By Andrew Malzev
Why do we not value time as much as money?
Remember, that we used a term "effective project tracking". All solutions are not created the same. Actually when a company is in need of project tracking, they often implement a tracking mechanism that is doomed to fail. Companies often forget that the planning process is controlled by a project manager, while time tracking demands full acceptance and long-term support of every employee in your office, or in your project team. If you implement a tool that your project team does not use heartily, consistently, and voluntarily, you have not really implemented a solution at all.
We have seen many different project tracking non-starters. For instance, one international financial brand had a full-time employee whose sole responsibility was to run around the office with a clipboard interviewing team members about their progress and status and inputting the data into a comprehensive folder of Microsoft Project files. There was a commercial printing work that asked employees to enter status information into an Excel spreadsheet that was over 6k rows long.
As we write, thousands of custom-built Visual Basic timesheet applications grind along at different stages of completion not quite meeting the needs of the companies that developed them. There are firms that try to use paper timesheets that employees fill out for payroll and analyze them for project tracking purposes. When it comes to project tracking methods, it is an interesting world out there, and it is not pretty.
Rather than trying to create your own, you can find a commercially available time tracking system that best meets your needs.
Will Employees Use It?
Usability is one of the most important considerations as a time tracker is only as good as the information that it gets is useful for a company. If your team flout it (and they will if it's too hard to use) or worse, sabotage it, your tool will only serve to built a wall between you and your employees. Use the time tracker that makes tracking as easy and painless as possible for your people, and avoids human error as good as possible.
Better yet, if your tracker actually gives an orderly automated feedback to individual employees, it could build an incentive for timely and accurate information entry. If you are considering a web-based time tracker, keep an eye on nature of web applications. Often it makes them more cumbersome to use than desktop solutions. The possibility to use both a web entry method and a desktop client would be ideal.
Does It Give An Answer?
Do not get distracted by hundreds of reports that a project tracking system offers. Ask yourself what questions about your team's work time are the most important and see if a time tracker that you consider can answer them. First of all you should start with: "Are we on board with it?" "How much will the project cost in the end?" "What work takes longer than we thought?" "How much money are we really making on a project?"
Will It Help Me To Know More?
Ask your projects managers how you can use the time tracker to improve the way you work tomorrow. How will you take the information collected for your today's projects and turn it into a useful insight for the future work? This is how your time tracking system will pay for itself.
In the project managers' club we know that time is as scarce and valuable as money, and there is no factor more important to the eventual success or failure of our endeavors. But we constantly see examples of projects which are good planned but bad tracked, if they are tracked at all.
The question is not whether you should track time. You must do it. Take care to choose the right system for your organization. Be sure to evaluate it in real-world conditions before making your decision. Get the buy-in of every single team member.
Today CrocoTime is approved by more than 500 of customers ranging from small companies to enterprises of different spheres of business: production companies, project companies, trading, and service companies have been using CrocoTime to become more productive and efficient. http://crocotime.com/en/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/
Effective Meeting Checklist: 13 Things You MUST Do So You're Not Wasting Time & Money
By ]Aprille Trupiano
A survey by Salary.com shows "too many meetings" is the #1 single biggest waste of time at work.
Studies show that Managers attend more than 60 meetings per month and an estimated 37% of employee time is spent in meetings.
So should you cancel all meetings?
Is that the answer?
Not according to 92% of meeting attendees who say they value meetings as an opportunity to contribute to the organization.
Then what IS the solution?
Considering that the problem isn't so much having meetings as it is having ineffective meetings, the following checklist will save you time, save you resources and save you money. It's also likely to keep you from feeling worn out and exhausted from meeting burnout.
Print out this Checklist and use it before, during and after your next meeting. You've got everything to gain.
BEFORE THE MEETING:
[ ] Make sure you (or anyone else) really need(s) to physically attend the meeting.
If the meeting can be had via teleconference or web conference, opt for that. It saves not only drive time but also delay time waiting for those who are known to be late.
[ ] Prepare and/or Review the Agenda.
Do this at least 48 hours prior to meetings to ensure that the timeline is efficient but not too tight to allow for discussions. Make any necessary adjustments.
[ ] Prepare data and/or facts that support items on the Agenda.
Don't waste time trying to locate this information during meeting time. Or worse, don't put the issue until another meeting because you don't have the proper information to proceed to conclusion.
[ ] Distribute any information that will require review by other meeting participants.
Do this at least 72 hours prior to meetings to give people enough time. Otherwise, you'll waste time explaining the information on the spot, effectively doubling the time you've spent to prepare it, just to resolve the issue.
DURING THE MEETING:
[ ] Start ON TIME!
This is one of the most critical, yet skimmed over culprits of ineffective meetings. Starting later than the designated time is not only wasteful, it's disrespectful to the people in the room who have more effective things to do than idly chit chat while waiting for the "real" meeting to begin.
[ ] State the Intentions and Objectives of the meeting at the start.
This one tactic can keep people on task instead of digressing into monologues and discussions that are completely irrelevant to the important issues of the current meeting. During this time, it's also a good idea to set the "ground rules" such as a "NO TECHNOLOGY Rule" so that people aren't tempted to divert their attention from the real reason they're present at the meeting.
