Situational Leadership is NOT something you do to people, but something you do with People. Developed by Paul Hersey, professor and author of the book Situational Leader, and Ken Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The One Minute Manager. This Theory was first introduced as "Life Cycle Theory of Leadership" During the mid 1970's and was renamed later as "Situational Leadership theory".
The fundamental underpinning of the Situational Leadership Theory is there is no single "best" style of leadership, It is like giving everyone according to their particular needs. "there is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals". Effective leadership is task-relevant and that the most successful leaders are those that adapt their leadership style to the Maturity of the individual or group they are attempting to lead or influence. Treating unequal as equal is the great inequality that a leader may commit the level of maturity or the capacity to set high but attainable goals, willingness and ability to take responsibility for the task, and relevant education and/or experience of an individual or a group for the task is not all equal. So an effective leadership varies, not only with the person or group that is being influence, but it will also depend on the task, job or function that needs to be accomplished.
Prescription: we need to learn how to diagnose the needs of the people you work for us
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory rests on two fundamental concepts; Leadership Style and the individual or group's Maturity level.
Leadership styles
Hersey and Blanchard characterized leadership style in terms of the amount of Task Behavior and Relationship Behavior that the leader provides to their followers. They categorized all leadership styles into four behavior types, which they named S1 to S4:
• S1: Telling - For people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started. This is one-way communication in which the leader defines the roles of the individual or group and provides the what, how, when, and where to do the task. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, it is a directing type of leadership or somehow called dictatorship style.
• S2: Selling - For people who have competence in themselves but lacking commitment. Direction and supervision is needed because they are still relatively inexperienced or unwilling to do the task. They need support and praise to build their self-esteem, and need to be involve in decision-making to bring out their commitment. The leader here is providing the direction and using two-way communication by providing the socio-emotional support that will allow the individual or group being influenced to acquire into the process. This is a high task focus, & high relationship focus - The leaders here still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the group member. Most of the times decisions remain the leader's prerogative, Its like a leader giving a lessons or instruction merely I say its like coaching, but communication here is two-way.
• S3: Participating - For people who have competence, but lack confidence or motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation. This is now shared decision making about aspects of how the task is accomplished and the leader is providing less task behaviors while maintaining high relationship behavior. This is Low task focus vice versa high relationship focus - leaders pass all decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader role here is sustaining and or supporting by facilitating and taking part in decisions, but total control is in the hand of the follower.
• S4: Delegating - For people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work in an entrusted work or project by themselves with little supervision or support. Leader here is still involved in decisions but, the process and responsibility has been entrusted and passed in individual or group. Leaders here involved just to monitor the progress of given project or task. It is Low task focus, low relationship focus - leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved.
Of these, Leadership style none is considered optimal for all leaders to use all the time. Effective leaders need to be flexible, and must adapt themselves according to the situation.
Source : Ezinearticles
Leadership Insight - Managing Your Organization Less is Managing Your Organization Better
How is it possible to manage an organization less and actually achieve the result of managing your organization better?
Let us take a look at a typical MLM business organization to put this statement to the test.
As one becomes a leader of his or her own down line or better put, organization, the tendency is to micro-manage all aspects of the business for your people. It is a natural tendency because it was your effort that built your organization, right?
WRONG!
In a typical MLM organization a new distributor has the opportunity to develop their product knowledge and understand the compensation package along with all other marketing materials. They have the opportunity to ask for help and receive guidance from their up line.
The time it takes a new distributor to come up to speed obviously varies with the individual, but one thing is for certain, most leaders forget how long it took themselves to come up to speed.
If a leader is adamant about micro-managing their business, may I suggest that they focus their attention on personal development which adds value to everyone.
Take a look at your organizations members and determine the spectrum of skill sets available, because not everyone is going to be good at everything. Once you have determined what skill sets area available to you, and then manage the skill sets so that all members benefit from these strengths and protect their weaknesses.
By managing your organization in a more focused manner (usually less), your organization will result in a stronger and more improved unit and not a splintered organization that only a few people are successful.
When I began my MLM career in 1985, I took it upon myself to become the leader of the organization (which was just I at the beginning).
However, by surrounding myself with great mentors and by empowering each member of my organization, I was able to build a fairly large international organization and worked less at the day-to-day tasks.
Most leaders want to manage. They want to keep their fingers on the pulse of the business and keep close tabs on their down line.
The best solution to this problem is to relax as a leader. Stop getting in your down line's way. Cut them some slack. Stop looking over their shoulders. Stop bogging them down in MLM bureaucracy.
Do yourself a favour and let them perform.
Leadership Insights
1. Lead more and manage less.
2. Take the time to instill confidence in your down line.
3. Get out of their way and let them perform.
4. Emphasize to them vision and not supervision.
Source : Ezinearticles
Let us take a look at a typical MLM business organization to put this statement to the test.
