Category Archives: Good People Great

Guide Others By Your Attitude

As a leader, your responsibility is to create a learning environment through your demonstrating attitude toward innovation and change, and by communicating your belief in the potential and worth of your team members.

Your attitudes and positive expectations establish their receptiveness to behaviour change.

The attitudes of your people toward upskilling and improvement will almost always be a direct reflection of your own attitude. If you fear change or are concerned that developing employees may lessen your importance, then your team cannot grow.

Upskilling and developing your people is the most effective way to achieve greater results, productivity and change. The success of any training or development program is determined by the extent of the attitudinal and behavioural change of trainees. However, as the leader, you must continue to show your belief in them and reinforce their growth.
 

During and after the program, your team members must believe that the change in their attitudes and behaviour is appreciated.

If the new approach and behaviour goes unnoticed, people will quickly revert back to the old, more comfortable attitudes and behaviour. Encourage people to grow and use more of their potential. Reinforce your belief in them and their importance and value to the team and the organisation.

Catch them doing things right.

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Explore our Leadership & Management Courses today, and see our upcoming course dates and locations in our current course schedule.

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4 Functions Of Management

Understanding The 4 Key Functions Of Management

 

“The purpose of all managers is to achieve results with and through the activities of other people in the most effective and efficient way possible”.
 

To be successful and remain competitive in today’s dynamic global environment, every organisation needs effective managers.

Managers achieve organisational goals and objectives with and through the people who make up the organisation. To accomplish these goals effectively and efficiently, managers perform four key functions:

Planning > Organising > Leading  > Controlling

 

1. Planning - 4 Functions Of Management1. Planning

Planning is the first of the four management functions. Planning defines and determines the strategic, tactical and operational goals of an organisation, department or team. Deciding future direction is an activity that is basic to management functions.

Determining your team or department’s goals, how and when they will be achieved and what resources will be allocated to them are key aspects of the planning you undertake as a successful manager.

Continuously developing your planning skills will significantly contribute to higher performance at a personal and organisational level.

2. Organising - 4 Functions Of Management2. Organising

The organising function is centred on the acquisition and deployment of resources to achieve operational goals.

Organising determines an organisation’s division of labour into specific departments and teams as well as what tasks are to be done, who is going to do them and how they will be grouped. Organising also encompasses deciding the formal chain of command, operational processes, reporting structures and decision- making authority that will be used.

To ensure continued competitiveness, as a manager you are expected to use your organising skills to restructure and maintain a leaner, more efficient and more productive department or team. You are expected to place the right people with the right skills in the right roles at the right time to achieve maximum productivity and performance.

3. Leading3. Leading

Leading is the ability to influence and inspire people to achieve organisational goals because they want to, not because they have to.

Leadership creates and determines the culture and values of an organisation, department or team. Quality leadership is also an integral component in creating and maintaining a high-performance work environment.

In today’s ever-changing workplace, providing the right type of leadership at the right time has become an increasingly important management function. Successful leadership today combines the authority of title – Positional Power, with the leaders own Personal Power, which is based on the respect and trust earned from those they lead.

Your leadership is essential in communicating the organisation’s vision, mission, values and goals to provide clear direction to all involved. It is only through exercising strong leadership that you will effectively harness and utilise the best resources at your disposal – your people.

4. Controlling - 4 Functions Of Management4. Controlling

Controlling is the last but not least of the four key management functions. Controlling involves the continuous monitoring of actual performance against planned performance.

This function entails the constant and systematic monitoring and regulating of organisational activities and processes to ensure they are consistent with predetermined goals, plans and key performance indicators.

As the manager of a high-performance work environment you are expected to set in place systems and processes that establish required standards of performance, measure the actual performance, compare it with the pre-set standards and initiate Gap Resolution actions when and if required.

Become a highly effective and respected leader

Whether you’re an experienced leader or aspiring to become one, there are steps you can take to grow your skills, knowledge and capacity to motivate and inspire. LMA offers a range of short courses and in-depth development programs that support your key people to excel in this arena, effectively unlocking the potential of your entire team.

