As managers we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to bring our team members together, allowing them to get to know each other in a laid back environment. The next time you have a team meeting, consider breaking your members into groups of 2 or 3 and giving them a series of ditloid puzzles to answer.

Ditloids are small equations made up of letters or numbers that can usually be solved pretty easily. You can use some that are prewritten or have your teams make up ditloits to give the opposing teams. Offer incentives (extra time off) or prizes (lunch, gift certificates, etc) to the team that can answer the highest number of ditloids correctly.

Here are a few examples (and their answers):

• 3  B M (3 blind mice)
• 12 S O T Z (12 signs of the zodiac)
• 50 S I T U S A (50 states in the USA)
• 4 A 20 B B I A P (4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie)
• 4 S O A DB (4 strings on a double bass)
• 6 B I A O I C (6 balls in an over in cricket)

Remember, if you make up your own ditloids they shouldn’t be too obscure. They should be based on common phrases used within your organization, for example.

Have fun bringing your team together with a few minutes of entertainment. Who knows – they may just learn a little bit about themselves and about each other!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Courses

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

I’m always looking for new and creative ways to teach people how to manage their time properly. Today I’ve got just a few new time management tips for you to consider as you go about your workday.

Planning Unplanned Phone Calls

Alright, you can’t really plan things that are unplanned but you can set aside a specific block of time in your day during which you will return unplanned phone calls. Planned phone calls are those you have previously agreed to or scheduled. Unplanned phone calls are the ones that interrupt you while you are working on other things. The key is to not allow people to interrup you as you work, instead making it a point to return calls when you are actually available and ready to focus.

Stop Saying YES

Those of us in management positions often want to say “yes” to others when asked for assistance and then later find that the tasks we initially thought might be simple are actually more time consuming than we had originally anticipated. Before saying “yes” to a request you should be asking as many questions as you see fit, determing exactly what will be expected of you if you decide to participate in a task. Don’t be afraid to say “No” if you don’t have the right amount of time to dedicate to a project.

Be Challenging

Do you regularly attend “mandatory” meetings in which higher-ups hash the same information over and over again? Maybe they call you together regularly to simply delegate work. Are these things that could easily be handled by memo or email instead of through the use of a time-wasting meeting? Challenge those above you and make sure those meetings are actually “immediate and urgent” before they’re labeled “mandatory.”

Are you ready to take control of your time? Incorporate these time management tips along with some of the others you’ve already learned and you’ll soon find you have taken control of your life back!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management

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

Matthew Campling, a prominent psychotherapist, once completed a case study after which he created what is now known as Campling’s Age/Work Arc Theory (or CAWA). The theory was developed after Campling asked a simple question – can a job in today’s work environment be held for life or will you have to move on as your career goals change?

The first question we really must ask ourselves is whether or not we are talking about our jobs in terms of our lifetime or in terms of careers. In today’s day and age, it is less common to find a person who sticks with the same career for an entire lifetime. Many people change careers completely at least once and some will change three or more times.

There are two facts to consider when we think about our ages in relationship to our work are a) what will make us happiest longest and b) how long we will live. We already know that people are living longer lives, so will the same jobs our parents kept from their teenage years through retirement keep us happy just as long? Whereas people were once afraid of change, change in life (and career) is now almost guaranteed.

Here are a few questions you’re eventually going to have to sit back and ask yourself:

• Do you have consistent levels of talent or will you be considered a “one hit wonder” in your career field?
• Can you ensure that your career will never be sidelined?
• Why are some people very happy with their career choices while others seem to have a tough time finding one that works for them?

There are dozens of other questions but, in short, they look to bring an understanding to the realization that many people will have a low point, high point, and then a low point (forming an arc) in their career patterns. People tend to reach a “high point” and after that seem to spiral downwards as their career cycles end.

If you are “happy” at work you may be at the peak of your career and in a few months or years may suddenly feel as though you’ve lost track of your goals, sidelining yourself.

The real question is this: what can you do as you build your career, or before you get to that pivotal high point, that will ensure you’re always happy.

Do you think it’s even possible to remain truly happy at work – forever? Think on it and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

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

We’ve spoken in the past about the wide variet of appraisal processes available for managers to choose from. One that I’ve always found interesting is the 360 Degree Appraisal process.

The 360 degree appraisal process is a process in which individuals who work closely with an employee are allowed to participate by providing feedback about the employee in question. They are often given questionnaires that they can either complete by naming themselves or anonymously. These employees are expected to honestly rate their experiences with their team members in terms of behaviour, attitude, job skills, and overall ability to complete tasks.

In some instances, only those working within the same team are asked to complete a 360 degree appraisal. In a company where one team may report to another, however, it is important to get feedback on an employee’s experiences with different types of people. Therefore it is important to include not only an employee’s peers but his up-line managers, subordinates, staff from other departments, and sometimes even outside customers or vendors.

You should include a wide variety in the 360 degree appraisal. Failure to do so will really limit the results you get and short changes the potential this type of process can really have on your ability to judge an individual’s overall performance.

Before implementing a 360 degree appraisal within your organisation you must train your employees as to the importance of fair and nondiscriminatory appraisals. If you receive surveys that make derogatory comments about a person’s age, gender, or ethnicity you find you are not learning much about the employee himself but instead about the dynamic of the workplace within which you all work. It’s valuable information to have but would be unfair to include these types of derogatory critiques in a person’s annual review.

Putting together a good 360 degree appraisal system will take quite a bit of time and effort but you’ll find it worth the effort in the end. Remember, you’re the manager and the ultimate decision regarding a person’s appraisal is up to you. In the end, though, it’s always nice to have additional feedback to consider.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

We don’t often talk about sales on this blog but if you are the manager of a sales team you’ll need to make sure you are familiarizing yourself not only with tricks for managing your team’s personnel but for managing their work and guiding their successes as well.

One of the most common sales tricks used to help new salespersons is the acronym “AIDA.” AIDA stands for Attention, Desire, Interest, and Action.

It is really a relatively simple concept.

The “A” for Attention represents your ability to create a headline or advertisement that actually earns the attention of the niche you want to sell to.

The “I” for Interest represents the information you’re going to give those who are attracted by your original attention-grabber. Can you continue to build interest with your marketing strategies, regardless of whether or not they are in print, on radio, or on television?

The “D” in Desire represents your ability to present information to your target audience in such a way that they suddenly find themselves wanting your product. They may not need it but you’ve given so much inforamtion that they can find a way to use your products in their everyday lives.

The second “A” in Action represents the call to action you must give at the end of each message. You must tell your prospective clients what to do next – to call or visit your website. If you don’t tell them exactly what needs to be done next they’ll never get in touch and you’ll never make that final sale.

Do all of your advertising campaigns answer to each of these requirements?

As a manager you must develop strong leadership and communication skills to ensure that you’re not only managing people but helping them to meet their goals and advance their careers as well!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

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