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This picture shows what companies have to do to ensure a good quality in their products.

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operation control tools - Yahoo Image Search Results

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Automation has become very popular. This video is an example of how automation has been introduced little by little into companies and how they benefit the company with increases in production.

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The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

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In this pic, we can see two diagrams that explain what characteristics define position and personal power.

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personal and position power - Yahoo Image Search Results

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In this video is explained why the control system is so important for the innovation and success of a company.

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controlling system in management - Yahoo Video Search Results

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The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

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In this comic, we can see how the manager is not really motivating his employees. He think that giving orders to others to do his job will make him look like a great manager.

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motivating your teamwork comic - Yahoo Image Search Results

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This article talks about the different ways in which a manager can motivate his employees. This fact is very important since unmotivated employees means less production.

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People are the main and the most important resource of each company. For achieving great results each leader needs to have a motivation strategy to create and maintain the spirit of enthusiasm among employees. Below are 15 effective ways for you to motivate your staff and ensure the continuous growth of your organization.

1. Share the Organizational Vision With Each Member
If everyone is aware of the collective vision, which will lead to prosperity and success of each team member, motivation and enthusiasm become the indivisible parts of all activities. Make sure that you continuously concentrate the attention of your staff on the glory of reaching that powerful vision.

2. Communicate With Your Staff
You can't learn about ideas, attitude or concerns of your team members without constant communication. Use each opportunity to interact with them and you will discover hundreds of new ways of organizing your activities more successfully.

3. Make People Feel Appreciated
One of the greatest needs of each person is the need of being appreciated. Very often appreciation is a greater reward than money. Show your sincere gratitude for the unique contribution every one makes to the organization.

4. Support New Ideas
Each team member will feel empowered by the opportunity to not only implement day to day tasks, but as well as suggest new ideas and make them a reality. Give people a chance to take initiative and you will be amazed by their ability to create brilliant ideas.

5. Give Challenging Tasks
People can't grow if they are constantly doing what they have always done. Let them develop new skills by giving challenging tasks. At the same time make sure the tasks are reachable and in the frames of the person's interests.

6. Encourage Creativity
Supervising doesn't mean controlling each and every step. It means making sure that all the organizational activities are being implemented at the highest level. Give people the freedom to find their own unique ways of solving issues. Challenge them to think out of the box.

7. Give Each One Opportunities to Grow
If people know that everything is going to be the same way all the time, they will definitely lose the motivation to put their maximum efforts in work. They should be sure that the devotion and hard work will lead to new personal and professional achievements.

8. Empower Each Individual
Very often people need just a little encouragement to believe in themselves and to realize that they have a greater potential within. Always show your confidence in the unique abilities and potential of your team members.

9. Give as Much Support as You Can
Even if people in your organization are self-disciplined and creative enough for finding solutions to various problems, anyway they are always in need of your guidance. Support them as much as you can, and they will be inspired to do the same for you and for the organization.

10. Manage Each One Individually
Every person has their strengths and weaknesses. Someone may be amazing at public speaking, while the other one has great writing skills. Give people a chance to operate in the frames of their strengths, and they will be more confident and motivated in their activities.

11. Don't Let Your People Become Bored
Do you want your team to be enthusiastic and productive? Then avoid routine. Routine is the enthusiasm killer. Let people explore and discover. Make the work as interesting and engaging as you can.

12. Create Healthy Competition
For this purpose you can effectively use the famous reward system. People contribute their efforts and ideas to the maximum when they know that outstanding excellence will lead to rewards. Just make sure that the reward system is absolutely transparent to everyone.

13. Celebrate Each Success
Even the smallest achievements are worth being celebrated. The road to success consists of thousand small steps. Glorify each and every goal achieved. Show to your team that all of you made one more important step forward.

14. Make Sure There is a Good Working Environment
Research showed that environment is more important to employees than money. This is a great chance for you to create extra motivation for your staff by making the work environment a beautiful place to work, rest and have fun at the same time.

15. Create and Maintain a Team Spirit
Team is like a family, where mutual support and trust are the most important values. Organize team activities both during working time and after. You will have the half of success by creating and maintaining a powerful team spirit at the workplace.

Follow Anush at @anushkostanyan or contact her at anush.kostanyan@gmail.com.

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People are the main and the most important resource of each company. For achieving great results each leader needs to have a motivation strategy to create and maintain the spirit of enthusiasm among employees. Below are 15 effective ways for you to motivate your staff and ensure the continuous growth of your organization.

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To be a good and efficient coach, we need to have some great characteristics. As the whole course and our live have taught us, a team work, communication, be a great listener, among others.

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Sports League, Team, & Tournament Management Software Online by SI Play

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What defines a highly effective coach? At the top levels of sports, these are the individuals renowned for diligent strategies, efficient personnel management, excellent relationships with their players, and a quiet innovation that wins games and earns respect. Phil Jackson, Bill Walsh, John Wooden, Tony La Russa, and Bear Bryant immediately come to mind; Joe Maddon and Pete Carroll (his Super Bowl decision to pass instead run at the goal line notwithstanding) are beginning to establish themselves on this list as well.

On the youth sports level, effective coaches aren't defined by wins and losses, but by the development of and enjoyment felt by the kids they oversee. Despite the gap, elite coaches and successful rec volunteers have more in common than you might think. Often, both use excellent team management skills to achieve goals. You will never win 11 NBA titles, but you can lead a team of players who love the game, and whose parents keep requesting you as coach season after season. With that in mind, here are four team management habits of highly effective coaches:
1. They are organized
Effective team management doesn't necessarily mean bringing the perfect tactics to every game situation each time your players take the field, court, or ice. Especially with younger rec players, deep strategy is impossible-you're just happy when they kick the ball toward the right goal. But good organization helps when planning practices that the kids will enjoy and learn from, and having a backup plan if a drill just isn't working. Good organization also means securing the equipment you need from the league for your team, updating your team webpage , establishing practice schedules ahead of time (which, granted, might not always be in your control), and simply showing up on time and ready to coach. If you are scrambling out the door 15 minutes before practice with no idea what drills you will run, your team management will suffer.
2. They strive to improve
At the rec level, winning and losing should be secondary to learning the game and constantly improving. The team that finishes the season should look nothing like the team that seemed utterly lost during the first five minutes of the first practice. Players who feel they are improving will get more excited and more invested in improving more, and this excitement is infectious, encouraging other players and delighting parents. Tell your team one way it improved each week, and don't be shy about high-fiving players who make a clear skills leap.
3. They communicate
Coaches are responsible for dispensing a lot of information, but they also are often the targets of questions, mostly well-meaning, though occasionally angry. In this role, you must communicate effectively in order to keep your team management running smoothly. If a rules change comes down from the league , for example, you may be best positioned to explain it to your team's parents. Schedule changes, league-wide news, and other updates may be sent by admins, but when they also come from you, they carry more impact ( online league management software makes this easy ). Furthermore, good communication helps when parents do have a serious concern-the trust you have built in turn makes them more comfortable in opening a dialogue.
4. They keep perspective
Undeniably, winning games, advancing in the playoffs, and capturing league titles is terrific. But when that becomes the only goal, your team management is going to suffer because you could start ignoring all the other things that make you a great coach. As an example, consider 8-year-old baseball. At this age, players should be able to try a variety of positions. When winning dominates your thinking, your team management might shift to never letting your less coordinated players try the infield. Winning with integrity, losing with grace, and fun no matter what the outcome is the perspective highly effective coaches bring to every practice and game.

What habits of other coaches have you adopted and made you a better coach?

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4 Team Management Habits of Highly Effective Coaches

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What defines a highly effective coach? At the top levels of sports, these are the individuals renowned for diligent strategies, efficient personnel management, excellent relationships with their players, and a quiet innovation that wins games and earns respect. Phil Jackson, Bill Walsh, John Wooden,

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The first time I saw this model in the book, it made me have many doubts. It looked really complex and I searched on Internet for other easier model. Although, all of them were pretty similar, this model made me really understand it.

