conquering Your FearsThere are two questions you need to answer to conquer your fear.Which fear has the most control over your behavior? (Is it the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of success, or is it all of them?)How do I interrupt the bad habits that I have developed as a means of protection from this fear? (How do I interrupt the programming-- patterns of self-sabotage, avoidance, procrastination, etc.-- I have within me?Answers to these questions will provide you the keys to overcoming your fears. If you can answer them, your life will forever change.The reality of fear is that it is human and is a part of life. It’s not going to go away. Some fear is even healthy! It is a gift given to you to keep you safe.Every person is born with instinctive fears, like fear of falling, fear of loud noises, and fear of abandonment. These fears help you monitor what is going on around you. Think about it: fear gives you the adrenaline rush that helps you escape a situation that is really, truly unsafe and the same rush that causes you to fight to win.So what caused the gift of fear to be the number one problem in society today? Why do people let fear control their actions, beliefs and lives? The answer is the difference between reacting to fear and acting in fear. It has everything to do with your belief system.Children typically react instinctively to fear, which is appropriate behavior at this age. As we age, though, we learn which sounds truly signal danger (a fire alarm, for instance) versus which are startling but harmless (a car backfiring on a nearby street). It's important to recognize that our fear response doesn't always mean danger.Take that same knowledge to your fears about your business or relationships. What events trigger your fear responses? What can you do about them? Make a list of possible responses to those fearful situations and keep it where [...]

By |2019-11-05T07:23:03-04:00July 3rd, 2018|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: Conquering Fear
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