In grammar school, about the only subject I dreaded was gym. I went to school in the days when all little girls wore dresses. For gym class, we slipped on some shorts and changed our shoes to the PF Flyers we kept in a cubby-hole. Then it was off to the gym for some dreaded activity: Dodge ball, chin-ups, or that awful rope I could never quite climb. "Is this all there is to sports?" I wondered. Finally, during a dodge ball game in 4th grade, I figured out that the sooner I got hit, the sooner I could get out of that war zone called a game.

By the end of grammar school, I thought I was just not an athlete. Junior high wasn't much better. Besides the ugly gymsuits we had to wear, I was introduced to gymnastics and volleyball. Again, those sports were not for me.

It was at about the same time that my father introduced my brother and me to golf and tennis. We played golf on a little 3-par course. A nine hole game was about all I could handle at the time (never mind that I played with my father's former set of clubs from the late 1940's). With only fatherly instruction, we found our way on the course and on the court.

My brother was more of a natural athlete, figuring out easily how to swing a club or a racquet with very little guidance. With the same amount of guidance, I was an average player.

When I was 14 or 15, there was a summer tennis school at our high school that was run by the tennis coach. My brother and I signed up for it. As I said, he was a natural, and developed a very strong return, both forehand and backhand. I improved a little that first summer. I didn't play well enough to join the girl's tennis team, however, but it was fun to play matches with so many different people.

The second summer was a different story. My serve improved dramatically. It was a "surprise" serve; not necessarily fast, but its power was in the spin.

Our coach would gather us daily into one group for a few minutes to discuss particular techniques. One day he talked about improving our serves. In the middle of his discussion, he added, "One person who has improved a lot this summer is Glory. I'd like for her to show us her serve."

The other instructor went to the other side of the net as I got up to "demo" my serve. Sure enough, the ball went over the net, my opponent lined up to return the ball with a forehand, and as soon as the ball hit the ground, it took off to his right and was outside the reach of his swing.

The best part was that I could make that serve happen consistently! My opponent would either miss the ball completely or would "dink" it at the top of the racquet. How was this all possible? How could I have improved so much in a sport?

As I looked back over the preceding weeks, I remembered that the two instructors spent more focused time with me as they went from court to court, coaching me, watching where I was erring, offering tips to correct and adjust, and helping me to leverage my strengths. This made a world of difference in my game.

The world of business works in the same manner. Some people are born naturals and need very little coaching to get it right every time. Others ebb and flow between being average (and knowing they could improve their game) and actually doing well. This second group can utilize the services of a business coach to greatly improve their performance. Whether it's becoming a better strategist, balancing everything that's on their plate, improving their management style, or increasing net income, working with a coach to build on your strengths can greatly improve your results.

© 2006 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She works with two groups of people: small business owners (with 500 employees or less) to help them increase their Entrepreneurial IQ, which leads to increased profit and decreased stress; and with executives in the "honeymoon phase" of a new position (typically the first two years) to coach them to success. Top athletes have a coach; why not you?

Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson's free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here: Ezine

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Or are you building it for size or profit?

Imagine a weasel. Imagine that little demon of destruction, that insensate courage, tireless activity and incredible agility. Multiply this might some fifty times and you have a wolverine. Do you know that this little animal (some 45 lbs) can make the mighty grizzly bear (some 1,000 lbs) run for his life hysterically crying for his mother?

And this is where the wolverine story ends and our story begins. But to demonstrate how this relates to the growth of professional service firms, for a moment we’re going to talk about how weight training builds muscle in humans because there is a dangerously high number of professional firms grow that grow the wrong way.

First consider bodybuilders. They are building muscle for show. Muscle for size. Muscle for parade. Muscle for impression. Now consider athletes. They are building muscle for strength. Muscle for power. Muscle for specific functions.

So, now let’s look at the structure of the muscle and how bodybuilders’ and athletes’ approaches differ when it comes to building muscle.

Imagine the muscle as a package of spaghetti. The individual spaghettis are the muscle fibres, known as myofibrils. The package, called sarcoplasm, is the sheath enveloping the spaghettis, the individual muscle fibres.

And here is the difference.

Athletes, who train for muscle function, strength and power, grow the size of the spaghettis inside the sheath, and the sheath grows naturally as the muscle fibres grow. The sheath is always tightly packed with muscle fibres. This is called myofibrillar muscle growth, that is, muscle growth for function.

Bodybuilders on the other hand train for muscle size. They are growing the size of the sheath itself with little consideration for the real muscle fibres inside. And all the space that is not occupied by muscle fibres is filled with water. Not really water, but all sorts of fiendish body fluids. This is called sarcoplasmic muscle growth, that is, muscle growth for show and parade.

So, now we can go back to professional firms and consider how they grow.