Explore our Leadership & Management Courses today, and see our upcoming course dates and locations in our current course schedule.

Infographic

4 Functions Of Management Infographic

Are you a manager or a leader

Are you a Manager or a Leader… What’s the difference?

Over recent years there’s been an abundance of articles highlighting the differences between Managers and Leaders.

Many of these articles compare the characteristics of Managers against those of Leaders, as if they were entirely different and separate roles, usually characterising them at totally opposite ends of the personality spectrum.

Managers

Managers are often portrayed as the Black Hats – focused on results and numbers-driven by processes and systems, whilst showing little empathy, care or consideration for their people.

Leaders

Leaders, on the other hand, are often portrayed as the White Hats – charismatic and innovative change agents who engage and inspire others through displaying care and consideration.

What’s the difference?

The reality is that these are not two distinct roles. Nor are they opposites.

Management and Leadership are inseparable in today’s organisations. Those in Management/Leadership positions must incorporate the qualities and characteristics of both Manager and Leader in their roles. They go hand in hand.

Nor is it a situation of just Black or white. It’s more like 50 Shades of Grey when it comes to the level and mix of Management capabilities with Leadership competencies and characteristics required today.

The traditional model of management, in which leadership was considered one of the 4 functions of management, has evolved over the last 50 year.

4 Functions Of Management

 

PLANNING, ORGANISING, LEADING & CONTROLLING

In the world, the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s most management structures were more hierarchical with more layers of command. Managers’ roles generally, concentrated on producing outputs according to standard processes as efficiently and effectively as possible. During this time, employees held greater respect for the authority vested in the position of a supervisor or manager (Positional Power). Generally, there was also a higher regard for a manager’s age and experience.

THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

continuous improvement

In today’s fast-moving world, the “Status Quo” is extinct. Continuous improvement, innovation, agility are the focus and nature of our competitive business world today.

People now challenge the status quo of titles, authority, age and experience. A title or position is no longer sufficient to ensure they can achieve the best results out of people. Employees today judge their managers and leaders on their actions, attitudes, behaviours and leadership competencies. 

To perform effectively in a Management / Leadership role in organisations today, people require a much higher degree of leadership than in the past. But they must also have capabilities in the other 3 areas of management.

Where Your Authority Comes From

As a supervisor or manager, your authority is derived from your position in the organisation. This is your Positional Power. You have been appointed to represent management to those for whom you are responsible.

Your team’s knowledge of the organisation’s vision, values, goals and expectations come through you. Your position gives you the authority and the responsibility to make decisions and to allocate resources to reach the team’s quality and productivity objectives and goals.

Exercise Your Authority Effectively

Effective Management

How you exercise the authority of your position determines the results you are able to achieve. Those who take an authoritarian or command approach, purely using their Positional Power, achieve limited results from their people.

However, exercising true leadership is moving beyond the Positional Power of your title into developing your Personal Power through earning the respect and trust of those you manage.

Managers who understand that they must develop their Personal Power in order to more effectively exercise their Positional Power, are the successful leaders of today and the future.

Their ability to lead, direct, engage and influence the behaviour of others is based on their ability to earn the respect and trust of others. Yes, they still focus on outcomes and still demonstrate skill in planning, organizing and controlling.

Leadership goes beyond and enhances management. Genuine leadership involves gaining engagement and commitment from those you manage, so they, like you, understand and willingly play their part in the overall purpose and success of the organisation.

Leadership involves the ability to communicate, to enable and to empower people to take meaningful and productive actions. Leadership is creating exceptional results for and through people.

Summary

So, in summary, you are both a Manager and a Leader with the power to exercise and develop both your Management capabilities and Leadership competencies.