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Technical Details

Name(s): Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership
Author: Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton, and later, Arthur Jago
Classification: Contingency Theories
Year: Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton in 1973; Arthur Jago added to theory in 1988

Pro's

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership is highly flexible with respect to the choices a leader can make in effecting decisions. The range is from highly dictatorial to democratic.

The method has a mechanical procedure to arrive at a decision making process.

The idea of a procedure like this can be seen as "objective", that the results were not arrived at by a non-specific method.

Con's

It is questionable whether this model can be used in large groups.

The decision procedure may be too mechanical and note take into account subtleties in decision making, such as changing emotions and, for that matter change, in general.

The questions may not be precise enough and sufficiently contextual, as in "Is the quality of the decision important?" "Important to whom or what and in what time frame" are the questions.

Overview

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership focuses upon decision making as how successful leadership emerges and progresses. The parameters shaping a decision are quality, commitment of group or organization members, and time restrictions. There are a number of leadership styles ranging from authoritarian to highly participatory. In 1988, Vroom and Jago created a mathematical expert system as a decision-making device in their work Leadership and Decision Making. This addition of Jago renamed the original theory to the theory, with its variants being Vroom-Yetton, Vroom-Jago, and Vroom-Yetton-Jago.

Discussion

The central focus of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership is to assess how the nature of the group, leader, and situation determine the degree to which the group is to be included in the decision-making process. This is accomplished by a flowchart-style decision making procedure that arrives at a style of decision-making. These styles are autocratic, consultative, and group. The autocratic essentially is a dictator, taking her or his cue from Transactional Leadership methods, which, in essence say that the leader tells the group, "obey". The consultative approach has the leader going to the group for suggestions on how to carry out tasks. The "group" method of decision making is the most democratic, where the group ultimately makes the decision.

The theory states that there can be many styles of leadership and no one type fits all situations, thus making this a Contingency Theory. A leader sizes up a situation, assesses the situation facing the group, determines how much support the group will give to the effort, and then effect a style of leading. There is a mechanical process to do this involving seven questions and decision points. An interactive version of the model is provided below. I would however caution anyone who uses it to use good judgment with regards to the recommended style to use.

THE VROOM-JETTON-JAGO-DECISION MODEL

From this emerges a decision making style or leadership style, as indicated by the following. A leader asks what decision was made and how it was made, backtracking through the steps in making it and then to the original problem and how to solve it. The following is a standard chart displaying the range of decision-making modes.

Leadership Style

Description

Autocratic (A1)

Using an autocratic style of leadership, the leader will make the decision by himself or herself, using the information readily available.

Autocratic (A2)

Using a less stringent autocratic leadership style, the leader will consult the group members to gain more informations, then will make the decision himself or herself. The final decision may or may not be shared with the group.

Consultative (C1)

Using a consultative leadershi style, the leader will consult individuals to seek their opinion. The leader will make the decision himself or herself.

Consultative (C2)

Using a consultative leadership style, the leader will consult the group to seek individual opinions and suggestions. The leader will make the decision himself or herself.

Collaborative (G2)

Using a collaborative leadership style, the group will make the decision. The leader will play a supportive role to ensure that everyone agrees on the decision.

Critique

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership is quite mechanical, so mechanical that it may overlook subtleties, such as the psychological make-up of the leader, complexity of tasks, emotions of the group, vagueness of the terms (such as "importance" and "quality"), and dynamics. There is an issue with the validity of the model; it hasn't been tested adequately [1]. The force of decision maker is leader-oriented and there is inadequate attention paid to leader-led interactions. While there is a provision for decision-making ultimately for democratic participation, the emphasis is on decision-making and emanating initially from the leader.

Where is the provision that the group, itself, may want to initiate decision-making? Group dynamics can be quite complicated, and it is not always clear on how decisions should be made or whether one is required. Perhaps only a group interaction is needed.

While the model gives a specified decision-making procedure, there are situations in which there may not be enough time to apply the model, such as in emergencies or where there are other situations that constrain time. Further, not every leader is predisposed or wanting to have a decision-making method thrust upon them. It is true that a well-defined procedure can help and be presented as an objective method, but it may be deemed too mechanical and a "one size fits all" straightjacket.

Future of theory

The latter renditions of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership look more towards expert systems methods for applying it. Even newer techniques in artificial intelligence may be considered such as neural networks and fuzzy set theory. It is not inconceivable that there can be a complete automation of the theory. As with other theories validation becomes a concern, and the human behavior components of the theory may be validated by cognitive neuroscience techniques, among the major ones being brain scans.

Want to expand on the discussion?

We encourage you to expand on the discussion, add to the critique or even share your vision with regards to the future applications of the theory.

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The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership focuses upon decision making as how successful leadership emerges and progresses. The parameters shaping a decision are quality, commitment of group or organization members, and time restrictions. There are a number of leadership styles ranging from authoritarian to highly participatory.

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Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning are really important stages to ensure the future of their productivity.

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team development - Yahoo Image Search Results

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I posted this article because it really complements the information that is given in the book. Besides, it has a comparison chart that was a great help on the quiz.

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In an organization, the formation of groups is very natural, whether it is created by the management for the purpose of accomplishing the goals of the organization or by the members of the organisations themselves to fulfill their social needs. There are two types of group, namely, formal groups and informal groups. Formal groups are the ones that are created as per official authority, so as to fulfill the desired objective. Unlike, informal groups are formed by the employees as per their likes, interests, and attitudes.

The most common reason behind the creation of a group is the urge of people to talk and make their own circle, where they can interact freely, know each other, work unitedly and accomplish the tasks which are being assigned to them. In the given article, the difference between formal and informal groups are presented.

Content: Formal Groups Vs Informal Groups

Comparison Chart

Definition of Formal Group

A formal group is a collection of persons, who came together for achieving a specified goal. They are always created with intent to fulfil some official requirement. Formation of the group is done by the management. It possesses a systematic structure, in hierarchical form.

In general, the employees of the organisation are divided into groups, and a task is a hand over to each group. In this way, the task of the group is accomplished along with the fulfilment of organisational goals. The given are the types of formal groups:

Command groups: The groups that consist of managers and their subordinates.

Committees: The group of people who are appointed by an organisation, to resolve the matters, referred to them are known as Committee. For example Advisory Committee, Standing Committee, etc.

Task Forces: The group form to carry out a particular task is known as Task Forces.

Definition of Informal Groups

The groups that are created naturally, within the organisation, due to social and psychological forces are known as Informal groups. Under this group, the employees of the organisation, themselves enter into groups, without the approval of the management to satisfy their social needs on the job.

Nobody wants to live in isolation; people generally create a circle around themselves so that they can interact and share their feelings, opinions, experiences, information, etc. These circles are known as informal groups at the workplace. These groups are formed on the basis of common likes, dislikes, prejudices, contacts, language, interests, attitudes of the members. It includes interest group and friendship group. The communication is faster in such groups, as they follow grapevine chain.

There are no defined rules; that applies to the informal group. Moreover, the group possesses a loose structure. The bond between the members of the group is quite strong, which can be seen when one of the employees is kicked out of the job and all co-members his group goes on strike just to support him.

Key Differences Between Formal and Informal Groups

The following are the differences between formal and informal groups:

1. The groups formed by the management of the organisation for accomplishing a specific task are known as Formal Groups. The groups that are formed by the employees themselves as per their likes and prejudices is known as Informal Groups.

2. The formal groups are deliberately created by the organisation, whereas the informal groups are established voluntarily.

3. The formal groups are big in size as compared to an informal group. Moreover, there can be sub-groups in a single formal group.