First consider the “bodybuilder” firm. Just as sarcoplasmic muscle growth, the growth of the sheath itself, requires high volume of training to create size for show, so operate bodybuilder type firms. They have lots of people, incredible level of busy-ness, lots of clients and preponderance of projects. Everyone is running around like a headless chicken. People are busy doing client work, writing proposals and running around chasing new prospects. These firms operate on high volume and, well you've guessed it right, low margins. They have impressive top indicators, like incredible gross sales and unimaginable number of billable hours. So, if you don’t look beyond the veneer, these firms can look truly impressive.

In contrast, let’s see the athletic professional firm. This type of firm trains with lower volume but uses heavier load for building functional muscles. This is myofibrillar muscle growth for function, strength and power, with little ragard for show. This firm focuses on growing the size and the number of its muscle fibres, knowing that the sheath with grow in response to fibre growth. As opposed to impressive top indicators, athletic firms have nice bottom indicators like net profit per person or net profit per project. They work systematically without chronic busy-ness and chaos.

Now let's revisit the grizzly bear and the wolverine. How can this little creature spread fear among such mighty animals as grizzly bears? One is definitely agility. The other is body composition. While the wolverine is almost 100% pure muscle, a large chunk of the bear is fat.

Similarly, a large chunk of most professional firms is "organisational fat", including but not limited to the posh office at the upscale end of town, fleet of impressive company cars, super expensive mahogany desks, unnecessary business trips, luxury "strategy retreats" and excessive number of – often underskilled – staff members. And most of these firms, although looking big and impressive on the outside, are pitifully underperforming on the inside. Yes, they can brag about impressive billable hours and billing rates, but after the overheads and salaries are paid for, they have almost nothing left to show for.

It reminds me of a former classmate at university who walked around with a mobile phone on his belt to impress us (in 1988) but didn't have money to actually get his phone connected to use it for any practical purpose. It was all for show and parade.

So, now my question to you is this: What kind of firm are you building? Are you building a dysfunctional muscle-bound behemoth or a functional, practical, agile, lean and mean athlete of a firm?

Do you build your firm for show or for dough? Do you build it for size or function? Does your firm have an essence, a core or is it all veneer? Is your firm more of a fat grizzly bear or an agile wolverine?

Organisational Provocateur Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan of Dynamic Innovations Squad helps providers of professional services to achieve the income and lifestyle levels they desire through high-trust high-impact client relationships. For a FREE fee-setting guide: "Why most service professionals consistently and persistently undercharge for their services and what to do about it" visit his website at http://www.di-squad.com.

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Well-written content drives business. Whether it's copy on your website, copy for your direct mailings, an impressive article, a business plan or proposal, the words you choose determine your profits. Because written content covers a lot of territory, if you’re ready to put your thoughts in a special written presentation but you feel stuck for just the right words, perhaps you should consider hiring a professional writer. Believe it or not, good writers are eager to help you with your important documents and are often very affordable. When you consider the old adage: "You only get one chance to make a first impression," spending a little money on making a positive name for yourself is of critical importance.

Choosing the Right Person!

Of course, choosing the right person can often present you with a bit of a dilemma. There are a lot of people who claim to be terrific writers, yet when you review their material, you are not impressed. So how can you be sure that the person you are selecting is ultimately going to be the right person, the one who can truly present you effectively?

1) The first and most important aspect of finding a writer for your project is to locate a good match. By that I mean making sure that personalities mesh. Since there's more to good writing than just stringing words together, when selecting a writer be sure that you like the writer's attitude and approach.

2) Next review some of the writer's samples to give you a clear idea of his or her writing style. There are many articles and sites online that share the writer's expertise so review their work, trust your judgment and follow your instincts.

3) If you want something done well, expect to pay a fair price for the services. While you do not have to spend an inordinate amount of money to get quality work, be aware that you usually get what you pay for. I am often amazed that people pay so much to have a web site designed yet the content is not considered nearly as important.

4) How a writer responds to your request can also speak volumes. Pay attention to their level of communication. Is it friendly? Are they easily accessible, whether via phone or e-mail? Do they respond within a reasonable amount of time? Of course it's always best to find someone that comes recommended but if you have to commission someone from a search engine, ask for references.

A good rule of thumb when selecting your candidate includes the following:

·A good writer will communicate professionally whether by phone or e-mail.; pay strict attention to the response you receive via e-mail or telephone; professionalism is the key.

·A good writer is willing to provide samples of their work; most good writers have lots of samples and articles presented on the Internet.

·A reputable and good writer will post testimonials on their web site so that you can check references; read testimonials because they speak volumes. If you'd feel more comfortable, ask for personal references.

·A good writer will make suggestions but will never try to convince you of what’s best for you; if you have an idea of what you want, stick to your guns.

