Today I’d like to take a look at an issue that isn’t as pressing as it once was but definitely still exists within the workplace. That issue is prejudice in the employee selection process.

We, as human beings, tend to be judgemental. As managers, however, we do not have that right. Sadly, many employers choose the individuals they are going to hire based on their genders, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and, in many cases, ages.

Age is a critical question. In many places employees aren’t even allowed to ask an application about his or her age. They are only allowed to verify that the individual in question is of legal working age. Sadly, many employees look at individuals who appear or admit to being over the age of 55 and hesitate over hiring them.

Today I ask you to sit back and think about the pros and cons associated with hiring someone over the age of 55. For example – those under the age of 55 may not have the same demanding health insurance needs whereas someone over the age of 55 is more likely to be a long-term employee brining vasts amount of knowledge and experience.

Can you make a list of additional pros and cons? Is it ethical to judge a person based on his or her age? If you had two candidates of similar education and experience would you use age as a deciding factor? What is the average age of your workforce right now?

I’m interested in your views and would love to know more about your thought process. Do you descriminate against individuals based on their ages (young or old) and, if so, do you even realize you’re doing it?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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

As much as we hate to admit it, not every team was meant to succeed. Unfortunately, being the manager of a group of people who are unable to work together will certainly put you in an awkward prediciment. Just because your team isn’t developing or working well together does not mean your work can be put to the side.

Identifying the reasons most teams fail is important to your ability to remedy the situation. There seem to be seven main barriers when it comes to team development. They are:

• Attempting to form a team at the wrong time. If you have too many other priorities you will not have the right amount of time to train your team and teach them how to get the job done.
• Your team members view themselves as individuals instead of as a team. Did you ever take the time to have them participate in team building exercises or let them get to know each other?
• Your team members are too reserved – they don’t want to share information about themselves with each other and, as such, have difficulty identifying with each other.
• Your team has no direction – they don’t know what to work on and, if they do, they don’t know the best way to get it done. There is a distinct lack of resources.
• Your team members don’t trust each other and don’t feel safe discussing the way they feel (personally or about group projects) or what they think the team or project needs.
• Your team members can’t let go of past mistakes and move into the future.
• Your team members aren’t giving each project enough time and attention for it to become truly successful.

Now, it’s up to you to find the remedy. Do you need a new team or do you need to address one (or more) of these barriers so that you team can move forward in an effective manner?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

You will, most likely, find yourself faced with a number of challenges as you work to build your growing team. Each member will need to be properly trained and at the same time you’ll need to ensure that every individual is able to work both on his own and with the group.

One of the best ways to monitor the development of your team is through the GOALS model. The GOALS model, developed by Simon Hayward, provides you with a simple blueprint for success. The model is as follows:

• G – Goals: Does each member of your team have individual goals; and, is each member of your team aware of the group’s overall goals?
• O – Opportunity: Will everyone have the opportunity to use their strong skills and contribute to the team? Will there be opportunities for advancement within the team or, in some cases, out of the team?
• A – Authority: Does one person (you) have the authority to lead the projects the group is responsible for? Does each individual member of the team have the authority to access the information he needs to do his job?
• L – Learning: Will every member of your team have access to the educational resources he needs in order to grow and succeed?
• S – Standards: Do you expect every member of your team to live up to the same high standards you have set? Are these standards reflected in both their individual and group contributions?

Use this model as you evaluate your team and each individual member. You may be comfortable with the way your team functions now, but why settle for a good team when it could easily be transformed into something great!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

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

Believe it or not, your employees really do want the opportunity to be part of a successful team. Acting as a member of an effective team gives individuals a sense of pride and accomplishment. There’s something to be said for working with a team instead of alone.

There are bonuses to being part of a team as well. Most people want to be part of a team because they are faced with new opportunities. Some of these opportunities include:

• The chance to do things that make them feel good about themselves
• The opportunity to accomplish something they feel is worthwhile
• The opportunity to learn new things or develop new work skills
• The freedom to do the their work well
• The chance to do the things they love and do best

In the end, these criteria have a huge impact on the bottom line performance of any team. If the individual members don’t feel as though they have these “chances,” they will feel stuck and unmotivated.

Take a look at your dynamic team structure as it is today. Are the members of your team experiencing all of the above? If not, can you do anything to ensure they walk away feeling more fulfilled?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

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

As you begin to develop your new team (or restructure your current team) it’s important to determine whether or not the group of people you select will have what it takes to form a high performing team.

There are five main factors that indicate whether or not the team you put together will work effectively or fall flat on its face. They include:

• Vision and goals – does each member of the team understand exactly what the team’s goals and objectives are? Do they all share the same vision? If not, you’ll have people working towards different goals and in the end the pieces of the puzzle will not come together to effectively create a finished product or project.
• Do you have a tried and true method for selecting members and forming your team? You should have certain expectations for each member of the team and should be able to judge the character of each person you meet during your initial and follow-up interviews. Don’t hire someone you view doubtfully.
• Do your team members have the right training and skills development tools available to them? Make sure they’re able to get the additional training and resources they need in order to effectively complete their jobs – not just to the expected norm, but above and beyond the level you expect.
• Are the members of your team resourceful and committed? Do they feel empowered? Each member of the team should feel like he has a significant role. Those who feel as though they’re just another face in the crowd will perform at sub-par levels.
• Does the culture of your organisation support the goals and ideals of your team? If the organisation does not support you the members of your team will not feel as though their jobs and tasks mean anything in the overall scheme of things.

If all of these things come toghether you are likly to have a team that performs at a high level of functionality all the time, no matter what type of task is on the agenda. Take away one of these factors and you’ll begin to see things falter.

Take a step back and look at your team as it stands right now. Are you all performing at your highest capacity? What can you do to increase your productivity while decreasing stress and tension?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

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