Coaching to Success

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The ‘Key’ strengths of Successful Management … Prt 1of2

Whether you have been promoted, gone straight into the role or found yourself suddenly responsible for those around you, the majority of us like that feeling of being noticed for what others perceive us to be capable of. And what of those who manage on your behalf? What of their style? How does the team(s) look or regard them?

Due to the complexities involved in becoming a respected and admired manager, this feature will be in two parts with the second being a fortnight from now.

We begin this new adventure full of enthusiasm, clear in the knowledge that we will be successful in our endeavours. Then the honeymoon period is over. Demands upon you have increased, those around you approach you differently, the anticipated respect you thought you would obtain is absent. Worse still… you find yourself alone!

So, the happy world of management! It’s great isn’t it? Well it can be, but let’s first look at the areas that help towards creating this ill-feeling and then we’ll look at ways to move forward:

  • Trying to please everyone – Most of us in management have fallen into this trap but understand that you will need to make decisions that not everyone will like or appreciate!
  • Make time for managing – Management is about processes, structure, order and not about how much work you do compared to others! Knuckling down to get the job done doesn’t engage others and lack of ‘management’ results in both disengagement and disinterest from those who answer to you.

So where do we go from here? Having learned through education, experience and seeing historic examples from poor managers I followed in my career, I’ve developed a list to aid obtaining that respect a great manager deserves, while I also learned a lot about how management and projects work.

  1. Set the standards – Raise the standard of work, demeanour, attitude and professionalism for all to aspire to.
  2. Open-mindedness – For others to ‘invest’ in what they do. Take an approach of thinking ‘Yes’ before ‘No’ and that the initial idea is just the beginning thought, a small acorn from which greatness may develop. Encourage ideas.
  3. Communicate – Knowledge is NOT power if retained by one person! Develop your communication skills and open that office door. Consider all the means of communicating: Emails, Skype, Written reports, Seminars, Meetings and yes, speaking to one another! Be seen as being approachable and rather than harbour ill-feelings towards someone, put it on the table for discussion.
  4. Problem Solver – Look at a situation with the aim of finding a solution and asking for ideas is a great trait for others to aspire to.
  5. Listen – “Seek first to understand, Then to be understood”, Stephen Covey states as #5 in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (a good read if not done so previously!). The best way to manage this is to listen. Your team may see things that you don’t and respect will be gained if you’re willing to lend an ear.

This is but a start. 3 more areas and another 6 management considerations will be highlighted in the next feature. See how you or the managers under your remit get on with these and here’s to wishing you all the developed success this will bring until the next instalment.

Should you look to gain further professional help, Coaching to success specialise in Management (Procedure) & Leadership (People) and whether it be yourself looking to get that edge over internal or external competition or simply looking for better ways to help manage the business, contact us by calling Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation.

How to overcome the particular set of challenges that comes with teamwork!

 

I have a favourite saying from Aristotle: “The sum of the total is greater than the sum of its parts” and this is never more apparent than when working with teams.

How often do groups of people work against the grindstone as there’s no clearly defined goal. Leaders who shout out orders with no real understanding of what they’ve requested. Those within a team who are clueless to exactly what’s expected of them or what about that person no one gets on with? I daresay you could give many other examples either from historical or even present situations!

Humans are pack animals and work best ‘together’ as opposed to alone. Working with others inspires different thought processes or directions, feedback for new ideas and a sharing of tasks to insure the ultimate goal is reached.

OK, the labour was predominantly slavery but the pyramids couldn’t have been built by one or two people. There were designers, architects, directors and workforce. All playing different parts but all working together to create the wonder we can now see thousands of years on.

So how do we improve morale or productivity from our teams?