·If you prefer to have an agreed upon contract, make sure everything is spelled out clearly; agree upon time lines and completion before starting.

·A good writer will allow for at least two proofings so that you can be sure you’re totally satisfied.

Finding a good writer can bring a fresh new approach to your company's marketing material. But remember, even if something is well written, if it doesn't speak to your heart and doesn't reflect the way you anticipated, tell the person that you are not satisfied. Every good writer wants your referrals, so they should be prepared to satisfy your goals and intentions. Whether you are planning to create a new web site, a dynamic press release an important proposal or business plan or even preparing your lifelong manuscript, make sure before you start, you employ the services of someone who has your best interests at heart.

Copyright 2006.

Charlene Rashkow brings 15 years of experience as a Writing Stylist and Author to her creative efforts as a freelance business writer/consultant. She has successfully helped companies and individuals reach their objectives by writing outstanding press releases, bios, articles of interest, business plans, resumes, web site content and all other forms of marketing material. To speak with Charlene you may contact her at http://www.allyourwritingneeds.com or write her at [email protected].

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Unless you start doing “it” today, all the quality checks in the world won’t save your company from a major stumble. As a quality manager, I like to imagine that if everybody does their job and quality is high at every stage in the production process, I’ll enjoy a smooth operation and get satisfied customers as a result. But experience has taught me that a mean spirit can infect and poison the work place when people don’t watch what they say.

Mean comments by coworkers about managers, snide asides about other employees, managers who gossip about recently terminated employees, supervisors who don’t communicate managements intentions, unnecessary secrets, and people who just won’t listen are all examples of “wrong speech.” When you take a few sturdy seeds of discontent here, and add a bit of angry manure over there, pretty soon you have the good workers quitting, everyone gossiping and such an uproar that the work starts to suffer.

What to do about it? You start by setting a good example. You will see things start to change when you only communicate in a spirit of cooperation and good will, and when you refuse to tell secrets about others or keep secrets about yourself. You will find people much more willing to work with you when you show you care by listening without judging, by asking about their needs and by following up on your requests in a simple, clear and straight forward manor. When you are impeccable in your speech, your team will learn to trust you, follow you, and work toward making a quality product once again.

About the Author Rodney Robbins is a long time quality and safety professional with experience in manufacturing, entertainment and restaurant management. You can read his blog and check out his new audio CD "Save $15,000 Creating a Restaurant Quality Management System that PAYS" at http://www.lulu.com/qualitydining. You'll need to register and become a Lulu.com member to place an order, but Rodney's blog is free.

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Application Security risk assessment and risk management are vital tasks for IT managers. Corporations face increased levels of Application Security risk from hackers and cyber crooks seeking intellectual property and customer information. A comprehensive application security risk assessment is a modern day corporate necessity.

Application security risk management provides the optimal protection within the constraints of budget, law, ethics, and safety. Performing an overall Application Security risk assessment enables organizations to make wise decisions.

Web Servers - Application Security

Web Servers are One of the most critical sources of Application Security risk to organizations. Performing an application security assessment and implementing security risk management is critical. Here are core points that pose a major security risk to Application Security:

Default configuration - Application Security

Web server default configurations that may not be secure leave unnecessary samples, templates, administrative tools, etc. open to attacks. Poor application security risk management leaves security breaches for hackers to take complete control over the Web server.

Databases - Application Security

Web sites and applications must be interactive to be useful and there lies the risk... Web applications without sufficient application security allow hackers to attack their databases. Invalid input scripts leads to many of the worst database attacks. Comprehensive risk assessment may reveal steps to ensure application security.

Encryption - Application Security

Encryption reduces application security risks and losses when Web servers are breached. Even though a company's Intranet server has greater vulnerability to attacks, encryption creates a lower relative risk.

Radware is the global leader in integrated application security solutions delivering full availability, maximum performance and complete security of all business critical networked applications. Radware's application security dramatically reduces operating and scaling costs. For more information, read Radware's application security brochure.

Johnny Mayer is a content writer for Compucall.USA Web Marketing Ltd.

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Diligently managed assets of a business organization can make a lot of difference in its profit percentages. Judicious control over all tangible and intangible assets of a company makes sure that there are no leaking funds in the organization and all assets are utilized at maximum capacity. An inefficient management of resources and incorrect information about the objects in a commercial establishment may lead to drainage of finances and in turn adversely affect company’s performance.

Realizing the importance of asset management in any company’s performance has led to newer advanced strategies in this field of trade. Entire business management consists of host of issues comprising of cost management, capital budgeting, expense accounting, financial planning and reporting and many other similar topics. Asset management constitutes a large percentage of managing concerns in an organization. Apart from administering tangible goods, raw materials, finished products, vehicles, buildings and many other such items modern businesses also need to manage their intellectual assets.