As one becomes a leader of his or her own down line or better put, organization, the tendency is to micro-manage all aspects of the business for your people. It is a natural tendency because it was your effort that built your organization, right?
WRONG!
In a typical MLM organization a new distributor has the opportunity to develop their product knowledge and understand the compensation package along with all other marketing materials. They have the opportunity to ask for help and receive guidance from their up line.
The time it takes a new distributor to come up to speed obviously varies with the individual, but one thing is for certain, most leaders forget how long it took themselves to come up to speed.
If a leader is adamant about micro-managing their business, may I suggest that they focus their attention on personal development which adds value to everyone.
Take a look at your organizations members and determine the spectrum of skill sets available, because not everyone is going to be good at everything. Once you have determined what skill sets area available to you, and then manage the skill sets so that all members benefit from these strengths and protect their weaknesses.
By managing your organization in a more focused manner (usually less), your organization will result in a stronger and more improved unit and not a splintered organization that only a few people are successful.
When I began my MLM career in 1985, I took it upon myself to become the leader of the organization (which was just I at the beginning).
However, by surrounding myself with great mentors and by empowering each member of my organization, I was able to build a fairly large international organization and worked less at the day-to-day tasks.
Most leaders want to manage. They want to keep their fingers on the pulse of the business and keep close tabs on their down line.
The best solution to this problem is to relax as a leader. Stop getting in your down line's way. Cut them some slack. Stop looking over their shoulders. Stop bogging them down in MLM bureaucracy.
Do yourself a favour and let them perform.
Leadership Insights
1. Lead more and manage less.
2. Take the time to instill confidence in your down line.
3. Get out of their way and let them perform.
4. Emphasize to them vision and not supervision.
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Leadership Insight
Balancing Your Leadership Style
This summer we began work with a Chief Service Officer (CSO) in a customer service organization with call centers around the globe. His prime objective for the coming year was the recruitment and retention of employees with a 'customer-focused' mindset. He knew the value of a diverse workforce would flow over into satisfying worldwide customer demands, impact the standardization of the delivery process of a diverse vendor base; and enhance or break their global image as well. He expressed that several of the state-side centers had begun to experience employee conflict attributed to a mix of the generational workforce management styles. He stated that the company had its own distinctive personality; but, with the current issues he was certain leadership styles were unbalanced.
We were anxious to help him discover if the belief structure of the mix of generational core values was influencing leadership styles. Were they too autocratic, too transactional focused, overly bureaucratic, or overly participatory, never able to reach a final decision? Do the leaders at each center need a mix of leadership styles, a more evenhanded methodology? We are still working with this organization, but let's explore a few of the common leadership styles practiced today. There are a few more leadership styles than we list here, but considered these were more relevant to our CSO's situation.
o Autocratic leadership- leader exerts high levels of power over the employees or teams. Team members are given few opportunities for making alternate proposals, even if these would best serve the organization's processes.
o Bureaucratic leadership- leader works "by the book", ensuring that their staff follow procedures exactly, very appropriate for work involving serious safety risks such as, working with machinery, with toxic spills or at extremely contagious health conditions.
o Democratic leadership-participative leadership- this leader makes the final decision. They invite others to contribute to the decision-making process, increasing job satisfaction by involvement.
o Situational leadership-a leader that can instinctively switch between styles according to the staff and the corresponding work they are dealing with at the current moment, ensuring the right levels of product quality, environmental security; and employee motivation.
o Transactional leadership- leader is in the agreement with the team members to obey their leader totally when they take a job on. The "transaction" is that the organization pays the team members in exchange for their expertise and conformity.
o Transformational leadership- leader is a sincere principal who inspires the team members with a shared vision of the future. Transformational leaders are highly noticeable and are seen truly listening & engaging their staff.
As technology advances in all industries, this challenges the leadership style of command-and-control. The leadership methodology of the past century is inefficient in the motivation & retention of people who are talented in the hi-tech fields, some even holding patents in the creation of the newer wireless tools.
The leadership of this century is a combination of earnest employee relationships and internal meaningful achievement. Great leaders have learned how to assimilate and execute many types of leadership. A balanced leadership style includes the creation of a positive work culture, constructing opportunities where the team's expertise is visible internally & externally, maintaining consistent communication between team members and other departments, sustains a certainty in the company's direction; and, acknowledges the achievements of individual members.
Remember that organizational 'systems' progress toward change cautiously. As you may want to integrate a leadership change, describe your perspective in positive terms using the benefits to the company's economic result and resolve the human apprehension of a change in your style. Last, define how your changes can be more strategically activated with their collaboration while developing new enthusiasm, corporate confidence, and vitality.
