Month: January 2022

Posted on

How to Do to Planning

Man in Gray Sweater Standing In Front of His Colleagues Presenting

How to Do to Planning

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation and Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation.

One of the most common sets of activities in the management is planning. Very simply put, planning is setting the direction for something — some system — and then guiding the system to follow the direction. There are many kinds of planning in organizations. Common to these many kinds of planning are various phases of planning and guidelines for carrying them out as effectively as possible. Information in this document can be referenced as a basis from which to carry out various kinds of planning, ranging from highly complex to simple and basic. (The library topic Planning describes a wide variety of plans.)

To help make the following information applicable to as many situations as possible, the scope of the following planning information is to the “system”, which is fully explained below. The following process should be customized by planners to the meet the needs and nature of the planners and their organizations.

Sections of This Topic Include

Context of Planning

Typical Overall Phases in Planning

Basic Overview of Typical Phases in Planning

Guidelines for Successful Planning and Implementation

General Resources

Also consider

Related Library Topics

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Planning

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to planning. Scan down the blog’s page to see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Planning in its Larger Context (Systems Planning)

Working Backwards Through Any “System”

Before we jump into the typical phases in the standard “generic” planning process, let’s stand back and minute and briefly look at the role of planning in its overall context. This is more than an academic exercise — understanding this overall context for planning can greatly help the reader to design and carry out the planning process in almost planning application.

One of the most common sets of activities in the management is planning. Very simply put, planning is setting the direction for something — some system — and then working to ensure the system follows that direction. Systems have inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes. To explain, inputs to the system include resources such as raw materials, money, technologies and people. These inputs go through a process where they’re aligned, moved along and carefully coordinated, ultimately to achieve the goals set for the system. Outputs are tangible results produced by processes in the system, such as products or services for consumers. Another kind of result is outcomes, or benefits for consumers, e.g., jobs for workers, enhanced quality of life for customers, etc. Systems can be the entire organization, or its departments, groups, processes, etc. (For an overview of various systems in organizations, see Basic Definition of Organization and Various Ways to Look at Organizations.)

Whether the system is an organization, department, business, project, etc., the process of planning includes planners working backwards through the system. They start from the results (outcomes and outputs) they prefer and work backwards through the system to identify the processes needed to produce the results. Then they identify what inputs (or resources) are needed to carry out the processes.

Quick Look at Some Basic Terms

Planning typically includes use of the following basic terms.

NOTE: It’s not critical to grasp completely accurate definitions of each of the following terms. It’s more important for planners to have a basic sense for the difference between goals/objectives (results) and strategies/tasks (methods to achieve the results).

Goals

Goals are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, in order to achieve some larger, overall result preferred from the system, for example, the mission of an organization. (Going back to our reference to systems, goals are outputs from the system.)

Strategies or Activities

These are the methods or processes required in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals. (Going back to our reference to systems, strategies are processes in the system.)

Objectives

Objectives are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals in the plan. Objectives are usually “milestones” along the way when implementing the strategies.

Tasks

Particularly in small organizations, people are assigned various tasks required to implement the plan. If the scope of the plan is very small, tasks and activities are often essentially the same.

Resources (and Budgets)

Resources include the people, materials, technologies, money, etc., required to implement the strategies or processes. The costs of these resources are often depicted in the form of a budget. (Going back to our reference to systems, resources are input to the system.)

Basic Overview of Typical Phases in Planning

Whether the system is an organization, department, business, project, etc., the basic planning process typically includes similar nature of activities carried out in similar sequence. The phases are carried out carefully or — in some cases — intuitively, for example, when planning a very small, straightforward effort. The complexity of the various phases (and their duplication throughout the system) depend on the scope of the system. For example, in a large corporation, the following phases would be carried out in the corporate offices, in each division, in each department, in each group, etc.

NOTE: Different groups of planners might have different names for the following activities and groups them differently. However, the nature of the activities and their general sequence remains the same.

NOTE: The following are typical phases in planning. They do not comprise the complete, ideal planning process.

1. Reference Overall Singular Purpose (“Mission”) or Desired Result from System
During planning, planners have in mind (consciously or unconsciously) some overall purpose or result that the plan is to achieve. For example, during strategic planning, it’s critical to reference the mission, or overall purpose, of the organization.

2. Take Stock Outside and Inside the System
This “taking stock” is always done to some extent, whether consciously or unconsciously. For example, during strategic planning, it’s important to conduct an environmental scan. This scan usually involves considering various driving forces, or major influences, that might effect the organization.

3. Analyze the Situation
For example, during strategic planning, planners often conduct a “SWOT analysis”. (SWOT is an acronym for considering the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats faced by the organization.) During this analysis, planners also can use a variety of assessments, or methods to “measure” the health of systems.

4. Establish Goals
Based on the analysis and alignment to the overall mission of the system, planners establish a set of goals that build on strengths to take advantage of opportunities, while building up weaknesses and warding off threats.

5. Establish Strategies to Reach Goals
The particular strategies (or methods to reach the goals) chosen depend on matters of affordability, practicality and efficiency.

6. Establish Objectives Along the Way to Achieving Goals
Objectives are selected to be timely and indicative of progress toward goals.

7. Associate Responsibilities and Time Lines With Each Objective
Responsibilities are assigned, including for implementation of the plan, and for achieving various goals and objectives. Ideally, deadlines are set for meeting each responsibility.

8. Write and Communicate a Plan Document
The above information is organized and written in a document which is distributed around the system.