[ ] Address most important issues first.
Don't make the mistake of checking off small things to leave the bulk of your meeting time for the big discussions. It never happens that way! What happens instead is you'll find that if you're running short of time, the most important issues aren't given the time they deserve or they're completely shelved until the next meeting can happen.
[ ] Publicly ask the Question: "What did we decide today?"
Have someone taking minutes, which includes WHO will do WHAT and BY WHEN. Without this critical step, you've just spent 1 to 2 hours sharing ideas and concepts. The only way to turn the MEETing into a DOing is to have follow up actions and accountabilities.
[ ] Set the date and time of the next meeting.
You will avoid wasting so much valuable time by avoiding the usual endless email volleying to find a date and time that works for everyone's already busy schedule. Rescind the "No Technology Rule" for this portion and have everyone coordinate live and on the spot. Make sure you communicate this information post meeting to anyone who couldn't attend, stating that the date and time were chosen by the majority - the majority who were present, that is!
[ ] End on time.
Ending on time is vital for several reasons, such as setting the expectation for attendees that their time will not be squandered. It also sets the tone that you must stay on task and on topic during the meeting otherwise all of the objectives will not be met. Finally, it lays the groundwork so that you can democratically interrupt anyone who is a "meeting hog" by politely reminding them there are only x minutes to the meeting and you must move on in order to get to all the issues.
AFTER THE MEETING:
[ ] Send a Recap Report.
In the Recap Report, include the meeting minutes, which includes what you "decided" at the meeting. Most importantly, include a chart that illustrates WHO committed to do WHAT and BY WHEN so that everyone is on notice that people will be looking for those action items to be completed.
[ ] Delegate someone to track action items and accountabilities.
Choose someone who has access to all meeting members to keep track of the "WHO-WHAT-BY WHEN" list. Make sure that you know when an action item is overdue and have a plan to nudge the person who is accountable to get back on track asap. Publicly acknowledge those who have completed their tasks on time to encourage the same behavior in everyone.
[ ] Evaluate the Meeting Effectiveness.
Ask yourself (and meeting attendees) 3 things. a) What went well? b) What went poorly? c) What can we commit to doing to improve? A quick email will do or better yet, an anonymous survey so that people feel completely free to be open and honest in their feedback.
By following this very simple checklist, you'll find you're able to recuperate tens if not hundreds of hours of your time and your team's time during the month. You'll begin to see meetings that produce real, measurable results - consistently. Inevitably, your effectiveness and your teams' effectiveness will rise dramatically. Just think what that will do to your bottom line profits!
Send me a message on LinkedIn (Aprille Trupiano) or Twitter (@aprilletrupiano) and tell me how things go after implementing the items on the checklist. If you're still struggling, schedule a no-cost Business Breakthrough Session with me to get real results from your team. Go to http://bit.ly/aprillebbs today.
Aprille Trupiano is an International Expert on Business and CEO of AT International. She works with business owners, especially Insurance Agents, Financial Advisors and Mortgage professionals around the globe, teaching them how to be the CEO of their business and developing Million Dollar Producers. Working with Aprille and AT International, clients say they get to spend more time with family, play more and they STILL make money at the office!
Learn more at: http://www.AprilleTrupiano.com or schedule your Business Breakthrough Session today!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com
A survey by Salary.com shows "too many meetings" is the #1 single biggest waste of time at work.
Studies show that Managers attend more than 60 meetings per month and an estimated 37% of employee time is spent in meetings.
So should you cancel all meetings?
Is that the answer?
Not according to 92% of meeting attendees who say they value meetings as an opportunity to contribute to the organization.
Then what IS the solution?
Considering that the problem isn't so much having meetings as it is having ineffective meetings, the following checklist will save you time, save you resources and save you money. It's also likely to keep you from feeling worn out and exhausted from meeting burnout.
Print out this Checklist and use it before, during and after your next meeting. You've got everything to gain.
BEFORE THE MEETING:
[ ] Make sure you (or anyone else) really need(s) to physically attend the meeting.
If the meeting can be had via teleconference or web conference, opt for that. It saves not only drive time but also delay time waiting for those who are known to be late.
[ ] Prepare and/or Review the Agenda.
Do this at least 48 hours prior to meetings to ensure that the timeline is efficient but not too tight to allow for discussions. Make any necessary adjustments.
[ ] Prepare data and/or facts that support items on the Agenda.
Don't waste time trying to locate this information during meeting time. Or worse, don't put the issue until another meeting because you don't have the proper information to proceed to conclusion.
[ ] Distribute any information that will require review by other meeting participants.
Do this at least 72 hours prior to meetings to give people enough time. Otherwise, you'll waste time explaining the information on the spot, effectively doubling the time you've spent to prepare it, just to resolve the issue.
DURING THE MEETING:
[ ] Start ON TIME!
This is one of the most critical, yet skimmed over culprits of ineffective meetings. Starting later than the designated time is not only wasteful, it's disrespectful to the people in the room who have more effective things to do than idly chit chat while waiting for the "real" meeting to begin.
[ ] State the Intentions and Objectives of the meeting at the start.
This one tactic can keep people on task instead of digressing into monologues and discussions that are completely irrelevant to the important issues of the current meeting. During this time, it's also a good idea to set the "ground rules" such as a "NO TECHNOLOGY Rule" so that people aren't tempted to divert their attention from the real reason they're present at the meeting.
[ ] Address most important issues first.
Don't make the mistake of checking off small things to leave the bulk of your meeting time for the big discussions. It never happens that way! What happens instead is you'll find that if you're running short of time, the most important issues aren't given the time they deserve or they're completely shelved until the next meeting can happen.
[ ] Publicly ask the Question: "What did we decide today?"
Have someone taking minutes, which includes WHO will do WHAT and BY WHEN. Without this critical step, you've just spent 1 to 2 hours sharing ideas and concepts. The only way to turn the MEETing into a DOing is to have follow up actions and accountabilities.
[ ] Set the date and time of the next meeting.
You will avoid wasting so much valuable time by avoiding the usual endless email volleying to find a date and time that works for everyone's already busy schedule. Rescind the "No Technology Rule" for this portion and have everyone coordinate live and on the spot. Make sure you communicate this information post meeting to anyone who couldn't attend, stating that the date and time were chosen by the majority - the majority who were present, that is!
[ ] End on time.
Ending on time is vital for several reasons, such as setting the expectation for attendees that their time will not be squandered. It also sets the tone that you must stay on task and on topic during the meeting otherwise all of the objectives will not be met. Finally, it lays the groundwork so that you can democratically interrupt anyone who is a "meeting hog" by politely reminding them there are only x minutes to the meeting and you must move on in order to get to all the issues.
AFTER THE MEETING:
[ ] Send a Recap Report.
In the Recap Report, include the meeting minutes, which includes what you "decided" at the meeting. Most importantly, include a chart that illustrates WHO committed to do WHAT and BY WHEN so that everyone is on notice that people will be looking for those action items to be completed.
[ ] Delegate someone to track action items and accountabilities.
Choose someone who has access to all meeting members to keep track of the "WHO-WHAT-BY WHEN" list. Make sure that you know when an action item is overdue and have a plan to nudge the person who is accountable to get back on track asap. Publicly acknowledge those who have completed their tasks on time to encourage the same behavior in everyone.
[ ] Evaluate the Meeting Effectiveness.
Ask yourself (and meeting attendees) 3 things. a) What went well? b) What went poorly? c) What can we commit to doing to improve? A quick email will do or better yet, an anonymous survey so that people feel completely free to be open and honest in their feedback.
By following this very simple checklist, you'll find you're able to recuperate tens if not hundreds of hours of your time and your team's time during the month. You'll begin to see meetings that produce real, measurable results - consistently. Inevitably, your effectiveness and your teams' effectiveness will rise dramatically. Just think what that will do to your bottom line profits!
Send me a message on LinkedIn (Aprille Trupiano) or Twitter (@aprilletrupiano) and tell me how things go after implementing the items on the checklist. If you're still struggling, schedule a no-cost Business Breakthrough Session with me to get real results from your team. Go to http://bit.ly/aprillebbs today.
Aprille Trupiano is an International Expert on Business and CEO of AT International. She works with business owners, especially Insurance Agents, Financial Advisors and Mortgage professionals around the globe, teaching them how to be the CEO of their business and developing Million Dollar Producers. Working with Aprille and AT International, clients say they get to spend more time with family, play more and they STILL make money at the office!
Learn more at: http://www.AprilleTrupiano.com or schedule your Business Breakthrough Session today!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com
Five Steps for Making Better Decisions
By Paul C. Donehue
What you decide to work on, what you decide to improve, which projects you decide to undertake - these decisions make all of the difference in your organization's success.
Traditionally, people have often thought that if they had more data they could make better decisions.
But we're all familiar, no doubt, with the taunting acronym, "TMI" (Too Much Information!) that is commonly directed at those who "over-share" personal details. Similarly, in today's business world, the flood of data can make many decisions more complex... and the decisions made by considering all of this data are not always better!
In fact, the decision-making process is rarely studied and improved, and in a study of 500 managers and executives it was reported that "only 2% regularly apply best practices when making decisions, and few companies have systems in place to measure and improve decision-making over time."
If this sounds familiar, you might consider these five critical steps to improving your organization's decision-making process for complex decisions:
Start with a clear goal or objective - a good understanding of the problem and objectives. This step will help an organization refrain from starting with a compelling idea and backing into the rationale.
Widen the alternatives you are considering - As the French philosopher, Emile Cartier, put it, "There is nothing more dangerous than an idea, when it is the only one you have." A single idea is dangerous because when we focus on our current option, other and quite possibly better alternatives are outside our spotlight. Yet our natural inclination once we arrive at an idea is to stop looking for alternatives and devote our effort to convincing ourselves and others that this is the right decision.
Know what you know and what you don't know - Behavior economists assert that human beings are wired to give much more weight to information we have than to information we do not have and by doing so, we mis-calculate our risks and opportunities.
Achieve distance & perspective before deciding - A third condition for good decision-making is emotional distance. If you were the outsider, with no emotional stake in past decisions, what advice would you give yourself? Bringing in other perspectives, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders can also help provide different perspectives on the decision to be made. Another way to gain distance is to imagine the impact of the decision one year in the future or even five or ten years.