  • SWOT Analysis – See where the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats are. Carry out the same analysis for each individual within a team. Where there is Weakness/Threats in the business, see the individuals for their Strengths/Opportunities to fill those gaps. Train and support them.
  • Coaching – Getting outside help is most beneficial, however, when not immediately viable, take some clues from the way coaches operate. Adopt approach of ‘Ask’ not ‘Tell’ to achieve consensus. Value each team member and their contributions. Manage the ‘power dynamics’ especially in open forums.
  • Model Team – Take some time out to consider how other successful teams operate and research what key elements they use. See how to manipulate those concepts so your team could benefit.
  • Know the players! – Belbin depicted 9 roles (Plant/Co-Ordinator/Monitor Evaluator/Implementer/Completer Finisher/Resource Investigator/Shaper/Teamworker and Specialist). A team Ideally will have someone from each sector. If insufficient numbers, then members may be able to take on more roles. Contact us to see how we can help you further understand how best to use this model.
  • Performance –Address how the individual’s or team’s potential can be influenced by what is interfering with their output. Too frequent meetings; minor irritants like un-necessary paperwork, reports etc. We so rarely work to our full potential as a result of ‘interference’ so look to see what is necessary and whether this can be delegated. The responsibility for high performance in teams lies with each player knowing what needs to be achieved, taking personal responsibility and working collectively

These are but 5 steps of many that you can take whether at work or in your personal/social life. Working within an environment that is not conducive to the harmonious values each member has simply results in under performance by each member.

Businesses who still look at the cost of employees as being the easiest thing to ‘Cut’ rather than invest in and reap much higher rewards is beyond me, however, this is the world we live in so look to adopt a more positive Team and who knows…

For further development of teams, Neil has a way of motivating teams to perform at their best so contact him on directly on 07761 187238 or email neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to have a complementary and confidential discussion or meeting to see how we can help you manage team dynamics effectively and efficiently by engaging the team quicker and more productively through working together while supporting the businesses’ growth plan.

How to manage stress when change is imminent?

Change can cause Stress. Stress can lead to a big bag of trouble. So what can we do about either or both?

When I left the security of a position with added benefits… you know, a decent wage, car, pension etc, I embraced change but didn’t realise how stress would impact on me as a result of this!

I welcomed change but for it can bring about frustration (“there goes that opportunity of promotion!”), resentment, fear (“will I lose my job?”) and feelings of unfairness (“great, more work!”) due to the fact the ‘change’ was enforced.

The consequent outcome often leads to stress. If we’re not working to our full potential, productivity declines, followed by diminishing profits. This then usually means cut-backs and here we go again! And this is just from an accountant’s perspective. What about the morale in the workforce or the sickness absence record?

It’s no surprise that most will attempt to reject change. After all, it’s the fear of losing something, resisting because we simply don’t want it while not knowing how to deal with it!

Therein starts the belief that if we resist it enough, it will simply go away. Alas, this rarely happens. So begins the transition curve of change which follows a path of Shock – Denial – Sense of incompetence – Acceptance – Experimentation – Understanding – Integration. The first is where management is the most critical.

Some key questions to help us understand/be understood, thereby giving the information that will relieve the development of stress include:

  • What fear will be raised?
  • What internal/external culture will feed this fear?
  • Are people afraid to raise their fears/concerns?
  • How will this fear affect the business through its service or delivery?
  • What will be the outcome if people can’t raise their concerns?

As a leader, these questions need to be asked. Having a clearly defined plan concerning how the change is to be communicated, and I don’t mean just ping everyone an email!, to incorporate the aforementioned answering what you foresee as being primary areas of concern, will help people to understand that change is not to be feared but embraced due to its benefits to them!

‘Communication’ is critical in reducing stress. Once you’ve established answers to the earlier questions, you can incorporate this into your announcements.

Clear, concise and accurate information relaying what are the perceived likely fears and how this will be addressed, the timeframe, people’s responsibilities and buddying systems all aimed with the intention of expressing the purpose, benefits and need of the business that they will engage in. This will all give the individuals a sense of understanding and, more importantly, a sense of purpose that they are critical to the success of this change.

This information assists effective change-management, stabilising the environment without allowing assumptions that may well poison a tranquil working atmosphere!

