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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
 Well, it’s the first Monday in January and you’re loaded up with great intentions and even a few new resolutions. But, oh, where to start?
The answer is really quite simple. The only place to start is where you are right now. Waiting for the right time, more money, the right people, help from a friend or colleague, are all recipes for disaster.
The cavalry isn’t coming. Your success and achievement in 2011 will come from your energy, your efforts and your actions, not from anywhere else.
Here are the five essentials for your success in the year ahead:
1. Desire
Desire is more than wanting or wishing or hoping 2011 will be better than last year was. Desire is that fire in the belly you probably feel right now to do those things you need in order to accomplish what you want to accomplish in the year ahead. Warning! If you don’t fan those flames you’re feeling right now, they will go out.
Action: Write out a clear statement of what you intend to accomplish in 2011 – and share it with a trusted friend or colleague.
2. Personal Initiative
As I mentioned earlier, the cavalry isn’t coming. You’ve heard the saying: “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me!” Guess what? It’s only up to you! Inertia is the killer of improved performance and real achievement. Why? It’s easier to do nothing. Unless you take the necessary actions to change the way things are now – things will stay the way they are now. Become a person of action in 2011.
Action: Make an action list of three things you will do this week to change the status quo.
3. Process
If you can’t describe what you’re doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing. Process is everything when it comes to performance and productivity. Establishing routines is a very effective way to shake off the mundane. Start with a morning and an evening routine. When you wake up, do something productive before you do anything else. In the evening, take a specific action that will prepare you for the next day.
Action: If you don’t have a defined process for improving your performance and productivity – get one. I can help with that – call me or drop me an email.
4. Commitment
Commitment to what? Commitment to the process you’ve decided to use for changing the status quo. Establishing a morning or evening routine is only half the battle. Committing to live the routine long enough for it to become a habit is the key. Establishing a routine for a day or two won’t get it. Three to four weeks of consistent behavior is what it will take to establish the habit of doing the same (productive) things the same way – every day.
Action: Develop a morning routine. One that will get you off to a productive start every day. Hint: Don’t get up and check email – do something productive first!
5. Accountability
This is the missing ingredient of performance improvement. Make yourself accountable to someone for the actions you’ll take to change the status quo in the year ahead. Chances for success and achievement are dramatically increased when you tell someone else what you’re doing and what you intend to accomplish. You’ll be amazed at how willing a good friend or colleague will be to help you succeed.
Action: Call a trusted friend or colleague. Tell them about your plans for 2011 and ask them to be your accountability partner. Specify a time each week when you will get together to update your progress.
Tags: accountability, action, business, commitment, initiative, process, resolution, start, year
Posted in 2011 | No Comments »
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Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
 The most popular definition for management is “Getting things done through people.” While I personally take issue with this description as the primary role of management, it’s certainly a significant part of the manager’s job.
I’d argue the primary role of the manager is to contribute to the success of the enterprise. Managers make this contribution in a number of different ways. They organize work, they set objectives, they measure, they motivate, they communicate and they develop people, including themselves.
In the process of doing all of these things, managers can also inhibit the growth of the enterprise. Here are ten common management mistakes that stifle company growth and employee development.
1. Spreading the workload too thin – forcing one person to do the jobs of two or more people, resulting in long workdays and taking work home.
2. Not supplying sufficient administrative help or clerical support, forcing managers to use their time copying, stapling, collating, filing and performing other clerical duties.
3. Being too slow to raise salaries/wages. These are tough times but…
4. Not allowing the rank and file to offer input on operational decisions that will affect their areas of responsibility.
5. Constantly changing direction. Employees want stability in the workplace. Changing for the sake of change creates instability.
6. Not taking the time to clarify organizational strategies and objectives.
7. Showing favoritism, especially when it comes to training or promotions.
8. Relocation. Generally speaking, employees consider their cubicle or work area their home away from home. Give thought and seek input before moving work areas.
9. Promoting someone who lacks training and/or the necessary experience to supervise or manage. This is the fast track to losing employee respect.
10. Creating silos – encouraging departments to compete against each other while at the same time preaching teamwork and cooperation.
