| ||
| ||
|
Management Information | |
|
|
The Leadership Alignment Model
Some time ago we had the privilege of working with a major UK government department to help them redefine leadership and to reappraise how they develop and encourage leaders. Faced with considerable challenges by the environment in which they operate and by their political masters, this department has decided that leadership is one of the keys to the achievement of the vision laid down by its chief. We consulted widely with senior managers, and we shared the output of extensive enquiry amongst the bulk of the population of over 20,000 people. We exposed the senior managers to different models of leadership; we helped them to envisage the type of leadership required in their particular context, and we provoked them to identify the strengths and shortfalls of their current leadership style. In a lengthy series of drafts and re-drafts we worded as precise a description of leadership as we could whilst trying to meet the needs of all interested parties. For all the effort that went into this description it is glaringly obvious that the value of the exercise six months, one year or two years further on has little to do with words. Exercise - creating consistency in leadership This exercise is best suited to a top executive team. It will help them to present a consistent approach to leadership across their respective areas of the business. It is important, at the beginning, to clarify key organisational goals and strategy, and link these to an overarching purpose. For example, 'the goal is to increase market share by 10% whilst remaining competitive on price and availability of product'. The strategy by which we will achieve this will be to develop customer feedback and a quick response to their needs'. The overall purpose is to continually seek to deliver what people want, not what we think they want.' The exercise consists of answering the following 4 questions: 1. What are you leading people away from and towards? This question is about goals and the pursuit of a clear purpose. 2. What is going to help you to steer a course consistent with each other? This question is about staying 'on message' from day to day. 3. Specifically who are you leading? This question helps identify key people who need to be included in up-front communication and who will be relied upon to provide leadership for others and to design and deliver the strategy. 4. How will you demonstrate leadership to these people? This question is about the behaviours that will best help people to keep on track with the goals and purpose. Allow plenty of time for the team to answer the questions, say an hour for each, and challenge any high level generalisations such as, 'we will strive to be excellent role models' by asking, 'how specifically will you do that?' At the end of the exercise everyone should be 100% clear about their role as a leader, and confident about being consistent with messages referring to goals, strategy and purpose. This exercise may throw up issues of inconsistency that may need to be addressed at a different meeting before doing this exercise again. Quadrant 1 International help individuals excel at their work and with their personal ambitions. We are business people with many years experience in senior management and entrepreneurial positions. We have trained, coached and developed hundreds of managers and directors to greater success. We are authors of several international best selling books on personal development, and often present at major events around the world. Sign-up for our free newsletters at http://www.quadrant1.co.uk/join.php
MORE RESOURCES:
Management - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Are You A B.O.S.S. -- Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self Indulgent, Sociopath Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self- indulgent Sociopath. Avoid the B. Why Businesses Fail - And What You Can Do About It! Have you unintentionally set your business up for failure?No one sets out to fail! Most business owners read all thestatistics (maybe more than once) before they open theirdoors. Many know the reasons why businesses fail. ISO 9001 Registration - 8 Steps for Success You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted the audit. So how do you register your company as ISO 9001 conformant? And how can you be sure you're getting the most value for your investment? Here's how the process works. Human Resources: The Misidentified Subject Interest in the field of human resources has exploded in recent years due to the promises it offers for a better understanding of human beings at work. The term is now as ubiquitous as it has once been obscure. Technology & Communication A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of executives were making fewer business trips because of technology.Instead of a plane trip, face-to-face meetings and a plane trip back, they used email, videoconferencing, or online meetings, according to the Accountemps study. Intercultural Management The role of a manager is evolving in response to the needs of companies operating on the international stage. The complexities of globalisation brought to the area of management are great and require the 21st century manager to adapt in order to offer modern solutions to modern problems. OJT - On The Job Training IntroductionManagers have two powerful ways of improving the performance and productivity of their subordinates, which are counseling and on the job training.Counseling is the process of helping a subordinate define and resolve personal problems that effect performance or in order to develop a good attitude to work. Creativity and Innovation Management: The Creative State Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Encouraging Behavior That Gets Results You're the boss, and you have every reason to feel good about your organization.You've built a great team. Inspiring Loyalty and Contentment in Your Workforce One of the first things I look at when I take over a new department or division is the attitudes of the managers and /or supervisors.I ask myself the following questions;Do they inspire loyalty in their staff?If not, why not?If they do, how do they do it?The workforce of any company is normally the lifeblood of the business, the oil that lubricates the machinery. 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.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Tales From The Corporate Frontlines: Job Security in Todays Workplace This article, Job Security in Today's Workplace, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It tells the story of a manager who decides to look for ways to bolster the morale in his company when it crashes after an extensive layoff. How To Jump Start Your Profits and Keep Your Profits Rolling There are so many ways to jump start your prifits and keep your profit rolling. These top 20 ways are essential if you want to run a successful business. 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. Power of Pinpointing Accountability I have always said that if I were to write a book on effective management principles, the first chapter in that book would be about the importance of pinpointing responsibility among an owner's or a general manager's reporting units. After all, one of the most popular definitions of management is getting work done through others. Regaining Control - Nine Steps for New Managers My client had faced the same challenge, which was frustrating as well as intimidating for him as well - yet he was determined to break the mould.With my background in a similar business, I have faced this several times. Change Behaviors, Change Performance Every organization is looking for the holy grail of performance enhancement, that one thing that, if it were changed even slightly, would push the productivity of a company way beyond the current level.Over the years there have been many solutions offered to the performance conundrum, from process improvement and process re-engineering to rightsizing and quality initiatives. What Every Manager Should Know About How to Conduct Successful Training Activities Whether you are training preschoolers in the classroom or executives in the board room, here are 15 premises you might want to keep in mind the next time you're designing training activities.1. Sexual Harassment Policy Guidelines Part II SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION PROCEDUREEvery complaint will be thoroughly investigated. When a complaint of sexual harassment is received we will take the following actions:1. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Employee Ideas Achieve Work Life Balance This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
