Tips on Effective Leadership

Excerpt from Francis Kong article . . .

There is a big difference between what is urgent and what is vital. Just because something is urgent may not mean it is important. And just because some tasks can wait does not mean it is not vital.

Effective leaders ask this one important question: “If I can accomplish only one thing today, what will it be?”

Time and tasks. Aren’t these the most important things we deal with on a daily basis yet guess how many people squander it?

Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you.

Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don't do well simply because they major in minor things. Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.

Each day is a gift from God but we do not waste the gift and throw it away.

We make the best use of it.


E-mail: franciskong@businessmatters.org
Radio program “Business Matters” aired 8:30a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (98.7 dzFE-FM)

Faith in Your Goals

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. (St. Paul)

This is true especially in being a leader. Know your goals and focus on them, even if they seem unachievable as long as you truly believe in them. Do your job well and keep your eyes open to every opportunity. Feed your passion in attaining the targets you have set. Reach out and look for people who can support you. Mold people who will be members of your team.

Set Your Goals Really High Now

Yup, yup, yup. The last quarter of the year has come. Welcome Christmas and soon the New Year, 2011.

Start jotting down your accomplishments that matters to you most. Next step, make a run through of your fresh goals. Think big. Dream impossible ones, again those that will matter to you. Consider the time lines, you need not have to achieve it in 2011 as long as they are in your mind and in your heart.

Lastly, pray for them daily. Yo!

Motivational Leadership

Create a Positive Atmosphere



Source:pjm1004
Start checking your moods and the way you think when you are in the workplace, especially in front of your people.

Business Communication Training

Business Communication Training











Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.
Freeman Teague Jr.

The most important thing in communication is
hearing what isn't said.”
Peter F. Drucker

"Hello, how have you been?" I said over the phone. It was my manager friend calling me. It has been a while since we have exchanged updates. The last time we talked, she relayed that her reliable production supervisors retired a few months ago.

The production line used to perform excellently as shown by data. Lately, she is being faced with line audit findings that are not so good. This was the challenge she is facing.

What she did was to study the items marked with "non-conformance" on the audit. She saw that these things were the basic ones like incomplete data recording, instructions not followed, problems not highlighted to the proper department, etc. They have their SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) on how to handle problems occurring in the line but it seems, these are not being done. What has happened?

She concluded that she has a discipline problem in the line. Her current supervisors are not able to instill basic line discipline. She even found out that the supervisors are using her name to impose the rules, instead of explaining why the rules have to be followed.

She decided to meet the people herself. I was impressed for she was able to talk to the people of all the shifts. Operations were 24 hours, three shifts, 6 to 2 am, 2 to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am.

During the meeting, she communicated the results of the audit and how she felt about their line performance. On the other hand, the people were able to air out their concerns and their needs to be able comply with the audit requirements. They made clarifications on the rules being implemented. As the meeting went on, the topics became more specific and some were even on a personal note. My manager friend was able to handle the meeting well for it turned out very productive in the end. This is expected of Bossing (as she is usually referred to), for she used to be a very good supervisor, who eventually rose to her present position as a department manager due to performance. In spite of her high rank, she is a believer of knowing the right information on first-hand basis when resolving issues. She knows how to balance being task-oriented and people-oriented, a great skill to have to succeed as a manager.

After her meetings, she gained a feeling of accomplishment talking to the people face-to-face. She regained appreciation of the importance of effective communication, and intends not to stop here. She plans to increase her visibility in the line and continue with improving the communication process with her people, including her own supervisors plus the technicians and the engineers of the other departments.

Timothy Dobbins, in his book "Stepping Up" , tackled the area of Giving Good Meetings. He noted that many, if not most business meetings are disasters, and went on to advise his clients that anytime more than two people get together, 5 things can happen:

• they can gather and give information
  
• they can receive feedback
• they can solve problems
• they can do team building
• they can make decisions

Meetings are great if handled properly and if the objective is clear and achieved.

The reason why I am glad to hear from my friend? It is because I learn a lot from her on effective supervision and excellent management. Her principles are based on real, warm experiences.

