AccelTeam

Managementmanagingbetter,workersworkingproductively
TeamLeaderSkills
Developingcoreskillstoinfluenceothersand
leadbetter

Management
managingbetter,
workersworking
productively
TEAMLEADERSKILLS

CONTENTS
1.0HighAchievement.............................................................................................................................................4
2.0TimeManagement...........................................................................................................................................6
3.0PersonalEffectiveness......................................................................................................................................9
4.0SolvingProblemsandDecisionMaking..........................................................................................................25
5.0EffectiveCommunicationSkills.......................................................................................................................27

Management
managingbetter,
workersworking
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TEAMLEADERSKILLS

TEAMLEADERSKILLS
KEYSKILLSANDTIPSTODEVELOPYOURTEAMLEADERSHIPPOTENTIAL
Thisresourceisdesignedtobeapracticalapproachtocover5keyskillsyouneedtofocusoninordertobe
successfulintheworldofwork.Thestructurewillenableyoutograspthecoreskillsrequired.Thesecoreskills
are:

INSTRUCTIONS
Quicklyskimthroughthedocumenttogainanoverviewofeachsectionandafeelforthecontentandthe
format.
Thenworkthrougheachsectioninmoredetailbycompletingtheformsandchecklists.Onceyouhave
completedallsectionsyouwillhaveaninventoryofwhereyouareandwhereyouwanttobe.Thegap
betweenthesetwostatesiswhatyouhavetofocusoninordertoimproveyourleadershipandachieve
successbyimprovingbusinessperformance.
Bepatient,andrememberthatsuccessisoftenachievedthroughfailures.Dontbedeterredbutrathergo
backthroughyourinventoryandreevaluate.
Theresnosuccesslikefailureandfailureisnosuccessatall.
BobDylan

High
achievement
Time
management
Personal
effectiveness
Solving
problemsand
decisionmaking
Effective
communication
skills
Management
managingbetter,
workersworking
productively
TEAMLEADERSKILLS

1.0 HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

1.1Analyzingyourself
Theessentialingredientsforsuccessareto:

Thestartingpointforhighachievementinyourpersonalandbusinesslifeistoreviewpositivelyyourstrengths
andweaknesses.Abasicselfassessmentshouldreview:
WhatamIgoodat?
WhatdoIenjoydoingorwouldenjoygiventhechance?
WhatkindsofbusinesswouldIliketoworkinortoown?
Whataremyassets?
Whatworksituations,frustrationsandstressesdoIwishtoavoid?
Questionssuchastheseshouldbeaskedofourselvesatregularintervalstoprovideopportunitiestofocuson
whatwewouldliketomakehappenandtoaimforthehighachievementofdesiredresults.

Decidewhat
personal
successyou
want
Createa
personal
visionof
success
Adopta
quantum
leap
approach
Believe
successwill
happen
Focuson
success
goals
Be
undeterred
byset
backs
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1.2Settinggoals
Highachievementdependsonfirstofallidentifyingandsettinggoals,thensettingaboutmakingthemhappen
byaddressinganddealingwiththosekeyissuesonwhichsuccessorfailuredepend.UsetheGoalsetting
formtosetyourgoalsandthereasonsthatmotivateyourdesiretoachievesuccess.
GoalSetting
ThreeYearGoals
Thegoal(s)Iwill
achievewithinthree
yearsare:
Subgoal(s)whichneed
tobeachievedare:
OneYearGoals
Thegoal(s)Iwill
achievewithinoneyear
are:
Subgoal(s)whichneed
tobeachievedare:
Insettingthesegoalsyoushouldadoptaquantumleapapproachtoachieve
dramaticresults,e.g.totripleprofitswithinthreeyears.
AchievementMotivation
Youmustfixonthesegoalsanduseirondeterminationtomakethemhappenbyfocusingonthereasonsfor
achievingsuccess:
Mysuccessgoalsare
importanttome
because:
Mysuccessgoalsare
achievablebecause:
Theobstaclestobe
overcomeare:
Theprioritiestofocus
onare:

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2.0 TIMEMANAGEMENT
2.1Assessingyourtimemanagementskills
Timemanagementisnotanendinitself.Itisthemeanstoanend.Ithastobelinkedwithsettingandmeeting
goalsand,inthisway,itprovidesthewaytoleveragereallyhighachievementoutofyouandotherswith
whomyoucomeintocontact.
Howdoyourateyourtimemanagementskills?Doyou:
Havesuccessgoalswrittendown?
Agreeyoursuccessgoalswithyourbosswhereverhe/sheshouldbeinvolved?
Givetheimpressiontopeoplethatyouarewellorganized,reallyontopofyourjob,andstillhavetime
forpeople?
Findenoughtimetotackletheimportantprojects?
Haveareputationforinvariablymeetingdeadlines??
Askyoursecretarywhichjobsshe/hecoulddoforyon?
Workawayfromtheofficeoccasionallytoconcentrateonaparticularjob?
Replytocorrespondencequickly?
Regularlyreturntelephonecallssufficientlypromptly?
. Doyoumakeenoughuseoftechnologyandofficeequipmenttosaveyoutime?
Deliberatelydecidetoleavecertainjobsundone,untilsomeonecomplains?
Makealistofwhatjobsandtelephonecallsmustorshouldhedonetoday?
Oftentakeworkhomeorgointotheofficeatweekends?
Feelitisbettertodoajobyourselfthantotrainsomeoneelsetodoitforyou?
Allowpeopletowasteyourtimebydroppinginforachat?
Doyouliterallyopentheposteachmorning?
Writethingsinlonghandforyoursecretarytotype?
Spendtimedoingjobswhichajuniorpersoncoulddoaswellasyou?
Arrangeyourownmeetings
Wastetimefilingthingsorfindingfilesandinformation?
Sometimesgohomefeelingthedayhasbeenconsumedbyinterruptions?
Accepttelephonecallsduringinformalmeetings?
Spendtoomuchtimeinunproductivemeetings?
Arrivelateformeetingsquiteoften?
Spendtoomuchtimebeingchasedbyothersandchasingothersaboutmisseddeadlines?
Areyoutoomuchofaperfectionistforyourowngood?
Toberateda100%effectivemanageryoushouldhaveticksagainstthefirst12questionsandcrosses
againsttheremainingquestions.Howdidthisevaluationhelpyou?Isthereroomforimprovement?

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2.2Focusingonresultsandopportunities
Inordertousetimemanagementtechniques,itisvitaltoberesultsdrivenandtodothiseffectivelymeans
identifyingkeyresultsandassessingmajoropportunities.Usethetablebelowtoformulateyourkeyresults
andmajoropportunitiesassessment.
Keyresultsandmajoropportunitiesanalysis
Keyresultstobeachievedinorderofimportance(timespentonthem,ranked1to5):
Ranking Keyresult
1.


Deadline
2.


Deadline
3.


Deadline
4.


Deadline
5.


Deadline
Themajoropportunitiestobepursuedinorderofimportance(timespentonthem,ranked1to5):
Ranking Majoropportunities
1.


Deadline
2.


Deadline
3.


Deadline
4.


Deadline
5.


Deadline

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2.3Usingyourdiaryforbettertimemanagement
Thetrickistoplanyouryearfirstandyourdaylast.Usethechecklistbelowtoimproveyourplanningusing
yourdiaryordayplannersystem.
Diaryplanningchecklist
1. ENTERKEYYEARPLANNINGDATESINYOURDIARY
Regularmeetingsfortheyear
Knownoneoffevents(e.g.AGM,SalesConference,tradefairs,budgetpreparation)
Holidays
Familyoccasions
Keytasks(e.g.strategicworkshop,FarEastvisit,customervisits)
2. PLANYOURNEXTMONTH
Countunplanneddaysavailable
Ducklessimportantevents
Reserveameetingfreedayeachweek
Reservekeytasktime.
3. PLANTHISWEEK
Developregularhabits(e.g.weeklyteamlunch,Fridayp.m.intheoffice)
4. PLANEACHDAYATTHEOUTSET
Developregularhabits
Fixmanagementbywalkingabout(MBWA)oropendoortimes
Setpersonalassistant(PA)times
Listandrankjobsandphonecalls
UsePAtofollowup
Makedailyactionlists
Rememberstresscanbereducedbyplanningtouseyourtimetotackleareasofconcern
Howtomanageeachday
Planeachdayatthestartorbetterstillthenightbefore.
Makealistoftasks,workouttimeneededforeachandprioritize.
Isolatethekeytaskandmakesureitgetsdone.
Dontbetooambitiousandcluttereachdaywithtasksthatcanwait.
Buildatimeforsolitudeand/ortohandleanissuethatcouldcropup.
Reduceinterruptionsfromphonecalls,visitors,etctimesearmarkedfortaskcompletion.
Tieeachdayinwiththeweek,themonth,theyearandyourgoals.
5. FOLLOWUPEFFECTIVELYBYUSINGTHREEFOLLOWUPFILES
Thisweek
Nextweek
Thismonth