Without clear communication, people will feel threatened. Look to endorse some of the following to assist with a ‘reduced’ stressful environment (we don’t like change so there will always be an element of stress, let’s just try and bring it to a minimum so all can enjoy the workplace):

  • Provide assistance. Not everyone will pick up change at the same speed
  • Offer a variety of support not just technical but coaching, counselling, leadership and interpersonal skill training
  • Be aware of how you communicate this change. Electronic formats such as email should be used to back-up or enhance face-to-face meetings/seminars.
  • Frequently relay updates emphasising the positives and commenting on areas that need improving
  • Consider holistic means to alleviate stress such as providing training on relaxation techniques, nutrition, self-awareness, time-management and confidence/self-awareness development.

Stress affects us all differently. As an outgoing person, my signal is when I go quiet, hiding myself away! Other signs people show are loss of focus or attention, fatigue, tension of muscles and work may be affected through shortcuts being taken or lack of accuracy/focus. Know your own signs as well as those around you.

Without considering the human element of change, all too often I have seen change take much longer than anticipated as no one has considered the fact it is people we are dealing with and not machines!

Coaching to success specialise in change-management offering workshops for teams or management teams that will either be subjected to change or are about to introduce it. Should this be an area that you believe will help your organisation, contact Neil directly on 07761 187238 or email neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to have a complementary and confidential discussion
or meeting to see how we can help you manage change effectively and efficiently thus reducing costs through engaging the team quicker and more productively through reducing the possibility of stress and the negatives that can bring.

To Analyse is to Strategies! Move forward by finding out what are the others up to

It amazes me how disorganised some companies are, yet they still manage to keep their head above water. Those that engage with a mentor, business coach or such like then gain clarity of direction and whatever the set benchmark, production/sales/profits improve exponentially.

Fighting the internal battle is only the first step … Next you have to worry about what the competitors are up to, especially the ones that have the edge on you! Who knows, they may well use a strategy tool created by Michael Porter known as ‘Porter’s Four Corner Model’.

A leading authority on company strategy, Michael Porter is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School (highest professional recognition that can be awarded to a Harvard faculty member). His model is a framework to look at what’s going on behind competitor’s doors, the strategy they are likely to adopt and key factors that will probably influence their decision making:

To begin, consider a 2×2 matrix. Top left is ‘Corner 1: Drivers’ (Motivation), Bottom left ‘Corner 2: Assumptions’ (Motivation), Bottom right ‘Corner 3: Strategy’ (Actions) and Top right ‘Corner 4: Capabilities’ (Actions).

DRIVERS: These are what Motivate your competition. Areas such as what drives them forward? What are their values? And really, what makes them tick? Understand what ‘motivates’ them and you can start to see where the energy lies.

Including Financial goals, Business philosophy or Leadership background.

ASSUMPTIONS: This isn’t your assumptions, this is their Belief about themselves! Look at how they perceive their competition (including you). What assumptions do they make and how do they perceive themselves compared to others within your business arena. How do they assess their own strengths and weaknesses against their rivals? Do they become defensive or aggressive in their approach, are they pro-active or reactive? Consider company’s perception of its strengths & weaknesses, Belief about competitor’s goals or Organisational value.

STRATEGY: This is all about how they compete in the marketplace! There could be a difference between what is their ‘realised’ strategy and the ‘intended’ one as laid down in their annual reports. Now this is where it’s important to see if this occurs and with some research, can be found. If their strategy appears to be yielding a good return, then it is safe to say they will continue doing what they do best, nonetheless, is it still abiding by its intended strategy and could further improvements be met? Look at how they create value, established relationships or where investment is made.

CAPABILITIES: Here you assess how the competition acts! It may well have the motivation/drive to initiate a strategic plan but the question is are they ‘capable’ of seeing it through? How will they react when your market share or another group’s start to grow? Will they simply start to slash prices or do they take a different approach of aggressive marketing campaigns? Taking from the SWOT analogy, what are their strengths and weaknesses? Look at training, financial strengths, marketing skills and Leadership qualities of senior management.

With this information set in your armoury, you can now analyse this framework to plot both the ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ scenarios of your competition. Carry out the same exercise internally and see the areas of difference emerge and then formulate a plan based on actual data rather than guess work!