Become a highly effective and respected leader

Whether you’re an experienced leader or aspiring to become one, there are steps you can take to grow your skills, knowledge and capacity to motivate and inspire. LMA offers a range of short courses and in-depth development programs that support your key people to excel in this arena, effectively unlocking the potential of your entire team.

Explore our Leadership & Management Courses today, and see our upcoming course dates and locations in our current course schedule.

Effective Communication for Effective Coaching

Communication is our first act of interaction when meeting people. Communication builds and maintains friendships and is the glue that binds relationships together. Communication is essential for us to achieve what we want out of life. In a coaching or mentoring relationship, open and effective communication is a must. It is the inherent foundation upon which the whole relationship grows and develops.

Successful communication is a two-way process, sending as well as receiving. You must first present your ideas in a form others can understand and then listen to others to understand how your message is being received. This mutual understanding is necessary if the purpose of any communication is to be achieved.

In other words, effective communication is a process that involves 5 basic steps:

The speaker must:

  1. Identify a meaning they want to express
  2. Code that meaning into words and non-verbal cues

The listener must:

  1. Accurately receive, or hear, the words and non-verbal cues
  2. Decode the meaning of the words.
  3. Respond to the speaker in a way that indicates accurate understanding of the message

In coaching conversations it is critical that both parties are on the same wavelength and understand each other because we don’t all feel, think or speak the same way. People have different values, views, expectations, opinions and prejudices based on their past experiences, education levels, political viewpoints and cultural or economic backgrounds. When you send information it won’t necessarily be heard the way you intend. People hear what you say through filters and will interpret your message in a way that is meaningful to them and makes sense from their perspective.

Always be aware and sensitive to possible filters that will influence your individual. Plan the message you want to convey, ask questions that aid clarity and understanding and provide feedback for reinforcement. Feedback achieved through effective questioning helps you check the listener’s level of understanding. Feedback given and received is the catalyst for making appropriate adjustments in the communication process to ensure you achieve mutual understanding as you strive to identify and reach important goals with your individual.

To progressively strengthen the coaching relationship and to achieve the greatest value and meaningful communication from coaching sessions, coaches must listen attentively and use empathy to understand the other person’s message. As a coach, making the effort to understand your individual’s feelings and beliefs doesn’t mean that you have to accept or agree with his or her point of view. Undoubtedly, you have heard empathy expressed in the saying, “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes”. Through exercising empathy we show others that we understand and appreciate them. Empathy is the ability to look at a situation from another’s viewpoint and understand that person’s feelings and beliefs.

Check out LMA’s Above the Line Coaching and Mentoring course to explore these concepts in more detail and to further develop the coaching and mentoring relationship.

Develop your Skills to Develop your People

In business today, coaches or mentors are being increasingly used in performance management strategies to facilitate workers to perform at higher levels. The coach/mentor primarily acts as a guide to help clarify and articulate the individual’s goals. They work by encouraging the individual to achieve tangible results, whilst helping them learn through self-directed motivation. The context of the relationship is therefore results-oriented and involves goal setting to encourage behavior change and personal transformation.

Current research shows that the vast majority of leaders and managers are already acting, either formally or informally, as either or both a coach or a mentor. This amplifies the importance of developing sound skills in these leadership areas.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

To be an effective coach requires adoption of an ‘Above the Line’ approach. Accepting personal responsibility, being focused on goals, solutions and results, whilst maintaining a positive attitude will enable you as an ‘Above the Line’ coach. You can achieve this by framing goals, discussions and action plans in a positive, future-focused, solutions-based way. Always encourage the individual to look at their situation with a possibility mindset.

As a successful coach you will need to harness and develop the power of your emotional intelligence. This concept demands that we know ourselves in order to know how to best engage and relate to the individual and their emotions.

COMMUNICATION

Successful communication is a two-way process, sending as well as receiving. Coaches need to have well developed and well practised listening skills, as a large amount of time in sessions (typically 60 – 80%) is spent actively listening to the individual. You must first present your ideas in a form others can understand and then listen to others to understand how your message is being received. This mutual understanding is necessary if the purpose of any communication is to be achieved.

