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Articles in Home | Business | Management articles Title|Newest|Oldest 20 Top tips to writing effective surveys  By : Martin Day Online surveys are a powerful market research, marketing and educating tool. Learn twenty important tips to ensure your surveys are effective. A "Must Do" Tactic to Improve your Team Motivation Skills  By : Alan Fairweather Do you want to motivate and have a good relationship with the people in your team? This article reveals a "must do" tactic to make your life easier. 3 Steps to Stop Absence and Make People Happy At Work  By : Alan Fairweather Are you a manager frustrated by workplace absence? This article reveals three steps you can take to reduce absence and make your life easier. Yes, But What Are You Really Saying  By : Maria Boomhower More and more I hear people misunderstanding what someone else has said to them, especially when it came through a memo or email. This can lead to a great deal of turmoil at work and affect morale. Conflict Resolution Training- When Personal Safety is an Issue  By : Maria Boomhower Conflict generally arises by having your needs, desires, perceptions and values challenged. When a person feels that their values are being challenged they generally respond the strongest. Inwardly they feel their personal safety threatened and desire to stop that threat. Do You Hear That  By : Maria Boomhower I read a report in the Toronto Star stated that 70% of workplace errors happen because of communication breakdown and that many of them directly relate to a lack of listening skills. The challenge is most people filter out sounds, noises and people talking as much as they filter out most of the things their eyes see. The Secret Of Overcoming Resistence To Change  By : Maria Boomhower Mahatma Gandhi stated that no one can oppress you more than you oppress yourself. I believe this to be true, especially when it comes to change. I have witnessed people, putting up with horrible conditions rather than change. And so, it is no wonder change is considered one of the most difficult things to deal with for a business. Narcissism in the Boardroom  By : Sam Vaknin The perpetrators of the recent spate of financial frauds in the USA acted with callous disregard for both their employees and shareholders - not to mention other stakeholders. Psychologists have often remote-diagnosed them as "malignant, pathological narcissists". The Narcissist in the Workplace  By : Sam Vaknin To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary Sources of Narcissistic Supply. Their role is to accumulate the supply (in human speak, remember events that support the grandiose self-image of the narcissist) and to regulate the Narcissistic Supply of the narcissist during dry spells (simply put, to adulate, adore, admire, agree, provide attention and approval and so on or, in other words, be an audience). The staff (or should we say "stuff"?) is supposed to remain passive. The narcissist is not interested in anything but the simplest function of mirroring. How to Succeed in Business  By : Halstatt Pires Every one has their own definition of success. My definition of success is to be happy while working at something I believe in and am passionate about. Here are six steps I use to achieve my definition of success. Magnificent Meetings - 5 Tips for Success  By : Peter Murphy Your impact at meetings will determine in a big way how well you do in your career. In other words you will rise as high as your communication skills will let you. Ability and competence in your position is expected - how well you get your point accross will make the difference between your opinion being valued and your input getting forgotten one more time. Lone Wolf -- Lead Wolf "The Evolution of Leadership"  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Times have changed, leadership has evolved. The days of the “Lone Wolf” leader at the top who dominates with power are gone. Successful privately held organizations have gone through the leadership evolutionary process. They understand that today’s leader must create change in the organization to meet the needs of their customers, to meet the needs of their employees and to meet the needs of their vendor partners. It involves a particular life cycle change. This change varies according to the generation of leadership Discretionary Energy  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Discretionary energy can be the difference between doing what is expected and performing in an outstanding manner. Consequently, our people skills and leadership skills play a paramount role in determining whether employees give freely of their discretionary energy. Does that mean that we must let the inmates run the asylum and do whatever they want to make them happy? Of course not. But, it does mean that we must utilize effective leadership skills in dealing with issues, problems and just day to day training, coaching and mentoring. B.O.S.S. Boisterous - Omnipotent - Self Indulgent- Sociopath  By : Dr. Rick Johnson People who attain positions of power, whether it is C.E.O., Vice President of Sales, C.O.O., Sales Manager, Branch Manager or another position of authority, reach these positions for a variety of reasons. The reasons are not always a result of competency and hard work; these positions are not always earned. Alternative reasons for being promoted to positions of power include: • Nepotism • Politics • Being in the right place at the right time • Personal relationships • Extraordinary suck-up behavior • Being the tallest in the land of midgets • Failure to recognize the “Peter’s Principl Are Employees Really Your Most Precious Asset?  