Free Glide

When is hate OK? When it’s the feeling you have toward average. Let me make this point clearly and without reservation. I hate average!

What is average? My dictionary describes it as being about midway between extremes. Being not out of the ordinary. Common. You know, “Average”. To me average is having a focus that’s on just doing enough to meet the standard. Average is showing up for work, or school or that interview or meeting at precisely the time you’re scheduled to start. Average is choosing comfort and convenience over saying and doing what needs to be said or done. Average is doing “it” or believing a certain way because everyone else does.

The average persons focus is on what the world’s standard is. The above average persons focus is on his own standard.

Ever notice how average people whine about their problems. Above average people are too busy putting their thoughts and energies into solutions to whine. To the average person adversity is an enemy to be avoided at all costs, while to the above average person adversity is looked upon as opportunities and welcomed challenges (smiling as I type, knowing that this is true).

You should make it your habit, your way of life, to always put your above average foot forward. How do you do this? Simply enough, just by doing it. Say what needs to be said, in the way it needs to be said. If you don’t know how to say it the way it needs to be said— say it the way you believe it should be. “Nature” will take care of the rest. Do what needs to be done the way it needs to be done. If you don’t know what needs to be done or how to do what needs to be done, again put your above average foot forward and do what you believe needs to be done. Nature always honors honest effort. Always.

There are too many above average people accepting average as their standard. I know it’s hard to break out, but break out we must. I know the gravitational pull of average is strong, but the resolve to rise above average in the above average person is stronger.

We need to develop a real dis-taste for average. Talking about it is not doing it. I encourage you to resist the evil “average”. In all aspects of your life put your above average foot forward. Step out of the crowd. Simply don’t settle for anything less than above average. Don’t walk average. Don’t talk average. Don’t live average. Just don’t do it.

Kids figuring out this is average, above average thing is real simple. Pick a formula and apply it.

Formula 1 - Average thoughts lead to average actions. Average actions lead to average lives.

Formula 2 - Above average thoughts lead to above average actions. Above average actions lead to above average lives. It’s your choice.

A simple, straight forward question for you on the way out. In your home, community, place of employment, where ever you are, are you the standard bearer? The one pushing the standard higher. Or, are you the one holding the standard down?

To be, or not to be?

Live some. Love some. Learn some. Everyday.

C…

Clyde Dennis, a.k.a. “Mr. How-To” has been writing and publishing Articles and Newsletters online since 1999. Clyde’s company EASYHow-To Publications provides “How-To” information on How-To do, be or have just about anything one can imagine. For more information visit http://www.EASYHow-To.com Email correspondence for Clyde should be sent to: cdennis@easyhow-to.com

My Grandma Tauali’i didn’t know how to read or write when she came to this country…which was fine with me, ’cause she knew how to do everything else perfect!!!

She was the best cook, never using recipes, but could taste a dish and know exactly what was in it…she taught me to cook. She could sew and not use a pattern, she would just go to the store, look at a dress, buy some material and the dress would magically appear in a few days…she taught me to sew.

My Grandma Tauali’i raised me exclusively until I was 6, then off and on after that, so naturally I grew up learning the same techniques she used in how to cook, sew, heal, garden and clean.

When it came time for me to get ready for bed, I would want a story. My Grandmother use to tell me wonderful tales of Samoa and when she was growing up, all about her brothers and sisters, stories of how her Grandfather Opapo raised and taught her, it was the most wonderful time in my life.

Sometimes, my Grandmother would try to read a story from a book, because she was slow in reading English, she would sound out the words and I would read and learn along with her. At four years old, I began reading a set of encyclopedias my mother had bought for our house.

My Grandmother started me on my quest for learning.

I just loved to learn, about anything, my Grandmother made such an adventure out of being able to take care of myself.

My father remarried when I was 6 and my stepmother was only 12 years older than me, which was in itself an adventure, but probably more for her.

The highlight of my year was the summer, my Dad would load our little family up and drive us to Idaho, where my stepmother was from. We would end up on a small dairy farm in Eastern Idaho, near a small town called Blackfoot.

My Grandpa Hale was not a demonstrative man, and very quiet, but I loved him so much. In the mornings, he would get me up early, before the sun, and would take me out to milk the cows. I loved it. The milk had this smell as it sat in the bucket cooling off, and the sound of the cows eating and the milk stream hitting the inside of the bucket is something you can never forget. My Grandpa Hale didn’t say much in the mornings, he didn’t have to…I would be chattering away, asking all kinds of questions about cows and why they ate hay and did they liked being milked… you know, just chatter. I knew that after we were done with all the cows and had cleaned up the buckets and such, that Grandpa would stroll into the kitchen, where my Grandma Hale would have pulled out a fresh loaf of bread, some homemade jam, fresh milk and some fruit that she had canned, and we would have breakfast. Fresh milk with bread and maybe some canned cherries, it was the best and would stick with you all day!

Grandpa was a great reader and a funny man in his own rite. He was mainly serious to everyone else, but I thought he was funny. If my Grandpa would swear, I would say, “Grandpa, you can’t say that!”, and he would say, “That’s in the Bible, if it’s good enough for the Lord to say, then it’s good enough for me to say!”
He would talk to me about what he read and not in a “little kid talk” but in a normal way so I felt like he was, like me.

My Grandpa Hale use to let me help him in the garden. We would work pulling weeds and he would tell me about all the weeds, where they came from, the plants and where they came from( He was a professor of agriculture at a local university), and I would soak it up like a sponge.

One summer, I spent a lot of time with my Grandpa and Grandma Hale, in the garden and milking cows, that summer was the best! I can still remember it, after all these years. I cut the bottom of my foot that year sliding through a culvert in a canal nearby, the neighbor boy who was a few years older than me had to carry me home to have it dressed.

Grandpa had a grain bin that had lots of mice in it and wild cats everywhere. I use to try to catch the mice or the cats, which ever caught my eye.

When my parents came and told me it was time to go home, I cried forever it seemed. While the grownups visited for a last time in the house, I stayed out by the grain bin, sulking and saying goodbye to my summer retreat.

I dug my fingers deep into the Idaho soil, in an area that no-one would walk on, but an area that I knew my grandpa could see. I knew that that area would get lots of water in the spring and that the dirt was good.

I took the winter wheat from the grain bin and planted there, hoping that in the spring, my Grandpa would see my work.
When it came time to finally get in the car and leave, I cried again, I just couldn’t bear to leave my Idaho home. I waved goodbye to my Grandma and Grandpa Hale until I knew they couldn’t see me anymore, and then I slept most of the way back to Illinois.

In the spring, my Grandpa Hale called our house, which he never did. He asked to talk to me, which he just didn’t do. When I got on the phone he said, “I got your message.”
“Which one?” I asked.

“The one by the driveway that says ‘I love you Grandpa…is there another one?’”

“Yes, there is one in the garden that says, ‘I love Grandma too’.”

To me, Grandparents have been the pinnacle of my learning experience and the foundation on how I have raised my children.
My Grandma Tauali’i taught me how to read and write, cook, sew and heal by taking the time to learn about things with me and teaching me by doing with me.

My Grandpa and Grandma Hale taught me how to survive by teaching me side by side how to do manual labor, talking to me about what they knew and teaching me about life and the great outdoors.

The time that I have spent with my grandparents was the most precious in my life. The elderly have so much to give to us and to our children, if they will and if we as parents will let them. All my grandparents are gone now, but they left so much behind for me to pass on to my children, information you just don’t get anymore.

While we have made “healthy resolutions” this year, we should take the time to make “familial resolutions” this year also, to be able to pass precious information down from generation to generation is priceless and traditional and can never be reproduced by the Internet or a University, and can never produce the “Character” and “Integrity” that a Grandparent or Elderly influence can.

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S.. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com

1. Making promises when you are not sure you can keep them can lead to a loss of respect.

Take making promises seriously. View a promise, as a commitment made with an understanding that circumstances might arise that would make it impossible to keep them. Make those circumstances very clear to the person at the time promises are made. Breaking a promise can lead to a loss of respect on the part of the employee. He may question your integrity. A leader must have an impeccable character to earn the confidence of his employees. Don’t make promises you can’t keep and in that rare circumstance that you do break a promise, face the employee eye to eye explaining in detail why you were not able to keep your promise. Be honest about it.

2. Some employees whine, especially sales people. It’s part of their DNA. That does not mean you should ignore complaints that you consider whining.

No employee thinks his complaint is insignificant even if you think it is whining. It is still a problem even if the complaint is taken lightly or ignored. In fact it may grow and fester. An effective leader will address the complaint and not be afraid to tell the employee it is whining or trivial by explaining why. Even though the employee may not hear the answer he is looking for, the leader will not lose respect due to inattention. Of course how he delivers the message is important and should be done without belittling the employee.

3. A leader must show consistency and fairness in his treatment of employees.
Do you vary your approach with employees, being lenient with some and strict with others? There is a fine line between treating all employees exactly the same and showing consistency in the treatment of employees. Employees are all individuals with different backgrounds, different values, different goals, different ideas and different motivational factors. The ability to recognize the differences in people and the ability to apply variable leadership methodologies is an important characteristic of effective leadership. That being said, it is extremely important that a leader does not show favoritism and give preferential treatment to employees. A lack of consistency in the leader’s treatment of employees destroys teamwork and trust. Do not give special privileges unless a special situation warrants it, and everyone understands it.

4. Becoming buddies with your employees is not a good idea and Corporate Recreational Mating is an absolute taboo. That does not mean that you should be cold and aloof. Leadership is about relationships but you must not develop a personal relationship to the extent that it compromises your ability to take command and show control when necessary.

Aloofness can detract from effective leadership. You can be friendly without losing authority or compromising your position. A leader must demonstrate competence and vision and at the same time show a sincere interest in the well being of his employees. Anyone whose job is to influence people and direct them in their work must maintain friendly contact with the group.

5. Being able to collaborate, share ideas and not be threatened by the transfer of intellectual capital is extremely important to promoting a team concept and an atmosphere that promotes confidence.

Sharing your thoughts, experiences, knowledge along with coaching and mentoring is showing confidence and self respect. This supports a culture of camaraderie. Share information whenever issues in your realm of responsibility affect operations in other manager’s areas. Absolutely do not circumvent the authority of managers reporting to you and don’t go around other managers.

6. Refusing an employees request without creating resentment is a tactful necessity of effective leadership.

The ability to say no without creating hostility is important. The key to accomplishing that objective is to recognize the request with sincerity and explain in detail why the request cannot be granted. Being sincere demonstrates concern and makes your personal regret believable.

“The ideal leader is courageous, strong and persistent, wise - but what really separates him or her from the pack is passion and vision. It’s not enough to be skilled administrator or a world-class manager. No, to be a true leader, we need the passion of our dreams - and a vision of how to make them real. Passion and vision are transforming forces that will fail unless we fuse them into one powerful source for change.
“Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric”

• A leader doesn’t follow others footprintshe is always first in line creating a new road map to follow

• A leader doesn’t panic in a crisis he becomes a pillar of strength for others

• A leader doesn’t look for the light at the end of the tunnelhe carries the light

• A leader doesn’t flaunt his titlehe finds the time to be more than his title

• A leader doesn’t get up early to make himself betterhe gets up early to help make others better

• A leader has a visionhe doesn’t dreamhe is the dream and he communicates his vision

• A leader isn’t arrogant but he commands a presence. He is confident.

• The leader is not the one taking credit for success first but he’s the first one to credit those who helped create success

• The leader may not be the most valuable player but he is the player most valued

• The leader does not like being called the reason for success He realizes success depends on the people you surround yourself with–after all he is the leader

Eric (Rick) Johnson

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead WolfThe Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf - LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership

Providing feedback as a leader is critical to direct your team towards success. If you do it correctly, you educate and motivate your team members all at the same time. Get it wrong, and you send them into a downward spiral towards poor performance and possibly even their departure. Here are 4 key areas to focus on when providing feedback effectively.

1) Focus on the behavior, not the person. Feedback is not “personal”. We should not be attacking the person, rather describe the behavior that you have documented or observed, and then share your observations with the team member. The key here is to clearly coach the behavior and keep the self-esteem as high as possible while changing the behavior.

2) Eliminate words like always, all the time, and never. When you use wording that says that something always happens or never happens, the team member will automatically dispute, because the statement is not accurate. When you are equipped with specifics such as dates and times, coaching is more factual and specific, thus more effective.

3) Provide feedback as close to the behavior as possible. If you wait too long, the details become less clear and it is much easier to get into a debate about what actually took place. The only time I would suggest allowing some time to pass is when your emotions may be an issue and you need time to cool off.

4) Ask for a summary when completed. At the end of your discussion, ask the team member to provide a summary. This will ensure that he/she understood the point of the discussion, and there are also benefits to having the team member actually say in their own words what took place and what the corrective action is that was agreed upon.

So take every opportunity to provide coaching and feedback and you will see your team become more motivated and self-directed, which makes your job as a leader more fun and rewarding.

Kreg Enderson
Leadership Mentor/Coach
www.LeadershipMentor.net

Take a look at our new “Learning Leaders Mentoring Groups”
Monthly mentoring program for new leaders. And we also have
A free tele-seminar on March 15th on Leadership Styles.

Kreg Enderson is a certified coach and author that helps leaders work more effectively with people. More information can be found at www.leadershipmentor.net.

Remember your first job?

Mine was in a Pizza restaurant. One of my tasks was to wipe down the stainless steel oven doors and keep them gleaming because they were in customer view. The manager told me how he wanted it done, how to mix the cleaning solution and how to clean the doors. After a few days of doing this, I found that I could cut down on the amount of cleaning liquid with an increase of elbow grease and still accomplish the results he wanted: gleaming oven doors with no visible streaks - and I could save the store some money as well. I was excited! The next day he saw me doing it my way, came up to me and said, “I thought I told you how I wanted you to clean these doors.” I replied, “Yes, but I thought . . .” he cut me off and said, “I’m not paying you to think, I’m paying you to do what I tell you to do!”

Many times our jobs don’t require us to think in order to do them. Sometimes, our jobs require us NOT to think in order to do them.

It is my experience that people know more about their jobs than their jobs require of them. They know more than what they do. In getting people to do more of what they know, leaders need to recognize that the people in their organizations are more than what their jobs have permitted them to become.

You’ve no doubt heard that “people know what to do but they don’t always do what they know.” The primary reason why they don’t always do what they know is because they don’t always know that they know. People tend to devalue their knowledge and think that they either don’t know enough to do well or that what they do know isn’t good enough to do well.

Michelangelo was once asked how he was able to transform a cold, inanimate block of stone into a beautiful angel with the appearance of warmth and life. He replied, “I don’t see the block of stone; I see the angel inside and keep chipping away until it is released.”

When you look at others, what do you see? When you look at yourself, what do you see? For what you see in yourself will determine what you’ll look for in others. It’s true that we see the world not as it is, but as we are. Do you see what’s on the outside only - or do you look for what’s on the inside, too? Do you see someone who is more than what they have become - or someone who has become all that they will ever be? Do you see a “captive angel” inside waiting to be released by a simple kindness? Or do you see a person so cold and hard that it’s difficult to imagine any warmth or life within?

A third grade teacher wanted to impress upon her class that each student could become anything they wanted to be. She had the janitor take a picture of her and the entire class. She gathered her pupils around the photograph and said, “imagine that you’re looking at this picture twenty years from now.” She pointed to a boy in the picture and said, “there’s Jimmy - he’s a doctor now; and there’s Suzy - she’s a judge; and, look over here, it’s Johnny - he’s a celebrated association executive.” Johnny piped up and said, “and look, there’s teacher - she’s dead.” Perhaps the lesson was lost on little Johnny that day.

There are several tools you can use to release the angel within, to get people to do what they know: two of them are thinking and language.

Meander, a 4th century BC Greek philosopher, said that the basis of civilization was, “Know Thyself,” and that this meant “. . . to get acquainted with what you know and what you can do.” When you spend time thinking, you afford yourself the opportunity to get acquainted with what you know and what you can do.

To spend time thinking seems like a luxury most of us can’t afford. The emphasis at work is on action and how to do more with less. Getting people to do what they know involves creating an environment that emphasizes not just action, but thought. Andrew Holmes, brother to Oliver Wendell Holmes, said: “Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both.” You can’t just talk about it, but must actively encourage a thinking environment that leads to meaningful and thoughtful action.

How can you do that? You can do this by paying people to think about their jobs, not just to do their jobs. I call it T2 = “Think Time.” Each employee spends a block of twenty to thirty minutes every week or month alone in a room “just” thinking. This session can be either guided or unguided. A guided session is one where the topic is assigned, like a particular problem the organization or department is dealing with at the time; an unguided session is one where individuals think about whatever they want regarding their future contribution to the organization. In both instances, there is a capture sheet that each person is required to complete and turn in to a Continuous Improvement Team for review.

When people think, great things happen: they begin to realize the depth and breadth of their knowledge and start making connections between what they know and better ways of performing their jobs and living their lives. They begin to see more clearly the angels within themselves and others. This kind of thinking creates a synergy that is uncommon in most organizations.

A well-known definition of “Synergy” is “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts;” and this definition is often illustrated by the equation, “1 + 1 = 3.” Synergy, from this understanding, can only happen as an outcome of the interaction between two or more people. This is true, but not the whole truth about synergy. I’ve found that there’s tremendous power in what I call, “the synergy of the solitary soul:” a single soul getting in touch with more of itself in thought.

When you adopt this approach you’ll find the truth of Emerson’s statement that “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Another tool you have available is language. Words have power to create a reality in the heads and hearts of those to whom we speak.

Have you ever had a child ask you to do something for them? And when they ask you to do something for them, when do they want it done? Right now. And how many of you have put them off with words like, “not now,” “I’m too busy,” “later,” “in a while.” I have to raise my hand the highest because when my children were little, I’d put them off with a single word, “tomorrow.”

I didn’t realize how frequently I was saying this to them until one day when we were standing in a checkout lane in a grocery store. Let me ask you, what’s there in every checkout lane in every grocery store in this country? Candy. And where is it located? That’s right! Down there - where they can see it, grab it, unwrap it and consume it even before they’ve asked for it!

Standing in front of us that day was a woman with her young son sitting in the cart and he was making a scene, demanding some chewing gum. Finally, to quiet the youngster down, the clerk produced a stick of gum and handed it to the child. His mother said, “And what do you say?” The boy turned to the clerk and said, “charge it!”

Now it was our turn. I usually didn’t get my children anything from the checkout lane but on that day, for some reason, I consented to do so. I can’t remember what I got my son, Jeremiah, but I do remember what I got for my daughter, Rachel: a package of my favorite candy - lifesavers. In the car on the way home, Rachel was unwrapping the lifesavers when the air inside the car filled with the sweet aroma of my childhood. I began to salivate. I couldn’t help myself. I also couldn’t help the next words that drooled out of my mouth. I said, “Rachel, may I have a lifesaver?” And she said: “tomorrow.”

It was at that moment I realized that with a single word, spoken over time, I had created a reality in the heads and hearts of my children that said this to them: “daddy will be our daddy and do daddy things with us - tomorrow.” I also realized that if I was ever going to be a father to my children in the ways they needed, I needed to be one today, for tomorrow never comes.

The words you use create a reality in the heads and hearts of those to whom you speak. What reality are you creating in your workplace? In your home? Is it the reality you want to create? It is possible to release the angels with your words, if that’s what you want to do.

Now that you know better what to do to get people to do what they know, what are you going to do now? In times past, I found “tomorrow” a convenient excuse for not doing what I knew I needed to do today.

“He’d be all a human could be - tomorrow
No one would be fairer or kinder than she - tomorrow
Each day he’s stack up the letters he was going to write - tomorrow
Each day she’d think of the friends she’d fill with delight - tomorrow
But the fact is they died and faded from view
And all that was left when living was through
Was the mountain of things they intended to do - tomorrow.”

Get people to do what they know today and tomorrow you can take a day off!

Ken Wallace, M. Div., CSL has been in the organizational development field since 1973. He is a seasoned consultant, speaker and executive coach with extensive business experience in multiple industries who provides practical organizational direction and support for business leaders. A professional member of the National Speakers Association since 1989, he is also a member of the International Federation for Professional Speaking and holds the Certified Seminar Leader (CSL) professional designation awarded by the American Seminar Leaders Association.

Ken is one of only eight certified Business Systems Coaches worldwide for General Motors.

His topics include ethics, leadership, change, communication & his unique Optimal Process Design® program.

Tel:(800)235-5690 Claim your free eBook, “How to Do Better Than Your Best in Anything You Do” by visiting the Better Than Your Best website.

The key to efficiency in any business or organization is its processes. By processes, we mean the steps and actions that must occur for a particular outcome to be achieved. When those processes go wrong, occur too slowly, or simply don’t work, the business or organization does not succeed.

Just as processes are the heart of every business or organization, business process management (BPM) is the heart of making those processes work efficiently. Understanding the basics of BPM is the first step in learning how the concept can transform your business.

BPM applications

Business process management is generally described in terms of three different levels of application:

• Software

• Suite

• System

Each level brings the concept of BPM to bear in a different way, expanding in depth and breadth of BPM as it spreads further and further throughout an organization. Let’s take a look at each level in turn.

Software

This level uses software tools to improve business processes. It allows the business to automate processes, execute them more efficiently, and monitor progress toward the desired outcome. BPM software brought a dramatic shift to process management because for the first time, information could flow freely between applications as well as between applications and people.

BPM software is generally used for simple, uncomplicated processes within a single group or department. It automates manual processes and streamlines inefficient processes, while allowing comprehensive tracking and analysis of execution. This information can be used for audit purposes and as a driver for continuous process improvement.

Suite

This level allows a business to apply BPM practices across multiple departments or groups. Because most processes inevitably cross departmental lines at some point, BPM improves efficiency and performance by streamlining inter-departmental connections.

Through the use of a work portal, multiple users can contribute to the process by sharing knowledge, task management, documents and more.

A BPM suite is generally used to help a business build composite applications that quickly and easily allow all users to view a process from start to finish, regardless of where they touch or affect that process.

System

This is the highest level of BPM application, designed to apply process management concepts across all aspects of an organization. It is a management practice that allows a business to use BPM concepts as a way to focus expertise, improve business structures or culture, and manage activities in a comprehensive manner.

A BPM system takes a holistic view of the organization and helps to bring structure and consistency to process management. The focus is not just on software and IT applications, but also on the organization’s overall practices, policies and methods of operation.

Solving business problems

Put simply, BPM solves business problems by improving business processes. This is done using a four step method:

• Map an existing process or design a new process

• Execute the process by making the most of people and applications

• Manage the process by managing information flow as well as specific actions and activities

• Analyze performance and metrics to feed continuous process improvement

Let’s look at a practical example of how BPM solves business problems.

Practical application

Consider the case of a small retailer that consistently receives complaints from customers regarding poor customer service. With a bit of investigation she discovers that employees are not receiving the training they need to be knowledgeable about the most in-demand products. To solve this problem she takes a BPM approach.

The first step is to map the training process. With input from employees, she creates a flow chart that shows how product information flows into the store and is disseminated to employees. The mapping exercise shows that product training is conducted on the sales floor at the beginning of each shift. Training time is short and because it takes place right on the sales floor, sessions are often interrupted to take care of customers.

The retailer decides to improve the process by conducting training in the back conference room fifteen minutes before employees are due on the sales floor. She assigns a floor supervisor to run the training sessions and collect feedback from employees on how well it works.

At the end of two weeks, she analyzes the sales performance and notes it has improved dramatically. She also notes that employees feel they are better informed than before, but would still like periodic opportunities for more in-depth training, especially when new products are introduced. This analysis prompts her to introduce monthly two-hour training sessions that feature product demonstrations and interaction from manufacturer representatives.

This is a simplistic example of business process management, but it effectively illustrates the basic steps that make up BPM, whether at a software, suite or system level.

Summary

Business process management allows a business or organization to improve and streamline processes to increase efficiency, improve performance, and boost profitability. It can be applied to a single process, to single or multiple processes that cross departmental lines, or to overall business management practices. The results can transform a business from just good enough to peak performance - all by paying attention to processes.

Peter Peterka is President of Six Sigma us. For additional information on Six Sigma Green Belt or other Six Sigma Black Belt programs contact Peter Peterka.

Meetings can be like mythical vampires - sucking the life out of
intelligent and creative people. And sucking the funds out of
businesses. Unfortunately, there are too many of these meetings in
business today.

A UCLA study said the “typical” meeting includes nine people. If you
have nine people in a meeting room for one hour, you have consumed
one entire workday - plus some.

What about the dollars associated with this? Say the average salary of
meeting attendees is $40,000. Their hourly pay is about $20.00. Nine
people for one hour costs $180.00. Not bad, right?

But consider the implications. People don’t spend just one hour a year
in meetings. In a 3-M online survey in 1998, people reported spending
between one and 1.5 days per week in meetings. They also said 25%
to 50% of those meetings was wasted. Being conservative, let’s think
25% of one day’s worth of meetings…that’s two hours. Per week.
Times nine people. 18 hours a week. Times $20.00 an hour. 18 times
20 times 48 weeks = $17,280.00.

This is a conservative number. For only nine people. How many people
are in your company? And how much time do they spend in meetings
each week? These figures do not include the preparation and
debriefing time, their benefits, meeting and travel expense or, worst of
all, opportunity cost. Really, what could these people have been doing
for your business if they weren’t tied up in ineffective meetings week
after week?

So, what can we do about these vampire meetings?

Start by looking at your regularly scheduled meetings. What is the
objective? Are they really necessary? Can most of the agenda be
covered via paper or email? Do you need all the people there for every
meeting? Or can some attend only occasionally?

Once you know this meeting must be held with these (fewer, I hope)
people, then set a meeting objective for each time. And share it with
people before and at the start of the meeting. Post it on a flipchart if
possible. Typical meeting objectives include: Generate ideas to
overcome our funding problem, Find innovative ways to cut the budget
without cutting service, Gain understanding of our new retirement plan,
Get updates on three key projects, etc. The advantage of having a clear
objective for your time together is that people will police themselves and stay on-topic. And if they don’t, you can point to the objective and say something like, “We have 30 minutes left and still have to achieve this goal for this meeting.” Knowing and sharing the objective is a wonderful way to manage the group’s energy and focus.

Another way to keep your meetings productive and efficient is to
manage the people dynamics. One of the most common meeting
problems is when one person talks and talks and others never get to say
a word. If possible, have a meeting facilitator whose job is, among other things, to make sure everyone gets appropriate airtime. When you do not have the luxury of a content-neutral facilitator, then the chairperson must assume responsibility for managing the group. It’s easier than it may seem. In this situation of one dominant personality, the chairperson can enforce brevity for all. Explain that you want everyone to give his or her thoughts in a sentence first and then elaborate on it. So, when that individual starts his/her comments with an unfocused beginning (”20 years ago, I worked at a company and we had something similar happen, except there were some differences like there was this woman named Ann….”), you have the permission to step in and say, “Could you give us your point in a sentence first, Paul, and then some background?” Being even-handed in implementing this approach is very important, obviously.

Another technique to help in this situation is to paraphrase the speaker’s point. Interrupt when he or she takes a breath and say, “So you’re saying that…” and when they agree, you turn to the rest of the group and ask if anyone has anything to add or a different perspective. Thus you use the power of paraphrasing to help the speaker be concise while taking back the control of the group. You might even just jump in when the speaker takes a breath and say, “Good point, Paul. Does anyone
else have a different perspective?” and turn your eyes to others.

How you close a meeting is very important. Much like mythical vampires
who fade away at sunrise, many meetings tend to sputter to a close
when the allotted time runs out. We’ve all been in meetings where the
chairperson is trying to set up another meeting while attendees bolt for
the exits.

For a meeting that energizes attendees, do this instead. Five minutes
before the ending time, call a halt to discussion and revisit each of the
agenda items and state what was decided. Then identify next steps with
as many specifics as possible. “Sandy, you said you would investigate
prices for printing a brochure, right? When can you have this done?”
Also set the time and place for the next meeting and tell participants
what they can expect from you before then (notes from this meeting, an
agenda for the next one, an interim email, etc.).

By pointing out what has been accomplished in the meeting, identifying
next steps, and setting the next meeting (not to mention ending on
time!), you will create a sense of momentum and people will feel the
time they spent in the meeting was productive.

Like a wooden stake, these tips will slay pale, unproductive vampire
meetings and replace them with lively, effective ones. Attendees might
actually look forward to your future meetings! And you will, too.

Peg Kelley, MBA, has been a professional meeting facilitator for 25
years & is co-author of the booklet “39 Secrets for Effective and
Enjoyable Meetings” available for $6.00 at her Facilitation Plus website
at www.meetingswithmuscle.com. She publishes a free e-newsletter on
Meeting Management Tips. Send your email address to her at
Kelley@facplus.com if you want to receive it.

As a practicing project manager I felt that I could provide some good tools, useful information and cool links related to this field. This page is for project managers and the purpose is to share information on software development project management topics. My scope on this page is to provide general, as well as, specific project information and software to assist anyone who is working to establish consistent software project leadership.

Moreover, I hope to provide some assistance in building professionalism. The current literature still says even with all the training going on and attention to managing projects there is still a rather large error or failure rate in software projects. If your career path is in project management you have a legacy problem and even more reason to read and apply the things that work. My favorite book on this stuff is by Harold Kerzner and is Project Management A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling. I had the good fortune to attend PMI certification training with Dr Kerzner as the instructor.

This article is on project management body of knowledge (PMBOK).

Before anything else remember that responsibility without sponsorship makes you an immediate target for project time, scope and resource adjustment problems. Responsibility without authority is pretty much like having great vanity. It means almost nothing when tough choices are required. It is quite a lot like Solomon’s thinking on vanity being “like striving after the wind”.

First of all my focus is on the principles developed by Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and shared by project managers world-wide within the context of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM).

As a starting point it is important to discuss what is called the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). The PMBOK was developed to provide c
onsistent definition to the phases of a project and to delineate what should be considered as important within the context of each part of project management guidance.

The knowledge areas and project management processes are contained in nine main focus areas.

Project Integration Management - development of project plan, project plan execution and change control.

Project Scope Management - initiation, scope planning, scope definition, scope verification and scope change control.

Project Time Management - activity definition, activity sequencing, activity duration estimation, schedule development and schedule control.

Project Cost Management - resource planning, cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost control.

Project Quality Management - quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control.

Project Human Resource Management - organizational planning, staff acquisition and team development.

Project Communications Management - communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting and administrative closure.

Project Risk Management - risk identification, risk qualification, risk response development and risk response control.

Project Procurement Management - procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection, contract administration and contract close-out.

As you can see from these focus areas there is a strong emphasis on the use and meaning of the word “control”. A LOT of activity and paperwork can be developed in these management areas, but the main point is that there must be corrective action as required. The authority and responsibility resides with the project manager.

There are many skills and attributes that a project manager needs to draw upon to be effective. The project manager has to be:

Leader - as a manager the primary concern is consistently provide key results that are expected by the “stakeholders”. Leading is also required and involves establishing the vision, strategies needed to “realize” the vision, and, in fact, establishing the direction. The leader must motivate, inspire and communicate among the various people overcoming the political, bureaucratic and people barriers. It is important to remember that leadership must be demonstrated at all levels within the project such as by individuals responsible for technical issues and by team members.

Communicating - exchanging information is the key. Make sure that clear, concise and complete information is given to the receiver. Make sure that the receiver has obtained the information in its entirety and that it is clearly understood. Communications is a broad subject area but suffice to say that, whether oral or written, communications is critical to the project. It does not matter whether the communications are formal, whether the communications are going up, down or vertical. What does matter is that the effort will be far exceeded by the results. One area to remember is that if you tell everyone at once you have a better chance of getting your concerns or information disseminated correctly rather than reliance on word of mouth by members of the team telling others. Every time a different person relays information the slant, intent, body language, inflection all have a chance to infer something different.

Negotiating - conferring with people to come to consensus or agreement. Negotiating infers that there may be a need for a mediator, arbitrator or facilitator. It depends on the circumstance, the importance, the level, and, more likely, the issues. Issues like cost, scope, objectives, contract terms and conditions, resources can all require negotiating skills.
Problem solving - defining (problem definition) and deciding (decision making based on analysis, solution viability or dictates from stakeholders).

Influencing the organization - the ability to use power and politics to get things done. This requires the ability to understand the mechanics or the organization regarding how to constructively use political ability.

Project management processes can be organized into five groupings of one or more processes each as follows:

Initiating processes - this includes recognizing that a project or phase should begin and making a commitment to do it.
Planning processes - this means developing and maintaining a “workable” plan to accomplish what the project was undertaken to accomplish.

Executing processes - coordinating people and any other resources to “execute” or carry out the plan.

Controlling processes - making sure that the project objectives are met by measuring and monitoring progress. Furthermore, it means taking appropriate corrective actions when necessary.

Closing processes - bringing the project to an orderly conclusion with formal acceptance of the phase or the project.
Everyone connected with managing projects has had the additional core challenge of developing metrics that are “added value” in performance capability and delivery of completed projects that meet the expectations of stakeholders. Collecting metrics does not mean just tabulating figures. It means developing information that helps now and then helps even more in future efforts.

There are many, many methods. The charge is to determine what works best for your organization. There are volumes of information on what to collect and how to use the measures effectively. The main point is to not just collect data. Collect information!

My next article will discuss the project triangle and the level of technical solution - time, resources and technology solutions. Following that I will be sharing information on Six Sigma as developed by Motorola that can drastically change the quality of your products and/or services by instilling a business process culture that does affect the organization and provide positive returns. In fact the principles are based on statistical analysis that revolves around the concept of standard deviation.

I would now like to offer some suggestions, by way of experience, and then offer some links to places I have found of great value to me.

Cost Expert is a fairly inexpensive software package that provides for what-if, reporting, combining types of estimates such as function points, top down, bottom up, GUI. Moreover, you can use it with Microsoft Project. I have enjoyed the functionality and reporting capabilities. The software will help generate good plans, resource requirements and risk factors. Cost Expert is particularly good for project managers working without a formalized project-central organizational approach.

I have also been a big fan of Microsoft Project software ever since Project 4. The new version still provides a database schema and the VBA capability to expand the functionality continues to make the product a good choice for those not interested in spending much more money for project software.

There is a fairly simple wizard that is good to start with in counting function points. It is called the SEER Function Point Wizard and it is fpwiz.

There is a PDF file on DoD initiatives regarding software measurement that is Software Measures for DOD Systems.

MMB&T makes available version 1.1 of the SoftEST which was developed by MCR Federal Inc. on behalf of the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency.

SoftEST Cost Model (V1.1) (1 MB - Zipped file)

DEVELOP YOUR MICROSOFT PROJECT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Getting the most out of Microsoft Project requires using the product features correctly and using the right features to meet your project management needs.

Microsoft describes resources you will find helpful in developing your skills with Microsoft Project and applying them to the broader field of project management.

Read about it at: Microsoft Project Assistance

Microsoft® Project Courseware Trainer Pack

These are but a few resources available. The good news is that the function is now recognized as something that merits full attention from executive management and sponsorship to avoid the previously very high failure rate on projects.

This article is copywrited by Martin Floyd of MMB&T. All rights reserved.

The blessing and the curse of the digital revolution! Between e-mail, instant and
text messaging, cell phones, Blackberries and the Internet, we are drowning in data
overload. Moreover, the constant interruptions are costing the U. S. economy an
estimated $558 billion annually. This staggering number does not add in the cost of
poorly written e-mails that land companies and employees in hot legal trouble,
destroy long-term client relationships, and ruin reputationsjust review Mike
Brown’s e-mails (former FEMA chief) as Hurricane Katrina raged and you will
understand. Add to this mix a lack of civility and common sense and you have an
explosive brew.

What to do? For starters, treat e-mail writing as writing not as casual conversation.
Whether words are written in the sky, sent by carrier pigeon or via the Web, words
must connect with the reader. Good writing allows this to happen; poor writing does
not. Currently, writing online is still, as author Patricia O’Conner writes,”in its Wild
West stage a free-for-all with everybody shooting from the hip and no sheriff in
sight.”

Therefore, I would like to establish some law and order by recommending that all
companiesfrom multi-nationals to sole proprietorsdevelop e-mail protocol.
Simply stated it’s “the way we do business around here” in terms of communicating
via e-mail with co-workers and customers. It is a code of behavior, a set of
standards as to how you will frame your words, manage your inbox, even extend
your brand.

Below is a short list of questions to visit at your next meeting. Your answers are the
beginning of a company-wide document.

1. How do you greet and close messages? Companies are putting together a series
of key phrases used solely for openings and closings. Remember, you would never
call without greeting someone. Why would you not in your e-mails?

2. What does your e-mail signature say about your company? It should be an
extension of your company’s brand. Professional with no cutesy sayings, it should
contain all contact information. Establish a standard for font style and size.

3. What is the company policy around blind copies? Some companies only use
them for e-blasts; others say they are strictly verboten. Discuss why, when and how
you use them.

4. Do you have a message for your out of office auto-responder? How long away
from the office before you turn the responder on? Four hours? One day?

5. How often do you check e-mails? Some companies set their programs so e-mails
are only called up hourly, thus reducing down time.

6. How soon do you return e-mails? Within four hours? By end of business day?

7. Do you use emoticons? Buzzing bees, dancing bears, smiley faces. I heartily rule
against it.

8. How many e-mails before you pick up the phone? The rule of thumb seems to be
three. If the issues are not resolved, pick up the phone or walk down the hall.

E-mail has become the biggest productivity drain in businesses today. Getting a
handle on this daily data dump by establishing proceduresetiquette if you will
will make you and your company stand above the crowd. And, possibly bring law
and order to the untamed world of Internet communication.

Excerpt from Dr. Julie Miller’s upcoming Fourth Edition, Business Writing That
Counts!

Dr. Julie Miller is a business writing expert, consultant, author, speaker, trainer, and
coach. Dr. Miller, founder of Business Writing That Counts!, works with
corporations, organizations, educational institutions, and professionals to improve
the quality of their writing. Visit her website at http://www.businesswritingthatcounts.com
to sign up for her FREE e-newsletter and you’ll also receive her FREE E-mail
Proofreading Checklist: 16 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hitting “Send”.