Modern Times

Preparing for Difficult Conversations and Situations

JerryJohn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:12:35 GMT

Role Playing - Think back to the last time you prepared for an important meeting.
Act out possible scenarios.© iStockphoto/jgroup
Perhaps you needed to convince a prospective client to do business with your organization. Or maybe you had to present to executive board members, and you knew that they would be peppering you with questions about your proposal.

Whatever the situation, chances are that you were nervous about the meeting; and practicing in front of a mirror may not have helped you overcome your anxiety, especially with respect to answering difficult questions.

This is where role playing can be useful. In this article, we'll look at what role play is, and we'll see how you and your team can use this technique to prepare for a variety of challenging and difficult situations.

Uses and Benefits
Role playing takes place between two or more people, who act out roles to explore a particular scenario. It's most useful for preparing for unfamiliar or difficult situations. For example, you can use it to practice sales meetings, interviews, presentations, or emotionally difficult conversations, such as when you're resolving conflict.

By acting scenarios like these out, you can explore how other people are likely to respond to different approaches; and you can get a feel for the approaches that are likely to work, and for those that might be counter-productive. You can also get a sense of what other people are likely to be thinking and feeling in the situation.

Also, by preparing for a situation using role play, you build up experience and self-confidence with handling it in real life; and you develop quick and instinctively-correct reactions to situations. This means that you'll react effectively as situations evolve, rather than making mistakes or becoming overwhelmed by events.

You can also use role play to spark brainstorming sessions, to improve communication between team members, and to see problems or situations from different perspectives.

How to Use Role Playing
It is easy to set up and run a role playing session. It will help to follow the five steps below.

Step 1: Identify the Situation
To start the process, gather people together, introduce the problem, and encourage an open discussion to uncover all of the relevant issues. This will help people to start thinking about the problem before the role play begins. If you're in a group and people are unfamiliar with each other, consider doing some icebreaker exercises beforehand.

Step 2: Add Details
Next, set up a role playing scenario in enough detail for it to feel "real." Make sure that everyone is clear about the problem that you're trying to work through, and that they know what you want to achieve by the end of the session.

Step 3: Assign Roles
Once you've set the scene, identify the various fictional characters involved in the scenario. Some of these may be people who have to deal with the situation when it actually happens (for example, salespeople). Others will represent people who are supportive or hostile, depending on the scenario (for example, an angry client). Once you've identified these roles, allocate them to the people involved in your role play exercise; they should use their imagination to put themselves inside the minds of the people that they're representing. This involves trying to understand the characters' perspectives, goals, motivations, and feelings when they enter the situation. (You may find the Perceptual Positions technique useful here.)

Step 4: Act Out the Scenario
Each person can then assume their role, and act out the situation, trying different approaches where necessary.
It can be useful if the scenarios build up in intensity. For instance, if the aim of your role play is to practice a sales meeting, the person playing the role of the potential client could start as an ideal client, and, through a series of scenarios, could become increasingly hostile and difficult. You could then test and practice different approaches for handling situations, so that you can give participants experience with them.
Step 5: Discuss What You Have Learned
When you finish the role play, discuss what you've learned, so that you or the people involved can learn from the experience. For example, if you're using role play as part of a training exercise, you could lead a discussion on the scenarios you have explored, and ask for written summaries of observations and conclusions from everyone who was involved.

Further Tips
Some people feel threatened or nervous when asked to role play, because it involves acting. This can make them feel silly, or that they've been put on the spot.

To make role playing less threatening, start with a demonstration. Hand two "actors" a prepared script, give them a few minutes to prepare, and have them act out the role play in front of the rest of the group. This approach is more likely to succeed if you choose two outgoing people, or if you're one of the actors in the demonstration.

Another technique for helping people feel more comfortable is to allow them to coach you during the demonstration. For instance, if you're playing the role of a customer service representative who's dealing with an angry customer, people could suggest what you should do to make things right.

Role Play Example
In an effort to improve customer support, John, Customer Service Manager for Mythco Technologies, sets up a team role-playing session. Acting as the leader/trainer, John brings together a group of software developers and customer support representatives. He divides the 12 people into two role playing groups: Group A represents the customer support representatives; Group B represents the customer.

John tells Group A that the customer in this situation is one of Mythco's longest-standing customers. This customer accounts for nearly 15 percent of the company's overall annual revenue. In short, the company cannot afford to lose her business!

John tells Group B that the customer has recently received a software product that did not live up to expectations. While the customer has a long-standing relationship with Mythco, this time she's growing weary because Mythco has previously sold her faulty software on two separate occasions. Clearly, her relationship with Mythco is in jeopardy.

John now allows the groups to brainstorm for a few minutes.

Next - with this particular approach to role play - each group sends forth an "actor" to take part in the role play. The actor receives support and coaching from members of the team throughout the role playing process. Each team is able to take time-outs and regroup quickly as needed.

John runs through the scenario several times, starting with the "customer" behaving gently and ending with the customer behaving aggressively. Each time, a best solution is found. Of course, John can always ask for additional role playing and suggestions if he feels that the process needs to continue, or that the team has yet to uncover the very best solutions.

Once it's clear that they cannot identify any more solutions, John brings the two groups together and discusses the session. During this, they discuss the strategies and the solutions that the actors implemented, and how they could apply them to a real-life situation.
John also asks all of the participants to write a short summary of what they learned from the role playing exercise. He then combines the summaries and provides a copy of everything learned to everyone involved.

Key Points
Role playing happens when two or more people act out roles in a particular scenario. It's most useful for helping you prepare for unfamiliar or difficult situations.You can also use it to spark brainstorming sessions, improve communication between team members, and see problems or situations from different perspectives.

To role play:

Identify the situation.
Add details.
Assign roles.
Act out the scenario.
Discuss what you have learned.

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Strengthening Your "Weakest Link"

JerryJohn — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:52:06 GMT

Theory of Constraints (TOC)
No matter what you do, there is often scope for boosting overall performance. A great way of doing this is to identify and eliminate "bottlenecks," or things that are holding you back.
Manage your weakest link.
© iStockphoto/hometowncd

So how do you identify these bottlenecks?

One approach is to use the Theory of Constraints (TOC). This helps you identify the most important bottleneck in your processes and systems, so that you can deal with it and improve performance.
In this article, we'll explore the Theory of Constraints, and we'll look at how you can apply it to your own situation.

Understanding the Theory
You've likely heard the adage, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link," and this is what the Theory of Constraints explores. It was created by Dr. Eli Goldratt and was published in his 1984 book "The Goal."

According to Goldratt, organizational performance is dictated by constraints. These constraints create bottlenecks, and they prevent the organization from achieving its full potential. Constraints can involve people, supplies, information, equipment, or even policies; and they can be internal or external to an organization.

The theory says that every system, no matter how well it performs, has at least one constraint that limits its performance - this is the system's "weakest link." The theory also says that a system can have only one constraint at a time, and that other areas of weakness are "non-constraints" until they become the weakest link. You use the theory by identifying your constraint, and by changing the way that you work so that you can overcome it.

The theory was originally used successfully in manufacturing, but you can use it in a variety of situations. It's most useful with important or frequently-used processes within your organization.

