Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On June 12, 2009
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General leadership is always a task that moves an organization forward. But creating and leading a high performance team may increase retention, efficiency, and even profit. In an age when buzz words sometimes get more notice, let’s look at high performance (HP) teams and determine how to make that a reality instead of simply a popular term.
Leaders must first define what HP is. There are general leadership attributes that can be reached and exceeded by leaders at all levels and in all types of organizations. But the true definition of high performance leadership (HPL) is going to center on the organization, its needs, and the way it will become a leader in its field. For example, simply providing customer service is not a high performance attribute. But providing 100% customer satisfaction in every customer interaction is a HP standard, especially when that standard is measured and is part of accountability. So to begin creating a high performance team, determine what attributes create high performance at the individual, group, and organizational level. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On June 5, 2009
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Leadership is possible no matter where you are in an organization’s hierarchy. People in management and leadership positions had to start somewhere – and most of them got where they are by proving themselves as leaders before they were placed in a position to lead. But the difficult part is knowing what actions to take – and when. Here are five ideas that will help you create a leadership framework even if you aren’t the leader.
To begin with, learn to seek responsibility. This has two meanings. First, be on the lookout for responsibility higher than your own. In today’s environment, with shrinking staffs and budgets, many organizations need people who can take on further responsibility without looking for higher pay, more prestige, or even a higher position. This doesn’t mean that you should “sell out” or take on so much that your other duties will suffer. But it does mean that you should look for areas or subjects of interest and volunteer for projects or duties in those areas. Being on the lookout can also mean that you try to find ways to streamline processes or save money – and share those ways with management. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On May 29, 2009
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Leadership is a concept that is sometimes identified only with large organizations, but don’t be fooled by this assumption. Leaders are present in every organization, at every level, and this includes small business. As a small business leader, you are probably more visible and more accessible than leaders in a large company or organization, so your skills are being watched and emulated more closely. Leadership tools and actions span quite a bit of distance, but here are five important leadership tools for the small business.
First, try “planning proactively”. In small business, it’s easy to become reactive. After all, the ups and downs of small business can be much more tumultuous and emotional since they come on quickly and affect a smaller population. But that it is no reason to avoid making plans and being proactive about problem solving. Be honest with yourself and your team about what issues could be ahead. With this, you should know the pitfalls of small business and be aware of how you can solve some of the problems you might encounter. Involve your team in problem solving at every opportunity. This will give them a “stake” in your business and the chance to participate in planning sessions. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On May 22, 2009
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Today’s organizations are finding themselves in chaos more often. Layoffs, poor economic conditions, and structural changes are causing leaders to become caught up in confusion, too. But if you follow a few guidelines and make some changes to your style, you can lead the organization through the chaos.
One of the first things to remember in unclear situations is that you must continue to think proactively and be proactive. What do you do in normal times? You think about the organization, where it needs to go, what’s going to get it there, and what issues could be obstacles. Why think any differently during times of chaos? You still have to lead the organization according to its vision and goals, but the issues may be different. When conditions start to “head south”, keep your head and think about how the issues have changed. What are the new obstacles? How can the organization react in its new condition? Your attention will be pulled in a thousand different directions, but take some time each day or week to think about how to move forward. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On May 8, 2009
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<div id=”__ss_1389699″ style=”width: 425px; text-align: left;”><a style=”font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; display: block; margin: 12px 0pt 3px; text-decoration: underline;” title=”Developing A Culture Of Leadership – May 2008″ href=”http://www.slideshare.net/LeavesFX/developing-a-culture-of-leadership-2003?type=powerpoint”>Developing A Culture Of Leadership – May 2008</a><object width=”425″ height=”355″ data=”http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=developingacultureofleadership2003-090505133641-phpapp01&stripped_title=developing-a-culture-of-leadership-2003″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash”><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true” /><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always” /><param name=”src” value=”http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=developingacultureofleadership2003-090505133641-phpapp01&stripped_title=developing-a-culture-of-leadership-2003″ /><param name=”allowfullscreen” value=”true” /></object>
<div style=”font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;”>View more <a style=”text-decoration: underline;” href=”http://www.slideshare.net/”>presentations</a> from <a style=”text-decoration: underline;” href=”http://www.slideshare.net/LeavesFX”>Bryant Nielson</a>.</div>
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By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On November 8, 2008
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“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Secretary of State Colin Powell
I had a client call me, he was panicked. He just heard from his accountant that his business was about to fail. He was searching, no reaching for ideas on what to do. He outlined for me a number of problems he was facing. I asked him about the steps he had been taking in the past to address these issues and inquired about the results from those steps.
As he recounted the problems and his actions, it became clear to him and to me that his actions were not having any impact. He was dumbfounded by the conversation and his prior actions. He realized that the failure was in how he interpreted the situation.
At that point, he asked me if I had ever failed.
I shared with him a bit of my own story of failure. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On November 1, 2008
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Competency-based training attempts to utilize knowledge, skills, and abilities from actual job functions in the delivery of training. By following a few broad-based steps, you can implement competency-based training effectively.A competency is a set of knowledge, skills, or abilities (KSA’s) that a worker must use to function on the job.
In recent years, there has been a gradual movement to utilize competencies from job descriptions in training. This competency based training ensures that workers receive only the “need to know” information, versus “nice to know” information. To implement a competency-based approach, it is first necessary to ensure that job descriptions accurately reflect the broad competencies that are expected on the job. Once this foundation is complete, it is much easier to build a competency based training program.
The first step should be to assemble a group of working subject matter experts (SME’s) in the area to be trained. This group should be a mix of high performers, managers, and supervisors. The SME group should then be facilitated into identifying competencies for the group to be trained. Simply put, the SME group can take the business unit as a whole and decide what knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed to function in a particular set of jobs. For example, bank tellers may need competency in basic financial acumen, regulatory knowledge, systems, and customer service. (more…)
By Bryant Nielson, Managing Director On October 15, 2008
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Did you know, that if you have a turnover of just 10 employees it costs your company at least $80,000. With ongoing training, your employees are 70% less likely to leave within the first five years of employment.The reasons for training are to: Reduce Costs & Increase Profits
Anyone who has taken a business course knows that the quickest and easiest way to increase profits is to decrease cost. Many managers have lost sight about how much their business is suffering from not implementing simple strategies to help their business control costs. In fact, according to several studies, many managers have completely incorrect assumptions about the costs they incur from poor team management. Companies need help to get to the root of these issues making them more profitable. Training is the most cost effective strategy for uniform management, sales and profitability.
