Boy, how times have changed! We were discussing the Sinclair C5 in the office this week and many here had never even heard of it, let alone seen one!

Launched during a by-gone age (1985!), it became an object of media and popular ridicule during 1980s Britain and was a commercial disaster, selling only around 17,000 units, although according to Sinclair, it was “the best selling electric vehicle” until November 2011 when the Nissan Leaf had sold over 20,000 units.

Ah, 1985. What was management like in those days? Well, many managers could get away with what today would be decidedly un-PC behaviour and get rid of people almost on a whim.

How have management techniques changed over the years? That was the subject of our discussions after we had had a few giggles at the C5′s expense.

And we reckon we have come up with today’s management ideas in a nutshell.

Your job as manager today is to create a climate that encourages and values the contribution of each person to the team effort. Your people’s energies should be directed towards problem solving, task effectiveness and achievement of your goals. Your energies should be directed at providing the best possible conditions that allow your people to contribute effectively.

Quite a change, I’m sure you’ll agree. Better, as well? We think so.

How do you encourage people? How do you make sure their energies help you achieve your goals? How do you provide the conditions for people to grow and thrive?

Today’s manager simply has to be a good leader as well. Management skills refer to the hard skills that are necessary to get the job done. Leadership involves the softer skills that builds on the ideas people have, deals with the resistors they come up with, and gains the buy-in that is necessary to allow people to motivate themselves to achieve the goals you need to hit.

A far cry from those halcyon days when Clive Sinclair ruled the electronic vehicle world. Tell the truth, not sure if I could actually have fitted in one!

Thanks again

Nick

Nick Hill

Training Director

MTD Management Training Course

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What is your vision for your company, your department or yourself? Now, before you think this is going to be missive full of woo-woo and incantations, I’m talking about those common goals and compelling views of the future that help others, as well as yourself, relate to personal goals and those of the business as a whole. Such visions connect people to a common aspiration and purpose.

Many companies we visit to consult with have their visions on display, often in the reception or boardroom. But, whenever we ask how they are being applied within everyday interactions, we are often disappointed by the replies. The visions and missions are lofty aspirations, but the quality of the integration into the workplace leaves a lot to be desired.

So how can you turn the vision into reality, so it isn’t just left as a set of platitudes, dreamed up in some long-forgotten directors’ away-day?

To establish an effective strategy to make the vision work for your people, ask yourself these questions:

* What does the vision mean for what we do and the ways we behave in our part of the company?

* If it’s a centrally-located or international vision, how can we give ourselves a local sense of mission and commitment?

* What can we do on a daily basis that contributes toward achieving the vision?

* What do we do in our daily work that impedes us in achieving the vision?

* What feedback can we as a team give to management about how we can improve the application of the vision?

* How can I personally set the example to others about how to live up to the vision?

The answers to these questions require you to be prepared to commit in practical and behavioural terms to the applications of the vision. You must share the elements of the vision to all team members to make sure it really means something, and isn’t lost in the ether. You must put it across in an inspiring and motivational way, so your people want to commit to it. And you must constantly re-inforce the vision.

Make sure you involve the team in these discussions. Resist the temptation simply to tell them what they should do. To get buy-in, they must be involved in all the discussions so they really feel involved in the way forward.

The vision is the forward-looking direction the company wants to go. If it’s inspiring to others, it drives momentum and motivation. So if it’s a good vision, it’s worth investing your time into making it become reality.

Thanks again

Mark 

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

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People very often confuse creativity and innovation. Basically, creativity is the thinking that generates ideas; innovation is the practical application of those creative ideas to meet your business’s objectives more effectively.

But creativity is never enough on its own, since ideas are only the raw materials for innovation. You need a screening and development mechanism to turn ideas into reality. How, though, so you first develop creative thought processes? Well firstly, you need to identify some barriers to creative thinking:

- You allow your mind to be conditioned into following a dominant pattern of thought, so you become trapped into a fixed way of looking at things

- You fail to identify and examine the assumptions you make, to ensure they aren’t restricting the development of new ideas

- You think sequentially instead of laterally, and are always looking for the best idea, rather than different ideas

- You don’t challenge obvious solutions

- You judge prematurely, not giving yourself enough time to drift over other ways of looking at things

- You tend to conform and give the expected answer

- You fear you’ll look foolish or be put down by others

These rationalisations may inhibit your thought-processes and create barriers to creativity. So what can you do to overcome those barriers?

Firstly, do some self-analysis.

Identify the dominant ideas that influence your thinking.

Then define the boundaries you are operating in and question them. Do policies need re-thinking, or processes re-thought?

Then identify how you will break free from the boundaries, opening up your mind to new ideas

Think, how would a competitor view these ideas? What would a scientist think, or a football manager? By looking from a different perspective, you create different thought patterns and possibly come up with an idea you wouldn’t have considered if you thought the same way as always before.