If you think your leadership style could use some integration of other styles, ask yourself:
o What style of leadership best describes you? Are you happy with that style or would you benefit from an integration of a few styles?
o What routine practices are fading out in your industry and how will that change your leadership style for the future of your business?
o What type of leadership relationships will your clients value in coming years?
o What technological changes will have a positive or negative effect on your business? What new concerns and problems will be generated by these technologies and may propel you to a new style of leadership?
o What would the people you've worked with do differently because they worked with you in the new leadership style?
o What elements of leadership will you use to purge out old language, delete old behavior patterns, or discard anything not useful to meet your collective goals?
o How will you measure the success of discarding what is not needed for the future goals?
o Do you, as a leader, understand the specific fears of your employees? What are they concerned about? How strongly do they feel about it? Do they perceive your stated strategies as beneficial or not?
o As the leader you aspire to be, how do you inspire and display enthusiasm for management of complex issues regarding performance without being autocratic?
o How will you nurture and encourage initiative and boldness, both verbally and visually?
o How will you sustain the balance of work and personal life for yourself as a great leader?
"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." Stephen Covey
Source : Ezinearticles
We were anxious to help him discover if the belief structure of the mix of generational core values was influencing leadership styles. Were they too autocratic, too transactional focused, overly bureaucratic, or overly participatory, never able to reach a final decision? Do the leaders at each center need a mix of leadership styles, a more evenhanded methodology? We are still working with this organization, but let's explore a few of the common leadership styles practiced today. There are a few more leadership styles than we list here, but considered these were more relevant to our CSO's situation.
o Autocratic leadership- leader exerts high levels of power over the employees or teams. Team members are given few opportunities for making alternate proposals, even if these would best serve the organization's processes.
o Bureaucratic leadership- leader works "by the book", ensuring that their staff follow procedures exactly, very appropriate for work involving serious safety risks such as, working with machinery, with toxic spills or at extremely contagious health conditions.
o Democratic leadership-participative leadership- this leader makes the final decision. They invite others to contribute to the decision-making process, increasing job satisfaction by involvement.
o Situational leadership-a leader that can instinctively switch between styles according to the staff and the corresponding work they are dealing with at the current moment, ensuring the right levels of product quality, environmental security; and employee motivation.
o Transactional leadership- leader is in the agreement with the team members to obey their leader totally when they take a job on. The "transaction" is that the organization pays the team members in exchange for their expertise and conformity.
o Transformational leadership- leader is a sincere principal who inspires the team members with a shared vision of the future. Transformational leaders are highly noticeable and are seen truly listening & engaging their staff.
As technology advances in all industries, this challenges the leadership style of command-and-control. The leadership methodology of the past century is inefficient in the motivation & retention of people who are talented in the hi-tech fields, some even holding patents in the creation of the newer wireless tools.
The leadership of this century is a combination of earnest employee relationships and internal meaningful achievement. Great leaders have learned how to assimilate and execute many types of leadership. A balanced leadership style includes the creation of a positive work culture, constructing opportunities where the team's expertise is visible internally & externally, maintaining consistent communication between team members and other departments, sustains a certainty in the company's direction; and, acknowledges the achievements of individual members.
Remember that organizational 'systems' progress toward change cautiously. As you may want to integrate a leadership change, describe your perspective in positive terms using the benefits to the company's economic result and resolve the human apprehension of a change in your style. Last, define how your changes can be more strategically activated with their collaboration while developing new enthusiasm, corporate confidence, and vitality.
If you think your leadership style could use some integration of other styles, ask yourself:
o What style of leadership best describes you? Are you happy with that style or would you benefit from an integration of a few styles?
o What routine practices are fading out in your industry and how will that change your leadership style for the future of your business?
o What type of leadership relationships will your clients value in coming years?
o What technological changes will have a positive or negative effect on your business? What new concerns and problems will be generated by these technologies and may propel you to a new style of leadership?
o What would the people you've worked with do differently because they worked with you in the new leadership style?
o What elements of leadership will you use to purge out old language, delete old behavior patterns, or discard anything not useful to meet your collective goals?
o How will you measure the success of discarding what is not needed for the future goals?
o Do you, as a leader, understand the specific fears of your employees? What are they concerned about? How strongly do they feel about it? Do they perceive your stated strategies as beneficial or not?
o As the leader you aspire to be, how do you inspire and display enthusiasm for management of complex issues regarding performance without being autocratic?
o How will you nurture and encourage initiative and boldness, both verbally and visually?
o How will you sustain the balance of work and personal life for yourself as a great leader?
"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." Stephen Covey
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Balancing Leadership Style
The Most Successful and Effective Leadership Style is Based on Commonsense
Many of us pride ourselves on our common sense. We use the expression frequently in our day-to-day interactions with other people. Firstly, sense is not that common. Secondly, sense means different things to different people. It's one of those expressions that we think we know what it means. The trouble is that the understanding is not universal. In leadership terms, common sense means down-to-earth, pragmatic and a likeable attribute that can be admired. We all appreciate leadership that is based on this rather than theory or anything that is not practical. We can follow leaders and appreciate their style if it is founded on common sense.