To progressively strengthen the coaching relationship and to achieve the greatest value and meaningful communication from coaching sessions, coaches must listen attentively and use empathy to understand the other person’s message.

MOTIVATION

Self-discovery and self-learning will be central to the individual’s motivation towards their goals and objectives. By showing the individual that you believe in them and their abilities, you can help them learn to become more self-motivated as they experience the progressive achievement of their action steps and goals. Successful coaching and mentoring is built on a foundation of inherent belief in others and their potential for personal development and growth. Successful coaches and mentors see people in terms of their future potential, not their past performance or present skill levels.

Are you a good manager?

To explore further competencies that are crucial to being a great leader and manager, take LMA’s complimentary DIY Leadership and Management Competency Analysis. The comprehensive report will outline the benefits of targeted leadership and management development activities to yourself, your team and/or your organisation.

The Key Qualities of a Customer Service Superstar

Multiple research reports show that customers were willing to spend more with a company that they felt provided an outstanding customer experience and excellence in customer service. Good customer service will elevate your organisation, while bad customer service can really set back your company’s reputation and profits. There are certain attributes and qualities that set excellent customer service employees apart. Identifying and developing the following traits is the quickest way to becoming a customer service superstar:

Patience

Patience is a virtue. We have all heard that saying before. It is also an attribute that those highly skilled in customer service constantly demonstrate. Staying patient with an indecisive or difficult customer demonstrates very clearly that each and every customer interaction is important and valued. Take the time to truly figure out what your customer’s needs are and respond in a patient, friendly and efficient manner. Remember, customers prefer to receive competent service rather than feel like they have been rushed out the door or off the phone!

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is the ability to be observant and alert and to pay close attention to someone or something. Attentiveness in customer service means really listening to customers, being alert to buying signals and non-verbal cues and observing their actions and reactions to comments or products. To deliver and exceed expectations you need to pay attention. Attentiveness is providing the sense that the most important person in the room is your customer. It means being present and thinking about the real meaning behind their words. This helps to provide a relevant and informative response or solution. Showing care for every customer will provide a positive outcome every time.

Tenacity

Tenacity is the attribute of persistence, determination and perseverance. It is a quality displayed by people who just won’t quit. This attribute is important in every role and endeavour in your personal and working life. Being willing to do what needs to be done, to resolve any issues and not take shortcuts is a key attribute displayed by tenacious customer service professionals. Many memorable customer service stories tell of a single employee who was willing to go the extra mile to help someone out. Many of these stories are told in the context of the huge impact the individual effort had on the business and on the customer.

Willingness to learn

A genuine willingness to learn is another key attribute required by all client-facing employees. We are all working in a rapidly changing workplace that requires constant learning and upskilling. New learning could relate to new systems, technology, products and services. It could also relate to changed policies and procedures and updates to legislation and regulations that are relevant to your industry sector. Consider every learning and development opportunity as a way to increase your personal intellectual capital.

Development opportunities can also come from customers. Not only is it important to be attentive to individual customers, it’s also important to be attentive to the feedback that you receive. Rather than looking at this type of feedback as a negative, you should view it as an opportunity to find out what is not working, what you could do better or how you could improve the customer experience. Honestly reflect on their feedback and consider how you can apply it into improved personal performance.

Staying calm

There are a lot of metaphors about people who stay calm such as ‘keeps their cool’ and ‘staying cool under pressure’ but they all represent the same thing – developing the ability to stay calm and even influence others when things get a little hectic. The customer service professional knows that it is not helpful to get rattled during busy times or to let an angry customer force them to lose their cool. In fact it is their job to try to project efficiency and capability in the interest of achieving a desirable outcome for the customer.