You may find plausible reasons why something might not work (it didn’t work last time, it’s too risky, it’s too expensive, good in theory but…, the customers won’t buy it, etc.). But it’s the end result that is key here – you shouldn’t worry too much about how you get there.

Incubation is always a good idea. How often have you had really good ideas when in the bath or shower or walking the dog? This is because the mind is working unconsciously on the problem and is able to identify those things that you wouldn’t have thought of on a conscious level.

Lateral thinking is also a good technique. Instead of looking for what is right, concentrating on relevance, moving in a certain direction and leading from one thing to another, Lateral Thinking looks at what is different, makes jumps instead of thinking sequentially, welcomes intrusions and explores many unlikely directions. You need to provocatively challenge the way you’re thinking, and reject thinking that reduces decision-making to a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

When you consider what benefits you gain from thinking creatively, you give yourself the chance to build great ideas and identify various perspectives that you hadn’t seen before. And that’s where innovation and future development really works.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

(Image by Jannoon)

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Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Today’s economy has far-reaching effects on businesses, and we recognise that one of the key areas that are neglected because of cost implications is that of people-development.

Many managers consider the only way they can develop their staff is by sending them on courses, which can prove costly if they are not followed up and not integrated into the current work environment. So how can you ensure that any training your staff carry out is proved valuable by being instilled in every-day work?

On-The-Job Training, or OJT, can be linked to classroom and other types of formal learning. The basics consist of:

• Showing trainees what to do
• Watching them do the job
• Talking through what they did, and how they might do it better
• Repeating these processes until they get it right
• Frequently linking the instructions with written procedures like training manuals

So, is OTJ the right approach? Well, it depends. You can identify the following points that will give you an idea:

• People are going through off-the-job training that might be done better by OTJ
• Informal OTJ activities are already going on that could be made more formal
• There are new initiatives or changes that might be facilitated by OTJ
• There are staff who could make good OTJ trainers

If you decide that OTJ may help your staff develop their skills quicker and give them more confidence, then remember the importance of:

• Getting higher-management support
• Starting on a small scale, building on success and learning from failures
• Getting the basics correct

Then you can determine how to operate and develop an effective OTJ system. Make sure:

• It operates consistently between different areas of the business
• Assessment and verification processes function properly
• The opportunities for expanding OTJ go to all areas of the business
• You see the benefits of combining it with other forms of training

Many of your staff will enjoy the benefits of e-learning and will request opportunities to enhance their learning through OTJ and mentoring. Give them the chance to expand their knowledge through different forms of training and development. That way, you will see improvements in their performance and highlight how everyone can benefit from developing their skills in many areas.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

(Image by SixNine Pixels)

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Would you consider yourself intelligent? Of course! How would you get a management position if you weren’t? But scientists today have recognised that there are different ‘types’ or levels of intelligence, and it’s necessary to know what they are in order to ensure you are not left behind in the learning revolution.

By studying the research, I have come to appreciate that Social Intelligence is one of the keys to getting the best from my team. Daniel Goleman (of EQ fame) and Richard Boyatzis worked with colleagues at Hay Group (a HR consulting and research firm), to define 7 characteristics of “social intelligence” – behaviours of top-performing leaders at hundreds of corporations over two decades. Their research showed some interesting results, which I list below:

1) Empathy

Do you understand what motivates other people, even those from different backgrounds? Are you sensitive to others’ needs? The researchers found this was one of the main skill-sets that created deep relationships between managers and their teams

2) Attention

Do you listen attentively and think about how others’ feel? Are you attuned to others’ moods? This keeps the communication lines open and the relationship close

3) Organisational Awareness

Do you appreciate the culture and values of the group or organization? Do you understand social networks and know their unspoken norms? By being politically aware, you build up your knowledge and your capacity to affect others

4) Influence

Do you persuade others by engaging them in discussion and appealing to their self-interests? Do you get support from key people? Your influencing skills will have a big impact on how you are perceived within the business

5) Developing others

Do you coach and mentor others with compassion and personally invest time and energy in mentoring? Do you provide feedback that people find helpful for their professional development? By being really interested in the careers and development of your team members, you build reasons for them to trust and count on you

6) Inspiration

Do you articulate a compelling vision, build group pride, and foster a positive emotional tone? Do you lead by bringing out the best in people? This helps you create the environment for followers to want to be with you because of what you do and who you are, and not just because of your position

7) Teamwork

Do you request input from everyone on the team? Do you support all team members and encourage cooperation? Teamwork is key to getting results, and developing your team should be high on your agenda for ensuring success

Maybe you should work on one or two of these and see how you get on. Don’t try to do too much all at once. Build your intelligences and be seen as progressive in developing your social skills

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

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