Most of the successful leaders are full of this quality. They avoid jargon and speak in a plain language that nearly everybody understands. By doing this they create emotional value because they make an emotional connection with other people and are likeable. Common sense can be defined as emotional wisdom. We interpret the word "sense" to relate to perceptions, feelings, judgment and evaluation. Commonsense leaders know or "sense" what is right or wrong. This is a function of emotional intelligence which happens to be one of the most important qualities of effective leadership.
Through experience, these leaders have developed a sense of what to do in any given situation even though they may not have experienced it before. They don't rely on prescriptions, textbooks, or logical analysis. They sense what is needed to be done and just do it. They avoid procrastination because such a sensing process is fast and efficient. This method is far more effective than processing data through a long mental process, which is fairly long winded as it slowly analyses all the information and attempts to come through with a rational decision.
There may be some logical interpretation for this. However, this can only take place in an environment of emotion and perception. This environment is the product of sensing what is going on and interpretation based on historical events. Coming a long way second or third is logic which is employed to explain the perception, a feeling or an emotion.
The leaders that are successful rely on intuition, gut feeling, instinct within the confines of what they believe to be in everyone's interest. In leadership it is an important qualification for success because without it decision-making would be just too difficult and followers would be hard to create in any numbers. Can you imagine willingly following a leader who depended on theory, jargon and ideas based on what they learned in the book?
Source : Ezinearticles
Most of the successful leaders are full of this quality. They avoid jargon and speak in a plain language that nearly everybody understands. By doing this they create emotional value because they make an emotional connection with other people and are likeable. Common sense can be defined as emotional wisdom. We interpret the word "sense" to relate to perceptions, feelings, judgment and evaluation. Commonsense leaders know or "sense" what is right or wrong. This is a function of emotional intelligence which happens to be one of the most important qualities of effective leadership.
Through experience, these leaders have developed a sense of what to do in any given situation even though they may not have experienced it before. They don't rely on prescriptions, textbooks, or logical analysis. They sense what is needed to be done and just do it. They avoid procrastination because such a sensing process is fast and efficient. This method is far more effective than processing data through a long mental process, which is fairly long winded as it slowly analyses all the information and attempts to come through with a rational decision.
There may be some logical interpretation for this. However, this can only take place in an environment of emotion and perception. This environment is the product of sensing what is going on and interpretation based on historical events. Coming a long way second or third is logic which is employed to explain the perception, a feeling or an emotion.
The leaders that are successful rely on intuition, gut feeling, instinct within the confines of what they believe to be in everyone's interest. In leadership it is an important qualification for success because without it decision-making would be just too difficult and followers would be hard to create in any numbers. Can you imagine willingly following a leader who depended on theory, jargon and ideas based on what they learned in the book?
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Effective Leadership Style
7 Steps to Improve Your Virtual Leadership and Virtual Team Effectiveness
We are all used to working as a part of a team. Working toward a set of common goals that point to the company's mission is a great achievement; and yet, the team is faced with more challenges each day. The need to be productive and effective has never been more important.
But how can one achieve success in a team full of individuals with different points of view? How can one prove that in order to build a team, a proper virtual learning community must come to the rescue?
The place of virtual teams in the networked economy is seen and realized everywhere. Such teams are composed of human resources with exceptional skills, situated at a distance from each other, who must collaborate to accomplish important organizational tasks.
Because there is a great need of advances in team building with the use of online communication, virtual teams have a difficulty in finding the best team leaders and team managers. The need for a faster yet reliable team building service is in demand today. The effectiveness of team building is measured through the kind of change virtual learning creates for the people involved.
Here are some of the effective virtual learning team building strategies that are sure to create an improvement in the virtual leadership area.
1. Focus on One Goal in Collaboration. The virtual learning team must help center the team members on one goal. Collaboration, working together toward that common goal, needs to be understood and practiced. Team members put their personal agendas aside and focus on the one goal together. In this way, team members learn how to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle, and achieve any goal.
2. Develop Speed and Dependability. Another team building strategy is to help the team develop a reputation for speed and dependability. People who do things quickly and do things well have the winning edge over those who don't.
3. Gather Together Effective Team Members. This strategy consists of teaching the team to wrap themselves around the right people. You become a part of what you are around so surround yourself with winners.
4. Get Clear on Roles and Responsibilities. The virtual learning leadership team is effective if you incorporate challenging performance goals and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
5. Coach and Mentor Each Other. High performance virtual team coaching could also be achieved through the promotion of collaborative teamwork. This is assured to give you a productive and efficient organization.
6. Celebrate the Whole Person. Most importantly, encourage them to take excellent care of their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Let each of them become a well-rounded person who lives a balanced life.
7. Decide and Act. Allow for each team member to become more decisive and action oriented. Successful people think things through, then make a decision, and then act.
Source : Ezinearticles
But how can one achieve success in a team full of individuals with different points of view? How can one prove that in order to build a team, a proper virtual learning community must come to the rescue?