Take a hard look at the uncertainty - One way to combat uncertainty is to figure out what you do know and use that to "bookend" the decision: what would be the outcome if all the bets go against you, and what would it look like if everything fell into place. This can help you evaluate if there is more upside opportunity or downside risk. You might also test and learn from small experiments before going whole hog. Find ways to test the waters or test some key assumptions to reduce the range of uncertainty to arrive at better decisions. The greater the uncertainty and risk associated with a decision, the more valuable these small experiments will be.
Learn & Improve
If you follow the steps above, your decision-making will likely improve. However, to accelerate organizational learning, write down the decision made and why. Schedule a follow-up at an appropriate time in the future to evaluate and take corrective action if necessary. In this way, you'll learn from the decision process and make your next decision will be even better.
Paul Donehue is a Senior Associate at [http://www.conwaymgmt.com]Conway Management Company, a management consulting firm that helps improve the way organizations run.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com
What you decide to work on, what you decide to improve, which projects you decide to undertake - these decisions make all of the difference in your organization's success.
Traditionally, people have often thought that if they had more data they could make better decisions.
But we're all familiar, no doubt, with the taunting acronym, "TMI" (Too Much Information!) that is commonly directed at those who "over-share" personal details. Similarly, in today's business world, the flood of data can make many decisions more complex... and the decisions made by considering all of this data are not always better!
In fact, the decision-making process is rarely studied and improved, and in a study of 500 managers and executives it was reported that "only 2% regularly apply best practices when making decisions, and few companies have systems in place to measure and improve decision-making over time."
If this sounds familiar, you might consider these five critical steps to improving your organization's decision-making process for complex decisions:
Start with a clear goal or objective - a good understanding of the problem and objectives. This step will help an organization refrain from starting with a compelling idea and backing into the rationale.
Widen the alternatives you are considering - As the French philosopher, Emile Cartier, put it, "There is nothing more dangerous than an idea, when it is the only one you have." A single idea is dangerous because when we focus on our current option, other and quite possibly better alternatives are outside our spotlight. Yet our natural inclination once we arrive at an idea is to stop looking for alternatives and devote our effort to convincing ourselves and others that this is the right decision.
Know what you know and what you don't know - Behavior economists assert that human beings are wired to give much more weight to information we have than to information we do not have and by doing so, we mis-calculate our risks and opportunities.
Achieve distance & perspective before deciding - A third condition for good decision-making is emotional distance. If you were the outsider, with no emotional stake in past decisions, what advice would you give yourself? Bringing in other perspectives, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders can also help provide different perspectives on the decision to be made. Another way to gain distance is to imagine the impact of the decision one year in the future or even five or ten years.
Take a hard look at the uncertainty - One way to combat uncertainty is to figure out what you do know and use that to "bookend" the decision: what would be the outcome if all the bets go against you, and what would it look like if everything fell into place. This can help you evaluate if there is more upside opportunity or downside risk. You might also test and learn from small experiments before going whole hog. Find ways to test the waters or test some key assumptions to reduce the range of uncertainty to arrive at better decisions. The greater the uncertainty and risk associated with a decision, the more valuable these small experiments will be.
Learn & Improve
If you follow the steps above, your decision-making will likely improve. However, to accelerate organizational learning, write down the decision made and why. Schedule a follow-up at an appropriate time in the future to evaluate and take corrective action if necessary. In this way, you'll learn from the decision process and make your next decision will be even better.
Paul Donehue is a Senior Associate at [http://www.conwaymgmt.com]Conway Management Company, a management consulting firm that helps improve the way organizations run.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com
3 Ways Egalitarian Leadership Creates Trust
By ]Linda Keefe
I went to the internet today, before starting this article, to find statistics to support an idea I wanted to present. In the search bar I put "trust statistics in workplace". I was hoping to find a data point or two to introduce the chicken and egg standoff of: "which came first - the lack of trust or inadequate communication?".
The results were staggering! I didn't even need to explore the reports, the headlines told the story:
"Do Your Employees Trust You?" ~Gallup
"15 Shocking Statistics about Engagement in the Workplace" ~Novarete
"82% of People Don't Trust the Boss To Tell the Truth" ~Forbes
Anyone who has worked in corporate America, and is familiar with the well-meaning employee satisfaction survey, knows that it is very typical to have both trust and communication surface as top issues when it comes to leadership.
Who is always responsible? The manager. This pivotal point in workplace structure holds all the cards. The manager is the person people trust (or distrust) the most. How this individual deals with people on his or her team, the tone that is set for sharing ideas, and how much the group can count on its leader to carry-through on what has been said, determines the organization's ability to thrive. It sets the culture.
If you've got a great manager you can create a highly productive team in a lousy organization. On the other hand, no matter how good the organization is, if you have a crappy team leader, nothing works very well. How the person at the helm leads makes or breaks a team - formal or virtual. (By virtual I mean any formal or informal group that has someone in the manager / supervisor / boss role.)
Egalitarian Leadership
The manager role can be played out in one of four ways.