Note:
Goldratt originally identified a five-step process for applying the theory, as follows:

1. Identify the constraint.

2. Exploit the constraint.

3. Subordinate everything else to the constraint.

4. Elevate the constraint.

5. Go back to step 1.

To make it easier to apply the theory in a typical working environment, we've condensed these five steps into the four-step process below.

Applying the Theory
Let's look at a step-by-step process for using the theory:

Step 1: Identify the Constraint
The first step is to identify your weakest link - this is the factor that's holding you back the most. Start by looking at the processes that you use regularly. Are you working as efficiently as you could be, or are there bottlenecks - for example, because your people lack skills or training, or because you lack capacity in a key area? Here, it can help to use tools like Flow Charts, Swim Lane Diagrams, Storyboarding, and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis to map out your processes and identify what's causing issues. You can also brainstorm constraints with team members, and use tools like the 5 Whys Technique and Root Cause Analysis to identify possible issues.

Remember that constraints may not just be physical. They can also include intangible factors such as ineffective communication, restrictive company policies, or even poor team morale. Also bear in mind that, according to the theory, a system can only have one constraint at a time. So, you need to decide which factor is your weakest link, and focus on that. If this isn't obvious, use tools like Pareto Analysis or Queuing Models to identify the constraint.

Step 2: Manage the Constraint
Once you've identified the constraint, you need to figure out how to manage it. What small changes can you make to increase efficiency and cure the problem, without committing to potentially expensive changes? (Goldratt calls this "exploiting the constraint.") Your solutions will vary depending on your team, your goals, and the constraint you're trying to overcome. For example, it might involve modifying lunch breaks or vacation time to make workflow more efficient, or cross-training team members to give you extra capacity in the constraining area.

Note:
At this stage, Goldratt says that you should "subordinate everything to the constraint." This means that all other organizational processes should also focus on eliminating the constraint. For example, can you move some types of work out of the constrained area and into other processes, thereby eliminating the constraint?

Step 3: Evaluate Performance
Now review how your system is performing with the simple fixes you've put into place. Is the constraint still causing a bottleneck? If it is, you need to do whatever you can to solve the issue. (Goldratt calls this "elevating the constraint.") For instance, do you need to invest in new equipment, outsource certain tasks, or take on more staff?

Here, it's useful to review approaches used in Lean Manufacturing, Kanban, Kaizen, and the 5S System to see if these uncover any solutions that can help you eliminate your constraint. Again, you'll also find it useful to brainstorm possible solutions with people in your team, and to use problem-solving tools such as the Five Whys and Cause and Effect Analysis to identify the real issues behind the problems you're having, so that you can come up with good solutions.

Step 4: Start Over
Once you've eliminated the constraint, you can move back to step 1 and identify another constraint. By doing so, you can progressively increase productivity in your area.

Key Points
Dr. Eli Goldratt developed his Theory of Constraints in his 1984 book "The Goal." The theory says that every system, no matter how well it performs, has at least one constraint that limits its performance. You use the theory by identifying your constraint and restructuring the way that you work so that you can overcome it. You can minimize constraints and work more efficiently toward accomplishing your goals by working through these steps:

1. Identify the constraint.

2. Manage the constraint.

3. Evaluate performance.

4. Start over.

By repeatedly going around this cycle, you can progressively optimize your business process.

Achieving Your Dreams the Right Way - 2012

JerryJohn — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:45:30 GMT

Eight Common Goal Setting Mistakes

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it."
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, Renaissance artist

Avoid these common mistakes!
© iStockphoto/nigelcarse

John is reflecting on the last goal that he set for himself...
Everything started well - he was making progress, he felt great about what he was doing, and he was excited about future possibilities.

But then things unraveled. The goal took longer to complete than he thought it would, and he became discouraged. And, because he didn't stop to look at what he had achieved, he lost his drive and focus. Before he knew it, the goal - and the opportunities it would have brought - were forgotten.

Sound familiar? In this article, we'll look at some common mistakes that people make when they set goals. Learn how to recognize these mistakes, so that you can avoid making them yourself!

Mistake 1: Setting Unrealistic Goals
When you're exploring possible goals, you need to unleash your imagination and ambition, put your reservations aside, and dream big dreams. However, once you've decided on a goal, make sure that it is realistic, and that you can actually achieve it in the time frame that you have set for yourself. For instance, if your goal is to run a marathon, it's wildly unrealistic to sign up for one next month, unless you've already done several months of training. Or, if your goal is to become CEO of a company, but you have no experience, this goal might not be practical - at least not yet! To set realistic goals, use SMART Goal Setting strategies: make sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Mistake 2: Focusing on Too Few Areas
Imagine that you've just written your list of goals for the next year. You've committed to increasing your sales by 15 percent, applying for a promotion, and reading one leadership book each month. Although this is an ambitious but achievable list of goals, there's a potential problem: these goals focus only on your career. You've completely omitted goals from other parts of your life. Many people focus solely on their work when they set goals. However, you can't neglect activities that bring you joy. Goals like writing a book, competing in an adventure race, or starting a home garden might also be incredibly important for your happiness and well-being. So, when you set your goals, make sure that you strike the right balance between different areas of your life. And remember that "balance" is different for everyone - use the Wheel of Life tool to understand which areas of your life you need to focus on most.

Mistake 3: Underestimating Completion Time
How often has a task or project taken longer than you thought? Probably more times than you can count! You may also say the same for goals that you've set in the past. If you don't estimate goal completion time accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they should. This can cause you to give up.
So, use Action Programs and effective scheduling strategies when planning your goals. And always pad your timelines to account for delays and setbacks. If you add extra time into your estimate, you'll feel less pressure to rush, and finish by a certain date.

Mistake 4: Not Appreciating Failure
No matter how hard you work, you will fail to achieve goals from time to time. We've all been there, and it isn't fun! However, your failures contain lessons that can change your life for the best, if you have the courage to learn from them. So don't be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals - just take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time around.

Mistake 5: Setting "Other People's Goals"
Some people - family, friends, or even your boss - may want to influence the goals you set. Perhaps they feel that they know what's best for you, or maybe they want you to take a certain path or do certain things.Clearly, it's important that you have good relationships with these people, and you need to do what your boss asks, within reason.
However, your goals need to be your own - not anybody else's. So be politely assertive, and do what you want to do!

Mistake 6: Not Reviewing Progress
It takes time to accomplish goals. And sometimes it can feel that you aren't making much progress. This is why it's important to take stock of everything that you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making progress! You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you've learnt. Have your priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity? Goals are never set in stone, so don't be afraid to amend them if you need to.

Mistake 7: Setting "Negative" Goals
How you think about your goal can influence how you feel about it, and whether you achieve it. For instance, many people have a goal to "lose weight." However, this goal has a negative connotation; it's focused on what you don't want - your weight. A positive way to reframe this goal is to say you want to "get healthy." Another example of a negative goal is to "stop staying late at work." A positive way to rephrase this is to "spend more time with my family." Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it hard to focus on them. Reframe any negative goals so that they sound positive: you may be surprised by the difference this makes!

Mistake 8: Setting Too Many Goals
When you start setting goals, you may see many things that you want to accomplish. So you start setting goals in all areas. The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you can't give individual goals the attention they deserve. Instead, use the "quality, not quantity" rule when setting goals. Work out the relative importance of everything that you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. Then pick no more than, say, three goals to focus on. Remember, the success of your work towards a goal rests on focusing on just a few things at a time. If you limit the number of goals you're working on, you'll have the time and energy you need to do things really well!