The place of virtual teams in the networked economy is seen and realized everywhere. Such teams are composed of human resources with exceptional skills, situated at a distance from each other, who must collaborate to accomplish important organizational tasks.
Because there is a great need of advances in team building with the use of online communication, virtual teams have a difficulty in finding the best team leaders and team managers. The need for a faster yet reliable team building service is in demand today. The effectiveness of team building is measured through the kind of change virtual learning creates for the people involved.
Here are some of the effective virtual learning team building strategies that are sure to create an improvement in the virtual leadership area.
1. Focus on One Goal in Collaboration. The virtual learning team must help center the team members on one goal. Collaboration, working together toward that common goal, needs to be understood and practiced. Team members put their personal agendas aside and focus on the one goal together. In this way, team members learn how to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle, and achieve any goal.
2. Develop Speed and Dependability. Another team building strategy is to help the team develop a reputation for speed and dependability. People who do things quickly and do things well have the winning edge over those who don't.
3. Gather Together Effective Team Members. This strategy consists of teaching the team to wrap themselves around the right people. You become a part of what you are around so surround yourself with winners.
4. Get Clear on Roles and Responsibilities. The virtual learning leadership team is effective if you incorporate challenging performance goals and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
5. Coach and Mentor Each Other. High performance virtual team coaching could also be achieved through the promotion of collaborative teamwork. This is assured to give you a productive and efficient organization.
6. Celebrate the Whole Person. Most importantly, encourage them to take excellent care of their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Let each of them become a well-rounded person who lives a balanced life.
7. Decide and Act. Allow for each team member to become more decisive and action oriented. Successful people think things through, then make a decision, and then act.
Source : Ezinearticles
Leadership When the Heat's On - A Review
One of my most passionate arguments about developing leaders is that there is very little new information and that just because a book is a few years old, doesn't mean it's obsolete. That's not to say there aren't plenty of new books with lots of great information, but, you'd be hard pressed to find much Earth shattering new information. I recently found a book that proves my point. Published in 1992, Leadership When the Heat's On by Danny Cox and John Hoover is a great collection of tips and techniques that are applicable to leaders at all levels. The book has been revised and reprinted several times, most recently in 2007.
There seems to be no end to the discussion of the difference between management and leadership. Managers manage things, but they also lead people. It's that leadership skill that will ultimately make them successful. Cox goes to some length to explain how managers lead, but he takes an interesting position on leadership itself. He claims that one can only be a leader when the people he or she leads grants that honor. That's kind of a utopian viewpoint, but the meaning is clear: if a leader wants to be a genuine success, the people he or she leads must voluntarily accept that leadership and follow willingly. Each leader is personally responsible for being in a leadership position as well as their actions as a leader.
Cox goes on to present 10 leadership characteristics. There is in his list, a theme of which all leadership trainers should take note. Each of his points, with one exception, deal with how a leader sees him or her self, and how that leader should approach leadership challenges. No mention of how to motivate people or deal with personnel issues. The one exception is point number 10 which is "Helping others to grow."
The remainder of the book is seven steps to success that are applicable to just about any type of leader at any level. These steps deal with such issues as time management, problem solving, and managing change. One of his steps involves keeping morale up, certainly applicable in today's world. Cox clearly describes a list of warning signs of bad morale, analyzes what those signs can mean, then clearly presents solutions to the problems. I especially appreciated two of his solutions explaining that low moral can result from people not fully understanding their jobs and from a manager's lack of growth as a leader.
Leadership When The Heat's On is a great tool for leaders who want to become great leaders. Cox and Hoover have given us a collection of leadership tips and techniques that are still very relevant and valuable.
Source : Ezinearticles
There seems to be no end to the discussion of the difference between management and leadership. Managers manage things, but they also lead people. It's that leadership skill that will ultimately make them successful. Cox goes to some length to explain how managers lead, but he takes an interesting position on leadership itself. He claims that one can only be a leader when the people he or she leads grants that honor. That's kind of a utopian viewpoint, but the meaning is clear: if a leader wants to be a genuine success, the people he or she leads must voluntarily accept that leadership and follow willingly. Each leader is personally responsible for being in a leadership position as well as their actions as a leader.
Cox goes on to present 10 leadership characteristics. There is in his list, a theme of which all leadership trainers should take note. Each of his points, with one exception, deal with how a leader sees him or her self, and how that leader should approach leadership challenges. No mention of how to motivate people or deal with personnel issues. The one exception is point number 10 which is "Helping others to grow."
The remainder of the book is seven steps to success that are applicable to just about any type of leader at any level. These steps deal with such issues as time management, problem solving, and managing change. One of his steps involves keeping morale up, certainly applicable in today's world. Cox clearly describes a list of warning signs of bad morale, analyzes what those signs can mean, then clearly presents solutions to the problems. I especially appreciated two of his solutions explaining that low moral can result from people not fully understanding their jobs and from a manager's lack of growth as a leader.