Asset management is a comprehensive term and usually requires professional handling of the situation. There are many commercial asset-managing firms that offer services for administering various resources of the company. Many software are presently available in market that enable efficient managing of a companies assets. Traditional asset management meant dealing mostly with fixed assets in their every stage of life cycle. Entire infrastructure related to factory establishment comes under asset management.

Monitoring the whereabouts of assets, ensuring the availability of all resources required in an industry whether easily available or scarce is an integral part of managing assets for that company. Finalizing purchasing requests, valuation, depreciation, asset receipts, maintenance, warranties, user data and other related physical attributes of an asset form a major role of an asset manager.

Optimal judgment about methodology applied for managing assets of different enterprises differs according to their unique characteristics. No one procedure that has been successful for one concern can guarantee similar affluent results for another enterprise with different objectives.

Professional asset managers are also required to fix emergency problems arising due to unanticipated reduction in production capacity or a major break down in plants machinery, etc. the training received by them during their learning and skills learnt through experience facilitates a asset manager to handle every job diligently. Regular maintenance of assets ensures an adequate potential of asset manager while, recovering quickly from unpredicted adverse situation test the actual capability of asset management in a company.

The asset manager is liable to provide information about vast enquires related to it. The actual cost at procurement, vendor’s details, the department and the particular team that is using it, the physical location, depreciation and any other data related should always be available at any point of time. All this helps in efficient running of a business enterprise. Decisions as when new machinery needs to be purchased or the firm could carry on with just repairing old machinery and judgment about whether the concern should buy an asset or should lease it depends on information provided by the asset manger of the company.

Mansi aggarwal writes about asset management journal news. Learn more http://www.assetmanagementjournal.com.

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Have the courage to say no. When companies are faced with a major problem, such as something that makes a strategic customer start making angry phone calls, there is a lot of pressure to do something and do it quickly. If you are the designated problem-solver in such a situation, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to do the impossible.

If you believe the problem as defined can’t be solved in the time-frame allowed or with the resources available, your best option is to say so right away. Accepting an assignment that you truly believe is impossible is setting yourself up for failure.

However, simply refusing such an assignment is likely to be a career-limiting move. A better approach is to say no indirectly by presenting an alternative scenario that can be successful. Of course, you’ll need to make a strong case to explain why your alternative is a better approach.

First make sure you’ve got a good problem definition and measurable success criteria. Then develop a project plan that gets you as close as possible to achieving the success criteria. Maybe the assignment isn’t as impossible as you thought. You’ve only got three variables to work with: what is to be accomplished (the definition of resolution), when it is to be finished, and what resources you have available. To solve the problem successfully, you must get these variables aligned.

For example, say the problem as initially assigned requires an improvement in on-time shipping rate to 99% in one month. When you investigate, you find the current rate is slightly less than 50%. With a gap that big, getting to 99% in one month is probably impossible no matter what resources you have. Perhaps a 10% improvement each month until you reach the 99% level is a more reasonable expectation: it does achieve significant improvement with the one month, and gets to the 99% level in what is still a fairly short period of time. In any case, you must somehow change either the due date or the improvement requirement: there are no other choices.

Copyright 2006. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.

Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving Problems Permanently. Now also an ebook, find out about it and get more free information on problem solving at her web site: http://www.sawyerpartnership.com/.

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As clients meet with me to discuss leadership, inevitably the conversation turns to decision-making. Making decisions is one of the most taxing job responsibilities that leaders have. In my experience, leaders suffer more than they should because they make too many decisions. Too often, they fail to ask, “Whose decision is it?” or “Who is the decider?”

When leaders take the burden of responsibility too far, they either want to protect others from making tough decisions or they want to extend their power. The result is often poor decision-making because these leaders do not have sufficient information. And the team members who should have made the decision do not gain valuable experience. Instead of adhering to the old Harry S. Truman adage, “The buck stops here,” these leaders should do a better job of clarifying job responsibilities, trusting their team members to make good decisions, and then holding them accountable.

Lord Carrington, whom I knew for a brief time, was minister of the British Defense Department during the Falkland Islands war. The war was launched because of a mistake a radio operator made on one of the frigates out at sea. Lord Carrington was obligated via ministerial responsibility (the British version of “The buck stops here”) to resign. After all, if he was doing his job, all those under his command must be doing their jobs, too, no matter how far removed—including the radio operator. This practice is outdated, in part, because it takes accountability away from the person who is directly responsible. And it results in leaders who are either too controlling or unjustly blamed for the bad decisions of others.


