Management Coach

Live the Brand. Love the Brand.

2008-09-26T09:51:00.006-04:00

Burning Inside: The Importance of Internal Branding

A message from Tom at Mentoric:

Each year companies invest in their brand image through advertising, direct mail and public relations, but many pay little attention to investing in their brand within the organization. Much like your neighbourhood or your church or Facebook, your company is a community. We recognize that each company has its own distinct culture. But, if left unguided, this culture can very easily morph into an entity whose values run counter to the goals and ideals the company had originally created.

Philter Communications, a Mentoric partner for this exciting program, are creative brand builders. Philter looks at every aspect of an organization, helping it to deliver a strong, cohesive message to everyone they touch, from customers to custodial staff. As part of their learning series Philter have developed a white paper titled Burning Inside: The Importance of Internal Branding.

Read it, think about it, then give us a call at 416.925.9144. We can talk more about your company and how its internal culture has an impact on your external brand.

Visit Philter Communications to download the free white paper on the importance of internal branding using examples from clients such as Canadian Tire Petroleum and PartSource.

For more information about this and other management topics please visit Mentoric.

This program is a Mentoric/Philter Communications partnership.

Responsibilities of a Facilitator

2008-08-29T15:26:00.003-04:00

Tom: Hi Dan, I heard that you are going to be facilitating a ideas generation meeting next week. Are you prepared?

Dan: I have a selection of techniques that I am going to use and I am quite familiar with them. I am a little unsure, however, about the responsibilities of a facilitator and in fact I don't even have a good definition of a facilitator. I am sure that it is something more than someone who turns up with a few tools and techniques to use at a meeting. Do you have any ideas?

Tom: I have always used the following as a general definition and responsibilities of a facilitator.

A facilitator is a person who has a role to enable other people to operate effectively in a group in order to arrive at a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

The job of the facilitator is to make it easy for others to conduct their business. The facilitator is essentially focused on enabling others to provide the best and most relevant contributions to the topic in hand and on ensuring an appropriate outcome. The facilitator ensures that group members use the most effective methods to accomplish tasks efficiently with adequate time to consider ideas and alternatives.

Responsibilities of a Facilitator

remain neutral on content
draw out participation
ensure balanced participation
encourage dialogue among participants
provide structure and processes for group work
listen actively and ask others to do the same
encourage different points of view
record, organize and summarize input from group members
move group through stages of group decision making and concensus
encourage the group to evaluate its own progress and development
capitalize on differences among group members for the common good
protect group members and their ideas from attack or from being ignored
emphasize that the group is a reservoir of knowledge, experience and creativity and use facilitation skills to tap this resource

Good luck with the assignment.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Project Terms of Reference

2008-08-19T13:13:00.004-04:00

Tom: I hear that you started working on a new project Dan. How is it coming along?

Dan: It's still at a very early stage and I'm just really getting it off the ground. I've been putting some documentation together following the standards and guidelines that we use in this organization. I really seem to be creating a lot of documents. Are they all really necessary?

Tom: The documents that I would suggest are really quite minimal. Most project methodologies use many more documents than I would recommend and require you to rewrite or reinvent a lot of your work. With the framework we we use in this organization we evolve each of the documents so you never lose anything or have to rewrite anything. Remember, a document is simply a way of gathering together what people are thinking and saying. Without a place to record this our projects would be full of misunderstandings, ambiguities and errors.

Dan: In that case what document should I focus on at the beginning of a project?

Tom: Well after the initial Idea Sheet you should be starting to compile a Project Terms of Reference document. It is called many different names but what it does is provide a place for you to gather together all the initial thoughts about a project. Remember it will evolve.