1. Autocratic. The autocratic manager gets "99" votes; the employee gets "1".
In most situations, this leadership style is no longer preferred. But there are times when it is required. Some business situations certainly require a unilateral decision. That's when autocratic leadership is at its best. Using this style sparingly helps to build trust.
2. Democratic. The democratic manager wants everyone to agree. Decisions are based on a majority vote. Using this style too frequently can drag down initiatives and stall action. But listening and working out a true consensus when possible is good for trust building.
3. Benevolent. "I know what is good for our employees; I don'' need to ask them." That's what you hear from a manager in benevolent mode. While this style may have its place at times, it is not an inclusive approach. It's not a great trust builder.
4. Egalitarian. Egalitarian managers know that everyone is equal.. that every worker's role is valued... from the janitor to the president. Each has a unique contribution to make. This mutual respect approach builds the strongest trust.
Building Trust as an Egalitarian Leader
There are three ways an egalitarian leader builds trust.
#1. Have a core belief in MUTUAL RESPECT for every individual in the organization. Know, unequivocally that each person brings value, plays an essential role. This perspective is at the root of egalitarian leadership and a building block for mutual trust.
#2. Be someone who ACTIVELY LISTENS. Be willing, able and eager to hear the ideas and opinions of every individual on your team. Create a safe environment for suggesting out of the box ideas and disagreeing with yours. Make sure they have no fear of reprisal or pre-judgement. Give them, and their feedback, the respect they deserve. Make it possible so that they have no desire for anonymity. This builds trust that has people willing to give true feedback.
#3. An egalitarian leader CARRYS-THROUGH. Managers can't commit to something and then ignore, forget or disregard it. Do what you say you will. Be truly committed to the success of each individual. That will translate into success for the team and the organization.
So which comes first... trust or communication? You tell me. In many ways, it's a Catch-22. But the good news is, try a little of both and you can inch your way into a vibrant, trusting team where effective communications is the glue.
For more on how to go beyond ordinary results and achieve extraordinary success, get your EGALITARIAN LEADERSHIP PASSPORT by Linda L. Keefe at [http://www.SharedResults.com]http://www.SharedResults.com. Keefe is a business consultant, speaker and coach.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/
I went to the internet today, before starting this article, to find statistics to support an idea I wanted to present. In the search bar I put "trust statistics in workplace". I was hoping to find a data point or two to introduce the chicken and egg standoff of: "which came first - the lack of trust or inadequate communication?".
The results were staggering! I didn't even need to explore the reports, the headlines told the story:
"Do Your Employees Trust You?" ~Gallup
"15 Shocking Statistics about Engagement in the Workplace" ~Novarete
"82% of People Don't Trust the Boss To Tell the Truth" ~Forbes
Anyone who has worked in corporate America, and is familiar with the well-meaning employee satisfaction survey, knows that it is very typical to have both trust and communication surface as top issues when it comes to leadership.
Who is always responsible? The manager. This pivotal point in workplace structure holds all the cards. The manager is the person people trust (or distrust) the most. How this individual deals with people on his or her team, the tone that is set for sharing ideas, and how much the group can count on its leader to carry-through on what has been said, determines the organization's ability to thrive. It sets the culture.
If you've got a great manager you can create a highly productive team in a lousy organization. On the other hand, no matter how good the organization is, if you have a crappy team leader, nothing works very well. How the person at the helm leads makes or breaks a team - formal or virtual. (By virtual I mean any formal or informal group that has someone in the manager / supervisor / boss role.)
Egalitarian Leadership
The manager role can be played out in one of four ways.
1. Autocratic. The autocratic manager gets "99" votes; the employee gets "1".
In most situations, this leadership style is no longer preferred. But there are times when it is required. Some business situations certainly require a unilateral decision. That's when autocratic leadership is at its best. Using this style sparingly helps to build trust.
2. Democratic. The democratic manager wants everyone to agree. Decisions are based on a majority vote. Using this style too frequently can drag down initiatives and stall action. But listening and working out a true consensus when possible is good for trust building.
3. Benevolent. "I know what is good for our employees; I don'' need to ask them." That's what you hear from a manager in benevolent mode. While this style may have its place at times, it is not an inclusive approach. It's not a great trust builder.
4. Egalitarian. Egalitarian managers know that everyone is equal.. that every worker's role is valued... from the janitor to the president. Each has a unique contribution to make. This mutual respect approach builds the strongest trust.
Building Trust as an Egalitarian Leader
There are three ways an egalitarian leader builds trust.
#1. Have a core belief in MUTUAL RESPECT for every individual in the organization. Know, unequivocally that each person brings value, plays an essential role. This perspective is at the root of egalitarian leadership and a building block for mutual trust.
#2. Be someone who ACTIVELY LISTENS. Be willing, able and eager to hear the ideas and opinions of every individual on your team. Create a safe environment for suggesting out of the box ideas and disagreeing with yours. Make sure they have no fear of reprisal or pre-judgement. Give them, and their feedback, the respect they deserve. Make it possible so that they have no desire for anonymity. This builds trust that has people willing to give true feedback.
#3. An egalitarian leader CARRYS-THROUGH. Managers can't commit to something and then ignore, forget or disregard it. Do what you say you will. Be truly committed to the success of each individual. That will translate into success for the team and the organization.