4. The structure of a formal group is designed in a hierarchical manner while the informal group lacks structure or say it has no structure.

5. In a formal group, the position of a member defines its importance in the group, but in an informal group, every member is as important as any other member.

6. In a formal group, the relationship between the members is professional, they gather just to accomplish the task allotted to them. On the other hand, in an informal group, there is a personal relationship between members, they share their opinions, experiences, problems, information with each other.

7. In a formal group, the flow of communication is restricted due to the unity of command. In contrast to an informal group, the flow of communication stretches in all directions; there is no such restriction.

Conclusion

We generally enter into groups, without knowing that Which kind of group is it? From the above post, hope you have understood the differences between the two kinds of group. Sometimes the members of formal groups and informal groups are same. The basic distinguishing feature between the two is that formal groups are always formed with an objective, but when an informal group is created, there is no such kind of intention at all.

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Difference Between Formal and Informal Groups (with Comparison Chart) - Key Differences

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In an organization, the formation of groups is very natural, whether it is created by the management for the purpose of accomplishing the goals of the organization or by the members of the organisations themselves to fulfill their social needs. There are two types of group, namely, formal groups and informal groups.

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Communication is essential for the success of everything a person proposes. In a company communication is priority # 1, especially due to the fact that everything is based on teamwork. This image shows all the necessary components in a company for effective communication.

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organizational communication - Yahoo Image Search Results

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This diagram shows all the different functions of Human Resources. After I read the chapters of Module 6, I could learn that Human Resources do much more than hire people.

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human resources management - Yahoo Image Search Results

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Johnson & Wales Online - Over 100 years experience onlineeducation.jwu.edu Learn from industry leaders & earn your MS in Human Resource Management at JWU.

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Unfortunately, there are some companies that lack of organizational culture. This comic shows how  people start to blame others instead of improve their culture.

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Accountability vs. Responsibility vs. Authority 

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Accountability vs. Responsibility vs. Authority 

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The concepts of accountability, authority and responsibility can cause confusion in some people, including me. In this article, they compare and contrast these terms so that all the questions or confusions that a person could have disappear.

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These three terms are almost always confused, interchanged and usually poorly understood. In a recent interview about scaling businesses with Verne Harnish we talked through the differences between Accountability, Responsibility and Authority in some detail. Here's that info in more detail.

What some other 'experts' say

There are plenty of examples which conflict with each other and that I believe are completely incorrect and in a lot of cases the definitions totally conflict with themselves:

Paul Gillard, PhD & Rachel Radwinsky, PhD here think to be accountable is to be held culpable for your actions, even that "If you are responsible for something, you are also accountable". Below we argue that only one person should be accountable but not why you think

Consultant Sam Harrop here says that being accountable means that you have responsibility for the results. So along the same lines, if I had responsibility but was not accountable then the quality of the work is someone elses problem? Seems hard to argue.

The guys at Blue pea pod here seem to have responsibility right but define accountability as ownership of an outcome. I'd argue that ownership of an outcome is responsibility (see great video below)

Finally I found this article from the tomorrow lab that states that being accountable means that you are 'liable or answerable' for your actions. Again I'd say that this is confusing responsibility and accountability.

I don't mention these examples to particularly call them out, just to say that the words are almost always incorrectly defined.

Accountability

What is it?

First lets split this word in its two parts: Account|ability

Account - "A report or description of an event or experience" - Oxford dictionary

Ability - "Possession of the means or skill to do something" - Oxford dictionary

So combined 'Accountability' is literally the ability to report on events or experiences. This is the responsibility (in the sense defined below) to monitor, i.e. to count. The job of being accountable for something should be assigned to a single individual who's duty it is to monitor a specific task, process, service or KPI.

Why only one person?

Just to be 100% clear, only one person should be accountable per task, process, service or KPI. If you have more than one person who is accountable then each person will assume that the other is keeping count and most cases this will lead to nobody keeping count.

With one person accountable for something it's their job to keep an eagle eye on it.

How is it misunderstood?

One of the most common mistakes is to believe that this means that the person who is accountable is the person who will be blamed if things go wrong (These are called consequences). In common culture it's mistaken as "an unspoken desire for more consequences (i.e., reward for achievement and punishment for failure)".

Where does the confusion arise from?

Well popular media, politicians and journalists. Using the phrase "I take complete accountability" within the context that they are willing to accept the consequences of their poor decisions.

"We talk about it to give it voice. The person accountable is not boss doesn't mean they know it all, do it all. You know almost any decision in the world, it's better if you get a lot of peoples input.

But [tweetable alt=""]their job is to scream, and scream and scream loud. If something's going wrong." @TheGrowthGuy[/tweetable]

Example

A software business has a ticket system to monitor support queries. Jenny is accountable for the support queue length and the average time it takes to resolve a ticket. If the queue goes over a certain length or ticket response time goes down she must let those who have responsibility (probably the support manager or her boss) know.

Lets think about that. Jenny is 'accountable' that means she has to monitor the queue. I've seen this in organisations where either there is no definition of who is accountable or if there are multiple people, it doesn't work. It has to be one person.

Responsibility

What is it?

This is the duty and ability to respond or take action. Giving someone responsibility for a task, task, process, service or KPI means that it is the role of that person(s) to do the task. It can be assigned to multiple people.
This great video from Active Nation covers it off responsibility very nicely

How is it misunderstood?

Actually this one isn't too bad. Most people get it. If you're responsible for doing something and you don't then you've failed.

Example

Following the example of the software company. It is the responsibility of the support agents to respond to the support tickets.

Note you might need authority to respond, see below..

Authority

What is it?

This one is pretty easy, it's "the power or right to give orders or make decisions". Many people can have it and usually there's someone at the top, the CEO/board of directors or shareholder who has/have the highest level of authority.

How is it misunderstood?

This one is usually crystal clear. However, some organisations do not clearly indicate who has/doesn't have authority which can make taking decisions quite difficult.

Example

In the example of the software company support team, an agent might have the authority to change a users price plan but it's possible only the duty manager has the authority to offer a refund.

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Stop confusing: Accountability vs. Responsibility vs. Authority! - TightShip

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These three terms are almost always confused, interchanged and usually poorly understood. In a recent interview about scaling businesses with Verne Harnish we talked through the differences between Accountability, Responsibility and Authority in some detail. Here's that info in more detail.

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This image summarizes the different types of departmentalization. The textbook covers too much information about the advantages and disadvantages of each. For this reason, this image would be easier to use when identifying the departmentalization mode.

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types of departmentalization management - Yahoo Image Search Results

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The Importance of Good Organizing Skills 

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The Importance of Good Organizing Skills 

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Organizing is fundamental to the success of a business. In this article they talk to us disaggregated about the advantages of organizing. A good structure needs a good organization to be able to surpass the goals of productivity, efficiency, among others.

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People who are super organizers -- they're often easy to spot at business meetings: they're the ones who check their electronic organizer and, if you really want to know, they can tell you exactly what appointments they had yesterday, what assignments they have due today (and at what time) and what's on tap for tomorrow. Just don't try to speak to them while they're updating their calendar or they might get snappy. They prefer to stay focused on one task at a time, and have always viewed the trend toward multitasking as one of the most misguided concepts they've ever heard of. These "uber organizers" make setting priorities look effortless -- but in truth -- it took time, commitment and discipline to hone their organizational skills. They'd probably freely admit that nobody is a "born organizer;" it's an acquired skill, and one that requires steady nurturing. This admission should come as good news to disorganized small business owners, especially when you consider that 10 dividends can flow directly from this one powerhouse ability.

Organization Breeds Efficiency

Call it "time management," if you prefer that term to that of "efficiency," but since organized people have developed many good habits, they tend to "work smarter." Small business owners may decry that they "never have enough time in the day." But organized small business owners know how to make the most of the time that they do have on the clock.

