Delight your customers and keep 'em coming!
by Cathy Godwin, Ph.D
Customer service is the unglamorous but surprisingly fun side of
marketing. Promotion gets you customers. Service lets you keep their
loyalty and their money.
These tips come from my ebook, Delight Your Customers and the Money
Will Follow.
1. No one can be on time 100%. When you're late, offer compensatory
time.
We can't get more basic than this one
2. Review your client's files before each appointment.
This one really happened to a colleague who called a coach (details
disguised to protect the guilty):
"You're the one who needs a marketing plan... Oops! I thought you
were the resume client. What's this stuff about Mountains of Joy --
oh, your slogan! Maybe I can help you write a new one. You say I
wrote that slogan? Uh, please don't hang up. Please! I can explain!"
3. Manage expectations.
Your client's sales are down. You say, "You've got a me-too product
in a saturated market." Or you say, "Your negative thoughts are
driving away customers."
Both statements may be accurate. But which one does your client
expect to hear from you?
4. Clarify your fee structure.
Does "monthly retainer" mean you'll extra emails and telephone calls
between sessions? Will you read the resume ahead of time or charge
extra for reading "materials?"
5. No surprises on the bill, please!
True story:
Jennifier hired a "book coach," who agreed to review all her
materials. At the beginning of Call #2, the coach said, "I just
revised your sales letter. That'll be another forty dollars." "I
didn't ask you to revise my sales letter!" Jennifer sputtered. "I
just wanted to know if I was on the right track!"
There was no Call #3.
6. Delight your clients with gifts, surprises, and extras.
Once I hired a marketing consultant who charged by the hour --
carefully emphasizing that she charged extra for any activity beyond
the call. But in her follow-up email, she wrote, "I didn't have time
to get to one of your questions -- here's a brief answer."
What a nice surprise! An extra gift -- and I knew she was busy.
7. Client conversion is not about finding a new church.
You may respect your client's choice to worship at the deli on Sunday
mornings, but what if your client is devoutly skeptical about the Law
of Attraction?
8. If Tony Soprano becomes your client, don't be surprised if he
borrows your car.
You probably won't meet Tony, but your clients may move too fast or
too slowly, or demand too much or too little.
9. Metaphors can send your client into outer space.
You promise to help your client "take her business to the next
level." Will you get her there with a marketing plan, a set of
confidence-building exercises, a recommendation for clutter-clearing
or a non-stop cheering section of one? Promise you'll "run alongside
while she's learning to ride a bike" and she'll wish she'd taken a
taxi.
10. When you make a mistake, offer compensation.
Once I charged a client for a service I used to offer free. He saw
one of my old pages and said, "So...how about it?" I sent him a
couple of ebooks and offered the free service. And he wrote me a
glowing testimonial.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Ratan Tata's words of inspiration - Inspire minds to change lives
Ratan Tata's words of inspiration - Inspire minds to change lives
On courage: I am, unfortunately, a person who has often said: You put a gun to my head and pull the trigger or take the gun away, I won't move my head.
On successful people: I admire people who are very successful. But if that success has been achieved through too much ruthlessness, then I may admire that person, but I can't respect him.
On leadership: It is easy to become a number one player, but it is difficult to remain number one. So, we will have to fight with a view to remain number one.
On Nano: This project (the Nano) has proven to everyone that if you really set yourself to doing something, you actually can do it.
On the need to think big: We have been. . . thinking small. And if we look around us, countries like China have grown so much by thinking big. I would urge that we all, in the coming years, think big, think of doing things not in small increments, not in small deltas, but seemingly impossible things. But nothing is impossible if you really set out to do so. And we act boldly. Because it is this thinking big and acting boldly that will move India up in a manner different from where it is today.
On risk: Risk is a necessary part of business philosophy. You can be risk-averse and take no risks, in which case you will have a certain trajectory in terms of your growth. Or you can, while being prudent, take greater risk in order to grow faster.
On risk: I view risk as an ability to be where no one has been before. I view risk to be an issue of thinking big, something we did not do previously. We did everything in small increments so we always lagged behind. But the crucial question is: can we venture putting a man on the moon or risk billions of rupees on a really way-out, advanced project in, say, superconductors? Do you restrict your risk to something close to your heart?
On employees: The way to hold employees today is to make their work and their day-to-day activities in the company exciting enough for them to stay. Not everyone will stay, but I think if we can empower more people and are willing to pass on the responsibility for that, and if people are satisfied and motivated, there's less chance of them wanting to leave and go to a competitor.
On low-cost products: It should not be, cannot be, that low-cost products come to mean inferior or sub-standard products and services; definitely not. The aim is to create products for that larger segment — good and robust products that we are able to produce innovatively and get to the marketplace at lower costs.
On customers: We should be treating the customer in the same way that we would want to be treated as customers.
On innovation:Barriers to innovation are usually in the mind.
On customers:There was a need to re-focus and look at how your customer sees you, and to pay more attention to what the customer wants rather than what you think she wants. Are you really the most cost effective producer? Are you aggressive enough to grab marketshare? Will you endeavour to dip your toe in the water and do something that you haven't done before?
On innovation:If you are a little innovative or a little bit of a gambler, and you make a product which is either ahead of its time or has an evolutionary design, or has features that work into a person's perception, then you have an acceptable product.
On questioning:I kept saying, please question the unquestionable. I tried to tell our younger managers just don't accept something that was done in the past, don't accept something as a holy cow. . . go question it. That was less of a problem than getting our senior managers not to tell the younger managers, 'Look young man, don't question me.'
On speed:Today, the world does not afford you to luxury of being a slow mover. Nor are there any holy cows. We have to be aggressive, be far-sighted enough to look into the future and we also have to be pragmatic enough to say that if we really are not in a leadership position in a particular business, we should look at exiting that business.
On icons:The kind of company one would want to emulate is one where products and technology are at the leading edge, dealings with customers are very fair, services are of a high order, and business ethics are transparent and straightforward. A less tangible issue involves the work environment, which should not be one where you are stressed and driven to the point of being drugged.
On introspection:All companies need to keep looking at their business definition and, possibly from time to time, to see if that definition needs to be redefined. If you take the example of Tata Steel, they could say that they are a steel company and find themselves in a shrinking market where steel is under threat of being replaced by some other material. The question is: what do we call ourselves? One view was that steel is a material, so can we be a materials company? We don't have to be in all materials, but can we be in composites, can we be in plastics, laminates, etc? The automotive business needs to think similarly, and so does the chemicals business. We have to keep looking at ourselves and asking: what is our business?
On innovation: My outlook on R&D is that it is an absolutely necessary thing for us to do. And I don't think we are doing enough. The point is not just spending money; it's how many patents you file, your innovation rate and your product development. . . If today you were to give everybody a mandate that they can spend 3 per cent of their revenue on R&D, assuming they can spare the money, I don't think many companies would know the what, where and how of spending that kind of money, other than to put up an R&D place and buy lots of equipment.
On customer relationship: Where we have direct dealings with our customers, it is important that, at the middle-management levels, they are shown courtesy, dealt with fairly, and made to feel that they are receiving the attention they deserve. The interface with the customer should be a seamless one.
On risk: There have been occasions where I have been a risk-taker. Perhaps more than some, and less so than certain others. It is a question of where you view that from. I have never been a real gambler in the sense, that some successful businessmen have been.
On ethics: What worries me is that the threshold of acceptability or the line between acceptability and non-acceptability in terms of values, business ethics, etc, is blurring.
On success: I would not consider myself to have been tremendously successful or as having failed tremendously. I would say I have been moderately successful because there have been changes.
On survival: The strong live and the weak die. There is some bloodshed, and out of it emerges a much leaner industry, which tends to survive.
On challenges: If there are challenges thrown across and those challenges are difficult then some interesting, innovative solutions will come. If you don't have those challenges then, I think, the tendency is go on to say that whatever will happen, will take place in small deltas.
On planning: We never really plan big. We are not in keeping with what is happening around us. When you go to other countries around us you see it visibly that we are just back in time. And yet we have so much to offer.
On commitment: We have to clamp down on deviations from commitments. For ensuring greater commitment to performance, we also need to have a system which rewards performers and punishes those who don't perform.
On risk: We have is to be less risk-averse. We have been a very conservative house and we have been applauded for our conservatism but today we need to take more risk. We don't need to be flamboyant or cavalier but we need to be less conservative than we have been.
On the future: One hundred years from now, I expect the Tatas to be much bigger than it is now. More importantly, I hope the Group comes to be regarded as being the best in India. . . best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and best in our value systems and ethics. Having said that, I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India.
On resistance: You will probably find the resistance (to change) more from those who haven't been doing well.
On change: Change is seen to be needed, and fast, so long as it does not affect me. We want to see change but if you suddenly tell me that I am the company that has to go, or has to be cut in half, or three of my businesses have to be hived off, then all of a sudden, the very person who made the noise about change is now saying, 'You don't have to do this.'
On humility: I would hope that as people who might take an elite position, would be considered amongst the elite in the country, you will always display humility in the manner in which you deal with your fellowmen, both in your company and in the country and you will continue to have passion in the areas in which you will work.
On doubt: On many, many occasions you would have doubts on whether what you are pursuing is the right thing. But if you do believe in what you are trying to do and you pursue it and stay with it in a determined manner, I am quite sure you will succeed.
On problems: There are solutions for most problems. The barriers and roadblocks that we face are usually of our own making and these can only be demolished by having the determination to find a solution, even contrary to the conventional wisdom that prevails around us, by breaking tradition.
Are You A Leader?
Are You A Leader?
by Leonard Roos
In this world there are two kinds of people. You find leaders, who
are few and far in between, and then there are followers who make up
the vast majority of people in the world.
Leaders usually know where they are going, but the followers don't,
because they are following. Now, I know that there is a debate about
whether one is born a leader or whether one becomes one. I have a
unique take on that.
I believe that everyone of us is born with the ability to become a
leader, but whether one becomes a leader or not depends on what one
chooses later in life.
Let me use an analogy to illustrate. We all agree that all woman are
born with the ability to give birth and become a mother, but not
everyone will become one. The same goes for being a father. Every
male is born with the ability to become a father but not everyone
will choose to become one.
What is the difference between a leader and a follower? A leader is
someone who finds and goes his own way. A follower is someone who
doesn't find his own way, but instead follows others.
To lead is to take responsibility. Firstly for yourself, your life
(past and future), including your failures and mistakes. Secondly for
those whose lives have been entrusted to you such as your family and
others who crossed your paths.
A leader is not necessarily someone who is heading a big
organization. Leaders can be found everywhere. You can be a
leader in your home, your job, your church and your community.