When it comes to providing outstanding customer service, it’s the people who make all the difference. While it certainly takes time, training, practice and dedication to become a superstar in customer service, it doesn’t have to be that hard when you know where exactly to focus your efforts on. Check out LMA’s Exceptional Customer Service course to further develop you or your team’s to become customer service superstars.

management coaching

L.E.A.D Survey 2018

Following the Leaders or Leading the Followers

Developing Effective Leadership in the 21st Century

New information to help leaders understand what is expected of them in their roles and how best to identify and develop future leaders with confidence and success.

The Whitepaper delves into the most profound issues to emerge from this wave of the L.E.A.D. Survey, issues that implore leaders and managers to invest the necessary time and energy to understand and leverage the leadership potential that exists within their organisations.

Download the L.E.A.D. Whitepaper to view the issues, needs and expectations of over 4,000 employees, managers and business leaders.

Use the form above to download this handy resource, feel free to share it on social media.

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Coping with Change in the Workplace

Change, and our ability to make it work for us rather than against us, has become a defining characteristic of successful individuals, teams, departments and organisations.

Our ability to cope with change has been forced to strengthen, as change has become the very essence of a thriving organisation. Despite knowing all this, change is still often greeted with fear and avoidance. Why? We fear change at work for a variety of valid reasons. Many of these fears are associated with a fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of criticism, but more often than not, fear of the unknown.

The existence of change is inevitable and necessary, and isn’t going to go away by simply ignoring the issues as they arise. Instead, by being prepared to take on the many changes that can present themselves along the way, everyone in the organisation can learn to overcome the fear and embrace the changes ahead with positivity and intention.

For the forward-thinking leader or manager who seeks to make the most of the future, change is the vital ingredient that must be present, welcomed and nurtured. Below are a few suggestions on how to help your team tackle change better, and how you can lead them through change with skill and prowess.

Recognise that change does happen and it has a purpose

The first thing to address is the attitude toward the presence of change. Renewal and growth through change has meant employees and leaders at all levels of organisations have become accustomed to change in the form of restructuring, reinvention, decentralisation, centralisation, the creation of multi-disciplinary teams, and forms of flexible work practices.

Whether it be a staff reshuffle, a merger or a budget dilemma, there is nothing to be gained in denying that the change is happening. Instead, by recognising the presence of the change, fear of the unknown is addressed in the early stages. By coming to terms with the situation, encouraging optimism around it and discussing the next step, change can be approached more positively, and in turn more productively.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

In a situation of organisational change, communication cannot be an afterthought. It has to be a core component of the steps toward incorporating the presence of change into future actions. Periods of change require an effort by everyone involved to be on the same page. Any communication gaps can immediately be filled by rumours and speculation, which create even more fear around the idea of change. If employees are given the opportunity to effectively communicate their fears to co-workers, leaders and managers within their organisation, their concerns can be better addressed and alleviated. Empathy can be the greatest communication tool you have.

Acknowledge that incorporating change happens in stages

Often change in the workplace can simulate the same stages as grief – shock, denial, anger and finally, acceptance. In order to reach the point of acceptance (and the end goal of moving forward) the previous stages will need to be progressed through, both individually and as a group. The progression from one stage to the next may not be a smooth one, nor may it happen at the same rate for everyone involved. Have an understanding of the stages that you and your team will need to progress through in order to reach the final positive position of acceptance. It will help you to have more empathy for those around you, and to be able to provide support when required.

Be flexible, be realistic

In essence change is about being flexible. By being inflexible with how you approach a changing situation, you are diminishing your chances of being able to cope with the end result of the change. Instead, your ingrained thinking patterns will be out of step with what the new situation requires and you will be left behind.

Take a good look at the requirements of the new situation. You may need to learn new skills, integrate different processes or redirect resources. Be honest with what is required and see the change as an opportunity to streamline and learn. Come up with a plan to deal with the change for yourself and for your team and begin executing it as soon as possible.

Remember that a change in organisational structure can also present a perfect opportunity to shake things up individually and at a team member level too. Incorporate feedback on individual staff members to encourage performance through the transition time, but keep your expectations within the parameters of what is possible.