Photo Credits

file folders image by CraterValley Photo from Fotolia.com

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The Importance of Good Organization Skills

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People who are super organizers -- they're often easy to spot at business meetings: they're the ones who check their electronic organizer and, if you really want to know, they can tell you exactly what appointments they had yesterday, what assignments they have due today (and at what time) and what's on tap for tomorrow.

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Basic of the Strategic Planning Process 

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Basic of the Strategic Planning Process 

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The language found in the textbook can be confusing for some people. However, I liked this guide because it condenses the information in a simple way and really helped me a lot when it comes to doing the SWOT assignment.

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Phase 3: Strategic Plan Development

Want More? Deep Dive Into the "Build Your Plan" How-To Guide.

Action Grid

*To access the worksheets under "Tools & Techniques" please refer to our Strategic Planning Kit for Dummies.

Step 1: Use Your SWOT to Set Priorities

If your team wants to take the next step in the SWOT analysis, apply the TOWS Strategic Alternatives Matrix to help you think about the options that you could pursue. To do this, match external opportunities and threats with your internal strengths and weaknesses, as illustrated in the matrix below:

TOWS Strategic Alternatives Matrix

External Opportunities (O)

External Threats (T)

Internal Strengths (S)

SO Advantage Strategies: Strategies that use strengths to maximize opportunities.

ST Protective Strategies: Strategies that use strengths to minimize threats.

Internal Weaknesses (W)

WO Conversion Strategies: Strategies that minimize weaknesses by taking advantage of opportunities.

WT Defensive Strategies: Strategies that minimize weaknesses and avoid threats.

*To access the worksheets under "Tools & Techniques" please refer to our Strategic Planning Kit for Dummies.

Evaluate the options you've generated, and identify the ones that give the greatest benefit, and that best achieve the mission and vision of your organization. Add these to the other strategic options that you're considering.

Step 2: Define Long-Term Strategic Objectives

Long-Term Strategic Objectives are long-term, broad, continuous statements that holistically address all areas of your organization. What must we focus on to achieve our vision? What are the "big rocks"?

Questions to ask:

Outcome: Framework for your plan - no more than 6

Step 3: Setting Organization-Wide Goals and Measures

Once you have formulated your strategic objectives, you should translate them into goals and measures that can be clearly communicated to your planning team (team leaders and/or team members). You want to set goals that convert the strategic objectives into specific performance targets. Effective goals clearly state what, when, how, and who, and they are specifically measurable. They should address what you need to do in the short-term (think 1-3 years) to achieve your strategic objectives. Organization-wide goals are annual statements that are specific, measurable, attainable, responsible and time bound. These are outcome statements expressing a result expected in the organization.

What is most important right now to reach our long-term objectives?

Outcome: Clear outcomes for the current year.

Step 4: Select KPIs

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are the key measures that will have the most impact in moving your organization forward. We recommend you guide your organization with measures that matter.

How will we measure our success?

Outcome: 5-7 measures that help you keep the pulse on your performance. When selecting your Key Performance Indicators, begin by asking "What are the key performance measures we need to track in order to monitor if we are achieving our goals?" These KPIs include the key goals that you want to measure that will have the most impact in moving your organization forward.

Step 5: Cascade Your Strategies to Operations

Cascading action items and to-dos for each short-term goal is where the rubber meets the road - literally. Moving from big ideas to action happens when strategy is translated from the organizational level to the individual. Here we widen the circle of the people who are involved in the planning as functional area managers and individual contributors develop their short-term goals and actions to support the organizational direction. But before you take that action, determine if you are going to develop a set of plans that cascade directly from the strategic plan, or instead if you have existing operational, business or account plans that should be synced up with organizational goals. A pitfall is to develop multiple sets of goals and actions for directors and staff to manage. Fundamentally, at this point you have moved from planning the strategy to planning the operations; from strategic planning to annual planning. That said, the only way strategy gets executed is to align resources and actions from the bottom to the top to drive your vision.

Questions to Ask

Outcome:

Department/functional goals, actions, measures and targets for the next 12-24 months

Step 6: Cascading Goals to Departments and Team Members

Now in your Departments / Teams, you need to create goals to support the organization-wide goals. These goals should still be SMART and are generally (short-term) something to be done in the next 12-18 months. Finally, you should develop an action plan for each goal. Keep the acronym SMART in mind again when setting action items, and make sure they include start and end dates and have someone assigned their responsibility. Since these action items support your previously established goals, it may be helpful to consider action items your immediate plans on the way to achieving your (short-term) goals. In other words, identify all the actions that need to occur in the next 90 days and continue this same process every 90 days until the goal is achieved.

Examples of Cascading Goals:

1 Increase new customer base.

1.1 Reach a 15% annual increase in new customers. (Due annually for 2 years)

1.1.1 Implement marketing campaign to draw in new markets. (Marketing, due in 12 months)

1.1.1.1 Research the opportunities in new markets that we could expand into. (Doug) (Marketing, due in 6 months)

1.1.1.1.1 Complete a competitive analysis study of our current and prospective markets. (Doug) (Marketing, due in 60 days)

1.1.1.2 Develop campaign material for new markets. (Mary) (Marketing, due in 10 months)

1.1.1.2.1 Research marketing methods best for reaching the new markets. (Mary) (Marketing,due in 8 months)

*To access the worksheets under "Tools & Techniques" please refer to our Strategic Planning Kit for Dummies.

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Basics of the Strategic Planning Process

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Want More? Deep Dive Into the "Build Your Plan" How-To Guide. Action Grid *To access the worksheets under "Tools & Techniques" please refer to our Strategic Planning Kit for Dummies. If your team wants to take the next step in the SWOT analysis, apply the TOWS Strategic Alternatives Matrix to help you think about the options that you could pursue.

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Although the brainstorming process can be very effective when making decisions, it also tends to be very exciting. For this reason, I decided to look for an image that would show how many people feel during this process (including myself). This image clearly explains that feeling of knowing, but being afraid to say, and thinking again and again until you have a good idea.

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Seeing the decision tree shown in the textbook gave me the curiosity to learn how they are made. In my search, I found this page which explains in a clear and simple way the process to make a decision tree and analyze it.

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Decision Trees are excellent tools for helping you to choose between several courses of action.

They provide a highly effective structure within which you can lay out options and investigate the possible outcomes of choosing those options. They also help you to form a balanced picture of the risks and rewards associated with each possible course of action.

Drawing a Decision Tree

You start a Decision Tree with a decision that you need to make. Draw a small square to represent this towards the left of a large piece of paper.

From this box draw out lines towards the right for each possible solution, and write that solution along the line. Keep the lines apart as far as possible so that you can expand your thoughts.

At the end of each line, consider the results. If the result of taking that decision is uncertain, draw a small circle. If the result is another decision that you need to make, draw another square. Squares represent decisions, and circles represent uncertain outcomes. Write the decision or factor above the square or circle. If you have completed the solution at the end of the line, just leave it blank.

Starting from the new decision squares on your diagram, draw out lines representing the options that you could select. From the circles draw lines representing possible outcomes. Again make a brief note on the line saying what it means. Keep on doing this until you have drawn out as many of the possible outcomes and decisions as you can see leading on from the original decisions.

An example of the sort of thing you will end up with is shown in figure 1:

Once you have done this, review your tree diagram. Challenge each square and circle to see if there are any solutions or outcomes you have not considered. If there are, draw them in. If necessary, redraft your tree if parts of it are too congested or untidy. You should now have a good understanding of the range of possible outcomes of your decisions.

Evaluating Your Decision Tree

Now you are ready to evaluate the decision tree. This is where you can work out which option has the greatest worth to you. Start by assigning a cash value or score to each possible outcome. Estimate how much you think it would be worth to you if that outcome came about.