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3.0 PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Thissectionsummarizesavarietyofareasthatshouldbeaddressedinseekingwaysofimprovingthewayyou
operateinbusiness.
3.1PersonalAppearances
Youshouldmakeyourownandyourofficeappearancesreflectnowtheachievementofyoursuccessgoals.An
actionplanisneededfor:

Createasuccessfulachievingstyleandrememberyounever,getasecondchancetomakeafirstimpression.
Perhapsthemostimportantaspectofappearanceandonewhichaffectstheabilitytotackleimportanttasks)
ishowyourdeskismanaged.

Yourown
appearance
hair
weight
clothes
etc.
Youroffice
appearance
walls
ceilings
tidiness
decoration.
W
a
y
s

t
o

c
l
e
a
r

y
o
u
r

d
e
s
k
Dontleaveanypapersonitwhenyouleave.
Donthavepapersoutformorethanonetaskatatime.
Dontkeeppapershangingaround:
Diarizewhentoactionandthenfilethem
Dumpunwanteditems
Passonwithactionnotes(handwritten,dontwaitfortypingup)
Dontletfilingpileup(doit,yourselfifneedbe).
Dontgetsidetrackedreadingitemsthatshouldbeputina
separatetobereadfileorpile.
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10

3.2Handlingyourmanager
Itisvitaltoagreewithyourownmanagerwhatwillconstitutehighachievementinyourpresentjob.Akey
resultsstatementneedstobeagreedandlistedinorderofimportance:
Keyresultsstatement
1.


KeyResult

Standardofperformance
Priority/deadline
2.


KeyResult

Standardofperformance
Priority/deadline
3.

KeyResult

Standardofperformance
Priority/deadline
Inarrivingatthisagreedlist,youwillneedto:
Understandtheconstraintsandpressuresonyourmanager
Receiveanappraisalofyourperformance
Negotiatetheresourceandthesupportneededtoensuresuccess
Obtainthesupportneededforhighachievement.

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Youshouldlisttheexternalandinternalobstaclestobeovercome:
Keyresultsstatementobstaclestosuccess
1.


Obstacles

ActionNeeded

AssistanceFrom
2.


Obstacles

ActionNeeded

AssistanceFrom
3.

Obstacles

ActionNeeded

AssistanceFrom

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12

Youshouldagreewithyourmanager,themajoropportunitiestopursueandwinpositivehelpand
commitmenttothem.Achecklistwouldbe:
Majoropportunities
1. Purposeandresultstobeachieved:

2. Proposal:

3. Othertangiblebenefitstobeproduced:

4. Methodstobeadopted:

5. Costsandtimescalerequired:

6. Financialreturntobeachieved:

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13

3.3Delegationandteambuilding
Itisessentialtoleadbypersonalexampleby:
Definingyourgoalsinwritingandbelievingyouwillachievethem
Identifyingkeyresults
Usingyourappearanceandstyletoreflectachievementofyoursuccessgoals
Planningtoovercomeinternalandexternalobstacles.
Youwillneedtorecruit,retainanddeveloppeoplewhowillachieveoutstandingresultsandtocreateand
maintainanatmosphereofexcitementinwhichhighachievementwillflourish.Youshouldaskpeoplewhether
they:

Furthermore,whatcantheycontributebywayof:
Ideastoovercomedifficulties
Ideasfornewopportunities
Youneedtoselectwhattodelegatebyidentifyingkeytasksandforeachnotedown:
Whichmemberofyourteamcoulddothisjob
Whatexactlyisstoppingyougivingthetaskaway
Whatyouwilldotogivethetaskawayeffectively
Asuggestedformatforthislistmightbeasfollows.

Ask
your
staff
Dotheywantto
achievethekey
results
Dotheybelieve
theycanbe
achieved
Howtomake
theirjobsmore
interestingand
enjoyable
Whathastobe
doneinorderto
ensureplanned
resultsare
achieved
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14

TaskstobeDelegated
1. Task

Delegatedto
TimeSaved
2. Task

Delegatedto
TimeSaved
3. Task

Delegatedto

TimeSaved
Inordertodelegateeffectively(onceyouhaveidentifiedthetimeconsumingtaskstodelegateandidentified
keytaskstospendmoretimeon)youneedto:

Agreetheresultsand
standardstobe
achieved
Agreedeadlinesandthe
completiondates
Agreeanyinterim
checkpoints
Explaintheimportance,
thecontextandthe
constraints
Providetheauthority
needed
Controltheagreed
deadlinesrigorously
Saythankyouwhen
deadlinesaremet
literally
withanote
withagift
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Youmustinvesttimenowtodevelopyourteamandshoulddiscusswitheachperson:
Theirsuccessgoals
Traininganddevelopmentneeds
Jobsatisfaction
Theirnextjoborproject
Inrespectoftraininganddevelopmentprograms,eachpersonshouldhaveoneandasensibleformatis:
Name Year

Trainingtobecompleted




Personaldevelopment

Dontlotsubordinatesdelegatetoyou
Dontdelegateonlytheworkandnottheauthority
Dontdelegateandinterfere(otherthanatagreedcheckpoints)
Dontdelegateandforgettofollowup
Dontdelegatewithoutagreeingobjectives/resultsexpected
Dontdelegateandlettheproblemscomebackratherthanthesolutions
Dontdelegateanddelaymattersbywithholdingdecisions/information
Dontdelegatewithoutdiscussingworkloads
Dontwithholdpraise
Dontdoataskifyoudelegateit
Dontconfusedelegationwithabdication
DelegationChecklist
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Inrecruitment,youshouldremember:
Toreplacepeopleincapableofoutstandingachievement
Youhavetheteamyoudeserve
Topaywellforoutstandingachievement
Recruitresultaholicsnotworkaholics
Tocreateanatmosphereofexcitementtobreedhighachievementyoumust:
Exudeenthusiasmitiscontagious
Sellnottellkeyresults
Discusshowtomakeworkmoreenjoyable
o inviteideas
o consider,prizes/competitions
o visitstotradeshows,branches,etc.
o sponsoredevents
Keeppeopleinformedofresults.
Ifyouaimtorewardhighachievers(e.g.theyshouldbepromotedunselfishlybecausethatpolicyisoneof
enlightenedselfinterest)youshouldalsodecidetotellpeople(inprivate)immediatelywhentheir
performancefallsshort,otherwiseyouarecondoningmediocrity.
Asabriefintroductiontothemoreformalwaysofteamoperation,astructuralandresultsanalysisofsome
differentwaysofworkinginteamscanbesummarizedasfollows:

Bestwaysofcreatinga
winningteam
Leadbyexample
Recruitepeoplecapableof
outstandingachievement
Injectexcitement
Grantfreedomthrough
delegation
Investinstaffdevelopment
Promotefromoutsideyour
team.
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Typeofteam Structureandfunction Results

Problemsolving 512employeesfromdifferent
areasandlevelsofthebusiness
meet12hoursperweek
discusswaystoimprovequality,
efficiencyetc.
nopowertoimplementideas
canreducecosts
canimprovequality
donotresultinchangesinwork
efficiencyorinvolvemanagers
enough
fadeawayoverashortperiod
Specialpurpose designandintroducework
reformsandnewtechnology
linkallseparatefunctions
involvemanagement,unions,
etc.
makeoperationaldecisions
createshighlevelinvolvement
canmakewidechanges
Selfmanaging 515employeeswhoproduce
entireproduct
memberslearnalltasksand
rotatejobs
handleallmanagerialduties
can increaseproductivityvery
significantly(researchshowsby30
percent)
fundamentallychangean
organization
employeesmoreincontrolof
theirjobs
eliminatessupervisorlevel

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3.4Meetings
Formalmeetings
Youshouldfirstofalltesthoweffectiveyourcurrentformalmeetingsarebyusingthischecklist:
Wastheactionagreedworththetimespentinpreparation,attendanceandminutewriting?
Wasthetotalamountoftimespentbythoseattendingjustifiedbytheactionagreed?
Whyshouldthemeetingscontinuetobeheld?
Whydoyouneedtoattendthemeetings?
o Whynotdelegatethe,jobtosomeoneelseandattendonlywhenthesituationoragenda
meritsyourcontribution?
Whynotholdthemquarterlyinsteadofmonthly,ormonthlyinsteadofweekly,oronlywheneither
actualresultstodateoryearendforecastismorethan5percentbelowbudget?
Whoneedstoattendregularly?
o Whoshouldbeinvitedtoattendwhenrelevant?
o Whoonlyneedstoreceivetheminutesforinformation?
Doyoucompileorauthorizetheagenda?
Aretheagendaandbackgroundpaperscirculatedsoonenoughforpeopletocomeadequately
prepared?
Dothemeetingsstartontimewitheveryonepresent?
Doyoucheckatthestartofthemeetingthattheactionsarisinghavebeencompleted?
Howlongdothemeetingslast?
o Howlongshouldtheybeallowedtolast?
Doyoumanagetocompletetheagendawithinthescheduledtimeregularly?
Dopeopleknowwhenthemeetingsarescheduledtofinish?
o Dotheyfinishontime`?
Ispersonalaccountabilityandadeadlineassignedtoeachactionitem?
Whyaretheminutesnotrestrictedtoalistofactionsagreed?
Howsoonafterthemeetingaretheminutescirculated?
o Whyarenttheycirculatedwithin24hours?
Howlongdoyouspendeitherwritingtheminutesorapprovingthem?
Whatpercentageofitemsareactionedbytheduedate?
Whydoyoutoleratelessthanvirtually100percent?
Haveyouaskedthoseattendingtheabovequestions?
Youcanmakeyourformalmeetingsmoreeffectivebyfocusingon:

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Effectiveformalmeetingchecklist
Timing
treatstartingtimeassacrosanct

scheduletofinishatlunchtime/endofday(any
overshootwouldbeunwelcomebyall)
onlygivetimetothekeyissues

Agenda
writeityourself
makeitspecific
putimportantitemsfirst
circulateinadvance(andinsistpeopleprepare)
Minutes
reducetoaction,personresponsibleanddeadline
circulatewithin24hoursofmeeting.
Informalmeetings
Youshouldfirstofalltesthoweffectiveyourcurrent,informalmeetingsarebyusingthischecklist:
Doyoualwaystelephonetofindoutwhenitwillbeconvenientfortheotherpersontomeet?
Whenyoutelephone,doyoubrieflymentionyourpurposeandagendasothathe/shewillbe
prepared?Andindicatehowlongadiscussionisneeded?Andaskifthereisanythingelsehe/she
wishestodiscusstoensureyouareprepared?
Wheneveryoumeetwithyourmanager,ifyouhaveaproblem,doyoualwaysoutlinetheansweryou
recommendandareabletomentionthe,alternativesyouhaverejected,andyourreasons,ifasked?
Doyouholdregularinformalmeetingswithyourstafftoavoidfrequentandunnecessary
interruptions?
Doyouinsistthat,theymustneverbringaproblemtoyouwithouthavingconsideredtheavailable
optionsandrecommendingasolution?
Doyouwastepeoplestimebyansweringthetelephoneduringinformalmeetings?
Doyouaskmembersofyourteamtocometoyourofficewithoutthecourtesyoftellingthemyour
agenda?
Howoftendoyouvisitmembersofyourteamratherthanhavethemalwaysvisityou?
Wheneversomeonetelephonesyoutosuggestameeting,doyoualwaysaskthepurposeandthe
priorityneeded?
Wheneversomeonevisitsyourofficeforaninformalmeeting,doyousuggestanothertimeifyouare
notsufficientlypreparedoritwillinterruptakeytask?
Doyourmeetingsalwaysendwithdecisionsapprovedorspecific:actionandadeadlinefor
completionagreed?

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Effectiveinformalmeetingsusuallyhavethisprofile:

Tipstosuccessfullyhandleinformalmeetingsinclude:
MBWA
(managementbywalkingaround)
youvisityourstaff(theydontinterruptyou)
Visitpeopleintheirofficestomeet,ratherthan
lettingthemvisityou
youseeforyourself
youmaintaincontact
youcandecidewhentoleave
Standup sittingcanprolonganinformalmeeting
Thetelephone
Youmustberuthlessinensuringthatyoumasterthebestwaysofusingthetelephonetoyouradvantageto
ensurethatyouareusingyourtimeeffectivelyandgettingresults.
Yourpolicymustbetoonlytakecallswhenandfromwhomyouwant.Effectivetimemanagersinvariablyhave
apolicyofnottakingincomingcallsbutoperatingacallbacksystem(i.e.makingthecallswhentheywantand
whentheyarepreparedtodoso).
Keytipsarenottoreceivecallswhen:
Interviewing
Inaninformalmeeting
Withaclientorasupplier
Inaformalmeeting
Youdontwantakeytaskoryourcreativitytobeinterrupted.
Telephoneinadvanceto
agree
Attendeesshouldbring
problemsandanswers
Telephoneinterruptions
shouldbeavoided
Decisionsshouldbemade
withactionanddeadlines
agreed.
purpose
agenda
convenienttime
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Itisusuallybettertogroupcallsforaparticulartimeinthedayandyoushouldthinkinadvancewhatyouwish
eachcalltoachieve.Youshouldreducetimewastedonfindingnumbers,dialingnumbersandmakingsocial
callsbyusingyourPAtobestadvantagetogetthepeopleyouwant(andgivealistofpeople,notoneata
time)andtokeepagoodsystemofregularlyupdatednumbersandbestcontacttimes.YoushoulduseyourPA
toscreencallers(andask`why?)andtohandleroutinecallsorreroutsthem.Ifyouareoutordontwishto
takeacall,thePAshouldtakeamessageandfindoutwhentocallback.
Timewastersshouldbehandledbytellingthemyouonlyhaveafewminutes(andtheyshouldbecalledat
lunchtimeorafterhourswhentheyarelesslikelytotakeupyourworkingtime).
3.6Personalproductivity
Thefollowingisasummaryofkeywaysinwhichyoucanboostyourownproductivity:
INTRAYACTIONLIST
havePAstopunwantedmail
scrapjunkmail
stopunwantedmagazines
rerouteitemsbeforetheyreachyou
removeyourselffromunwantedinternalcirculationlists
getPAtosortmailinto:
o urgentaction
o teammail
o replyoraction
o informationonly
batchprocesscorrespondence
scananddumptheunimportant
separatetoactionitems
separatetoactionitems
puttoonesidetobereadsometimeitems
aimtohandleitemsonlyonce
READEFFECTIVELYCHECKLIST
previewlongreportsbyreadingthesummary,theconclusion/recommendationsandscanningthe
charts/graphs
readwithyoureyesdontsubvocalizeandscanandskip
copewithfiguresby
o readingheadings
o thehorizontallines
o lookatkeyfigures
o ignorenoncontentiousdetail
o checkfootnotes
o askforexceptionsummaryorgetPAtohighlight
REDUCEFILINGCHECKLIST
usewastepaperbasket/shredder
fileaddress/phonenumberonly
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usecentralfilingforcompany/team
putcorrespondenceindateorder
separatebulkyreports
usedividers
purgeandarchiveordump
TRAVELPRODUCTIVITYCHECKLIST
commuteoffpeakifpossible
usetimetoreadandplanyourdiary
minimizetraveltomeetingsbyhavingpeoplecometoyourpremises
3.7Personalmotivation
Itiscrucialthatyoumasterwaystomotivateyourselfasitisselfevidentthatwithoutit,youwillnot,onlyfail
toachieveyourgoalsbutalsoyouwillfailatmotivatingotherstohelpyoutoachievethem.
Whatfollowsthenisaselfmotivationchecklist(tobeusedwheneveryoufeelyourmotivationisflagging).
SELFMOTIVATIONCHECKLIST
Focusonyourgoalsandkeepdifficultiesinperspective.
Seeyourproblemsasopportunities.
Becomearesultaholicnotaworkaholic.
Setdeadlines.
Workontheimportantnottheseeminglyurgent.
Taketimeouttothink.
Developnonworkinterestsandactivities.
Writedownyourfears/problems/frustrationsandwaysofovercomingthem.
Dontpassoveradifficulttaskstartthedaywithit,orfixatimetodoit
Thewholeareaofselfmotivationrequiresseparatestudy,butifarealmotivationcrisisisunfoldingforyou,
youshouldreferbacktothesectiononHighAchievementtotrytofocusonwhatyouwanttoachieve.
Remember,too,thatresearchshowsthattheleftsideofyourbraincanbeinconflictwiththeright.You
shouldbeaimingtoaddresscertainselfmotivationdifficultiesbyusingeachpartofthebraintocompensate
forthedifficultiescausedbytheother.
Hereisacomparisonofthecharacteristicsoftheleftandrightsidesofthebrain:
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23

Ausefultechniqueto`changeyourwayofthinkingaboutasituation,particularlywhenyoufeeldemotivated
istochangeanegativethought,patternintoapositiveone.
3.8Businessknowledge
Highachievingmanagersneedtoensurethattheydevelopaneffectiveknowledgeoftheirbusinessandthe
environmentitoperatesin.Tohaveanimprovingapproachyoushould:
Keepinguptodatechecklist

Readthetradepressregularly

Scanthetechnicalpageofrelevantnewspaperstolookfordevelopmentswhichmayaffectyourbusiness

Maintainlinkswithrelevantuniversityresearchdepartmentsorindustryresearchassociations