Here are some notes on the Project Terms of Reference and what to include in it:

The Project Terms of Reference

The purpose of the document is to allow an informed decision on whether or not to start a project. If the project is not worthwhile, it stops immediately and the organization saves the time, money, and effort of starting a project, only to find later on that it is not viable. If the project is worthwhile the document acts as a baseline which is key to effective change management throughout the project. The project’s Sponsor or Project Board agree to more detailed project work by signing off this document. Key sections of the document include:

Background

The business reasons for doing the project. May identify problems or difficulties, their effect on the organization, and the reason for doing something about them (or the impact of doing nothing).
A statement of the current situation and key historical events, describing the context within which the project is to be done.
References to pertinent people, places and events
Cross-references to other work being done
Cross-references to the business mission, vision and strategic objectives

Objectives

A statement of what is expected to be achieved during the project.
Multiple objectives should be listed separately in order of priority.
The objectives should be: concise, unambiguous, relevant, measurable and realistic

Scope

A specification of the boundaries within which the work is to be undertaken
What processes, functions and operations the project will cover
What areas the project will NOT cover
What business areas, jobs and geographical locations will be affected

Constraints

To describe any restrictions which could well influence the way in which the project is undertaken.
Examples of constraints that may apply are:
Timescales: When the assignment should be started and completed. Any critical dates, such as start of financial periods. Target dates for presentation and review of draft report.
Budget: In man-days and cost.
Resources: Availability of staff undertaking the project.
Methods: Refers to standards or procedures that have to be followed
Tools: May refer to tools which have to be used to implement or manage the project

Assumptions

A list of all assumptions.

Roles and Responsibilities

Project organizational structure
Key roles and responsibilities (e.g. Sponsor, Project Manager)
Use the VICARS Matrix

Key Deliverables

This section describes the outputs from the project. These would normally be the physical outputs but could include 'changed state’ outputs (i.e. trained employees). Examples include: Project Terms of Reference, Microsoft Project Plan, Risk Register, Product Specifications, Organizational Structure and Job Descriptions.

I hope you find this useful Dan. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Low Cost / No Cost Recognition

2008-08-06T15:29:00.003-04:00

Tom: Hi Dan. How is your project doing? Is it on schedule and are you controlling the budget?

Dan: Hi Tom. Yes, the projects going really well. In fact I would like to reward some of the team members for the great work they have been doing. The problem is that I do not really have any money in the budget to do anything expensive or elaborate. Do you have any ideas?

Tom: A couple of years ago I was doing a lot of work with a large international organization and they asked the same question. They were wanting to recognize their staff more often but did not have a huge budget to do it with. Over a period of several months and working with groups from all over the world we brainstormed and came up with the following list of what we called Low Cost / No Cost Recognition. Perhaps you'll find something in this list:

Low Cost / No Cost Recognition

Give positive feedback to individuals at a team meeting
Organize a team lunch or dinner
Company branded T-shirts, bags, baseball caps
Project branded T-shirts
Article in the local newsletter, including photograph
Presentation to the senior Management Team or Project Board
Flowers/gift sent to home address either to the employee or the partner of the employee
Offer dinner for employee and partner
Gift vouchers
Letter or message from higher management thanking them for their efforts on a project
Breakfast at the office with the team
Long weekend away with partner
Visit to another business unit
Small presents - pen, key-ring, travel bags, briefcase, etc.
Send to a conference or seminar
Visit to another company in the form of benchmarking
Write article for a professional journal
Peer to peer award (coffee and donut coupon)
Breakfast meeting with senior management
Team photograph
Team outings - bowling, beer and pizza, etc.
Team building / development day - this should have some substance and be linked to the workplace
Celebration cake
Free tickets to local sporting events
Team presentation to external visitors
Send on a training course
Family visit on site
Announcement in company magazine
Free gourmet food hamper
Employee of the Week award
Thank-you letter to home (so they can share with partner)
Special assignment (i.e. investigate use of new software tool)
A day or half-day or a couple of hours off work - this is probably the best received recognition
Flowers to spouse for inconvenience if employee has been doing a lot of overtime
Write article for internal newsletter
Time off for charity or community work
Ask to take on a new challenge
Given the opportunity to speak about your work at a professional conference
Given the opportunity to learn a new skill

I am sure all of these would not be suitable for every team or company but they may give you some ideas.

Good luck and best wishes to your team.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Elements of a good Project Plan

2008-07-30T14:52:00.006-04:00

Dan: Hi Tom. Do you have a moment to talk about what makes a good project plan?