Next look at each circle (representing an uncertainty point) and estimate the probability of each outcome. If you use percentages, the total must come to 100 percent at each circle. If you use fractions, these must add up to 1. If you have data on past events you may be able to make rigorous estimates of the probabilities. Otherwise write down your best guess.

This will give you a tree like the one shown in figure 2:

Calculating Tree Values

Once you have worked out the value of the outcomes, and have assessed the probability of the outcomes of uncertainty, it is time to start calculating the values that will help you make your decision.

Start on the right hand side of the decision tree, and work back towards the left. As you complete a set of calculations on a node (decision square or uncertainty circle), all you need to do is to record the result. You can ignore all the calculations that lead to that result from then on.

Calculating The Value of Uncertain Outcome Nodes

Where you are calculating the value of uncertain outcomes (circles on the diagram), do this by multiplying the value of the outcomes by their probability. The total for that node of the tree is the total of these values.

In the example in figure 2, the value for "new product, thorough development" is:

Figure 3 shows the calculation of uncertain outcome nodes:

Note that the values calculated for each node are shown in the boxes.

Calculating the Value of Decision Nodes

When you are evaluating a decision node, write down the cost of each option along each decision line. Then subtract the cost from the outcome value that you have already calculated. This will give you a value that represents the benefit of that decision.

Note that amounts already spent do not count for this analysis - these are "sunk costs" and (despite emotional counter-arguments) should not be factored into the decision.

When you have calculated these decision benefits, choose the option that has the largest benefit, and take that as the decision made. This is the value of that decision node.

Figure 4 shows this calculation of decision nodes in our example:

In this example, the benefit we previously calculated for "new product, thorough development" was $420,400. We estimate the future cost of this approach as $150,000. This gives a net benefit of $270,400.

The net benefit of "new product, rapid development" was $31,400. On this branch, we, therefore, choose the most valuable option, "new product, thorough development", and allocate this value to the decision node.

Result

By applying this technique we can see that the best option is to develop a new product. It is worth much more to us to take our time and get the product right, than to rush the product to market. It is better just to improve our existing products than to botch a new product, even though it costs us less.

Key Points

Decision trees provide an effective method of Decision Making because they:

Clearly lay out the problem so that all options can be challenged.

Allow us to analyze fully the possible consequences of a decision.

Provide a framework to quantify the values of outcomes and the probabilities of achieving them.

Help us to make the best decisions on the basis of existing information and best guesses.

As with all Decision Making methods, decision tree analysis should be used in conjunction with common sense - decision trees are just one important part of your Decision Making toolkit.

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Decision Tree Analysis: Choosing by Projecting "Expected Outcomes"

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Decision Trees are excellent tools for helping you to choose between several courses of action. They provide a highly effective structure within which you can lay out options and investigate the possible outcomes of choosing those options. They also help you to form a balanced picture of the risks and rewards associated with each possible course of action.

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This cartoon seemed curious to me since it can be clearly seen that the manager is not following at all the process required to make a decision but he leaves everything to chance. It is unfortunate, but this situation is seen in some companies.

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Implementing Strategies to Achieve Organizational Objectives 

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Implementing Strategies to Achieve Organizational Objectives 

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Dustin Teske, a product manager, talks to us about how we should take risks and not feel afraid of change or of the future in order to achieve the objectives that the company proposes.

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Implementing Strategies to Achieve Organizational Goals

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Five Challenges for International Projects 

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Five Challenges for International Projects 

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When a company decides to expand its business abroad, it is not an easy task. This project requires a large investment and is full of challenges and difficulties. This article talks about five of the most common challenges faced by people who take their business to other parts of the world.

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The world of work has shrunk significantly in the last 20 years and it is now very common to be working with overseas partners on projects. This could be as part of an outsourcing arrangement, or through the offshoring model, which is common in organizations that require 'follow the sun' financial transaction processing or telephone support. Of course, your company may have divisions scattered around the world as well; international projects don't always involve third parties.

For project managers, this means that there are different types of stakeholders involved in projects. A project to deploy new financial software may touch in-house staff in a number of countries plus several third party suppliers who provide niche services. Managing international projects can be hugely interesting and rewarding, but they are also a challenge. Here are five things to look out for on international projects.

1. Language

It may seem obvious, but if you are working across borders, it is unlikely that your project team will all speak the same language. Here at Ten Six Consulting, we work with partners in England on a regular basis, and even between US and UK English there are differences that sometimes need explaining. The problem of a common language is far greater if you are working with colleagues who do not routinely work in your language.

At the beginning of a project it is worth specifying what will be the main working language of your project. In projects led from an English speaking country it does not have to be English for everything. Your enterprise project management tool may have interfaces in several languages. The team abroad can enter their timesheet data and interact with menus in their own language while keeping the 'official' language of project documents as English.

Be considerate to members of the team who are not working in their native language. Minimize jargon, and make your spoken and written language clear.

2. Time

Different cultures have different interpretations of time, and for some, milestones are just a guide. You may value punctuality, but other team members may not have the same view of when a meeting is supposed to start. The only way to manage this is to have frank conversations with everyone involved, spelling out what the potential challenges might be and asking for collaborative solutions to dealing with them. It is better to have these conversations early than spend a lot of time hanging around on conference calls waiting for the others to turn up.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

The role of the project manager might be very well respected in your own country, but your role may not be understood elsewhere. Colleagues in countries where companies have very hierarchical structures may not take direction from you because they may not see you (or your role) as very important. Equally, they may not have received much guidance about how their project responsibilities fit with their day job.

Unfortunately, you are more likely to uncover this challenge once you have started working on the project, so your action plan is really to deal with a problem that has already happened. Talk to your own manager, and colleagues who have experience in working with the overseas team. You could also engage the local managers who can help set expectations with their teams about the project, their role and your role in it.

4. Tools

Make the most of the software available to you. Some tools have instant messaging capabilities. One company we know works frequently with Skype. This type of technology means that you can be connected to your team members even if you aren't working in the same room as them. However, they work best when the time difference is not more than a couple of hours. Working with someone who is 10 or 12 hours behind you can be far more of a challenge. How can you ever speak to them in the working day?

Tools like blogs and wikis that enable asynchronous working are valuable in these situations. You can also record presentations or conference calls and make these available later. Think creatively about the problems you have to solve and then use technology appropriately.

5. Virtual Teams

We've touched on virtual teams above, and this is probably the single greatest challenge for project managers. Managing virtual teams is difficult and it takes a lot of commitment from everyone involved. You have to be even better at documentation, knowledge sharing and team building than when you have everyone in the same room. Being alert to the challenges of virtual teams is the first step to identifying methods to help keep your team on track.

We have a lot to learn from other cultures and working with international teams can be one of the most rewarding parts of project management. If you look at the benefits of working on international projects, these challenges are all just part of the rich experience that results from a shrinking work environment.

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Five Challenges For International Projects

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The world of work has shrunk significantly in the last 20 years and it is now very common to be working with overseas partners on projects. This could be as part of an outsourcing arrangement, or through the offshoring model, which is common in organizations that require 'follow the sun' financial transaction processing or telephone support.

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I attached this cartoon because it shows how some people (in this cartoon an animal) refuse to reward foreign practices for the simple fact of being different from theirs. This defines one of the managerial attitudes toward foreign operations. Ethnocentric attitude reflects the belief that multinational corporations should regard home-country management practices as superior to foreign-country management practices.

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Domestic vs.  International vs. Global Companies

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Domestic vs.  International vs. Global Companies

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I liked this article because it compares domestic, international and global companies. In this way, the investor and / or business people can see the pros and cons of each type when extending their business.

