Often times a project will be presented to you when it is in the “infancy stages.” In other words, you’re given an idea or a concept but you are expected to make a plan and implement it on your own. Knowing how the project cycle works will aid you in developing a plan for your project. Simply model your plan in the following format and you’ll be well on your way:

1. Identify the actual problem the project needs to solve. Have a meeting with your team and brainstorm for ideas on how the project should be handled. This is a great time to discuss your main objective, the risks associated with each alternative, and the time frame you are working within.

2. Preparation involves formalizing a plan, perhaps even sending it back to upper management for approval before you can begin to implement it. You’ll put the exact details of your plan in writing so that you have a formal document to work from.

3. Implement and supervise the implementation of the plan. Assign members of your team to perform specific tasks, monitor their progress and efficiency; and pay attention to the overall effectiveness of the plan you have developed.

4. Complete the project and summarize the end results in a report you can submit to management. Depending on the scope of your project, this may mean turning in the actual project or merely putting together a project summary report detailing the outcomes.

5. Evaluate the end results. Did the project cycle plan you implemented allow you to achieve your goals? Do you need to make changes to the process for future projects? The evaluation process enables you and your team to determine what changes need to be made in order to ensure the success of future projects.

Following a set model will give you the ability to control the project while at the same time exercising your communication and decision making skills as you work with your team. Plug your next task into the project cycle and let us know how it turns out.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Let’s start the week off with a quick exercise. Now that you recognize that making a decision is not a simple one-two process, you’ll need to formulate a personal plan for handling the major decisions that will come across your desk from time to time. What would you do in the following situations?

- There was a major fire at one of your company’s international plants. The fire was caused by negligence on the part of a group of employees and there was at least one death along with several injuries. The fire damaged surrounding businesses and the cleanup will likely take at least 6 months. Your manager has asked you to write a press release expressing apologies, sympathy for the families of those who were lost, and well-wishes for those who are injured. He knows the press will begin to question you and has indicated you should tell them that cleanup will take no more than 3-4 weeks! You know this is something the public would like to hear, but that the information is incorrect. How will you handle the situation?

- The troubled economy is having a negative impact on your business and sales are down. You’re going to have to let one of your employees go in order to cut back on costs, but both of the employees in question are struggling to get by. You know that one has a medical condition and needs to pay for extra health care, but you know that the other is a single parent with a young child at home. Which one will you lay off?

These are difficult decisions and both will take bit of thought. Are they programmed or nonprogrammed? Are you making the decision based on your personal beliefs, or are you looking at the whole picture and making an ethical decision?

Good luck!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

We make hundreds of decisions each day. While making a decision may seem like a simple task, there are a number of key factors that you need to consider in order to make sure your final decision results in the outcome you desire. I’ve found, unfortunately, that the decision making process involves much more than a simple coin toss.

The decision making process is simple. You must:

- Recognize that a decision needs to be made.
- Identify all of the various alternatives available.
- Recognize and choose the best answer.
- Implement your decision.

Easier said than done, right?

The decisions you make do not always involve problems. Some decision making situations come as a result of opportunity, where you realize you have the chance to make a change and must determine the best way to take advantage. Perhaps you’ve won the lottery, for example, and must decide how to best invest your money.

I have found that there are two main types of decisions as well. A programmed decision is one that you make on a regular basis – what to have for breakfast, what supplier you’ll use when you need to purchase printer ink, etc. Others are nonprogrammed, meaning they do not come about every day and take more time and effort to consider. Deciding whether or not to fire an inadequate employee or determining how to split an unexpected bonus amongst your team members, for example.

Your strong decision making skills coupled with your now developing communication and delegation skills will enable you to constantly stay in control of your life, team, and workplace.

Do you have an example of a difficult decision and the unique process you had to go through in order to come to an end result? If so, please share. We’d love to hear about it.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

I’m sure that by now you’ve had at least one employee that seems particularly resistant to change. In my experience, employees and team members are more likely to resist changes that they know nothing about. They had no input in the decision making process and don’t know anything about the reasons for the change. Most people find “the unknown” to be very scary.

To remedy this situation, a management theory known as “The Change Equation” was developed to help deal with resistance. In short, it looks like this:

D + V + F > R

In other words, dissatisfaction, vision, and first steps (action) will reduce resistance to change. Each part of the equation is equally important to the end result. If any of the three major components are missing, the resistance you are experiencing will remain the same.

It’s important to make sure you have a reason for every change you make within your organisation. Not only must you have a reason, but you must be able to clearly communicate that reason to your employees so that they can see the big picture as well. Then, and only then, your employees will begin to see change in a positive light.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Today I want to address ethics one more time, and then we’ll give it a rest for a while. How you treat your employees is imperative, and how your employees regard you as an organisation is important as well. But have you ever given any thought to how your employees and organisation, together, treat the rest of the world as a whole?

Anyone not directly associated with your company should be treated with some level of respect. These people may include your actual clients, board members, brokers and suppliers, and even your competitors. This means making reasonable business decisions without succumbing to negative influence.

Let’s look at an example. Perhaps you are the person within your organisation in charge of ordering supplies. You’ve asked two major widget suppliers to give their best quotes. Company A has quoted a very reasonable price. Company B has quoted a price that is a few pounds higher, and the sales representative, upon realizing you might have a better quote, calls and offers you two tickets to the ballet. Both companies have impeccable reputations and provide excellent customer service. It’s your anniversary weekend, and tickets to the ballet would be the perfect gift for your significant other.

Which company will you go with? Technically, Company A has provided you with the best price and will continue to do so in the future. While those ballet tickets may seem appealing, Company B is merely offering you a bribe. If you take those tickets, you may feel obligated to choose Company B even though they won’t be the best for your organisation in the long run. Choosing Company B solely because of the ballet tickets would be considered unethical.

Other examples of how unethical behavior impacts business within the economy include the high costs of pharmaceuticals due to “research,” the inability of financial institutions to report correct numbers to the public, and business in foreign countries regularly (and legally) operating on systems that thrive on bribes.

How you view the rest of the world will show in your work and customer service. Make sure that your new managers receive the coaching necessary to identify and deal with unethical situations. Working as ethically as possible will keep your company off of the front page of the newspapers.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”