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Listen carefully, if you don’t treat your employees like your most important asset --- Then they certainly will not act nor will they perform like your most important asset. And that means you are missing the greatest opportunity in the world to leverage talent in creating competitive advantage in your market place. Make no mistake, it is your employees that create core competencies and core competencies create competitive advantage. P.A.P. The basics of Pipeline Management  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Pipe Line Management is fundamentally, a time management problem. It begins with answering the following questions. • Are there alternatives to a sales person spending the majority of their time doing demand fulfillment tasks? • How much time should be spent on maintenance accounts? • How much time should be spent on prospecting? • Do you have a plan for account qualification? • What is your company’s value proposition? • What is your competitive advantage? • Do you have a penetration strategy? The A B C's of Scenario Planning  By : Dr. Rick Johnson There are a number of approaches to scenario planning, and they differ greatly based on the people doing the planning and the type of industry the planning is done for. Some of the best examples come from Citibank and Royal Dutch Shell and although the BASIC’s of each are the same the actual scenarios will be very different. Where Shell would be concerned with the Middle East cutting off oil supplies to one political entity or another while Citibank might be more concerned with Japan or the European economy going into a recession. Footprints to Success: The Five Priorities of Strategic Planning  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there. Effective Leaders Are Driven by a Model  By : Dr. Rick Johnson “Effective leaders are driven by a model. A model is a tool used to predict future outcomes of current decisions. Effective leaders build their models on the sum of their experiences, knowledge and deeds as well as their mistakes.” “Employees will not have faith in their leader until their leader shows faith in the employees” “Employees will not show respect for their leader until their leader shows respect for the employees” Eight Ways to Generate More Ideas in Groups  By : Discian We know that if we generate more ideas we have a better chance of finding better ideas. Your goals should be to have a variety of approaches to help stimulate idea creation in your repertoire. By doing this you will improve the overall quality of ideas by virtue of having more to choose from. Four Reasons to Set Group Goals Collaboratively  By : Discian We need set goals for our groups/teams or the larger organization. While we may instinctively know that we should include people in the creation of goals they will be working to achieve, too often the press of time and the lure of expediency leaves leaders setting the goals, and simply sharing them with those charged with achieving them. The Leadership Thought Provoker Checklist  By : Dr. Rick Johnson “The ideal leader is courageous, strong and persistent, wise – but what really separates him or her from the pack is passion and vision. It’s not enough to be skilled administrator or a world-class manager. No, to be a true leader, we need the passion of our dreams – and a vision of how to make them real. Passion and vision are transforming forces that will fail unless we fuse them into one powerful source for change. “Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric” R2 = EOC --- Recruitment & Retention = Employer of Choice  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Problems with staffing and retention may not be due to bad hires or a low unemployment rate. In fact, they may be related to poor management insight by not recognizing your employees as a core competency in your business strategy. Although employees may not fit the strictest definition of a core competency, it is a fact that your employees are the ones responsible for creating many of your core competencies. It is an undisputable fact that failure to recognize the importance of employee contributions will lead to failure regardless of your business strategy. Hey Mr. Manufacturer-- Distributors Are not Catfish  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Some manufacturers may think of their distributors in the same vernacular. They may believe distributors are slick, quick, and eager to feed on the almighty dollar. They say distributors "bottom-feed" on rebates, discounts and special promotions, preferring lowered prices (i.e., dead stinky bait) as opposed to the hard work of selling value. Manufacturers believe some distributors have grown large and lazy, demonstrating the "Cadillac and Boat" syndrome. "I have all I need, a Cadillac and my bass boat, so why break my neck trying to capture even more market share?" Success During Recessionary Times --- It Begins and Ends With Leadership  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Creating change, managing during turbulent times, or fostering growth in a recession all depends on a balance of this type of leadership. No one person can make a company successful. It takes a lot of people, but one person with a command of leadership can transfer enough influence, creating enough leadership amongst the management group to guarantee success. Getting Past Major Learning Barriers  By : Discian There are some common barriers that get in our way of being the most productive learners in training: we are forced to be there, we don’t see the learning as relevant or valuable, and we feel like we already know the material. While these barriers are real, there are things we can do to jump over or