Are you open to change?

The Schamner Change Model is an interesting management model that encourages you to dig deep into yourself in order to determine just how adaptable you can be. You’ll find that you must have a open mind, a open heart, and a open will in order to see results.

It’s often difficult for us to let go of our past habits and patterns so that we can then change and grow. I know that as a younger manager I had a more difficult time with change than I do now. I wasn’t as experienced then, and I thought everything had to be done the way I was taught the first time, with no deviation from the rules or “norm.”

You have to start by suspending your beliefs – this doesn’t mean admitting they were wrong, but simply putting them on the shelf for a moment so that you can examine your new system with a fresh outlook. You’ll then have to spend some time reviewing the new system and applying your knowledge to it while slowly letting go of your old beliefs enough to see the results of the new system crystalising before your eyes.

Eventually, you’ll be able to look at the new, changed system or management model with a clearer vision that allows you to look further into the future. You’ll begin working the new changes into your daily routine and, eventually, they’ll become a part of your new “normal” workflow.

Change isn’t always easy to handle, especially for those of us in management positions. We have to learn to embody the changes in our organisations so that we can effectively present them to our teams. This doesn’t mean giving up on our old ways, but simply being open to the new ones.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

We spoke once before about how, as a manager, you need to have strong technical skills in order to understand and monitor the jobs of your subordinates.

There is, however, another good reason to make sure you brush up on your technical skills. While no one wants to think about it, there is always a possibility that you may lose your management position.

What if your company decided to downsize? In some cases, a company will attempt to move a person whose position has been eliminated into a new one. What if that meant moving down a notch on the corporate scale? What if the only thing holding you back was the fact that you weren’t qualified because you never properly trained on the systems used by your organisation?

It’s time to evaluate your technical skills. Take a moment and make a list of all of the programs and machines used within your company. Be sure to include the basics, such as word processing and spreadsheet creation programs, as well as email applications. Can you effectively navigate your client or project database system?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, it’s time to get some additional technical skill training. I don’t want to hear that you just don’t have enough hours in the day. Learning the programs you really should already know could mean the difference between keeping your job and having to find a new one.

Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

We talk about acting as leaders all the time, but what I don’t know is whether or not you really understand what leadership is. The concept of leadership is actually two-fold.

Leadership is about your ability to influence your organisation, specifically your teammates and peers, in order to achieve a common business goal. As a leader, you should be able to influence your peers without it seeming as though you’re trying to guide them in a certain direction. You should never be forceful. I think that if you have a passion for what you do, others will become naturally inclined to follow you.

Let’s look at an example of effective leadership. As a manager, you can sit down and create a plan for your next team project. You’ll sit down with the group and explain what needs to be done, but at some point you have to shift mindsets and become a leader instead of a manager. The leader in you has to share his vision and point his team in the right direction. A manager maintains control of a project, while a leader keeps his teammates motivated.

In order to be successful, you must be both a manager and a leader. Which are you? Do you lean towards one side or the other, or do you find you have established a pretty even balance between the two? Look at yourself and your relationship with your employees and determine what you might need to do to become a better leader.

Remember, it’s about sharing your vision without force! Have a great weekend…

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

The Business Excellence Model, also referred to as the EFQM Excellence Model, was designed in the early 1990’s in order to provide a framework to be used when assessing businesses in competition for the European Quality Award. It took me quite a while to understand the criteria the model is based on, so I’m going to share a brief explanation so that you can firmly grasp what you’re working towards.

There are nine main criteria on which an organisation is judged. The first five are referred to as “enablers” and the last four are referred to as “results”. Similar to the cause and effect theories you are taught in school, the enablers allow your business to achieve results. Your business management strategy should always focus on the position of these criteria.

The enablers are:
- Processes
- Policy & Strategy
- People
- Leadership
- Partnerships & Resources

The results are:
- Customer Results
- Society Results
- Key Performance Results
- People Results

There are, of course, a number of models a company can follow in order to strengthen their enablers and results. Each of these nine categories has a list of subcategories to be taken into consideration as well.

There are dozens of good management models for an organisation to chose from but, in the end, if you’d like to win the European Quality Award, you should focus more on the Business Excellence Model.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

As a manager, you’re in a unique position. Delegation of authority is often the most difficult concept for most new managers to grasp. I know because I had trouble with the idea myself. I was used to completing all of my tasks on my own and was overly cautious and unsure about passing work to my subordinates.

Part of the problem was that I had a rough time changing my mindset. My coworkers and peers were suddenly lower on the corporate totem pole than I was. I felt odd suddenly passing off work to those I had recently been working with as equals.

Managers and supervisors are not supposed to take on an overabundant amount of work. It is your job, officially, to practice the delegation of authority. You are responsible for making sure that your team members are highly trained so that you do not have to worry about the quality of the work they will return to you.

This doesn’t mean your team members won’t make mistakes. They will – as you have in the past and will inevitably do again in the future. On the bright side, they’ll learn from their mistakes and will not remain dependent on you for constant guidance and supervision.

I firmly believe that every management training program should include a focus on the delegation of authority. In the process of delegation, we learn how to reevaluate our own levels of accountability while sharing our responsibilities with others.

Delegation doesn’t mean that you assign a task to a subordinate and then wash your hands of it. You must carefully prepare the project to be assigned; plan exactly how you want it done; clearly communicate the directions and goals to your team members; check to make sure the project is completed correctly; and let your team know how much you appreciate their work.

That last part – appreciation – is essential. Your team needs to know how much you appreciate each and every task they accomplish on your behalf. Your thanks can range from simple kind words to small treats or even an extra bonus.

Evaluate the current state of your desk and determine which projects you’re holding on to because you’re afraid to give them to someone else. It’s time to let go of your insecurities – choose a team member and practice delegating your authority.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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