No harm in having an open mind and picking up things that I can put to use in my current organization.

Leadership Skills Training

The One I Used To Love

I visited my former employer. I retired like ages ago and suddenly, I found myself dropping by at the company that has been my second home for years.

This multinational company is one that I've learned to love. I invested hours and hours, nights and days (sometimes even with zero sleep), working. At times, it seems like it really isn't work 'coz it's fun and at other times, the situations are like hell, but I survived. With the hot and cold scenarios, I've discovered patience, hard-work, endurance, confidence, accomplishment, failure and Fun (with a capital F. I also found friends, very good Friends (also with a capital F).

My co-workers have changed in some ways. For some of them . . . more body bags while for some . . . more silver hairs. Others, I've been told, went to Canada or the US, some have transferred to another semiconductor company or simple resigned and have taken another career track. Though, a bigger number just stayed on with such loyalty.

So what's unusual? Nothing much I guess. It's just that time does fly so fast.

Leadership Presence

Leadership Presence

OMG my supervisor, where is he, why did he not do this. He knows this is important. This is basic. Ah, just sigh in desperation. But wait, patience is a virtue, you just have to charge a bit of this and that to experience and move on. Do get the valuable learnings from the mistake and discover what the supervisor need in order to succeed the next time.

Leading a team takes commitment. Being faced with the challenging task of molding leaders is a test of patience, commitment and trust.

Long-distance management for me is just fine for pushing things to be done. The leader can give instructions through phone, e-mail or memo. However, it is far way behind as compared to being present at the work area to guide, to check on possible current and future needs, and to see if things are done as per agreement and standards.

It does not mean that the supervisor has to be there breathing down at the neck of their people. He should be at the area for support, for clarification of goals and for getting first-hand facts from time to time.

Management by walking around works, you know. On-the-spot informal audits are good if done with the purpose of improvement.

Face-to-face discussions pose as effective ways to handle people. Proper feedback is as good as training.

The cellphones make it easier to communicate, but it is not a substitute to leadership presence.

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
George Patton

Back to top

On Site Training, Training by doing and showing the way

Go, go audit our people, Jay. Please see to it that all are in their proper uniforms, and are complying with our 5-step procedure. Go!

My, my, yesterday I asked him to perform an audit. I requested the same last Monday. How come I am not receiving any reports? Why do I have to always ask for it. I was hoping he'll make a great report with a list of superb suggestions and improvements aside from the audit deviations (which I do not expect to be zero).

I was really disappointed. I shook my head from left to right then from right to left. Don't get me wrong. I am so disappointed with myself. Yes, with myself, not with him, my supervising staff. I should have known that Jay, a newbie, needs a dash of supervision himself. He is not doing the task assigned because it was not clear what the output should be. Though I specifically described to him to list down the audit findings, probably he needs more guidance.

So the following day, I let him proceed to the work area to audit. I found myself there too at the shop floor, doing my own audit. I was just trying to show him that this is of importance to me and that he has to do it. He has to do it the proper way, really going to the people, one by one.

I called him after our audit and let him list down our joint findings on a clean sheet of paper. We started reviewing the list and placing the actions to be taken to correct the deviations and pinning down the who's and the when's.

The following Monday, I was so glad to receive a message that he conducted his Monday audit. He reported to me his findings and what actions they have completed. Now, I'm impressed. He has done well, more so, the team was able to comply 100 %.

Just this afternoon, four visitors (two of whom are members of the management group) went to the shop floor. I was not there, but I have a high level of confidence in terms of the area and the people since Jay has been doing his periodic audit and reporting results.

This is good. Our efforts will bear fruits. For my part, I still have to check on Jay once in a while and do random audits myself to assess accuracy of the report I am receiving. You see as time goes by, it is possible that the audit checklist has to be updated and the definition of compliance reviewed.

Let's keep the fire burning. Let's all do our share of the work. Great satisfaction is drawn from our victories, whether big or small, and audit compliance is a big thing for me.

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.
Stephen Covey

Improve Communications

Source: freetrainingfilms
Note: Earphones needed.