“Perhaps you can help me with a problem I’m having, Gary,” Todd, President of one of the largest financial services company on the east coast, said as we sat down to coffee. “I have this woman who works for me. She’s grown her department by thirty percent in the last year. But she hasn’t been showing up at the weekly executive meetings even when she’s in the office. Her boss thinks everything’s fine and keeps citing the thirty-percent figure, but the competition in that industry segment is scoring even higher. Plus, her department is the doorway into my company for many customers.” I asked Todd what exactly the problem was. He said, “Her!”

I asked, “Are you sure?” He looked at me quizzically. “You’re saying the problem lies with me?” I asked him whom she reported to. He said, “She reports to Dave.” I then asked, “So whose problem is it?” Begrudgingly, he said, “Dave’s.” We then investigated why he thought it was his problem to begin with. This employee did not show up for Dave’s meeting, but since it was Todd’s company and he had heard complaints, he felt it reflected badly on him. Since I don’t have an emotional investment, it was easier for me to see who was the decider here than it was for Todd. And, since Dave is invested in this woman in many ways that Todd is not, Todd might be able to supply some perspective to Dave that he is currently missing.

As a leader, Todd shouldn’t ignore the fact that he had heard complaints about this particular employee. Instead, he must hold Dave accountable for his people. Once Dave is alerted to the issue, it is no longer Todd’s issue. If Dave fails to act, however, then Todd must confront a new issue: Dave’s failure to manage his team members.

Since Todd is impacted by the failure of the employee to attend his meeting, I suggested a strategy that helps set clear boundaries. I encouraged him to cancel the next meeting if one or more people did not attend. I find it hard to employ shaming tactics, but, at the same time, they can be extremely effective. In this case, the message would be loud and clear: everyone’s participation is critical to the process. And, based upon my experience, I doubt Dave would have to cancel more than one meeting.

Employee empowerment begins with leaders asking themselves four words over and over: “Whose decision is it?”

In 1987 Gary co-founded a company with $4,000 in start-up money. Over the years the company grew from 2 to 2200 employees. ACI Telecentrics, Inc. became the 25th largest call center outsourcer in the United States. “City Business,” a Minneapolis/St. Paul publication, distinguished Gary as one of their “40 under 40” award winners. Besides serving on the board for ACI Telecentrics, Gary has been a board member of 9 different corporations, ranging from non-profit organizations to financial institutions. Gary received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and attended Harvard Business School. He has participated in several leadership programs at institutions including the Covey Leadership Center and Disney University and the Aspen Institute as a Crown fellow. He is now a respected Executive Coach and the founder of C02Partners. http://www.co2partners.com

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When we talk about the successful manager of the today we know that they communicate well, delegate and empower their people. We have read so much about this individual that we know what the "prototype" looks like, on paper, but I have found that we don't seem to recognize these folks when we run into them live.

I think two reasons are responsible for this.

•First, we have known them before we read about them, so we are expecting the "ideal" manager to be someone new to us.

•Second, we never give personalities and emotions to the managers described in articles. But the managers in real life have those!

Two client companies of ours have managers that are great examples of delegating/empowering manager. These are people who get many times more things accomplished than their peers. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why.

They delegate lots of work to their people and are open to new ideas and ways of doing things. They like to venture into to new areas and "push the envelope." These folks seem to always be busy with a variety of projects many of which are being completed everyday. Often their peers are "busy" but really getting little done.

Often we see that these delegating managers (DM's) have a strong interest in many aspects of their business and are open to a lot of new ideas.

The converse of these people seem to be so narrowly focused that they have no interest in new ideas or different ways of doing things.

The DM's have realized one of General Patton's principles of leadership, "tell people what you want done then get out of the way and let them do it." There are often many ways of achieving a goal.

The DM's are usually so busy doing things that they have no time for complaining about what is or is not happening and nagging his people.

I have found that DM's often have many very different activities happening at the same time. We expect this from the CEO because he is responsible for the overall success of the organization and as such has to be sure that all of the departments are working in some harmony.

Also, the DM's will often get involved with solving problems in areas that would seem outside his/her "jurisdiction." With the smaller more efficient structures in today's business everyone, to some degree, has a role in the success or failure of every department. So if one area is not pulling its weight, someone has to jump in and take charge.

However, this should be happening at any level within the organization and indeed is occurring more and more in the corporations. One reason is the hierarchy of the past no longer exists so managers are forced to delegate more. But some people do it very reluctantly.

Finite vs Infinite Power

The theory of finite versus infinite power has a lot to do with delegation and empowerment so it is very important to understand. If you believe that power is finite then you feel that if you give some of your power to someone else, that is, delegate, then you have less.

If you believe power is infinite, when you give some away, you have not lost any, and in most cases you have gained more. That is one of the biggest differences in delegating and non-delegating managers. A Delegating Manager realizes that by empowering others, he or she enhances their department and the entire organization. Managers who believe in the finite theory of power are dying, along with their organizations. Many of us know of companies in this situation right now.

