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A happy workplace is a productive workplace, but in every business, large and small, but especially small, there will be the inevitable conflicts caused by a team of individuals working in close proximity to one another. The source of the conflicts might be petty arguments that are either professional or personal in nature, but petty arguments can quickly escalate into full blown feuds.
Feuds, which if left unresolved will damage the productivity of your business and cause it to haemorrhage money at an alarming rate.
As Spiderman knows, with power comes responsibility. As a manager it is your job to handle conflicts in your business and not just let them fester. However, with the right Management Training, you’ll be confident when handling arguments. Conflict Management Training is a specialised private course that gives you the right tools, techniques and theories to handle conflict and shows you how to use them in practical situations.
The following five tips are an essential guide in reaching an amicable resolution to any conflict which might rear its ugly head in the workplace:
What’s The Problem?
First things first, in this day and age you can’t just solve the problem by banging your employees’ heads together and ignoring the root problem which caused the conflict in the first place. It is essential that all parties involved know exactly what the issue causing the conflict is. Allow everyone to express their opinions, perspectives and thoughts and make sure everyone agrees that there’s a problem. Once the nature of the problem is established you can best identify how the problem can be resolved. Read the rest of "5 Tips to Overcome Work Place Conflicts in a Small Business"
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Posted by Guest Author in Leadership Training, Management Skills Training on January 27th, 2012 | No Comments »
If you’re a leader in the workplace, or hoping to become one, there are innumerable books you can read on the topic. There are many valuable choices that will teach you insightful things about leadership, and they will inspire you to change and improve. Before you try to tackle the abundance of options, here are five titles that are must-reads for every leader.
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (and Their Employees)
By Patrick Lencioni
This book discusses job satisfaction, and it’s a quick and easy read. It is presented as a story, not a dry bullet point list. The story follows an executive named Brian Bailey as he takes on a variety of different management positions. He finds that there are three main reason people dislike their jobs, and he also figures out how to cure them.
This is a great book that will inspire you to motive your employees and create for them a workplace they enjoy. Employees can also read this book to learn about finding fulfillment in their jobs.
Not all leaders follow the rules of leadership. Steve Jobs was undoubtedly a great leader but went against many common practices. Read more about the Steve Jobs management style.
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
By Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown
This book is about leaders who inspire, and as a result get the most from their employees. “Multipliers” are leaders who enhance the abilities of everyone around them and generate results most effectively. They motive and challenge their workers, and employees of multipliers are more productive and independent.
If you want to help your employees reach their full potential, read this book. Read the rest of "Five Must-Read Books for Leadership"
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Posted by Guest Author in Leadership Training on December 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »
Today, Hilary Devey is a well-known public figure, appearing on Dragons’ Den as an angel investor. She has also been recognised within the field of logistics, being the only woman to be awarded the Chartered Institute of Logistics’ Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Lifetime Achievement, the International Freight Weekly Awards Personality of the Year and the Truck & Driver/Iveco Stralis Driver Choice Award.
However Hilary Devey was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her childhood saw the bankruptcy of her publican father and visits by bailiffs, and she left school at the age of 16. She then entered the Women’s Royal Air Force, but by the time she was 20 years old she had rejoined civilian life and took a job with Tebbut and Britten in their sales and logistics division. After cutting her teeth with Tebbut and Britten, where she stayed for ten years, she moved on to a Sales Director Position with the United Carriers division Scorpio Logistics. From this role she took on the role of National Sales Director with TNT. In 1994 she set up in business for herself, working as a consultant.
So, in 1996 she had two decades of experience in the logistics injury – experience that she took advantage of when she set up her own company, Pall-Ex. The inspiration behind Pall-Ex came when she overheard a client talking about delivery times for three pallets of goods – 12 days from south Wales to Carlisle. Her logistics experience with parcels didn’t jibe with what she heard, but she soon discovered that the problem was the economic inefficiency of running a vehicle that was not fully loaded. Read the rest of "Profile of a Dragon: Hilary Devey"
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Posted by Guest Author in Leadership Training on November 18th, 2011 | No Comments »
These free Leadership Skills resources provide an overview of modern leadership, and some of the key skills, attributes and techniques required by leaders today. For in-depth hands-on coverage of Leadership Skills, we offer a comprehensive 2-day Leadership Skills Training Course in Brighton, Sussex.
