Team behavior theory ( Tuckman) and leadership theories (Hershey and Blanchard, Adair) can be brought together to into a simple model to show how different Leadership styles are required across the life cycle of an activity.
At the start an activity, task or project , the individual, team or group can be confused and uncoordinated! The leader needs to be more directive; focusing on the task at hand and promoting ownership by the individual or team member and promoting their confidence. As they develop, the leader focuses on coaching to get them into the normative stage! Here it is agreed how they will behave to complete the task! There may be conflict and a leader may need a facilitative approach to lead them to resolution. As the individual or team becomes more confident and self managed the leader concentrates on leading the team overall and develops a delegating style!
This leaves most leaders with a challenge – how do I develop the competence and confidence to use a wide range of leadership styles? We shall explore this theme in more details over the next few posts!
Categories: Competencies · Delegation · Job Skills · Management · Programme Management · Project Management · advice · change · leadership
Tagged: advice, tips, change, support, business, Management, Job Skills, leadership, performance, organisational change, Change Models, Coaching, Tuckman, Hershey and Blanchard, Adair, Forming, Storming, Norming, Teams, Team behaviour, Directing, Delegating
In the present climate business performance is key to business survival. You and your organization cannot afford to underperform. But how do you ensure your performance management system actually works and works well!
Follow these steps to develop and implement an effective performance management system
1. Show leadership from the top
Those at the top of the organization must be committed to a performance culture and be prepared to change their behavior if necessary to reflect this. the performance management framework must be operated throughout the organization from top to bottom.
2. Develop business plans
Business planning must be realistic – what can be delivered with the resources available. How will those available resources change over time? Take into account the people management implications – if you invest in training – how will that effect your business plan? Once plans and priorities have been established, they need to be translated into department, team and individual performance plans through out the organization. Can you see the the organization’s objectives reflected in the most junior employee’s performance plan?
3. Establish what good performance looks like and how it can be measured
All performance indicators and other criteria used to measure performance must be clearly communicated to staff and all in the organization. Think about what really matters and focus on measuring that. Keep the number of measures to a minimum. Want to know more about performance measures – follow this link
4. Monitor and evaluate
Systems need to be set up to ensure that performance, and its effect on service delivery, can be monitored and evaluated throughout the year.
5. Agree specific performance objectives
The organization’s plans and priorities must be translated into department, team and intividual perforamnce objectives, usually by using performance appraisal and staff devlopment processes. Individula plans are most effective when both manager and employee agree them. Objectives should be SMART
- Specific
- Measurable
- Agreed
- Realistic
- Time bound.
6. Develop an internal communications approach
Effective messages should target the intended audience in the whole range of ways available to you. Develop a plan for how you will use them to target different communities within the organisation using for example:
- email
- intranet
- newsletter/house magazine
- notice board
- team brief
- video and in-house TV.
In addition, regular surveys and suggestion schemes are important ways of ensuring that employees have the opportunity to feedback on a wide range of issues that impact on performance.
7. Ensure that performance framework systems are truly in place
A performance review/appraisal system is traditionally used to set objectives, identify support needs and measure progress against objectives. For it to work effectively, it must be clearly understood by both managers and employees. This requires that:
- managers have access to guidance and training to ensure they manage performance effectively throughout the year
- all employees have the necessary support, guidance and training to actively engage in the performance appraisal process.
If you don’t have these in place it is unlikely that you can become a high performing organisation
8. Support employees to succeed
Effective induction and probation processes for new employees are extremely important in setting the right expectations of performance for both the employee and the manager. Personal development plans (PDPs), resulting from the performance review process, should explain how development needs will be met.
9. Encourage performance improvement
Occasionally, performance does not meet the required standard. At organizational level, this should be addressed by identifying what the barriers are to effective performance and putting in place a plan to deliver improvement.
The principle is the same at both the team and individual level: there must be clear procedures for dealing with inadequate performance.
10. Recognize and reward good performance
Good performance needs to be recognized and, where appropriate, rewarded.
Recognizing performance is also about sharing success stories and knowledge across the organisation and highlighting how good performance helps the organisation as a whole.