This may relate to one of the most important words of this era - Change. Regardless of how you feel about it, Change is a fact of life for all of us. If you don't accept it, the lack of Change will be your downfall.

Change just means different, not bad.

For example, the automobile industry made a dramatic change in recent years from carburetors to fuel injected engines. It probably displaced a lot of people, but this change benefited us all.

A myriad of changes have occurred as a result of the advancement in computer chip technology from desk top publishing to computerized control of most of the functions of an automobile.

Some of the definitions of change are also, Innovation, Metamorphosis, Transformation, Correct, and Convert. These are positive terms.

The Delegating Manger Empowers their direct reports. Downsizing has made delegation mandatory to some degree in many situations. The DM's however, make this tool work to everyone's advantage. This is really not new, good managers have empowered for years.

In conclusion, the Delegating Manager of the present and future is one who communicates well, delegates, and empowers. We all know this from the books that are on the best seller lists. The key for all of us is to recognize these folks in our organizations, look past the irrelevant personality quirks that we tend to get hung up on and join the team. These are the people who will lead us in the future.

Manage Well and Often,

Bill Truax
[email protected]
800-253-1214

© Copyright 2006 WJ Truax

Bill Truax is a Sales Management and Field Operations Consultant living in Cleveland, Oh. He conducts Sales Team Assessments, trains Managers and Leaders, and Field Sales Professionals both in the field and in workshops. He has written 3 books on Prospecting and Making Cold Calls and conducts a variety of skill based seminars, workshops, and train the trainer programs. Visit his website at http://www.BlitzCall.com

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Within the corporate world we now see three different generation cultures working side-by-side. Progressive mangers are expected to understand these differences and make peace with the different mindsets and traits that come along each age group. In order to retain top talent and build solid working teams rewards and assignments should take into consideration the personal likes and dislikes of each of the groups.

Culture plays an important part of successful management. For example, older executive managers have a different culture than their younger subordinates. Today there is four different cultures co-existing at once; traditionalists who were born before 1945, boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964, generation x born between 1965 and 1977, and finally generation Y born after 1977 (Sachs, 2006).

An interesting article by Dana Kyles outlines three of these differences with clarity (2005):

Baby boomers are seen as competitive, political and hard working. They hold the majority of management level positions are results orientated instead of the method. They want the status symbols that come with higher pay, special parking spaces, titles and perks. There is approximately 80 million in the workforce.

Generation X’s are seen as disloyal, individualistic and technologically savvy. They were raised in a time of single parents and unconventional wisdom. When they began entering the workforce they did so during economic recession and strife. They are not interested in the status symbols that many of their Baby Boomer parents are interested in but want to feel a certain level of satisfaction from their jobs. There is around 46 million in the work force.

Generation Y’s are seen as technologically savvy, purposeful and able to multitask. Many Generation Y’s have been reared in non-traditional households like the Gen Xers but have come to understand their place in society. They are still individualistic but want to contribute to society. They also desire personal relationships with supervisors and want feedback. Technology and fast paced lifestyles have given them the ability to multi-task with ease. There is approximately 75 million just entering the work force.

Corporations need to adapt their cultures and reward structures to better appeal to the interest of their employees. Companies who adhere only to the interest of the executive management may find themselves having high turn over and low performance at the lower ranks. This raises the cost of business and reduces the overall effectiveness of the organization.

Murad Ali is a two-time published author on business, economics and social reform. He edits the Muslim Times and has related articles on http://www.muradenterprises.org

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Over the past 25 years I have witnessed many trends, methodologies and conceptual models come and go in the learning industry. But If I had a crystal ball and could look into future, I be willing to bet that feedback will continue to be a big player in the future of performance management. Sadly, for many organizations, 360 feedback got a rocky start. It was not done well in the beginning. Some people got hurt. Some organizations used it badly. But through all the challenges, feedback has continued to grow in its use and value in helping people reach their potential while also helping the organizations that they serve.

The real spirit of feedback is to help people achieve more, to move to a higher level of performance, and to grow personally and professionally. It is a powerful process if approached in this mind set. This means that the feedback is strictly developmental, and is "safe." The real power of feedback comes from using it. Taking the feedback and creating a developmental plan that is uniquely tailored to one's own needs and having a system for tracking one's progress brings the responsibility for performance to the individual level. We all need to be accountable for our performance. Feedback that is offered without a system to facilitate developmental goals and improvements is a wasted effort.

A feedback process can impact a number of positive changes. First there is the impact on efficiency and productivity. Performance feedback that is offered in the spirit of helping one improve is extremely motivational. When feedback is offered to truly contribute to the growth of another it provides motivation for creating performance improvements. Everyone wants and needs feedback in order to improve. When offered in the right spirit, feedback is the most powerful performance motivator available.