Makesureyouhavetheopportunitytomeet,majorcustomersevenifyouarenolongerdirectlyinvolvedin
sales

Visitthepointofsaleforyourproductsoccasionally,e.g.thewholesaler,retailoutlet,oryourownbranch,
toknowwhatishappening

Meetwithexistingandpotentialsuppliersoccasionallytofindoutabouttheirdevelopments

Visitthemajorexhibitionsinyourindustrysectortokeepinformedaboutcompetitors

Visitothercountriesexpresslytomeetoverseascompetitors,ortofindnewsourcesofsupply,ortoassess
exportopportunities,ortofindoutwhatishappeningthereatfirsthand

Listentoyoursalespeopletokeepinformedaboutyourcompetitors

Askyourcustomersabouttheopportunitiesandpressuresfacingthemsothatyoucanrespondtotheir
needs.
3.9Theeffectivemanager
Asaremindertoyourself,youshouldkeepinmindthese10qualitieswhichresearchhasgeneratedasbeing
thehallmarksoftheeffectivemanager:
LeftBrain
controlsrightsideof
body
verbal
rational,controlled
logical
reading,writing
naming
mathematical/scientific
RightBrain
controlsleftsideofbody
nonverbal
nonrational
emotional
intuitive,creative
facerecognition
artistic,musical
understandshumour
Management
managingbetter,
workersworking
productively
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24

Providecleardirection
Usetwowaycommunication
Demonstratehighintegrity
Choosetherightpeople
Coachandsupportpeople
Giveobjectiverecognition
Establishongoingcontrols
Understandfinancialimplicationsofdecisions
Encouragenewideasandinnovation
Givecleardecisionswhenneeded
Hallmarksofaneffectivemanager
Management
managingbetter,
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productively
TEAMLEADERSKILLS

25

4.0SOLVING PROBLEMSAND DECISION MAKING

4.1Effectivedecisionmaking
Tobeaneffectivedecisionmaker:

Remember,youshouldalwaysmakedecisionsintimeforthemtobeeffective.
4.2Solvingproblems
Usethismodelindevelopingyourapproachtosuccessfullyhandlingproblems:

Identifythe
decisions
whichif
made:
willhavethebiggestimpacton
thekeyresults
willachieveaquantumleap
improvementinexcessofthe
keyresultswhichhavebeenset
When
makinga
decision,
youshould
ask:
whatresultwillbeachieved?
whatisthefundamental
purpose?
whatotheroptions/
opportunitiesshouldbe
exposed?
Youshould
considerthe
issuesand
identify:
whatcouldgowrong
theobstaclesyoumayface
anylikelyhostileresponseby
competitors,tradesunions,
staff,etc.youshould
Youshould
challengethe
statusquo:
whydoit?
whynot,doit?
whythisoften?
whythisstandard?
whythisway?
whyhere?
whythisprice/cost?
toomuchinformation
spendingtimefactfinding(paralysisby
analysis)
notidentifyingkeydatarequired
notplanningahead
lastminuterealizationoftimedifficulties
nothavingadequatedata not
recognizingusefulideasdoubtingyour
ownignoringothers
Problemsfacedin
solvingproblems
clearlyidentifyingtheproblem
writingitdown
establishingthefactsandobjectives
consideringawiderangeofsolutions
calmlyreviewingoptionsandideas
focusingonresultsanddesiredoutcome
andnotpreventingsolutionsfrom
presentingthemselves
objectivelychoosingthebestsolution.
Successfulapproaches
incorrecting
these`problems
Management
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26

Tocomeupwithsolutionstotheproblemsyouface,usebrainstormingtechniques.

4.3Handlingcrises
Youshouldhaveyourownpersonalapproachtocrisismanagement,todealwithcrisesastheywillarisein
business.
Ahelpfulchecklistisprovidedbelowforyoutorefertoatsuchtimes,butyoushouldfirstofalltestout
whetheryouaregoodorbadatavoidingcrises.