If you would like to know more about how your organisation is performing follow this link to find out more about Making Performance Meaningful Reviews
Categories: MPM Reviews · Management · Performance Management Systems · performance
Tagged: advice, business, business change programmes, high performance culture, Job Skills, leadership, Management, organisational change, perforamnce management systems, performance, resource, support, tips
Remember building self esteem is about valuing and feeling valued! Why don’t you be generous and start a value chain – your team will reward for your endeavor!
Be generous with encouragement
It may sound trite, but if a member of your team does a good job, let them know you have noticed. You know what looks like good and when you see it say so! Let the team know what you have seen and that your recognize a job well done and value it!
If a someone makes a mistake but they are doing their best, let them know that it’s okay. and back them up. They already feel bad about letting you and the team down and what more can you expect than their best effort? It’s fine to give them pointers on what they can do better next time to help succeed, but don’t berate them just because they fail occasionally – value them.
On the other hand, if they are not giving it their best, point that out, and let them know that you expect more – and that they should, too. Your team members will respect you for this, especially if you apply this standard to the whole team (star players should never be exempt). Make sure each link in the chain knows they are a diamond!
Be generous with rewards
We all love to get rewards. Think about what might be the right kind of rewards for your team – might not just be money? May be its a a meal out occasionally or going to a sporting event! What about shopping vouchers or tickets for a show? What do they really enjoy? So long as you have set some clear standards – give rewards when these are exceeded. Don’t underestimate even the power of a certificate or plaque for “Team Member of the Month” ! A simple award ceremony over coffee and a recounting of the achievement can make the whole team feel good.
Be generous with your social time
Sure, you’ve spent hours at work this week but the work is over and you are ready for some relaxation time. Maybe one Friday a month you could spend the evening together with a quiz night or even just bowling. Make sure you spend some time with each member of the team getting to know them away from work. Le them know they matter to you as people.
Categories: Change Competence · Confidence and Self Esteem · Inspiration · Job Skills · Listenning Skills · Management · Social Skills · Work · advice · change · leadership
Tagged: advice, Building Self Esteem, Building Self Esteem in a Team, business, business change programmes, ethics, Job Skills, leadership, Management, organisational change, performance, Self confidence, Self Esteem, support, tips
When your organisation is going through change and specially in a time of financial stringency, a good relationship with your suppliers becomes much more important. Here is a Checklist from G&W Consulting which should help you to achieve the firm relationship you need!
Categories: Contract Management · Management · Social Skills · advice
Tagged: advice, business, change, Contract Management, ethics, Job Skills, leadership, Management, recession, supplier management, support, tips
Wendy Mason has spent many years, both as a line manager and as a consultant, delivering change and support to individuals and organisation going through change She is happy now to offer this support to you and your organization. If you would like to talk to Wendy about how she can help email her directly at wendymason@wisewolfconsulting.com or ring ++44(0)7867681439
Categories: Change Competence · Change Models · Continuous Improvement · Job Skills · Management · advice · change · support
Tagged: advice, business, business change programmes, change, change cycle, Job Skills, Management, organisational change, support
In managing change as well as projects and programmes, we all talk a lot about quality and quality standards but how to you establish a standard. Here are some tips
- Do you already have quality standards in your organization. Do you work in a large organization. If so, someone has probably done the job for you. If you have a central programme or portfolio office or Centre of Excellence they should be able to guide and advise you. If you have a central unit the chances are, you are required to use their standards anyway. Even if you don’t have a central unit ask other managers what they use and consider using their’s as a starting point from which to develop your own ideas!
- Set up a quality group. Assemble a team from those with an interest in your work or your project . Start out by asking them what they think acceptable standards would be for the area they are interested in. Then use them to monitor as you go to make sure you achieve the standard. You’d be surprised how willing people are to help with this kind of activity!
- Understand how others perceive quality. You can conduct interviews with interested people and your stakeholders to ensure you understand the expectations for what you are trying to deliver. For example, for an IT project, you could discuss expectations with managers about usability and support. Ask them what they think is needed to deliver a successful project. You may think this is an obvious question, but some responses may give you a very different perspective on your stakeholders’ values, and also what isn’t important to them. Don’t underestimate the power of these interviews: they can help to align your perceptions of quality with those who have the major interest in what you do!
- Start with a template. There are lots of standard quality plans and templates out there – trying searching on the internet! So you shouldn’t have to start with a blank sheet of paper. Use a good, robust template with options to pick and choose what might apply to your organization and project.