The very essence of providing and receiving feedback opens communication. Team members and customers will have a safe platform to share and receive their performance perceptions with each other. This structured communication process is the starting point for more face to face dialog that will follow, as specific verbal feedback is solicited by participants.

A key part of opening up communication is to uncover blind spots that may be problematic for some participants. In a feedback process, employees will experience and practice communication within a safe environment. In this environment the playing field is even because everyone is receiving feedback, and it is acknowledged that everyone has both areas of strength and opportunity.

Satisfaction is enhanced through a feedback process. This is important because it is a key attitude that contributes to greater levels of performance, increased commitment and higher levels of retention. External customers that are invited into a feedback process will feel stronger ties to organizations that solicit such feedback. The internal customers who are recipients of such pointed feedback will have an opportunity to make adjustments to increase the satisfaction of external customers.

Satisfaction can only be increased by letting one's needs be known. If needs are unmet this can contribute to frustration, poor performance, increased absenteeism, and turnover. A safe structured process such as that provided in a good feedback model is the best way to open the communication process and improve satisfaction.

Through the guidance of skilled facilitators and coaches, we can learn how to accept feedback and incorporate it into a plan for professional development. We can begin to apply new behaviors that will delight their internal and external customers.

Feedback is here to stay. We all need feedback for our development, it is the only way that we can discover more of who we are and initiate personal change. For organizations to be more effective, their employees need to continue to grow and respond to personal developmental needs.

Susan Stamm joined The TEAM Approach, http://teamapproach.com as a Partner in 1989. Her background in behavioral management in the Human Service industry helped pave the way for her work in the performance management field today. She helps organizations create a process of learning geared to changing behavior back in the workplace. This involves a partnership between the participant, facilitator, manager and orgnization itself to reach successful outcomes. Susan has a BS in Organizational Development and Management from Eastern Mennonite University.

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Do you have a Gantt chart for each one of your projects, on your wall? (By the way, a Gantt chart is just a chart with time along the horizontal and the tasks drawn on as long thin boxes). If you don't already use them, here's why I think they are worth it:

1. Communication: everyone can see the project, where they fit in, and why if they go late they will affect others.

2. Monitoring progress - by colouring in the Gantt chart you can make sure you're keeping up with the Today line, and you can take action as required if you're not keeping up (crashing tasks, slipping the programme, whatever). Without a coloured-in Gantt chart you can only say you're about half way through and probably on schedule - not good enough! Your weekly or monthly progress meetings will probably be based around the Gantt chart (you do have these don't you??)

3. Planning loading - by looking vertically you can see the weeks or months when everything is going to hit at once, so you can slide some of the floating tasks to reduce the peaks, and even if you can't level out the peaks you can plan accordingly - extra people, overtime, or taking longer over the project.

4. The big loading over-view: you can add up all your projects and make sure that the department as a whole will be able to cope with the total planned workload and therefore keep it's promises. And of course if it can't you can use this loading plan to either get the customers to choose which project they want first (they can't have them all) or to lobby for more resources using logic and without appearing negative or pessimistic.

5. The Gantt chart can be used to generate a predicted cost curve, since it shows the amount of labour and the moments of capital expenditure during the project. then, during the project, you can make sure you stick to the plan. Without a predicted cost curve you are reduced to hoping that the rate of expenditure will be approximately linear - unlikely!

6. Interpreting cost figures: the accountants are telling you that you're underspent: but is that good? Only if you're keeping up with progress! More likely you're running late and that's why you're underspent. Maybe you're a long way behind, and for the work you have done you're OVER spent? The Gantt chart is the only way you can know this.

6. Assessing whether subcontractors know what they are doing - ask to see their Gantt chart - they do have one don't they? If not - worry! During the project have a regular meeting to see how the colouring-in of progress is getting on.

7. Blowing your own trumpet - why not show your boss and your customers that you are in control, that you know what's going on with your project

So there we are: Gantt charts: go on, you know you want one!

Chris Croft runs one day and two day project management training courses all over southern england. You can find more of his Project Management tips at http://www.cc-training.com/project_management.html, you can read about his DMS (Diploma in Management) programmes at http://www.croftcentre.co.uk/lecturers.html, and you can get free emailed tips on all sorts of subjects at http://www.free-management-tips.co.uk

Chris started out life as an Engineer from Cambridge University, then worked as a manager (not fun enough) then as a University Lecturer (lots of fun but not enough money) and is now a freelance trainer (not bad for both). His dog, Marmite, is 17.

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You’ve probably been to meetings where you wondered what you had ever done to deserve the tortures of sitting through a horrendous meeting. I have.

Just recently I found myself committed to helping on a fund-raiser. I dutifully attended the meeting with a presentation offering nearly twenty creative ways to market the fund raising event. I was prepared for the meeting, but I wasn’t prepared for the chaos.