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Globalization of the business community poses complex issues for fundamental analysis. In order to understand a company's fundamentals, an investor should first determine what accounting rules might have been used to compile reports and whose laws define the company's governance practices. From the perspective of an investor in the United States, there are 3 broad categories of companies, each subject to different legal and accounting regimes:

Domestic firms operate mostly or completely within the United States. They may import supplies or export products, but these activities normally represent a comparatively small share of total business activity. Domestic companies are typically governed by U.S. securities laws. Their financial reports are normally constructed according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

International firms are headquartered in the United States but maintain significant investments outside the country and have geographically diverse profit centers. U.S. operations and parent company governance are typically determined by U.S. laws, and parent company accounting normally follows GAAP. But non-U.S. subsidiaries may be governed according to policies dictated by their host countries. Accounting structures in many jurisdictions outside the United States are determined by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Any specific differences in accounting or governance between foreign subsidiaries and U.S. parent companies should be disclosed in the parent-company financial reports.

Global firms have significant investments and profit centers in many countries, with no single center of dominance. Governance rules for global firms are generally determined by the laws of the official domicile of the parent company. Some global firms create financial statements according to GAAP for U.S. investors, but more commonly, primary parent-company reports adhere to IFRS.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): A new approach to disclosure

The International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) is rooted in the drive to build a common, standardized international financial infrastructure that grew out of World War II. It took official multinational form when the European Union dictated IFRS as its common accounting standard in 2002, and has since been designated as the theoretical accounting framework by more than 100 countries. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a move to adopt IFRS standards in this decade. With that in mind, here is a brief overview of key similarities and differences for a U.S. investor:

Financial statements prepared under GAAP and SEC rules in the United States and those prepared under IFRS elsewhere may appear generally similar and use the same terminology. However, there will be many detail differences. For example, the layout and format of public company reports are determined by detailed SEC regulations, so most such reports tend to look the same. IFRS reports, by contrast, may differ significantly as long as they include required information. IFRS reports may also provide greater detail about prior-period results.

Interim financial reports created under IFRS generally allow fewer kinds of costs to be deferred from one period to another.

Guidelines for consolidation of subsidiaries under GAAP allow the determination to be based on controlling financial interests. Under IFRS, however, the determination may be based on whether the parent entity has the power to control the subsidiary.

Inventory cost under GAAP may differ significantly from cost under IFRS. GAAP allows valuation based on last-in, first-out accounting. IFRS bars that practice. GAAP allows inventory to be valued at market value; IFRS relies instead on net realizable value. GAAP does not allow inventory write-downs to be reversed, while IFRS permits the practice if the reason for the impairment no longer exists.

Extraordinary items, that is, items that are unusual or infrequent, may be reported separately under GAAP but not under IFRS.

Minority interests may be accounted for as a component of equity under IFRS, but as a liability under GAAP.

Rules for revenue recognition differ in many important but arcane details, so that total revenue for a company under IFRS may be noticeably different than it would be under GAAP.

GAAP has served as the framework for financial accounting in the United States for decades. Many elements of GAAP evolved from cases brought by companies or industries seeking differentiated treatment for their circumstances. IFRS has a much shorter history of case law, and so has had fewer opportunities to develop exceptional treatment issues. Investors who need to take action based on IFRS reports may need to monitor the evolution of IFRS case law as carefully as they now read new financial accounting standards issued by U.S. authorities.

Next steps to consider

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Domestic vs. International vs. Global Companies - Fidelity

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Globalization of the business community poses complex issues for fundamental analysis. In order to understand a company's fundamentals, an investor should first determine what accounting rules might have been used to compile reports and whose laws define the company's governance practices.

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The Transformational Power of Multinational Businesses

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The Transformational Power of Multinational Businesses

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I chose this video because in this TED Talk, Colin Mayer, a professor from Oxford explain the process of turn a business international and the advantages of this big movement.

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The transformational power of multinational business | Colin Mayer | TEDxEastEnd

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7 Ways to Promote Diversity in the Workplace

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7 Ways to Promote Diversity in the Workplace

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I found this article very interesting because I talked in detail about great ideas that can be used to promote diversity. Donna Maria Blancero says, " Once people got to work, they felt pretty isolated. The word gets out, and the company suffers because minorities avoid applying.”

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Big names like Google, Facebook and Twitter have openly admitted a lack of workforce diversity -- and their intent to ramp up recruitment efforts and change the landscape of Silicon Valley. But what happens once the hiring is over? Will the company culture prove inclusive enough to make people want to stay?

Tough questions like these challenge a generation that insists there are no differences when it comes to various groups, says Bentley University professor Donna Maria Blancero, coordinator of the course Human Behavior and Organizations. "They're very different from baby boomers in regard to the number of minorities they've been exposed to, but the inclusion piece is the same. We still have people self-segregating and they don't even realize that they're making assumptions or avoiding people."

Professor Marcus Stewart agrees. "The problem is, companies hire for diversity but then have a culture that rewards and promotes conformity."

Companies hire for #diversity but then have a culture that rewards/promotes #conformity, says prof.

Stewart, who teaches the course, strives to create a classroom culture that defies that. Students are placed on diverse teams for cases and situations where people are different in all kinds of ways: generation, countries, majors, colleges.

"It's not easy to work with people when you don't understand where they're coming from," he says. "But if your goal is to truly accomplish the task at hand, you will learn that each person has something useful to contribute."

Strategies to Promote Inclusiveness

Blancero's research on isolation with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs uncovered lots of excitement about hiring people of color, including strong recruitment efforts and salaries; but that's just the beginning. "Once people got to work, they felt pretty isolated. The word gets out, and the company suffers because minorities avoid applying."

Here are seven strategies to avoid this kind of fallout:

1. Acknowledge Differences
It's OK -- and necessary -- to admit that people are different from one another, whether it be race, gender, religion or even personality and management style.

"Don't feel guilty," says Stewart. "Be thankful you're aware so that moving forward, you can minimize the incidence of discriminatory behavior and decision making."

2. Offer Implicit Bias Training -- for Everyone
No matter how open and bias-free we think we are, judgments are often engrained because of socialization and life experiences. Implicit bias training helps create a safe place to raise awareness of unconscious attitudes, and teaches tools to help change behaviors. Harvard hosts an online Implicit Association Test that anyone can take.

3. Provide Mentors
Connect underrepresented employees with internal and external mentors in their group to provide support and promote growth. Encourage participation in appropriate professional organizations.

4. Let People Learn by Doing
If you're a CEO with only one female engineer, you don't have an opportunity to put her on a team with other women, says Blancero; but you can offer her a leadership role so her success will speak for itself and open male minds.

"Having people act 'out of the norm' is often more powerful than trying to unearth deeply held attitudes because now you have objective evidence that is a more direct and more likely to change attitudes," she says.

And be mindful of the potential added stress of minorities feeling they have to prove themselves.

5. Encourage Personal Evaluation
In executive training, Blancero asks people to look at their LinkedIn network or Facebook friends and calculate the overall diversity to open up your mind. If all the senior people in your network are men, does it imply that you think women are not leaders? "Reviewing your contacts is something you can do privately and nobody has to see it. You get a window into your behavior."

6. Ask Questions
Whether you're hiring, firing or promoting, ask yourself, "If this person's social identities were different, would I still be doing the same thing?" Female or minority managers, for example, will often have a different set of etiquette than their male counterparts.

7. Value All Diversity
"You have perspectives that no one else has," shares Stewart. "You are part of that tapestry that adds value. Inclusive means that everybody can have a place and a voice on projects and goals."

Diversity Lessons from Rudolph

Stewart warns that your implicit attitude is often in conflict with your explicit attitude. "By the time we're adults and we've had education and experiences, our explicit attitude is likely to be nondiscriminatory and inclusive; we've learned to value diversity. But if you're under duress or preoccupied, that's when the implicit attitude -- engrained at some undetermined age -- rises to the surface and becomes influential."