Some key points from the video:

1. improve your influence with others using language, whether you are a business leader or just someone who wants to improve communications with colleages
2. improve communication in business and professional life, give more thought on the desired outcome of your communication
3. sarcastic comments can cause embarrassment
4. what is important is what the receiver gets, his interpretation of the message
   
5. for verbal language, it is 7 % word, 38 % emotional tone and 55 % body language, including facial expression, that is the power of body language
   
6. check your posture and gestures
7. think of someone who is decisive, get a clear image of his nodding, tilting of head, hand pointing, etc.
8. adopt your own style through mirroring of an effective communicator

Developing Leaders

Source:dianeroselle
Helping You to be a Better Leader

ONE. Be a better leader. How?
Apply the Two Plus Two Rule.
Talk to your people for a couple of minutes at least every couple of weeks

TWO. Communicate to inspire and influence. How? Apply the BEAT Model.

• B - benefits of the project to be discussed
• E - enlist and address concerns, let them ask questions, give directions on how to handle issues
• A - ask assertively for actions, how can we accomplish the goals, come up with actions as a team
• T - thank them for their work and contribution, give feedback on how the project is going

THREE. Create an effective communication system. How? 4 Cs

1. Be Consistent.
2. Be Clear.
3. Be Courteous.
4. Connect personally.

The more positive the communication, the higher the performance of the team.

Leadership Team Coaching

During the later days of my corporate life, the organization of teams, task forces, special groups can be observed. I have even seen both the success and failure of such moves, but more on the success side wherein the team was able to achieve their goals, primarily with the members' drive, management support, clear goals, effective communication and monitoring of accomplishments even after the implementation of the projects.

Came across an interesting read . . .

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”

Leadership by a group

In contrast to individual leadership, some organizations have adopted group leadership. In this situation, more than one person provides direction to the group as a whole. Some organizations have taken this approach in hopes of increasing creativity, reducing costs, or downsizing. Others may see the traditional leadership of a boss as costing too much in team performance. In some situations, the maintenance of the boss becomes too expensive - either by draining the resources of the group as a whole, or by impeding the creativity within the team, even unintentionally.

A common example of group leadership involves cross-functional teams. A team of people with diverse skills and from all parts of an organization assembles to lead a project. A team structure can involve sharing power equally on all issues, but more commonly uses rotating leadership. The team members best able to handle any given phase of the project becomes the temporary leaders. Additionally, as each team member has the opportunity to experience the elevated level of empowerment, it energizes staff and feeds the cycle of success.

Leaders who demonstrate persistence, tenacity, determination and synergistic communication skills will bring out the same qualities in their groups. Good leaders use their own inner mentors to energize their team and organizations and lead a team to achieve success.

According to the National School Boards Association (USA) . . .

These Group Leadership or Leadership Teams have specific characteristics:

Characteristics of a Team

* There must be an awareness of unity on the part of all its members.
* There must be interpersonal relationship. Members must have a chance to contribute, learn from and work with others.
* The member must have the ability to act together toward a common goal.

Ten characteristics of well-functioning teams:

Purpose: Members proudly share a sense of why the team exists and are invested in accomplishing its mission and goals.
Priorities: Members know what needs to be done next, by whom, and by when to achieve team goals.
Roles: Members know their roles in getting tasks done and when to allow a more skillful member to do a certain task.
Decisions: Authority and decision-making lines are clearly understood.
Conflict: Conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to decision-making and personal growth.
Personal traits: members feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized.
Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as standards for every one in the groups.
Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive and look forward to this time together.
Success: Members know clearly when the team has met with success and share in this equally and proudly.
Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills are provided and taken advantage of by team members.

Source: Wikipedia

Plan a Great Year 2010

Before we can do anything to make a cool year ahead, set a positive mindset and go through a solid goal-setting session. If your goals are clear, it will program your mind to think of ways and means to reach your meaningful goals, thus attracting and creating opportunities.

Let's all claim it will be a great 2010. Choose to be happy in the midst of about anything. Keep on praying though.

Believe that you’ll have a super blessed year! This is the advise of Bo Sanchez, a motivational speaker and a preacher in blue jeans.