Month: February 2014

Ever been to a meeting that made you grimace with sympathy for the meeting leader, as you witnessed him/her struggling to facilitate the group? Why did that meeting facilitator struggle? Was it lack of preparation? Perhaps, a classic case of the “wing it” meeting?

Many times, we, as facilitators, are not prepared (or ill prepared) for meetings, and that leads to some horrific results – including those feelings you experienced while watching a fellow facilitator suffer through a meeting. What are some things you’ll hear in an unprepared meeting? Look out for these words. And, don’t let this happen to you.

1. “I don’t know why we’re having this meeting.” — This is something you, as the facilitator, should be able to answer. And, in fact, this is the very foundation of your meeting – the most critical thing you should state at the beginning of your meeting. At Leadership Strategies, we teach the Purpose of the meeting as the most important “P” in our “6 Ps of Preparation.” Otherwise, why would you have the meeting?
2. “We’re running out of time, but I think that what we have is fine… Right?” — What if that’s wrong? What if your meeting wasn’t really over until your group walked away with “x” (whatever “x” is)? When preparing for your meeting, you should always identify what your deliverable is – what the group should have in its hands when the meeting has finished. Is it an agreement on a new policy? A completed action plan? A final committee vote? Know what that “x” is, and if you don’t have it at the end of your meeting, get consensus from the group on what to do about it next (whether it’s schedule another meeting, etc.).
3. “Was she supposed to be here?” — Uh-oh. When you planned for that important group meeting, did you think about the stakeholders who needed to be involved – even those outside of your department? Part of your preparation should include this so that your group isn’t missing key faces in the room.
4. “Oh, I didn’t think about that.” — Surely, you’re not expected to be a mind-reader, but we do teach our facilitators that part of their role is to be clairvoyant. Facilitators take the time to see probable issues that lie ahead and may surface during facilitated sessions. How? By doing their homework, by interviewing key stakeholders/sponsors before a meeting, by asking about their perspectives – these are all essential in your preparation. Especially in strategy work or complex project meetings, a facilitator is always prepared.
5. “I don’t have an agenda prepared for this.” — Yikes. Without an agenda, how will your group stay focused? How will YOU stay focused? Many times the agenda also outlines your process and structure for facilitating the meeting. Without it, you have no navigation. And, furthermore, you don’t have your team’s buy-in to proceed with talking through the agenda that you might have prepared (in your head).
6. “Did anyone remember to reserve a conference room or set up a conference call?” — The logistics of the meeting are overlooked more times than you might think. Some individuals are so focused on merely getting the meeting date set on everyone’s calendar but forget to input details like: meeting place, if special building security access is needed, if someone in the group will need to call in, etc. As you prepare for your meeting, think about how your participants will be involved, where they should gather, what challenges might arise with the meeting place, etc. Isn’t it aggravating being delayed by fifteen minutes just because you scrambled putting together a conference dial-in or finding an empty conference room at the last minute?

If you find yourself hearing (or saying!) these expressions during your meeting, take some time to better prepare for your next meeting. Use this checklist, “Meeting Preparing and Agenda Setting,” for help. And, don’t forget that effective facilitation doesn’t end with good preparation – get trained on how to execute during your meetings too.

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Certified Master Facilitator Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc., The Facilitation Company and author of The Secrets of Facilitation 2nd Edition, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, and The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy. Leadership Strategies is a global leader in facilitation services, providing companies with dynamic professional facilitators who lead executive teams and task forces in areas like strategic planning, issue resolution, process improvement and others. The company is also a leading provider of facilitation training in the United States, having trained over 18,000 individuals.

800-824-2850 | www.leadstrat.com

To be a great people manager, you must have an extensive set of skills – from planning and delegation to motivation and communication. for your long-term success, it’s wise to analyze your skills in all areas of management – and then challenge yourself to become better at managing and leading your team.

Did You Take the Management Skills Quiz in Part 1?

What was your score? What elements of management do you need to work on? Here are the eight essential skill areas where managers should focus their efforts plus resources to help you

1. Understanding Team Dynamics (Questions 5, 12)
Good management means understanding how teams operate. When forming teams, create a balance so there’s a diverse set of skills, personalities, and perspectives. Truly effective teams invite many viewpoints and use their differences to be creative and innovative. Read “Building Teamwork.”

2. Selecting and Developing the Right People (Question 9)
Finding great new team members and developing the skills needed for your team’s success is another important part of a manager’s job. You can develop your staffing skills by checking out “What’s Your Hiring Batting Average?”

3. Delegating Effectively (Questions 2, 14)
Having the right people with the right skills isn’t sufficient for a team’s success. Effective managers recognize that delegation – assigning work to the right people and clearly outlining expectations – teams can accomplish much more. Just because you’re responsible for the work, they should do it themselves to make sure it’s done right. Read “Delegate and Do It Right”.

4. Motivating People (Questions 10, 15)
It’s one thing to motivate yourself, but it’s quite another to motivate someone else. We’re all motivated by different things. Getting to know your team members on a personal level allows you to motivate your people better. See “One Size Doesn’t Fit All”.

5. Managing Performance (Questions 3, 6)
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, there are problems with individual performance. As a manager, you have to deal with these promptly. If you don’t provide feedback and coaching, you risk negative impacts on the rest of the team as well as your customers Read”Coaching vs. Criticism: What’s the Difference?”

6. Communicating (Question 7, 13)
Effective communication is critical to any position you hold, but as a manager, it’s especially important. You need to let your team know what’s happening and keep them informed as much as possible with team briefings and other ways to update. See how good communication works in “Leadership Lessons Riding Fire Engines”.

7. Planning, Problem Solving, Decision-Making (Questions 4, 8)
Many managers are very comfortable with planning, problem solving and decision making because they’re often skilled specialists who’ve been promoted. Now it’s important to transfer these skills to managing a team. Read “Are You On the Road to Abilene?”

8. Avoiding Common Managerial Mistakes (Questions 1,11)
A common one is thinking that you can rely on your technical skills alone rather than reaching out to others It’s important to communicate with your boss to keep her informed. If not you may have boss problems. Here’s how to avoid them.

Smart Moves Tip:

Whether you manage a department or a project team, it’s important to know how to get the work done right. When you’re asked to achieve something with the help of others, it’s complex – and you should spend much of your time managing relationships instead of doing the actual work. Delegating, motivating, communicating, and understanding team dynamics are some of the key skills needed.

Do you want to be a better manager?

• Build your skills with The Effective Manager.
• Sign up for Quick Wins: 101 Management Tips.
• Find performance boosters in the Smart Moves Blog.
• Listen to The Business Edge Internet Radio for success tips.
• Copyright © 2014 Marcia Zidle business and leadership coac

Are you getting the best out of your team?

To be a great people manager, you must have an extensive set of skills – from planning and delegation to motivation and communication. Because the skill set is so wide, it’s tempting to continue using the skills you’re already comfortable with. But, for your long-term success, it’s wise to analyze your skills in all areas of management – and then challenge yourself to become better at it.

Take This Quick Quiz

It will help you identify the aspects of management you’re good at and areas you need to improve. Decide, on a scale from 1 to 5, how well each of the 15 statements below best describes what you as a manager. Answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be or do).

(1) Not at All (2) Rarely (3) Sometimes (4) Often (5) Very Often

1. When I have a problem, I try to solve it myself before asking my boss what to do.
2. When I delegate work, I don’t always give it to the person who has the most time available.
3. I follow up with team members whenever I see that their behavior has a negative impact on customer service.
4. I make decisions following careful analysis, rather than relying on gut instinct.
5. I let my team members figure out for themselves how best to work together – teams are a work in progress!
6. I give ongoing feedback so people have a chance to correct their performance before taking disciplinary action.
7. I spend time talking with my team about what’s going well and what needs improving.
8. I fully understand how the processes in my department operate, and I’m working to eliminate bottlenecks.
9. When putting together a team, I consider the skills I need – and then I seek people who best fit my criteria. .
10. I try to motivate people individually rather than just the whole team.
11. When my team makes a significant mistake, I update my boss on what has happened and come with a solution.
12. When conflict occurs within a new team, I accept it as an inevitable as teams and teamwork develops.
13. I talk to team members about their individual goals, and I link these to the goals of the entire organization.
14. If you want a job done well, do it yourself may get work done faster but it may not always be the right thing to do.
15. I talk with team members as individuals to ensure that they’re know what they need to do to be productive.

Scoring:

46-75: You’re doing a great job managing your team.
Concentrate on improving your skills even further. Check the next post- part 2- to see what you can tweak to make this even better. What are some areas that you may need to improve?
31-45: You’re on your way to becoming a good manager.
You’re doing some things really well. Now it’s time to work on the skills that aren’t up to speed. Check the next post – part 2 – and figure out what you need to focus on to enhance your managerial skills.
15-30: Ouch. You got work to do.
If you want to be effective in a management role, you must learn how to organize and monitor your team’s work. It’s imperative you check the next post to develop specific skills that will increase your success.

Smart Moves Tip:

Effective management requires a wide range of skills, and each of these skills complements the others. Your goal should be to develop and maintain all of these skills, so that you can help your team accomplish its objectives efficiently and effectively. The follow-up post, part 2, gives a quick summary of the eight essential skill areas where managers should focus their efforts plus resources to help you.

Do you want to be a better manager?

• Build your skills with The Effective Manager.
• Sign up for Quick Wins: 101 Management Tips.
• Find performance boosters in the Smart Moves Blog.
• Listen to The Business Edge Internet Radio for success tips.
• Copyright © 2014 Marcia Zidle business and leadership coach.