Tom: Sure Dan. First of all actually having a plan is a good first step. You would be amazed at how many projects stumble along without any plan at all. It is a wonder that anything ever gets accomplished in some organizations.

Dan: Is there a 'standard' plan that will fit every project?

Tom: There are lots of frameworks that can be used but it important to remember that you should always tailor your plan to fit your project. Under-planning is a common failure but over-planning can also be a problem in terms of unnecessary overheads and wasted time.

Dan: Do you have any guidelines that I could follow to make sure that I get it right?

Tom: Here is a checklist to help you assess whether your plan is correct, and don’t hesitate to add to it any factors which are important in your project environment.

Is the plan do-able?
When you look at it, do you feel comfortable that the plan is realistic or, deep down, do you know it to be unrealistic? You have to be really honest with yourself on this one.

Is the plan in balance?
Following on from the first question, are the resources, timescales, scope and required quality in balance? Can you say "yes, I can deliver that scope, with those resources, in that timescale to that quality level"? Don’t be fooled by those triangle diagrams that show just three elements as there are actually four to consider.

Does the plan fit the project?
Are you content that the plan is a good fit to the project? If it doesn’t show enough detail to control the project then it will not function effectively. However, if the plan is in great and unnecessary detail (perhaps following some site standard) then you have already wasted some time, but will continue to waste more keeping the plan up to date unless you chop it down to size.

Are the deliverables clearly identified?
Many planning approaches focus on activity and there is a great pre-occupation about what is done. But projects are really about delivery. Are your deliverables clearly identified and specified? Activities should be identified once it is known what is to be delivered, rather than deciding what is to be done and then trying to figure out what will be delivered!

Is the plan clear?
Is it easy to understand for all who will come into contact with it? That means Project Board members as well as you and the Team Managers. If not, clarify it. It is unfair to ask a Project Board to commit to a plan that they barely understand, and if they do commit, it will almost certainly lead to problems later.

Is contingency included?
Something is going to happen that you haven’t thought of, so contingency must be in the plan. The amount of contingency will depend on the risk of the project, your experience and a range of other factors. Try to establish an open relationship with the Project Board so that contingency is clearly on the plan, not hidden away in inflated estimates.

Is the scope clear and agreed?
Scope creep is a major cause of project difficulty. Make sure that the scope is absolutely clear. It can be very helpful in many cases to list what the project will NOT cover, as well as what it will cover. This helps manage expectations. If additional scope is required during the project, then change control becomes easier because it is apparent that the plan does not currently cater for the element, and extra time and resource will be required if the change is to be accepted.

I hope that helps you Dan.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

The Project Sponsor - Responsibilities

2008-07-23T10:56:00.004-04:00

Tom: Hi Dan, how is your new project doing. Are you getting all the support you require?

Dan: The project is going Okay. I'm just going over to the Project Sponsor to discuss it. He seems to be quite enthusiastic about the project but I'm not sure if he understands all the responsibilities that come with the role. Do you have anything that could help me?

Tom: I have found that most Project Sponsors are unaware of all their responsibilities. Here is a checklist I use when speaking with them. It may help you.

Project Sponsor Responsibilities

Clearly understands the business need (time vs. cost vs. quality)
Understands who the project end user is
Clarifies roles and responsibilities with Programme Manager / Project Manager as appropriate
Defines and communicates success criteria for the programme / project
Makes him/herself available to the PM as appropriate
Sets realistic but challenging targets
Chairs the steering group/board (if one has been established)
Signs-off the Quality Plan
Makes resources available to the project team if appropriate
Communicates the project vision and its business priority
Believes in the intended outcome (is enthusiastic)
Demonstrates commitment
Sells the project to key stakeholders
Removes obstacles
Manages the political barriers and removes obstacles to success
Resolves conflict
Monitors progress
Controls or limits changes to objectives, scope, requirements, timescales and budget
Keeps stakeholders informed
Ensures business review of the programme / project
Monitors the realisation of the business benefits
Formally closes the project
Provides feedback to the contributors
Learns from experience

Tom: I'm sure there are other responsibilities you may want to add to the list and some of the responsibilities I have listed may not apply in your situation. However, the list should come in handy as a discussion document with your Project Sponsor.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Handling difficult questions during presentations

2008-07-16T14:49:00.004-04:00

Tom: Hi Dan. Have you made your presentation the multi-cultural group you spoke about a few days ago?