So which comes first... trust or communication? You tell me. In many ways, it's a Catch-22. But the good news is, try a little of both and you can inch your way into a vibrant, trusting team where effective communications is the glue.
For more on how to go beyond ordinary results and achieve extraordinary success, get your EGALITARIAN LEADERSHIP PASSPORT by Linda L. Keefe at [http://www.SharedResults.com]http://www.SharedResults.com. Keefe is a business consultant, speaker and coach.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/
The Benefits of Outsourcing In Small Businesses
By: Alex Martin
Before we can begin discussing the benefits of outsourcing especially in small businesses we must fully understand what outsourcing is and what outsourcing is not (as many people often confuse it with off-shoring, a similar but different thing).
So what is outsourcing? A fairly recent addition to business terminology, outsourcing in a business is the delegation of certain non-core operations to other separate entities that specialize in those operations. Put very simply, outsourcing means giving away certain tasks which though imperative to the actual business, can be better managed by another industry which specializes in that task.
Outsourcing entails transferring management control and decision making power to the other industry as well. This means that there is a lot more interaction, and information exchange, coordination and trust between the outsourcer and its client, making it different from the established buyer-seller relationship.
Now that we have established what outsourcing is, let’s focus on what it is not. Outsourcing is commonly confused to off shoring, which is the relocation of an entire or part of a functional unit of the business to another nation, whether it remain in that business’s control or not. Outsourcing is usually limited domestically. In many cases, such as telemarketing, the company wishes to employ the service of overseas call centers. Thus when outsourcing crosses national borders it is called offshore outsourcing.
So why should companies outsource? There are plenty of benefits of outsourcing, especially for small businesses. The main reason for outsourcing is the cut in costs, as they don't have to provide benefits to their workers, and have fewer overhead expenses to worry about. Many businesses prefer offshore outsourcing, as it allows them to utilize the low labor costs of countries such as India and China. Not only that, the relatively high exchange rates in these countries makes offshore outsourcing more advantageous. In India, the dollar exchange rate is 45 rupees per every American dollar. Thus the average American worker who would take (for e.g) $5 per hour can be replaced by an Indian worker employed at $2/hour.
Outsourcing also allows smaller businesses to focus on core competencies, and relieve themselves of the peripheral ones. Thus they can concentrate on providing better quality products and service. Even if the quality does not improve, the cut in cost allows for greater productivity. This increases the overall economy in total. Not just that, the business can produce good quality products without having to employ a large amount of people. Thus lowering their overall labor charges and employee benefit.
The best facet of outsourcing though is the ability to employ professionals to get the work done. In areas such as advertising and telemarketing, it is usually more cost effective, and productive to hand over the task to a separate company and pay them accordingly. Thus instead of handling their own affairs in a substandard manner, they can employ professionals to carry out the process efficiently and effectively. And once the outsourcing company is assured that its client is managing perfectly, it can focus on creating better products and services.
For small businesses, outsourcing allows them to work with the minimum of labor and equipment expenditure. For example, a small firm outside city limits can outsource its transport, thus making it unnecessary for it to acquire buses, cutting the cost of fuel and saving its resources. Another prime example is telemarketing and advertising. Many companies prefer to outsource this facet of marketing to professional call centers and advertising agencies, thus eliminating the need to form an entire unit devoted to this task. Not only that, but because the outsourcing client has a fully established infrastructure devoted especially to the service provided, there is no necessity for a small business to invest in developing its own internal infrastructure to accommodate that service.
In small businesses there’s only a limited access to resources and ideas. Outsourcing allows the business to garner new ideas and innovations. It could also result possible cash influx due to the transfer of assets to the new provider
Before we can begin discussing the benefits of outsourcing especially in small businesses we must fully understand what outsourcing is and what outsourcing is not (as many people often confuse it with off-shoring, a similar but different thing).
So what is outsourcing? A fairly recent addition to business terminology, outsourcing in a business is the delegation of certain non-core operations to other separate entities that specialize in those operations. Put very simply, outsourcing means giving away certain tasks which though imperative to the actual business, can be better managed by another industry which specializes in that task.
Outsourcing entails transferring management control and decision making power to the other industry as well. This means that there is a lot more interaction, and information exchange, coordination and trust between the outsourcer and its client, making it different from the established buyer-seller relationship.
Now that we have established what outsourcing is, let’s focus on what it is not. Outsourcing is commonly confused to off shoring, which is the relocation of an entire or part of a functional unit of the business to another nation, whether it remain in that business’s control or not. Outsourcing is usually limited domestically. In many cases, such as telemarketing, the company wishes to employ the service of overseas call centers. Thus when outsourcing crosses national borders it is called offshore outsourcing.
So why should companies outsource? There are plenty of benefits of outsourcing, especially for small businesses. The main reason for outsourcing is the cut in costs, as they don't have to provide benefits to their workers, and have fewer overhead expenses to worry about. Many businesses prefer offshore outsourcing, as it allows them to utilize the low labor costs of countries such as India and China. Not only that, the relatively high exchange rates in these countries makes offshore outsourcing more advantageous. In India, the dollar exchange rate is 45 rupees per every American dollar. Thus the average American worker who would take (for e.g) $5 per hour can be replaced by an Indian worker employed at $2/hour.