Leadership When The Heat's On is a great tool for leaders who want to become great leaders. Cox and Hoover have given us a collection of leadership tips and techniques that are still very relevant and valuable.
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Leadership When the Heat's On
How to Pick the Right Leadership Training Workshop
The newest buzz word in the industry today is, undoubtedly, leadership. For any business to rum smoothly and profitably, it is important to practice excellence at the workplace, and this excellence must necessarily start all the way up and move downwards, from the CEO and senior management, to the medium level and finally, the entry level employees.
It is for this reason that leadership training has become so vitally important in today's scenario. A good leadership training program is one that allows managers to discover what they need to practice to be extraordinary leaders and the ways to choose the styles that work for them.
For effective leadership and management, the leader needs to have quite a few qualities and skills. The most significant thing about a leader is the vision. A true leader is not only one who has the vision, but has the ability to inspire the team with the same vision. In today's dynamic business environment, change is the only constant. It is no longer enough to be able to adapt to change. A true leader should be able to identify the winds of change and use his judgment to lead the change. Apart from these skills, the leader must have people-skills, problem-solving skills, motivational, and disciplinary skills.
For those who are ready to take on leadership roles in their organizations and are looking to hone their existing skills in addition to acquiring newer leadership skills, there are a large number of training formats available. Leadership is obviously not a skill that can be taught through a set of lectures or study material alone. The best way to learn about these skills is through interactive workshops that use simulations of real life situations and role plays.
When going through the myriad courses and training workshops that teach leadership management, be sure to pick a program that deals with the transition to leadership, people skills, and communication. Networking, law, coaching, and performance evaluation should also be on the agenda.
The format of the leadership training workshop needs also to be taken into consideration. A good workshop will use a multi-faceted approach, including conceptual learning, assessment, and role plays in specific areas. Most of the learning in such workshops comes through exercises and discussions. When selecting a workshop for yourself, ask how many examples will be used along with lecture notes. It helps to find out how exactly the instruction will be handled before you sign up for the workshop.
Also, an effective leadership training workshop will give you some study material to use for after the training. Workshops that provide some follow-up sessions will be particularly rewarding. If your workshop does not send you off with key points or job aids as reminders, you could jot down your own points or job aids for future reference.
A well-chosen and thoughtfully designed leadership training course will help you become the leader you want to be. Poorly chosen, the workshop will merely be a waste of time and money. Choose well, leading starts right here!
Source : Ezinearticles
It is for this reason that leadership training has become so vitally important in today's scenario. A good leadership training program is one that allows managers to discover what they need to practice to be extraordinary leaders and the ways to choose the styles that work for them.
For effective leadership and management, the leader needs to have quite a few qualities and skills. The most significant thing about a leader is the vision. A true leader is not only one who has the vision, but has the ability to inspire the team with the same vision. In today's dynamic business environment, change is the only constant. It is no longer enough to be able to adapt to change. A true leader should be able to identify the winds of change and use his judgment to lead the change. Apart from these skills, the leader must have people-skills, problem-solving skills, motivational, and disciplinary skills.
For those who are ready to take on leadership roles in their organizations and are looking to hone their existing skills in addition to acquiring newer leadership skills, there are a large number of training formats available. Leadership is obviously not a skill that can be taught through a set of lectures or study material alone. The best way to learn about these skills is through interactive workshops that use simulations of real life situations and role plays.
When going through the myriad courses and training workshops that teach leadership management, be sure to pick a program that deals with the transition to leadership, people skills, and communication. Networking, law, coaching, and performance evaluation should also be on the agenda.
The format of the leadership training workshop needs also to be taken into consideration. A good workshop will use a multi-faceted approach, including conceptual learning, assessment, and role plays in specific areas. Most of the learning in such workshops comes through exercises and discussions. When selecting a workshop for yourself, ask how many examples will be used along with lecture notes. It helps to find out how exactly the instruction will be handled before you sign up for the workshop.
Also, an effective leadership training workshop will give you some study material to use for after the training. Workshops that provide some follow-up sessions will be particularly rewarding. If your workshop does not send you off with key points or job aids as reminders, you could jot down your own points or job aids for future reference.
A well-chosen and thoughtfully designed leadership training course will help you become the leader you want to be. Poorly chosen, the workshop will merely be a waste of time and money. Choose well, leading starts right here!
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Training Workshop
From Leadership Roles to Team Building, Correcting Others is a Necessary Talent Intelligence
From our earliest childhood memories, we have been corrected.
* Do not write on the wall
* Do not talk to strangers
* Do not go to where you are not wanted or asked
What happens is the ability to proactively and constructively correct others has been potentially diminished forever.
No wonder in business so many individuals have difficulty correcting others and actually may fear it. Those early years of negative conditioning have a very far reach.