Key Points
Living a life without setting goals is like sailing a ship without having planned a course: you're likely to end up somewhere that you wouldn't want to go! This is why you need to set goals to develop yourself and achieve your dreams.

But you need to avoid common mistakes along the way. These can cause you to feel discouraged, question your abilities, or even give up.
The good news is that you're much more likely to accomplish your dreams if you know about these mistakes, and avoid them!

Establishing Realistic Project Timelines

JerryJohn — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:12:40 GMT

Estimating Time Accurately

Have you ever been on a project where the deadline was way too tight?
Be realistic...
© iStockphoto/MorePixels

Chances are that tempers were frayed, sponsors were unhappy, and team members were working ridiculous hours.

Chances are, too, that this happened because someone underestimated the amount of work needed to complete the project.

People often underestimate the amount of time needed to implement projects, particularly when they're not familiar with the work that needs to be done.

For instance, they may not take into account unexpected events or urgent high priority work; and they may fail to allow for the full complexity of the job. Clearly, this is likely to have serious negative consequences further down the line.

This is why it's important to estimate time accurately, if your project is to be successful. In this article, we look at a process for making good time estimates, and we explore some of the estimating methods that you can use.

Why Estimate Time Accurately?
Accurate time estimation is a crucial skill in project management. Without it, you won't know how long your project will take, and you won't be able to get commitment from the people who need to sign it off.

Even more importantly for your career, sponsors often judge whether a project has succeeded or failed depending on whether it has been delivered on time and on budget. To have a chance of being successful as a project manager, you need to be able to negotiate sensible budgets and achievable deadlines.

How to Estimate Time Accurately

Use these steps to make accurate time estimates:

Step 1: Understand What's Required
Start by identifying all of the work that needs to be done within the project. Use tools such as Business Requirements Analysis, Work Breakdown Structures, Gap Analysis and Drill-Down to help you do this in sufficient detail. As part of this, make sure that you allow time for meetings, reporting, communications, testing and other activities that are critical to the project's success. (You can find out more on these activities in our article on Project Management Phases and Processes.)

Step 2: Order These Activities
Now, list all of the activities you identified in the order in which they need to happen. At this stage, you don't need to add in how long you think activities are going to take. However, you might want to note any important deadlines. For example, you might need to get work by the finance department finished before it starts work on "Year End."

Step 3: Decide Who You Need to Involve
You can do the estimates yourself, brainstorm them as a group, or ask others to contribute.Where you can, get the help of the people who will actually do the work, as they are likely to have prior experience to draw upon. By involving them, they'll also take on greater ownership of the time estimates they come up with, and they'll work harder to meet them.

Tip:
If you involve others, this is a good time to confirm your assumptions with them.

Step 4: Make Your Estimates
You're now ready to make your estimates. We've outlined a variety of methods below to help you do this. Whichever methods you choose, bear these basic rules in mind:

To begin with, estimate the time needed for each task rather than for the project as a whole.
The level of detail you need to go into depends on the circumstances. For example, you may only need a rough outline of time estimates for future project phases, but you'll probably need detailed estimates for the phase ahead.
List all of the assumptions, exclusions and constraints that are relevant; and note any data sources that you rely on. This will help you when your estimates are questioned, and will also help you identify any risk areas if circumstances change.
Assume that your resources will only be productive for 80 percent of the time. Build in time for unexpected events such as sickness, supply problems, equipment failure, accidents and emergencies, problem solving, and meetings.
If some people are only working "part-time" on your project, bear in mind that they may lose time as they switch between their various roles.
Remember that people are often overly optimistic, and may significantly underestimate the amount of time that it will take for them to complete tasks.

Tip:
The most reliable estimates are those that you have arranged to be challenged. This helps you identify any assumptions and biases that aren't valid. You can ask team members, other managers, or co-workers to challenge your time estimates.

Methods for Estimating Time

We'll now look at different approaches that you can use to estimate time. You'll probably find it most useful to use a mixture of these techniques.

Bottom-Up Estimating
Bottom-up estimating allows you to create an estimate for the project as a whole. To analyze from the "bottom up," break larger tasks down into detailed tasks, and then estimate the time needed to complete each one. Because you're considering each task incrementally, your estimate of the time required for each task is likely to be more accurate. You can then add up the total amount of time needed to complete the plan.

Tip 1: How much detail you go into depends on the situation. However, the more detail you go into, the more accurate you'll be. If you don't know how far to go, consider breaking work down into chunks that one person can complete in half a day, for example. Sure, this is a bit circular, but it gives you an idea of the level of detail you should aim for.
Tip 2:
Yes, this does take a lot of work, however, this work will pay off later in the project. Just make sure that you leave plenty of time for it in the project's Design Phase.

Top-Down Estimating
In top-down analysis, you develop an overview of the expected timeline first, using past projects or previous experience as a guide.
It's often helpful to compare top-down estimates against your bottom-up estimates, to ensure accuracy.

Note:
Don't assume that the bottom-up estimates are wrong if they differ widely from the top-down ones. In fact, it's more likely that the reverse is true.
Instead, use the top-down estimates to challenge the validity of the bottom-up estimates, and to refine them as appropriate.

Comparative Estimating With comparative estimating, you look at the time it took to do similar tasks, on other projects.

Parametric Estimating With this method, you estimate the time required for one deliverable; and then multiply it by the number of deliverables required. For example, if you need to create pages for a website, you'd estimate how much time it would take to do one page, and you'd then multiply this time by the total number of pages to be produced.

Three-Point Estimating To build in a cushion for uncertainty, you can do three estimates - one for the best case, another for the worst case, and a final one for the most likely case. Although this approach requires additional effort to create three separate estimates, it allows you to set more reasonable expectations, based on a more realistic estimate of outcomes.

Tip:
In the early stages of project planning, you often won't know who will do each task - this can influence how long the task will take. For example, an experienced programmer should be able to develop a software module much more quickly than someone less experienced.
You can build this into your estimates by giving best, worst, and most likely estimates, stating the basis for each view.

Preparing Your Schedule
Once you've estimated the time needed for each task, you can prepare your project schedule. Add your estimates to the draft activity list that you produced in the second step, above. You can then create a Gantt Chart to schedule activities and assign resources to your project; and to finalize milestones and deadlines.

Tip:
If your project is complex, you might find that identifying the critical path on your plan is helpful. This will help you highlight the tasks that cannot be delayed if you're going to hit your deadline.

Key Points
You need to estimate time accurately if you're going to deliver your project on time and on budget. Without this skill, you won't know how long your project will take, and you won't be able to get commitment from the people required to help you achieve your objective. More than this, you risk agreeing to impossibly short deadlines, with all of the stress, pain, and loss of credibility associated with this.

To estimate time effectively, follow this four-step process:

Understand what's required.
Prioritize activities and tasks.
Decide who you need to involve.
Do your estimates.

Use a variety of estimating methods to get the most accurate time estimates.

ModernManagers is an affiliate of MindTools See our site for more. www.modernmanagers.com Modern Managers offers a turnkey supervisor training course that we have created so you can customize your leadership training needs to help the new supervisor gain a deeper understanding of leadership training elements that can be applied in everyday situations.