Individualbrainstorming
writedowntheproblemwritedownat
least20ideasandtheiropposites
uselateralthinking(seeminglyunrelated
ideas)
prioritize
choosethebestideas
Groupbrainstorming
appoint`recorder
identifyproblemclearlyinwriting
allowfreeflow(nocriticismasyougo)of
ideas
selectideastopursue
arrangefollowupactionmeeting
Howtoavoidacrisis
haveaplantohandlepotentialcrises
(e.g.computerfailure,poststrikes,
employeestrikes,fireetc)
anticipatechange(donotmerely
respondwhenithappens)
donotdelaymakingdecisionshoping
aproblemwillgoaway
donotrespondtominordifficultiesas
iftheywereallmajorcrises
rememberthatifacrisishappensyou
shouldrespondcalmlybuturgently
Howtohandleacrisis
definetheproblem individuallyor
collectivelyagreeitsidentityand
seriousness
listsolutions
testfeasibilityofpreferredsolutions
chooseandimplementactionplan
withoutdelay.
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productively
TEAMLEADERSKILLS

27

5.0 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSKILLS

5.1Effectivewriting

5.2Effectivepresentations
Therearefouressentialstepstotaketoensurethatpresentationsindifferentsituations(informal/formal)are
goingtobesuccessful.Theyare:

Thefollowingchecklististohelpyouinthedeliveryofyourinformal/formalcommunications,toincreasethe
probabilityofyounotonlygettingyourmessageacrossbutalsoincreasingthechancesofsuccess;yougetting
yourideasaccepted.
dontmerelyconfirmoracknowledge
telephoneratherthanwrite
useaninternalmemoandwriteyourreplyonit
producestandardparagraphsforPAtouse
yourPAshouldwriteroutineletters
dontwritetoteammembers,tellthem
Avoidwrittingwheneverpossible
useheadings
useshortsentences
itemizeindividualpoints
useshortparagraphs
dontbefrightenedofusingonesentenceletters
beinformal
Writeclearly
startwithexecutivesummary
summarizerecommendation
outlinefinancialjustificationandbenefit
useprecisekeypointsandfiguresonly
mustbecapableofmakingsenseonitsown
haveacontentspage
numberthepages
usedividers
relegatethebackupinformationtoappendices
Effectivereports
Preparation
Informal
Formal
Gainingand
keeping
attention
Informal
Formal
Maintaining
interest
Informal
Formal
Closing
positively
Informal
Formal
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TEAMLEADERSKILLS

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PREPARATION
Informalpresentation/
meetings
Definethedesiredoutcome(checkoutsupport,ofkeyteammembers,if
appropriate)
Settheagenda(circulateifappropriate)
Gatherthedata
Spelloutthebenefits
Summarizefinancialjustification
Formalpresentations Checkoutthevenueandsetup(numbersattending,layout,equipmentavailable,
etc.)
Checktimeavailableforyourpresentationandhowyouwillbeintroduced
Checkoutwhowillattendandgetbackgroundonthem
Rehearseyourpresentation(andcheckonslides,etc.)
Expecttobenervous(butknowthatnerveswillfadeafterfiveminutes)
Trytomeetattendeesbeforeyoursessionsothatyouwillknowthem.
GAININGANDKEEPINGATTENTION
Informalpresentation/
meetings
Fixthebest(mostconvenient/distractionfree)place
Onlystartwhenyouhavethecompleteattentionoftheothers
Agreestartandfinishtimes
Ensuretherearenointerruptions
Formalpresentations Makesuretheaudienceisreadyandseatedbeforeyoustart
Deliveryouropeningsentencepositivelytocommandattention
MAINTAININGINTEREST
Informalpresentation/
meetings
Dontwaffle;sticktothepoint
Involveotherpeople
Focusongoodnewsandbenefits
Mentionkeyopportunities/results/issuesinawaythatwillcommandattention
Convincebyshowingfinancialjustification,howitwillworkinpracticeandWhat
theevidenceisthatitwillwork
Talkwithconviction
Formalpresentations Tellpeoplewhythesubjectisimportanttothem
Tellthemthetopicsyouwillcover(andwhenyouwouldliketotakequestions
throughoutoratend)
Advisethemofthedecision/approvalyouexpect,ifappropriate
Useflipcharts/slides/videostoholdaudienceconcentrationusekeywordson
slides
Dontreadyourpresentation
Demonstrateyourownconvictionandenthusiasminwords,voiceandgesture
Spelloutbenefits
Presentfactualevidence(notopinions)
Demonstratefinancialjustification
Showthatpotentialproblemshavebeenidentifiedandovercome
Handlequestionsasarrangedandauthoritatively
CLOSINGPOSTIVELY
Informalpresentation/
meetings
Closewithagreementtotheoutcomeyouwant
Agreewhowilldowhatbywhen
Ifnoagreement,trytoensurethatsomepositiveactionistakentowardsyourgoal
Formalpresentations Askfortheapproval,orderoractionyouwanttoconcludeyourpresentation