Today's workforce does require and demand individuals who can embrace leadership roles where they may have to let others know their performance was not satisfactory. However, with all the fear within human resource departments due to past employment grievances (think unfair performance appraisals to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints not too mention a culture of being non-judgmental, demonstrating this capacity is very difficult.
Yet failure to constructively correct others can even lead to more serious issues within any workplace from products not being produced correctly to services not being delivered well. This one talent intelligence can be a dripping faucet so to speak to the bottom line.
When this talent is carried out correctly, controversial or difficult issues are handled in an objective manner. Discussions are non-emotional from poor performance to disciplinary actions. People who excel using this talent can balance empathy and evaluation and do not confuse empathy with sympathy.
An employee who exhibits this capacity can be looked to providing constructive criticism without insulting the other party. These corrective comments are not received as insulting or degrading. What happens is there is a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of the individual employees. This balancing act allows the person providing the correcting feedback the opportunity to address both sides of any issue.
When someone lacks this talent, he or she may lack the sensitivity required to handle a particular situation. In some cases, these individuals are sympathetic (that being both in agreement and in approval of the behavior) instead of empathetic (that being agreement to the situation, but not approving the actions taken)
The behaviors demonstrated by someone who has this talent intelligence might be:
* Providing constructive criticism in a way that is not insulting or demeaning
* Conducting a 360 feedback to help understand how people best receive the person delivering the feedback
* Using a QBQ (question behind the question) approach to help people discover needs to be changed behaviorally or attitudinally
* Ensuring the annual review process is meaningful and effective and that employees walk away or boss walks away with an appreciation of how best to work
Since success is just as much about failures (learning from mistakes), then being able to correct others in a beneficial way to the organization can only contribute to the organization's long term success.
Source : Ezinearticles
* Do not write on the wall
* Do not talk to strangers
* Do not go to where you are not wanted or asked
What happens is the ability to proactively and constructively correct others has been potentially diminished forever.
No wonder in business so many individuals have difficulty correcting others and actually may fear it. Those early years of negative conditioning have a very far reach.
Today's workforce does require and demand individuals who can embrace leadership roles where they may have to let others know their performance was not satisfactory. However, with all the fear within human resource departments due to past employment grievances (think unfair performance appraisals to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints not too mention a culture of being non-judgmental, demonstrating this capacity is very difficult.
Yet failure to constructively correct others can even lead to more serious issues within any workplace from products not being produced correctly to services not being delivered well. This one talent intelligence can be a dripping faucet so to speak to the bottom line.
When this talent is carried out correctly, controversial or difficult issues are handled in an objective manner. Discussions are non-emotional from poor performance to disciplinary actions. People who excel using this talent can balance empathy and evaluation and do not confuse empathy with sympathy.
An employee who exhibits this capacity can be looked to providing constructive criticism without insulting the other party. These corrective comments are not received as insulting or degrading. What happens is there is a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of the individual employees. This balancing act allows the person providing the correcting feedback the opportunity to address both sides of any issue.
When someone lacks this talent, he or she may lack the sensitivity required to handle a particular situation. In some cases, these individuals are sympathetic (that being both in agreement and in approval of the behavior) instead of empathetic (that being agreement to the situation, but not approving the actions taken)
The behaviors demonstrated by someone who has this talent intelligence might be:
* Providing constructive criticism in a way that is not insulting or demeaning
* Conducting a 360 feedback to help understand how people best receive the person delivering the feedback
* Using a QBQ (question behind the question) approach to help people discover needs to be changed behaviorally or attitudinally
* Ensuring the annual review process is meaningful and effective and that employees walk away or boss walks away with an appreciation of how best to work
Since success is just as much about failures (learning from mistakes), then being able to correct others in a beneficial way to the organization can only contribute to the organization's long term success.
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Leadership Roles,
Talent Intelligence
Time Management For Meetings
I'm sure we all have had experiences of never ending meetings, those that start early in the day and end when the sky is dark. What's more, many of these meetings often yield no results, and we come out of such meetings, wondering what we had talked about that took the entire day! Evidently, without proper time management, meetings can loose its purpose and effectiveness.
Let us first explore three reasons why time management in meetings is so important.
1. It allows us to avoid spending unnecessary time. In the corporate world, we often find that time equals money. We often find that time is our most precious resource, and a small amount of time can make a huge amount of difference in competitiveness. Should we spend unnecessary time sitting in a room carrying out unproductive processes where we really can be out there securing deals, we would be severely shortchanging ourselves.
2. It provides a target to strive towards. Without an end in mind, as Steven Covey puts it, in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we would be beating about the bush, digressing allover and talking about everything but the topic!
3. It allows members to have an idea of what to expect. Simple as this may sound, I believe everyone would agree that this is crucial especially when they are sitting inside a meeting room wondering when the meeting will end. This allows members to focus on the discussion at hand and work towards the time, rather than letting their minds wander and wonder when their agony will end!
The success of a meeting may very well hinge on its time management, and a poor time management plan may well render the meeting ineffective and cause it to miss its intended outcome. As such, here are 5 Tips that we may employ to effectively manage time in meetings:
1. Start on Time. This serves as more than just being a good start, this also sends a strong signal to all members that the chairperson of this meeting is serious about time management and recognizes the role of time in the success of a meeting.
2. Decide on an End Time. As mentioned before, having a pre-decided end time allows members to have an idea of what to expect; it gives them something to look forward to. It allows them to focus on the content of the meeting and contribute actively, without fear that speaking out would only cause the meeting to drag needlessly and endlessly.
3. Take into Account Attention Span. The length of the meeting should take into account the attention span of the members. While we may feel that there is a lot to cover in a short period of time, forcing our way on when everyone is clearly exhausted would take us no where. Should there be a need to, schedule breaks in between to factor in attention span. In the past, weekly meetings that I chaired lasted no longer than half an hour as I knew that any longer would not yield results.
4. Assign a Time Keeper. Have a person to keep track of the time spent, and advise the group accordingly. This is important as it allows us to avoid the situation of setting an end time, only to continue as if it was never set. It ensures the effectiveness of the time goals.
5. Be reasonable when Allocating Time. Having said so much, it is also worthy to note not to be over ambitious in setting time goals. While it is important to be time efficient, focusing too much on spending as little time as possible at the expense of the quality of discussion would be unwise, and defeats the purpose of the meeting in the first place. Set reasonable amount of time for the meeting, and never compromise quality time in a bid to shorten the time spent.
Lucas Lin is a renowned expert in the field of leadership and management. Having held leadership positions ranging from management executive to operations manager, Lucas is in the prime position to offer advice on leadership and consulting services to leaders across the hierarchy. His years of experience in leadership render his advice highly sought after. Having served in leadership positions in various organisations, including a country club, a school and the military among others, Lucas developed an intimate knowledge of value-based leadership, which can be applied to all vocations.
Source : Ezinearticles
Let us first explore three reasons why time management in meetings is so important.
1. It allows us to avoid spending unnecessary time. In the corporate world, we often find that time equals money. We often find that time is our most precious resource, and a small amount of time can make a huge amount of difference in competitiveness. Should we spend unnecessary time sitting in a room carrying out unproductive processes where we really can be out there securing deals, we would be severely shortchanging ourselves.
2. It provides a target to strive towards. Without an end in mind, as Steven Covey puts it, in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we would be beating about the bush, digressing allover and talking about everything but the topic!
3. It allows members to have an idea of what to expect. Simple as this may sound, I believe everyone would agree that this is crucial especially when they are sitting inside a meeting room wondering when the meeting will end. This allows members to focus on the discussion at hand and work towards the time, rather than letting their minds wander and wonder when their agony will end!
The success of a meeting may very well hinge on its time management, and a poor time management plan may well render the meeting ineffective and cause it to miss its intended outcome. As such, here are 5 Tips that we may employ to effectively manage time in meetings:
1. Start on Time. This serves as more than just being a good start, this also sends a strong signal to all members that the chairperson of this meeting is serious about time management and recognizes the role of time in the success of a meeting.
2. Decide on an End Time. As mentioned before, having a pre-decided end time allows members to have an idea of what to expect; it gives them something to look forward to. It allows them to focus on the content of the meeting and contribute actively, without fear that speaking out would only cause the meeting to drag needlessly and endlessly.
3. Take into Account Attention Span. The length of the meeting should take into account the attention span of the members. While we may feel that there is a lot to cover in a short period of time, forcing our way on when everyone is clearly exhausted would take us no where. Should there be a need to, schedule breaks in between to factor in attention span. In the past, weekly meetings that I chaired lasted no longer than half an hour as I knew that any longer would not yield results.
4. Assign a Time Keeper. Have a person to keep track of the time spent, and advise the group accordingly. This is important as it allows us to avoid the situation of setting an end time, only to continue as if it was never set. It ensures the effectiveness of the time goals.
5. Be reasonable when Allocating Time. Having said so much, it is also worthy to note not to be over ambitious in setting time goals. While it is important to be time efficient, focusing too much on spending as little time as possible at the expense of the quality of discussion would be unwise, and defeats the purpose of the meeting in the first place. Set reasonable amount of time for the meeting, and never compromise quality time in a bid to shorten the time spent.
Lucas Lin is a renowned expert in the field of leadership and management. Having held leadership positions ranging from management executive to operations manager, Lucas is in the prime position to offer advice on leadership and consulting services to leaders across the hierarchy. His years of experience in leadership render his advice highly sought after. Having served in leadership positions in various organisations, including a country club, a school and the military among others, Lucas developed an intimate knowledge of value-based leadership, which can be applied to all vocations.
Source : Ezinearticles
Labels:
Time Management For Meetings
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