Outsourcing also allows smaller businesses to focus on core competencies, and relieve themselves of the peripheral ones. Thus they can concentrate on providing better quality products and service. Even if the quality does not improve, the cut in cost allows for greater productivity. This increases the overall economy in total. Not just that, the business can produce good quality products without having to employ a large amount of people. Thus lowering their overall labor charges and employee benefit.
The best facet of outsourcing though is the ability to employ professionals to get the work done. In areas such as advertising and telemarketing, it is usually more cost effective, and productive to hand over the task to a separate company and pay them accordingly. Thus instead of handling their own affairs in a substandard manner, they can employ professionals to carry out the process efficiently and effectively. And once the outsourcing company is assured that its client is managing perfectly, it can focus on creating better products and services.
For small businesses, outsourcing allows them to work with the minimum of labor and equipment expenditure. For example, a small firm outside city limits can outsource its transport, thus making it unnecessary for it to acquire buses, cutting the cost of fuel and saving its resources. Another prime example is telemarketing and advertising. Many companies prefer to outsource this facet of marketing to professional call centers and advertising agencies, thus eliminating the need to form an entire unit devoted to this task. Not only that, but because the outsourcing client has a fully established infrastructure devoted especially to the service provided, there is no necessity for a small business to invest in developing its own internal infrastructure to accommodate that service.
In small businesses there’s only a limited access to resources and ideas. Outsourcing allows the business to garner new ideas and innovations. It could also result possible cash influx due to the transfer of assets to the new provider
What does it take to get Money Online?
Hundreds and thousands of people out there try their luck at Internet
Marketing. Recent reports suggest that only a small chunk of people
succeed with their online money making endeavor. The fact of the matter
is that most individuals don't lack the desired skills required to make
it big in the online world, they fail merely because they give up too
early.
In some cases, individuals try hard but not long enough to materialize their online dreams. In their pursuit to get money fast, they end up ruining their dreams. In the process, they also end up wasting their time, efforts and money. So, what does it really take to get money online?One of the most important things over here is to pursue the right opportunity. In this manner, one will be sure that they are harvesting their efforts in the right direction. This would even prove to be a motivation to keep working harder as one will keep achieving small milestones in regular intervals.On the other hand, working on something that fails to deliver results will leave one dejected. So, it's important to be on the right track. Most beginners have a bad habit of switching from one method to another without giving enough time for a method to work. This habit in itself has ruined many aspiring careers.
Good research is very vital while starting off. Individuals who have the ability to perform good research work have a great chance of being successful. They will not only gain good insight about a particular money making strategy, but they will also be able to keep themselves immune from scams. Not to forget the fact that they will know whether they should pursue a particular method or not because they will get an idea about the market competition through their extensive research work.
There are many other advantages of conducting proper research such as gaining insight on how to add a good twist to the existing method, learning about the upcoming trends and so on. Therefore, one can't afford to neglect research work while commencing their online journey.Apart from good research skills, one should have the passion to get going despite all kinds of initial setbacks. Remember, the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Chances are that you might encounter many roadblocks while starting off. Despite your best efforts, you might not witness any results. What you need to understand over here is that this is a part and parcel of the online adventure. While some lose, some win. Failure is just a part of the learning process. Therefore, failure shouldn't stop you from trying again. In fact, it should inspire you to try harder. As they say, failure defeats losers, and inspires winners. So, now that you know what it takes to get money online, you can commence your online journey. As long as you don't give up, you are bound to be successful sooner or later.
In some cases, individuals try hard but not long enough to materialize their online dreams. In their pursuit to get money fast, they end up ruining their dreams. In the process, they also end up wasting their time, efforts and money. So, what does it really take to get money online?One of the most important things over here is to pursue the right opportunity. In this manner, one will be sure that they are harvesting their efforts in the right direction. This would even prove to be a motivation to keep working harder as one will keep achieving small milestones in regular intervals.On the other hand, working on something that fails to deliver results will leave one dejected. So, it's important to be on the right track. Most beginners have a bad habit of switching from one method to another without giving enough time for a method to work. This habit in itself has ruined many aspiring careers.
Good research is very vital while starting off. Individuals who have the ability to perform good research work have a great chance of being successful. They will not only gain good insight about a particular money making strategy, but they will also be able to keep themselves immune from scams. Not to forget the fact that they will know whether they should pursue a particular method or not because they will get an idea about the market competition through their extensive research work.
There are many other advantages of conducting proper research such as gaining insight on how to add a good twist to the existing method, learning about the upcoming trends and so on. Therefore, one can't afford to neglect research work while commencing their online journey.Apart from good research skills, one should have the passion to get going despite all kinds of initial setbacks. Remember, the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Chances are that you might encounter many roadblocks while starting off. Despite your best efforts, you might not witness any results. What you need to understand over here is that this is a part and parcel of the online adventure. While some lose, some win. Failure is just a part of the learning process. Therefore, failure shouldn't stop you from trying again. In fact, it should inspire you to try harder. As they say, failure defeats losers, and inspires winners. So, now that you know what it takes to get money online, you can commence your online journey. As long as you don't give up, you are bound to be successful sooner or later.
