The only way to lay the foundtion for success in your and your team’s future is by constant commitment to continual learning and development in your field of expertise and beyond.

But how can you encourage all your team to be their best and spend time on this most vital of skill development?

Here are some tips to enable you to be on top of your game and motivate others to share that philosophy too:

1) Encourage your team to value, pursue and utilise knowledge, skills and new technologies: Most of what you learned five years ago is now out of date. If you don’t continually learn new ideas, you fall behind those who do.

2) Take advantage of any in-company training programmes, night classes, university lunch and learns and professional organisations’ educational offerings. Look on their websites to keep aware of what is being offered. Contact your local college and see what new stuff they are teaching, either for free or low-cost.

3) Subscribe to newsletters, magazines, ezines and communications that are in your field. Copy snippets to read later when you have time.

4) Network with affiliates and colleagues in your field and keep them up to date with new ideas in your field, so they will do the same for you.

5) Survey and visit customers to find out current and future needs that your business can supply.

6) Watch your competition for new products and services they are developing so that you are up to speed with what is going on in your industry

7) Borrow, buy or start a library of business and personal development CDs. Share these around the team, learn from them, then have 10 minutes sessions updating each other with what you have learned in your spare time or on your way to work in the car or on the train.

8 ) Become ‘industry-watchers’ so you can, as a team, develop knowledge of the latest developments in your fields, and so share that expertise throughout the department.

There are many ways to become expert in your field, and a commitment to continual learning and development is just the start.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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

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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”