Given the dual attitude theory, his goal for students is to raise awareness of implicit attitudes, learn how to build mechanisms to compensate and explore the value of a diverse workplace. He falls back on the classic Christmas story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to raise pertinent questions:

Rudolph was ostracized, marginalized and excluded because his bright, red nose was something the other reindeer had never seen before. Then there's this one night and an amazing storm with the worst of conditions when Santa realizes that Rudolph has something different that's valuable.

If you were Rudolph -- excluded from all training and having never been in the reins -- would you accept the job? And, if you did, could you possibly be prepared to succeed?

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7 Ways to Promote Diversity in the Workplace

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Big names like Google, Facebook and Twitter have openly admitted a lack of workforce diversity -- and their intent to ramp up recruitment efforts and change the landscape of Silicon Valley. But what happens once the hiring is over? Will the company culture prove inclusive enough to make people want to stay?

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Negative Effects of Diversity in the Workplace 

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Negative Effects of Diversity in the Workplace 

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In the discussion we talked about the advantages of diversity in the workplace. However, we can not just ignore the negative side. For this reason, look for information about the disadvantages that diversity can cause at work.

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Negative Effects of Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity in the workplace is generally regarded as a positive for companies that manage it effectively. However, a workforce that has significant differences in ethnicity, race, religion, gender and other individual traits can produce negative effects, especially if not well-managed. These negative effects of diversity are understandable if the work culture does not support tolerance and acceptance of differences.

Communication Barriers

When you build a workforce with employees from different cultures and countries, you increase the number of communication filters and language barriers that impact internal and external communication processes. Work cultures that are more heterogeneous usually find communication easier because employees do not have to work as hard to overcome language and culture issues. Some larger organizations hire interpreters and diversity trainers to help employees work through communication challenges of diversity.

Cultural Resistance

In "Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions," in The Multicultural Advantage, Josh Greenberg, president of employee-survey firm AlphaMeasure in Boulder, Colorado, points out that resistance to change is common in workplaces. When companies become more diverse, it changes the relationships and nature of the workplace. These changes can cause stress among employees and contribute to negative working relationships and poor workplace morale, if not well-planned and managed. Training employees about diversity is important if it will effect their work roles and processes.

Discrimination Issues

Often, companies that intentionally hire a diverse workforce have human resources processes in place to manage diversity. However, companies that slowly become diverse without a strategic plan may find more discrimination between managers and subordinates and between employees. Consider that discrimination is unfair treatment of someone because of distinguishing traits. Naturally, if you have a diverse workforce there is more opportunity for discrimination since diversity is based on distinguishing traits among workers.

Increased Costs

In his recommended steps to effective diversity management, Greenberg includes diversity assessment, development and implementation of diversity workplace plans and various approaches to diversity training. All of these processes have direct and indirect costs associated. Use of supplies, consultants and outside professionals, and other materials are direct costs. Indirect costs include the significant time involved by company employees providing and receiving training and participating in other aspects of analyzing and implementing diversity management.

Overcoming Negativity

Ultimately, the negative effects of diversity are self imposed and they only flourish under poor leadership. Cultural diversity, ethnic diversity and the presence of multiple perspectives stand to benefit a company when leadership is focused on positive outcomes and a team-building environment.

About the Author

Neil Kokemuller has been an active business, finance and education writer and content media website developer since 2007. He has been a college marketing professor since 2004. Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University.

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Negative Effects of Diversity in the Workplace

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Diversity in the workplace is generally regarded as a positive for companies that manage it effectively. However, a workforce that has significant differences in ethnicity, race, religion, gender and other individual traits can produce negative effects, especially if not well-managed. These negative effects of diversity are understandable if the work culture does not support tolerance and acceptance of differences.

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The book explained briefly, reason why I look for information to learn more about what LEED is. Thanks to this website, I learned curious facts about LEED as the fact that it is categorized into five basic areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

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What is LEED? " Sustainability " Boston University

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This website is a really good place to find detailed information about the code of ethics and even includes a video with examples easy to understand.

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What is a 'Code of Ethics'

A code of ethics is a guide of principles designed to help professionals conduct business honestly and with integrity. A code of ethics document may outline the mission and values of the business or organization, how professionals are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization's core values and the standards to which the professional is held. A code of ethics, also referred to as an "ethical code," may encompass areas such as business ethics, a code of professional practice and an employee code of conduct.

Breaking Down 'Code of Ethics'

Both businesses and trade organizations typically have some sort of code of ethics that its employees or members are supposed to follow. Breaking the code of ethics can result in termination or dismissal from the organization. A code of ethics is important because it clearly lays out the rules for behavior and provides the groundwork for a preemptive warning.

Regardless of size, businesses count on their management staff to set a standard of ethical conduct for other employees to follow. When administrators adhere to the code of ethics, it sends a message that universal compliance is expected of every employee.

Compliance-Based Code of Ethics

For all businesses, laws regulate issues such as hiring and safety standards. Compliance-based codes of ethics usually not only set out guidelines for conduct, but also lay out penalties for violations.

In some industries, including banking, specific laws govern business conduct. These industries tend to formulate compliance-based codes of ethics to ensure that laws and regulations are being followed. Employees usually undergo formal training to learn the rules of conduct. Because noncompliance can create legal issues for the company as a whole, individual workers within a firm may face penalties for failing to follow guidelines.

To ensure that the aims and principles of the code of ethics are followed, some companies appoint a compliance officer. This individual is tasked with keeping up to date on changes in regulation codes and monitoring employee conduct to encourage conformity.

This type of code of ethics is based on clear-cut rules and well-defined consequences rather than individual monitoring of personal behavior. Therefore, despite strict adherence to the law, some compliance-based codes of conduct do not promote a climate of moral responsibility within the company.

Value-Based Code of Ethics

A value-based code of ethics deals with a company's core value system. It may discuss standards of responsible conduct as they relate to the larger public good and the environment. Value-based ethical codes may require a greater degree of self-regulation than compliance-based codes.

Some codes of conduct contain language that addresses both compliance and values. For example, a grocery store chain might create a code of conduct that discusses the company's commitment to strict adherence to health and safety regulations above financial gain. The chain might also include a statement about refusing to contract with suppliers that feed hormones to livestock or raise animals in inhumane living conditions.

Code of Ethics Among Professionals

Financial advisers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or a state regulator are bound by a code of ethics known as the fiduciary duty. This is a legal requirement and also a code of loyalty that requires them to act in the best interest of their clients.

Certified Public Accountants, who are not typically considered to be a fiduciary to their clients, still are expected to follow similar ethical standards, such as integrity, objectivity, truthfulness and being free of conflicts of interest, according the the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

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A code of ethics is a guide of principles designed to help professionals conduct business honestly and with integrity. A code of ethics document may outline the mission and values of the business or organization, how professionals are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization's core values and the standards to which the professional is held.

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I found this article with a little quiz that you can take and see how good are your management skills and what you should improve.

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In business, we often seem to focus less on good management, and more on the glamorous and exciting work of leadership.

However, managers are responsible for making sure that things are done properly. And while leaders may bring us vision, inspiration and challenge, these things count for nothing without the efficient implementation brought about by good management.

To be a great manager, you must have an extensive set of skills - from planning and delegation to communication and motivation. Because the skill set is so wide, it's tempting to build skills in the areas of management that you're already comfortable with. But, for your long-term success, it's wise to analyze your skills in all areas of management - and then to challenge yourself to improve in all of these areas.

This quiz helps you to quickly identify your areas of strength and weakness, so that you can capitalize on the former and manage the latter. We then direct you to resources that you can use to develop your skills further.

How Good Are Your Management Skills?

Instructions

For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the "wrong direction." When you are finished, please click the "Calculate My Total" button at the bottom of the test.