Dan: Hi Tom. Yes, I followed the advice you gave me and it went very well. I have another presentation coming up in a couple of day and this time it is to a group I know I will have trouble with. The last presentation I made to them did not go well. They asked me a lot of very difficult questions and I really did not know how to handle them. To be quite honest I think my reputation took a bit of a beating. Do you have any suggestions for handling tough questions during presentations of meetings?

Tom: Yes, I do but the preparation start well before the meeting. Here are some guidelines for you:

1. Before the presentation, anticipate the six most likely difficult questions your group will ask and practice your answers.

2. Also, plan how to answer the easy questions. For each one identify two or three key points you wish to make and practice them. Avoid the temptation to talk for too long on questions you are comfortable with.

3. Pause before answering, then respond succinctly with (at least an appearance of) confidence.

4. Maintain eye contact with the entire audience, not just the questioner.

5. When a difficult question is asked ask for clarification: it will give you more time to prepare a response.

6. If you do not know the answer to a question, then ask a colleague or even ask the audience. Do not guess, admit that you don’t know but offer to find out and contact the questioner later.

7. Rephrase hostile questions in neutral terms.

8. If you have a persistent questioner, suggest that you discuss the issue during the next break.

9. Always try to turn negative questions into positive points (i.e. ‘we’ve all learned from our mistakes and things have improved’).

10. Don’t finish on the last answer. Close on a high note by repeating your key messages.

I hope that helps. Good luck, or should I say, good preparation for the presentation.

Dan: Thanks Tom.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Using Games and Simulations for Learning and Development

2008-07-11T15:59:00.010-04:00

Dan: Hi Tom. I'm going to be holding a project team 'learning day' in a couple of weeks and one of the team members suggested that we use either games or simulation for the training instead of just having someone come in to lecture to us. Some of the team got a bit bored at the last learning day. What do you think of the idea?

Tom: I think it is an excellent idea. There are many reasons to use interactive learning during training sessions. Some of the reasons I would use games and simulations are:

1. Learning becomes enjoyable, challenging and stimulating.

2. They enable participants to quickly realize their strengths and weaknesses in a relatively safe environment.

3. They enable the transfer of theory into practice.

4. They enable participants to see and experience the gap between what they think they believe and what their behaviour demonstrates they believe.

5. Games and simulations encourage participants to take risks and experiment with new behaviour.

6. Participants often know more than they think they know. Games and simulations help participants to discover the underlying principles that make them competent.

7. They stimulate participants to ask more penetrating questions, about themselves, their colleagues and their organization, than a more formal learning process would trigger.

8. They can produce more powerful insights than were planned for the learning experience.

9. ...and, best of all, games and simulations are FUN.

I think it is a great idea Dan. Let me know if you decide to do it.

For more information about this and other management topics please click here.

Making change projects 'stick'

2008-07-09T17:33:00.012-04:00

Dan: Tom, one of the issues that concerns me about projects that attempt to change the way people in the organization think or work is ‘will it actually happen’? We do a lot of work and spend a lot of money and it would be terrible if everyone reverted to the old way of doing things and nothing really changed.

Tom: Can you be more specific about the type of project you are thinking of?

Dan: Well, I’m not really thinking of what I would call a straight forward project like building a new store, installing a new computer system or working on a new marketing campaign. These projects usually have a business case that spells out what the costs and benefits are. People may not agree with them but they are usually quite straightforward. I am thinking more about the types of projects to introduce a new way of thinking in the organization. It could be a new focus on quality, the introduction of a 'creativity and innovation' program or a management initiative to simplify everything. These are the projects I am having a problem with.