break through these barriers – to make the time invested in these situations more valuable and useful to us. Best Practices Plan: Dissemination of a Great Idea  By : Steve Singleton Your search for best practices must be continual, as you strive to strengthen what is weak, make what is good even better, and plug in what is best. You should also seek ways to adapt practices regarded as “best-in-class” to new situations and circumstances. The overall direction of your improvement journey is away from isolation toward interconnectedness, away from the static toward the dynamic, and away from top-down management toward the empowerment of all employees. Managing Employees Is A Little Like Herding Cats  By : Tim Knox Some business experts will tell you that managing people is an art. Others will tell you that managing people is a skill. I'm going to tell you that managing people is more like herding cats. Just when you think you have them all going in the same direction one will run off and you have to go catch it. And by the time you get back with the stray cat the rest of the herd has all gone off in different directions. It's no wonder most entrepreneur's hate cats. They remind us how little control we sometimes have on our employees. The Thick Line Between Buddy and Boss  By : Tim Knox I have made just about every business blunder you can imagine. I am like the Evel Knievel of the small business world, if Evel Knievel wrote a weekly column on motorcycle safety. One of the more unpleasant things I've had to do is fire a good friend who was not doing the job I hired him to do. He needed a job, I needed an employee, so I thought I would give him a shot. Are You Mentor Material?  By : Tim Knox Typically, there are three things every good mentor should have: time, patience, and a genuine desire to help another person succeed without expecting anything in return. If you have an abundance of those things, then being a mentor can be a highly rewarding experience. If not, please see the rubber plant reference. What Makes A Good Leader? Ask Uncle Sam  By : Tim Knox In a recent study conducted by the Army War College, subordinates of the major generals who are leading the war efforts in Iraq were asked to rate the performance of their superiors. Margin Management-----Using the Supplier Profitability Ratio to Hold Your Vendors Accountable  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Ultimately to create margin improvement, your entire sales team must have good judgment of market potential as it relates to margin improvement. They must be self disciplined and make intelligent decisions based on fact. Each territory manager must develop his own plan for profit improvement and be flexible on the implementation of that plan. They must be action oriented and customer driven and yet be extremely conscious of profitability objectives. Consultants Can Be Scary --Utilize the Discovery Analysis to Ease Your Fear of Using a Consultant  By : Dr. Rick Johnson Some consultants are so skilled at presentations and proposal writing that deliverables become very intangible and they are not measurable. If they are not measurable, accountability goes out the window. This alone can turn your consulting experience into a nightmare. The scope of the project may have a continuous creep that costs you more and more money. Deliverables should be clearly defined and documented. However, even if you have done your homework and feel you have clear expectations things can go wrong. Home Based Business vs. Family Time  By : Ron LeBlanc Ironically, most of us got into the home based business world because we wanted to have more time with family. So how is it that we sometimes have less time? Let’s take a look and see what can be done about it. The promise of having more time with family is one of the major attractions for a home based business, but time has to be carefully managed and guarded. If you are in a regular job working at least 40 hours per week, it can be tough. One thing that must be communic... Work At Home Moms Time Management Tips  By : Carrie Lauth "How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime for every time I heard that, I would be able to quit my home business. Just kidding. Seriously, time management is a serious issue for work from home Moms. You want your home business to be a success, but you don't want the rest of your responsibilities to fall by the wayside... especially your children, who are the reason you chose to work from home in the first place. While you're probably already doing some of the obvious thing... Scheduling Retail Employees  By : Darryl Gee Scheduling my team has always been one of my least favorite tasks as a retail manager. It’s tedious, it takes hours and even when I think I have it right, I probably don’t. What makes scheduling a challenge is that you are balancing the demands of individuals on your team with the demands of your business. This can be a very time consuming and frustrating. Lets say you complete a schedule which took you 2 hours to create. You have carefully made sure everyone has at least... Exploding Six Sigma Myths  By : Peter Peterka Six Sigma doesn't improve the customer experience. It may seem that Six Sigma turns the focus away from the customer because it is driven by data. In so many companies, quality improvement is driven by the latest customer complaint, or some manager's latest issue. This may seem like you are being responsive to the customers, but such an ad hoc and scatter-shot approach is inefficient and ultimately doomed to failure. The question you need to ask is what data is presented to t... Countering The False Notion That Six Sigma Is Elitist  By : Peter Peterka Too often, when people think of