Why write your own New Supervisor Training Program or an Employee Handbook when it's done for you? Pre-written course ware saves you time and money and helps you better prepare for classroom training with well-researched and proven course materials. (ModernManagers.com HR in a Box)

Building Rapport - Hit it Off, Every Time!

JerryJohn — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:08:29 GMT

Establishing Strong Emotional Bonds Whatever you do, it's important to get on well with the people around you.

Building bonds...
© iStockphoto/mediaphotos

You can go a long way towards doing this by building rapport with others - Rapport is the ability to enter someone else's world, to make him feel that you understand him, that you have a strong common bond."
- Motivational speaker Tony Robbins

Have you ever known someone who has a knack for connecting with people? No matter who this person meets, he or she manages to create a sense of trust and understanding within a matter of minutes. We can intuitively believe that this is a natural gift - either you can build rapport like this, or you can't.

However, this isn't correct: developing rapport is a skill that anyone can learn and then use. And it doesn't matter what industry you're in or what position you hold - knowing how to build rapport can bring you countless opportunities. After all, when you have rapport with someone, that person wants to help you succeed!

So what is rapport? And how you can learn the skills needed to build it? We'll examine all of this, and more, in this article.

About Rapport
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines rapport as "relation characterized by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity."

Put simply, you have rapport with someone when there is mutual liking and trust. Once you've established rapport with a person, he or she is far more likely to be open with you and share information, buy your product, recommend you to others, or support your ideas. And when someone has established rapport with you, you're likely to do the same.

Why Build Rapport?
Building honest rapport is a skill that you can use anywhere.
For instance, you can use rapport to:

Create a positive connection with new or existing team members.
Build good relationships with clients or suppliers.
Break the ice with new colleagues or with your boss when you start a new job.
Get support for your ideas and proposals.

In short, establishing rapport with people can open doors, create opportunities, and lead to excellent relationships.

Tip:
Rapport is similar to trust, and you can often build trust and rapport simultaneously. However, building rapport focuses more on establishing a bond or connection.

Building Honest Rapport
Clearly, you can build rapport honestly, or you can use it cynically.

Good team working, for example, depends on good relationships. Honest rapport-building is great for developing these, and it benefits everyone. However, if you're building rapport to sell someone something that they wouldn't otherwise want, or that will do them harm, then this is cynical and manipulative. Watch out for this type of rapport-building - you may encounter it often!

How to Build Rapport
We'll now look at strategies and techniques that you can use to build rapport with others.

1. Find Common Ground
Think of how comfortable you might feel if, while living thousands of miles from where you grew up, you met someone from your hometown. That sense of connectedness creates an instant rapport between two people!

When you meet someone new, do your best to find something you have in common. Use open-ended questions to discover some personal information about the person: perhaps you attended the same school or university, have the same favorite vacation spot, grew up in the same city, know the same people, or root for the same sports team.

Remember, any common ground can help establish rapport - it can even help to have an interest in someone's life or hobbies, or to share similar beliefs and values.

Tip:
It's important to be sincere here; don't make up an interest in something just to create rapport. Not only can this seem desperate; it can dent your credibility!

2. Focus on Your Appearance
How you dress is a key component of making a great first impression and establishing rapport with someone. Your appearance should help you connect with people; not create a barrier.

For instance, imagine you're a sales rep calling on a plant supervisor. You're dressed in a well-tailored, expensive suit. Meanwhile, the supervisor has been working out on the floor all day; he's dressed in jeans, a worn flannel shirt, and work boots. The difference in your appearance is likely to make him feel uncomfortable and perhaps even slightly resentful.

A good rule of thumb is to dress just a little bit "better" than the people you're about to meet. Whenever possible, find out about this in advance. If you arrive and see that you're overdressed, you can quickly dress down by taking off your jacket or tie and by rolling up your shirtsleeves.

3. Be Empathic
Empathy is about understanding other people by seeing things from their perspective, and by recognizing their emotions. Once you achieve this, it's easier to get "on their level."

To be more empathic, develop your emotional intelligence so that you can understand others better. You can also use Perceptual Positions - a technique for seeing things from other people's perspectives.

4. Use Mirroring
Mirroring is when you adjust your own body language and spoken language so that you "reflect" that of the person you're talking to.

For example, law enforcement professionals apply the mirroring technique when interviewing witnesses, especially those who have just been through a traumatic experience. They might mirror the victim's body language, and adjust the volume and tone of their voice to match the victim's.
To use mirroring:

Carefully watch the person's body language, including gestures and posture. If the person is sitting down with both hands folded, then copy the person's posture. As the person grows more comfortable with you, he or she may relax and sit back: mirror this change in posture as well.
Mirror the other person's language. If he or she uses simple, direct words, then you should too. If the person speaks in technical language, then match that style if appropriate. When you respond, you can also reiterate key words or phrases that he or she used.
Copy the other person's speech patterns, such as vocal tone and volume. For instance, if he or she speaks softly and slowly, then lower the volume and tempo of your voice. (Research by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggests this is the most effective way to establish rapport. It's very subtle, but it makes the other person feel comfortable and, most importantly, it makes them feel that they're being understood.)

Tip 1:
While mirroring is useful in building rapport, don't match every word and gesture. Also, consider how far you should go with this - being too overt can be counter-productive.
Tip 2:
Clearly, mirroring can be a very difficult skill to master. Consider using role play to practice it.

5. Don't Forget About the Basics
In developing rapport with others, you should also use the tried-and-true basics of good communication:

Shaking hands firmly.
Looking people in the eye.
Smiling.
Holding your head up, and maintaining good posture.
Asking open-ended questions.
Being sincere.
Facing the other person instead of looking at your computer screen or mobile device.

These basic tenets form the foundation of great communication, and it's hard to establish good rapport without them.

Tip 1:
Although there will be times when you will need to build rapport with someone quickly, it's best done as part of a longer-term relationship.
Tip 2:
It's important to use your best judgment when applying these techniques - as we've already mentioned, using these techniques incorrectly or dishonestly can actually stop you building rapport with people.

Reestablishing Rapport
Once rapport has been lost, rebuilding it takes time.

First, confront why you lost the rapport in the first place. Be humble and explain honestly and simply what happened. If you need to apologize, do so.

Next, focus on ways of repairing any broken trust. Make an extra effort to put in extra work if you need to, and keep your word. Transparency and showing a genuine concern for the other person's needs will go a long way in rebuilding trust and reestablishing rapport.

Key Points
You build rapport when you develop mutual trust, friendship, and affinity with someone.
Building rapport can be incredibly beneficial to your career - it opens doors and helps establish good relationships with clients, colleagues, and team members.
To build rapport, use the following approaches.

Find common ground.
Focus on your appearance.
Be empathic.
Mirror the other person.
Don't forget about the basics.

Building rapport is best done in the long-term. But you can use these strategies to build it quickly, if you need to.

Eight Ways to Prevent Conflict

JerryJohn — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:22:09 GMT

Conflict is much easier to manage and prevent when you know about its common causes. So, what are these? Bell and Hart's Eight Causes of Conflict. Understanding the Causes of Workplace Tension.

You've just arrived at your office, which you share with a colleague, and it looks as if it's going to be another frustrating day.

Learn how to prevent, recognize, and manage conflict effectively
© iStockphoto/Kuklev

Your side of the office is neat as a pin and incredibly well organized. You always arrive at work on time and you take care not to talk loudly when you're on the phone, so that you don't disturb your office mate.