Tom: You are quite right, Dan. Many organizations have difficulty making the changes they want from these projects ‘stick’. They are usually the type of projects that are initiated through the organizations strategic planning process and are intended to change the ‘culture’ of the company. For the changes to take affect there has to be something more than sending out some emails and putting a few posters on the wall.

Dan: Do some companies really expect the changes to take place by just doing that?

Tom: Yes, unfortunately they do but to make things happen they have to do a lot more than that.

I believe that in order for strategic objectives and initiatives to 'stick' in an organization they must be cascaded down and personalized at every level in the organization. They must also be embedded in the appraisal system for every employee.

The way to make it work is to start with the company vision and the strategic objectives that will enable the company to reach its vision. These are cascaded down through ALL the levels in the organization. This could be country level, region, division, department and the individual. That means communicating the vision and strategic objectives to every member of staff no matter what level they are and what they do. However, the key is to 'personalize' the vision and objectives at each level. There must be a logical link to the level above but they must also be interpreted in a way that makes sense to the individual.

So, for instance, a company goal may be "Make it easy for our customers to work with us". At a business analyst level that could be personalized to read "Simplify all our processes", at a janitor level it could be "All public areas must be clean, tidy and free of clutter at all times". The test is when you ask anyone in the organization what they are working on and they should reply in a language that demonstrates a clear link up through their department goals to the company goal. So, if you asked a programmer what they were working on they would not answer, "I'm working on program 123" but they should instead reply with something like, "I'm working on a program to provide a simpler user interface to the mortgage calculation function which is in line with our goal to simplify all our process resulting in an environment which will make it easier for our customers to work with us." It may seem a little long-winded but it does indicate that your staff know what they are doing and how it contributes to the overall goals of the company. When this happens it means that you can be sure that everyone in the organization is truly aligned.

In practical terms the personalized goals and measurements must be imbedded into the personal planning and appraisal process. This would happen at ALL levels in the organization.

We can take this concept a little further. If someone is working on something that is not traceable up through the cascaded vision and goals then we must ask “Why are they doing this?” Many times I have found that half the work being done in a department is not contributing to the current goals of the organization.

Dan: Making the changes part of the appraisal system is a great idea. Is there anything more that can be done to encourage people to change the way they normally do things?

Tom: That’s a good point Dan. There is something I used to do in one organization that I worked in. The objective was to encourage an individual to take risks. When you are introducing changes to a company culture it is not always clear what has to change. It is therefore important for the staff to take risks. But why should they if it means getting into trouble? They way I did this was to encourage any of my staff who had an idea that was out of the ordinary and carried some risk with it to put a case together and presented it to me. It did not have to be formal but it did have to be accurate. If I felt that the idea was worthwhile pursuing then I shared that risk with the staff member and supported them. I also wrote it into their appraisal in a way that if they were successful with their idea then they would in effect receive bonus points but if they were not successful then they would not be penalized for the failure. They would, in fact, get credit for taking a risk.

I would summarize the process of making changes in an organization ‘stick’ by doing the following: identify company vision and goals, cascade these down through all levels in the organization personalizing them at each level, cascade right down to the individual, embed the vision and goals in the personal planning and goal setting process.

For more information about these and other management topics please click here.

Project justification

2008-07-09T13:00:00.002-04:00

Dan: Projects in this organisation seem to start for very sound business reasons. Is that always the case?

Tom: We would like to think that every project is necessary and founded on good business rationale. However, they have been started for some unusual reasons. For example there is the case of a senior manager who request a project to be started for a new piece of software because he read about it in an in-flight magazine and thought it would be ‘neat’ to have it in his organisation.

There was also the time when a director of a large international computer manufacturing company asked his secretary how much it cost to produce a single copy from one of the many copiers that they had around their office. The secretary was very efficient and started a small project which involved about half a dozen people over the course of a few days as they gathered and checked all the relevant data. After about a week the secretary informed the director that they cost 10.2 cents a copy. He thanked her for the information and gave her a dollar to put in the petty cash as he had made five copies for his church the previous week. This is a very good example of why you must be absolutely clear about your project right form the start.

Dan: But surely nobody would start a project just on a simple question like ‘How much does a copy cost?’.