Any one of these ten management mistakes can, and often does, result in employee turnover. Interestingly, any of the ten can be prevented through improved management practices. People skills are critical to effective management.
Tags: administrative, business, departments, employee, growth, management, manager, motivate, organization, relocate, success, teamwork, workload
Posted in 2010, manager's minute | 1 Comment »
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Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
 Glad the election is over? Me too! I can’t remember a more contentious and mean-spirited election cycle. Don Henninger, publisher of the Arizona Business Journal, cites an analysis of election data by the Wesleyan Media Project, which says the 2010 election, was “the most negative campaign in recent history by both sides.”
I think one of the reasons for the nastiness this time around was a perceived lack of leadership in government – at just about every level imaginable.
Now that the election is over, it’s time for those elected to office to take up the mantle of leadership and do what leaders do. Lead!
Henninger also lists several traits of a leader, as Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group have identified them. While the list is debatable, I think you’ll agree the leadership traits cited are important ones – for every leader – in any venue.
Eleven Leadership Traits
1. Honest…
“Displaying sincerity, integrity and candor in all actions. Deceptive behavior does not inspire trust.” In fact, quite the opposite.
2. Competent…
Actions based on sound reason and moral principles, not childlike emotion.
3. Visionary…
Having a clear vision of the future, and setting goals to get there. Effective leaders know where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.
4. Inspiring…
Effective leaders are confident in what they do. This confidence inspires trust and sets the example for their followers.
5. Intelligent…
Leaders are readers. They study leadership, understanding that leadership is a skill and, like other skills, needs to be developed.
6. Fair-minded…
Showing fair treatment to all they work with. “Prejudice is the enemy of justice.” Leaders understand this fundamental truth and work toward the well-being of everyone they lead.
7. Broad-minded…
Leaders understand the value of all people, regardless of ethnicity, age, education or gender.
8. Courageous…
Confident and calm under stress. Obstacles and challenges are seen for what they are, and faced with persistence and perseverance.
9. Imaginative and 10. innovative…
Today’s problems won’t be solved with yesterday’s solutions. New challenges require new thinking and determined actions.
11. Blame Game
Finally, leaders don’t play the blame game. They accept difficulties as part of the territory, roll up their sleeves and get about the business of leading.
Leadership isn’t for the faint of heart. I hope those ascending to leadership positions in the public sector understand this. They will be tested. Their values will be challenged. Their character as a leader will be plain for all to see.
(Excerpts from Don Henninger’s Business Journal article “Will Winners Act Like Leaders? November 5, 2010)
Tags: business, character, competent, courageous, elected, election, future, government, honest, inspire, intelligent, leaders, leadership, media, vision, visionary
Posted in 2010, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
 As managers, one of the primary roles we fill is to be a problem solver. Whether it’s a challenge we’re facing on our own, or more a problem our team is challenged with, we often find ourselves problem solving.
While there are a number of ways to problem solve, one of the most practical methods I’ve found is to use the “5 Whys” technique. I like this method because it’s a great way to cut to the chase, identify the root cause of the problem, and not waste time dealing with symptoms.
Made popular by Toyota more than three decades ago, the “5 Whys” strategy was used by its production teams to problem solve. Once a problem was identified, the manager would gather the production team together and ask the simple question “Why?” Predictably, the first “why” prompted another “why,” and so on, until they were able to zero in on the root cause of the problem. As you can see, this methodology is easy to learn and easy to apply, so from a management standpoint, it’s a very useful tool.
Begin with the end in mind
This is wise advice, popularized by Stephen Covey in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” but in fact was used by good managers long before that. Starting with the desired result, and working backward to determine the root cause, will work in almost every circumstance.
Here’s an example of how to use this effective problem solving technique:
1. Why is our client unhappy? Because we didn’t deliver his widgets when we said we would.
2. Why were we unable to meet the agreed-upon schedule for delivery? Production took much longer than we thought it would.
3. Why did it take so much longer? Because this particular widget was more complex than others we’ve made for them.
4. Why did we underestimate the complexity of the job? Because we made a quick estimate based on previous orders, and failed to identify the individual stages needed to complete this particular project.