- Develop a consequence for each quality standard. For each standard you should identify what will happen if you don’t achieve it! If the answer is not much, then it isn’t a real quality standard . Don’t throw everything in – focus on what really counts.
- Review. Putting standards in place is a great way to ensure the quality of what you are delivering. But you need to make sure they continue to be right! Include a regular review. Find whether or not they were used and what happened as a result. Revise and up date them as necessary to ensure they continue to meet your organization’s needs.
Categories: Continuous Improvement · Job Skills · Management · Programme Management · Project Management · Quality · advice · change
Tagged: advice, change, business, Management, Job Skills, performance, IT projects, business change programmes, organisational change, Quality, Quality Standards
If you are involved with any kind of change you will find it drains your energy as you come to terms with new situations, deal with confusion and your own, and other people’s, anxieties. You will find yourself giving out lots of your energy in support of others. But some people seem to take just a little too much – more than you can afford to give if you are going to stay fit for the task ahead.
We all feel insecure in the middle of change but energy drainers are usually people who are insecure and negative in their everyday life – quite often they find it difficult to tolerate their own company. You may find people like this start to depend upon you to help them make all kinds of relatively simple life decisions. They may phone or text you several times a day on any pretext – they can eat you as well as your time and sap your life force!
Very often these sad people are stuck in “Survival Mode.” They don’t know how to tap into their personal energy reserves to survive and like children, they haven’t accepted responsibility for their own lives. But they find a variety of ways, including emotional blackmail, to persuade you to provide them with the emotional support and the reassurance they need. Life is frightening and they are very scared indeed!
We all know people like this – they can be old friends, family and work colleagues. You want to help but their needs are overwhelming.
So, what do you do? Keep in mind that you may need to conserve your energy to manage a complex change. If they are part of the change, you are certainly not going to be in a position to cut them out of your ife. Anyway, at the end of the day, most of us would actually like to be in a position to help.
The stance you take depends upon what your relationship with the person is, and upon the level of your energy reserves. However, your first responsibility is to yourself. You, too, may have to adopt a “Survival Mode” attitude.
It is certainly much easier to deal with someone who is an acquaintance or a work colleague. You have no personal commitment to them and you have every right to say goodbye when you finish work.
When you are dealing with them try to stay in a neutral space – give neutral responses and try not to get drawn into their or your emotions. When you dealing with them, imagine you are wearing a breastplate to defend your energy – withhold your energy behind your breastplate – deliver a neutral, and deliberately, low energy response. Offer no more and no less than is necessary to accomplish the transaction.
As a personal survival technique, this approach is also applicable for family and old friends. However, you may choose to take a more compassionate and supportive stance,- demonstrate your love but it may be “tough love.” Your goal here is to move them from negative to positive and to move them back into using their own energy resources. In this way, you can help them to become self-sufficient. Get them to think through their own options – to make choices and plan. When they do so give them lots of quiet praise – move them on from whining to thinking about concrete ways they can help themselves!
Be aware, though, that Energy Drainers will resort to many forms of subtle emotional blackmail to get access to your energy. Don’t let them! Let them know, through your actions, that your energy is no longer accessible to them. Encourage them to make decisions on their own and to enjoy their own company by simply not being available: physically or emotionally.
It will not be easy for you or them. You are breaking established patterns of behavior and setting a brand new precedent. But eventually a new dynamic should be established. They should take responsibility for their own life and their own decisions. You may have to support them through a change as part of your role but do so in a managed way! With friends and family, if they will not take action, success will be impossible. So recognize when you have banged your head once too often against that proverbial brick wall and when the wisest step is simply to “let go.”
Categories: Change Competence · Job Skills · Listening Skills · Management · Personality · Self confidence · Social Skills · advice · change · leadership
Tagged: advice, tips, change, support, ethics, business, Management, health, Self confidence, Job Skills, leadership, business change programmes, organisational change, energy management, energy blockers
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help an organization define and measure progress toward organizational goals.
Do you have good KPIs defined? Are they ones that reflect your organization’s goals, ones that you can measure and that you can use as a performance management tool? Find out how to get them at Making Performance Meaningful
Categories: Continuous Improvement · Job Skills · MPM Reviews · Management · Work · advice · leadership
Tagged: advice, business, Job Skills, leadership, Management, performance
Wendy Mason
