Whether you need to diffuse a conflict, start a new project, or rearrange your department, decision making skills are going to prove to be amongst the most valuable management skills you’ll develop. We’ve spoken before about the decision making process itself and took a close look at the steps you must follow, from recognizing a decision must be made to implementing your final choice.

Unfortunately, there are very few cases where everyone you encounter will be happy with every decision you make. The trick is to realize that you can’t avoid a decision, but that making a choice will allow you to regain control of your department or team, whether they like it or not.

Here are a few decision making skills you should work on as you progress:

• Understand why you are making a decision. Do you really understand the problem at hand or do you need to obtain more information?

• Identifying your alternatives. Try to find a handful of solutions to your problem so that you can review them and choose which might work best. Human nature is to jump on the first solution we think of, but this isn’t always the most productive course of action.

• Evaluate the consequences. Review each alternative you discovered and determine whether or not implementing those ideas will have a positive or negative impact on your ultimate goals.

• Evaluate the outcome. You aren’t through with a situation just because you’ve made a final decision. Make sure you evaluate the outcome to ensure that the decision you made was the right choice. Don’t hesitate to make changes if you see room for improvement.

As a manager you have responsibility to make decisions that will impact the performance of your entire team or department. Be confident and assertive and your team will support any decision you make!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

Created by a man named Donald Norman, Norman’s Reaction Cycle is a model that has been used for years to analyze the steps individuals take as they move from simply forming a goal to actually accomplishing it.

There are two main steps in Norman’s Reaction Cycle (also referred to as Norman’s Action Cycle). The first is execution and the second is evaluation.

During the execution phase the person in question will form a plan or goal and take specific actions aimed toward reaching that goal. This phase includes everything from the mental processes involved in planning to the physical actions and movements one makes to reach the goal.

The evaluation phase is then used to judge whether or not the person in question has achieved the outcome or goal he originally desired. This involves comparing what one actually sees to what one thought they would see as an end result.

There are a number of subsequent actions that make up both the execution and evaluation phases. Execution involves having intention, creating a sequence of actions, and then performing those actions. Evaluation involves the individual’s perception of the result, determining what that perception means, and evaluating whether or not those perceptions are accurate or if they have meaning.

Norman’s Reaction Cycle is often applied in technical situations. Often times the person performing a task will have the ability to check his actions against a manual or list of instructions. In these cases, they are able to determine whether or not the manual was useful in reaching the end goal as well.

The human mind is an incredible thing. The ability to evaluate the actions we take is incredibly important when it comes to finding business solutions that work. The more open we are to change and critique, even from ourselves, the more successful we will become!

Thanks again,

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

With the holiday season quickly approaching I’m sure you’ll find time management to be more difficult than ever before. Between working your regular office hours, attending holiday parties, and preparing your home you’ll find you have less time than you’ve had since – well, last holiday season, most likely!

I thought it would be a good idea to share a few more time management tips to help you control your workflow as you approach the holidays. Hopefully these will help you to keep things running smoothly as you attempt to create extra time for your family and friends over the coming month.

Set Specific Time Limits

Yes, you do need to check your email and keeping up with the news is a part of life, but do you really have to spend half of your day distracted by these simple tasks? Instead set a time limit and stick to it – perhaps you may limit yourself to an hour a day to check your email and read the newspaper. Setting specific limits will keep you from wasting time you could spend doing other things.

Delegate Your Authority

Put those delegation skills to work! There is absolutely no reason you should feel as though you need to do everything on your own. Start sharing tasks with your team members or employees! You’ll not only get your projects completed faster but you’ll strengthen your team by encouraging them to work together!

Get a Grip on Reality

The truth of the matter is that there are only 24 hours in any given day. Period. End of statement. No ifs, ands, or buts. No more, no less. You can’t magically create a longer day, and you (believe it or not) can not go for days on end without food or sleep. Accept the fact that you can only do a certain amount of work within any given day and that the rest will have to wait until tomorrow. You’ll avoid burnout and lead a happier, more productive life.

Add these tips to your time management arsenal and let me know how you’re doing. Have you seen any changes in your workflow over the past months? Are you still working on a time management plan?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

The Innovation Equation is really an incredibly interesting and realistic theory. We are often so worried about whether or not we are doing things “right” or “wrong” that we begin to overanalyze the problems and tasks in front of us.

These concerns over the differences between right and wrong often lead us to failure. It makes logical sense that to be concerned over doing something correct will lead to success, but realistically our fears usually hold us back from experimentation and creativity. Therefore, the probability of a mediocre or lackluster end result is higher.

The Innovation Equation focuses mainly on four key elements: insight, execution, probability, and time. These aren’t the only key inputs you need to consider when reviewing a project, but they’re certainly amongst the most important.

Insight is one of the most important concepts. You must be able to look at a project, understand where there are opportunities and then create a series of ideas that will bring you to an ultimate solution. You’ll have to use probability equations to determine the likelihood of some of your ideas being successful, and you may be surprised at the results. Sometimes ideas that seemed logical don’t work while those that seemed outrageous produce results far better than we ever could have imagined.

If the culture of your organisation supports innovation and creativity then you will see incredible results from your employees and team members. If not, you’ll see a lack of enthusiasm and will likely find yourself dealing with negative project outcomes more often than you’d like. Why not allow your employees a little more room to breathe creatively while working?

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 must act as a leader at all times. Your employees and team members will look up to you for advice, assistance, and sometimes to merely examine how you react to certain situations within the workplace. As you grow and evolve as a leader you’ll find that your employees are growing with you, so you need to set a positive example at all times. Here are a few leadership skills you should keep in mind and work to develop as time goes by.

Versatility

A good leader must be versatile enough to deal with a number of different personalities, learning styles, and challenges. You never know how many people you’ll have to lead, through what type of challenge, or for how long. You must learn to be strong and adaptable.

Personal Behaviour

Imagine that every single thing you say or do is being watched under a finely tuned microscope. Your staff will watch every action you make and upper management is likely watching you closely as well. Your verbal expressions, body language, and attitude will all reflect back on you as your team adapts. Do you have the type of attitude you want to see in your employees? If not, take action to change it soon!

Communication

We talk about the importance of great management and communication skills quite frequently, but what you need to remember is that your attitude and business ethic communicates just as much as your words and body language. Be consistent at all times, regardless of how or when you are communicating – casually, in a meeting, or in a conference.

Evolving Environments

Is your department a fun place to work, or do you have a reputation for harboring a stressful atmosphere? You need to take charge of not only delegating tasks but also of motivating your team throughout the day. Make your department fun with games, occasional casual conversation, or something creative.

You have control of how you are perceived as a leader. Carefully monitor your attitude and how you communicate with others and you’ll soon find your team members are looking up to you rather than wondering why you’re in charge!

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

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