Coaching to success help organisations, such as yours, to plan ahead and then create staged plans to achieve organisational objectives that will be met. This is in part, due to the motivation offered while the sense of ownership being established through being held responsible to someone else! The first thing to do is contact Neil directly on 07761 187238 or email neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to have a complementary and confidential discussion or meeting to see how we can help you grew your business through market and, more specifically, competitor awareness and strategy planning.

 

CVs … How to WRITE them and how to READ them!

Having often been engaged to assist with the selection process, it baffles me to see how people write and present their CVs. Bluster and bravado can often sway the reader with little supporting evidence!

Consequently I thought I’d write this feature on putting a CV together and in the same vain, how to read them.

To begin, consider it from the employer’s point of view, write in the sense of ‘You’ rather than the ‘I’. They have a situation they need resolved so spouting on about how marvellous YOU are is not going to win them over! Sell yourself by showing how you can remove the problems. Insure your cover letter and CV also flows in the same consistent manner.

Another area all too frequently missed is Evidence Based examples. It’s all very well stating you created a stock system that reduced purchases but what effect did this have? Adding “Subsequent profits increased by 6.7% as a result” substantiates organisational benefits.

HAVE MORE THAN ONE CV! I can’t believe how many CVs I’ve read that have no bearing on the job! Someone working as a Technician applying for an Office Administrators role is fine but don’t preach about the technical things you studied under a microscope when filing or sourcing material is what is required.

Look for examples in your current and previous roles that support your application and mention them throughout your employment history and professional summary (to follow). You may be looking for a more technical role/person, again, the CV should illustrate throughout examples of what you have done that supports your application

Here are 8 Top Tips which will be written in the context of someone applying for a post. Those looking to employ should equally consider the importance to see if they have applied themselves or if it’s just a case of throwing out CVs!

  • Contact Details – Centred at the top of your CV, name first in Bold to stand out, then your address and contact details such as mobile, telephone, email and web site if you have one.
  • Professional Summary – This is where you sell yourself! Keep it brief encouraging the need to read all of the CV. Tailored for the post advertised, check what the criteria normally is for these positions. Summarise how the organisation will benefit from taking you on.
  • Achievement – Create a library of as many achievements you have done throughout life/career then select two or three from this list that are pertinent to the role and place them in your CV.
  • Employment History – It’s critical to insure there is ‘Evidence Based’ material. Do not list out what you did in a job, that’s no different from a job description! Prove you can do it by adding a few words on the end showing HOW the employer benefitted and start with your most recent post at the top.
  • Courses/Skills – Bullet pointed as they back up what has been mentioned earlier. Add in other skillsets that will help in a given role. Ie, if administrative, words per minute typed. If rural area, passed driving licence etc
  • Education – For Secondary & College results, list as such with grade achieved. For University Degrees, include a succinct outline of skills developed that are relevant to this role.
  • Interests – Do NOT simply put down you like reading, going to the cinema, socialising with friends or the like…boring! This is about YOU, expand, ie “I like Mystery/Crime novels, favourite being Lincoln Rhymes series by Jeffery Deaver”, “Playing 5-aside football every Thursday”, “Experiment badly in the kitchen with Italian cuisine” etc
  • References – Put two references, avoiding ‘Available on request’! This shows your answers are open and happy to be checked. Include Name, Job title, Company name, Address, Telephone number and email. Attempt to put down someone in your existing role but stipulate “Do not contact until after a job offer has been made”.

Run through a spell check and read through twice. Ask someone else to read as they will read it differently than you.

If reading as an employer, grab a highlighter pen and detach yourself emotionally. As you go through, highlight areas you wish them to expand upon or requiring clarity. A red pen is a great tool to make notes too!

Copied and pasted CVs show no real effort put in and you know what, they are disregarded straight away. It is difficult and very time consuming to read through all the different jobs, having to write different CVs for each and every one, however, if you’re smart, you’ll create two or three CV templates that are suited to the prevalent roles and have a library of achievements that will be pertinent to certain positions that you can then create bespoke CVs.

Coaching to Success specialise in Career Coaching whether it be employers looking to recruit or individuals seeking employment, for further information, contact Neil directly on 07761 187238 or email neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to have a confidential discussion or meeting to see how we can help you find that right job or employee.