9. Acknowledge Completion and Celebrate Success
This critical step is often ignored — which can eventually undermine the success of many of your future planning efforts. The purpose of a plan is to address a current problem or pursue a development goal. It seems simplistic to assert that you should acknowledge if the problem was solved or the goal met. However, this step in the planning process is often ignored in lieu of moving on the next problem to solve or goal to pursue. Skipping this step can cultivate apathy and skepticism — even cynicism — in your organization. Don’t skip this step.





Guidelines to Ensure Successful Planning and Implementation

A common failure in many kinds of planning is that the plan is never really implemented. Instead, all focus is on writing a plan document. Too often, the plan sits collecting dust on a shelf. Therefore, most of the following guidelines help to ensure that the planning process is carried out completely and is implemented completely — or, deviations from the intended plan are recognized and managed accordingly.

Involve the Right People in the Planning Process

Going back to the reference to systems, it’s critical that all parts of the system continue to exchange feedback in order to function effectively. This is true no matter what type of system. When planning, get input from everyone who will responsible to carry out parts of the plan, along with representative from groups who will be effected by the plan. Of course, people also should be involved in they will be responsible to review and authorize the plan.

Write Down the Planning Information and Communicate it Widely

New managers, in particular, often forget that others don’t know what these managers know. Even if managers do communicate their intentions and plans verbally, chances are great that others won’t completely hear or understand what the manager wants done. Also, as plans change, it’s extremely difficult to remember who is supposed to be doing what and according to which version of the plan. Key stakeholders (employees, management, board members, funders, investor, customers, clients, etc.) may request copies of various types of plans. Therefore, it’s critical to write plans down and communicate them widely. For more guidelines in this regard, see
Basics of Writing and Communicating the Plan

Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER

SMARTER is an acronym, that is, a word composed by joining letters from different words in a phrase or set of words. In this case, a SMARTER goal or objective is:

Specific:

For example, it’s difficult to know what someone should be doing if they are to pursue the goal to “work harder”. It’s easier to recognize “Write a paper”.

Measurable:

It’s difficult to know what the scope of “Writing a paper” really is. It’s easier to appreciate that effort if the goal is “Write a 30-page paper”.

Acceptable:

If I’m to take responsibility for pursuit of a goal, the goal should be acceptable to me. For example, I’m not likely to follow the directions of someone telling me to write a 30-page paper when I also have to five other papers to write. However, if you involve me in setting the goal so I can change my other commitments or modify the goal, I’m much more likely to accept pursuit of the goal as well.

Realistic:

Even if I do accept responsibility to pursue a goal that is specific and measurable, the goal won’t be useful to me or others if, for example, the goal is to “Write a 30-page paper in the next 10 seconds”.

Time frame:

It may mean more to others if I commit to a realistic goal to “Write a 30-page paper in one week”. However, it’ll mean more to others (particularly if they are planning to help me or guide me to reach the goal) if I specify that I will write one page a day for 30 days, rather than including the possibility that I will write all 30 pages in last day of the 30-day period.

Extending:

The goal should stretch the performer’s capabilities. For example, I might be more interested in writing a 30-page paper if the topic of the paper or the way that I write it will extend my capabilities.

Rewarding:

I’m more inclined to write the paper if the paper will contribute to an effort in such a way that I might be rewarded for my effort.

Also consider
A Fun Look at SMART Goal Setting!

Build in Accountability (Regularly Review Who’s Doing What and By When?)

Plans should specify who is responsible for achieving each result, including goals and objectives. Dates should be set for completion of each result, as well. Responsible parties should regularly review status of the plan. Be sure to have someone of authority “sign off” on the plan, including putting their signature on the plan to indicate they agree with and support its contents. Include responsibilities in policies, procedures, job descriptions, performance review processes, etc.

Note Deviations from the Plan and Replan Accordingly

It’s OK to deviate from the plan. The plan is not a set of rules. It’s an overall guideline. As important as following the plan is noticing deviations and adjusting the plan accordingly.

Evaluate Planning Process and the Plan

During the planning process, regularly collect feedback from participants. Do they agree with the planning process? If not, what don’t they like and how could it be done better? In large, ongoing planning processes (such as strategic planning, business planning, project planning, etc.), it’s critical to collect this kind of feedback regularly.

During regular reviews of implementation of the plan, assess if goals are being achieved or not. If not, were goals realistic? Do responsible parties have the resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives? Should goals be changed? Should more priority be placed on achieving the goals? What needs to be done?

Finally, take 10 minutes to write down how the planning process could have been done better. File it away and read it the next time you conduct the planning process.

Recurring Planning Process is at Least as Important as Plan Document

Far too often, primary emphasis is placed on the plan document. This is extremely unfortunate because the real treasure of planning is the planning process itself. During planning, planners learn a great deal from ongoing analysis, reflection, discussion, debates and dialogue around issues and goals in the system. Perhaps there is no better example of misplaced priorities in planning than in business ethics. Far too often, people put emphasis on written codes of ethics and codes of conduct. While these documents certainly are important, at least as important is conducting ongoing communications around these documents. The ongoing communications are what sensitize people to understanding and following the values and behaviors suggested in the codes.

