ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Think it Over
You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it. Albert Einstein Every decision is a deliberate act. It's the result of a well rehearsed pattern. Using this pattern, we often gather data, analyze it and draw conclusions without much conscious effort. We do it because it works. And it works because our life experience has refined the technique that brings us the best results -- most of the time. These patterns of decision making are usually helpful. After all, if we had to go through a six step decision making process every time we wanted to start the car or make a pot of coffee, we'd never get very far or, for that matter, wake up. The problem arises when the pattern fails us for some reason. For example, starting the car is routine until the engine won't turn over. If at that point we keep using the same old technique of turning the key, we'll only succeed in running the battery down. Individuals, teams, corporations and even countries routinely stick with a failing course of action. They keep applying the solutions that used to work despite evidence that they no longer work. If you're not getting the results you want, stop the process. Take a second look. Make a conscious effort to find a new solution. Figure out what's working now. George Ebert is the President of Trinity River Seminars and Consulting, a firm specializing in the custom design and delivery of team building, personal growth and ethical development programs. Mr. Ebert is a highly sought after speaker, educator and consultant with over thirty years experience in both the public and private sectors. He has presented widely throughout the Unites States. He is the author of the management cult classic, Climbing From the Fifth Station: A guide to building teams that work!
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Keep Your Good Workers by Building Good Leaders A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on the Workforce asked healthcare workers key questions about the performance of their front line managers. The study concluded that an employee's decision to stay with or leave an organization is primarily based on his or her relationship with an immediate supervisor. No matter what industry or setting or company size, effective leaders: Possess personal integrity. Can easily adapt to change. Work to build the talent of others. Communicate well with their people. Have the ability to build and lead a team. Can analyze problems and create solutions. Encourage a collaborative work environment. Five Ways to Develop More Effective Front Line Managers: Encourage and give managers time to attend leadership courses. Learning and growing is part of their job. Develop an approach to hire and assess managers based on the above key competencies, not on old job descriptions. Reward effective leadership on a regular basis whether it is through a "Manager of the Month" award or free movie tickets. Get creative with training. Start peer coaching groups - managers with similar levels of authority meet once a month to discuss challenges in managing people, dealing with organizational politics, or other thorny issues. Do short reviews every three to six months to catch performance problems before they blossom into big leadership headaches. When problems are identified, action plans should be put into place to rectify the issue before the next appraisal. Seeking Help Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant, your practice may be doing reasonably well; you're charging $100-150 an hour. As an independent consultant, you're probably also doing everything from grinding the coffee to editing the umpteenth draft of your brochure. The Permissive Environment is the Suspect The permissive and participatory conduct which most employees take for granted, eventually escalates into the more serious assaultive behavior commonly referred to as employee on employee workplace violence starts with innuendos, a bad word, or simple jokes taken out of context or used to inflame another. Initiation of a proper and thorough investigation is possible under the auspices of a Threat Assessment Team. Banter between employees if left alone by supervisors becomes tense and often results in a more aggressive response. The truth of the matter is that in most cases this banter is perceived as harmless shop talk. Train Me -- But Follow Through My mechanic has me trained. When I take my car in for an oil change, he places a sticker in the upper left hand corner of my windshield to remind me what date and mileage I should have my next maintenance completed. But every once in a while, he forgets to put the sticker on the window. Then I have to remember the date and mileage details. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency and explores how your employees feel with regard to their physical and environmental working conditions, the quality of their equipment and tools, and overall attention to safety within the workplace. Every organization is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their employees. An unsafe working environment can lead to accidents, lawsuits, and missed work. Such incidents can result in significant costs to your organization. The questions included in this competency will investigate whether your staff is satisfied with the organization's facilities, whether they believe business is being conducted in a safe manner, and if the tools and equipment provided are adequate to successfully and safely complete their jobs. Steps to Build ISO 9001 Compliant Program Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However, all of that effort can represent a significant shift for a business - from quantity to quality. And this could make sure your business gets the desired results. Leaders Versus Cheerleaders Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new books on leadership come out on the market. Leaders are seen everywhere ? business, society, and, of course, politics. Yet, in our culture where greatness is often measured by noise rather than accomplishment, I thought it would be helpful to define the factors that differentiate the true leader from the notorious "cheerleader." Performance Appraisals: Nightmares or Sweet Dreams Some managers think of performance appraisal meetings and recollections of torn Achilles' heels or root canals immediately surface. They're sort of "been there, don't want to go again" situations. The more it can be put off, the better. Innovation Management ? the power of decision makers Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Must Project Managers Be Technically Savvy? "Must Project Managers be technically savvy?" This topic always seems to cause quite a stir. While some believe that all you need to manage a project is a PMP certification, others are convinced that you can't successfully manage a software development project unless you truly understand the intricacies of the product. What 80% of Businesses Don?t Know: Tips for Improving Your Working Capital Management What is the number one way to prevent failure in business? Take a minute to really think about your answer. What comes to mind? Increasing patients or customers served? ? Effective marketing? ? Location, location, location? ? Improving patient or customer care? ? Being the best in your industry? Business Innovation ? Value versus Quality Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Being a Great Boss Are you one of those bosses that people just love to hate? Maybe successful, maybe very intelligent, maybe organized and moving forward but just can't get along with people. Communication and other people skills are as important to the success of your business as your talent, knowledge and entrepreneurial drive. After all, you cannot do it all by yourself and you need good people. Five Problem-Solving Success Tips The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy. Truth or Consequences: How to Give Employee Feedback In the bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins discovered that, "the good-to-great companies continually refined the path to greatness with the brutal facts of reality." Do Customers Like the Feel of Your Organization? In two recent articles "Some Evidence of How We Are Spiritually Connected" and "Healing Dysfunctional Families" I reported on how individuals who live or work within a system or group are inherently connected at a level that goes beyond words. This realm of connection, which is largely spiritual or unconscious, may or may not be familiar to the more business minded person so I will take some time to explain the nature of this connection and then the wide reaching implications this idea has on the optimal functioning of organizations. Innovation Management: What Problem Is Being Solved? Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Invite Self-Managed Staff "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being." -Goethe Hiring Tip -- Picking The Best Candidates I often hear leaders from all types of organizations ask questions about hiring the right person. Their questions usually sound like these: Making Change Work Shaky Foundations
|
|
|
|
|