Tom: You would be surprised Dan. Projects do start and companies do invest lots of resource based on very informal requests. It is not unusual to be asked to start a project through an email, a casual conversation in the hall or at the water-cooler or by someone asking us to just ‘check this out’. It is not the way to be in control or to be professional, but it happens.

Dan: If that is the case then should all requests for projects come on a formal project request?

Tom: In an ideal world all projects would start with a formal request. The benefit of using a standard method is that the project request form would prompt the person filling it in to provide the right information for a quick and efficient start. If you are asked to manage a project and you do not have a formal project request then fill one out yourself and have the person who requested the project to review the details and sign it. It will save you a lot of time later.

For more information about these and other management topics please click here.

Project work

2008-07-08T12:52:00.002-04:00

Dan: Is all the work that we do in the organisation a project?

Tom: Not really, Dan. The work that you do every day we usually call operational work. That could be activities such as serving customers, shipping finished good, ordering parts on a regular basis and, of course, going to meetings. It is when we do something different that has a clear beginning and a clear end then we call it a project. It could include things such as building a new factory, designing and building a new payroll system or launching a new product line.

Dan: I hear people talking about projects more and more. Is that because we are doing lots of different things?

Tom: It could be but it could also be because managers in organisations are seeing the benefits of good project management that they are applying the tools and techniques of project management to operational work. We call this ‘Management by Projects’.

For more information about these and other management topics please click here.

Presenting to multi-cultural groups

2008-07-08T12:08:00.002-04:00

Tom: Hi Dan. How’s your presentation going.

Dan: Well I know what I want to say and I have all the materials ready but, to tell the truth, I’m nervous about making the presentation. The group I’m making the presentation to is made up of people from different parts of the world and I’m afraid that with the cultural differences I may not be able to make myself understood.

Tom: It can be quite challenging addressing a multinational audience, it is easy to be misunderstood. Here are few simple guidelines for getting your point across.

1. Keep it simple. Think from the audience’s point of view. Never assume that participants speak or understand the English that you use.

2. Do not use double negatives. For example, ‘I’m not suggesting you couldn’t solve the problem, but…’ could leave the listener confused. Try changing it to, ‘we all know you could solve the problem but…’.

3. Expect to take more time to achieve your objective.

4. For key messages use alternative media such as visual aids, images, handouts or translations to make sure your point is understood.

5. Consider using professional interpreters to enable all participants to contribute equally.

6. Keep to one idea per sentence.

7. Make positive direct statements. For example, instead of saying ‘we don’t want to hurry you but…’ you could say ‘we need this as soon as possible. Is this OK with you?’.

8. Ask others to repeat what they have understood.

9. Look out for alternative interpretations. For example the phrase ‘to table’ a document has a different meaning in England and the USA.

10. Provide regular, concise summaries of a discussion.

11. Paraphrase or repeat a question before answering.

12. If you use humour, make sure it is simple and obvious.

If you follow these suggestions you should be OK. Let me know how you get on.

For more information about these and other management topics please click here.

Introducing Tom and Dan

2008-07-08T11:55:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the Management Coaching blog for the discussion of management and leadership topics. There could be discussions about the characteristics of a manager, project management issues, change management, the difference between managers and leaders, creativity with purpose, presentation skills, coaching skills, training, the use of games and simulations, teambuilding, process improvement, etc. We hope that you participate and enjoy the discussions.

Tom and Dan will introduce the discussions, however, we will probably meet other people from time to time.

Here is a short profile of Tom and Dan to get us started. You will learn more about them in future posts.

Tom is an experienced Project and Change Manager. He has managed both small and large projects all over the world in a variety of organisations. The projects have been business projects, IT projects, building projects and many other types. Tom has a vast amount of management experience. He is the mentor and coach of Dan.

Dan has managed a few small projects in the past and struggled through with only a few bruises. He did not use any frameworks or methodologies for his projects and only did what seemed right at the time. Dan has no formal training in Project Management or any other form of management. He is determined that his next project is managed more professionally.

For more information about these and other management topics please click here.