Your colleague, however, is the exact opposite. Empty cups and stacks of dusty files litter his side of the office. He often rushes into the office late, and he sometimes puts the radio on while he's working, which breaks your concentration. You love your work, but dread coming into the office every day, simply because you don't like sharing your space with your colleague. He drives you crazy, and you often argue.

If you thought about it, you'd quickly recognize that there's conflict between you because the two of you have completely different working styles. Once you'd realized this, you'd have a starting point for thinking about how you could work together more effectively.

All of us experience conflict like this at work. Conflict can be useful, since it can push conflicting parties to grow and communicate, and it can improve conflicting ideas. However, this can only happen if we understand why the conflict is there in the first place. Once we've identified the root of the problem, we can take the right steps to resolve it.

In this article, we'll look at eight common causes of conflict in the workplace, and we'll explore how you can use them to manage conflict more effectively.

About the Eight Causes
According to psychologists Art Bell and Brett Hart, there are eight common causes of conflict in the workplace. Bell and Hart identified these common causes in separate articles on workplace conflict in 2000 and 2002.

The eight causes are:

Conflicting resources.
Conflicting styles.
Conflicting perceptions.
Conflicting goals.
Conflicting pressures.
Conflicting roles.
Different personal values.
Unpredictable policies.

You can use this classification to identify possible causes of conflict. Once you've identified these, you can take steps to prevent conflict happening in the first place, or you can tailor your conflict resolution strategy to fit the situation.

How to Use the Tool
Let's take a closer look at each of the eight causes of workplace conflict, and discuss what you can do to avoid and resolve each type.

1. Conflicting Resources
We all need access to certain resources - whether these are office supplies, help from colleagues, or even a meeting room - to do our jobs well. When more than one person or group needs access to a particular resource, conflict can occur.

If you or your people are in conflict over resources, use techniques like Win-Win Negotiation or the Influence Model to reach a shared agreement.

You can also help team members overcome this cause of conflict by making sure that they have everything they need to do their jobs well. Teach them how to prioritize their time and resources, as well as how to negotiate with one another to prevent this type of conflict.

If people start battling for a resource, sit both parties down to discuss openly why their needs are at odds. An open discussion about the problem can help each party see the other's perspective and become more empathic about their needs.

2. Conflicting Styles
Everyone works differently, according to his or her individual needs and personality. For instance, some people love the thrill of getting things done at the last minute, while others need the structure of strict deadlines to perform. However, when working styles clash, conflict can often occur.

To prevent and manage this type of conflict in your team, consider people's working styles and natural group roles when you build your team.

You can also encourage people to take a personality test, such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Test or Firo-B. This can help them become more accepting of other people's styles of working, and be more flexible as a result.

3. Conflicting Perceptions
All of us see the world through our own lens, and differences in perceptions of events can cause conflict, particularly where one person knows something that the other person doesn't know, but doesn't realize this.

If your team members regularly engage in "turf wars" or gossip, you might have a problem with conflicting perceptions. Additionally, negative performance reviews or customer complaints can also result from this type of conflict.

Make an effort to eliminate this conflict by communicating openly with your team, even when you have to share bad news. The more information you share with your people, the less likely it is that they will come up with their own interpretations of events.

Different perceptions are also a common cause of office politics. For instance, if you assign a project to one person that normally would be someone else's responsibility, you may unwittingly ignite a power struggle between the two. Learn how to navigate office politics, and coach your team to do the same.

4. Conflicting Goals
Sometimes we have conflicting goals in our work. For instance, one of our managers might tell us that speed is most important goal with customers. Another manager might say that in-depth, high-quality service is the top priority. It's sometimes quite difficult to reconcile the two!

Whenever you set goals for your team members, make sure that those goals don't conflict with other goals set for that person, or set for other people.

And if your own goals are unclear or conflicting, speak with your boss and negotiate goals that work for everyone.

5. Conflicting Pressures
We often have to depend on our colleagues to get our work done. However, what happens when you need a report from your colleague by noon, and he's already preparing a different report for someone else by that same deadline?

Conflicting pressures are similar to conflicting goals; the only difference is that conflicting pressures usually involve urgent tasks, while conflicting goals typically involve projects with longer timelines.

If you suspect that people are experiencing conflict because of clashing short-term objectives, reschedule tasks and deadlines to relieve the pressure.

6. Conflicting Roles
Sometimes we have to perform a task that's outside our normal role or responsibilities. If this causes us to step into someone else's "territory," then conflict and power struggles can occur. The same can happen in reverse - sometimes we may feel that a particular task should be completed by someone else.

Conflicting roles are similar to conflicting perceptions. After all, one team member may view a task as his or her responsibility or territory. But when someone else comes in to take over that task, conflict occurs.

If you suspect that team members are experiencing conflict over their roles, explain why you've assigned tasks or projects to each person. Your explanation could go a long way toward remedying the pressure.

You can also use a Team Charter to crystallize people's roles and responsibilities, and to focus people on objectives.

7. Different Personal Values
Imagine that your boss has just asked you to perform a task that conflicts with your ethical standards. Do you do as your boss asks, or do you refuse? If you refuse, will you lose your boss's trust, or even your job?

When our work conflicts with our personal values like this, conflict can quickly arise.

To avoid this in your team, practice ethical leadership: try not to ask your team to do anything that clashes with their values, or with yours.
There may be times when you're asked to do things that clash with your personal ethics. Our article on preserving your integrity will help you to make the right choices.

8. Unpredictable Policies
When rules and policies change at work and you don't communicate that change clearly to your team, confusion and conflict can occur.
In addition, if you fail to apply workplace policies consistently with members of your team, the disparity in treatment can also become a source of dissension.

When rules and policies change, make sure that you communicate exactly what will be done differently and, more importantly, why the policy is changing. When people understand why the rules are there, they're far more likely to accept the change.
Once the rules are in place, strive to enforce them fairly and consistently.

Tip:
Although Bell and Hart's Eight Causes of Conflict provide a useful framework for identifying common causes of conflict in the workplace, they don't explore how to deal with conflict. So make sure that you know how to resolve conflict effectively, too.

Key Points
Psychologists Art Bell and Brett Hart identified eight causes of conflict in the early 2000s.
The eight causes are:

Conflicting resources.
Conflicting styles.
Conflicting perceptions.
Conflicting goals.
Conflicting pressures.
Conflicting roles.
Different personal values.
Unpredictable policies.

You can use these to recognize the root cause of conflict between people. In turn, this can help you devise effective conflict resolution strategies, and create a workplace that's not disrupted by tension and disharmony

Get Ahead - With Humility - Level 5 Leadership

JerryJohn — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:31:51 GMT

Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader - Humility is an important human quality. But it's not always clear how it applies to leadership and business.
This week's first article, which looks at "Level 5 Leadership," explores how humility contributes to top level success. What makes great leaders? Is it their courage? Their business acumen? Their expert knowledge? Their ability to organize?

Truly great leaders have a specific blend of skills. But they also possess something else; certain characteristics which are harder to define. If you're in a leadership role, then you've likely wondered how you can move to that "next level," going from good to great leadership.

In this article, we'll examine "Level 5 Leadership" - a key idea that helps you do this. We'll explore what it takes to achieve greatness as a leader, and we'll discuss strategies that you can use to move up to this top level of leadership.