Six Sigma and black belts they see them as having an elitist connotation. The opinion that Six Sigma is elitist or that black belts are elitist, however, are false. In its purest form Six Sigma is a “way of life” for an organization serious about process improvement. It just happens to have certain characteristics that people like to throw stones at. That some people have come to believe this false notion is because they have misinterpreted the... Handling Problematic Physicians  By : Marshall Colt, Ph.D. Handling Problematic Physicians - discusses ways managers can deal with physicians who present difficult management situations in a medical practice or other health care setting. Critical Guidelines You Need to Know Before Hiring Anyone  By : CLTaylor We don't like to think about people doing harm to ourselves or others. The reality, however, is that we live in a country with one of the highest rates of financial crimes, including embezzlement, fraud, theft, etc. And, that's just the beginning. Six Sigma is About More Than Just Number Crunching  By : Peter Peterka Top executives who know only that Six Sigma is famous and popular have called for the implementation of Six Sigma programs, and, of course, want to see numbers. They may become very enamored with the copious numbers that Six Sigma produces. Unfortunately, they may not want to see more than just a series of reports and may not understand that Six Sigma is about so much more than crunching numbers and generating reports. Does Six Sigma Need to Have the Support of Upper Management  By : Peter Peterka Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of working where management does not fully realize or understand the value of investing the extra time and effort required for quality improvement? Such an experience is certainly not uncommon. You really know the value of upper management support if you are in a corporate climate that doesn’t support process improvement from the top on down. The Difference Between Typical Project Management and Six Sigma Project Management  By : Peter Peterka The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) became an accepted standard (as established by the Project Management Institute) that is still widely used in many industries around the world. At a basic level, many of the methodologies advocated by PMBoK and Six Sigma have a great deal in common. Both seek to establish a sound plan; identify and communicate with stakeholders; conduct regular reviews; and manage schedule, cost, and resources. Why Six Sigma Will Outlast Total Quality Management  By : Peter Peterka Six Sigma is not just a new term for Total Quality Management (TQM) . They have many similarities and are compatible in many business environments. TQM has brought great improvements and value to many companies. Six Sigma can do more. How Roman Abramovich Became a Billionaire at Age 34, and Why Most Managers Struggle  By : David Ferrers Roman Abromavich employs four key management techniques, these differentiate him from most managers. None of these is rocket science, but it takes character to employ them. Character that most managers fail to discover in themselves, but which is not hard to develop. The Wheel of Success  By : David Ferrers What can business learn from the way that sports coaches use of The Wheel of Success? How does this proven technique work? Why does it not always work in the business environment even when managers work so hard? What is the missing ingredient? Writing A Business Plan What Makes A Good One  By : William Siebler Writing a business plan can be a lot of hard work or it can be great fun. An effective plan can help your company to greatness. A poor one can lead you out of business. No plan is like asking to fail before you even start. Not every business needs a 200 page bound business plan. However every business needs to have some idea of where they want to go and how they are going to get there. This article covers some key insights into writing a business plan that get your busine... Elements of Timeless Leadership  By : Karin Syren Great leadership is timeless, always in vogue. The world has been hungry for great leaders from time immemorial. In times of chaos and war, environmental and social upheaval, great leaders often emerge pointing the way toward peace. In times of tranquility, calm and prosperity, great leaders have emerged to maintain the systems of order and to challenge apathy. The Fine Art Of Yelling  By : Darryl Gee Yelling is not for everyone, Coach Bill Belichek included. This is a skill that must be learned and used sparingly. Vince Lombardi, Bill Parcels were/are masters at it - their records speak for themselves. To be effective your team must know without a doubt that you have their best interest at heart. Get More - Using Recognition To Get Results  By : Darryl Gee The quickest way to get anyone to do anything is to simply ask, and the most effective way to get them to keep doing it is by providing some recognition. In poll after poll, survey after survey, employees say that they are motivated more by recognition, than by money. So why don’t we use this tool more often? [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]»	Publish for Free Sign Up For Free Learn More Authors and Writers Submit Articles Submission Guidelines Link to Us Member Login U Publish Store Publishers Article RSS Feeds Link to Us Contact Us More Link to Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Submission Guidelines Top Authors Popular Articles Article Aids We Recommend SubmitYourArticle iSnare Article Marketer Published.com Article Directories Word Count Utility Search U Publish by: Title Author Keyword

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