5. Why didn’t we fully understand the scope of the project? Because we were running behind on other projects. We clearly need to review our time estimation and specification procedures.
The “5 Whys” methodology is a simple but powerful tool for determining the root cause of almost any problem. Like everything else though, it does have its limitations. The “5 Whys” technique is best used in situations requiring an intuitive response. Technical problems, for example, might require a more sophisticated technique.
Tags: business, challenge, effective, management, manager, problem, problem solver, solution, solver
Posted in 2010, manager's minute | No Comments »
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Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
 We hear more and more today about the need for creativity and innovation. You’ve heard this many times: “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against being creative and innovative; the fact is a company (of any size) can’t survive without innovating. The problem comes in when the emphasis is on generating ideas, rather than on turning those clever new ideas into actions.
“Ideating” is energizing and glamorous. It’s intellectually stimulating to think about what could be in terms of new products and new services. But all the new ideas in the world will not create new products or actually provide those new services.
It’s Not About Innovation – It’s About Action
For most individuals, and most organizations, generating a host of new ideas or services isn’t the problem. Entrepreneurial minds are continually churning out all kind of ideas for the better mousetrap. Executives and senior managers are always dreaming up new ideas to beat the competition and capture the market.
Generating new ideas is fun and challenging, but here’s the rub: Once clarity is developed as to what the new product or service should look like, the process often begins to break down. While being an innovator is sexy, doing the work of bringing a shiny new idea to reality is not. Executing on new ideas is hard. Taking that important next step from idea to action is a grind, and most folks would rather dream about what could be than make the dream a reality. Remember, success is about doing, not about dreaming.
Taking the appropriate actions, in the proper order, and using the right people, are the keys to building that new mousetrap or providing a new and improved service.
Creating a strategic performance advantage requires three things:
1. Clarity; 2. Focus; and 3. Focused Actions.
1. Be clear on what you want to accomplish – and why. (Clarity)
2. Identify those vital few initiatives that will move the process forward in the shortest period of time. (Focus)
3. Assign responsibility to specific individuals – for specific tasks – to be completed in a specific time frame. (Focused Actions)
Innovation is good. Actually making a new idea a reality is better. Success is not about dreaming, it’s about doing!
Tags: accomplish, action, business, clarity, creativity, focus, ideas, innovation, responsibility
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
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Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Creating a strategic performance advantage is the key to taking your performance and productivity to the next level. And, keeping true to the philosophy of getting more with Les – it’s not difficult to do.
1. Clarity is the key
The first step in creating a strategic performance advantage is to clarify what you want to accomplish. Start with a S.M.A.R.T. vision. For a vision to be powerful, it must be specific. It must be measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
A vague vision produces vague results. It’s one thing to say: “Someday I want to make a living being a consultant.” It’s quite another thing to say: “By December 31, 2010, I’ll have created XYZ and Associates, a $250,000 a year, Dallas-based consulting practice, specializing in change management for small to medium-sized companies in the medical services industry.”
In this particular example, the vision captures revenue expectations, clarifies the target market and the geographic scope of the business. Specificity is the key. Vague vision statements simply don’t have the power to move an individual or an organization forward.
2. Focus
The primary difference between vision and focus is scope. While a S.M.A.R.T. vision clarifies the big picture for improved performance and productivity, focus narrows the scope of the work to be done. As Jim Collins says in his business classic, Good to Great: “The real path to greatness, it turns out, requires simplicity and diligence. It requires clarity, not just illumination. It demands each of us to focus on what is vital – and to eliminate all of the extraneous distractions.”
We clarify our focus by setting meaningful and measurable objectives, and you won’t need many of them. The objectives would be linked directly to your vision statement. In the example of the vision above, we would want to set objectives for monthly revenue, for sales, and marketing, among others.
3. Focused Activity
Achievement is about doing, not dreaming. To that end, we want each day to count when it comes to making our vision a reality. Once our vision is clear, and meaningful objectives have been set, the next obvious step is to take actions every day that will complete stated objectives. Make sure you’re carving out roughly 90 minutes a day to work only on those activities that will accomplish your goals.