Your last quiz results are shown.

You last completed this quiz on , at .

20-46

You need to improve your management skills urgently. If you want to be effective in a leadership role, you must learn how to organize and monitor your team's work. Now is the time to start developing these skills to increase your team's success! (Read below to start.)

47-73

You're on your way to becoming a good manager. You're doing some things really well, and these are likely the things you feel comfortable with. Now it's time to work on the skills that you've been avoiding. Focus on the areas where your score is low, and figure out what you can do to make the improvements you need. (Read below to start.)

74-100

You're doing a great job managing your team. Now you should concentrate on improving your skills even further. In what areas did you score a bit low? That's where you can develop improvement goals. Also, think about how you can take advantage of these skills to reach your career goals. (Read below to start.)

Effective management requires a wide range of skills, and each of these skills complements the others. Your goal should be to develop and maintain all of these skills, so that you can help your team accomplish its objectives efficiently and effectively. Read on for ideas and resources that you can use to do this.

A Model of Effective Management

Our quiz is based on eight essential skill areas where managers should focus their efforts. By covering these basics, you'll enjoy more success as a team manager:

1. Understanding team dynamics and encouraging good relationships.

2. Selecting and developing the right people.

3. Delegating effectively.

4. Motivating people.

5. Managing discipline and dealing with conflict.

6. Communicating.

7. Planning, making decisions, and problem solving.

8. Avoiding common managerial mistakes.

We'll explore each of these in more detail.

(Questions 5, 15, 17)

(Questions 11, 17)

(Questions 2, 18)

(Questions 13, 19)

(Questions 3, 6, 12)

(Questions 8, 9, 16, 20)

(Questions 4, 10)

(Questions 1, 7, 14)

Key Points

You need to develop and improve your managerial skills on an ongoing basis as your career develops and as you meet new managerial challenges.

Whether you manage a department or a project team, it's important to know how to get the work done right. When you're asked to achieve something with the help of others, it's complex - and you spend much of your time managing relationships instead of doing the actual work. So, you must develop not only your technical skills, but your management skills as well.

Delegating, motivating, communicating, and understanding team dynamics are some of the key skills needed. With those skills, along with patience and a strong sense of balance, you can become a very effective manager.

Note:

This assessment has not been validated and is intended for illustrative purposes only. It is just one of many that help you evaluate your abilities in a wide range of important career skills. Click here for other self-tests.

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In business, we often seem to focus less on good management, and more on the glamorous and exciting work of leadership. However, managers are responsible for making sure that things are done properly. And while leaders may bring us vision, inspiration and challenge, these things count for nothing without the efficient implementation brought about by good management.

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This video helped me to completely understand the functions of management ( planning, organizing, leading and controlling) through basic and real life examples.

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management functions - Yahoo Video Search Results

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The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

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When I read the title of the first chapter 1, I thought "if you are introducing modern management, what is the type of management that was previously used?" When I saw this photo, I was able to compare and contrast the differences and similarities that these have.

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Top 10 Roles of a Manager in an Organization

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Top 10 Roles of a Manager in an Organization

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When I finished reading chapter 1, several questions remained in my mind. These are all the functions of a manager? Can the functions of a manager be explained and categorized in another way? In my search for answers, I found this article on the Money Matters website, where you can find a huge variety of articles about management. I chose this article because it explains the functions of a step by step manager being easier to understand.

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Managers perform different roles as shown in the image. As can be seen from the figure, formal authority gives rise to three informational roles. Various roles played by manager in an organization are briefly explained below.

1. Figurehead Role of Manager

Managers perform the duties of a ceremonial and symbolic in nature such as welcoming official visitors, signing legal documents etc as head of the organization or strategic business unit or department.

Duties of interpersonal roles include routine, involving little serious communication and less important decisions. However, they are important for the smooth functioning of an organization or department.

2. Leadership Role of Manager

All managers have a leadership role. The manager, as in charge of the organization / department, coordinates the work of others and leads his subordinates.

This role includes hiring, training, motivating and disciplining employees. Formal authority and functional authority provides greater potential power to exercise and get the things done.

3. Liaison Role of Manager

As the leader of the organization or unit, the manager has to perform the functions of motivation, communication, encouraging team spirit and the like. Further, he has to coordinate the activities of all his subordinates, which involves the activity of liaison.

This role also requires the manager to interact with other managers outside the organization to secure favours and information. In this role, the manager represents his organization in all matters of formality.

4. Monitor Role of Manager

As a result of the network of contacts, the manager gets the information by scanning his environment, subordinates, peers and superiors.

The manager seeks and receives information concerning internal and external events so as to gain understanding of the organization and its environment. Typically this is done through reading magazines and talking with others to learn the changes in the public's tastes, what competitors may be planning, and the like.

Managers, mostly collect information in verbal form often as gossip, hearsay, speculation and through grapevine channels.

5. Disseminator Role of Manager

Manager disseminates the information, he collects from different sources and through various means. He passes some of the privileged information directly to his subordinates, peers and superiors who otherwise have no access to it. This information is gathered by him from his environments and from his own equals in the organization.

The manager will play an important role in disseminating the information to his subordinates, when they don't have contact with one another.

6. Spokesman Role of Manager

Managers also perform a spokesperson role when they represent the organization to outsiders. Manager is required to speak on behalf of the organization and transmit information on organization's plan, policies and actions.

The manager has to keep his superior informed of every development in his unit, who in turn inform the insiders and outsiders. Directors and shareholders must be informed about the financial performance, customers must be informed about the new product developments, quality maintenance, government officials about implementation of law etc.

7. Entrepreneurial Role of Manager

As an entrepreneur, the manager is a creator and innovator. He initiates and oversee new products that will improve their organization's performance.

He seeks to improve his department, adapt to the changing environmental factors. The manager would like to have new ideas, initiates new projects and initiates the developmental projects.

8. Disturbance Handler Role of Manager

As a disturbance handler, managers take corrective action to response to previously unforeseen problems. Disturbance handler role presents the manager as the involuntarily responding to pressures. Pressures of the situation are severe and highly demand the attention of the manager and as such the manager cannot ignore the situation.

For example, worker strike, declining sales, bankruptcy of a major customer etc. The manager should have enough time in handling disturbance carefully, skilfully and effectively.

9. Resource Allocator Role of Manager

The most important resource that a manager allocates to his subordinates is his time. As a resource allocator, managers are responsible for allocating human, physical and monetary resources. Accordingly, setting up of a time schedule for the completion of an operation or approval of expenditure on a particular project, etc., are the functions which the managers perform in the role of a resource allocator.

The manager should have an open-door policy and allow the subordinates to express their opinions and share their experiences. This process helps both the manager and his subordinates in making effective decisions. In addition, the manager should empower his subordinates by delegating his authority and power.

10. Negotiator Role of Manager

In this tole, the manager represents the organization in bargaining and negotiations with outsiders and insiders, in order to gain advantages for his own unit. He negotiates with the subordinates for improved commitment and loyalty, with the peers for cooperation, coordination and integration, with workers and their unions regarding conditions of employment, commitment, productivity, with the government about providing facilities for business expansion etc.

These negotiations are integral part of the manager's job for only he has authority to commit organizational resources and has nerve centre of information.

Conclusion

Though the different roles of a manager are discussed separately for convenience, they are in fact inseparable. The manager has to perform these roles simultaneously by integrating one with the another.

Thus, the major role of the manager is integrating all the roles while playing managerial role or performing his tasks. In fact, the manager cannot play any role isolating the other roles. As a strategist, the manager has to integrate all the roles in decision-making and performing his tasks.

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Top 10 Roles of a manager in organization

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Managers perform different roles such as interpersonal role, informational role, decisional roles. Manager has to integrate all roles to perform his tasks.