Introducing Level 5 Leadership
The concept of Level 5 Leadership was created by business consultant, Jim Collins. He wrote about it in a 2001 Harvard Business Review article, and published his research in his well-respected book, "From Good to Great." The concept came about during a study that began in 1996, when Collins began researching what makes a great company. He started by looking at 1,435 companies, and ended up choosing 11 truly great ones.

These 11 companies were all headed by what Collins called "Level 5 Leaders." He found that these leaders have humility, and they don't seek success for their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the team and organization can thrive. They tend to share credit for success, and they're the first to accept blame for mistakes. Collins also says that they're often shy, but fearless when it comes to making decisions, especially ones that most other people consider risky.

Level 5 Leaders also possess qualities found in four other levels of leadership that Collins identified. Although you don't have to pass sequentially through each individual level before you become a Level 5 Leader, you must have the skills and capabilities found in each level of the hierarchy. Let's look at each of the five levels in more detail:

Level 1: Highly Capable Individual
At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills needed to do a good job.
Level 2: Contributing Team Member
At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team succeed. You work effectively, productively, and successfully with other people in your group.
Level 3: Competent Manager
Here, you're able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific goals and objectives.
Level 4: Effective Leader
Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you're able to galvanize a department or organization to meet performance objectives, and achieve a vision.
Level 5: Great Leader
At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four levels, plus you have the unique blend of humility and will that's required for true greatness.

How to Become a Level 5 Leader
It takes time and effort to become a Level 5 Leader. But the good news is that it can be done, especially if you have the passion to try.
Again, it's important to realize that you don't have to progress through each level in turn in order to get to Level 5. But you do need the capabilities found in each level in order to achieve Level 5 status.

Here are some strategies that will help you grow emotionally and professionally, so that you can develop the qualities of a Level 5 Leader:

Develop Humility
Level 5 Leaders are humble people. So, learn why humility is important, and make sure that you understand - at a deep, emotional level - why arrogance is so destructive. Then ensure that you behave in a humble way - for example, whenever your people have success, make sure that credit goes to them for their hard work.
Conversely, as a leader, you're responsible for your team's efforts, even when things go wrong.

Tip:
The 2007-2008 financial crisis showed many examples of how arrogant, self-glorifying, self-obsessed leaders led their organizations to ruin. Much of this chaos could have been averted if appointment committees had recruited Level 5 Leaders. Humility matters, including when it comes to recruitment.

Ask for Help
Level 5 Leaders are sometimes mistakenly thought of as "weak," because they ask for help when they need it. However, learning how to ask for help is a genuine strength, because it lets you call upon the expertise of someone stronger in an area than you are. The result? The entire team or organization wins; not just you.
Remember the Guy Kawasaki quote that "A players recruit A+ players, while B players recruit C players." If you're recruiting A+ players, why wouldn't you take full advantage of their skills? (The truth is that if you can recruit A+ people successfully, and get the best from them, then you've probably become an A+ manager.)

Take Responsibility
A top attribute of Level 5 Leaders is taking responsibility for your team's mistakes or failings. So make sure that you take responsibility for your (and your team's) actions. Our Book Insight into No Excuses! The Power of Self Discipline has more on this.

Develop Discipline
Level 5 Leaders are incredibly disciplined in their work. When they're sure of a course of action, no matter how difficult it is, they stick to their resolve. If you know in your heart that you're right, then don't let naysayers dissuade you from a course of action. It's always important to listen to differing opinions, of course, but don't let fear be your driving motivator when you make, or change, a decision.

Find the Right People
Level 5 Leaders depend on the people around them. They spend time finding the right people, and helping them to reach their full potential. If you're a leader or manager already, then you probably know without thinking who your best people are. However, you sometimes have to challenge these assumptions - our article on The Leader-Member Exchange Theory shows you how to do this, so that you can get the best from everyone on your team.

Lead with Passion
Level 5 Leaders are passionate about what they do, and they're not afraid to show it. When you demonstrate to your team members that you love and believe in what you're doing, they will too. If you're having a hard time finding passion in your work, then you need to search for the human element in what you're doing. See our article on Working with Purpose to explore how to find meaning in what you're doing. It's also important to create an inspiring vision for your people - our article on What is Leadership? shows you how to do this.

Tip:
Use common sense in the way that you apply this idea.
In some environments - that is, in high-trust, properly-managed workplaces - Level 5 Leadership is something to aspire to, demonstrate, and apply.
In low-trust or dysfunctional environments, however, you may need to use Level 5 Leadership more cautiously. Definitely apply the approach, but make sure that you're alert to the "corporate politics" going on around you.

Key Points
Level 5 Leadership is a concept that was developed by consultant and author, Jim Collins. After several years of research, Collins discovered that all of the great organizations that he studied were headed by what he called "Level 5 Leaders." These Leaders have a unique combination of fierce resolve and humility. They were the first to own up to mistakes, and the last to take credit for success. You can work on developing the following skills and characteristics to become a Level 5 Leader:

Develop humility.
Ask for help.
Take responsibility.
Develop discipline.
Find the right people.
Lead with passion.

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Planning Isn't Enough!

JerryJohn — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:34:51 GMT

Mintzberg's 5 Ps of Strategy

Developing a Better Strategy - There's more to business strategy than simply "having a plan." So what else do you need to think about?
Learn about these five strategy definitions.
© iStockphoto/kWaiGon

According to strategy expert, Henry Mintzberg, there are four other elements that you need to consider when you develop your strategy. What's your approach to developing strategy? Many of us brainstorm opportunities, and then plan how we'll take advantage of them. Unfortunately, while this type of approach is important, we need to think about much more than this if we want to be successful. After all, there's no point in developing a strategy that ignores competitors' reactions, or doesn't consider the culture and capabilities of your organization. And it would be wasteful not to make full use of your company's strengths - whether these are obvious or not.

Management expert, Henry Mintzberg, argued that it's really hard to get strategy right. To help us think about it in more depth, he developed his 5 Ps of Strategy - five different definitions of (or approaches to) developing strategy.

About the 5 Ps
Mintzberg first wrote about the 5 Ps of Strategy in 1987. Each of the 5 Ps is a different approach to strategy. These are:

Plan.
Ploy.
Pattern.
Position.
Perspective.

By understanding each P, you can develop a robust business strategy that takes full advantage of your organization's strengths and capabilities. In this article, we'll explore the 5 Ps in more detail, and we'll look at tools that you can use in each area.

1. Strategy as a Plan
Planning is something that many managers are happy with, and it's something that comes naturally to us. As such, this is the default, automatic approach that we adopt - brainstorming options and planning how to deliver them. This is fine, and planning is an essential part of the strategy formulation process. Our articles on PEST Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Brainstorming help you think about and identify opportunities; the article on practical business planning looks at the planning process in more detail; and our sections on change management and project management teach the skills you need to deliver the strategic plan in detail. The problem with planning, however, is that it's not enough on its own. This is where the other four Ps come into play.