See the bigger picture

Change is something that is definitely here to stay. The necessary approaches to tough times require new ways of thinking and an understanding of the importance of fluid thinking. Change can be frightening, disruptive and overwhelming. However, with the right attitude and a predetermined set of actions that can guide you and your team through, you can find the opportunity in any situation and learn to embrace change for what it is: possibility.

LMA Take LMA’s Leadership Employment and Direction (L.E.A.D) Survey to have your say about what changes most affect the modern workplace.

Industry Consultation Group launches in WA

We know that across Australia, there are many organisations which genuinely understand the importance of developing their people to achieve higher productivity and results. 

As one of Australia’s longest running training and development organisations over the last 45 years, Leadership Management Australia (LMA), in conjunction with Think Perform is fortunate to have many of these organisations as long-standing clients. 

Earlier this month we launched the Industry Consultation Group in WA to give our clients the opportunity to periodically meet with a group of like-minded professionals to share and discuss ideas and issues relating to their organisation and the development of their people.

Held in Perth over two days, the Industry Consultation Group outlined several purposes:

  1. To help develop and sustain a comprehensive understanding of the needs, wants and expectations of organisations seeking training and development support and services for their organisations.
  2. To help ensure current and emerging issues pertinent to the VET sector are voiced, debated and addressed to restore and rebuild the reputation of the industry.
  3. To help create solutions and enable products, services and experiences to be developed and delivered in line with what organisations and the professionals that determine their use require into the future.

More than 20 industry professionals attended the introduction sessions and spent a morning workshopping and discussing issues and trends. We’re excited by the possibilities that will flow through and from the Industry Consultation Group and are eagerly looking forward to engaging with participating organisations and professionals on a regular basis.

This initiative will be launching in other states over the coming weeks. If you would like to find out more about this initiative please contact us.

The best way to achieve success in 2018

How can you achieve success in 2018?

One of the best ways to achieve success is to develop your own self-confidence!  Start every activity in 2018 without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat.  Concentrate on your strengths rather than your weaknesses; on your powers rather than your problems and on your opportunities rather than your obstacles.

To develop supreme confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed, identify your goals for the year in all areas of life and then outline clear plans of action for each of them.  Nothing gives you more confidence than having clear-cut knowledge of the actions you plan to take and the order in which to take them.  The mere existence of a written plan of action contributes immeasurably to your self-assurance and self-confidence.  The most important source of self-confidence is knowing that you can take the actions and make the necessary internal changes that are needed for your goals to become reality.

Confidence in yourself enables you to deal honestly with your shortcomings and compels you to consistently make corrections.  Confidence comes from experience. Experience comes from know-how.  Know-how comes from having the courage to submit yourself to obstacles, situations and circumstances from which the average person shies away.

Self-confidence stimulates your creative imagination.  No matter what you undertake, you will never do it until you think you can.  You will never master it until you have the confidence in yourself to act first in your own mind.  Anything you undertake must be mentally accomplished before it can be materially accomplished.

The primary element at the beginning of any goal, the one factor which will guarantee its success, is confidence in the beginning that it can be done.  The major difference between high achievement and failure is confidence – confidence builds your self-image.  You either succeed at failure or you succeed at success.  Both of these results are outward expressions of the attitude you hold toward them.  You can either think lack or abundance, poverty or plenty, obstacles or opportunities.  The choice is yours!

The degree of success you achieve in 2018 will be governed by your level of self-confidence and the degree of determination you apply to achieving your goals.  Every time you say to yourself, “I can do it, and I will do it,” you are strengthening your determination and reinforcing your positive self- image.  You are forming a habit of thinking which will manifest itself in behaviour that generates success.  You begin to look for ways that things can be done instead of looking for reasons why they can’t be done.

Determine to be successful in all areas of your life in 2018 by developing your confidence and taking control over your future! An LMA course could be a great first step – Click Here.