Followers on the other hand, don't want to take responsibility. They
are quick to criticize and find fault with almost everything. If they
are not happy with the one organization or job they simply go
somewhere else. They don't want to take any responsibility for
anything.
What do you need to become a leader?
You need courage, belief in yourself and your abilities and the
knowledge that you can make a difference.
What are you?
A leader or a follower? Are you who or what you
want to be in life? If yes, then well done.
However, if not, what are you doing about it. Followers accept
their situations and blame others. Leaders don't just accept
their situations, they do something about it.
It is never too late to choose to become a leader.
Fact is: If you are not leading you are following somebody else.
And since your leader is going his own way, you have no control
over where he may lead you. The only way you can change where
and how you are led is, when you take control. By doing that, you
have in essence become a leader.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Roos has touched and helped change the lives of
many through his coaching.
by Leonard Roos
In this world there are two kinds of people. You find leaders, who
are few and far in between, and then there are followers who make up
the vast majority of people in the world.
Leaders usually know where they are going, but the followers don't,
because they are following. Now, I know that there is a debate about
whether one is born a leader or whether one becomes one. I have a
unique take on that.
I believe that everyone of us is born with the ability to become a
leader, but whether one becomes a leader or not depends on what one
chooses later in life.
Let me use an analogy to illustrate. We all agree that all woman are
born with the ability to give birth and become a mother, but not
everyone will become one. The same goes for being a father. Every
male is born with the ability to become a father but not everyone
will choose to become one.
What is the difference between a leader and a follower? A leader is
someone who finds and goes his own way. A follower is someone who
doesn't find his own way, but instead follows others.
To lead is to take responsibility. Firstly for yourself, your life
(past and future), including your failures and mistakes. Secondly for
those whose lives have been entrusted to you such as your family and
others who crossed your paths.
A leader is not necessarily someone who is heading a big
organization. Leaders can be found everywhere. You can be a
leader in your home, your job, your church and your community.
Followers on the other hand, don't want to take responsibility. They
are quick to criticize and find fault with almost everything. If they
are not happy with the one organization or job they simply go
somewhere else. They don't want to take any responsibility for
anything.
What do you need to become a leader?
You need courage, belief in yourself and your abilities and the
knowledge that you can make a difference.
What are you?
A leader or a follower? Are you who or what you
want to be in life? If yes, then well done.
However, if not, what are you doing about it. Followers accept
their situations and blame others. Leaders don't just accept
their situations, they do something about it.
It is never too late to choose to become a leader.
Fact is: If you are not leading you are following somebody else.
And since your leader is going his own way, you have no control
over where he may lead you. The only way you can change where
and how you are led is, when you take control. By doing that, you
have in essence become a leader.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Roos has touched and helped change the lives of
many through his coaching.
Eliminate the Demotivators in your Life...
Eliminate the Demotivators in your Life...
by Tom Hopkins
If you're one of the millions of people who never seem to get what
they really want in life, the reason may be a few simple attitudes
you have acquired that I call demotivators. In my experience training
thousands of professional salespeople, I've found four common
demotivators that we must overcome to attain our goals.
The first demotivator is the fear of losing our security. We are so
afraid of losing the security we have that we won't give it up to get
the greater security we seek. I truly believe that there is no such
thing as security other than the security we build within ourselves.
We are only secure to the extent of our ability to cope with the
struggle called living, and we cannot be more secure than our
capabilities of handling insecurity allow us to be. This means we
have to give up what we have, to get what we want. If we refuse to
give up anything, where will the space, time, money, and energy for
new achievements come from?
The second demotivator is fear of failure. How many times have you
refused to try something because you were afraid you'd fail? Isn't it
sad how many of us doom ourselves to mediocre lives rather than
accept the momentary rejections that success demands? We must
challenge our fears and conquer each fear forever. Soon, you will
find that every time you conquer a fear, the easier it will be to
beat the next one. Remember: Do what you fear most and you will
control that fear.
The third demotivator is self-doubt. When we're gripped by negative
conviction, we believe everything we do will be wrong. When you're
thinking like this, it is likely that everything we do fails, and
ultimately, we fail. Instead of looking at what you did wrong, look
at what you did right. Keep an up attitude, overcome rejection, and
keep trying. Soon, you'll start to win. The wins will start to pile
up until they smother all self-doubts under a mountain of positive
conviction.
The fourth demotivator is the pain of change. We resist change
because it means that part of our old self must die, and a self that
is unknown to us is born. We mourn the loss of the familiar as we
labor through the birth of the new. To overcome this attitude, we
should make a habit of trying new things when we don't have to so we
can keep the best of the old in our lives as a strong emotional
foundation. Remember, there is an element of pain in all change, but
those you put into motion yourself are far less painful than ones
thrown at you by others. . . .
Reprinted with permission of Tom Hopkins International, Inc.
Punch Line for the day : There is only one thing that makes a dream
impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
by Tom Hopkins
If you're one of the millions of people who never seem to get what
they really want in life, the reason may be a few simple attitudes
you have acquired that I call demotivators. In my experience training
thousands of professional salespeople, I've found four common
demotivators that we must overcome to attain our goals.
The first demotivator is the fear of losing our security. We are so
afraid of losing the security we have that we won't give it up to get
the greater security we seek. I truly believe that there is no such
thing as security other than the security we build within ourselves.
We are only secure to the extent of our ability to cope with the
struggle called living, and we cannot be more secure than our
capabilities of handling insecurity allow us to be. This means we
have to give up what we have, to get what we want. If we refuse to
give up anything, where will the space, time, money, and energy for
new achievements come from?
The second demotivator is fear of failure. How many times have you
refused to try something because you were afraid you'd fail? Isn't it
sad how many of us doom ourselves to mediocre lives rather than
accept the momentary rejections that success demands? We must
challenge our fears and conquer each fear forever. Soon, you will
find that every time you conquer a fear, the easier it will be to
beat the next one. Remember: Do what you fear most and you will
control that fear.
The third demotivator is self-doubt. When we're gripped by negative
conviction, we believe everything we do will be wrong. When you're
thinking like this, it is likely that everything we do fails, and
ultimately, we fail. Instead of looking at what you did wrong, look
at what you did right. Keep an up attitude, overcome rejection, and
keep trying. Soon, you'll start to win. The wins will start to pile
up until they smother all self-doubts under a mountain of positive
conviction.
The fourth demotivator is the pain of change. We resist change
because it means that part of our old self must die, and a self that
is unknown to us is born. We mourn the loss of the familiar as we
labor through the birth of the new. To overcome this attitude, we
should make a habit of trying new things when we don't have to so we
can keep the best of the old in our lives as a strong emotional
foundation. Remember, there is an element of pain in all change, but
those you put into motion yourself are far less painful than ones
thrown at you by others. . . .
Reprinted with permission of Tom Hopkins International, Inc.
Punch Line for the day : There is only one thing that makes a dream
impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
Agree First - Then (And *Only* Then) Persuasuade
Agree First - Then (And *Only* Then) Persuasuade
By Raman Bharadwaj
Have you ever noticed that it's nearly impossible to win an argument?
That doesn't mean you can't persuade someone to move from their
original view to your view. It's just that it probably won't happen
as a result of an argument. The reason is that, while in
the "argument" stage, the person will probably be too busy "defending
their turf" to be able to step back and understand why your view is
the more reasonable. Funny how that works, isn't it? :-)
The key is to first, end the argument.
How?
By agreeing.
Now don't get me wrong. You don't have to "sell out" to do this.
However, there's always something within what they say where you can
find agreement, even if it's just how they feel, or their right to
have those feelings.
Example: You arrive at the hotel much earlier than the usual check-in
time. The person at the desk tells you that it's against company
policy for guests to check in before the regular time of 12:00 noon.
You could logically argue that, as long as a room has been cleaned,
it shouldn't be any big deal. But, that would cause the employee to
admit he's wrong. Most people have an ego that doesn't enjoy that
feeling.
Instead, agree with him: "Yes, I understand what you mean. It's hotel
policy and that needs to be respected. I can appreciate that."
You didn't argue with him.
You agreed with him.
Personally, I don't imagine he'll argue with that.
What's he going to say?
"No, you're wrong. I'm totally wrong about what I just told you."
No, he's going to feel good about you, because you agreed with him.
He's going to relax because he knows you are not being
confrontational.
Now, you can help him to "live in the solution" with your
suggestion: "You know, I'm wondering. Just if it's not too much
trouble, could you check to see if perhaps one of the rooms has
already been cleaned. I think that's probably the reason for the
rule, which would make a lot of sense." Then, I would add what I call
the "Eight Key Words", which are, "If you can't do it, I'll
definitely appreciate"
More than likely, you'll get to check in early...and get one of the
really good rooms. I can tell you that from personal experience.
Remember, first agree. Then (and *only* then) persuade.
By Raman Bharadwaj
Have you ever noticed that it's nearly impossible to win an argument?
That doesn't mean you can't persuade someone to move from their
original view to your view. It's just that it probably won't happen
as a result of an argument. The reason is that, while in
the "argument" stage, the person will probably be too busy "defending
their turf" to be able to step back and understand why your view is
the more reasonable. Funny how that works, isn't it? :-)
The key is to first, end the argument.
How?
By agreeing.
Now don't get me wrong. You don't have to "sell out" to do this.
However, there's always something within what they say where you can
find agreement, even if it's just how they feel, or their right to
have those feelings.
Example: You arrive at the hotel much earlier than the usual check-in
time. The person at the desk tells you that it's against company
policy for guests to check in before the regular time of 12:00 noon.
You could logically argue that, as long as a room has been cleaned,
it shouldn't be any big deal. But, that would cause the employee to
admit he's wrong. Most people have an ego that doesn't enjoy that
feeling.
Instead, agree with him: "Yes, I understand what you mean. It's hotel
policy and that needs to be respected. I can appreciate that."
You didn't argue with him.
You agreed with him.
Personally, I don't imagine he'll argue with that.
What's he going to say?
"No, you're wrong. I'm totally wrong about what I just told you."
No, he's going to feel good about you, because you agreed with him.
He's going to relax because he knows you are not being
confrontational.
Now, you can help him to "live in the solution" with your
suggestion: "You know, I'm wondering. Just if it's not too much
trouble, could you check to see if perhaps one of the rooms has
already been cleaned. I think that's probably the reason for the
rule, which would make a lot of sense." Then, I would add what I call
the "Eight Key Words", which are, "If you can't do it, I'll
definitely appreciate"
More than likely, you'll get to check in early...and get one of the
really good rooms. I can tell you that from personal experience.