2. Strategy as Ploy
Mintzberg says that getting the better of competitors, by plotting to disrupt, dissuade, discourage, or otherwise influence them, can be part of a strategy. This is where strategy can be a ploy, as well as a plan. For example, a grocery chain might threaten to expand a store, so that a competitor doesn't move into the same area; or a telecommunications company might buy up patents that a competitor could potentially use to launch a rival product. Here, techniques and tools such as the Futures Wheel, Impact Analysis and Scenario Analysis can help you explore the possible future scenarios in which competition will occur. Our article on Game Theory then gives you powerful tools for mapping out how the competitive "game" is likely to unfold, so that you can set yourself up to win it.

3. Strategy as Pattern
Strategic plans and ploys are both deliberate exercises. Sometimes, however, strategy emerges from past organizational behavior. Rather than being an intentional choice, a consistent and successful way of doing business can develop into a strategy. For instance, imagine a manager who makes decisions that further enhance an already highly responsive customer support process. Despite not deliberately choosing to build a strategic advantage, his pattern of actions nevertheless creates one.
To use this element of the 5 Ps, take note of the patterns you see in your team and organization. Then, ask yourself whether these patterns have become an implicit part of your strategy; and think about the impact that they should have on your approach strategic planning. Tools such as USP Analysis and Core Competence Analysis can help you with this. A related tool, VRIO Analysis, can help you explore resources and assets (rather than patterns) that you should focus on when thinking about strategy.

4. Strategy as Position
"Position" is another way to define strategy - that is, how you decide to position yourself in the marketplace. In this way, strategy helps you explore the fit between your organization and your environment, and it helps you develop a sustainable competitive advantage. For example, your strategy might include developing a niche product to avoid competition, or choosing to position yourself amongst a variety of competitors, while looking for ways to differentiate your services. When you think about your strategic position, it helps to understand your organization's "bigger picture" in relation to external factors. To do this, use PEST Analysis, Porter's Diamond, and Porter's Five Forces to analyze your environment - these tools will show where you have a strong position, and where you may have issues. As with "Strategy as a Pattern," Core Competence Analysis, USP Analysis, and VRIO Analysis can help you craft a successful competitive position. You can also use SWOT Analysis to identify what you do well, and to uncover opportunities.

Note:
There can be a lot of overlap between "Strategy as Position" and other elements of the 5 Ps. For instance, you can also achieve a desired position through planning, and by using a ploy. Don't worry about these overlaps - just get as much value as you can from the different approaches.

5. Strategy as Perspective
The choices an organization makes about its strategy rely heavily on its culture - just as patterns of behavior can emerge as strategy, patterns of thinking will shape an organization's perspective, and the things that it is able to do well. For instance, an organization that encourages risk-taking and innovation from employees might focus on coming up with innovative products as the main thrust behind its strategy. By contrast, an organization that emphasizes the reliable processing of data may follow a strategy of offering these services to other organizations under outsourcing arrangements.To get an insight into your organization's perspective, use cultural analysis tools like the Cultural Web, Deal and Kennedy's Cultural Model, and the Congruence Model.

Using the 5 Ps
Instead of trying to use the 5 Ps as a process to follow while developing strategy, think of them as a variety of viewpoints that you should consider while developing a robust and successful strategy. As such, there are three points in the strategic planning process where it's particularly helpful to use the 5 Ps:

When you're gathering information and conducting the analysis needed for strategy development, as a way of ensuring that you've considered everything relevant.
When you've come up with initial ideas, as a way of testing that that they're realistic, practical and robust.
As a final check on the strategy that you've developed, to flush out inconsistencies and things that may not have been fully considered.

Using Mintzberg's 5 Ps at these points will highlight problems that would otherwise undermine the implementation of your strategy. After all, it's much better to identify these problems at the planning stage than it is to find out about them after you've spent several years - and millions of dollars - implementing a plan that was flawed from the start.

Key Points
The 5 Ps of Strategy were created by Henry Mintzberg in 1987. Each of the 5 Ps stands for a different approach to strategy:

Plan.
Ploy.
Pattern.
Position.
Perspective.

As a Plan, strategy needs to be developed in advance and with purpose. As a Ploy, strategy is a means of outsmarting the competition. With strategy as a Pattern, we learn to appreciate that what was successful in the past can lead to success in the future. With Position, strategy is about how the organization relates to its competitive environment, and what it can do to make its products unique in the marketplace. Perspective emphasizes the substantial influence that organizational culture and collective thinking can have on strategic decision making within a company. Understanding and using each element helps you develop a robust, practical and achievable business strategy.

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Make it Happen!

JerryJohn — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:07:12 GMT

No matter what job you're in, you'll only be successful if you can "make things happen."
"There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened." - Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman
"Initiative is doing the right thing without being told." - Victor Hugo, French writer

Helen's manager was due to meet with her and her co-workers to discuss their role in the next product roll-out. Unfortunately, he's been snowed in at an airport on the other side of the country, and his cell phone battery is dead.

The deadline is tight, and the team can't afford to waste a day because of his absence.

Helen was the last person to talk to her boss before he left, and he'd outlined who was going to be doing what on the project. So, Helen takes command, and, within an hour, everyone on the team has their preliminary tasks mapped out. When her boss arrives in the office three days later, he's impressed and grateful that Helen took responsibility to get the project moving. If she hadn't, several valuable days would have been lost.

Do you take initiative like Helen? That is, do you make things happen for yourself and for your team? Or, do you wait for someone else to tell you what to do? People who have initiative and make things happen are highly valued in the workplace. But, what is it? And how can you develop it? We'll be covering both of these questions in this article.

Defining Initiative
Researchers Michael Frese and Doris Fay define initiative as "work behavior characterized by its self-starting nature, its proactive approach, and by being persistent in overcoming difficulties that arise in pursuit of a goal." When you show initiative, you do things without being told; you find out what you need to know; you keep going when things get tough; and you spot and take advantage of opportunities that others pass by. You act, instead of reacting, at work.

Most of us have seen initiative in action. Maybe you've seen a young manager who fills her boss's shoes when she's sick and the rest of the team is unsure what to do; or perhaps you've seen a team member proposing a process improvement plan to the executive board. Initiative has become increasingly important in today's workplace. Organizations want employees who can think on their feet and take action without waiting for someone to tell them what to do. After all, this type of flexibility and courage is what pushes teams and organizations to innovate, and to overcome competition.

How to Develop Initiative
The good news is that initiative is a skill that you can develop. You can do this by following these steps:
1. Develop a Career Plan
Research* has shown that people who have a long-term career plan are more likely to take initiative. Professionals who know what they want and where they want to go are far more likely to show initiative at work, especially when the action or decision will help them further their career goals. Develop this plan.Also, make sure that you understand your job, and your team and your organization's purpose, so that you know what you should be achieving. See our articles on Job Analysis, Team Charters and Mission and Vision Statements for more on this.Once you know what you want to achieve, integrate your career goals with your personal goals, so that you have something to work towards. (In your personal life, the key to developing initiative is to set clear personal goals, and then to work steadily towards achieving them.)
2. Build Self-Confidence
It can take courage and a strong sense of self to show initiative, especially if you fear that people may disagree with your actions or suggestions. First, take our quiz, "How Self-Confident Are You?" The results will give you a good idea of your confidence levels right now. Then, if you need to, take steps to build your self-confidence.
For instance, set small goals so you can achieve some quick wins. And push yourself to do (positive) things that you'd otherwise be scared to do - this will not only help you build your self-confidence, but it will help you build the courage to accomplish bigger, scarier tasks later on. You might also want to read our article on Positive Thinking. This, along with Visualization, can help you build your self-confidence even further.