The meeting seemed like a free-for-all and it went on and on. I began to think, “Why am I here,” and “How can I get out of here?” I gave everyone two sheets of paper containing my ideas and began addressing each one. I don’t think I made it past the first one, before the conversation was off on a different tangent. I had to keep dragging everyone back to the information at hand.

When I left, I was not happy. I resolved to accomplish one of the ideas that could be done by me without anyone else’s help. I never attended any more meetings. My greatest triumph was in resisting the urge to scream, “Can’t you run a meeting better than this?”

Since joining clubs in high school, I’ve known about Robert’s Rules of Order, which brings order to meetings and protects the rights of individuals. Knowledge of this effective tool is essential. I don’t think any of the committee members had ever heard of it. Also, it looked like no one knew how to prepare for a meeting . . . and these were all business people. I was shocked.

I would have liked to have taken them aside and explained about meetings. One of my favorite training videos is called Meetings, Bloody Meetings and it stars John Cleese. It’s fun to watch and a it’s a great training tool.

    “Too many meetings are genuine nightmares. They lack preparation, direction, and worst of all, results. This award-winning program is essential viewing for anyone who chairs meetings. You'll learn how to make your get-togethers shorter, more focused, and more productive. And John Cleese ensures you get plenty to laugh at along the way.”
    -- copy for Meetings, Bloody Meetings.

Key learning points from Meetings, Bloody Meetings are:

1) Plan meetings in advance
2) Prepare a detailed agenda
3) Pre-notify attendees
4) Control the discussion
5) Summarize and record decisions

These key learning points are useful elements for anyone involved in committee work, even if you don’t use the training video.

Planning meetings in advance means more that just setting a date and inviting people. Planning means figuring out what is going to take place: what ground you will cover, what needs to be decided, and what reports will be heard. These items should be added into your detailed agenda with approximate times allotted for reports. This agenda should be sent to each member in advance of the meeting. At the meeting the chairman controls the discussion, making sure that everyone has a chance to speak, and that all aspects of the planned agenda are addressed. The following day a summary should be sent to each participant. Doesn’t that sound easy?

Committee meetings should never be so structured that they stifle meaningful discussion and the flow of ideas, but they should not put you to sleep, nor drive you away, either. Meetings don’t have to be Bloody Meetings. Good meetings not only deliver results; they are a pleasure to attend.

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.

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Many organizations subscribe to the policy of promotion from within. Today, many eager employees consistently demonstrate all the capacities of being a “super-worker.” Each and every day, their strengths of job specific skills are viewed by their “bosses.” When that one management position is available, these “super-workers” hungrily vie for that position. And sometimes with hard work, one of these individuals safely reaches that next step up the corporate or management ladder – being a Supervisor.

Now, this highly skilled super-worker is catapulted into an entirely different world of management – supervision. The skills that brought him or her to this new level of supervision are not the same skills required to be successful in this role.

In the previous role, the newly promoted supervisor probably spent the majority of her or his time using job specific skills such as selling or running machinery. This individual was the best of the best. Now, those very skills that provided the access to this new position will be replaced by new skills such as effective interpersonal skills and leadership. Job specific skills will be relegated to the bottom of the skill bucket while these new skills will be at the top.

Suddently, a new picture has emerged. The super-worker is now the supervisor, but in many cases with an empty skill bucket. This is how the promotion of the super-worker to supervisor without further interpersonal development of that individual potentially creates super-failures.

To avoid this costly scenario, assess your current training and management policies to ensure that every new supervisor can demonstrate at least the following:

    * List the 5 functions of a supervisor
    * Define how to be an effective supervisor
    * Set and achieve goals consistently
    * Recognize how to integrate the role of leader and follower
    * Determine how to reconcile current time management demands with future demands
    * Describe 6 strategies to help motivate others
    * Characterize effective communication both personally and organizationally
    * Understand performance appraisals and how to use them as a tool for performance improvement
    * Recognize the difference between training and development
    * List 6 principles for decision making

By accepting that the high performing super-worker cannot automatically turn into the same high performing supervisor without additional development is the one significant action that you can embrace. This action will increase your bottom line and create the high performance organizational culture necessary to be competitive in today’s 24/7 global market place. Failure to take such action will only continue to create super-failures in your organization.

Leanne helps individuals, small businesses and large organizations to double performance in real time. Click here to learn the Secret of Success and sign up for a free monthly newsletter. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601. If you truly don't believe doubling your results is possible, read some case studies where individuals and businesses took the risk and experienced unheard of results.

If you could develop a high performance work culture by increasing the effectiveness of your management team, what would that mean to you?

Connecting Passion to Purpose to DOUBLE Performance in REAL TIME

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