Tags: achievement, activity, business, clarity, focus, goals, performance, productivity, strategic, vision
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
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Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
 Having a little trouble organizing your thoughts or putting together a plan? Welcome to the club. Whether you’re just trying to map out the day or develop a new policy or procedure for your boss, planning, in and of itself, can be a challenge. Good news, though. I have a solution! Since the hardest part of project planning is getting started, I’ve discovered a way to jump start the whole preplanning process; it’s called Mind Mapping.
Mind mapping is a nonlinear, visual way of thinking, that allows one to develop an idea or put together a series of interrelated thoughts in a unique format. Instead of creating the usual linear outline, with roman numerals, letters and numbers, mind mapping helps create a thought diagram. Whether you’re faced with a complex project or a simple errands list, mind mapping helps you get all your thoughts on one piece of paper and each piece of the diagram is linked to the main thought. You can use a mind map to visually connect ideas and information to help you save time, solve real business problems, improve business processes, and drive innovation. Here’s how it works:
1. Begin with the end in mind.
Start your mind map with a primary objective or intended outcome written inside a box or circle in the middle of a page of paper. Then start thinking “ideal outcome.” If everything came together in just the right sequence, what would the end result be? (like this)
The most effective way I know of to actually see the big picture is to think visually. Mind mapping allows you to create a visual outline of what you want to accomplish, instead of making a list. It’s fun, it’s creative and it’s a very effective way of getting thoughts on paper.
2. Create a Mindmap instead of creating a list.
As an experiment, take a blank piece of paper, draw a small circle in the middle of the page. Think of this circle as the hub of a wheel. Write your key thought or idea in the middle of the circle. Now start drawing spokes for the wheel. At the end of each spoke, write an idea or key thought associated with the main idea in the center of the page.
Once you get a few spokes on the wheel, go back and repeat the process with each of the ideas on each of the spokes. Sound tedious? Read on.
3. Better yet, use your computer!
Instead of hand-drawing a mind map, why not create a map using your computer? Here’s a web site where you can find an example of a mind map and a 30-day free trial version as well.
Mind mapping can be used for creative problem solving, decision making, brainstorming, as well as improving your organizational skills.
Mind mapping provides a creative way to organize your ideas and your thoughts, as well as help you see that all-important big picture. Visual thinking is the key to creative thinking. Millions are joining the ranks of mind mappers in order to stimulate their thinking and improve their planning skills. Why not join them?
Tags: brainstorm, business, improve, list, mind map, organize, problems, project, solve, thoughts
Posted in 2010, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
One of the things we all struggle with, seasoned manager or not, is determining how to use our time most effectively. The primary role of the manager is to make sure that the work he or she is doing will contribute to the success of the company.
People think they get the most work done when they’re under the pressure of a deadline. Not so. A deadline will force action, and we will finish a task – because we have to – but the chances are the outcome will not be our best work, or even the most important work we need to do.
Here’s a methodology you might consider using to determine where you focus your time and attention. It involves asking four important questions.
1. What tasks or assignments on my “To Do” list bring the highest value to me or my company?
Take a look at the one or two items which, when finished, bring the greatest rewards. Everything on our list can’t be an “A” priority. If they are – we need to talk.
2. What am I being paid to do?
It’s all too easy to get caught up in trivial matters that really don’t bring value to ourselves – or our company. Create a list of what you believe your three to five highest payoff activities are. Ask your boss to do the same. Then compare the two lists. My bet is the lists might be very different. If so, refocus.
3. What’s the one task on my list that, if done effectively, will have the highest payoff?
Hint: It’s probably something you’ve been putting off for a while. It’s important but it’s not urgent, so it ends up on the back burner. Roll up your sleeves and take on the important task or project. Break it up into small doable pieces and get after it!
4. What the best use of my time, right now?
Focus on the present. Focus on today. Don’t look back at what you should have done. Don’t look ahead at what you could do if… . Just focus on the highest payoff activity you can do today.