Tip:
Some people have a real fear of speaking up, or of taking any action that's not yet authorized by the leadership team, because they're afraid of failure or rejection. If this sounds like you, see our article on Overcoming Fear of Failure to learn how to manage your fears.

3. Spot Opportunities and Potential Improvements
People who show initiative often do so by spotting and acting on opportunities that their colleagues or leaders have not noticed. They're curious about their organization and how it works, and they keep their minds open to new ideas and new possibilities. You should always be on the lookout for areas in your organization that could use improvement. To spot opportunities and potential improvements, consider the following from the problem-finding stage of the Simplex Process:

What would our customers (internal and external) want us to improve? What could they be doing better if we could help them? How can we improve quality?
Who else could we help by using our core competences?
What small problems do we have that could grow into bigger ones?
What slows our work or makes it more difficult? What do we often fail to achieve? Where do we have bottlenecks? What is frustrating and irritating to people on our team?

Get into the habit of looking for these things - perhaps set a repeating appointment in your diary to remind you to look for them; and, when things go wrong, think about how you can fix them.

Tip:
For more on implementing your ideas, see our articles on the Simplex Process and on turning your idea into reality

4. Sense-Check Your Ideas
Imagine that you've come up with a creative way of breaking through a bottleneck in your customer service process. Before you head straight to your boss with your idea, stop and do some homework. Think about the costs and risks associated with the idea. (Tools like Cost/Benefit Analysis, Risk Analysis and Impact Analysis will help here.) Where the cost of the project and the consequences of something going wrong are small, consider going ahead with your idea directly, while keeping your boss "in the loop" (how far you should do this depends on your relationship with your boss). Where risks or costs are more significant, consider preparing a business case, and ask for authorization before you go ahead. You've already shown initiative by coming up with a solution. Make sure that you follow this through by doing your homework on the idea. The more you have researched and considered your ideas, the higher your chances of success will be.

5. Develop Rational Persistence
Persistence is the art of moving forward even when you encounter inertia or difficulty. People who show initiative often encounter difficulties and setbacks along the way, so rational persistence (where you listen to, consider, and appropriately modify your direction depending on other people's input) is essential if you want to achieve what you've set out to do.When you're persisting with your idea, you'll find things much easier if you learn how to manage change effectively - this can often make the difference between success and failure for a project. It's also helpful to learn how to open closed minds, since people may already have an opinion on a subject before you even start presenting your idea.

6. Find Balance
While it's important to take initiative, it's just as important to be wise in the way that you use it. In some situations, it can be inappropriate to take initiative, and people who generate too much extra work for other people can upset others. For instance, you might have worked with a colleague who was "gung-ho" about every idea. He was constantly pushing the team, and your boss, to lead the next project or to implement a new idea. However, some of his ideas were naïve, his persistence in taking the initiative often crossed the line into aggressiveness, and perhaps the team felt that he "rocked the boat" too much at a time when other team members were overloaded.
This is why it's so important to learn good decision-making techniques. The more you enhance these skills, the better you'll be at judging when an idea is good, and it isn't. This way, you can develop a reputation both for initiative and for good judgment - an invaluable combination! You'll also want to develop your emotional intelligence skills. It's helpful to know how to read the emotions of others. This sensitivity can help you further decide when to take initiative, and when it's best to let things be.

Key Points
Initiative has become increasingly important in today's workplace. You show initiative when you act without being told what to do, persist in the face of inertia and difficulty, and see your idea through to a successful conclusion.
There are six steps you can take to develop your own initiative.

Develop a career plan.
Build self-confidence.
Spot opportunities and potential improvements.
Sense-check your ideas.
Develop persistence.
Find balance.

Explore the Future!

JerryJohn — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:41:56 GMT

In business, change is inevitable. But wouldn't it be great to explore the future, so that you know what change to expect? Actually, it is possible to think about what may happen, and we're looking at some great techniques for doing this in this week's newsletter.

The Futures Wheel - Identifying Future Consequences of a Change - If you've ever needed to explore the full impact of a proposed change, you'll know how hard it can be to identify all possible outcomes. In situations like these, many people panic, and list the first consequences that they can think of, resulting in a list that's shallow, incomplete, and tricky to analyze. This is where the Futures Wheel can help. This visual tool gives you a structured way of brainstorming the direct and indirect consequences of a decision, event, or trend.

About the Tool - The Futures Wheel (see figure 1, below) was created by Jerome Glenn in 1972. Glenn has since become a recognized expert and speaker on Future Studies.

Figure 1 - The Futures Wheel
(Click image to view full size.)

Glenn originally created the Futures Wheel to identify the potential consequences of trends and events, but you can also use it in decision making (to choose between options) and in change management (to identify the consequences of change). The tool is especially useful during the brainstorming stage of Impact Analysis.

How to Use the Tool

Step 1: Identify the Change - Write the change that you need to consider in the center of a piece of paper, or on a flipchart. This could be an event, trend, problem, or possible solution.

Step 2: Identify Direct, First-Order Consequences - Now, brainstorm possible direct consequences of that change. Write each consequence in a circle, and connect it from the central idea with an arrow. These are "first-order" consequences.

Step 3: Identify Indirect, Second-Order Consequences - You now need to brainstorm all the possible "second-order" consequences of each of the first-order (direct) consequences that you wrote down in Step 2, and add them to your diagram in the same way. Then, repeat this by identifying the third-order consequences, fourth-order consequences, and so on.

Tip 1:
You may find it useful to color-code each "level" of the wheel, as we have in Figure 1, above. This makes it easier to prioritize and analyze consequences once you've completed your brainstorming.
Tip 2:
Remember that consequences are not necessarily negative.

Step 4: Analyze Implications
Once you've completed all of the levels of the Futures Wheel, you'll have a clear picture of the possible direct and indirect consequences resulting from the change. List these.

Step 5: Identify Actions
Where the possible consequences that you've identified are negative, think about how you'll manage them (our article on Risk Analysis gives some useful pointers). Where consequences are positive, think about what you'll do to take full advantage of them.

Futures Wheel Example
Judith's departmental budget is going to be cut by 20 percent in six weeks. She gets her managers together, and completes a Futures Wheel (see figure 2) to identify all of the possible consequences.

Figure 2 - Judith's Futures Wheel
(Click image to view full size.)

Judith can now see that cutting staff will have a significant impact on her team. If she's going to work around her budget shortfall, she knows that she'll need to try every other option first. Trimming staff will be a last resort. She can also see that low motivation and low productivity could be indirect consequences of this budget cut. So she needs to be ready to rebuild team morale, and to help people be more productive. She may also find it hard to increase sales volumes, so she needs to manage expectations accordingly. There are also some positive consequences from the budget cut - there will be more opportunities for sharing skills and for on-the-job training in the team.

Key Points
The Futures Wheel is a simple, practical tool that helps you brainstorm the direct and indirect consequences of a decision, event, or trend.
To use the Futures Wheel, first identify what's changing. Then, enter each possible direct consequence of that change in a circle, and connect it from the central circle with an arrow.
Then, repeat this by identifying the second-order consequences, third-order consequences, fourth-order consequences, and so on.
Once you're finished, you'll have a visual map that lays out all of the implications of the problem or event, allowing you to manage the situation appropriately.