Nature of the Process Should Be Compatible to Nature of Planners

A prominent example of this type of potential problem is when planners don’t prefer the “top down” or “bottom up”, “linear” type of planning (for example, going from general to specific along the process of an environmental scan, SWOT analysis, mission/vision/values, issues and goals, strategies, objectives, timelines, etc.) There are other ways to conduct planning. For an overview of various methods, see (in the following, the models are applied to the strategic planning process, but generally are eligible for use elsewhere):
Basic Overview of Various Planning Models

Critical — But Frequently Missing Step — Acknowledgement and Celebration of Results

It’s easy for planners to become tired and even cynical about the planning process. One of the reasons for this problem is very likely that far too often, emphasis is placed on achieving the results. Once the desired results are achieved, new ones are quickly established.

The process can seem like having to solve one problem after another, with no real end in sight. Yet when one really thinks about it, it’s a major accomplishment to carefully analyze a situation, involve others in a plan to do something about it, work together to carry out the plan and actually see some results. So acknowledge this — celebrate your accomplishment!

There are many types of plans for people, teams, processes and organizations. All of them — if they are well done — tend to follow the above guidelines.

Major Types of Plans

Other Types of Plans

Additional Perspectives on Planning

For the Category of Planning and Project Management:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.


Posted on

“Core” Sequence of Planning Information

People at the office facing white Board in a meeting

“Core” Sequence of Planning
Information

(includes typical outline of planning document)

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation and
Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation.

One of the major functions of management is planning. There
are numerous types of plans, for example, business plans, strategic
plans, project plans, program plans — and on and on and on. (The
library topic “Planning” describes many of these types
of plans in business and management.) Most planning processes
typically use the same “core” sequence of planning activities.
The complexity and duplication of this “core” sequence
depends very much on the nature and needs of the organization.

Basic Sequence of Planning Information
Sequence in a Large Organization
Sequence in a Small Organization
Typical Outline of Planning Document

Also consider
Related Library Topics

“Core”
Sequence of Planning Information

At the core of most planning processes is the same
basic sequence of planning information, including:

  • What goals are to be achieved (Goals are usually major accomplishments,
    results, outcomes, or “end states” to be achieved.
    It’s ideal if goals can be worded such that it’s obvious whether
    they’ve been reached or not.)
  • Who’s responsible to reach the goal
  • How they will reach the goal (that is, what strategies, or
    methods, they will use)
  • When they will reach the goal

The complexity of the sequence depends very much on the nature
and needs of the organization.

Sequence for
a Large Organization

The strategic planning document for a large, multi-national
organization can be many pages long, with numerous overall goals,
associated strategies/methods to reach the goals, associated objectives/milestones
along the way while implementing the methods, and listings of
who’s responsible to achieve each objective and by when.

In the various divisions in that large company, the above sequence
might be repeated again, but on a somewhat smaller scale. In departments
in the division, the above sequence might be repeated again, but
on a somewhat smaller scale, etc.

The following sequence might be typical to each of top levels
of this type of large organization.

  • Each overall goal that should have be reached when the plan
    is implemented (for levels other than the very top level of the
    organization, each overall goal is usually directly associated
    with overall goals of the next-higher-up level of the organization)
  • Who is primarily responsible to reach each overall goal
  • Overall methods/strategies to be used to reach each overall goal
  • Who is primarily responsible to implement each method/strategy
  • Specific objectives/milestones to be achieved along way to
    each overall goal
  • Who is primarily responsible to achieve each objective
  • Specific methods/tactics to be used to achieve each objective
  • Who is primarily responsible to implement each method/tactic
  • For each objective, a date when the objective should be reached
  • For each objective, a section to provide status on the progress
    toward reaching that objective
  • For each objective, a section to provide comments about status.

Sequence in
a Small Organization

A small organization might use the following sequence.

  • Each overall goal that should have be reached when the plan
    is implemented
  • Who is primarily responsible to reach each overall goal
  • Overall methods/strategies to be used to reach each overall
    goal
  • Specific objectives/milestones to be achieved along way to
    each overall goal
  • For each objective, a date when the objective should be reached
  • For each objective, a section to provide status on the progress
    toward reaching that objective
  • For each objective, a section to provide comments about status.

Typical Outline
of Planning Document

Executive Summary

  • One- to two-page section that highlights important points
    from the plan (this summary is not a listing of the plan’s
    contents — that’s a Table of Contents)
  • Purpose of the plan
  • Results the plan is intended to achieve when completed
  • Who has primary responsibility for ensuring the plan is completed
  • Key roles of others in the organization, for example, for
    authorization, reviews, etc.
  • When the plan will be started and completed
  • Might include who has copies of the plan
  • Might include who can be contacted with questions, etc.
  • Might include descriptions of who was involved in the planning
    and what planning process was used
  • Might include very brief wording about structure of
    plan and how to use it

Table of Contents

Introduction

  • This section usually includes more information about key
    topics than was included in the Executive Summary, including
    who has primary responsibility for implementation of the plan,
    when the plan will start and stop, who can be contacted for information
    about the plan, how to use the plan, etc.

Description of the Organization (description of the larger
context of the plan)

  • Overall mission of organization, or description of major
    function that this plan contributes to

Goals, Objectives, Responsibilities and Timelines

  • (As noted above, the extent of this section depends on the
    nature and needs of the organization. This section is often best
    depicted in the form of a table.)

Procedure to Monitor Implementation of the Plan

  • Description of when the plan will be reviewed
  • Who will review the plan
  • Description of what will be considered during review of the
    plan

Appendices

  • Description of the planning process that was used
  • Listing of who was involved
  • Any supplemental information, such as budgets, etc.
  • Authorization lists of who can have copies of the plan and
    who has copies now, etc.
  • Recommendations to improve the planning process in the future

For the Category of Planning and Project Management:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Workaholism

Woman Sitting in Front of a Desk Reading Documents

Workaholism

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business
and Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision for Nonprofit Staff.

Workaholism is an addiction. It’s the illusion, and associated
destructive behaviors caused from that illusion, that a person
can effectively address challenges in life and work exclusively
by working harder at work.

The addiction seems to follow this cycle. Discomforts in life
and work cause the person to seek relief from those discomforts.
The primary form of relief that the person (the “workaholic”)
has access to, and believes in the most, is to feel good by accomplishing
something as part of their job at work. So the workaholic attends
to getting something done at work. However, as the workaholic
attends increasingly to getting things done at work, their personal
life begins to suffer from lack of attention. As their personal
life suffers, it causes more discomfort for the workaholic, so
the workaholic works even harder at getting more things done at
work, causing their personal lives to suffer even more — and
the vicious cycle, or compulsive work syndrome, goes on and on.

One of the most difficult problems in recovering from workaholism
is that the workaholic’s hard work is often viewed by the person’s
superiors (supervisors and upper management) as superior performance,
so they are rewarded for their hard work. Fortunately, many people
in organizations are learning to recognize the signs of workaholism
and to realize that, ultimately, the addiction hurts the person’s
performance.

Various Perspectives on Workaholism

Workaholism and Marriage
In
Defense of Workaholism
Are You a Workaholic?

Also consider
Assertiveness
Attitude
Authenticity
Awareness
Bullying
(Addressing)
Burnout
Cynicism
Emotional
Intelligence
Financial
Fitness
Job
Satisfaction
Motivating
and Inspiring Yourself
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Physical
Fitness
Self-Confidence
Stress
Management
Work-Life
Balance

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Workaholism

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs
that have posts related to this Workaholism. Scan down the blog’s page to see
various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar
of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.
The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Library’s
Coaching Blog
Library’s
Human Resources Blog
Library’s
Spirituality Blog

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Work-Life Balance — Balancing Your Work and Personal Life

A Person Writing on a Notepad

Work-Life Balance — Balancing Your Work and Personal Life

The topic of work-life balance applies to a person’s effort to be effective
in their work life and in their personal life, as well. This topic wasn’t as
important in the past as it is today because, in the past, people often were
able to attend primarily to one major role in their life (for example, to working
in “the” company or housekeeping), rather than to several (for example,
to the current employer and one’s career and being a mother and being happy
as an individual). Organizations are recognizing that, to cultivate and support
productive employees, the organization must assist employees to learn how to
achieve and maintain suitable work-life balance.

Test – How Well Is Your Work-Life Balance Now?

People might think they’re doing fine, only to realize that they are spending
far more time in their work and far less time for themselves and their family.
Take this short test to get some perspective on your own life.

Is
Your Work-Life Balance Healthy?

Based on the results of that test, you might consider the many suggestions
in the following articles.

Various Perspectives on Work-Life Balance

09/16/96
BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY
Self-Assessment
Test of Work-Life Stress
Leadership
Knowledge Base: Information to Improve Your Leadership Skills.
How to Fix Misunderstandings at Work and
in Life
Work Family
Connection Home Page
Families
at Work – Our Home Page
Balance work, family issues to boost productivity
— 1998-03-30
Work Family
Connection Home Page
Families
and Work Institute

The
Work Life Balance Foundation
Coaching
Tip — A Different Way to View Work-Life Balance
Do You Spend Too Much Of Your Life At Work?
Want Balance? Here’s How to Make that Resolution
Stick
Why It’s Better to Be Green Than to Be Profitable
Take Back Control of Your Work (and Your Life)
Egocentricity and the Stages of Man
I’m Back: Making a Smooth Return to Work After an Absence

Also consider
Assertiveness
Attitude
Authenticity
Awareness
Bullying
(Addressing)
Burnout
Cynicism
Emotional
Intelligence
Financial
Fitness
Job
Satisfaction
Motivating
and Inspiring Yourself
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Physical
Fitness
Self-Confidence
Stress
Management
Workaholism

Thanks to www.accessmagazine.com for many of the following
links.
National
Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
Parentz
Channel

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Work-Life Balance

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs
that have posts related to Work-Life Balance. Scan down the blog’s page to see
various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar
of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.
The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Library’s
Coaching Blog
Library’s
Human Resources Blog
Library’s
Spirituality Blog

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Motivating and Inspiring Yourself (including by referencing quotes)

You got this sign close to a laptop

Motivating and Inspiring Yourself (including by referencing quotes)

Sections of This Topic Include

Also consider

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Motivation and Self-Motivation

In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to Motivation and Self-Motivation. Scan down the blog’s page to see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.

How to Manage Your Own Motivation

Leaders are like everyone else. They must manage for balance in their lives and their work. If the leaders do not seem motivated, then other employees will probably not be motivated either. Therefore, leaders in the organization must give attention to managing their own personal motivation – and it can be managed.

1. Learn to delegate.

This is one of the most critical skills for a leader. Delegation involves assigning tasks to your employees along with the necessary authority and resources that they can learn to carry out the tasks in their own way. Assign the “what” and guide them to figure out the “how.”

2. Even if you do not like goals, set some goals, however small.

Without goals, you probably will not know if you are really accomplishing anything. Working hard is not necessarily an end in itself – especially if you expect your employees to do the same thing. Set some small goals. It will be good practice for you if you have not done that before. (If you do not like goals, then you are in for a major challenge in leading a business because, without goals, it is very difficult to give direction and measure success.)

3. Celebrate accomplishments.

Many hard-working people seem to believe that celebrating accomplishments is a form of complacency, that the job should be celebration in itself. Those beliefs can hold true maybe for the first couple years of the leader’s job. Then the grind gets old. It is critical for employees to recognize that they are accomplishing something – it is usually not enough to be continually “working for the cause.” Take time out to recognize what did get done and celebrate the accomplishments.

4. Ask for help.

It can be quite difficult for leaders to ask for help. Often, they are very passionate, hard-working people who want to be able to carry their own load. Thus, they are often reluctant to ask for help from others in the organization. This is a mistake, particularly for managers in the organization.

5. Find out what motivates you – it is not the same for everyone.

One of the most important learnings for new supervisors is that very different things can motivate different people. For example, some are motivated by money, others by security, others by having relationships, others by getting things done and others by getting recognition.

6. Get some direct contact with your customers.

Few things are as motivational as hearing from a customer how he/she benefited from the products or services of your business. Unfortunately, it is too easy for leaders to inadvertently become detached from providing direct service and to get lost in the management activities of the business. At least once a month, have a customer come to an employee-wide meeting and share his/her experiences with the business.

7. Post the mission of your business on the walls of all the rooms in your facilities.

It is amazing how many organizations give careful thought to the wording of their mission statements, and then file them away in file cabinets. Post your mission statement in all the rooms in your facility. Notice it each day. The mission statement depicts the reason that the business even exists.

8. Follow simple guidelines of time and stress management.

With a few simple steps, you can make a lot of difference in managing your stress, often by first addressing how you spend your own time.

9. Watch your diet. Get enough sleep.

Do not resort to lots of caffeine and sugar to give you a boost. Research shows that the boost is usually followed by a major let down in energy. It is better to get up for a short walk, get some protein and do some stretches. Also, it is interesting how bleak the world looks to people who do not eat right or do not get enough sleep. A little bit of the right kinds of food and more sleep can make the world seem a lot better.

10. Get some variety in your job.

Do not get lost in the “circle of paperwork.” Often, the only way that you will get variety in your work is to schedule it. Schedule time to provide direct services to customers. Schedule time to help clean out the storage closet.

11. Have personal goals.

Even if you have a few goals, at least those goals are in regard to your own development. Examples of goals might be to become acquainted with at least three other managers of organizations in your geographic area, or read a book a week, or even to start a hobby.

12. Get some professional development.

Go to a course. Join a professional networking organization. Read professional journals that relate to your services. Join a Speakers Bureau to share your knowledge.

13. Be sure that your job makes sense to you. Have an overall strategic plan.

One of the best outcomes from a strategic plan is that it helps to make sense of all of the work going on around people. People get some perspective and, thus, some meaning from their jobs.

14. Write status reports.

Status reports can be weekly reports that document what you have accomplished over the past week, any highlights and trends and issues that currently exist, and what you plan to do next week. One of the most important outcomes from this activity is the opportunity to stand back, think about your job, and notice that you are actually getting a lot done.

15. Understand Founder’s Syndrome.

This Syndrome can occur with almost anyone in the organization, not just the Founder. It is not unusual that the people who work the hardest in an organization (and are most prone to burnout) are also the people around whom all else seems to revolve. It is hard not to be the “hero” of the workplace, the person who gets everything done. Too often, this hero becomes the unintended villain when the organization succumbs to Founder’s Syndrome.

16. Know when to leave.

It may be that you and your job just have to part, that you are simply no longer motivated in your work. It is a wise leader who can recognize this and arrange for a healthy transition to a new leader.

Various Perspectives on Motivation

Quotes (inspirational, insightful, etc.)

The following were provided by Rey Carr of Peer Resources. He notes:

“Here is a summary of the various sources of quotes we use as well as those suggested by TRDEV members. Most of these are searchable, so you can use them to find an appropriate quote as well as locate the author of a quote. Many of these sources have an e-mail quote system where you can sign up to receive quotes on a regular basis. (Apologies to TRDEV subscribers who suggested a source, but I didn’t include it here.).”

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics


Posted on

How to Build Your Self-Confidence: Numerous Guidelines and Resources

Smiling formal male with laptop chatting via phone

How to Build Your Self-Confidence: Numerous Guidelines and Resources

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

Sections of This Topic Include

What is Self-Confidence? Self-Esteem?

Self-confidence is being certain and trusting about yourself in regard to addressing certain tasks or all tasks. Self-confidence is a source of assertiveness, which is fully representing yourself (your opinions, recommendations, etc.) to others.

Research shows strong relationships between self-confidence and achievement, as well as surviving serious medical procedures. It also is associated with higher likelihood of survival from threatening medical situations.

People sometimes confuse self-confidence with self-esteem. Self-esteem is a one’s overall belief in their value as an individual, a human being. Thus, the concepts of self-esteem and self-confidence are closely related.

What is Your Self-Esteem Score?

Although self-confidence and self-esteem are not the same thing, they are closely related. Here is an online scale to give you some impression of the strength of your self-esteem.

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

What did you learn about yourself? What might you want to change? Consider some of the following suggestions about increasing your self-esteem.

How to Boost Your Self-Confidence

Research suggests that one of the best ways to boost self-confidence is to focus more on what you are good at and less on what you are not good at. However, that is easier said than to done — unless you focus on the behaviors that are good about you.

There are many ways to increase your self-confidence. With any of them, though, it requires practice. This is an ongoing process and not an event.

Here are some suggestions. You do not need to practice them all. More important than doing them all is picking some — and practicing them.

Caution: The following are not meant to be medical advice to treat depression. If you have ongoing and debilitating feelings of low-self worth, you should seek attention from a qualified mental health professional.

  • What does a self-confident person look like? What do they say? What do they do?
  • Imagine yourself being more confident, assertive and appreciated. What do you look like? What are you saying? What are you doing?
  • Make a list of the successes that you have had in your life. Post that list where you have to see it.
  • Imagine yourself surviving a rejection about something. For example, imagine someone telling you that your idea is not a good one. Then look at your list of successes again.
  • Practice a positive posture. For example, stand taller and sit up straighter than usual.
  • Help someone else do something you are good at. For example, sign up to tutor someone.
  • Once a week, do something that seems scary to you. For example, be the first to speak up in a group.
  • Polish your skills in public speaking. For example, sign up for Toastmasters, the organization that helps people build skills and confidence in public speaking.
  • Every morning, say at least one affirmation to yourself. For example, answer “I am good at doing ___”.
  • Stand up to being hurt, bullied or insulted. For example, say what they did that was an affront to you and how you felt. Know that the rest of the exchange is all about them and not about you.
  • Do one form of exercise each day. Exercise has been proven to release chemicals in your body that help you to feel better.
  • Sign up for a quote-a-day that shares inspirational messages. For example, sign up for Inspiring
    Quotes to Help You Get Through Your Day    .
  • Use mindfulness to focus on the present, rather than on your feelings of low confidence. Mindfulness is about focusing on the present, for example, on what is going on around you.
  • Tell someone else about your lack of self-confidence. How did they react? What can you learn from them?

Numerous Guidelines to Build Your Self-Confidence

Additional Resources to Build Your Self-Confidence

Start an Informal Study and Support Group to Help You

It is often not enough merely to get some advice about what you should do in order to improve yourself. Otherwise, a lot of us who have needed to lose some weight would have already done that. For example, we already knew that we needed to cut back on calories and do more exercise.

Instead, it helps greatly for us to have some ongoing support and accountabilities to actually apply the advice that we are given. You can start an informal support group by gathering at least two other people who want to improve some aspect of themselves. Here are time-tested, straightforward guidelines for doing that.
Procedure to Start Your Own Study and Support Group

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Confidence and Self-Confidence

In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to Confident and Self-Confidence. Scan down the blog’s page to see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.


Posted on

How to Be More Adaptable and Resilient

Group of People Raising Their Hands

How to Be More Adaptable and Resilient

What is Resilience?
Career Resilience: How to Bounce Back From Challenges
Adaptability and Resiliency in Leadership
Test – How Resilient Are You?
How to Develop More Adaptability and Resilience

Also consider
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Related Library Topics

What is Resilience?

Harold Cohen, PhD,
defines resilience in practical terms:

When faced with a tragedy, natural disaster, health concern, relationship,
work, or school problem, resilience is how well a person can adapt to the
events in their life. A person with good resilience has the ability to bounce
back more quickly and with less stress than someone whose resilience is less
developed.

Career Resilience – How to Bounce Back from
Challenges

Copyright, Marcia Zidle

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t
work.” – American inventor, Thomas Edison

Edison, despite struggling with failure throughout his work life, never let
it get the best of him. He kept experimenting and learning. His resilience gave
the world the light bulb as well as these amazing inventions phonograph, the
telegraph, and the motion picture.

Do you have Edison’s resilience to overcome your challenges? Or do you
let your failures or missteps derail your dreams? In this post and the next,
I’ll examine resilience – what it is, why we need it, and how to
develop it – so that you have the strength to keep on moving forward towards
your goals.

The Importance of Resilience

Resilience is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t
go as planned. Resilient people don’t wallow or dwell on failures; they
acknowledge the situation, learn from their mistakes, and then move forward.
According to the research of leading psychologist, Susan Kobasa, there are three
elements that are essential to resilience:

1. Challenge

Resilient people view a difficulty as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event.
They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and
as opportunities for growth. They don’t view them as a negative reflection
on their abilities or self-worth.

2. Commitment

Resilient people are committed to their lives and their goals. Commitment isn’t
just restricted to their work – they commit to their relationships, their
friendships, the causes they care about, and their religious or spiritual beliefs.

3. Personal Control

Resilient people spend their time and energy focusing on situations and events
that they have control over. Because they put their efforts where they can have
the most impact, they feel empowered and confident. Those who spend time worrying
about uncontrollable events can often feel lost, helpless, and powerless to
take action.

In other words, resilient people:

  • Maintain a positive outlook, despite having just lost a promotion or getting
    turned down for a job. They don’t allow present circumstances to cloud
    their vision of themselves or their future.
  • Have solid goals in all parts of your life. This gives you a compelling
    reason to get out of bed in the morning.
  • Never think of yourself as a victim. – focus your time and energy
    on changing the things that they have control over.

It’s inevitable that at times we’re going to fail, make mistakes,
have setbacks and occasionally fall flat on our faces. The only way to avoid
this is to live a very sheltered life never trying anything new or taking a
risk. Few of us want a life or career like that!

See Part
2 of this article.

Adaptability and Resiliency in
Leadership

By Steve
Wolinski

Adaptability and Resiliency as Overlooked Leadership Qualities

In my mind the unsung hero of effective leadership are two related and overlapping
qualities: adaptability and resiliency. The ability and, probably more importantly,
the willingness of a leader to adapt his or her thinking, behavior, or strategy
based on changing circumstances, miscalculations, or other factors, is a historically
underrated quality that is starting to get its due in this rapidly changing
world. And maybe even more so than adaptability, resiliency — discussed
here as the capacity to bounce back from perceived and actual mishaps, set-backs,
and adversity — has been overlooked as a leadership competency.

Research on Resiliency

I recently read that Ceridian Corporation conducted a study and published an
executive briefing on organizational resilience. They arrived at the conclusion
that resilient organizations are those that are able to respond to two seemingly
paradoxical imperatives: 1) managing for performance (enhanced by consistency,
efficiency, and immediate results) and 2) managing for adaptation (enhanced
by innovation, improvisation, anticipation, and commitment to long-term benefits).

In my mind what is reflected here is a mindset that embraces disruption to
organizational plans, strategy, and operating procedures, as normal and inevitable.
The leader that maintains this mindset does not react with shock, dismay, or
confusion to disruption of the best laid plans. Instead, he or she is eager
to analyze the circumstances, ascertain the meaning behind the unexpected, and
determine whether there are appropriate adjustments to be made. In addition,
leaders demonstrating this type of leadership are able to build more resilient
direct reports, teams, and ultimately organizations.

Origins of Resiliency

It is the viewpoint of many psychologists and sociology experts that resiliency
is a quality that is partly inbred and partly developed through childhood experiences
and modeling. The problem with this viewpoint is that it presumes that a person’s
level of resiliency is pretty much set by the time they are in early to middle
adulthood. It is my opinion that a certain amount of resiliency – definitely
enough to make a difference as an organizational leader – can be developed
in adults simply by embracing a worldview that change, disruption, and mishaps
are as normal and predictable in organizations as salaries and vacation days.
Or perhaps it is more analogous with the sentiments I heard expressed by a veteran
of the Iraq conflict: “It is a given, no plan ever survives first contact”.

Test – How Resilient Are You?

Take this short on-line test.

How Resilient Are You?

So how resilient are you? The articles in the following topic include suggestions
for becoming more resilient.

How to Develop More Adaptability and Resilience

The
Benefits of Being Adaptable
Why
Adaptability is Key to Success
Stay
Positive! Resilient and Adaptable Teams are Key to Business Success
What are Resilience
and Adaptability Skills
To
Increase Your Adaptability Make it Personal
Adaptability
in the Workplace: Strategies and Importance

Also consider
Assertiveness
Attitude
Authenticity
Bullying
(Addressing)
Burnout
Cynicism
Emotional
Intelligence
Job
Satisfaction
Motivating
and Inspiring Yourself
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Physical
Fitness
Self-Confidence
Stress
Management
Diversity
and Inclusion
Work-Life
Balance
Workaholism

Related Library Topics

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Awareness and Self-Awareness

In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which
have posts related to Awareness and Self-Awareness. Scan down the blog’s page
to see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar
of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.

Library’s
Coaching Blog
Library’s
Human Resources Blog
Library’s
Spirituality Blog

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Your Physical Fitness

Man holding a book while in his office

Your Physical Fitness

Various Perspectives on Physical Fitness

WebMD
Hometown AOL: Health Wellness
Fitness
Jumpsite! Your connection to a lifestyle of fitness, nutrition,
and health.
Sleep Deprivation’s True Workplace Costs
Health-Connect.com
National
Institutes of Health — Health Information Index
Improve Your Fitness and Improve Your Coaching
Sleep Your Way to Success

Also consider
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Related Library Topics

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Personal Fitness

In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which
have posts related to Personal Fitness. Scan down the blog’s page to see various
posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar of the blog or
click on “next” near the bottom of a post in the blog.

Library’s
Coaching Blog
Library’s
Human Resources Blog
Library’s
Spirituality Blog

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Introduction to Personal Financial Management

Calculator and notepad placed on USA dollars stack

Introduction to Personal Financial Management

Obviously, financial management is a critical function in organizations.
Successful leadership and management of others requires successful
leadership and management of oneself. Financial management is
a critical function in self-management.

Sections in This Topic Include

Basics of Personal Financial Planning
Evaluating Your Personal Financial Situation
Budgeting
Insurance Planning
Savings
Consumer Credit and Debts
Investing
Tax Planning
Retirement Planning
Estate Planning
Estimating Your Net Worth

General Resources

Also consider
Personal
Development
Personal
Productivity
Related Library Topics

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Personal Financial Management

In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which
have posts related to Personal Financial Management. Scan down the blog’s page
to see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in
the sidebar of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post
in the blog.

Library’s
Coaching Blog
Library’s
Human Resources Blog
Library’s
Spirituality Blog

Basics of Personal Financial Planning

Understanding
and Controlling Your Finances — The Basics
Understanding
and Controlling Your Finances — Incentives
Understanding
and Controlling Your Finances — Understanding Your Current Position
Understanding
and Controlling Your Finances — Gaining Control
Understanding
and Controlling Your Finances — Balanced Financial Life

Personal Financial Resources (geared toward investment
planning, but addresses basic questions)
DollarTimes:
Financial budget calculators useful for personal finance
Financial
Dictionary contains articles about the most popular and commonly
used financial terms
The Power and Meaning of Money

Evaluating Your Personal Financial
Situation

Financial Fitness Test
Financial
Fitness as Physical Fitness!
Financial Fitness Test

Budgeting

How to Make a Budget and Stick to It
Budgeting
Tips
Budgeting 101 (free online course)

Insurance Planning

(disability, medical, life insurance, auto, home)

Basics and Planning

Auto
Insurance Basics
Home Insurance Basics
– – – Frequently Asked Questions
Disability
Insurance
Top 25 Health Insurance Companies

Savings

66 Ways to Save Money
75 Painless Money-Saving Tips
free newsletter with many ideas

Consumer Credit and Debts

Money: 9 Tips to Avoid Overspending
Rebuilding Credit FAQ
Loans
— Getting

Investing

Investing 101
Frequently
Asked Investment Questions
Glossary of
Financial Terms
101 Ways to Save Money

Tax Planning

Tax
Planning Guide
Start Planning Now for Next Year’s Taxes
Tax Planning Basics

Retirement Planning

Retirement Planning Basics
another
view of retirement planning
11 Retirement Realities You Need to Know

Estate Planning

Estate Planning Basics
Estate
Planning — An Introduction
Estate Planning Forms

Estimating Your Net Worth

Net
Worth Calculator
How Much Are You Worth?

General Resources

Massive Personal Finance Resource List
Financial
Planning Toolkit
MoneyRates.com
List of Articles
Tools & Financial Calculators

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Posted on

Perhaps the Most Important Self-Practice Today: Mindfulness

Calm mindful businesswoman feeling relief at work

Perhaps the Most Important Self-Practice Today: Mindfulness

© Copyright Carter
McNamara, MBA, PhD

Sections of This Topic Include

What is Mindfulness?

Why Is It So Important Today?

Test – How Mindful Are You?

How Do You Practice It?

Additional Aspects of Personal Wellness

What is Mindfulness?

The editorial staff of the Mindful magazine define mindfulness this way: “Mindfulness
is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what
we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going
on around us.”
What is Mindfulness?

This definition is written in Psychology Today: “Mindfulness
is a state of active, open attention on the present. When we are mindful, we
carefully observe our thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or
bad .. It means living in the moment and awakening to our current experience,
rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.”
What is Mindfulness?

As usual, Wikipedia gives us a comprehensive and yet specific explanation of
mindfulness.
Mindfulness

What
Is Mindfulness? Nobody Really Knows, and That’s a Problem

Why Is It So Important Today?

It is ironic that, in trying to calm the very hectic pace of our lives — in
trying to feel more serenity in our lives — we do that by adding yet more things
to do: reading more self-help articles, taking more classes, and undertaking
even more stressful diets and exercises. Yet, for believers in mindfulness,
the “answer” to finding more serenity is in just not trying to find
it. It is in just noticing what’s around us now without a lot of thinking about
it. Practitioners of mindfulness have found that living in the present is much
more serene and satisfying as constantly living one step ahead of yourself.

They have also found that they get just as much — if not more — done in their
lives and what they get done is often more important, than just urgent. But
most of us are not at all receptive to a practice that is so contrary to what
we’ve been taught and how we’ve lived our lives so far. Without knowing it,
we’re doing that old adage of working harder, rather than smarter; of doing
the same thing over and over again, and of expecting different results each
time.

For too many of us, we realize that insight only after suddenly suffering a
significant physical ailment. Yet, we believe that “solutions” to
complex problems have much have complex solutions. Or, at least, they must come
from experts, certainly not from ourselves — and they should be darn expensive,
as well.

For some countries and cultures, they have practicing mindfulness, especially
through the form of meditation, for millennia. Much longer than our country
was formed. Perhaps they learned the practice through frustration, confusion
and pain like many of us are experiencing today. Yet today, research continues
to show the benefits of more mindful approaches, such as meditation and eastern
practices such Tai Chi and Yoga — practices you can understand and do with
yourself or with others.

Test – How Mindful Are You?

Take this mindfulness quiz.

Mindfulness
Quiz

Based on the results, you might consider the suggestions in the following articles.

How Do You Practice It?

Mindfulness
is not a fad. Try it.
How
to Practice Mindfulness (The Ultimate Guide to Being More Mindful Throughout
the Day)
How
to Practice Mindfulness: A Beginners Guide

7
Easy Ways to be Mindful Every Day
Five
Simple Mindfulness Practices For People Who Hate To Meditate
Mindfulness
exercises
Top
10 Difficulties in Mindfulness Practice and How to Overcome Them

Yet, it’s important to see both sides of the mindfulness practices.
The Problem with
Mindfulness
The
Little-Known Downsides of Mindfulness Practice
Is
Mindfulness Making Us Ill?

Additional Aspects of Personal Wellness

Also consider
Assertiveness
Attitude
Authenticity
Awareness
Bullying
(Addressing)
Cynicism
Emotional
Intelligence
Financial
Fitness
Job
Satisfaction
Motivating
and Inspiring Yourself
Physical
Fitness
Self-Confidence
Stress
Management
Work-Life
Balance
Workaholism

Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Personal Development

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs
that have posts related to Personal Development. Scan down the blog’s page to
see various posts. Also see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the
sidebar of the blog or click on “next” near the bottom of a post in
the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Library’s
Career Management Blog
Spirituality in
the Workplace

For the Category of Personal Wellness:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books