Tags: business, deadline, focus, manager's minute, managerial, managers, priority, success, time, value
Posted in 2010, manager's minute | No Comments »
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
 This article is for those of you who have been recently promoted to manager or maybe have been managing for a while but have become a bit stale. It serves as a reminder that good management doesn’t just happen. Good managers develop certain skill sets that enable them to help make their respective companies a success. It also serves as a reminder that sometimes knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what is.
Here’s a short list of mistakes managers can make that will derail their efforts to move their organizations forward.
Mistake #1: Not getting the right people involved in decisions
In my opinion, this is the number one mistake managers make. Those of us who’ve been around management for a while know that the best decisions are made with the input of those folks actually doing the job. They know what works and what doesn’t. Get their opinion on operational decisions before moving forward. You may save a lot of time and money.
Mistake #2: Not creating a stable work environment
We live in a chaotic world, a time of tremendous change on almost every front. One of the smartest things you can do as a manager is to create a stable work environment. Don’t constantly change direction. Develop a plan for getting from where you are now to where you want to be, and stay with the plan. Make necessary course adjustments but don’t create a new plan every time you have a new idea, or jump into a new management fad.
Mistake #3: Not taking time to explain “why”
The days of “just do it because I told you to” are over. Two of the four generations in the workplace today were raised in the Information Age and have a burning desire to know why. It takes very little effort to give some background or context to a particular decision and will go a long way in gaining the support needed for successful completion of a project.
Mistake #4: Ignoring the value of training
Just because employees are a great workers, show up every day – on time, and have great attitudes, doesn’t mean they’ll be successful managers. It just means they’re good people! Add to their value by training to the position they are now in. Also require that they, in turn, pass that training along to the people they’re are working with. Create a culture of training and reward those who respond.
Mistake #5: Not having or utilizing clerical support
Managers need to focus time and attention on management. The primary role of a manager is to move important projects forward – not to spend a significant part of the day copying and collating. Good managers make very expensive copy machine operators.
Mistake #6: Underestimating the importance of work areas
Work areas are important to people. The more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing an employee’s work area can be, the more productive that person will be. Providing staff with clean, comfortable work areas only increases performance and productivity.
Mistake #7: Not promoting teamwork, collaboration and cooperation
Ken Blanchard, author of the business classic, The One Minute Manager, often reminds his audiences that: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” Pitting one work group against another is a recipe for failure. Successful companies understand the value of collaboration and, in fact, insist upon it.
Tags: business, clerical, decisions, effective, manager, managers, support, team, training, work environment
Posted in 2010, manager's minute | No Comments »
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Saturday, May 1st, 2010
 Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important projects which must be done in order to move our life, our career or our business forward. It’s all too easy to convince ourselves that being busy and being productive are one and the same. Big mistake!
The same holds true for being effective and being efficient. Doing something unimportant well does not make us effective. Requiring a lot of time to finish a project or complete a task doesn’t make the task more important.
Here’s the key question to ask yourself: Am I being productive or am I just being active?
Being Selective Is the Key to Productivity
The two characteristics of high performers are: the ability to separate the urgent from the important, and second, the ability to focus their time and attention on those tasks that will complete important projects or produce the greatest results.
One of the best ways I know of to separate the important from the urgent is to apply the Pareto Principle. Also known as the law of the vital few or the 80/20 Rule, Pareto says the majority of productivity will come from a few select actions or activities.
The stark reality is most of what we do on a daily basis has little impact one way or the other in moving our most important projects forward. Unless we’re very selective in how we structure our day, the important will fall victim to the urgent. We’ll end up majoring on the minors, and what would otherwise be a productive day will be lost.
Being selective and doing less is the path to productivity. Identify those few critical tasks that contribute most to moving your career or your company forward. Schedule time during the day to work on those vital few tasks and don’t allow that time to be affected by trivial things. Hint: most email is trivial and meaningless. So are most phone calls and most office visits.
You have more control of your time than you give yourself credit for. Schedule your priorities. Ask yourself, if I could only accomplish one important thing today, what would it be? Once you make that important decision, schedule time to make it happen. The key to being more productive is doing less.
Tags: business, busy, career, control, effective, efficient, important, order, productivity, results, tasks, time, urgent
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
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