Core Competencies

Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of

character; it requires moral rather than athletic or intellectual
effort, and it imposes on both leader and follower alike the
burdens of self-restraint. - Lewis H. Lapham

The following competencies will be discussed in the second section:

• Teamwork - Provides a feeling of trust and helps to build morale when the
going gets tough.

• Communicating - Expresses one self effectively in both individual and

group settings. Actively listens to others. Expresses written ideals clearly.

• Self-Direction - Establishes goals, deliverables, timelines, and budgets with

little or no motivation from superiors (self-motivation).

• Creative Problem Solving - Identifies and collects information relevant to

the problem. Uses brainstorming techniques to create a variety of choices.

• Interpersonal Skills - Treats others with respect, trust, and dignity. Works
well with others by being considerate of the needs and feelings of each
individual. Promotes a productive culture by valuing individuals and their
contributions.

• Manage Client Relationships - Works effectively with both internal and

external customers. Gathers and analyzes customer feedback to assist in
decision making.

• Build Appropriate Relationships - Networks with peers and associates to

build a support base. Builds constructive and supportive relationships.

• Flexibility - Willingness to change to meet organizational needs.

Challenges established norms and make hard, but correct decisions. Adapts
to stressful situations.

• Professionalism - Sets the example. Stays current in terms of professional

development. Contributes to and promotes the development of the
profession through active participation in the community.

• Financial - Does not waste resources. Looks for methods to improve

processes that have a positive impact on the bottom line.
1- Teamwork
To lead people, walk beside them ...
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise.
The next, the people fear;
and the next, the people hate ...
When the best leader's work is done, the people say,
"We did it ourselves!"
- Lao-tsu
Many organizations have working groups that call themselves teams. But their work is
produced by a combination of individual contributions. Teams produce work that is based on
collective efforts.

A team is small number of people with complementary skills who are committed
to a common purpose, performance goals, and common approach for which they
hold themselves mutually accountable (Katzenbach and Smith, 1986).

• A small number is anywhere from 2 to 25 members, with normally 5 to 9

members as manageable and optimal. It the number goes above 9,
communication tends to become centralized because members do not have
an adequate opportunity to speak to each other.

• Complementary Skills provides synergy when the team is diverse and

various ideas and multiple skills are combined. If the team is composed of
like individuals, a congenital groupthink1 sets in which limits the number of
solutions for creative problem solving.

• Common Purpose is the driving force of teams. The team must develop its
own purpose. This purpose must be meaningful and must have ownership
by everyone, as individuals and as a group. A team constantly revisits its
purpose (agenda), making it more relevant as the team develops. Hidden

1
When we fail to engage in deep inquiry and in self-disclosure, we tend to agree with others, no matter
if it is the best way to do so or not -- each individual's style becomes similar to other team members.
When our interests are too similar, radical discourse fails to take place.

Real teams should not be afraid to disagree, but once a decision has been made, they all need to be on
the same bandwagon. They ensure their ideals and opinions are heard, but once it is time to go forward,
they concentrate on getting there, not going back.
 agendas may prevent the group from turning into a team. This is because
their emotions and motives are hidden under the discussion table.

• Performance Goals are the acting, moving, and energizing force of the
team. Specific performance goals are established, tracked, met and
evaluated in an ongoing process.

• Common approach is the way members agree how they will work together.
Many teams have developed their own charter or a set of rules that outline
the expected behaviors of members. Members often assume roles, including
the Questioner, the Historian, the Time-Keeper, the Facilitator, to keep the
team process moving and on course.

• Mutually accountable is the aspect of teamwork that is usually the last to

develop. It is owning and sharing the team's outcome.

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

The Tuckman model (1965) theorizes that teams go through five stages: forming, storming,
norming, performing, adjourning. Teams often become frustrated due to the time it takes to
form into a coherent team. Knowing there is a natural progression to performing should ease
some of your anxieties.

Forming
In the Forming stage, team members are introduced. They state why they were chosen or
volunteered for the team and what they hope to accomplish within the team. Members
cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable group behavior. This is a stage of transition
from individual to member status, and of testing the leader's guidance both formally and
informally. Because there is so much going on to distract members' attention in the beginning,
the team accomplishes little, if anything, that concerns its project goals. This is perfectly
normal. Forming includes these feelings and behaviors:
• Excitement, anticipation, and optimism.

• Pride in being chosen for the project

• A tentative attachment to the team

 • Suspicion and anxiety about the job.

• Defining the tasks and how they will be accomplished.

• Determining acceptable group behavior.

• Deciding what information needs to be gathered.

• Abstract discussions of the concepts and issues, and for some members,
impatience with these discussions. There will be difficulty in identifying
some of the relevant problems.

Storming
During the team's transition from the "As-Is" to the "To-Be," is called the Storming phase. All
members have their own ideas as to how the process should look, and personal agendas are
rampant. Storming is probably the most difficult stage for the team. They begin to realize the
tasks that are ahead are different and more difficult than they imagined. Impatient about the
lack of progress, members argue about just what actions the team should take. They try to rely
solely on their personal and professional experience, and resist collaborating with most of the
other team members. These pressures mean that team members have little energy to spend on
progressing towards the team's goal. But they are beginning to understand one another. This
phase sometimes takes 3 or 4 meetings before arriving at the Norming phase. Storming
includes these feelings and behaviors:
• Resisting the tasks.

• Resisting quality improvement approaches suggested by other members.

• Sharp fluctuations in attitude about the team and the project's chance of
success.

• Arguing among members even when they agree on the real issues.

• Defensiveness, competition, and choosing sides.

• Questioning the wisdom of those who selected this project and appointed
the other members of the team.

• Establishing unrealistic goals.

• Disunity, increased tension, and jealousy.

Norming
The Norming phase is when the team reaches a consensus on the "To-Be" process. Everyone
wants to share the newly found focus. Enthusiasm is high, and the team is tempted to go
beyond the original scope of the process. During this stage, members reconcile competing
loyalties and responsibilities. They accept the team, team ground rules, their roles in the team,
and the individuality of fellow members. Emotional conflict is reduced, as previously
competitive relationships become more cooperative. As team members begin to work out their
differences, they now have more time and energy to spend on the project. Norming includes
these feelings and behaviors:
• An ability to express criticism constructively.
 • Acceptance of membership in the team.

• An attempt to achieve harmony by avoiding conflict.

• More friendliness, confiding in each other, and sharing of personal

problems.

• A sense of team cohesion, spirit, and goals.

• Establishing and maintaining team ground rules and boundaries.

Performing
The team has now settled its relationships and expectations. They can begin performing by
diagnosing, solving problems, and choosing and implementing changes. At last, team
members have discovered and accepted each other's strengths and weakness, and learned what
their roles are. The team is now an effective, cohesive unit. You can tell when your team has
reached this stage because you start getting a lot of work done. Performing includes these
feelings and behaviors:
• Members have insights into personal and group processes, and better
understanding of each other's strengths and weakness.

• Constructive self-change.

• Ability to prevent or work through group problems

• Close attachment to the team

Adjourning
The team briefs and shares the improved process during this final phase. When the team
finally completes that last briefing, there is always a bittersweet sense of accomplishment
coupled with the reluctance to say good-bye. Many of the relationships that were formed
continue long after the team disbands.

Team Verses Group

There are several factors that separate teams from groups.

Roles and Responsibilities

Within a group, individuals establish a set of behaviors called roles. These roles set
expectations governing relationships. On one hand, roles often serve as source of confusion
and conflict, while on the other hand, teams have a shared understanding on how to perform
their role. These roles include such responsibilities as leader, facilitator, timekeeper, and
recorder.

Identity
While teams have an identity, groups do not. It is almost impossible to establish the sense of
cohesion that characterizes a team without this fundamental step. A team has a clear
understanding about what constitutes the team's work and why it is important. They can
describe a picture of what the team needs to achieve, and the norms and values that will guide
them.

Cohesion
Teams have an esprit that shows a sense of bonding and camaraderie. Esprit is the spirit, soul,
and state of mind of the team. It is the overall consciousness of the team that a person
identifies with and feels a part of. Individuals begin using "we" more than "me."

Facilitate
Groups have a tendency to be bogged down with trivial issues. Ask yourself, "How much
time gets wasted in meetings you attend?" Teams use facilitators to keep the team on the right
path.

Communication
While members of a group are centered upon themselves, the team is committed to open
communication. Team members feel they can state their opinions, thoughts, and feelings
without fear. Listening is considered as important as speaking. Differences of opinion are
valued and methods of managing conflict are understood. Through honest and caring
feedback, members are aware of their strengths and weakness as team members. There is an
atmosphere of trust and acceptance and a sense of community.

Flexibility
Most groups are extremely rigid. Teams, however, maintain a high level of flexibility, and
they perform different task and maintenance functions as needed. The responsibility for team
development and leadership is shared. The strengths of each member are identified and used.

Morale
Team members are enthusiastic about the work of the team and each person feels pride in
being a member of the team. Team spirit is high. To be a successful team, the group must
have a strong ability to produce results and a high degree of satisfaction in working with one
another.

Working With Other Team Members

Although we are like in many ways, we are dislike in a lot more ways. Humans have always
tried to classify things, including themselves. This section uses a popular model by placing
people into four styles - Driver, Persuader, Analyzer, and Organizer (note that the names vary
widely depending upon the creator of the model). It does this by charting them on two
dimensions – results (tasks) and emotions (people)2. People get results on tasks between two
continuums - expedience and processes. People use emotions in dealing with others through
two continuums - controlled or responsive.

2
Notice that the two dimensions, results and emotions, are closely related to Blake and Mouton's
Managerial Model, which uses People and Tasks as their matrix. That is, we use emotions when dealing
with people and our approach to tasks uses some sort of a result orientation approach. When Blake and
Mouton came out with a tool that used only two dimensions or axis, is struck a cord with its simplicity.
 The result (how we accomplish tasks) and emotions (how we deal with people and
experiences) dimensions can be charted as:

Controlled

Emotions
4
Analyzer 3 Driver
2
5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5

Procsss Tasks Tasks Expedience

Emotions
2
Organizer 3 Persuader
4
5

Responsive

There are various degrees along the two dimensions (emotions and tasks). Each experience
that we have will call for varying degrees of emotions and approaches to task results.

In the chart below, the two dimensions are shown under the profile column in Italics:

Profile Style Potential Strengths Potential Weaknesses

A take-charge person, exerts strong Driver or Get things done. Inattentive behavior when
influence to get things done, focuses Controller Determined, requiring, listening to others.
on results. Emotions are controlled thorough, decisive, Dominating,
and gets results through expedience. efficient, direct unsympathetic, demanding,
critical, impatient
A social specialist, expresses opinions Persuader Involves and works with Hard time following
and emotions easily; prefers strong or others. Personable, systems or processes.
interaction with people. Emotions are Enthusiast stimulating, enthusiastic, Opinionated,
responsive and gets results through innovative undependable, reactionary
expedience.
Likes to be well organized and Analyzer Great at organizing. Can have trouble when
thought out; prefers specific project or Industrious, persistent, action needs to be taken
and activities; enjoys putting Theorist serious, orderly, immediately. Indecisive,
structure to ideas. Emotions are methodical uncommunicative, critical
controlled and gets results through
processes.
Adaptive specialist, high concern for Organizer Builds relationships. Does not want to change.
good relationships, seeks stability or Cooperative, supportive, Conforming, uncommitted,
and predictability, wants to be part of Affiliator dependable, helpful hides true feelings
larger picture. Emotions are
responsive and gets results through
processes.
There are three main flaws that must be taken into consideration when using a tool of this
nature:
• Everyone uses all four styles, depending upon the situation, however,
normally they have one or two dominant styles. This model can be a useful
tool for understanding different viewpoints.

• The very simplicity that makes a tool like this so popular – using two
dimensions cannot accurately predict the complexity of human nature.
However, it can help us to see the various approaches taken by individuals.

• People often try to pigeonhole jobholders into categories. For example,

managers are drivers, human resource personnel are persuaders,
programmers are analyzers, etc. This is simply untrue. In one organization,
the human resource contact was a driver, the manager was a persuader, one
of the employees on the bottom of the rung was a driver, and one of the best
technical persons was an organizer. However, most of the employees were
organizers, analyzers, or a combination of the two.

The goal of using such a tool in a team setting is to realize that people look upon things with a
different viewpoint than you. For example, the reason someone will not hurry-up and compete
a task in not because they are slow, it might be because they are viewing it from a process
standpoint and want to ensure that they get it absolutely right (analyzer). Also, it takes all
types to form an effective team. Without drivers a team will get nothing done, without
persuaders a team will fail to get all members involved, without organizers a team will not
work together, without analyzers a team will miss key steps. The four styles form a complete
community, and it takes a community to grow a team.

Team Checklist

Goals
• Clear mission statement _____
• Measurable objectives _____
• Objectives are prioritized _____
• Goals are set in all key task areas _____

Roles
• Individual roles, relationships, and accountabilities are clear _____
• Style of leadership is appropriate for the team tasks _____
• Each individual competent to perform her key tasks _____
• The mix of roles is appropriate to the team tasks _____

Procedures
• Decisions reached are effective _____
• Management information is effectively shared _____
• Key activities are effectively coordinated _____
• Products and services are of a high quality _____
• Conflict is managed effectively within the team _____
Internal Relationships
• There are no areas of mistrust _____
• Feedback is constructive _____
• Relationships are not competitive and not supportive _____

External Relationships
• Relationships with key external groups are effective _____
• Mechanisms are in place to integrate with each key group _____
• Time and effort is spent on building and monitoring key external relationships _____
2 - Communicating
No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they
misunderstood others. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the direct result of people failing to
communicate. Faulty communication causes the most problems. It leads to confusion and can
cause a good plan to fail. Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas
from one person to another. It involves a sender transmitting an idea to a receiver. Effective
communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the
sender intended to transmit.

Studying the communication process is important because you coach, coordinate, counsel,
direct, evaluate, and supervise through this process. It is the chain of understanding that
integrates the members of an organization from top to bottom, bottom to top, and side to side.

What is involved in the communication process?

• Idea - First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a
concept, idea, information, or feelings.

• Encodes - Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols.

• Decoding - The receiver then translates the words or symbols into a concept
or information.

When transmitting the message, two processes will be received by the receiver -- content and
context.

Content is the actual words or symbols of the message, which is known as language - spoken
and written words combined into phrases that make grammatical and semantic sense. We all
use and interpret the meanings of words differently, so even simple messages can be
misunderstood. And many words have different meanings to confuse the issue even more.

Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as Paralanguage - tone of voice, the
look in the sender's eye's, body language, hand gestures, state of emotion (anger, fear,
uncertainty, confidence, etc.). Paralanguage causes messages to be misunderstood as we
believe what we see more than what we hear; we trust the accuracy of nonverbal behaviors
more than verbal behaviors.

Many leaders think they have communicated once they told someone to do something, "I
don't know why it did not get done...I told Jim to it." More than likely, Jim misunderstood the
message. A message has NOT been communicated unless it is understood by the receiver.
How do you know it has been properly received? -- by two-way communication or feedback.
This feedback will tell the sender that the receiver understood the message, its level of
importance, and what must be done with it. Communication is an exchange, not just a give, as
all parties must participate to complete the information exchange.

Barriers to Communication
Anything that prevents understanding of the message is a barrier to communication.

Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood. - Jr. Teague

The Filtering of Information

There are physical and psychological barriers that stop the flow of communication. These
barriers can be thought of as filters, that is, the message leaves the sender, goes through the
filters, and is then heard by the receiver. These filters change the message. And the way to
overcome filters is through active listening and feedback.

Filters or barriers:
• Culture, background, and bias - We allow our past experiences to change
the meaning of the message. Our culture, background, and bias can be good
as they allow us use our past experiences to understand something new, it is
when they change the meaning of the message then they interfere with the
communication process.

• Noise - Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear communication.

The sender and the receiver must both be able to concentrate on the
messages being sent to each other.

• Ourselves - Focusing on ourselves, rather than the other person can lead to
confusion and conflict. The "Me Generation" must be thrown out when it
comes to effective communication. Some of the factors that cause this are
defensiveness (we feel someone is attacking us), superiority (we feel we
know more that the other), and ego (we feel we are the center of the
activity).

• Perception - If we feel there are such barriers as a person talking too fast, is
not fluently, is not articulately clearly, we may dismiss that person. Also,
our preconceived attitudes affect our ability to listen. We listen uncritically
to persons of high status and dismiss those of low status.
 • Message - Distractions happen when we focus on the facts rather than the
idea. Our educational institutions reinforce this with tests and questions.
Semantic distractions occur when a word is used differently than you prefer.
For example, if someone uses the word “chairman” instead of
“chairperson,” you may focus on the word and not the message.

• Environmental - Bright lights, an attractive person, unusual sights, or any

other stimulus provides a potential distraction.

• Smothering - We take it for granted that the impulse to send useful

information is automatic. Not true! Too often, we believe that certain
information has no value to others or they are already aware of the facts.

• Stress - People do not see things the same way when under stress. What we
see and believe at a given moment is influenced by our psychological
frames of references - our beliefs, values, knowledge, experiences, and
goals.

Active Listening
Listening can be our most powerful communication tool! Be sure to use it!

Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is the act of perceiving sound. It is
involuntary and simply refers to the reception of aural stimuli. Listening is a selective activity
that involves the reception and the interpretation of aural stimuli. It involves decoding the
sound into meaning.

Listening is divided into two main categories: passive and active.

Passive listening is little more that hearing. It occurs when the receiver or the message has
little motivation to listen carefully, such as music, story telling, television, or being polite.
People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute, but they can listen intelligently at 600 to 800
words per minute (WPM). Since only a part of our mind is paying attention, it is easy to go
into mind drift -- thinking about other things while listening to someone.

The cure for this is active listening -- listening with a purpose. It may be to gain information,
obtain directions, understand others, solve problems, share interest, see how another person
feels, show support, etc. It requires that the listener attend to the words and feelings of the
sender for understanding. It takes the same amount or more energy than speaking as it
requires the receiver to hear the various parts of the message, understand the meaning, and
then verify the meaning by offering feedback. The following are a few traits of active
listeners:
• Spends more time listening than talking.

• Does not finish the sentence of others.

• Does not answer questions with questions.

• Are aware of biases. We all have them...we need to control them.

• Never daydreams or become preoccupied with their own thoughts when

others talk.
 • Lets the other speaker talk. Does not dominate the conversation.

• Plans responses after the other person has finished speaking...NOT while
they are speaking.

• Provides feedback, but does not interrupt incessantly.

• Analyzes by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended

questions. Walks the person through your analysis (summarize).

• Keeps the conversation on what the speaker says...NOT on what interests

them.

• Takes brief notes. This forces them to concentrate on what is being said.

Feedback
The purpose of feedback is to change and alter messages so the intention of the original
communicator is understood by the second communicator. It includes verbal and nonverbal
responses to another person's message.

When you know something, say what you know. When you don't know
something, say that you don't know. That is knowledge. - Kung Fu Tzu
(Confucius)

Providing feedback is accomplished by paraphrasing the words of the sender. Restate the
sender's feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than repeating their words. Your words
should be saying, "This is what I understand your feelings to be, am I correct?" It not only
includes verbal responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their
hand to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows shows you don't quite understand the
meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing it hard shows that you are
also exasperated with the situation.

Carl Roger (Rogers & Farson, 1969) listed five main categories of feedback. They are listed
in the order in which they occur most frequently in daily conversations. Notice that we make
judgments more often than we try to understand:
1. Evaluative: Making a judgment about the worth, goodness, or
appropriateness of the other person's statement.

2. Interpretive: Paraphrasing - attempting to explain what the other person's

statement means.

3. Supportive: Attempting to assist or bolster the other communicator.

4. Probing: Attempting to gain additional information, continue the

discussion, or clarify a point.

5. Understanding: Attempting to discover completely what the other

communicator means by her statements.

Imagine how much better daily communications would be if listeners tried to understand first,
before they tried to evaluate what someone is saying.
Nonverbal Behaviors of Communication
To deliver the full impact of a message, use nonverbal behaviors to raise the channel of
interpersonal communication:
• Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals
interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. People who make
eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern,
warmth, and credibility.

• Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness,

friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be
perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is
often contagious and people will react favorably. They will be more
comfortable around you and will want to listen more.

• Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking you may be perceived as

boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures the listener's attention,
makes the conversation more interesting, and facilitates understanding.

• Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by

the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward
communicates to listeners that you are approachable, receptive and friendly.
Interpersonal closeness results when you and the listener face each other.
Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be
avoided as it communicates disinterest.

• Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction

with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading
the other person's space. Some of these are rocking, leg swinging, tapping,
and gaze aversion.

• Vocal: Speaking can signal nonverbal communication when you include

such vocal elements as: tone, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and
inflection. For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six
elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms of many speakers is that
they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as
boring and dull.

Hints on Effective Communication

"Speak comfortable words!" - William Shakespeare

• When speaking or trying to explain something, ask the listeners if they are
following you. That is, encourage feedback.

• Ensure the receiver has a chance to comment or ask questions.

• Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes - Consider the feelings of the
receiver.

• Be clear about what you say.

 • Look at the receiver.

• Make sure your words match your tone and body language (Nonverbal
Behaviors).

• Vary your tone and pace.

• Do not be vague, but on the other hand, do not complicate what you are
saying with too much detail.

• Do not ignore signs of confusion.

Meetings
One of the biggest complaints about most organizations is meetings...they waste too much of
our precious time. This is bad news for organizations. Meetings are important because that is
where an organization's culture and climate perpetuates itself. Meetings are one of the ways
that an organization tells its workers, "You are a member." If you have bad, boring, and time
wasting meetings, then the people begin to believe that this is a bad and boring company that
does not care about time. Likewise, great meetings tell the workers, "This is a GREAT
organization to be working for!" Also, remember that a bad meeting lead to more bad
meetings which cost even more money.

Why are there so many bad meetings? Poor planning by the meeting's organizer and a lack of
involvement (communication) by the participants. Listed below are some guidelines for
conducting effective meetings.

Prepare For the Meeting

• Define the objectives and desired outcomes. Know what you are trying to
achieve by having a meeting.

• Determine if a different activity could be used besides a meeting. A lot of

wasted meetings are called when a couple of phone calls, email, or one-on-
ones would have worked better.

• Determine topics to cover and the best format for the discussion of each
one. Know what you want to get accomplished by the meeting.

• Estimate the length of the meeting. People need to know how long to plan
for the meeting.

• Create an Agenda that is carefully scripted:

1. Give Start and Stop times. Time is money...plan wisely!

2. Identify the place of the meeting.
3. List participants and guests.
4. List what the participant’s roles are and what is expected from them. This will
allow them to gather all the relevant data they need to bring to the meeting.
5. Prepare a structured discussion to frame the purpose, topics, and direction of the
meeting.
6. Deliver agenda in advance, so that the participants have time to plan and prepare
for the meeting.
 • Make every meeting a learning event: incorporate creative and cutting edge
education on your particular topic by using books, speakers, or videos. The
people attending are giving up their time for you, you need to give
something back to them.

• Use a variety of tools and activities to make the meeting productive and
fun...get them charged up!

Prepare To Attend a Meeting (for all participants)

• Know the purpose of the meeting. Know what your purpose for attending is.

• Gather all data that you need to bring to the meeting.

• Know the agenda of the meeting and ensure your agenda coincides with the
meeting agenda.

• Know your role and the path that you are going to follow.

• Arrive on time and be prepared to stay until at least the planned stop time.

• Take the meeting seriously, but do have some fun while attending.

Set-up the Meeting Place

• Select a physical setting that is comfortable, big enough, and will serve the
purpose.

• Create a warm and attractive atmosphere conducive to interaction.

• Provide appropriate refreshments.

• Have appropriate visual aids and learning aids on hand.

• Always do something a little different and something new. Make them glad
that they came.

Assign A Note Taker (minutes)

• Who attended?

• What problems were discussed?

• Key decisions reached.

• Next Steps (action items):

1. Who needs to accomplish a task - list team and outside members?

2. Start and end date of task.
3. What is it exactly that they need to accomplish?
Start the Meeting
• Communicate the purpose and desired outcomes to all participants.

• Clarify the type of participation and interaction desired.

• Set the ground rules (Norms), e.g.:

1. When the meeting will stop and end.

2. How each member will be heard.
3. How conflict will be resolved.
4. What is expected of each member.
5. Confidential topics.

• Show that you value their ideas, opinions, and questions.

Conduct the Meeting

• Take time to tell and hear stories. Be creative in how you share them.

• Clarify and paraphrase important ideas.

• Ask for different points of view; protect new ideas.

• Use brainstorming techniques.

1. Record ideas and notes on a flip chart:

2. Use bright colors and bold shapes.
3. Use pictures, as well as text.
4. Use bullets to emphasize essential points.
5. Use no more than 7 words per line and 7 lines per chart.
6. Keep all flip charts posted so that they can easily be referred back to.
7. At the end of the meeting, give them to the note taker so that they can be
incorporated into the minutes.

• Ask open-ended questions to encourage their input.

• Keep the focus on ideas, not on people.

• Assign next steps throughout the meeting. Make all next steps specific
assignments.

• Stay focused on the agenda topics. Do wander off topic or become

distracted. Agendas are worth taking seriously...but do not stifle creativity
or insult participants who stray.
Keep the Meeting Focused and Moving
• Get information and data from the meeting. Ensure people are heard.

• Let the people carry the content; you guide the process.

• Acknowledge and reinforce constructive contributions.

• Use the agenda to stay on track.

• Vary the pace: speed up, slow down, take a break, and change tracks.

• Keep the group aware of where they are in the process.

• Periodically summarize key points and ask for agreement.

• Help the group reach consensus and reach conclusions.

Closing
• Help the group decide on next steps.

• Review assigned next steps. Ensure people know their duties to perform.
Make sure everyone goes from "meeting" to "doing."

• Conclude by summarizing the group's accomplishments.

• Thank group members sincerely for their participation and contributions.

Follow-up (Action Items)

• Evaluate the meeting. What worked? What needs improvement?

• Plan post-meeting logistics.

• Using the minutes and your impressions, create a document that clearly
describes the meeting. Use comments, questions, criticisms, and insights to
enhance the quality of the document.

• Distribute the document to all participants and other essential persons

within the organization.

• Monitor progress on next steps

Presentations
Presentations are a way of communicating ideas and information to a group. A good
presentation has:
• Content - It contains information that people need. Unlike reports, it must
account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting.
 • Structure - It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be
sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it. Where as
reports have appendices and footnotes, the presenter should be careful not
to loose the audience when wandering from the main point of the
presentation.

• Packaging - It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions

skipped over, but the audience is at the mercy of a presenter.

• Human Element - A good presentation will be remembered much more

than a good report because it has a person attached to it. But you still need
to analyze if the audience's needs would not be better met if a report were to
be sent instead.

The Voice
The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content
that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others
what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble
listening to and changing our own voices.

There are five main terms used for defining vocal qualities:
• Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting.
Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to
make a point.

• Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than

leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the
audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.

• Pitch: How high or low a note is. Pee Wee Herman has a high voice,
Barbara Walters has a moderate voice, while James Earl Jones has a low
voice.

• Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and
syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace
helps to maintain the audience's interest.

• Color: Both projection and tone variance can be practiced by taking the line
"This new policy is going to be exciting" and saying it first with surprise,
then with irony, then with grief, and finally with anger. The key is to over-
act. Remember Shakespeare's words "All the world's a stage" --
presentations are the opening night on Broadway!

Two methods for improving your voice are:

• Listen to it! Practice listening to your voice while at home, driving,
walking, etc. Then when you are at work or with company, monitor your
voice to see if you are using it how you want to.

• To really listen to your voice, cup your right hand around your right ear and
gently pull the ear forward. Next, cup your left hand around your mouth and
direct the sound straight into your ear. This helps you to really hear your
voice as others hear it...and it might be completely different from the voice
you thought it was! Now practice moderating your voice.
The Body
Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you,
but they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care...even
though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your
audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture
helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

Throughout you presentation, display:

• Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals
interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers who make
eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern,
warmth, and credibility.

• Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness,

friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be
perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is
often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more
comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more.

• Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as

boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the
material more interesting, and facilitates understanding.

• Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by

the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward
communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly.
Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other.
Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be
avoided as it communicates disinterest.

• Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction

with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading
other's space. Some of these are rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze
aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In
most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around
the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the
proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the
opportunities for others to speak.

• Vary your voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak
in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and
dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when
listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices.

Nerves
The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity.
The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limit flexibility while
the leg start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes "canned" as the
speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.

First, do not fight nerves -- welcome them!

Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. Actors
recognize the value of nerves...they add to the value of the performance. This is because
adrenaline starts to kick in. It's a left over from our ancestors' "fight or flight" syndrome. If
you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If
you let your nerves take over, you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience.
Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, and let them help you gain that needed edge!
Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone
gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by
them.

Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises. Listed below are a couple to
get you started:
• Before the presentation: Lie on the floor. Your back should be flat on the
floor. Pull your feet towards you so that your knees are up in the air. Relax.
Close your eyes. Fell your back spreading out and supporting your weight.
Feel your neck lengthening. Work your way through your body, relaxing
one section at a time - your toes, feet, legs, torso, etc. When finished, stand
up slowly and try to maintain the relaxed feeling in a standing position.

• If you cannot lie down: Stand with you feet about 6 inches apart, arms
hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of
your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs.
Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders
forwards and then backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly
clockwise, and then counter-clockwise.

• Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience,

and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over the presentation frpm
start to finish.

• During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of

water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of
your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, "I can do
it!"

• You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension! Channel the energy into
concentration and expressiveness.
 • Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to
you.

• Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue
on after the mistake. If you pick up and continue, so will the audience.
Winners continue! Losers stop!

• Never drink alcohol to reduce tension! It affects not only your coordination
but also your awareness of coordination. You might not realize it, but your
audience will!

• Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No

matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!

Questions
Although a few people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try
to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. These
questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is
deeper than the average audience is.

Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do
not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to
gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone
heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire
audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your
presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points.

Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to
clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore
the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest and do not waffle. Tell them you
will get back to them...and make sure you do!

Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; longer
answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions
sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation.

If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of his or
her argument. For example, "Yes, I understand your position..." or "I'm glad you raised that
point, but..." The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend
to think of "us verses you." You do not want to risk alienating them.

Preparing the Presentation

A good presentation starts with introductions and an interest device such as a story, interesting
statement or fact, joke, quotation, or an activity to get the group warmed up. The introduction
also needs an objective, that is, the purpose or goal of the presentation. This not only tells you
what you will talk about, but it also informs the audience of the purpose of the presentation.

Next, comes the body of the presentation. Do NOT write it out word for word. All you want is
an outline. By jotting down the main points on a set of index cards, you not only have your
outline, but also a memory jogger for the actual presentation. To prepare the presentation, ask
yourself the following:
• What is the purpose of the presentation?
• Who will be attending?
• What does the audience already know about the subject?
 • What is the audience's attitude towards me (e.g. hostile, friendly)?

A 45 minutes talk should have no more than about seven main points. This may not seem like
very many, but if you are to leave the audience with a clear picture of what you have said, you
cannot expect them to remember much more than that.

There are several options for structuring the presentation:

• Timeline - Arranged in sequential order.

• Climax - The main points are delivered in order of increasing importance.

• Problem/Solution - A problem is presented, a solution is suggested, and

benefits are then given.

• Classification - The important items are the major points.

• Simple to Complex - Ideas are listed from the simplest to the most
complex. Can also be done in reverse order.

You want to include some visual information that will help the audience understand your
presentation. Develop charts, graphs, slides, handouts, etc.

After the body, comes the closing - where you ask for questions, provide a wrap-up
(summary), and thank the participants for attending.

Notice that you told them what they are about to hear (the objective), told them (the body),
and told them what they heard (the wrap up).

And finally, the important part - practice, practice, practice.

After a concert, a fan rushed up to famed violinist Fritz Kreisler and gushed,
"I'd give up my whole life to play as beautifully as you do." Kreisler replied, "I
did!"

The main purpose of creating this outline is to develop a coherent plan of what you want to
talk about. You should know your presentation so well, that during the actual presentation,
you should only have to briefly glance at your outline to ensure you are staying on track. This
will also help you with your nerves by giving you the confidence that you can do it. Your
practice session should include a "live" session by practicing in front of coworkers, family, or
friends. They can be valuable at providing feedback and it gives you a chance to practice
controlling your nerves. Another great feedback technique is to make a video or audio tape of
your presentation and review it critically with a colleague.

Habits
We all have a few habits, and some are more annoying than others are. For example, if we say
"uh," "you know," or put our hands in our pockets and jingle our keys too often during a
presentation, it distracts from the message we are trying to get across. The best way to break
one of these distracting habits is with immediate feedback. This can be done with a small
group of coworkers, family, or friends. Take turns giving small off-the-cuff talks about your
favorite hobby, work project, first work assignment, etc. It talk should last about five minutes.
During a speaker's first talk, the audience should listen and watch for annoying habits.

After the presentation, the audience should agree on the worst habits that take the most away
from the presentation. After agreement, each audience member should write these habits on a
8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper (such as the words "you know"). Use a magic marker and write in
BIG letters.

The next time the person gives her or his talk, each audience member should wave the
corresponding sign in the air whenever they hear or see the annoying habit.

For most people, this method will break a habit by practicing at least once a day for one to
two weeks.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a shy young girl who was terrified at the thought of
speaking in public. But with each passing year, she grew in confidence and self-
esteem. She once said, "No one can make you feel inferior, unless you agree
with it."

Tips and Techniques for Great Presentations

• If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does not
know if they should read along with you or listen to you read.

• Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends
to make you look unprofessional. It is OK to put one hand in a pocket but
ensure there is no loose change or keys to jingle around. This will distract
the listeners.

• Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword
to slay a dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it
down, otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your "sword",
instead upon you.

• Do not lean on the podium for long periods. The audience will begin to
wonder when you are going to fall over.

• Speak to the audience...NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or

overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience.

• Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone
voice. Use inflection to emphasize your main points.

• The disadvantages of presentations are that people cannot see the

punctuation and this can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of
overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally
be punctuation marks.

• Listen intently to comments and opinions. By using a lateral thinking

technique -- adding to ideas rather than dismissing them, the audience will
feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile.

• Circulate around the room as you speak. This movement creates a physical
closeness to the audience.

• When writing on flip charts use no more than 7 lines of text per page and no
more than 7 word per line (the 7&7 rule). Also, use bright and bold colors,
and pictures as well as text.
 • Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of
day can affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section
in training circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than listening to a
talk.

• Most people find that if they practice in their head, the actual talk will take
about 25 per cent longer. Using a flip chart or other visual aids also adds to
the time. Remember - it is better to finish slightly early than to overrun.

Aurally, Visually, and Kinesthetically

In speaking (or presentations), the focus is on the speaker - who has the power to inspire
people to act on her or his behalf and create change. Speaking is the best vehicle for winning
trust from large groups of people, be they employees, colleagues, or clients. Good speakers
inspire this change and trust through three techniques -- aurally, visually, and kinesthetically
(Morgan, 2001):

• Good speakers connect aurally with their audiences, telling dramatic stories
and effectively pacing their speeches to hold people's attention.

• Good speakers also connect visually a with film clips or killer slide that
encapsulates an idea in a compelling manner.

• The really good speakers also connect kinesthetically by feeding off the
audience's hunger to experience a presentation on a physical and intellectual
level. The speaker does this by effectively combining gestures, postures,
and movements in the entire space that they give their presentation.
3 - Self –Direction
What use is magic if it can't save a unicorn? - Peter S. Beagle,
The Last Unicorn…what use is saving time if you do not put it
to good use?

People waste an enormous amount of time because they do not know where they are going.
However, time is constant and irreversible. Nothing can be substituted for time. Worse yet,
once wasted, it can never be regained. Leaders have numerous demands on their limited time.
Time keeps getting away and they have trouble controlling it. No matter what their position,
they cannot stop time, they cannot slow it down, nor can they speed it up. Yet, time needs to
be effectively managed to be effective.

On the other hand, you can become such a time fanatic convert by building time management
spreadsheets, priority folders and lists, color coding tasks, and separating paperwork into
priority piles; that you are now wasting more time by trying to manage it. Also, the time
management technique can become so complex that you soon give up and return to your old
time wasting methods.

What most people actually need to do is to analyze how they spend their time and implement
a few time saving methods that will gain them the most time.

Time Wasters

• Indecision - Think about it, worry about it, put it off, think about it, worry
about it, etc.

• Inefficiency - Jumping in and implementing instead analyzing and

designing first -- you do not have enough time to do it right, but you have
enough time to do it over?

• Unanticipated interruptions that do not pay off.

• Procrastination - Failing to get things done when they need to be done.

 • Crisis management.

• Ineffective meetings

• Micro-management - failure to let others perform and grow.

• Doing urgent rather than important tasks.

• Poor planning and lack of contingency plans.

• Lack of priorities, standards, policies, and procedures.

Time Savers

• Manage the decision making process, not the decisions.

• Concentrate on doing only one task at a time.

• Establish daily, short-term, mid-term, and long-term, priorities.

• Handle correspondence expeditiously with quick, short letters and memos.

• Throw unneeded things away.

• Establish personal deadlines and ones for the organization.

• Do not waste other people's time.

• Ensure all meetings have a purpose, have a time limit, and include only
essential people.

• Get rid of busywork.

• Maintain accurate calendars; abide by them.

• Know when to stop a task, policy, or procedure.

• Delegate everything possible and empower subordinates.

• Keep things simple.

• Ensure time is set aside to accomplish high priority tasks.

• Set aside time for reflection.

• Use checklists and to do lists.

• Adjust priorities as a result of new tasks.

 Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take
Hofstadter's Law into account.

A Simple Time Management Plan

Effective time management is crucial to accomplishing organization tasks as well as to
avoiding wasting valuable organizational assets. The following nine rules will aid you Butler,
(Gillian & Hope, 1996):

1. Get Started - This is one of the all time classic time wasters. Often, as
much time is wasted avoiding a project, as actually accomplishing the
project. A survey showed that the main difference between good students
and average students was the ability to get down to work quickly.

2. Get into a routine - Mindless routine may curb your creativity, but when
used properly, it can release time and energy. Choose a time to get certain
task accomplished, such as answering email, working on a project,
completing paper work; and then stick to it every day. Use a day planning
calendar. There are a variety of formats on the market. Find one that fits
your needs.

3. Do not say yes to too many things - Saying yes can lead to unexpected
treasures, but the mistake we often make is to say yes to too many things.
This causes us to live to the priorities of others rather then according to our
own. Every time you agree to do something else, another thing will not get
done. Learn how to say no.

4. Do not commit yourself to unimportant activities, no matter how far

ahead they are - Even if a commitment is a year ahead, it is still a
commitment. Often we agree to do something that is far ahead, when we
would not normally do it if it were in the near future. No matter how far
ahead it is, it will still take the same amount of your time.

5. Divide large tasks - Large tasks should be broken up in to a series of small

tasks. By making small manageable tasks, you will eventually accomplish
the large task. Also, by using a piecemeal approach, you will be able to fit it
into your hectic schedule.

6. Do not put unneeded effort into a project - There is a place for

perfectionism, but for most activities, there comes a stage when there is not
much to be gained from putting extra effort into it. Save perfectionism for
the tasks that need it.

7. Deal with it for once and for all - We often start a task, think about it, and
then lay it aside. We will repeat this process over and over. Either deal with
the task right away or decide when to deal with it and put it aside until then.

8. Set start and stop times - When arranging start times, also arrange stop
times. This will call for some estimating, but your estimates will improve
with practice. This will allow you and others to better schedule activities.
Also, challenge the theory, "Work expands to fill the allotted time." See if
you can shave some time off your deadlines to make it more efficient.
 9. Plan you activities - Schedule a regular time to plan your activities. If time
management is important to you, then allow the time to plan it wisely.

The Big Picture

Keep the big picture of what you want to achieve in sight. Your checklists will have such
items as: "staff meeting at 2:00" and "complete the Anderson Company memo" but, do you
set quality time aside for the important tasks, such as, “Develop a relationship with Sue who
may be helpful to me in the long run.”

Other examples include:

• Meet with all my workers on a regular basis. (It is your workers who will
determine if you are a great leader, not you or your leaders!)

• Study "you name the book" because in 5 years I want to be "insert your
goal."

• Coach my employees on providing excellent customer service because that

is where my vision is pointing.

• Set aside time for interruptions. For example, the 15-minute coffee break
with Sam that leads to a great idea.

In other words, do not get caught up in short-term demands. Get a real life! One quarter to one
third of the items on your “to do list” need to contain the important long range items that will
get you, your workers, and your organization to the best!

Organization and Task Focus

Organization and Task Focus provide the four steps to good time management:

1. Focus upon the task on hand to discover what needs to be accomplished.

2. Organize the materials so that the task can be accomplished.
3. Uses the materials to get the task done.
4. Uses one's inner-abilities and instincts to wrap things up (know when to stop and
what to finish).

Accomplish Organize
Task Material

Task Focus Organization

Wrap Focus on
Up Task

Organization Task Focus

The Four Steps of Time Management

Depending upon how you divide your time between the two tasks, determines how well you
will manage your time:
• Perfectionist - spends too much time arranging, but does not focus on the
task.

• Slob - always in disarray and does not focus on task.

• Doer - focuses on a task, but cannot get it accomplished because things are
in disarray.

• Time manager - focuses on the task on hand and is organized enough to

get it accomplished.

High

Time
Perfectionist
Organization

Manger

Slob Doer

Low High
Task Focus
The Four Types of Time Managers
4 - Creative problem
Solving
When what you are doing isn't working, you tend to do more
of the same and with greater intensity. - Dr. Bill Maynard &
Tom Champoux Heart, Soul and Spirit

Brainstorming is a process for developing creative solutions to problems. It works by focusing

on a problem, and then deliberately coming up with as many solutions as possible and by
pushing the ideas as far as possible. One of the reasons it is so effective is that the people
brainstorming not only come up with new ideas on their own, but they also spark off from
associations with other people's ideas by developing and refining them.

Brainstorming Steps

1. Gather the participants from as wide a range of disciplines with as broad a

range of experience as possible. Diversity adds creativity – the wide rage of
ideas build upon each other.

2. Write down a brief description of the problem - the leader should take
control of the session, initially defining the problem to be solved with any
criteria that must be met, and then keeping the session on course.

3. Use the description to get everyone's mind clear of what the problem is and
post it where it can be seen. This helps in keeping the group focused.

4. Encourage an enthusiastic, uncritical attitude among the members and

encourage participation by all members of the team. Encourage them to
have fun!
 5. Write down all the solutions that come to mind (even ribald ones). Do NOT
interpret the idea, however you may rework the wording for clarity's sake.

6. Do NOT evaluate ideas until the session moves to the evaluation phase.
Once the brainstorming session has been completed, the results of the
session can be analyzed and the best solutions can be explored either using
further brainstorming or more conventional solutions.

7. Do NOT censor any solution, no matter how silly it sounds. The silly ones
will often lead to creative ones - the idea is to open as many possibilities as
possible, and break down preconceptions about the limits of the problem.

8. The leader should keep the brainstorming on subject and should try to steer
it towards the development of some practical solutions.

9. Once all the solutions have been written down, evaluate the list to determine
the best action to correct the problem.

Brainstorming variations

• One approach is to seed the session with a word pulled randomly from a
dictionary. This word as a starting point in the process of generating ideas.

• When the participants say they "can't think of any more ideas" then give
them about 15 more minutes as the best ideas sometimes come towards the
end of long thought out thought processes.

• Brainstorming can either be carried out by individuals or groups. When

done individually, brainstorming tends to produce a wider range of ideas
than group brainstorming as individuals are free to explore ideas in their
own time without any fear of criticism. On the other hand, groups tend to
develop the ideas more effectively due to the wider range of diversity.

• Keep all the generated ideas visible. As a flip chart page becomes full,
remove it from the pad and tape it to a wall as that it is visible. This
"combined recollection" is helpful for creating new ideals.

• If the brainstormers have difficulty in coming up with solutions, you may

have to reinstate the problem.

• Try reverse brainstorming -- instead of thinking of the best way, ask, ”How
can we make this process harder?”

Selecting a Solution
When you are sure the brainstorming session is over, it is time to select a solution.

1. By using a show of hands (or another voting method), allow each person to
vote for as many ideas on the original list as they want. Note that they only
have one vote per generated ideal.
 2. Write the vote tallies next to the ideal. You can use a different color than the
ideal to help it stand out.

3. Once the voting is completed, delete all items with no votes.

4. Next, look for logical breaks. For example, if you have several items with 5
or 6 votes, and no 3 or 4 and only a few of 1 or 2s, then retain only the 5
and 6 votes. The group can help to decide the breaking point.

5. Now, it is time to vote again. Each person gets half the number of votes as
there are ideals left. For example is you narrowed the number of generated
ideals down to 20, then each person gets 10 votes (if it is an odd number,
round down). Each person will keep track of his or her votes. The scribe
should again tally the votes next to the ideal, only this time use a different
color.

6. Continue this process of elimination until you get down to about 5 ideals.

7. Put the remainder ideas into a matrix. Put each ideal into its own row (first
column). Next, label some columns using selected criteria. For example:

Generated Low Easy to Will Help Other TOTAL

Idea Cost Implement and is Processes
Feasible
Outsource it
to a vendor.
Hire a new
employee.
Share the
extra
workload.

8. Next, working one column at a time, ask the group to order each idea. Using
the above example, which one will cost the least, the most, and will be in
the middle.

9. Repeat by working the next column until you have completed all columns.
Total each column until it looks similar to this:

Generated Low Easy to Will Help Other TOTAL

Idea Cost Implement and is Processes
Feasible
Outsource it 2 2 2 6
to a vendor.
Hire a new 3 1 1 5
employee.
Share the 1 3 3 7
extra
workload.

10. It this case, the lowest number column, "Hire a new employee," would be
the best solution.
 11. Note that you should work each column first (not each row).

12. Some of the columns will require much discussion, as choosing an arbitrary
number will not be that easy in some cases.

13. Often, you will have a couple of ideas that tie, but having it diagramed out
in a matrix makes it much easier to make a decision.

Delphi Decision Making

In Delphi decision groups, a series of questionnaires are sent to select respondents (Delphi
group). The group does not meet face-to-face. All communication is normally in writing
(normally performed through letters or email). Members of the groups are selected because
the are experts or they have relevant information. Steps include:

• Members are asked to share their assessment and explanation of a problem

or predict a future state of affairs

• Replies are gathered, summarized, and then fed back to all the group
members.

• Members then make another decision based upon the new information.

• The process may be repeated until the responses converge satisfactory.

The success of this process depends upon the member's expertise and communication skill.
Also, each response requires adequate time for reflection and analysis. The major merits of
the Delphi process is:

• Elimination of interpersonal problems.

• Efficient use of expert's time.
• Diversity of ideals.
• Accuracy of solutions and predictions.

Dialectic Decision Making

The dielectric decision method (DDM) traces its roots back to Socrates and Plato. It helps to
overcome such problems as converging too quickly on one solution while overlooking others,
participants dislike of meetings, incomplete evaluations, and the failure to confront tough
issues. The steps of DDM are:

1. Issue a clear statement of the problem to be solved.

2. Two or more competing proposals are generated.

3. Members identify the explicit or implicit assumptions that underlie each

proposal.

4. The team then breaks into two advocacy groups (one for each proposal),
who examine and argue the relative merits of their positions.
 5. The group reassembles and makes a decision:

• Embrace one of the alternatives

• Forge a compromise
• Generate a new proposal

The Dialectic Decision Making process looks like this:

Problem

Proposal A Proposal B
generated generated

Assumptions Assumptions
underlying A are underlying B are
identified identified

Presentation of Presentation of
A's pros and cons B's pros and cons

Choice

Compromise of
Choose A or B New alternative
A and B

This process helps the members to better understand the proposals along with their pros and
cons. The main disadvantage is the tendency to forge a compromise in order to avoid
choosing sides.

A Three-Step Radical Thinking Approach

1. The first thing you must have to encourage radical thinking and effective
brainstorming is truly diverse thinking styles on your team. Once your team
grows by more than one individual, ensure the new individual is one who
truly thinks differently than you. And when you get another member, ensure
that person's thinking style is different than yours and the other team
member. And so on down the line. This is the first step in remaining
competitive. Do not full into the trap of hiring someone like you or your
favorite employee - this leads to group-think. Doug Hall, who specializes in
new business development, training, and consulting had this to say about
 team diversity, "The more diverse you are, the more likely you are to have
loud and sometimes obnoxious debates. This is good. It means that all the
folks have passion and a pulse. Real teams are more like the family on the
television show Roseanne than they are like the Cleavers in Leave It to
Beaver. Real teams fight to make their point, yet they still have respect for
each other." When our interests our too similar, radical discourse fails to
take place. Real team members should not be afraid to disagree, but once a
decision has been made, they all need to be on the same bandwagon. They
ensure their ideals and opinions are heard, but once it is time to go forward,
they concentrate on getting there, not going back.

2. The second step in radical thinking and effective brainstorming is to use a

stimulus to spark the mind. There is a game called Cranium that does a
good job of using the various parts of the mind. You sketch, sculpt, draw
with you eyes, use your knowledge, unscramble words, spell, hum, whistle,
impersonate, etc. in order to get your team member(s) to discover the secret
word or phase. You do these activities by drawing a card and then
performing the activity before the timer runs out. For example, one team
member might draw the word "Measure." The card tells her what type of
activity to perform, such as drawing clues on a paper (no talking, letters, or
symbols) with her eyes closed. To use this game in brainstorming, play the
game normally, except that after each card drawing activity has been
performed, have all the participants generate x number of ideals before
moving on to the next activity (normally 10 to 20 ideals). Normal
brainstorming rules still apply. This may sound like a slower process than
the regular brainstorming sessions we are used to, but remember, radical
ideals are important for you organization to survive! And radical ideals
come from creative activities. You cannot expect people to be creative by
sitting in a room staring at four blank walls. The ideal is to get their creative
juices flowing.

3. This game also performs the third step that is important for radical thinking
- reducing the fear factor by providing fun. Fear is a barricade for new
ideals. By providing fun and laughter, you create a pathway for radical
ideals to emerge.
5 - Interpersonal Skills
If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help
make the world safe for diversity. - John F. Kennedy (1917-
63), U.S. Democratic politician, president. Speech, 10 June
1963, American University, Washington, D.C., on Russo-
American relations.

Interpersonal skills come from recognizing the diversity in others. And diversity is about
empowering people. It makes an organization effective by capitalizing on all the strengths of
each employee. It is not EEO or Affirmative Action, which are laws and policies. Diversity is
understanding, valuing, and using the differences in every person. To obtain that competitive
edge you need to create great work teams by using the full potential of every individual.

Teams are much more than a group. A group is collection of individuals where each person is
working towards his or her own goal, while a team is a collection of individuals working
towards a common team goal or vision, which creates a synergy effect with teams...that is,
one plus one equals more than one. An individual, acting alone, can accomplish much; but a
group of people acting together in a unified force can accomplish great wonders. This is
because team members understand each other and support each other. Their main goal is to
see the team accomplish its mission. Personal agendas do not get in the way of team agendas.
Personal agendas are a huge waste upon an organization's resources because they do not
support its goals.

By using the synergy effect of teams, you create a competitive advantage over other
organizations that are using people acting alone. You are getting more for your efforts!

If team members do not accept others for what they are, they will not be able to use the
abilities of others to fill in their weak areas. Hence, the team effort will fail. Their only goal
becomes the ones on their personal agendas...to make his or her self as an individual look
good while ignoring the needs of the team and the organization.
Using interpersonal skills to embrace diversity is the first item for building teams. Every team
building theory states that to build a great team, there must be a diverse group of people on
the team, that is, you must avoid choosing people who are only like you. Choosing people like
your self to be on teams is similar to inbreeding -- it multiplies the flaws. While on the other
end of the continuum is an assorted group of individuals that diminish the flaws of others.

People often have a misconception that diversity is about black and white, female and male,
homosexual and heterosexual, Jew and Christian, young and old. However, it also includes
every individual, such as a slow learner and fast learner, introvert and extrovert, controlling
type and people type, scholar and sports person, liberal and conservative. Although it includes
gender, cultural, and racial differences, it goes beyond that to touch on the very fabric of our
everyday lives.

An organization needs controllers, thinkers, dreamers, doers, analyzers, organizers, and team
builders to reach the goals that make an organization the best. It does not need people fighting
and distrusting other team members! Organizations need an extremely diverse group of
people on every team. For example, having a group of team builders will get you nowhere, as
everyone will be out trying to create a team. Likewise, having a group of doers will get you
nowhere as everyone will be trying to accomplish something without a clear goal or vision to
guide them. Most organizations picture diversity in very limited terms. The essence of
diversity should not to picture diversity as race, religion, sex, and age; but to picture it as the
uniqueness that is built into every individual. Only by accepting the uniqueness of others, will
people want to help the team as a whole to succeed.

The Challenge of Embracing Diversity

Our bias and prejudice are deeply rooted within us. From the moment we are born, we learn
about our environment, the world, and ourselves. Families, friends, peers, books, teachers,
idols, and others influence us on what is right and what is wrong. These early learnings are
deeply rooted within us and shape our perceptions about how we view things and how we
respond to them. What we learn and experience gives us our subjective point of view known
as bias. Our biases serve as filtering devices that allow us to make sense of new information
and experiences based on what we already know.

Many of our bias are good as they allow us to assume that something is true without proof.
Otherwise, we would have to start learning anew on everything that we do. However, if we
allow our bias to shade our perceptions of what people are capable of, then our bias becomes
harmful. We start prejudging others on what we think they can and cannot do.

When people communicate, they use these biases. For example, if you know me as a heavy
drinker and I tell you I was in a fight last night, then you might draw a picture of me in a
barroom brawl. On the other hand, if you knew me as a boxer and I told you the same thing,
then you would probably visualize me in the boxing ring. These biases become destructive
when we prejudge others.

Simply giving a class on diversity will not erase the harmful biases. Indeed, even the best
training will not erase most of these deeply rooted beliefs. This is because our biases are
deeply imbedded within us. Training can only help us to become aware of them so that we
can make a conciseness effort to change. Training diversity is more than a class; it involves a
number of other activities, such as workshops, role models, and one-on-ones. But most of all,
it involves a heavy commitment by the organization's leadership; not only the formal
leadership but also the informal leadership that can be found in almost every organization.

Embracing diversity is more than tolerating people who are different. It means actively
welcoming and involving them by:
 • Developing an atmosphere in which it is safe for all employees to ask for
help. People should not be viewed as weak if they ask for help. This is what
helps to build great teams - joining weakness with strengths to get the goal
accomplished.

• Actively seeking information from people from a variety of backgrounds

and cultures. Also, including everyone on the problem solving and decision
making process.

• Including people who different than you in informal gatherings such as

luncheons, coffee breaks, and spur of the moment meetings.

• Creating a team spirit in which every member feels a part of.

Becoming the Best

If an organization does not take on this challenge, it will soon become extinct or left far
behind. There are too many competitors who are striving to become the best. They know that
customers will not tolerate lackadaisical service. Those that are the best must continue to fight
to be the best or they will soon be overtaken. You need to strive to be the best in one or more
areas such as the fastest, cheapest, or being customer oriented. For example, War-Mart strives
for cheap prices and Nordstrom strives for excellent customer service.

Great companies who remain competitive in one or more areas do not sit around patting
themselves on the back, for they know that there are dozens of others who want to take their
place. They do, however, celebrate accomplishments and achievements. This celebration is
important because it shows the employees what success looks like. When tough goals are met
it is also important to celebrate - setting a difficult goal and not reaching it is far more
important than meeting a mediocre goal. Difficult goals provide learning experiences that
cannot be taught in training classes. They allow persons to learn through trial and error. And
they provide opportunities for leaders to install new character into their employees.

Although most companies will never become the best at what they aim for, they must
compete to do things better than their competitors. This not only allows their employees to
grow, but also lets their customers know that they are willing to go out of their way to serve
them in their area of expertise.

Diversity and Leaders

Most problems in the work place are not that people cannot do their jobs. It is that people
cannot get along with other people. People are hired on the premise that they can perform the
job, or with a reasonable amount of training, be coached into performing the job. Every team
member must not only be able to understand and work with all the other team members, but
they must also want to! This should be a leader's number one priority -- building real teams,
not just groups of people with titles called Teams.
How We Tend to Categorize People
Worker Personal Traditional
Characteristics Characteristics Differences
Characteristics
Seniority Sexual orientation Race
Position level Physical status Gender
Experience Ethnic background Age
Union or Non-union Religious background
Salaried or Exempt Club associations
Education Socioeconomic status
Training Place of birth
Culture
Experiences
Married or Single

It is these characteristics and experiences that make a worker unique. Diversity occurs when
we see all these unique characteristics, and realize that workers are more valuable because of
their differences.

Culture
Organizations have to realize that the cultures of the world are their potential customers. Not
too long ago, most businesses focused on the young and/or middle age white classes. This was
where the money was. Now, thanks to great efforts towards recognizing the many facets of
diversity and the good that it brings us, increasingly amounts of money is starting to be in the
hands of people from a wide range of diverse backgrounds. In order to attract this wide
variety of cultures, organizations must truly become multi-culture themselves. They can no
longer just talk-the-talk -- they must also walk-the-talk. Organizations that only employ
"people of their kind" in leadership and high visibility positions will not be tolerated by
people of other cultures. These cultures will spend their money at organizations that truly
believe in diversity. Embracing diversity has several benefits for the organization:
• It is the right thing to do.

• To attract good people into their ranks, organizations must take the moral
path. Good organizations attract good people, while bad organizations
attract bad people.

• It helps to build teams which create synergy...you get more for your efforts.

• It broadens their customer base in a very competitive environment.

Diversity Goals
There are two main goals for leaders to achieve. The first is having all leaders within an
organization become visibly involved in programs affecting organizational culture change and
evaluating and articulating policies that govern diversity. To do so displays leadership that
eradicates oppression of all forms. The result is enhanced productivity, profitability, and
market responsiveness by achieving a dynamic organization and work force. This is the first
goal of the organization, to train the leadership.
The second is inspiring diversity in the work force. Workers want to belong to an organization
that believes in them, no matter what kind of background or culture they come from. They,
like their leaders, want to be productive, share in the profits, and be a totally dynamic work
force. Almost no one sets out to do wrong! If an organization trains the leadership, this goal
will be relatively easy. It is much easier to train people when they have role models to base
their behaviors on. Also, you will have the backing from the very people who can support
these diversity efforts – the leaders.

Training Diversity
The training of diversity is considered a soft skill. Unlike hard skills, soft skills are relatively
hard to evaluate. For example, "Using a calculator, notepad, and pencil, calculate the number
of minutes it will take to produce one widget." This hard skill is easily measured not only in
the classroom, but also on the job. Now, consider a soft skill, "After the training period the
learner will be able to work with others as a team." This cannot easily be measured in the
classroom. Its true measure must be taken in the workplace, where it is also difficult to
measure. This is because training diversity is development -- training people to acquire new
horizons, technologies, or viewpoints. It enables leaders to guide their organizations onto new
expectations by being proactive rather than reactive. It enables workers to create better
products, faster services, and organizations that are more competitive. It is learning for growth
of the individual, but not related to a specific present or future job. Unlike training, which can
be evaluated, development cannot always be fully evaluated. This does not mean that we
should abandon development programs, as helping people to grow and develop is what keeps
an organization in the forefront of competitive environments.

Attitudes and Diversity

Training diversity is changing attitudes3 -- the persisting feeling or emotion of a person that
influences her choice of action and her response to stimulus. Attitudes have been defined in a
variety of ways, but at the core is the notion of evaluation. Thus, attitudes are commonly
viewed as summary evaluations of objects (e.g. oneself, other people, issues, etc.) along a
dimension ranging from positive to negative. That is, we have some degree of like or dislike
towards a given subject. Attitudes encompass, or are closely related to our opinions and
beliefs, which in turn, are based upon our experiences. Training that produces tangible results,
starts by changing behavior, which ultimately changes attitudes.

Since our attitudes are deeply rooted, they are very hard to change. Attitudes are latent
constructs and are not observable in them selves. That is, we can infer that people have
attitudes by what they say or do -- and what they say or do are behaviors. For example, if you
are training diversity, you cannot be sure that you have eliminated prejudice from a learner.
Therefore, you have to measure behaviors, such as showing respect for all cultures.

This does not mean you cannot go after changing attitudes. It some cases it is necessary. For
example, the 1997 Texaco headlines about the racial slurs of its leaders show that attitudes
must be changed. If you only rely upon the correct behaviors being displayed without
attitudes being changed, then expect to see a headline like this about your organization. When
we attempt to display behaviors that do not coincide with our attitudes, then expect to make
big mistakes. Training diversity is about 25% skills and knowledge and about 75% changing
attitudes. Attempting to change only the skills and knowledge will not work. That 75%
attitude is just too great of a number to ignore.

3
Attitude has been defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a
idea, object, person, or situation.
 Can attitudes be changed? In a experiment by social psychologists Wells and
Petty (1980), students were asked to assist in testing the quality of headphones
while the listener was in motion. Three groups of students put on headphones
and listened to music and an editorial about tuition. One group, acting as
controls, made no movements while listening. The second group moved their
heads up and down, while the third group shook their heads from side to side.

Afterward, the students rated the quality of the headphones and judged the
material that they had heard. Among the questions was one about tuition. Half
the students had heard an editorial suggesting that tuition be raised to $750
while the other half heard that it should be drooped to $400. The editorials by
themselves were persuasive; they influenced students who listened without
moving their heads. However, the movements made by the students as they
listened had a strong effect on their opinions.

When asked what tuition would be fair, those that heard that it should be raised
thought, on the average, that it should be $582. Those that heard that it should be
lowered thought that a fair price would be $412. The involvement of body
movement had a striking effect. Students who nodded their head as they heard
the $750 editorial thought a fair tuition would be $646, while those that shook
their heads thought it should be $467.

The motor responses that signal agreement or disagreement had a profound

affect on attitudes...effects that are not trivial.

Diversity Team Building

Getting someone to change their affective behavior is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish.
That is because the training often threatens the learners' self-image. So, it becomes important
to affirm the learner's core values, such as moral, social, religious, family, political, etc.
Learners who attend training in which their beliefs or values are supported are much more
likely to "let down their guard" and accept the learning points.

If you confront the learners in ways that suggests they may have acted foolish or in a
dangerous manner, they become resistant to change. No one wants to be told that they did
something wrong or stupid. Thus, it is important to remind them of their "goodness" in order
to make the various learning points easier to digest. The learning will not be so threatening
because thinking about an important value will have affirmed each learner’s image of himself
or herself as a smart and capable person. This also points out the invalid concept of a learner
as an empty vessel. You have to "draw" them into the learning, not simply "pour" the learning
into them.

Team Building Activity

1. This is a short, but powerful way to get others to embrace diversity. This
activity can be done one-on-one or in small groups (3 or 4 employees),
depending on the circumstances and the rapport that you have with your
employees.

2. Discuss how diversity enhances team performance. Explain some diversity

principles or issues that you feel strongly about.
3. Have the employees discuss three or four diversity principles or issues that
they value dearly. This helps to internalize the belief that they are "good"
persons, which makes them more receptive to change.

4. Discuss one or two diversity issues that you had trouble upholding or
believing in. Explain what made you change your beliefs.

5. Have the employees discuss one or two diversity issues that they have had
trouble upholding or believing in. Have them confront this behavior by
asking why we believe in certain concepts when they might clash with our
core values and principles.

6. Note that changing affective behaviors is generally not a one shot activity.
But, getting to the heart of the matter is better than repeating the same old
skills and knowledge that they already understand. Building a wide variety
of these "cheerleading" activities will give your employees the three
required building blocks of embracing diversity -- learning new skills,
gaining new knowledge, and changing attitudes.

Team building activities have always been popular, but be careful that you do
not divide your workers! For example, one company Christmas party did not
work as it was supposed to. Because of accident liability, the company chose not
to serve liquor, but instead, let employees buy it at a cash bar. Employees who
earned wages close to the minimum wage found the charge per drink high and
consequently complained about the party, while the employees from the higher
socioeconomic levels did not find the drink charge a problem. The two groups
also approached the party attire differently. The more affluent group enjoyed
dressing up for the occasion while the rest were annoyed about having to
purchase a dress or suit. To further complicate matters, the affluent group didn't
anticipate the needs of or even perceive the problems felt by their co-workers at
the Christmas party. A small third faction objected to Christmas altogether and
stayed away from the party. The result was groups of workers who became more
distant from each other. This distance further eroded the closeness necessary for
building teams. As a result, a company function that was designed to build
teams actually ended up dividing the employees into three camps.
6 - Manage Client
Relationships
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes
are truly endless. - Mother Theresa

As a leader, you need to interact with clients, followers, peers, seniors, and other people
whose support you need to accomplish your objectives. To gain their support, you must be
able to understand and motivate them. To understand and motivate people, you must know
human nature. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave
according to certain principles of human nature. These principles govern our behavior.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Human needs are an important part of human nature. Values, beliefs, and customs differ from
country to country and group to group, but all people have similar needs. As a leader, you
must understand these needs because they are powerful motivators.

Abraham Maslow (1954) felt that the basic human needs were arranged in a hierarchical
order, often shown as a pyramid. He based his theory on healthy, creative people who used all
their talents, potential, and capabilities. At the time, this methodology differed from other
psychology research studies that were based on the observation of disturbed people.

He theorized that there are two major groups of human needs -- basic needs and meta needs.

Basic needs are physiological, such as food, water, and sleep; and psychological, such as
affection, security, and self esteem. These basic needs are also called deficiency needs
because if they are not met by an individual, then that person will strive to make up the
deficiency.

The higher needs are called meta needs or growth needs. These include justice, goodness,
beauty, order, unity, etc. Basic needs take priority over these growth needs. People who lack
food or water cannot attend to justice or beauty.

These needs are listed below in hierarchical order. The needs on the bottom of the list (1 to 4
– basic needs) must be met before the needs above it can be met. The top four needs (5 to 8),
can be pursued in any order depending on a person's wants or circumstance, as long as all the
other needs (1 to 4 – meta needs) have all been met.
 Hierarchy of Needs
8. Self-transcendence - a transegoic4 level that emphasizes visionary intuition,
altruism, and unity consciousness.

7. Self-actualization - know exactly who you are, where you are going, and
what you want to accomplish. A state of well being.

6. Aesthetic - at peace, more curious about inner workings of all.

5. Cognitive - learning for learning alone, contribute knowledge.

4. Esteem - feeling of moving up in world, recognition, few doubts about self.

3. Belongingness and love - belong to a group, close friends to confine with.

2. Safety - feel free from immediate danger.

1. Physiological - food, water, shelter, sex.

Maslow posited that people want and are forever striving to meet various goals. Because the
lower level needs are more immediate and urgent if they are nor satisfied, they come into play
as the source and direction of a person's goal.

Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs

A need higher in the hierarchy will become a motive of behavior as long as the needs below it
have been satisfied. Unsatisfied lower needs will dominate unsatisfied higher needs and must
be satisfied before the person can climb up the hierarchy.

Knowing where a person is located on this scale aids in determining an effective motivator.
For example, motivating a middle-class person (who is in range 4 of the hierarchy) with a
certificate will have a far greater impact than using the same motivator to motivate a
minimum wage person from the ghettos who is struggling to meet needs 1 and 2.

It should be noted that almost no one stays in one particular hierarchy for an extended period.
We constantly strive to move up, while at the same time forces outside our control try to push
us down. Those on top get pushed down for short time periods, i.e., death of a loved-one or an
idea that does not work. Those on the bottom get pushed up, i.e., come across a small prize or
receive a better paying job. Our goal as leaders is to help the employees obtain the skills and
knowledge that will push them up the hierarchy permanently. People who have their basic
needs met become better workers. There are able to concentrate on fulfilling the visions put
forth to them, instead of consistently worrying about how to make ends meet.

4
Transegoic means a higher, psychic, or spiritual state of development. The trans is related to
transcendence, while the ego is of course, based upon Freud's work. We go from preEGOic levels to
EGOic levels to transEGOic. The EGO in all three terms is used in the Jungian sense of consciousness
as opposed to the unconscious. Ego equates with the personality.
Characteristics of self-actualizing people:
• Have better perceptions of reality and are comfortable with it.
• Accept themselves and their own natures.
• Their lack artificiality.
• They focus on problems outside themselves and are concerned with basic issues and
eternal questions.
• They like privacy and tend to be detached.
• Rely on their own development and continued growth.
• Appreciate the basic pleasures of life (do not take blessings for granted).
• Have a deep feeling of kinship with others.
• Are deeply democratic and are not really aware of differences.
• Have strong ethical and moral standards.
• Are original and inventive, less constricted and fresher than others

In Maslow's model, the ultimate goal of life is self-actualization, which is almost never fully
attained but rather is something to always strive towards. Peak experiences are temporary
self-actualizations. Maslow later theorized that this level does not stop, it goes on to self-
transcendence (1971), which carries us to the spiritual level, such as Gandhi, Mother Theresa,
Dalai Lamao, or poets such as Robert Frost. Maslow's self-transcendence level recognizes the
human need for ethics, creativity, compassion and spirituality. Without this spiritual or
transegoic sense, we are simply animals or machines. Just as there are peak experiences for
temporary self-actualizations; there are also peak experiences for self-transcendence. These
are our spiritual creative moments.

Herzberg's Hygiene and Motivational Factors

Herzberg (1966) developed a list of factors that are closely based on Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs, except it is more closely related to work:

1. Hygiene or Dissatisfiers - Working conditions

• Policies and administrative practices

• Salary and Benefits
• Supervision
• Status
• Job security
• Fellow workers
• Personal life

2. Motivators or Satisfiers - Recognition

• Achievement
• Advancement
• Growth
• Responsibility
• Job challenge

Hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) must be present in the job before the motivators (satisfiers) can
be used to stimulate that person. That is, you cannot use Motivators until all the Hygiene
factors are met. Herzberg's needs are specifically job related and reflect some of the distinct
things that people want from their work as opposed to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which
reflect all the needs in a person’s life.
Building on this model, Herzberg coined the term job enrichment to describe the process of
redesigning work in order to build in Motivators.

Theory X and Theory Y

Douglas McGregor (1957) developed a philosophical view of humankind with his Theory X
and Theory Y. These are two opposing perceptions about how people view human behavior at
work and organizational life.
Theory X
• People have an inherent dislike for work and will avoid it whenever
possible.

• People must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment

in order to get them to achieve the organizational objectives.

• People prefer to be directed, do not want responsibility, and have little or no

ambition.

• People seek security above all else.

• With Theory X assumptions, management's role is to coerce and control

employees.

Theory Y
• Work is as natural as play and rest.

• People will exercise self-direction if they are committed to the objectives.

• Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their

achievement.

• People learn to accept and seek responsibility.

• Creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are widely distributed among the

population. People are capable of using these abilities to solve an
organizational problem.

• People have potential.

With Theory Y assumptions, management's role is to develop the potential in employees and
help them to release that potential towards common goals.

Theory X is the view that traditional management has taken towards the workforce. Many
organizations are now taking the enlightened view of theory Y. A boss can be viewed as
taking the theory X approach, while a leader takes the theory Y approach.

Notice that Maslow, Herzberg, and McGreagor's theories all tie together:
• Herzberg's theory is a micro version of Maslow's theory (concentrated in
the work place).
 • McGreagor's Theory X is based on workers caught in the lower levels (1 to
3) of Maslow's theory, while his Theory Y is for workers who have gone
above level 3.

• McGreagor's Theory X is based on workers caught in Herberg's Hygiene or

Dissatisfiers, while Theory Y is based on workers who are in the Motivators
or Satisfiers section.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

- Frank Outlaw

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates based their work on the Myers-Briggs-Type-Indicator
(MBTI) - which in turn, is based on the work of famed psychiatrist Carl Jung. There are four
temperaments or characters that our personality is based on. Although we have the capacity
for all four temperaments, we typically develop a basic attitude or predisposition for one of
them. They are described with the names of Greek gods of mythology, with whom they share
preferences and behaviors:
• Dionysian (Artisan) - This temperament seeks freedom, values spontaneity,
and resists being constrained or obligated. They do things because the
process of doing them is pleasing, regardless of the goal or outcome. They
are action driven, here-and-now, and thrive on situations requiring
immediate response. They are optimists who are not easily controlled. They
are the ultimate troubleshooters and negotiators. They tend to dislike
bosses, policies, and procedures.

• Epithean (Guardian) - People with this temperament have strong affiliation

needs, a sense of duty, are keepers of traditions, get satisfaction from
giving, and have strong work ethics. They want recognition and
appreciation for they believe is merited, but will not request it. They are
pessimists who elicits conformity to group norms. They like making clear
cut decisions and will follow established organizational protocol without
question.

• Promethian (Rationalist) - This type of person understands, predicts,

explains and harness phenomena. They value competence in themselves and
others, thrive on challenges, and strive to control situations. They are the
most self-critical of all and consistently set higher goals of perfection. They
are almost never satisfied with accomplishments and are embarrassed by
praise. They are imaginative, analytical, and like to build systems for the
future. They will create sweeping changes if they see the need.

• Apollonian (Idealist) - An Apollonian sets extraordinary goals, even

transcendent, that hard for them to even explain. They strive to "be real"
and are always in the process of "becoming." Work, relationships, efforts,
 and goals must be imbued with "meaning. "They are hard workers, if the
cause is deemed worthwhile, and are tireless in pursuit of a cause. Can be a
gadfly in pursuing one goal after another. They prefer the big picture verses
details, are centered on people and relationships, and would rather focus on
ideas than tasks.

Leaders need all four types of temperaments on their team to make it well rounded. All to
often, leaders tend to choose people with their same type or favorite personality. But this
makes a team weak, in that it cannot approach problems and implementations from all sides
of the spectrum. Balance your team and choose people from all lifestyles.

Existence/Relatedness/Growth (ERG)
Clayton Alderfer (1969), in his Existence/Relatedness/Growth (ERG) Theory of Needs5,
theorized that there are three groups of needs:
• Existence - This group of needs is concerned with providing the basic
requirements for material existence, such as physiological and safety needs.
This need is satisfied by money earned in a job to buy food, home, clothing,
etc.

• Relationships - This group of needs centers on or is built upon the desire to

establish and maintain interpersonal relationships. Since one usually spends
approximately half of one's waking hours on the job, this need is normally
satisfied at least to some degree by one's coworkers.

• Growth - These needs are met by personal development. A person's job,

career, or profession provides for significant satisfaction of growth needs.

Alderfer's ERG theory also states that more than one need may be influential at the same time.
If the gratification of a higher-level need is frustrated, the desire to satisfy a lower-level need
will increase. He identifies this phenomenon as the frustration&shypaggression dimension. Its
relevance on the job is that even when the upper-level needs are frustrated, the job still
provides for the basic physiological needs upon which one would then be focused. If, at that
point, something happens to threaten the job, the person's basic needs are significantly
threatened. If there are not factors present to relieve the pressure, the person may become
desperate and panicky.

Expectancy Theory
Vroom's (1964) Expectancy Theory states that an individual will act in a certain way based on
the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of
that outcome to the individual. This motivational model has been modified by several people,
to include Porter and Lawler (1968):

Valence x Expectancy x Instrumentality = Motivation

• Valence (Reward) = Is the amount of desire for a goal. (What is the

reward?)

5 Noticed that this model is based upon Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

 • Expectancy (Performance) = Is the strength of belief that work related effort
will result in the completion of the task. (How hard will I have to work to
reach the goal?)

• Instrumentality (Belief) = This is the belief that the reward will be received
once the task is completed. (Will they notice the effort I put forth?)

The product of valence, expectancy, and instrumentality is motivation. It can be thought of as

the strength of the drive towards a goal. For example, if an employee wants to move up
through the ranks, then promotion has a high valence for that employee. If the employee
believes that high performance will result in good reviews, then the employee has high
expectancy. But if the employee believes the company will not promote from within, then the
employee has low instrumentality. Therefore, the employee is not motivated to perform any
harder.
7- Build Appropriate
Relationships
Jingshen is the Mandarin word for spirit and vivacity. It is an
important word for those who would lead, because above all
things, spirit and vivacity set effective organizations apart
from those that will decline and die. - James L. Hayes Memos
for Management: Leadership

In the preceding chapter, you learned about working with others by knowing human behavior.
In organizations, you build relationships through Organizational Behavior -- the study and
application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. It
does this by taking a system approach. That is, it interprets people-organization relationships
in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization, and whole social system. Its
purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational
objectives, and social objectives.

As you can see from the definition above, organizational behavior encompasses a wide range
of topics, such as human behavior, change, leadership, teams, etc.

Elements of Organizational Behavior

An organization's foundation rests on management's philosophy, values, vision, and goals.
This in turn drives the organizational culture, which is composed of the formal organization,
informal organization, and the social environment. The culture determines the type of
leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The workers
perceive this as the quality of work life that directs their degree of motivation. The final
outcomes are performance, individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. All
these elements combine to build the model or framework that the organization operates from.

Models of Organizational Behavior

There are four frameworks that organizations operate out of:
• Autocratic - The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation
of authority. The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and
dependence on the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The
performance result is minimal.

• Custodial - The basis of this model is economic resources with a

managerial orientation of money. The employees in turn are oriented
 towards security and benefits and dependence on the organization. The
employee need that is met is security. The performance result is passive
cooperation.

• Supportive - The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial

orientation of support. The employees in turn are oriented towards job
performance and participation. The employee need that is met is status and
recognition. The performance result is awakened drives.

• Collegial - The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial

orientation of teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards
responsible behavior and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is
self-actualization. The performance result is moderate enthusiasm.

Although there are four separate frameworks above, almost no organization operates
exclusively in one. There will usually be a predominate one, with one or more areas over-
lapping into the other models.

The first model, autocratic, had its roots in the industrial revolution. The managers of this
type of organization operate out of McGregor's Theory X. The next three models begin to
build on McGregor's Theory Y. Each model has evolved over a period of time and there is no
one "best" model. The collegial model should not be thought as the last or best model, but the
beginning of a new model or paradigm.

Social Systems, Culture, and Individualization

A social system is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. Within an
organization, the social system includes all the people in it and their relationships to each
other and to the outside world. The behavior of one member can have an impact, either
directly or indirectly, on the behavior of others. Also, the social system does not have
boundaries...it exchanges goods, ideas, culture, etc. with the environment around it.
Culture is the conventional behavior of a society that encompasses beliefs, customs,
knowledge, and practices. It influences human behavior, even though it seldom enters into
their conscious thought. People depend on culture as it gives them stability, security,
understanding, and the ability to respond to a given situation. This is why people fear change.
They fear the system will become unstable, their security will be lost, they will not understand
the new process, and they will not know how to respond to the new situations.

Individualization is when employees successfully exert influence on the social system by

challenging the culture.
 Individualization within Organizations

High

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Conformity Creative
Individualism

Socialization

Isolation Rebellion

Low 123456789 High

Individualization

The chart above shows how individualization affects different organizations:

• Too little socialization and too little individualization create isolation.

• Too high socialization and too little individualization create conformity.

• Too little socialization and too high individualization create rebellion

• While the match that organizations want to create is high socialization and
high individualization which leads to a creative environment. This is what it
takes to survive in a very competitive environment...having people grow
with the organization.

This can become quite a balancing act. Individualism favors individual rights, loosely knit
social networks, self-respect, and personal rewards and careers. It becomes, “look out for
number 1!” Socialization or collectivism favors the group, harmony, and asks, "What is best
for the organization?" Organizations need people to challenge, question, and experiment,
while at the same time, maintaining the culture that binds them into a social system.

Organization Development
Organization Development (OD) is the systematic application of behavioral science
knowledge at various levels, such as group, inter-group, organization, etc., to bring about
planned change. Its objectives are a higher quality of work-life, productivity, adaptability, and
effectiveness. It accomplishes this by changing attitudes, behaviors, values, strategies,
procedures, and structures so that the organization can adapt to competitive actions,
technological advances, and the fast pace of change within the environment.

There are seven characteristics of OD:

• Humanistic Values: Positive beliefs about the potential of employees
(McGregor's Theory Y).
 • Systems Orientation: All parts of the organization, to include structure,
technology, and people, must work together.

• Experiential Learning: The learners' experiences in the training

environment should be the kind of human problems they encounter at work.
The training should NOT be all theory and lecture.

• Problem Solving: Problems are identified, data is gathered, corrective

action is taken, progress is assessed, and adjustments in the problem solving
processes are made as needed. This process is known as Action Research.

• Contingency Orientation: Actions are selected and adapted to fit the need.

• Change Agent: Stimulate, facilitate, and coordinate change.

• Levels of Interventions: Problems can occur at one or more level in the

organization so the strategy will require one or more interventions.

Quality of Work Life

Quality of Work Life (QWL) is the favorableness or unfavorableness of the job environment.
Its purpose is to develop jobs and working conditions that are excellent for both the
employees and the organization. One of the ways of accomplishing QWL is through job
design. Some of the options available for improving job design are:
• Leave the job as is but employ only people who like the rigid environment
or routine work. Some people do enjoy the security and task support of
these kinds of jobs.

• Leave the job as is, but pay the employees more.

• Mechanize and automate the routine jobs. Let robots handle it.

• Redesign the job.

When redesigning jobs, there are two spectrums to follow -- job enlargement and job
enrichment. Job enlargement adds a more variety of tasks and duties to the job so that it is not
as monotonous. This takes in the breadth of the job. That is, the number of different tasks that
an employee performs. This can also be accomplished by job rotation.

Job enrichment, on the other hand, adds additional motivators. It adds depth to the job - more
control, responsibility, and discretion to how the job is performed. This gives higher order
needs to the employee, as opposed to job enlargement, which simply gives more variety.
The chart below illustrates the differences: between Enlargement and Enrichment:

Higher
Order Job

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Job Enrichment
Enrichment &
Enlargement
Accent on Need
Job
Routine
Enlargement
Job
Lower
Order
Few 123456789 Many

Variety of Tasks
Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement

The benefits of enriching jobs include:

• Growth of the individual
• Individuals have better job satisfaction
• Self-actualization of the individual
• Better employee performance for the organization
• Organization gets intrinsically motivated employees
• Less absenteeism, turnover, and grievances for the organization
• Full use of human resources for society
• Society gains more effective organizations

There are a variety of methods for improving job enrichment:

• Skill Variety: Perform different tasks that require different skill. This
differs from job enlargement, which might require the employee to perform
more tasks, but require the same set of skills.
• Task Identity: Create or perform a complete piece of work. This gives a
sense of completion and responsibility for the product.
• Task Significant: This is the amount of impact that the work has on other
people as the employee perceives.
• Autonomy: This gives employees discretion and control over job related
decisions.
• Feedback: Information that tells workers how well they are performing. It
can come directly from the job (task feedback) or verbally form someone
else.
8 - Flexibility
Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely. - Karen
Kaiser Clark

Today's business world is highly competitive. The way to survive is to reshape to the needs of
a rapidly changing world. Resistance to change is a dead-end street...for you and the
organization. Customers are not only demanding excellent service, they are also demanding
more. If you do not supply it, your competitors will.

To prevent from becoming "stranded on the mudflats of an obsolete ideology"

(David Lodge), you must become a champion of change.

Organizations are reshaping themselves to change quickly in order to meet the needs of their
customers. The organization's top leaders know they cannot throw money at every problem,
they need highly committed and flexible workers. As a leader, you need to emphasize action
to make the change as quickly and smoothly as possible. “Resistance is futile,” as the Borg
from Star Trek like to put it.

Organizations go through four main changes throughout their growth:

1. Formative Period - This is when a new organization is just getting started.
Although there is a founding vision - why the organization was started,
there are no formal definitions. This is just as well because there are a lot of
experimentation and innovation taking place. These changes of creativity
and discovery are needed to overcome obstacles and accomplish
breakthroughs.

2. Rapid Growth Period - Direction and Coordination are added to the

organization to sustain growth and solidify gains. Change is focused on
defining the purpose of the organization and on the mainstream business.

3. Mature Period - The growth now levels off to the overall pace of the
economy. Changes are needed to maintain established markets and assuring
maximum gains are achieved.

4. Declining Period - This is the rough ride. For many organizations, it means
downsizing and reorganization. Changes must include tough objectives and
compassionate implementation. The goal is to get out of the old and into
something new. Success in this period means that the four periods start over
again.

For some organizations the four periods of growth come and go very rapidly, for others, it
may take decades. Failure to follow-through with the needed changes in any of the four
growth periods means the death of the organization.
 The Japanese have a term called "kaizen" which means continual improvement.
This is a never-ending quest to do better. And you do better by changing.
Standing still allows your competitors to get ahead of you.

Change Acceptance
Throughout these periods of changes, which is just about all the time for a good organization,
leaders must concentrate on having their people go from change avoidance to change
acceptance. There are five steps accompanying change (Conner):
1. Denial - cannot foresee any major changes

2. Anger at others for what they're putting me through.

3. Bargaining - work out solutions, keep everyone happy.

4. Depression - is it worth it? Has doubt and needs support.

5. Acceptance of the reality of change.

This is why a worker's first reaction to change is to resist it. People get comfortable
performing tasks and processes a certain way. This comfort provides them with the security
that they are the masters of their environment. They fear that change could disrupt their lives
by making them look like a fool by not being able to adapt and learn, make their jobs harder,
loose a sense of control, etc.

Leaders can help the change process by changing their employees' attitude from avoidance
into acceptance. This is accomplished by changing their employees' avoidance questions and
statements into acceptance questions:
• From “Why?” to “What new opportunities will this provide?” When they
ask "why," focus on the benefits that the change will provide them and the
organization. Do NOT feel uncomfortable if you are feeling hesitation about
the change too...you are also human. By spelling out the benefits, you will
not only comfort them, but help to convince your self too.

• From “How will this affect me?” to “What problems will this solve?”
Anything that prevents something from being better is a problem. Let them
know what the problem is and how they will be part of the solution.

• From “We do not do it this way” to “What would it look like?” One of their
first reactions is that it has never been done this way or it cannot be done
this way...show them, provide plenty of explanations and compassion, and
get your team to ask and answer questions.

• From “When will this change be over so we can get back to work?” to
“What can I do to help?” Get them involved in implementing the change.
Help them to become part of it.

• From “Who is doing this to us?” to “Who can help us?” Focus on the
challenges that must be overcome. Ensure that you enlist help from other
departments and colleagues.
Hawthorne Effect
Change is further complicated as it does not always produce a direct adjustment. Each
employee's attitude produces a different response that is conditioned by feelings towards the
change. In a classical experiment (Roethlisberger, & Dickson, 1939), lighting was improved
in a factory regularly. The theory was that better lighting would lead to greater productivity.
As expected, productivity did rise. The lighting was then decreased to show the reverse effect
-- lower productivity, but instead, productivity increased further! It was not until the lighting
was down to the equivalent of moonlight (0.06 foot-candle) that an appreciable decline in
output was noticed.

Of course, it was not the change in lighting itself that caused the higher output, but rather an
intervening variable. At first, this variable was diagnosed as the employee's attitudes. That is,
when you introduce change, each employee's personal history and social situation at work will
produce a different attitude towards that change. You cannot see or measure attitudes, but
what you can see and measure is the response towards that change:
Change + Personal history (nurture) + Social situation (environment) = Attitude = Response

In the factory workers case, productivity rose because they were being observed. This is
known as the Hawthorne Effect (named after the factory where the research took place). It
means that the mere observation of a group tends to change it.

However, if you have ever gone through change (which almost every one of us has), you
know that creating change is not so easy…but according to the Hawthorne Effect, all you
have to do to increase productivity is introduce change into the work place.

For decades, the Hawthorne studies provided the rationale for human relations within the
organization. Then two researchers (Franke, & Kaul, 1978) used a new procedure called time-
series analyses. Using the original variables and including in the Great Depression and the
instance of a managerial discipline in which two insubordinate and mediocre workers were
replaced by two different productive workers (one who took the role of straw boss), they
discovered that production was most affected by the replacement of the two workers due to
their greater productivity and the affect of the disciplinary action on the other workers. The
occurrence of the Depression also encouraged job productivity, perhaps through the increased
importance of jobs and the fear of losing them. Rest periods and a group incentive plan also
had a somewhat positive smaller effect on productivity. These variables accounted for almost
all the variation in productivity during the experimental period. Social science may have been
to readily to embrace the original Hawthorne interpretations since it was looking for theories
or work motivation that were more humane and democratic.

Group Belonging
Although each person will have a different response to change (personal history), they often
show their attachment to the group (social situation at work) by joining in a uniform response
to the change. For example, one person's personal history might be so strong that she works
harder when a change is introduced, while the rest of the group's social situation is strong
enough that they threaten to strike because of the change. Although each person in that group
might want to something different, such as place more demands, ignore the change, work
harder, etc.; the need of being in a group sways the many individuals to follow a few
individuals - "we are all in this together."

At times, the response towards change is influenced by personal history, at other times it is
swayed mostly by the social situation.
 No man is an island, entire if it self;
every man is a piece of the Continent,
a part of the main...
John Donne (1571 - 1631)

Leading the Change Effort

Martin Luther King did not say, "I have a very good plan," he shouted, "I have a dream!" You
must provide passion and a strong sense of purpose of the change (Pritchett, Price). Feelings
are contagious. When someone around you is feeling blue, it brings you down somewhat.
Likewise, when someone is passionate about something, it inspires you. Build the change so
that others want to be part of it. When you give them part of it, also give them the authority
and control to act upon it. Share the power so that they do not feel powerless. You want them
to feel useful and enthusiastic. Make them feel needed, that the change could not happen
without them!

When leading the change, note that there will be three stages:

1. Unfreezing - Old ideals and processes must be tossed aside so the new ones
may be learned. Often, getting rid of the old processes is just as difficult as
learning new ones due to the power of habits. Just as a teacher erases the
old lessons off the chalkboard before beginning a new lesson, so must a
leader help to clear out the old practices before beginning the new.

2. Changing - The steps to the new ideals are learned by practicing. Although
there will be confusion, overload and despair at first, a leader’s influence
can change it to hope, discovery, and excitement.

What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.

- Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius).

3. Refreezing - The new processes are now intellectually and emotionally

accepted. What has been learned is now actually being practiced on the job.
Being there for your team will set up the next change process...for
remember – it is continuous process improvement!

Think of managing change as an adventure. It tests your skills and abilities. It

brings forth talent that may have been dormant. Change is also a training
ground for leadership. When we think of leaders, we remember times of change,
innovation and conflict. Leadership is often about shaping a new way of life. To
do that, you must advance change, take risks and accept responsibility for
making change happen. - Charles E. Rice, CEO of Barnett Bank
9 - Professionalism
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every
experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing you think you cannot do. - Eleanor
Roosevelt

Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is "being all you can
be" within the bounds of doing what is right for your organization. To reach excellence you
must first be a leader of character. You must do everything you are supposed to do. An
organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants want to go, then
having leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and hope that along the
way those leaders acted with good character. That way is backwards. Pursuing excellence
should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. When you do planning, you do it by
backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence
starts with leaders of character who engage in the entire process of leadership. And the first
process is being a person of honorable character.

Character develops over time. Many think that much of character is formed early in life.
However, nobody knows exactly how much or how early character develops. But, it is safe to
claim that character does not change quickly. A person's observable behavior is an indication
of his or her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or bad. A person with
strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve.
She sees what she wants and goes after it. She attracts followers. On the other hand, a person
with weak character shows none of these traits. She does not know what she wants. Her traits
are disorganized, she vacillates and is inconsistent. She will attract no followers.

A strong person can be good or bad. A gang leader is an example of a strong person with a
bad character, while an outstanding community leader is one with both strong and good
characteristics. An organization needs leaders with strong and good characteristics, people
who will guide them to the future and show that they can be trusted.

To be an effective leader, your people must have trust in you and they have to be sold on your
vision. Korn-Ferry International, an executive search company, performed a survey on what
organizations want from their leaders. The respondents said they wanted people who were
ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any organization, a leader's action sets
the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organization's continued vitality.
One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character. Character is the
disposition of a person, made up of beliefs, values, skills, and traits:

• Beliefs are the deeply rooted feelings that a person holds dear. They could
be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people,
concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion,
what is good, what is bad, what is human nature, etc.
 • Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For
example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort,
or relatives. These are import because they influence your behavior to
weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends
more than privacy.

• Skills are the knowledge and abilities you gain throughout life. The ability
to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost
naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to study and
practice.

• Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while

character is the sum total of these traits.

Leadership Traits
There are hundreds of personality traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will
focus on a few that are crucial for a leader6. The more of these traits you display as a leader,
the more your people will believe and trust in you:
• Honesty - Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions.
Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust in your people.

• Competent - Your actions should be based on reason and moral principles.

Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings.

• Forward-looking - Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision
must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what
they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from
their basic values.

• Inspiring - Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in

mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire your people to
reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary.

• Intelligent - Read, study, and seek challenging assignments.

• Fair-minded - Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of

justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests,
and well being of others.

• Broad-minded - Seek out diversity.

• Courageous - Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of

the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness
when under stress.

• Straightforward - Use sound judgment to make a good decision at the

right time.

6 Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group.
 • Imaginative - Make timely and appropriate changes in thinking, plans, and
methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and
solutions to problems.

"Retreat Hell! We've just got here!" - Attributed to several World War I Marine
Corps officers, Belleau Wood, June 1918. (key ideal - "take a stand")

Attributes
Attributes establish what leaders are, and every leader needs at least three of them:
• Standard Bearers establish the ethical framework within an organization.
This demands a commitment to live and defend the climate and culture that
you want to permeate your organization. What you set as an example will
soon become the rule as unlike skills or knowledge, ethical behavior is
learned more by observing that by listening. And in fast moving situations,
examples become certainty. Being a standard bearer creates trust and
openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions.

• Developers help others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This
creates an exciting place to work and learn. Never miss an opportunity to
teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests someone who
cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are
less experienced. Employees who work for developers know that they can
take risks, learn by making mistakes, and winning in the end.

• Integrators orchestrate the many activities that take place throughout an

organization by providing a view of the future and the ability to obtain it.
Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort to obtain it.
Integrators have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make
their presence felt during critical times. They know that their employees do
their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework.

"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!" -
Captain Henry P. "Jim" Crowe, USMC, Guadalcanal, 13 January 1943. (key
words -- "follow me" -- NOT "go")

Perspectives of Character and Traits

Traits (acronym - JJ did tie buckle)

• Justice
• Judgment
• Dependability
• Initiative
• Decisiveness
• Tact
• Integrity
• Enthusiasm
• Bearing
 • Unselfishness
• Courage
• Knowledge
• Loyalty
• Endurance

U.S. Army 11 Leadership Principles

• Be tactically and technically proficient
• Know yourself and seek self-improvement
• Know your soldiers and look out for their welfare
• Keep your soldiers informed
• Set the example
• Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
• Train your soldiers as a team
• Make sound and timely decisions
• Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
• Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities
• Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions

Organizations consist of three components:

• The structure gives the organization its form and dictates the way it will
interact.

• The led respond to the structure and the leaders.

• The leaders determine the ultimate effectiveness of the organization as the

character and skills that they bring determine the way problems are solved
and tasks are accomplished.

U.S. Army 23 Traits of Character

• Bearing
• Confidence
• Courage
• Integrity
• Decisiveness
• Justice
• Endurance
• Tact
• Initiative
• Coolness
• Maturity
• Improvement
• Will
• Assertiveness
• Candor
• Sense of humor
• Competence
• Commitment
• Creativity
• Self-discipline
 • Humility
• Flexibility
• Empathy/Compassion

Are managers leaders? Are leaders managers?

Managers need to be leaders...their workers need vision and guidance! On the other hand,
leaders need to be good managers of the resources entrusted to them.

In matters of style, swim with the current;

In matters of principle, stand like a rock. - Tomas Jefferson
10 - Financial Awareness
As we, the leaders, deal with tomorrow, our task is not to try
to make perfect plans...Our task is to create organizations that
are sufficiently flexible and versatile that they can take our
imperfect plans and make them work in execution. That is the
essential character of the learning organization. - Gordon R.
Sullivan & Michael V. Harper

All leaders must think funding. That is, what projects should their department tackle that will
make and save the organization money? When times are good, we often ignore monetary
issues; it is not until bad times when the organization is facing downsizing that we begin to
pay attention to the financial side of the business. The departments that do not express a
concern for monetary issues are often some of the first to feel the axe, primarily because they
are spending resources on the wrong projects. Their commitment to providing good service or
products may be in the right place, however, their sense of prioritizing projects during tight
money supplies are lacking.

Your department needs to play a vital part in keeping the business competitive during hard
and good times by working to identifying goals and objectives, helping the employees to
obtain the skills and knowledge needed to achieve those goals, and finally, ensuring those
goals and objectives are met. Indeed, a really good department will help to keep the
organization at the "head of the pack" during the worst of times.

Return On Investment (ROI) –

The main measuring yardstick of business is the ROI. It is expressed as:
(e - x) / I

1. Subtract expenses (x) from benefits (e)

2. Express the difference as net present value (on an after tax basis)
3. Divide this by the initial investment (i).

The items measured can include soft benefits, such as better communication or employee
morale. However, they must produce a quantifiable result based on specific measurements,
such as fewer sick days or lower employee turnover rates. Since capturing ROI is not cheap, it
is normally used for long term projects that last at least a year.

Note that ROI can mean several things. Some use it to mean the "Return" (incremental gain)
from an action, divided by the cost of that action. For example, an investment that costs $100
and pays back $150 after a short period of time has a 50% ROI. In financial circles, ROI
normally means "Return on Invested Capital." When ROI is requested or used, ask or show
specifically how it is calculated.

Tangible Benefits
The benefits of some programs or projects are not measured using ROI for various reasons.
For example, if you implement a new computer system, the workers must be trained to use it.
There is no valid reason for performing a training ROI (however, hopefully a ROI was
performed for the new computer system). Another example is by federal law, such as safety
programs, so again there is no need to perform an ROI. However, since it will probably be
performed on a continuous basis, then you should perform "process improvement" on the
program to keep it effective and efficient.

Other projects that do not require ROIs are short term, normally 12 months or less, and
produce "Tangible Benefits." This includes such projects as improving customer relations.
Projects that improve customer relations are normally held in high esteem due to the positive
impact that they have on the organization’s bottom-line.

Holy Grails
Some projects are so powerful that they deeply impact the organization positively, such as
improving the stock value or providing long term revenues. For example, Knowledge
Management projects, which normally take a several years to fully implement, move in one of
two directions:
1. Their benefits are not fully known, in which case they should be delayed
until better economic times (or until you have a better understanding of the
benefits).

2. Their potential payoff is so great that they should not be delayed.

The key is ensuring that you and your managers know what the pay-off is going to be.
However, building programs that get the backings of the CEO and on down are not easy to
create. For that, you usually need to do some creative brainstorming.

NOTE - Many organizations have handed off Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives to the
MIS department. This is because the software industry has grabbed hold of KM and peddled it
as a software solution. However, KM is NOT a technology solution! KM uses intellectual
capital (employee knowledge and experience) as an asset through knowledge sharing and
documentation. Your employees have a firm hold on this intellectual capital and they have
been taught that "knowledge is power." That is, they benefit by hoarding what they know, so
they are reluctant to let go of this power. KM is implemented by changing the company
culture from "I" to "collaboration." This is best done by change agents, namely the leaders
and performance specialists who can be found throughout the organization. This is
accomplished by:

1. Identify a business need -- what knowledge can be captured that will prove
most profitable? Who will use this knowledge -- customers, individuals,
managers?

2. Implement tools to capture and organize the material. It could be a hard

copy book that is created semi-annually or a web site for sharing
information.
 3. Reward knowledge sharing -- build incentives. For example, make it a part
of the performance review and give recognition to employees who provide
the most frequently accessed contributions.

Capital Spending
When funding gets tight, managers will try to stop projects that appear discretionary.
However, capital spending that has write-off potential will often be saved. Capital
expenditures are purchased items that will be used for the current period and several future
periods (such as equipment), verses revenue expenditures, which are items that will be
consumed or used in the current period (office supplies). Most organizations start their new
budgeting period on October 1 (the beginning of the fiscal year). Be sure to check with your
accounting department as laws vary as to what constitutes capital expenditures.

Federal Regulations
Managers hate the thought of a federal audit. Programs that keep the feds (such as OSHA)
from breathing down their necks are normally saved. Be proactive with these types of
programs.

Improve Efficiency
Cost cutting is a bad goal, while improving efficiency is a good goal. Let me explain. When
your goal is to cut costs, you start throwing things away. Pretty soon, you are down to the bare
minimal, and the next thing you know, you are throwing out processes that generate revenue,
which puts the organization in a viscous cycle by throwing out the very thing it needs --
revenue-generating processes. As a leader, you need to use your various political avenues to
convince upper-management of the folly of cost cutting. Instead, concentrate on identifying
processes, targeting the inefficient ones, performing process improvement, and then
continuing the cycle -- remember, it is actually continuous process improvement.

Riders
Depending upon the size of the organization, there are normally several projects in various
stages being implemented throughout an organization. Offer your department's expertise in
the implementation of these projects. This allows you and your department to become known
as "team players." These funded projects often have the latitude of allowing you to "ride" your
projects on them. This provides a double benefit for the organization -- you are able to help
other departments, while at the same time getting help from them. This might sound political,
but in political arenas, it is, "you scratch my back and I will scratch your back." Using riders
differs in that you are going to help the business units no matter if they give you something
back or not. However, if you can ride your project onto theirs without too much
inconvenience, then so much the better. The goal is to achieve strategic partnerships within
the organization, while at the same time increasing the value of your department.

Employee Developmental Programs

These are often the hardest programs to get funding when money gets tight. This is because
the immediate payoff is unknown. However, "growing" the employees enables them to
"grow" the organization. Implementing development programs generally requires a three-
prong approach:

1. First, implement programs using the above suggestions, this shows that you
are a trusted person who spends the organization's money wisely.

2. Second, choose a developmental program that coincides with a high profile

enabler, such as the CEO's goals or the mission statement. For example, if
your mission statement has a short blurb about "embracing diversity," then
develop a program that enhances diversity.

3. Third, narrow down the program to a process that will actually help the
organization. For example, do not implement a diversity program simple
because you can, instead, locate a weakness in the organization and target a
program to fix it. The goal is to grow the organization, not to implement
money-wasting programs.

Note that you have to work the second and third approach together, as they are synergic in
nature. That is, you have to not only find a developmental enabler but that enabler must also
need fixing.

Organizations that are entering extreme economic hard times will be the hardest to convince
of the necessity of such developmental programs, even though it might be their only saving
grace. This is because they only have one solution on their minds -- cost cutting, however, as
noted before, cost cutting is not a solution -- it is a reaction.