A person can be appointed a manager at any level, but he or she is not a leader until their appointment has been ratified in the hearts and minds of those who work with them.” John Adair 2005
What does this mean and how can you achieve it? You are already aware that management and leadership are not the same thing: that a shop floor worker or receptionist can be a leader whether or not they are endowed with the title manager by their organisation. While management deals more with carrying out the organisation’s goals and directing activity, leadership deals with change, inspiration, motivation, and influence.
Definitions of leadership
To lead people, you have to walk behind them:
Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, born 600BC
In future leaders will be those who empower others:
Bill Gates, Chairman Microsoft and millionaire
Leadership at one time meant muscles but today it means getting along with people:
Indira Gandhi, elected first Woman Prime Minister of India 1966
Above there are three different definitions of leadership spanning both time and arena. They seek to introduce us to the topic of leadership about which a multitude of definitions can be found.
You only have to consider the great leaders of history to know that leadership is as old as time. So what is the current thinking on leadership?
By the end of the 20th century, team management and cross-functional teams were clearly best practice concepts. We were even looking at leader-less teams. In the 21st century, we have concluded that teams need leaders but not just any leaders.
This 5 point plan sums up the concept of leadership today
- We are ALL leaders! Everyone needs to learn, demonstrate and take responsibility for leadership in their organisation.
- Leaders need to know themselves! Unless you know how to lead yourself, you cannot successfully lead others.
- Leaders empower others to lead! Hierarchies are here to stay. But the best organisations will be those that empower their members to be leaders. And the best leader will be the one who is best at developing, listening to and empowering others.
- Leaders must be CLEAR! And communicate this clarity to those around them as clarity leads to confidence and confident people are effective people
- Leaders are compelled by the future! Leaders have a vision of betterment; they know what the future can look like. They must find ways to share this vision and enthusiasm with others.
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Leadership Training on March 20th, 2007 | No Comments »
Leadership Traits
Rather than having to actually sell, produce or deliver, a good Leader must enable and inspire other people do these things, and do them well. Our public Management Skills for New Managers Training and Leadership Training courses run regularly in Brighton.
Companies and organisations are constantly looking for new leaders, but how do you set yourself out from the pack and establish yourself as a candidate and potential leader? Here are some of the skills that you will need if you are looking for the answer to this question.
Be dependable.
Leaders are people who are able to handle responsibility, so a company or firm will be looking for people who they can rely on to get the job done and handed in on time.
Initiative.
If you encounter a problem or an opportunity that is easily solved or something that you can handle then try to do it yourself without having to bother your bosses, they don’t want to be told of problems they want the project to go smoothly, so if you can show that you have the ability to think on your feet and have the self belief to follow through with it you will instantly grow in their expectations.
Respect.
Your employer will want to see that you are not only respected by your superiors but that you are also respected by your peers. They will be looking for a person who others will be happy taking orders from, so if you are not respected or liked well enough this will severely dent your chances of becoming a leader in the near future.
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Leadership Training, Management Skills Training on May 6th, 2009 | No Comments »
Core personal skills & qualities of a leader
Good communication skills
- Ability to expresses oneself effectively
- Ability to communicate in a way that encourages involvement.
- Ability to listen
- Ability to express ideas clearly in writing
- Ability to understand and interpret ideas clearly – received in both verbally and in writing
Good teamwork skills
- Has a good interpersonal style to steer team members
- Delegates decision making and responsibilities to appropriate individuals.
- Efficient use of resources
- Have influence to motivate team members to achieve beyond goals
Innovative and Creative Problem Solving skills
- Identifies and collects information relevant to the problem.
- Uses brainstorming techniques to create a variety of choices.
- Selects the best course of action by identifying all the alternatives and then makes a logical assumption.
Key Interpersonal Skills
- Treats others with respect
- Is considerate of the needs of others
- Values and encourages contributions of others
Ability to Manage Client Relationships
- Develops good relationships with both internal and external customers.
- Uses feedback of customers and implements action to improve and deliver quality services/products
Self Motivation and Direction
- Creates and initiates goals, timelines, deliverables, and budgets without support
- Is self-motivated
- Leads teams to achieve goals within deadlines
Adaptability and Flexibility
- Understanding of the necessity to change
- Challenges established norms
- Ability to make hard decisions
- Ability to cope in stressful situations
Always Professional
- Sets examples to others
- Keeps up to date with developments in the field
Financial
- Makes good economic use of resources
- Looks for methods to improve processes
Learn the skills to become a better leader on our Leadership Skills training course in Brighton, Sussex.