Remember, first agree. Then (and *only* then) persuade.
31 Core Competencies Explained
31 Core Competencies Explained
Major competencies for which employers look, along with some of the
behaviors associated with each.
The following is a summarized list of the 31 competencies listed
by "cluster" (similar competencies related to a common skill set).
Each competency includes a definition and the observable behaviors
that may indicate the existence of a competency in a person.
I. Competencies Dealing with People
The Leading Others Cluster
Communication and Influencing Cluster
II. Compentencies Dealing with Business
The Preventing and Solving Problems Cluster
The Achieving Results Cluster
III. Self-Management Compentencies
I. Competencies Dealing with People
The Leading Others Cluster
1. Establishing Focus:
The ability to develop and communicate goals in support
of the business' mission.
· Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction
of the business.
· Ensures that people in the unit understand how their work
relates to the business' mission.
· Ensures that everyone understands and identifies with the
unit's mission.
· Ensures that the unit develops goals and a plan to help
2. Providing Motivational Support:
The ability to enhance others' commitment to their work.
· Recognizes and rewards people for their achievements.
· Acknowledges and thanks people for their contributions.
· Expresses pride in the group and encourages people to feel
good about their accomplishments.
· Finds creative ways to make people's work rewarding.
· Signals own commitment to a process by being personally
present and involved at key events.
· Identifies and promptly tackles morale problems.
· Gives talks or presentations that energize groups.
3. Fostering Teamwork:
As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with
others on a team; as a team leader, the ability to demonstrate
interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work
together.
Behaviors for Team Members
· Listens and responds constructively to other team members'
ideas.
· Offers support for others' ideas and proposals.
· Is open with other team members about his/her concerns.
· Expresses disagreement constructively (e.g., by emphasizing
points of agreement, suggesting alternatives that may be acceptable
to the group).
· Reinforces team members for their contributions.
· Gives honest and constructive feedback to other team members.
· Provides assistance to others when they need it.
· Works for solutions that all team members can support.
· Shares his/her expertise with others.
· Seeks opportunities to work on teams as a means to develop
experience, and knowledge.
· Provides assistance, information, or other support to others,
to build or maintain relationships with them.
Behaviors for Team Leaders
· Provides opportunities for people to learn to work together
as a team.
· Enlists the active participation of everyone.
· Promotes cooperation with other work units.
· Ensures that all team members are treated fairly.
· Recognizes and encourages the behaviors that contribute to
teamwork.
4. Empowering Others:
The ability to convey confidence in employees' ability to be
successful, especially at challenging new tasks; delegating
significant responsibility and authority; allowing employees freedom
to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues.
· Gives people latitude to make decisions in their own sphere
of work.
· Is able to let others make decisions and take charge.
· Encourages individuals and groups to set their own goals,
consistent with business goals.
· Expresses confidence in the ability of others to be
successful.
· Encourages groups to resolve problems on their own; avoids
prescribing a solution.
5. Managing Change:
The ability to demonstrate support for innovation and for
organizational changes needed to improve the organization's
effectiveness; initiating, sponsoring, and implementing
organizational change; helping others to successfully manage
organizational change.
Employee Behaviors
· Personally develops a new method or approach.
· Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.
· Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.
Manager/Leader Behaviors
· Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative
solutions.
· Takes the lead in setting new business directions,
partnerships, policies or procedures.
· Seizes opportunities to influence the future direction of an
organizational unit or the overall business.
· Helps employees to develop a clear understanding of what they
will need to do differently, as a result of changes in the
organization.
· Implements or supports various change management activities
(e.g., communications, education, team development, coaching).
· Establishes structures and processes to plan and manage the
orderly implementation of change.
· Helps individuals and groups manage the anxiety associated
with significant change.
· Facilitates groups or teams through the problem-solving and
creative-thinking processes leading to the development and
implementation of new approaches, systems, structures, and methods.
6. Developing Others:
The ability to delegate responsibility and to work with others and
coach them to develop their capabilities.
· Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others.
· Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to
be more successful; provides effective coaching.
· Gives people assignments that will help develop their
abilities.
· Regularly meets with employees to review their development
progress.
· Recognizes and reinforces people's developmental efforts and
improvements.
· Expresses confidence in others' ability to be successful.
7. Managing Performance:
The ability to take responsibility for one's own or one's employees'
performance, by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking
progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing
performance problems and issues promptly.
Behaviors for employees
· With his/her manager, sets specific, measurable goals that
are realistic but challenging, with dates for accomplishment.
· With his/her manager, clarifies expectations about what will
be done and how.
· Enlists his/her manager's support in obtaining the
information, resources, and training needed to accomplish his/her
work effectively.
· Promptly notifies his/her manager about any problems that
affect his/her ability to accomplish planned goals.
· Seeks performance feedback from his/her manager and from
others with whom he/she interacts on the job.
· Prepares a personal development plan with specific goals and
a timeline for their accomplishment.
· Takes significant action to develop skills needed for
effectiveness in current or future job.
Behaviors for managers
· Ensures that employees have clear goals and responsibilities.
· Works with employees to set and communicate performance
standards that are specific and measurable.
· Supports employees in their efforts to achieve job goals
(e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a
buffer).
· Stays informed about employees' progress and performance
through both formal methods (e.g., status reports) and informal
methods (e.g., management by walking around).
· Provides specific performance feedback, both positive and
corrective, as soon as possible after an event.
· Deals firmly and promptly with performance problems;
Communication and Influencing Cluster
8. Attention to Communication:
The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who
should be kept informed.
· Ensures that others involved in a project or effort are kept
informed about developments and plans.
· Ensures that important information from his/her management is
shared with his/her employees and others as appropriate.
· Shares ideas and information with others who might find them
useful.
· Uses multiple channels or means to communicate important
messages (e.g., memos, newsletters, meetings, electronic mail).
· Keeps his/her manager informed about progress and problems;
avoids surprises.
· Ensures that regular, consistent communication takes place.
9. Oral Communication:
The ability to express oneself clearly in conversations and
interactions with others.
· Speaks clearly and can be easily understood.
· Tailors the content of speech to the level and experience of
the audience.
· Uses appropriate grammar and choice of words in oral speech.
· Organizes ideas clearly in oral speech.
· Expresses ideas concisely in oral speech.
· Maintains eye contact when speaking with others.
· Summarizes or paraphrases his/her understanding of what
others have said to verify understanding and prevent miscommunication.
10. Written Communication:
The ability to express oneself clearly in business writing.
· Expresses ideas clearly and concisely in writing.
· Organizes written ideas clearly and signals the organization
to the reader (e.g., through an introductory paragraph or through use
of headings).
· Tailors written communications to effectively reach an
audience.
· Uses graphics and other aids to clarify complex or technical
information.
· Spells correctly.
· Writes using concrete, specific language.
· Uses punctuation correctly.
· Writes grammatically.
· Uses an appropriate business writing style. ]
11. Persuasive Communication:
The ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that
make an impact and persuade their intended audiences.
· Identifies and presents information or data that will have a
strong effect on others.
· Selects language and examples tailored to the level and
experience of the audience.
· Selects stories, analogies, or examples to illustrate a point.
· Creates graphics, overheads, or slides that display
information clearly and with high impact.
· Presents several different arguments in support of a position.
12. Interpersonal Awareness:
The ability to notice, interpret, and anticipate others' concerns and
feelings, and to communicate this awareness empathetically to others.
· Understands the interests and important concerns of others.
· Notices and accurately interprets what others are feeling,
based on their choice of words, tone of voice, expressions, and other
nonverbal behavior.
· Anticipates how others will react to a situation.
· Listens attentively to people's ideas and concerns.
· Understands both the strengths and weaknesses of others.
· Understands the unspoken meaning in a situation.
· Says or does things to address others' concerns.
· Finds non-threatening ways to approach others about sensitive
issues.
· Makes others feel comfortable by responding in ways that
convey interest in what they have to say.
13. Influencing Others:
The ability to gain others' support for ideas, proposals, projects,
and solutions.
· Presents arguments that address others' most important
concerns and issues and looks for win-win solutions.
· Involves others in a process or decision to ensure their
support.
· Offers trade-offs or exchanges to gain commitment.
· Identifies and proposes solutions that benefit all parties
involved in a situation.
· Enlists experts or third parties to influence others.
· Develops other indirect strategies to influence others.
· Knows when to escalate critical issues to own or others'
management, if own efforts to enlist support have not succeeded.
· Structures situations (e.g., the setting, persons present,
sequence of events) to create a desired impact and to maximize the
chances of a favorable outcome.
· Works to make a particular impression on others.
· Identifies and targets influence efforts at the real decision
makers and those who can influence them.
· Seeks out and builds relationships with others who can
provide information, intelligence, career support, potential
business, and other forms of help.
· Takes a personal interest in others (e.g., by asking about
their concerns, interests, family, friends, hobbies) to develop
relationships.
· Accurately anticipates the implications of events or
decisions for various stakeholders in the organization and plans
strategy accordingly.
14. Building Collaborative Relationships:
The ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with
others inside or outside the organization who can provide
information, assistance, and support.
· Asks about the other person's personal experiences,
interests, and family.
· Asks questions to identify shared interest, experiences, or
other common ground.
· Shows an interest in what others have to say; acknowledges
their perspectives and ideas.
· Recognizes the business concerns and perspectives of others.
· Expresses gratitude and appreciation to others who have
provided information, assistance, or support.
· Takes time to get to know coworkers, to build rapport and
establish a common bond.
· Tries to build relationships with people whose assistance,
cooperation, and support may be needed.
· Provides assistance, information, and support to others to
build a basis for future reciprocity.
15. Customer Orientation:
The ability to demonstrate concern for satisfying one's external
and/or internal customers.
· Quickly and effectively solves customer problems.
· Talks to customers (internal or external) to find out what
they want and how satisfied they are with what they are getting.
· Lets customers know he/she is willing to work with them to
meet their needs.
· Finds ways to measure and track customer satisfaction.
· Presents a cheerful, positive manner with customers.
II. Compentencies Dealing with Business
The Preventing and Solving Problems Cluster
16. Diagnostic Information Gathering:
The ability to identify the information needed to clarify a
situation, seek that information from appropriate sources, and use
skillful questioning to draw out the information, when others are
reluctant to disclose it
· Identifies the specific information needed to clarify a
situation or to make a decision.
· Gets more complete and accurate information by checking
multiple sources.
· Probes skillfully to get at the facts, when others are
reluctant to provide full, detailed information.
· Routinely walks around to see how people are doing and to
hear about any problems they are encountering.
· Questions others to assess whether they have thought through
a plan of action.
· Questions others to assess their confidence in solving a
problem or tackling a situation.
· Asks questions to clarify a situation.
· Seeks the perspective of everyone involved in a situation.
· Seeks out knowledgeable people to obtain information or
clarify a problem.
17. Analytical Thinking:
The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic,
sequential approach.
· Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternatives.
· Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available
information.
· Identifies a set of features, parameters, or considerations
to take into account, in analyzing a situation or making a decision.
· Approaches a complex task or problem by breaking it down into
its component parts and considering each part in detail.
· Weighs the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success,
in making a decision.
· Identifies many possible causes for a problem.
· Carefully weighs the priority of things to be done.
18. Forward Thinking:
The ability to anticipate the implications and consequences of
situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible
contingencies.
· Anticipates possible problems and develops contingency plans
in advance.
· Notices trends in the industry or marketplace and develops
plans to prepare for opportunities or problems.
· Anticipates the consequences of situations and plans
accordingly.
· Anticipates how individuals and groups will react to
situations and information and plans accordingly.
19. Conceptual Thinking:
The ability to find effective solutions by taking a holistic,
abstract, or theoretical perspective.
· Notices similarities between different and apparently
unrelated situations.
· Quickly identifies the central or underlying issues in a
complex situation.
· Creates a graphic diagram showing a systems view of a
situation.
· Develops analogies or metaphors to explain a situation.
· Applies a theoretical framework to understand a specific
situation.
20. Strategic Thinking:
The ability to analyze the organization's competitive position by
considering market and industry trends, existing and potential
customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as
compared to competitors.
· Understands the organization's strengths and weaknesses as
compared to competitors.
· Understands industry and market trends affecting the
organization's competitiveness.
· Has an in-depth understanding of competitive products and
services within the marketplace.
· Develops and proposes a long-term (3-5 year) strategy for the
organization based on an analysis of the industry and marketplace and
the organization's current and potential capabilities as compared to
competitors.
21. Technical Expertise:
The ability to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skill in a
technical area.
· Effectively applies technical knowledge to solve a range of
problems.
· Possesses an in-depth knowledge and skill in a technical area.
· Develops technical solutions to new or highly complex
problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.
· Is sought out as an expert to provide advice or solutions in
his/her technical area.
· Keeps informed about cutting-edge technology in his/her
technical area.
The Achieving Results Cluster
22. Initiative:
Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or
before the situation requires it.
· Identifying what needs to be done and takes action before
being asked or the situation requires it.
· Does more than what is normally required in a situation.
· Seeks out others involved in a situation to learn their
perspectives.
· Takes independent action to change the direction of events.
23. Entrepreneurial Orientation:
The ability to look for and seize profitable business opportunities;
willingness to take calculated risks to achieve business goals.
· Notices and seizes profitable business opportunities.
· Stays abreast of business, industry, and market information
that may reveal business opportunities.
· Demonstrates willingness to take calculated risks to achieve
business goals.
· Proposes innovative business deals to potential customers,
suppliers, and business partners.
· Encourages and supports entrepreneurial behavior in others.
24. Fostering Innovation:
The ability to develop, sponsor, or support the introduction of new
and improved method, products, procedures, or technologies.
· Personally develops a new product or service.
· Personally develops a new method or approach.
· Sponsors the development of new products, services, methods,
or procedures.
· Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.
· Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.
· Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative
solutions.
25. Results Orientation:
The ability to focus on the desired result of one's own or one's
unit's work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals,
and meeting or exceeding them.
· Develops challenging but achievable goals.
· Develops clear goals for meetings and projects.
· Maintains commitment to goals in the face of obstacles and
frustrations.
· Finds or creates ways to measure performance against goals.
· Exerts unusual effort over time to achieve a goal.
· Has a strong sense of urgency about solving problems and
getting work done.
26. Thoroughness:
Ensuring that one's own and others' work and information are complete
and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations;
following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments
have been fulfilled.
· Sets up procedures to ensure high quality of work (e.g.,
review meetings).
· Monitors the quality of work.
· Verifies information.
· Checks the accuracy of own and others' work.
· Develops and uses systems to organize and keep track of
information or work progress.
· Carefully prepares for meetings and presentations.
· Organizes information or materials for others.
· Carefully reviews and checks the accuracy of information in
work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance)
provided by management, management information systems, or other
individuals and groups.
27. Decisiveness:
The ability to make difficult decisions in a timely manner.
· Is willing to make decisions in difficult or ambiguous
situations, when time is critical.
· Takes charge of a group when it is necessary to facilitate
change, overcome an impasse, face issues, or ensure that decisions
are made.
· Makes tough decisions (e.g., closing a facility, reducing
staff, accepting or rejecting a high-stakes deal).
III. Self-Management Compentencies
28. Self Confidence:
Faith in one's own ideas and capability to be successful; willingness
to take an independent position in the face of opposition.
· Is confident of own ability to accomplish goals.
· Presents self crisply and impressively.
· Is willing to speak up to the right person or group at the
right time, when he/she disagrees with a decision or strategy.
· Approaches challenging tasks with a "can-do" attitude.
29. Stress Management:
The ability to keep functioning effectively when under pressure and
maintain self control in the face of hostility or provocation.
· Remains calm under stress.
· Can effectively handle several problems or tasks at once.
· Controls his/her response when criticized, attacked or
provoked.
· Maintains a sense of humor under difficult circumstances.
· Manages own behavior to prevent or reduce feelings of stress.
30. Personal Credibility:
Demonstrated concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable,
and trustworthy.
· Does what he/she commits to doing.
· Respects the confidentiality of information or concerns
shared by others.
· Is honest and forthright with people.
· Carries his/her fair share of the workload.
· Takes responsibility for own mistakes; does not blame others.
· Conveys a command of the relevant facts and information.
31. Flexibility:
Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to
modify one's preferred way of doing things.
· Is able to see the merits of perspectives other than his/her
own.
· Demonstrates openness to new organizational structures,
procedures, and technology.
· Switches to a different strategy when an initially selected
one is unsuccessful.
· Demonstrates willingness to modify a strongly held position
in the face of contrary evidence.
Reprinted from "Value Added employeee by Edward J. Cripe and Richard
S. Mansfield, Copyright 2002 by Butterworth-Heinermann.
Major competencies for which employers look, along with some of the
behaviors associated with each.
The following is a summarized list of the 31 competencies listed
by "cluster" (similar competencies related to a common skill set).
Each competency includes a definition and the observable behaviors
that may indicate the existence of a competency in a person.
I. Competencies Dealing with People
The Leading Others Cluster
Communication and Influencing Cluster
II. Compentencies Dealing with Business
The Preventing and Solving Problems Cluster
The Achieving Results Cluster
III. Self-Management Compentencies
I. Competencies Dealing with People
The Leading Others Cluster
1. Establishing Focus:
The ability to develop and communicate goals in support
of the business' mission.
· Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction
of the business.
· Ensures that people in the unit understand how their work
relates to the business' mission.
· Ensures that everyone understands and identifies with the
unit's mission.
· Ensures that the unit develops goals and a plan to help
2. Providing Motivational Support:
The ability to enhance others' commitment to their work.
· Recognizes and rewards people for their achievements.
· Acknowledges and thanks people for their contributions.
· Expresses pride in the group and encourages people to feel
good about their accomplishments.
· Finds creative ways to make people's work rewarding.
· Signals own commitment to a process by being personally
present and involved at key events.
· Identifies and promptly tackles morale problems.
· Gives talks or presentations that energize groups.
3. Fostering Teamwork:
As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with
others on a team; as a team leader, the ability to demonstrate
interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work
together.
Behaviors for Team Members
· Listens and responds constructively to other team members'
ideas.
· Offers support for others' ideas and proposals.
· Is open with other team members about his/her concerns.
· Expresses disagreement constructively (e.g., by emphasizing
points of agreement, suggesting alternatives that may be acceptable
to the group).
· Reinforces team members for their contributions.
· Gives honest and constructive feedback to other team members.
· Provides assistance to others when they need it.
· Works for solutions that all team members can support.
· Shares his/her expertise with others.
· Seeks opportunities to work on teams as a means to develop
experience, and knowledge.
· Provides assistance, information, or other support to others,
to build or maintain relationships with them.
Behaviors for Team Leaders
· Provides opportunities for people to learn to work together
as a team.
· Enlists the active participation of everyone.
· Promotes cooperation with other work units.
· Ensures that all team members are treated fairly.
· Recognizes and encourages the behaviors that contribute to
teamwork.
4. Empowering Others:
The ability to convey confidence in employees' ability to be
successful, especially at challenging new tasks; delegating
significant responsibility and authority; allowing employees freedom
to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues.
· Gives people latitude to make decisions in their own sphere
of work.
· Is able to let others make decisions and take charge.
· Encourages individuals and groups to set their own goals,
consistent with business goals.
· Expresses confidence in the ability of others to be
successful.
· Encourages groups to resolve problems on their own; avoids
prescribing a solution.
5. Managing Change:
The ability to demonstrate support for innovation and for
organizational changes needed to improve the organization's
effectiveness; initiating, sponsoring, and implementing
organizational change; helping others to successfully manage
organizational change.
Employee Behaviors
· Personally develops a new method or approach.
· Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.
· Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.
Manager/Leader Behaviors
· Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative
solutions.
· Takes the lead in setting new business directions,
partnerships, policies or procedures.
· Seizes opportunities to influence the future direction of an
organizational unit or the overall business.
· Helps employees to develop a clear understanding of what they
will need to do differently, as a result of changes in the
organization.
· Implements or supports various change management activities
(e.g., communications, education, team development, coaching).
· Establishes structures and processes to plan and manage the
orderly implementation of change.
· Helps individuals and groups manage the anxiety associated
with significant change.
· Facilitates groups or teams through the problem-solving and
creative-thinking processes leading to the development and
implementation of new approaches, systems, structures, and methods.
6. Developing Others:
The ability to delegate responsibility and to work with others and
coach them to develop their capabilities.
· Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others.
· Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to
be more successful; provides effective coaching.
· Gives people assignments that will help develop their
abilities.
· Regularly meets with employees to review their development
progress.
· Recognizes and reinforces people's developmental efforts and
improvements.
· Expresses confidence in others' ability to be successful.
7. Managing Performance:
The ability to take responsibility for one's own or one's employees'
performance, by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking
progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing
performance problems and issues promptly.
Behaviors for employees
· With his/her manager, sets specific, measurable goals that
are realistic but challenging, with dates for accomplishment.
· With his/her manager, clarifies expectations about what will
be done and how.
· Enlists his/her manager's support in obtaining the
information, resources, and training needed to accomplish his/her
work effectively.
· Promptly notifies his/her manager about any problems that
affect his/her ability to accomplish planned goals.
· Seeks performance feedback from his/her manager and from
others with whom he/she interacts on the job.
· Prepares a personal development plan with specific goals and
a timeline for their accomplishment.
· Takes significant action to develop skills needed for
effectiveness in current or future job.
Behaviors for managers
· Ensures that employees have clear goals and responsibilities.
· Works with employees to set and communicate performance
standards that are specific and measurable.
· Supports employees in their efforts to achieve job goals
(e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a
buffer).
· Stays informed about employees' progress and performance
through both formal methods (e.g., status reports) and informal
methods (e.g., management by walking around).
· Provides specific performance feedback, both positive and
corrective, as soon as possible after an event.
· Deals firmly and promptly with performance problems;
Communication and Influencing Cluster
8. Attention to Communication:
The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who
should be kept informed.
· Ensures that others involved in a project or effort are kept
informed about developments and plans.
· Ensures that important information from his/her management is
shared with his/her employees and others as appropriate.
· Shares ideas and information with others who might find them
useful.
· Uses multiple channels or means to communicate important
messages (e.g., memos, newsletters, meetings, electronic mail).
· Keeps his/her manager informed about progress and problems;
avoids surprises.
· Ensures that regular, consistent communication takes place.
9. Oral Communication:
The ability to express oneself clearly in conversations and
interactions with others.
· Speaks clearly and can be easily understood.
· Tailors the content of speech to the level and experience of
the audience.
· Uses appropriate grammar and choice of words in oral speech.
· Organizes ideas clearly in oral speech.
· Expresses ideas concisely in oral speech.
· Maintains eye contact when speaking with others.
· Summarizes or paraphrases his/her understanding of what
others have said to verify understanding and prevent miscommunication.
10. Written Communication:
The ability to express oneself clearly in business writing.
· Expresses ideas clearly and concisely in writing.
· Organizes written ideas clearly and signals the organization
to the reader (e.g., through an introductory paragraph or through use
of headings).
· Tailors written communications to effectively reach an
audience.
· Uses graphics and other aids to clarify complex or technical
information.
· Spells correctly.
· Writes using concrete, specific language.
· Uses punctuation correctly.
· Writes grammatically.
· Uses an appropriate business writing style. ]
11. Persuasive Communication:
The ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that
make an impact and persuade their intended audiences.
· Identifies and presents information or data that will have a
strong effect on others.
· Selects language and examples tailored to the level and
experience of the audience.
· Selects stories, analogies, or examples to illustrate a point.
· Creates graphics, overheads, or slides that display
information clearly and with high impact.
· Presents several different arguments in support of a position.
12. Interpersonal Awareness:
The ability to notice, interpret, and anticipate others' concerns and
feelings, and to communicate this awareness empathetically to others.
· Understands the interests and important concerns of others.
· Notices and accurately interprets what others are feeling,
based on their choice of words, tone of voice, expressions, and other
nonverbal behavior.
· Anticipates how others will react to a situation.
· Listens attentively to people's ideas and concerns.
· Understands both the strengths and weaknesses of others.
· Understands the unspoken meaning in a situation.
· Says or does things to address others' concerns.
· Finds non-threatening ways to approach others about sensitive
issues.
· Makes others feel comfortable by responding in ways that
convey interest in what they have to say.
13. Influencing Others:
The ability to gain others' support for ideas, proposals, projects,
and solutions.
· Presents arguments that address others' most important
concerns and issues and looks for win-win solutions.
· Involves others in a process or decision to ensure their
support.
· Offers trade-offs or exchanges to gain commitment.
· Identifies and proposes solutions that benefit all parties
involved in a situation.
· Enlists experts or third parties to influence others.
· Develops other indirect strategies to influence others.
· Knows when to escalate critical issues to own or others'
management, if own efforts to enlist support have not succeeded.
· Structures situations (e.g., the setting, persons present,
sequence of events) to create a desired impact and to maximize the
chances of a favorable outcome.
· Works to make a particular impression on others.
· Identifies and targets influence efforts at the real decision
makers and those who can influence them.
· Seeks out and builds relationships with others who can
provide information, intelligence, career support, potential
business, and other forms of help.
· Takes a personal interest in others (e.g., by asking about
their concerns, interests, family, friends, hobbies) to develop
relationships.
· Accurately anticipates the implications of events or
decisions for various stakeholders in the organization and plans
strategy accordingly.
14. Building Collaborative Relationships:
The ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with
others inside or outside the organization who can provide
information, assistance, and support.
· Asks about the other person's personal experiences,
interests, and family.
· Asks questions to identify shared interest, experiences, or
other common ground.
· Shows an interest in what others have to say; acknowledges
their perspectives and ideas.
· Recognizes the business concerns and perspectives of others.
· Expresses gratitude and appreciation to others who have
provided information, assistance, or support.
· Takes time to get to know coworkers, to build rapport and
establish a common bond.
· Tries to build relationships with people whose assistance,
cooperation, and support may be needed.
· Provides assistance, information, and support to others to
build a basis for future reciprocity.
15. Customer Orientation:
The ability to demonstrate concern for satisfying one's external
and/or internal customers.
· Quickly and effectively solves customer problems.
· Talks to customers (internal or external) to find out what
they want and how satisfied they are with what they are getting.
· Lets customers know he/she is willing to work with them to
meet their needs.
· Finds ways to measure and track customer satisfaction.
· Presents a cheerful, positive manner with customers.
II. Compentencies Dealing with Business
The Preventing and Solving Problems Cluster
16. Diagnostic Information Gathering:
The ability to identify the information needed to clarify a
situation, seek that information from appropriate sources, and use
skillful questioning to draw out the information, when others are
reluctant to disclose it
· Identifies the specific information needed to clarify a
situation or to make a decision.
· Gets more complete and accurate information by checking
multiple sources.
· Probes skillfully to get at the facts, when others are
reluctant to provide full, detailed information.
· Routinely walks around to see how people are doing and to
hear about any problems they are encountering.
· Questions others to assess whether they have thought through
a plan of action.
· Questions others to assess their confidence in solving a
problem or tackling a situation.
· Asks questions to clarify a situation.
· Seeks the perspective of everyone involved in a situation.
· Seeks out knowledgeable people to obtain information or
clarify a problem.
17. Analytical Thinking:
The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic,
sequential approach.
· Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternatives.
· Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available
information.
· Identifies a set of features, parameters, or considerations
to take into account, in analyzing a situation or making a decision.
· Approaches a complex task or problem by breaking it down into
its component parts and considering each part in detail.
· Weighs the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success,
in making a decision.
· Identifies many possible causes for a problem.
· Carefully weighs the priority of things to be done.
18. Forward Thinking:
The ability to anticipate the implications and consequences of
situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible
contingencies.
· Anticipates possible problems and develops contingency plans
in advance.
· Notices trends in the industry or marketplace and develops
plans to prepare for opportunities or problems.
· Anticipates the consequences of situations and plans
accordingly.
· Anticipates how individuals and groups will react to
situations and information and plans accordingly.
19. Conceptual Thinking:
The ability to find effective solutions by taking a holistic,
abstract, or theoretical perspective.
· Notices similarities between different and apparently
unrelated situations.
· Quickly identifies the central or underlying issues in a
complex situation.
· Creates a graphic diagram showing a systems view of a
situation.
· Develops analogies or metaphors to explain a situation.
· Applies a theoretical framework to understand a specific
situation.
20. Strategic Thinking:
The ability to analyze the organization's competitive position by
considering market and industry trends, existing and potential
customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as
compared to competitors.
· Understands the organization's strengths and weaknesses as
compared to competitors.
· Understands industry and market trends affecting the
organization's competitiveness.
· Has an in-depth understanding of competitive products and
services within the marketplace.
· Develops and proposes a long-term (3-5 year) strategy for the
organization based on an analysis of the industry and marketplace and
the organization's current and potential capabilities as compared to
competitors.
21. Technical Expertise:
The ability to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skill in a
technical area.
· Effectively applies technical knowledge to solve a range of
problems.
· Possesses an in-depth knowledge and skill in a technical area.
· Develops technical solutions to new or highly complex
problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.
· Is sought out as an expert to provide advice or solutions in
his/her technical area.
· Keeps informed about cutting-edge technology in his/her
technical area.
The Achieving Results Cluster
22. Initiative:
Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or
before the situation requires it.
· Identifying what needs to be done and takes action before
being asked or the situation requires it.
· Does more than what is normally required in a situation.
· Seeks out others involved in a situation to learn their
perspectives.
· Takes independent action to change the direction of events.
23. Entrepreneurial Orientation:
The ability to look for and seize profitable business opportunities;
willingness to take calculated risks to achieve business goals.
· Notices and seizes profitable business opportunities.
· Stays abreast of business, industry, and market information
that may reveal business opportunities.
· Demonstrates willingness to take calculated risks to achieve
business goals.
· Proposes innovative business deals to potential customers,
suppliers, and business partners.
· Encourages and supports entrepreneurial behavior in others.
24. Fostering Innovation:
The ability to develop, sponsor, or support the introduction of new
and improved method, products, procedures, or technologies.
· Personally develops a new product or service.
· Personally develops a new method or approach.
· Sponsors the development of new products, services, methods,
or procedures.
· Proposes new approaches, methods, or technologies.
· Develops better, faster, or less expensive ways to do things.
· Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative
solutions.
25. Results Orientation:
The ability to focus on the desired result of one's own or one's
unit's work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals,
and meeting or exceeding them.
· Develops challenging but achievable goals.
· Develops clear goals for meetings and projects.
· Maintains commitment to goals in the face of obstacles and
frustrations.
· Finds or creates ways to measure performance against goals.
· Exerts unusual effort over time to achieve a goal.
· Has a strong sense of urgency about solving problems and
getting work done.
26. Thoroughness:
Ensuring that one's own and others' work and information are complete
and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations;
following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments
have been fulfilled.
· Sets up procedures to ensure high quality of work (e.g.,
review meetings).
· Monitors the quality of work.
· Verifies information.
· Checks the accuracy of own and others' work.
· Develops and uses systems to organize and keep track of
information or work progress.
· Carefully prepares for meetings and presentations.
· Organizes information or materials for others.
· Carefully reviews and checks the accuracy of information in
work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance)
provided by management, management information systems, or other
individuals and groups.
27. Decisiveness:
The ability to make difficult decisions in a timely manner.
· Is willing to make decisions in difficult or ambiguous
situations, when time is critical.
· Takes charge of a group when it is necessary to facilitate
change, overcome an impasse, face issues, or ensure that decisions
are made.
· Makes tough decisions (e.g., closing a facility, reducing
staff, accepting or rejecting a high-stakes deal).
III. Self-Management Compentencies
28. Self Confidence:
Faith in one's own ideas and capability to be successful; willingness
to take an independent position in the face of opposition.
· Is confident of own ability to accomplish goals.
· Presents self crisply and impressively.
· Is willing to speak up to the right person or group at the
right time, when he/she disagrees with a decision or strategy.
· Approaches challenging tasks with a "can-do" attitude.
29. Stress Management:
The ability to keep functioning effectively when under pressure and
maintain self control in the face of hostility or provocation.
· Remains calm under stress.
· Can effectively handle several problems or tasks at once.
· Controls his/her response when criticized, attacked or
provoked.
· Maintains a sense of humor under difficult circumstances.
· Manages own behavior to prevent or reduce feelings of stress.
30. Personal Credibility:
Demonstrated concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable,
and trustworthy.
· Does what he/she commits to doing.
· Respects the confidentiality of information or concerns
shared by others.
· Is honest and forthright with people.
· Carries his/her fair share of the workload.
· Takes responsibility for own mistakes; does not blame others.
· Conveys a command of the relevant facts and information.
31. Flexibility:
Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to
modify one's preferred way of doing things.
· Is able to see the merits of perspectives other than his/her
own.
· Demonstrates openness to new organizational structures,
procedures, and technology.
· Switches to a different strategy when an initially selected
one is unsuccessful.
· Demonstrates willingness to modify a strongly held position
in the face of contrary evidence.
Reprinted from "Value Added employeee by Edward J. Cripe and Richard
S. Mansfield, Copyright 2002 by Butterworth-Heinermann.
How To Praise
How To Praise
"results that are recognized get repeated"
Whenever you praise, be it at work or at home, you will reinforce the
behavior and make it much more likely that it will be repeated in the
future. In today's competitive world criticisms will nearly always
outnumber praise and a shortage of time often leads managers and
parents to give both at the same time not an effective strategy to
encourage or discourage a particular behavior: e.g. "you did a great
job on the dishes but your bedroom's a real mess!" But we do need a
mixture of both. Since there is no perception without contrast,
praise is diminished without criticism and vice versa. Praise tends
to have a motivating effect on people's performance as well as
doubling up as feedback from which to learn.
Dr. Peter Honey, the world famous behavioral psychologist, advises
that to enhance learning and development follow these five guidelines
when praising:
1.Always give specific praise and avoid meaningless generalizations.
Start with what you have observed, or heard from someone else, then
go on to spell out why you liked it.
2.Always praise better than expected results or actions. For example,
when people exceed their target, make an extra effort, are punctual
when usually late etc.
3.Always use 'stand alone' praise and do not dilute it with any
criticism. The rule is when praise is deserved, give it, when
criticism is deserved, give it. But don't mix the two.
4.Always praise as close in time to the person's action as possible.
Praising someone a long time after the event is still worthwhile but
has less impact.
5.Always praise authentically, not because you think you should or
only on special occasions or to impress a third party. Remember,
praise is one of the most effective and yet inexpensive ways to
motivate people and one of the best tools to help people learn.
"results that are recognized get repeated"
Whenever you praise, be it at work or at home, you will reinforce the
behavior and make it much more likely that it will be repeated in the
future. In today's competitive world criticisms will nearly always
outnumber praise and a shortage of time often leads managers and
parents to give both at the same time not an effective strategy to
encourage or discourage a particular behavior: e.g. "you did a great
job on the dishes but your bedroom's a real mess!" But we do need a
mixture of both. Since there is no perception without contrast,
praise is diminished without criticism and vice versa. Praise tends
to have a motivating effect on people's performance as well as
doubling up as feedback from which to learn.
Dr. Peter Honey, the world famous behavioral psychologist, advises
that to enhance learning and development follow these five guidelines
when praising:
1.Always give specific praise and avoid meaningless generalizations.
Start with what you have observed, or heard from someone else, then
go on to spell out why you liked it.
2.Always praise better than expected results or actions. For example,
when people exceed their target, make an extra effort, are punctual
when usually late etc.
3.Always use 'stand alone' praise and do not dilute it with any
criticism. The rule is when praise is deserved, give it, when
criticism is deserved, give it. But don't mix the two.
4.Always praise as close in time to the person's action as possible.
Praising someone a long time after the event is still worthwhile but
has less impact.
5.Always praise authentically, not because you think you should or
only on special occasions or to impress a third party. Remember,
praise is one of the most effective and yet inexpensive ways to
motivate people and one of the best tools to help people learn.
Talent Management or Talent Manipulati
Talent Management or Talent Manipulation?
by Jamie and Maren Showkeir
Talent managers have an essential role in hiring and developing organizational talent. Stakes are high in the interview process and during performance appraisals. People are inclined to sell their best qualities to get the job, the raise or the promotion, and talent managers want to ensure the organization has the best possible workforce.
Consequently, both sides may be tempted to use manipulative techniques to get what they want and often don't realize they're doing it. In fact, the tactic is so common and subtle people may not even see it.
Manipulation starts with intention. When you try to get people to act, believe something or feel a certain way without fully disclosing, you're in manipulation mode. Manipulation makes it easier to win in the moment. You can use it to make yourself look better or get results from others.
Recently, we conducted a workplace survey of 250 people from diverse industries and backgrounds that included questions about manipulation at work. The majority of respondents said they rarely or never used manipulation at work to get things done, and neither did the majority feel others manipulated them.
And nearly 70 percent said using manipulation to get things done was unacceptable. Yet four out of five said the people who are best at manipulating others are the ones who get ahead in their careers. The people who responded to the survey included a preponderance of managers, so how can this contradiction exist?
Manipulation is a barrier to authentic conversation. It takes a heavy toll on relationships by destroying trust and fostering cynicism. When people manipulate each other at work, it creates something no one can believe in. In our survey, roughly half of those responding - regardless of position - admit they found it difficult to have open, honest conversations at their company. This problem often starts with the interview process.
Manipulation shows up when talent managers oversell the benefits of a company or give calculated descriptions about what it's like to work there. It can make an impression when future career opportunities are overstated. Manipulation is likely at play, no matter how benevolent or subtle, when motivational tactics are used to create enthusiasm, loyalty or to improve morale.
The talent manager can recognize manipulation. The following are common manipulative techniques identified in the workplace:
a) Spinning the facts or using calculated descriptions that favor your position or ideas. For example: "You asked about my weaknesses. My biggest weakness is that I work too hard. Sometimes my co-workers accuse me of being too conscientious."
b) Overstating the situation or exaggerating threats to create a false sense of urgency or importance to motivate people. For instance: "The biggest difficulty in my last position was every time I took a vacation I got back and had a huge mess to deal with. Nobody there seemed to care as much about our customers as I did."
c) Understating or downplaying difficult issues or serious problems to keep others calm or focused on work. It could sound like: "There were a few times when my boss and I didn't see eye to eye. But if she thought my way was wrong, I was happy to do it her way."
d) Sucking up or going over the top and giving phony praise to have an effect. It could sound like: "I have always wanted to work here. Everything I read and everyone I talk to mentions what a great place this is to work."
Other techniques include feigning interest in something or someone to get what you need, playing to another's emotions, reassuring others without any evidence things will be all right, disguising your agenda, masking your true intentions when asking someone to do something, revealing only the facts that bolster your arguments, using sarcasm or dropping powerful names to get your way.
Without self-awareness, manipulation can show up when and where we least expect it. For instance, viewing those we are hiring and managing as human capital instead of people makes it easier to engage in a strategic dance of inauthentic manipulative conversations. Questions such as "What am I trying to create here?" and "How would I want to be treated?" can help talent managers develop an awareness of techniques to engage in authentic conversations.
Abandoning manipulation isn't easy, but choosing more authentic conversation techniques will strengthen relationships and build trust. Talking about things this way acknowledges an individual's freedom of choice. When we choose conversations that emphasize transparency and honesty, people are more likely to choose accountability and responsibility.
When conversations are imbued with full disclosure of projects and plans, it creates commitment and investment in a shared future. Employees who are authentically engaged from the beginning will produce better results. Conversations that include full disclosure presuppose a faith in people's ability to collaborate and use their intelligence, judgment and goodwill to create a world in which we can all believe. Authentic conversations are better for business.
[About the Authors: Jamie and Maren Showkeir are co-authors of Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment. Their company, Henning-Showkeir & Associates, offers management consulting, change management and leadership development.]
.
Stone Soup
The Awakening
| |||||
A time comes in your life when you finally get it... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere, the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying, or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes, you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening... You realize that it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world, there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you and in the process, a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process, a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process, a sense of safety & security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process, a sense of peace & contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself and the world around you, is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. You begin to sift through all the junk you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look and how much you should weigh, what you should wear and where you should shop and what you should drive, how and where you should live and what you should do for a living, who you should marry and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what you owe your parents. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with and in the process, you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive and that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by gone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don't know everything; it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love; and you learn that you don't have the right to demand love on your terms, just to make you happy. You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you "stack up." You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right, to want things and to ask for the things that you want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. You allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you, to glorify you with his touch and in the process, you internalize the meaning of self-respect. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. Just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul; so you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that for the most part in life, you get what you believe you deserve and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen, is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time; FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears, because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear, is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions, you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers; it's just life happening. You learn to deal with evil in its most primal state; the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted; things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind, and you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. | |||||
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Managing Your Star Workers
Managing Your Star Workers
by Lindsay Edmonds Wickman
This summer, the fastest, strongest and most skilled athletes are on a rigorous training schedule in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Similarly, corporations should be critically eyeing their own ranks to assess where their internal superstars stand and provide them with appropriate, tailored training and coaching.
"It's no different than having superstar athletes," said Bonnie Hagemann, CEO of Executive Development Associates, which creates custom-designed executive development strategies, systems and programs. "[Superstar workers] need training, development, goals and [rewards]. And I think one of the things that people really miss when they're managing superstars is just that consistent, candid and encouraging feedback."
According to Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, a high performer is an individual who energizes others, makes tough decisions and delivers on promises. While these superstars work quickly to produce high-quality work, they are not without weakness - they may not be the best collaborators, which is a key skill in today's workplace. As a result, high-potential workers must have a custom development program that hits on both strengths and weaknesses.
"They're superstars; they're the ones who are out front. [So] sometimes they don't know how to play on a team," Hagemann said. "You build on strengths, but you also want to fix any potential derailers. They've got to have consistent and encouraging, but direct and candid, feedback. If you say, 'Look, your goal for the next year is to make sure that your five peers are rooting for you when you get the next promotion,' then they'll go get that goal."
Because high-potential employees demand high levels of energy, it's not feasible or realistic to have an entire organization of superstars.
"Every organization needs some superstars," Hagemann said. "But personally, I don't believe in having a whole organization of superstars. I believe in having some superstars [who] plow new ground and pull the organization forward. But you need a lot of other good solid workers to bring the organization along and to make sure that all of those initiatives that get put in place by the superstars are executed."
From the start, organizations should determine whether they want or need a superstar for specific positions.
"When I'm doing executive coaching, I'll say, 'Do you want a thoroughbred, or do you want a good quarter horse?'" Hagemann said. "If you want someone who's jumpy and hard to manage but can run like the wind, then you may want a superstar. But if you want someone who will be a good team player and work with the organization, you probably want a quarter horse. It is two different needs."
Superstars need room to roam, so specify loose boundaries for them.
"Give them some boundaries," Hagemann said. "Once you give them boundaries, make them broad enough so that they have a lot of room to run, and then let them run. Give them a low amount of detail, like paperwork, because that's just going to slow them down and make them frustrated."
Once a superstar is on board, organizations should harness their passion while cultivating their capabilities.
"You don't want to take away their fire, but at the same time, they need to be honed because they might come in a little raw," Hagemann said. "Because they're so high energy and they want to please their leaders, you can [floor] them pretty easily. If you get knocked down on your butt, you get back up and you get right back on the trail. You have to teach them that."
[About the Author: Lindsay Edmonds Wickman is an associate editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine.]
by Lindsay Edmonds Wickman
This summer, the fastest, strongest and most skilled athletes are on a rigorous training schedule in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Similarly, corporations should be critically eyeing their own ranks to assess where their internal superstars stand and provide them with appropriate, tailored training and coaching.
"It's no different than having superstar athletes," said Bonnie Hagemann, CEO of Executive Development Associates, which creates custom-designed executive development strategies, systems and programs. "[Superstar workers] need training, development, goals and [rewards]. And I think one of the things that people really miss when they're managing superstars is just that consistent, candid and encouraging feedback."
According to Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, a high performer is an individual who energizes others, makes tough decisions and delivers on promises. While these superstars work quickly to produce high-quality work, they are not without weakness - they may not be the best collaborators, which is a key skill in today's workplace. As a result, high-potential workers must have a custom development program that hits on both strengths and weaknesses.
"They're superstars; they're the ones who are out front. [So] sometimes they don't know how to play on a team," Hagemann said. "You build on strengths, but you also want to fix any potential derailers. They've got to have consistent and encouraging, but direct and candid, feedback. If you say, 'Look, your goal for the next year is to make sure that your five peers are rooting for you when you get the next promotion,' then they'll go get that goal."
Because high-potential employees demand high levels of energy, it's not feasible or realistic to have an entire organization of superstars.
"Every organization needs some superstars," Hagemann said. "But personally, I don't believe in having a whole organization of superstars. I believe in having some superstars [who] plow new ground and pull the organization forward. But you need a lot of other good solid workers to bring the organization along and to make sure that all of those initiatives that get put in place by the superstars are executed."
From the start, organizations should determine whether they want or need a superstar for specific positions.
"When I'm doing executive coaching, I'll say, 'Do you want a thoroughbred, or do you want a good quarter horse?'" Hagemann said. "If you want someone who's jumpy and hard to manage but can run like the wind, then you may want a superstar. But if you want someone who will be a good team player and work with the organization, you probably want a quarter horse. It is two different needs."
Superstars need room to roam, so specify loose boundaries for them.
"Give them some boundaries," Hagemann said. "Once you give them boundaries, make them broad enough so that they have a lot of room to run, and then let them run. Give them a low amount of detail, like paperwork, because that's just going to slow them down and make them frustrated."
Once a superstar is on board, organizations should harness their passion while cultivating their capabilities.
"You don't want to take away their fire, but at the same time, they need to be honed because they might come in a little raw," Hagemann said. "Because they're so high energy and they want to please their leaders, you can [floor] them pretty easily. If you get knocked down on your butt, you get back up and you get right back on the trail. You have to teach them that."
[About the Author: Lindsay Edmonds Wickman is an associate editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine.]
The CEO as Chief Blogger
The CEO as Chief Blogger
by Jeanne C. Meister
[Chief Learning Officer | July 2008]
There is so much talk lately about how a learning function or human resource organization should use blogging. Questions abound, such as:
1. What strategy should the learning and human resource department have regarding blogging?
2. What guidelines should be in place pertaining to how your employees blog?
3. Should the CEO have a blog? Should it focus externally or internally?
These are some interesting questions to ponder as more companies begin experimenting with social media to develop trust, improve communications and increase vehicles for employee development. But it seems some larger questions should be addressed, such as:
1. Does your CEO know what a blog is?
2. If your CEO has a blog, has it been reviewed in the blogosphere?
3. Do your top three competitors' CEOs have blogs? If so, what are they blogging about?
To date, just 58 of the Fortune 500 companies have blogs. But in most cases, these are maintained by corporate communications departments rather than CEOs penning their own blogs.
But there are notable exceptions. Two CEOs come to mind who blog regularly. One is Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, who posts on a regular basis about his interactions with customers around the world. In fact, as I write this column, I'm also glancing at Schwartz' latest post, "Transparency and Making Choices," in which he writes about what makes him proud to work at Sun and how he communicates this to clients and customers around the globe.
Another model is Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks and CEO of HDNet. He frequently posts long blogs on basketball, business, media and whatever other topic he happens to find interesting. Though Cuban often is brash and controversial in tone, he regularly offers truly interesting and insightful perspectives that suggest an active and informed mind.
As you continue to research which strategy to adopt and create a set of guidelines for company blogging, I recommend looking at research findings from Clearswift, a content security firm. The survey, conducted among 939 corporate decision makers on matters related to corporate blogging and wikis, highlighted the following:
a) 20 percent don't have a policy governing appropriate use of the Internet, including social media sites.
b) 39 percent of IT and business decision makers consider social media to be relevant to today's corporate environment, while 36 percent do not see social media as relevant to their businesses.
c) 13 percent of organizations are not aware of social media and have no policy on it.
If you were going to make a recommendation to your CEO about being a blogger, what would you recommend? Here are three considerations to address:
1. Decide whether your CEO blog should focus internally or externally. Clark Kokich, CEO of Avenue A/RazorFish, an interactive marketing services firm, decided to launch an internally focused blog as a vehicle to create a common voice and share the culture and values among the company's employees in multiple countries. In a recent interview, Clark was asked whether he enjoyed blogging. He said, "It's a constant pressure to say something interesting and relevant to our 2,300 employees, but I see this as an increasingly important part of my job as CEO."
2. Partner with corporate communications. As you develop a strategy, it should ideally combine the benefits of blogging as a communications tool with using blogging as a vehicle to share the corporate culture and values as demonstrated above by both Schwartz and Kokich.
3. Use the learning staff. Corporate learning and talent development personnel often are called upon to be the "pioneers" in using the latest social media as the company develops its strategic goals for social media use. In this case, you should have learning professionals work with the CEO to figure out the best ways to engage the audience.
Above all, it's important that blogging serves your strategic goals while being consistent with your company's standards for corporate security.
by Jeanne C. Meister
[Chief Learning Officer | July 2008]
There is so much talk lately about how a learning function or human resource organization should use blogging. Questions abound, such as:
1. What strategy should the learning and human resource department have regarding blogging?
2. What guidelines should be in place pertaining to how your employees blog?
3. Should the CEO have a blog? Should it focus externally or internally?
These are some interesting questions to ponder as more companies begin experimenting with social media to develop trust, improve communications and increase vehicles for employee development. But it seems some larger questions should be addressed, such as:
1. Does your CEO know what a blog is?
2. If your CEO has a blog, has it been reviewed in the blogosphere?
3. Do your top three competitors' CEOs have blogs? If so, what are they blogging about?
To date, just 58 of the Fortune 500 companies have blogs. But in most cases, these are maintained by corporate communications departments rather than CEOs penning their own blogs.
But there are notable exceptions. Two CEOs come to mind who blog regularly. One is Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, who posts on a regular basis about his interactions with customers around the world. In fact, as I write this column, I'm also glancing at Schwartz' latest post, "Transparency and Making Choices," in which he writes about what makes him proud to work at Sun and how he communicates this to clients and customers around the globe.
Another model is Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks and CEO of HDNet. He frequently posts long blogs on basketball, business, media and whatever other topic he happens to find interesting. Though Cuban often is brash and controversial in tone, he regularly offers truly interesting and insightful perspectives that suggest an active and informed mind.
As you continue to research which strategy to adopt and create a set of guidelines for company blogging, I recommend looking at research findings from Clearswift, a content security firm. The survey, conducted among 939 corporate decision makers on matters related to corporate blogging and wikis, highlighted the following:
a) 20 percent don't have a policy governing appropriate use of the Internet, including social media sites.
b) 39 percent of IT and business decision makers consider social media to be relevant to today's corporate environment, while 36 percent do not see social media as relevant to their businesses.
c) 13 percent of organizations are not aware of social media and have no policy on it.
If you were going to make a recommendation to your CEO about being a blogger, what would you recommend? Here are three considerations to address:
1. Decide whether your CEO blog should focus internally or externally. Clark Kokich, CEO of Avenue A/RazorFish, an interactive marketing services firm, decided to launch an internally focused blog as a vehicle to create a common voice and share the culture and values among the company's employees in multiple countries. In a recent interview, Clark was asked whether he enjoyed blogging. He said, "It's a constant pressure to say something interesting and relevant to our 2,300 employees, but I see this as an increasingly important part of my job as CEO."
2. Partner with corporate communications. As you develop a strategy, it should ideally combine the benefits of blogging as a communications tool with using blogging as a vehicle to share the corporate culture and values as demonstrated above by both Schwartz and Kokich.
3. Use the learning staff. Corporate learning and talent development personnel often are called upon to be the "pioneers" in using the latest social media as the company develops its strategic goals for social media use. In this case, you should have learning professionals work with the CEO to figure out the best ways to engage the audience.
Above all, it's important that blogging serves your strategic goals while being consistent with your company's standards for corporate security.
At Michigan LearnPort, Teachers Tap Social Networking
At Michigan LearnPort, Teachers Tap Social Networking
by Bill Perry
Public school teachers typically spend all of their time sharing knowledge with students, not each other. To encourage peer sharing, Michigan Virtual University created Michigan LearnPort, a social networking system that allows teachers in that state to collaborate and distribute ideas and best practices.
In 1998, the state of Michigan established Michigan Virtual University (MVU) as a not-for-profit corporation to serve as a champion for online learning. MVU, in partnership with Michigan schools, provides cost-effective services and technology that strengthen teaching. The organization funds its operations with grants, contracts and course fees.
Since its founding, MVU has been a leading change agent in Michigan for the use of online tools and resources for developing and sharing knowledge. Beginning in 2002, there has been a steady stream of state and federal laws aimed at improving education. These laws push teachers to participate in professional development (PD), but many educators feel strapped for time and resources when it comes to learning.
In 2003, MVU created a Web-based PD delivery system called Michigan LearnPort. Through Michigan LearnPort, school personnel are provided PD programs to help meet personal and district learning requirements.
Finding a Better Way
Over the years, MVU and its partner, the Michigan Department of Education, examined the typical ways school districts parcel out PD for teachers. MVU saw room for improvement.
"So often, as a school superintendent, I would bring in an expert to address my staff for the purpose of PD," said David Myers, executive director for Michigan LearnPort. "Lots of people would get excited by the presentations. But when teachers returned to their classes and the expert was gone, they had nowhere to go to build on what they learned."
Relaunching Michigan LearnPort
With this in mind, Myers and his colleagues set four goals for the relaunch of Michigan LearnPort:
1. Michigan LearnPort will become the premier Web site for delivering PD courses to Michigan educators.
2. It will trim the cost of PD for school districts by delivering training online. Myers envisioned teachers getting education at school, home, libraries, anywhere with an Internet connection - even during the summer months when most schools are closed.
3. Teachers will have a way to sustain what they learn.
4. Michigan LearnPort will serve as a repository for Michigan school districts' training records.
"We weren't trying to aggregate records simply for the sake of showing compliance with state mandates," Myers added. "We also wanted this capability so teachers and administrators could have one place to track their professional learning activities from graduate study, seminars and, of course, Michigan LearnPort online courses."
A New Twist for the LMS
MVU had experience with learning management system (LMS) software for tracking and distributing training. MVU's executives knew an LMS was a way for teachers in far-flung districts to easily register and take online training. But along with managing the basics of learning, Michigan LearnPort was meant to bring the best of social networking software and knowledge exchange to one easy-to-use, accessible spot. So Michigan LearnPort personnel sought an LMS that would underpin an online community in which educators could exchange ideas to help one another.
"We needed to deliver training to tens of thousands of users, but we also wanted to foster collaboration," Myers said. "We had to have a system that was intuitive. Not all users are experts with e-learning or online collaboration."
After months of evaluating vendors, Meridian's LMS was chosen for the MVU project. With the LMS in place, Michigan LearnPort has a record of each teacher's development plan. It also links PD to school goals and offers access to training. Teachers can create transcripts to show they are complying with NCLB. And Michigan LearnPort offers online forums for teachers to join after completing PD.
"The collaborative features of our LMS, which we call 'community rooms,' were ideal for helping us reinforce the PD that teachers undertake," Myers said. "Our Michigan LearnPort community rooms are built around discussion threads, a resident e-mail tool and calendaring functionality."
A Community of Learning
According to Michigan LearnPort, since launching the new LMS in July 2007, users of the PD portal have built more than 134 community rooms. More than 100 online courses are available free to all Michigan teachers via the Internet. And Michigan LearnPort makes it possible for them to create and use a community room as part of an online course. By January 2008, about six months after the launch, Michigan LearnPort had served almost 30,000 users.
"It's amazing to see the proliferation of community rooms that educators have built in the six months since we relaunched Michigan LearnPort: We've gone from zero to 134," said Elizabeth Elliott, project manager at Michigan LearnPort. "Anyone who visits Michigan LearnPort can use our LMS to create a community room. The size of the rooms range from two people to an entire school district."
According to Michigan LearnPort, educators at opposite ends of the state now can connect through community rooms. For soon-to-be credentialed teachers who often are new college graduates, the community rooms are proving a favorite.
When teachers visit Michigan LearnPort, they will see the range of community rooms, as well as a feature for creating them. The social networking features of the LMS, coupled with its traditional training features, have the potential to improve the way teachers seek PD and the ways they collaborate. Before relaunching Michigan LearnPort, Myers said, teachers who wanted to collaborate would have to coordinate schedules, find e-mail addresses for colleagues and set up conference calls at the mercy of everyone's calendars. Now, educators can connect and learn when they have the time.
"If you calculate what it costs to chase people for training, compensate instructors and pay for courses and classroom space," Myers said, "then there's no question we've saved Michigan educators time and money, while improving their skills."
For example, one Michigan school district tapped Michigan LearnPort for an online course to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. The district pegged its savings at $11 per employee. If the 150,000 school employees across the state were to take this hour-long, online OSHA course in place of face-to-face OSHA training, the potential savings would be more than $1.6 million, or equal to the approximate cost of operating Michigan LearnPort for one year.
Going forward, Myers and his team hope to make online learning a widely accepted alternative to the traditional models of PD that Michigan educators rely on. Early success with Michigan LearnPort is helping Myers' team make a case.
[About the Author: Bill Perry is managing partner of March 24 Media LLC.]
by Bill Perry
Public school teachers typically spend all of their time sharing knowledge with students, not each other. To encourage peer sharing, Michigan Virtual University created Michigan LearnPort, a social networking system that allows teachers in that state to collaborate and distribute ideas and best practices.
In 1998, the state of Michigan established Michigan Virtual University (MVU) as a not-for-profit corporation to serve as a champion for online learning. MVU, in partnership with Michigan schools, provides cost-effective services and technology that strengthen teaching. The organization funds its operations with grants, contracts and course fees.
Since its founding, MVU has been a leading change agent in Michigan for the use of online tools and resources for developing and sharing knowledge. Beginning in 2002, there has been a steady stream of state and federal laws aimed at improving education. These laws push teachers to participate in professional development (PD), but many educators feel strapped for time and resources when it comes to learning.
In 2003, MVU created a Web-based PD delivery system called Michigan LearnPort. Through Michigan LearnPort, school personnel are provided PD programs to help meet personal and district learning requirements.
Finding a Better Way
Over the years, MVU and its partner, the Michigan Department of Education, examined the typical ways school districts parcel out PD for teachers. MVU saw room for improvement.
"So often, as a school superintendent, I would bring in an expert to address my staff for the purpose of PD," said David Myers, executive director for Michigan LearnPort. "Lots of people would get excited by the presentations. But when teachers returned to their classes and the expert was gone, they had nowhere to go to build on what they learned."
Relaunching Michigan LearnPort
With this in mind, Myers and his colleagues set four goals for the relaunch of Michigan LearnPort:
1. Michigan LearnPort will become the premier Web site for delivering PD courses to Michigan educators.
2. It will trim the cost of PD for school districts by delivering training online. Myers envisioned teachers getting education at school, home, libraries, anywhere with an Internet connection - even during the summer months when most schools are closed.
3. Teachers will have a way to sustain what they learn.
4. Michigan LearnPort will serve as a repository for Michigan school districts' training records.
"We weren't trying to aggregate records simply for the sake of showing compliance with state mandates," Myers added. "We also wanted this capability so teachers and administrators could have one place to track their professional learning activities from graduate study, seminars and, of course, Michigan LearnPort online courses."
A New Twist for the LMS
MVU had experience with learning management system (LMS) software for tracking and distributing training. MVU's executives knew an LMS was a way for teachers in far-flung districts to easily register and take online training. But along with managing the basics of learning, Michigan LearnPort was meant to bring the best of social networking software and knowledge exchange to one easy-to-use, accessible spot. So Michigan LearnPort personnel sought an LMS that would underpin an online community in which educators could exchange ideas to help one another.
"We needed to deliver training to tens of thousands of users, but we also wanted to foster collaboration," Myers said. "We had to have a system that was intuitive. Not all users are experts with e-learning or online collaboration."
After months of evaluating vendors, Meridian's LMS was chosen for the MVU project. With the LMS in place, Michigan LearnPort has a record of each teacher's development plan. It also links PD to school goals and offers access to training. Teachers can create transcripts to show they are complying with NCLB. And Michigan LearnPort offers online forums for teachers to join after completing PD.
"The collaborative features of our LMS, which we call 'community rooms,' were ideal for helping us reinforce the PD that teachers undertake," Myers said. "Our Michigan LearnPort community rooms are built around discussion threads, a resident e-mail tool and calendaring functionality."
A Community of Learning
According to Michigan LearnPort, since launching the new LMS in July 2007, users of the PD portal have built more than 134 community rooms. More than 100 online courses are available free to all Michigan teachers via the Internet. And Michigan LearnPort makes it possible for them to create and use a community room as part of an online course. By January 2008, about six months after the launch, Michigan LearnPort had served almost 30,000 users.
"It's amazing to see the proliferation of community rooms that educators have built in the six months since we relaunched Michigan LearnPort: We've gone from zero to 134," said Elizabeth Elliott, project manager at Michigan LearnPort. "Anyone who visits Michigan LearnPort can use our LMS to create a community room. The size of the rooms range from two people to an entire school district."
According to Michigan LearnPort, educators at opposite ends of the state now can connect through community rooms. For soon-to-be credentialed teachers who often are new college graduates, the community rooms are proving a favorite.
When teachers visit Michigan LearnPort, they will see the range of community rooms, as well as a feature for creating them. The social networking features of the LMS, coupled with its traditional training features, have the potential to improve the way teachers seek PD and the ways they collaborate. Before relaunching Michigan LearnPort, Myers said, teachers who wanted to collaborate would have to coordinate schedules, find e-mail addresses for colleagues and set up conference calls at the mercy of everyone's calendars. Now, educators can connect and learn when they have the time.
"If you calculate what it costs to chase people for training, compensate instructors and pay for courses and classroom space," Myers said, "then there's no question we've saved Michigan educators time and money, while improving their skills."
For example, one Michigan school district tapped Michigan LearnPort for an online course to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. The district pegged its savings at $11 per employee. If the 150,000 school employees across the state were to take this hour-long, online OSHA course in place of face-to-face OSHA training, the potential savings would be more than $1.6 million, or equal to the approximate cost of operating Michigan LearnPort for one year.
Going forward, Myers and his team hope to make online learning a widely accepted alternative to the traditional models of PD that Michigan educators rely on. Early success with Michigan LearnPort is helping Myers' team make a case.
[About the Author: Bill Perry is managing partner of March 24 Media LLC.]
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