How To Make Money Fast From Your Passions
To make a passive income successfully online many people dive right in
before they are properly prepared. You know that to be a scientist, a
lawyer, a brick layer, a therapist, a construction worker, an office
worker or a teacher there are prerequisites, preconditions. Before you
can be successful, you don't just jump right in unprepared.
These exact same principles applies to the Internet marketing world even though there are unsavory people out there who'd have you believe it's a "piece of cake" and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.
Although, I'll have to admit, it is a walk in the park when compared to what you have to deal with in the working world punching a clock and being a subordinate to a person who does not have your best interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you absolutely must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.
Most people will not make a single dollar online and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?
My answer begins with the age-old chicken or egg question, "what comes first the chicken or the egg"? Personally I vote for, never mind... each argument you or I make comes back to the same old starting point - I have no clue and I don't think the vast majority of us do either.
But one thing I do have a hunch about and know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money. You must have a strong desire to succeed with the business you are promoting.
Passion in this sense simply means that you've researched and like the company and products or goods and services. It is only then that you convert that like (or Passion) into the education, excitement and work that usually accompanies Passion.
I will have to say that there are many online entrepreneurs and Internet marketers are so good at what they do that they ignore passion because they can sell anything. But I'm more concerned with those of you who are not so knowledgeable at working an online home business successfully.
Now, I'm not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, etc... no question about it. Those things are often learned from the company you join - but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically because it is the Passion that translates into the other aforementioned things.
It therefore follows that, if you have no Passion and Desire for the company and the products and services provided by that company, again, you will not attempt to do the work you are being taught.
Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won't stumble. You have a great resource in the Internet search engines to search about the Internet Marketing industry for business opportunities, MAKE USE OF IT!
Your research should uncover a company that you like and have good confidence in. It should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand and comprehend with great products, goods and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don't find it, then simply move on! I know you can find the right online opportunity containing the attributes identified above.
Comments like, well, that one sounds good and the pay plan is excellent so I guess I'll give that business a whirl and see where it takes me - does not sound like a decision based on anything near Passion. And remember when you hear that an Internet "guru" or mastermind does that, don't be deceived, because as I said earlier they are experienced and can sell just about anything, without being Passionate about the company products, goods and services.
Note: By the way, it's your goal and aim to get to the point where you can sell just about anything online. That end skill and focus is a worthy one indeed.
Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don't first find the right company, products, goods and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.
Not being Passionate and really motivated about a company, its products, goods and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.
JS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Maverick Money Makers is a private society that will teach you how to build a six-figure a month business on the internet.
If you want to make great money online, then join the society before it's too late.
http://sshakeri02.maverick66.hop.clickbank.net
___________________________________________
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
These exact same principles applies to the Internet marketing world even though there are unsavory people out there who'd have you believe it's a "piece of cake" and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.
Although, I'll have to admit, it is a walk in the park when compared to what you have to deal with in the working world punching a clock and being a subordinate to a person who does not have your best interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you absolutely must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.
Most people will not make a single dollar online and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?
My answer begins with the age-old chicken or egg question, "what comes first the chicken or the egg"? Personally I vote for, never mind... each argument you or I make comes back to the same old starting point - I have no clue and I don't think the vast majority of us do either.
But one thing I do have a hunch about and know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money. You must have a strong desire to succeed with the business you are promoting.
Passion in this sense simply means that you've researched and like the company and products or goods and services. It is only then that you convert that like (or Passion) into the education, excitement and work that usually accompanies Passion.
I will have to say that there are many online entrepreneurs and Internet marketers are so good at what they do that they ignore passion because they can sell anything. But I'm more concerned with those of you who are not so knowledgeable at working an online home business successfully.
Now, I'm not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, etc... no question about it. Those things are often learned from the company you join - but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically because it is the Passion that translates into the other aforementioned things.
It therefore follows that, if you have no Passion and Desire for the company and the products and services provided by that company, again, you will not attempt to do the work you are being taught.
Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won't stumble. You have a great resource in the Internet search engines to search about the Internet Marketing industry for business opportunities, MAKE USE OF IT!
Your research should uncover a company that you like and have good confidence in. It should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand and comprehend with great products, goods and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don't find it, then simply move on! I know you can find the right online opportunity containing the attributes identified above.
Comments like, well, that one sounds good and the pay plan is excellent so I guess I'll give that business a whirl and see where it takes me - does not sound like a decision based on anything near Passion. And remember when you hear that an Internet "guru" or mastermind does that, don't be deceived, because as I said earlier they are experienced and can sell just about anything, without being Passionate about the company products, goods and services.
Note: By the way, it's your goal and aim to get to the point where you can sell just about anything online. That end skill and focus is a worthy one indeed.
Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don't first find the right company, products, goods and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.
Not being Passionate and really motivated about a company, its products, goods and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.
JS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Maverick Money Makers is a private society that will teach you how to build a six-figure a month business on the internet.
If you want to make great money online, then join the society before it's too late.
http://sshakeri02.maverick66.hop.clickbank.net
___________________________________________
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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