Resource: Assertiveness in Leadership
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Leadership Training on October 30th, 2007 | No Comments »
The role of leadership in management is largely determined by the organisational culture of the company. It has been argued that a leader’s beliefs, values and assumptions are of critical importance to the overall style of leadership that they adopt.
There are many ways of looking at leadership style (and probably as many styles as there are leaders!). You can learn more about styles of leadership on our comprehensive Leadership Skills Course in Brighton, Sussex.
Below is a four-point analysis of leadership style. Read the characteristics of each one.
DIRECTIVE leaders are those who take control, make decisions on their own and are self-reliant
COACHING leaders are those whose focus is to develop and empower others
INFLUENCING leaders are those who are confident in their own ability and who can influence others with their confidence
COLLABORATIVE leaders are those who create balance in the work place and work with and through others
Advantages and disadvantages
DIRECTIVE:
- Works well in times of crisis
- Good with inexperienced people
- Effective when time is an issue
- When you are the most knowledgeable
- Can appear over-controlling
- Doesn’t involve others
- Can stifle creativity
- Ignores the need to motivate others
COACHING:
- Develops people
- Improves performance
- Raises self awareness of staff
- Builds trust
- Can be time consuming
- Relies on others to work with them
- Assumes people want to develop
INFLUENCING:
- Mobilises people
- Can be inspirational
- Appropriate in times of change
- May appear manipulative
- Can be regarded as condescending
- May appear too pushy
COLLABORATIVE:
- Builds consensus and ownership
- Motivates people
- Involves others
- Uses others expertise and experience
- Relies on others involvement
- Can appear indecisive
- Relies on other people’s commitment
- Assumes others have knowledge
What type of leader are you?
Review the four definitions above and ask yourself the following questions:
What type of leader am I?
What are my greatest strengths as a leader?
What areas would I like to improve in my leadership?
How am I going to do this?
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Leadership Training on April 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »
“A vision gives meaning and purpose to your actions. It is the picture on the jigsaw box of life” Anon
Frequently, vision is listed as one of the qualities that effective and successful leaders demonstrate. It is often cited as the difference between managing and leading. Learn more about the importance of leadership vision on our Leadership Skills Training Course in Brighton, Sussex.
Vision is about generating ideas about the way ahead and, more importantly, being able to articulate these ideas to others in such a way as to secure their understanding and gain their commitment to what you are trying to achieve. One of the keys indicators of high-performance teams is shared vision.
A vision is not a vague dream but a desired outcome and creating it involves:
- Having absolute conviction about the issue, the project, your team etc
- Thinking about the desired future and asking yourself what it will look and feel like
- Testing out your ideas on people you trust
- Building a shared vision with the team
- Involving others in the development of the vision
- Ensuring their commitment
Do you have a vision?
How do you share this with others?
How do you inspire others with your vision?
If you can motivate and inspire others, you can take them along with your vision and they can play their unique part in achieving it.
A great deal is written and said about motivation and it is certainly a key issue for leaders to address.
Key strategies for motivating others
- Give staff a clear understanding of the context of their job and the importance of their function.
- Ensure that everyone agrees achievable personal development objectives and action plans.
- Give all members of staff a challenge so that they will feel stimulated and involved.
- Give inexperienced people more attention and provide on-going training.
- Delegate whole tasks to people so that they develop new skills and feel empowered and motivated to take on more
- Encourage employees to feel like a team by involving everyone
- Always give recognition and thanks to those who deserve it.
- Encourage employees to have high expectations of themselves and to see difficulties as opportunities not problems.
- Show genuine concern when individuals appear to be in difficulties at work
- Deal with unsatisfactory performance assertively not aggressively
- Avoid blaming
- Expect excellent performance – and don’t accept poor performance.
- Ensure staff have the time, resources and opportunity to develop the necessary capabilities to achieve success.
- Show you’re on their side by getting resources for them and working on overcoming organisational blockages.
- Make success visible – notice, appreciate, reward, celebrate and publicise success.
- Don’t ask others to do what you are not prepared to do yourself
- Lead from the front!
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Leadership Training on April 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »
