The possibilities for corporate event ideas are as wide as the imagination, and the benefits offered by a well-planned event are innumerable. Corporate events may include fun activities to break up the monotony of long meetings, act as icebreakers for team members who don’t know one another well, or unify and rejuvenate a company of any size. With the daily business of work providing little opportunity for social interaction, events you attend as a company should maximize the chance to foster good relationships and offer a break from the usual.

Corporate event activities could include any number of team building exercises designed to promote interaction, creative thinking, problem solving, relaxation, and so on. There are many fun ways to encourage individuals to participate in a group project that requires everyone’s contribution in order to be truly successful. Some methods of demonstrating this may use music and movement, team sports, or other challenges that require many hands or minds to address. Group activities can help promote trust and teamwork, help overcome personality based issues, work towards creating better communication, and much more.

There are many business consultants today specializing in organizational development, team building and so on, who can help customize activities for your next corporate function. Bringing in an expert from outside the company can help provide an unbiased, objective approach to improving your team’s productivity, as long as they are well-informed ahead of time in terms of what you hope to accomplish, the general corporate culture they will be dealing with, as well as any underlying issues, and so on.

Corporate events can be as simple or elaborate as you see fit, and may incorporate humor, creativity, and physical activity as part of an effort to lighten up the everyday atmosphere, keep people engaged and entertained, and encourage the open exchange of ideas. Helping people enjoy their work and attain an ongoing sense of satisfaction and fulfillment is an important means of maintaining productivity, reducing staff turnover and burnout, and making the workplace a more enjoyable environment for everyone. Each of these elements is enhanced by well-chosen corporate activities that help team members appreciate one another, and remind them of the unique roles they each play towards a unified purpose.

There are many ideas for corporate events available online, through consultants, and a number of very popular books and programs. In a highly competitive and often stressful corporate world, it is becoming increasingly common for companies to utilize these tools in order to maintain harmonious work environments, retain valued staff, and make the most of their resources. Boosting productivity requires more than just a group of qualified individuals – it sometimes takes additional time and effort to make those individuals into a team. Make the necessary investments to ensure ongoing success for everyone.

Chillisauce specialise in planning unique corporate events in the UK and Europe for the ultimate corporate event experience. For a more information and ideas on corporate event planning activities, please visit http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ali_Kidd

It all depends on what you want. If you want a great event, you will need to select a great Corporate Event Planner. It is that simple. You need an event planner who will not only plan one, but will also produce a perfect memorable corporate event for you. Now, the problem is how to choose a good corporate event planner. You can go about the selection process in two ways. First, you know what type of event you want. You know the theme, the food and beverage, entertainment, the venue, the lights, the sound and the overall atmosphere. You only need to know the where and the how of it, and whether it is within your budgetary constraints. Second, you have no clue what you’re doing. In this instance, you’ll need a Corporate Event Planner who can suggest themes and present them in such a way to have created a vision for you.

The Corporate Event Planner you are looking for should be comfortable with both the scenarios. He/she should have the ability to listen closely to your needs and those of your clients. They should also be able to effectively communicate your ideas while motivating the entire team towards working for the same goals. In essence, the corporate event planner has to be a visionary leader.

Corporate Event Planner – What to Look For

Now that you know what they do, you may wonder what qualifications you should look for. First, get yourself organized to know what type of event you are trying to produce. Be very clear about what you want and how to convey it. List all the components of your vision and have a very clear concept of the same. Once you have finalized your requirements, start looking for a Corporate Event Planner – an individual or a company – with enough experience to fulfill your needs. What you need to choose is a complete Corporate Event Planner; and not a florist, or a caterer, or a DJ. Your complete Corporate Event Planner should have the ability and experience to bring all these component services together as a unit and produce a flawless event that will be remembered for meticulous planning and perfect execution.

You can start looking for your Corporate Event Planner by visiting corporate events or by searching the Internet. Make a list of those that seem appropriate to your requirements, and start calling them. Explain your vision and wish list, and arrange for interviews with those who stand out. Ask them to bring their proposal and ask for references from past and current clients. Pick one who is creative, communicates well, has extraordinary vision, and the experience to pull it off.

A great Corporate Event Planner can produce not only a great and successful event, but also one that would be enjoyed by all.

Chillisauce specialise in unique corporate planning events in the UK and Europe for the ultimate corporate event planning experience. For a more information and ideas on corporate event planning, please visit http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ali_Kidd

Corporate events are a showcase for your products and services. You will expect thousands of current as well as prospective customers and clients to show up. For a corporate event to be a success, you need a well planned, well organized, and a well-executed event. For this, you need the services of a professional Corporate Event Managers. Whether the corporate event is a business or a social one, a large or a small one, a formal or an informal one; regardless of the objective, it requires to be planned well with the help of professional and experienced corporate event managers.

With your company hosting the corporate event, you would have decided whether to plan the event yourself or to hire the services of professional Corporate Event Managers. Of course, you may feel that most of you have planned some event or the other; a meeting with your business associates, a get-together with friends and family, and so organizing a corporate event would be the same. A corporate event is not similar to organizing get-togethers and meetings. The role of corporate is not small and any mistake on this front could cost you dearly.

There are many advantages in hiring Corporate Event Managers. They bring in a number of assets, skills, services, and economical advantages that only with the experience and expertise of professional Corporate Event Managers.

Corporate Event Managers- Adding Value to Corporate Events

Whatever the objective of your corporate event, they require some value additions that are dependent on Corporate Event Managers:

• Corporate Event Managers are adept in visualizing what type of event will suit your objective. They have extensive experience in presenting creative suggestions and various alternatives, as well as having a vision of what the event should look like. A professional event manager also has the ability to execute, successfully, the vision of the client, and alternatively present a vision that will meet the desires of the client.

• Implementation of the vision involves coordination of goods and services. Corporate Event Managers have the experience and knowledge of all the goods and services that will be required to implement the vision, including location, registration, food and beverage, food service, entertainment, interactive games, audio/visual support, speakers, decoration, complementary gifts, security, insurance, ushers, transportation, parking arrangements, - the list is endless.

• Corporate Event Managers are very adept in planning and coordination of the efforts of a large number of people who are involved in organizing your corporate event.

Corporate event managers make sure that you fully enjoy the event without bothering about the implementation side of the corporate events!

Chillisauce specialise in unique corporate event management in the UK and Europe for the ultimate corporate event experience. For a more information and ideas on corporate event managers, please visit http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ali_Kidd

Employee handbooks are no longer just for large organizations. If you have more people in your company than fingers on your hands then it’s time for an employee handbook.

You might ask, “But why do I need one when lots of companies that are larger than mine don’t have one?” Here are some reasons why owners and CEO’s choose not to introduce an employee handbook into their organization:

· If I put it in writing I’ll actually have to adhere to the policy.
· To me it’s a game. I like to see if I can answer the same question over and over again with the same answer. Good for the memory.
· I prefer face-to-face interaction, particularly when I’m trying to leave the office for an important client meeting.
· Things have been working out great. Why change them now?
· Handbooks are way too corporate.
· I’ve never been sued-- Excuse me, I need to take this call from my attorney.

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever worked in an organization that didn’t have an employee handbook? As the owner or manager, you may have felt relieved to have escaped all of that bureaucracy. That was until someone approached you with a question on company policy that you couldn’t answer. Oh sure, you could have made up a response but you knew your employee would go back and compare notes with his co-worker. Now if only you could remember what you told the other employee.

Scenarios like this happen every day in organizations that don’t have formalized human resource policies. Having a well-written employee handbook can help your organization avoid situations like this. But a handbook can do so much more for a company if it’s done right.

Protection

Let’s not kid ourselves. One of the main reasons companies invest in employee handbooks is to protect themselves from future lawsuits. In today’s litigious environment, you have to be prepared for the worst. If your human resource policies are well documented in a handbook, you will be in a stronger position to defend your company. Don’t wait until you are in the unfortunate situation of having your employer/employee relationship go south to test this theory.

Playbook

Sending a manager out to the front lines without an employee handbook is a lot like sending your quarterback onto the playing field without a playbook. The only thing you can bet on is chaos.

Can you really expect your managers or team members to play by the rules if you don’t tell them what they are? Comprehensive employee handbooks ensure that everyone knows the rules of the game before they go into the field.

Setting Expectations

There is a lot of talk about ethics lately and with good reason. What better place to reinforce your code of ethics then in your employee handbook. To avoid becoming tomorrows Tyco, place your code of conduct front and center.

Performance expectations are vital to the success of any organization. Use this platform to provide a brief overview of how your organization rewards and recognizes excellent performance.

Tooting your horn

We can’t tell you how many times we hear from our clients that employees don’t appreciate everything they do for them. We respond by asking our clients if they think their employees even know what’s being provided for them. The response is often a shrugging of the shoulders. We then ask our clients to explain their employee benefits to us as if we were one of their employees. Too often they are unable to do so. We then point out that if they are unable to do this what makes them think their managers should be able to do this.

Employee handbooks are a great way to communicate the benefits of working for your firm. You don’t have to go into extensive details regarding all of your benefit plans, but it does make sense to remind employees you have their welfare in mind. After all, if you don’t toot your own horn, who will?

Borrower beware

When it comes to employee handbooks, one size does not fit all. Think twice before making a few changes to a friend’s “borrowed” handbook and calling it your own. The tone of the handbook may be appropriate for a transportation company but is it really suitable for your financial services organization?

Keep in mind that the integrity of a “borrowed” document is questionable since you have no idea who originally wrote the handbook and if it is in compliance.

As tempting as it may be, avoid downloading handbooks from the Internet. Yes, the handbook may be fine for a company based in California, but may not be appropriate for a multi-state employer like you. You don’t want to find out the hard way that you are giving out a document that is inappropriate for the state(s) in which you operate.

So, if you are still one of those doubters that thinks employee handbooks are just for big business consider purchasing a tape recorder so you can remember your answers to the questions you are most likely to hear over and over again. “Do we get Martin Luther King Day off?” “When am I eligible for three weeks of vacation?” “How much maternity leave am I entitled to and what will happen to all of my benefits while on leave?”

© 2005 Human Resource Solutions. All rights reserved.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (http://www.yourhrexperts.com) and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business goals. She is considered an expert in generational workforce issues. Roberta publishes a monthly newsletter “HR Matters” http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi which is jammed with resources, articles and tips to help companies navigate through sticky and complicated HR workforce issues. She can be reached at 413-582-1840 or [email protected].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roberta_Matuson

Like every beginner, I have thought you could beat, pummel and thrash an idea into existence. Under such treatment, of course, any decent idea folds up its paws, turns on its back, fixes its eyes on eternity, and dies.

- Ray Bradbury

This is a key rule; create a contract with your subordinate that simply says: Your subordinates get the credit when things go well and you will take all the blame when things go wrong. The main reason subordinates will not take risks is that they are hung out to dry when things go wrong or someone else takes the credit when things go right.

To help your subordinates develop their leadership skills to the fullest potential you must delegate duties and assignments in greater degrees of complexity. Leaders are developed best through experiential projects or assignments rather than textbooks and manuals. As each new assignment is completed on time, but perhaps not perfectly, the level of difficulty must be increased. By adopting this tactic you are communicating the message clearly that your trainee is expected to perform at a high level of effectiveness and manage his or her time wisely. Your subordinate must take risks in order to satisfactorily meet your requirements.

The first step is to clearly outline what the assignment is and its corresponding time constraints, resources available, which by the way includes you, and what the expected outcome is to determine if the assignment is to be considered a success. Don’t forget to allow time for questions. Provide a brief overview of why the assignment is important. Also include who, what and where the most likely areas of support and challenges will come from. Establish a schedule of meetings to monitor progress. These meetings should be brief, no longer than fifteen minutes. Now that you have set your subordinates up for success cut them loose and let them get to it.

There are two things that happen when subordinates take risks; one is good and the other is not. However, both results have a tremendous impact on the willingness of your leader in-training to take future risks. The first is the assignment goes well, it is completed satisfactorily and on time. You must make a public acknowledgement of the accomplishment and make sure that he or she gets the credit for a successful outcome.

The second result is that the assignment does not go well or is completed after the deadline. There may be a number of valid reasons why the outcome was not what was required. Conduct an after action review to learn what when wrong and how this result can be prevented in the future. This process will contribute to the learning experience.

You must be the person to stop this practice. Simply approach your subordinate and say “We can fix this,” then begin to assist your subordinate in taking the necessary steps to correct the assignment and give practical guidance to prevent a reoccurrence. If you follow this process faithfully your subordinates will continue to take on more challenging assignments and risks.

This practice demonstrates that you mean what you say, you are a person of character, you are making allowances for their professional development experience and you are not going to deliberately let them fail. The result of this process is that you will have an extremely loyal and competent staff whose performances will far exceed those of their contemporaries. Your reputation will spread throughout the organization as a leader’s leader who trains the future leaders of the organization.

Remember when you adopt the practice of “We can fix this” you turn success into a given when your subordinates are assigned a task.

Feel free to use this article, in your publications; in its entirety provided you include the following notice: © Copyright 2006 GreatestStrategies.com, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA,http://www.greateststrategies.com

Kenneth E. Strong, Jr., MS, is co-founder 0f http://www.greateststrategies.com a web based community devoted to educating, supporting and developing life-long learners

Mr. Strong has been a Health Care executive for 30 years. Mr. Strong received a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from Providence College and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Salve Regina College He has had articles published by the American Geriatric Society and has spoken on a variety of topics for the American College of Health Care Administrators and the New England Not-for-Profit Providers Conferences. Mr. Strong has also served as Adjunct Professor at Stonehill College. He is also an evaluator for the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission and a certified Retirement Housing Professional. He is certified by Walden University as an online instructor and certified by Langevin Learning Services as an Instructional Designer/Developer and Master trainer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_Strong

Answering emails has the same importance as answering telephone messages. Usually an email may more usefully be replied to with a phone call rather than another email (think about that)

Emails need to be sorted into priorities;

• “For your information” emails can be filed without answering.

• “Requests for information and service” emails need to be addressed early, especially if from a customer (or manager).

• General and personal communications can be responded to last.

• Where someone has carried out a request which we made of them, then good manners requires that we respond with a short and simple thank you, just as if we were talking to them - as soon as we receive their email.

As we noted in a previous article; if we are about to reply to an email in a manner that could start electronic warfare, then picking up the telephone and talking to them is a better option.

However, if we are responding to the sender of a company wide email, rest assured that every member of the organisation does not want to have to read our reply, no matter how witty or urbane we may think it is. This applies to personal e-mail (especially if it's an Internet joke or rumor). So the “reply all” option is a general no-go option.

When replying to emails, the common courtesy is to put the reply at the top with the original email underneath. This gives the reader less to plough through to get our response.

Liz Cassidy, founder of Third Sigma International is an author, Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach and is passionate about facilitating results in the businesses, professional and personal lives of her clients. For more information http://www.thirdsigma.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Cassidy

Answering emails has the same importance as answering telephone messages. Usually an email may more usefully be replied to with a phone call rather than another email (think about that)

Emails need to be sorted into priorities;

• “For your information” emails can be filed without answering.

• “Requests for information and service” emails need to be addressed early, especially if from a customer (or manager).

• General and personal communications can be responded to last.

• Where someone has carried out a request which we made of them, then good manners requires that we respond with a short and simple thank you, just as if we were talking to them - as soon as we receive their email.

As we noted in a previous article; if we are about to reply to an email in a manner that could start electronic warfare, then picking up the telephone and talking to them is a better option.

However, if we are responding to the sender of a company wide email, rest assured that every member of the organisation does not want to have to read our reply, no matter how witty or urbane we may think it is. This applies to personal e-mail (especially if it's an Internet joke or rumor). So the “reply all” option is a general no-go option.

When replying to emails, the common courtesy is to put the reply at the top with the original email underneath. This gives the reader less to plough through to get our response.

Liz Cassidy, founder of Third Sigma International is an author, Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach and is passionate about facilitating results in the businesses, professional and personal lives of her clients. For more information http://www.thirdsigma.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Cassidy

Does this happen in your organization? A request comes through to the training department to roll out a course on the new invoicing system. Course designers and trainers then spend considerable effort in putting together and delivering a training program that they think meets the needs of managers and employees. Employees attend and at the conclusion of the program are all fired up about putting the new skills into use. The trainers regard the program as a great success. However, a few weeks later the Training Manager receives a call from a disgruntled supervisor complaining that the training was a waste of time and money. It seems that beyond the initial enthusiasm, the training participants had quickly lapsed back into the old ways of doing things. What went wrong?

If your organization is struggling to see the skills learned during training transferred to actual application in the participant’s job, here are ten pointers to help you figure out why. Think here about your last course in which the training was not transferred successfully.

* Did instructional designers, trainers and line managers work together in partnership or was work on the program done in isolation with little collaboration?

* Were non-training solutions seriously considered or was a training request received and an off-the-shelf solution delivered?

* Were training outcomes stated in behavior and performance terms or were outcomes unstated or stated in fuzzy terms?

* Were training objectives tied to stated organizational objectives or were they left floating in the organizational ether?

* Were managers and supervisors actively involved before, during and after the program or was the program divorced from the employee's day to day work?

* Was post-training support provided back in the workplace, such as coaching and on-the-job aids, or were employees left to flounder with no opportunity to practice?

* Were new procedures and role expectations clearly communicated to employees or were they left wondering why they were nominated for the program?

* Were workplace performance expectations agreed with employees prior to the training, or was it back to "business as usual"?

* Was the training integrated with a well thought-out and implemented change or improvement program, or was the training a single point "silver bullet" solution?

* Did you measure the organizational impact of the program or rely solely on "happy sheets" for feedback?

How did your last training program measure up? From your answers, draw up an action plan that you can implement for your next program. Remember, the responsibility for transferring training to the workplace is not the sole responsibility of the trainer. It is also neither the sole responsibility of the training participant nor their manager or supervisor. It is a shared responsibility between all three parties acting in partnership. Only with all three roles collaborating to ensure that skills are transferred to the workplace will training participants change their behavior back on the job and the organization reap the benefits of training.

2006 © Business Performance Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vicki Heath is the Director of Business Performance Pty Ltd, a company providing practical online information and resources in a range of business areas, including training and development. Her company's guides, tools and templates assist organizations engage and develop people, manage organizational change and improve project delivery.

Available resources include a training effectiveness guide and training template packs. Investigate these and other useful resources and download the free Session Plan Template at http://www.businessperform.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicki_Heath

Company loyalty is dead. That’s what we continuously hear. This crop of employees is not loyal to their company or to their boss. Have you ever experienced this: a key employee quits out of the blue for a “better” job and you wondered, how could she? Turnover is high in your organization and you thought, what’s wrong with these people?

Loyalty is dead and study after study seems to confirm this. Today’s employees will have an average of nine different jobs in their career—nine different jobs! That’s a real change from that older generation of workers who joined the company and stayed long enough to get their pension and their gold watch. Those were the “good ole days.” What happened? Who killed company loyalty?

Before we damn this generation of workers, consider this possibility. Maybe, just maybe, employers killed company loyalty. That’s right, employers killed loyalty. How could this happen? Why would they do it? It’s suicide.

Consider this: when sales slip and profits are in jeopardy, why is head count reduction the first response to quickly right the ship? When health insurance premiums inch up, why is passing the cost onto the employees the best solution? When staffing levels slip, why is getting workers to do more with less the best response?

Maybe these solutions make good business sense on one level, but do you really think they’ll endear your employees to you and the company? What do you suppose employees think when they see fellow long service, higher paid workers laid off in the name of cost cutting? Do you think they feel they now have job security? What do you think employees feel when their contribution to their health insurance skyrockets, their merit increases hover around 3%, and then they read about top executives of big companies making millions of dollars in salary, bonuses and stock options? Do you think they feel they are getting a fair shake?

The Conference Board in their annual survey of employee job satisfaction reports that employees are not satisfied with the way things are going. Satisfaction with work, pay, job training, promotional opportunities and supervision are in a free-fall. Employees are not identifying with their organization, its goals and mission. In fact, a quarter of the workers admit they are just showing up to collect a paycheck!

What can be done? Can loyalty rise from the dead?

Some employers do enjoy employee loyalty. That’s right—and they also enjoy all the benefits of loyalty including productivity, quality service, retention and healthy bottom-lines. How?

The quick and simple answer is that they take care of their employees. This is not a warm and fuzzy, pie in the sky response. This is a pragmatic, bottom-line approach to the business. Without motivated, focused employees, organizations cannot operate well. With unacceptably high turnover (often defined as pure misery) you cannot grow your organization. Employers who take care of their employees find that their employees take care of them and their company. Employers who don’t, suffer the consequences.

Employees simply want to be treated fairly; they want a boss to be empathetic to their needs—to care; and they want to be respected. Employers don’t have to pay top dollars to keep employees, but you have to pay competitively. Employers can demand that your employees work hard, but you have to treat them fairly. And employers can expect that their employees remain loyal—but employers must be loyal to them.

We’re living in tough economic times. Costs are rising, labor is scarce, foreign competition is growing, and employers are being squeezed. More and more, success is dependent on a loyal workforce. Partner with your employees, take care of them, and then go out and buy those gold watches—you’re going to need them again.

Rick Dacri is an organizational development consultant, coach and featured speaker at regional and national conferences. Since 1995 his firm, Dacri & Associates has focused on improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Rick can be reached at 207-985-8401, [email protected], or http://www.dacri.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Dacri

There isn’t much doubt that most effective high impact leaders are driven by a model. This is true even when that effective leader doesn’t take the time to define his personal unique model. A model is a tool that leaders use to predict future outcomes of current decisions; a tool that not only enhances personal creativity but encourages creativity in the minds of their employees. An executive’s model is built from the sum of their experiences, knowledge, deeds and, in fact, many of their mistakes. Best practice alone will not get the job done. Effective model driven leadership utilizing best practice is a combination that is an absolute must. Different leaders create their models through different approaches. Each model is unique to the individual but the following three examples explain the platform that models are built on.

The Competitive Desire Model

Some leaders strongly shape their model by working in every aspect of the business and also from learning the business from the ground up. They always carry a strong desire to compete and win. The Leaders competitive instincts are generally tempered by personal humility and respect for the individual managers on his team. Listening skills and genuine interest in what is right for the business are key tools in building a consensus. Belief in the employees is a guiding principle in leadership style. This same approach is used with both suppliers and customers to find the innovative win-win solution. Make no mistake; this approach is very different than typical negotiation approaches used in many wholesaler-distributors.

It becomes a discipline. This discipline circumvents growth mistakes so common in the industry. The other implication of this model is providing significant autonomy to the executive team. The leader makes sure the executive team has a detailed and shared vision of the business objectives and goals. He believes his role as chief executive is to provide the shared vision and make sure that it is clear and also current.

The Elegant, Powerful Win-Win Innovation & Creativity Model

Another variation of the servant style of leadership models is the elegant, powerful, and simple model. This model starts with an open and clear balance between the various stakeholders whether they are customer/owners, employees, or suppliers. It is a truly win-win model without the destructive negotiation experienced by many other distributors. Using this foundation and a long established set of core corporate values and best practice the leader consistently reminds each stakeholder group of the key messages while continually focusing the organization on innovation and creativity. Innovation becomes a key strategic initiative for growth. It is exciting to see the accumulated economic power that can be developed by a constantly evolving innovative business model and effective leadership combined with best practice utilization.

The Strategic Shift Model

A third example of leadership modeling is about managing a strategic shift from being a traditional box-moving wholesaler with limited growth prospects to a logistics powerhouse that provides significant value in the supply chain.

Strategy is said to be obvious once you’ve had it explained. It is also said that customers don’t see strategy, they only see execution. This model like the other examples platform a strong sense of curiosity about other companies and how to apply lessons learned in their own organizations. The answers needed for major change and organizational renewal lie outside the enterprise and effective leaders using this model are able to take prior “lessons learned” and bench marking to generate success.

Over ninety percent of the reasons companies fail can be traced to ineffective leadership. It’s not because of the economy and it is not because of the competition. It is a failure to learn. Effective leadership will overcome these obstacles, and they’ll be looking down the road at what needs to be done to grow the current model once the model is no longer ‘grow-able. Attention is paid to the lessons learned.

What is a High Impact Leader?

High impact leaders, regardless of their personal model demonstrate a curiosity that can not be satisfied without personal examination of what exactly were the causes of any failure to meet expectations. Non-performance is just not acceptable. Leadership is a key in every instance to creating an attitude, structuring an environment and developing employees as the very essence of success. Although individual leadership models differ in some specific approaches the common thread that links every model together is respect for the individual employee and the willingness and ability to listen with an understanding that embellishes their own leadership contribution to the organization. Best practices are a part of every successful leadership model but best practice alone will not create the level of success demonstrated by the high impact upper quartile performers. Effective leaders create a culture where employees can express themselves and fight for what is right; employees become responsibly fanatical about aligning their resources to add value to the customer and the company. That’s what high impact leadership is all about. (e-mail [email protected] for a fre*e Business Acumen scorecard).

http://www.ceostrategist.com Dr. Rick Johnson ([email protected]) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor 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. CEO Strategist – experts in Strategic Leadership in Wholesale Distribution. Sign up for Rick’s monthly news letter – "The Howl" email [email protected].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Johnson

Henry Ford said that, “quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” What is doing it? And how well must it be done?

In every industry, competitors find themselves fighting price wars or positioning themselves as the low-cost provider only to find out that in many instances, quality is as important to customers (if not more so) than the cost they pay. Quality can be defined as the acceptable standard of excellence determined by the receiver. But, having a quality product and getting it to market is only part of the challenge; especially if you see quality as one action or an end result.

You can’t give lip service to quality. Anytime that there is a handoff, a deliverable, a discussion or even a decision to be made, quality is key. It has to be factored in and measured throughout the organization and considered in all activities of design, development, production, installation, servicing, customer interaction and documentation. The goal is to continually identify standards of quality, evaluate performance, monitor results and make adjustments that will improve the customer’s perception. When it comes to improving quality in your organizations you have five points to consider: the product, the processes, every transaction and the thinking that leads to overall performance quality. Achieving quality in an organization is an ongoing pursuit and has to be adopted as a mindset before any significant gains will be realized.

FOCUS #1 - Product Quality is measured by workmanship and reliability. It includes the raw materials, assemblies, products and components; as well as the function or services related to production. To have a quality product output means that you have to continually improve the inputs.

FOCUS #2 - Process Quality includes the quality of work in developing, making, and selling products and services. It is measured by adherence to performance standards, fewer mistakes, fewer rejects and less rework.

FOCUS #3 - Transaction Quality is measured by the effectiveness and efficiency of human interaction. When a products fails to meet the expectations of customers and they in turn seek remedy from the organization that creates a transaction (Ronald Coase, a British economist). Poor quality increase the number of transactions needed to resolve an issue and increases the cost of doing business. Once a customer picks up the phone or walks into your offices to seek resolution, the quality of the transaction itself becomes important.

FOCUS #4 - Performance Quality is within the control of every employee. It is achieved when transactions are handled in a way that delivers ever-increasing value to internal and/or external customers. Performance quality begins with quality of thought. How your people think about their jobs, their roles, your products, and your customers will determine the effort that they will expend.

Quality is achieved only by understanding current needs, future needs and then effectively and efficiently correcting errors and finding solutions that add value. Every internal handoff or customer exchange creates a learning opportunity for the employee involved, the organization, and the system. Employees often detect the first indication of a problem and are in the best position to eliminate it before the situation grows. How they make those decisions is indicative how they think.

FOCUS #5 - Quality of Thought- Rigid, habitual thinking makes product, process, transaction, and performance quality impossible. Without the ability to think strategically, laterally, or critically employees in organizations can never develop the creative ideas that spawn innovation and lead to quality improvements. Stale thinking overrides any opportunity that a company has to outwit the competition or get ahead of change. Breakthrough thinking is needed if organizations are to deconstruct challenges, set goals, construct workable real-time solutions, and accurately identify the right solution for the right situation at the right time.

In a competitive marketplace, quality is the great differentiator that pays impressive dividends. It is never a final destination but an ongoing pursuit to achieve maximum customer satisfaction in the shortest time and the lowest cost.

Quality products and processes begin with quality thinking but here is a list of ten more things that you can do to increase quality:

   1. Understand the nature and communicate the importance of quality to every employee.

   2. Know what matters most to your clients and why.

   3. Develop products and processes that help your clients meet their business goals in the most efficient way.

   4. Make what your customers care about your top priority.

   5. Make sure that dollars spent to improve operations, systems, and products relate to the needs of your current and targeted customers.

   6. Set, enforce, and revise standards to deliver your best (product, process, transaction, performance and thinking) to the marketplace.

   7. Work collaboratively to establish quality in all internal processes and interdepartmental hand offs.

   8. Create self-managed teams that focus on continuous improvement strategies.

   9. Increase the learning opportunities and challenge the habitual thinking of employees.

  10. Eliminate the waste and non-value added activities from your processes it will reduce your product development and process cycle-times.

Valarie is CEO of Think 6 Results -- a knowledge broker passionate about learning and improving performance in organizations. She’s a writer, presenter, and executive coach on a mission to get every employee and organization focused on and thinking about the SIX business driving goals that matter.

Looking for just the right SPEAKER for your special meeting or event; we offer full-day presentations, training workshops, and keynote addresses. This high-energy presenter is ready to cover topics like: strategic thinking , career strategy,leadership, change management, teambuilding, employee engagement, or organizational learning. Let us customize a presentation for you. You won't be disappointed.

SHARE this article with others. Copy this article and pass it on when you include the copyright and contact information listed below.

Contact Valarie at [email protected] or by calling 630-705-1189. Visit us at http://www.Think6Results.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valarie_Washington

Everything necessary, nothing extraneous. Make sure you solve the problem completely, but don’t get sidetracked into doing other things that, while useful, won’t make this problem go away. Put those extras aside to evaluate later as other projects.

This concept applies throughout the problem-solving process, beginning when you determine the success criteria that define the end-state for solving the problem. When you set success criteria, you want to establish the minimum necessary to solve the problem. Problem-solving is not the time for stretch goals! In problem-solving, the objective is to do everything necessary to completely solve the problem, but nothing extra.

Once the success criteria are defined, you can use them to test the rest of the project for "everything necessary, nothing extraneous." For example, when you do the root cause analysis step, you can check the suspected causes against the success criteria for the problem. Ask, for each suspected cause, if eliminating the cause will help achieve your success criteria. If yes, eliminating the cause is necessary. If no, eliminating the cause is extraneous to your problem-solving effort.

Similarly, you should check all your action plans to be sure you’re doing everything necessary to solve the problem, but that nothing extraneous has crept in. Watch out for the "while you’re at it" temptation. Giving in to that temptation is one of the key places extras can slip in, potentially causing your whole project to fail.

Copyright 2006. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.

Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving Problems Permanently. Now also an ebook, find out about it and get more free information on problem solving at her web site: http://www.sawyerpartnership.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanne_Sawyer

CEOs and Presidents often mistakenly treat key management personnel like Jell-O. They throw newly hired executives into the bowl, stir things up a bit, cool things off when things heat up and wait for things to gel. Viola. Perfect Jell-O every time.

If this approach really worked, employee turnover would be non-existent. Everyone hired would fit the mold perfectly. No, the hiring and assimilation of key executive personnel is more like the art of making a soufflé. It takes practice, confidence and requires more than just sitting back and waiting for things to gel. If the thought of actually coming up with a recipe to hire and successfully integrate key management personnel into your organization makes you shrink then read on.

Right ingredients

Assembling a well congealed management team starts with pulling together the right ingredients. Adding too many chili peppers (also known as hot headed management personnel) will certainly alter the flavor of your organization, particularly if you are going for a smooth collaborative environment.

Define the traits that work best in your organization and avoid mixing ingredients that don’t generally work well together. You can always tweak things after you have gotten the basic recipe down.

Top shelf equipment

If your organization is going to be composed of top shelf employees then be prepared to have the right tools and equipment at their disposal. For example, top -notch engineers expect access to state of the art equipment and computer programs. Keep this in mind before paying for a premium player. The lesser-known brand employee, who has yet to be discovered, may work just as well and could be a better fit for your organization.

Clearly defined roles

Mixing a bunch of ingredients together without much thought to how they will react with one another may work when creating something forgiving like spaghetti sauce but this approach could spell disaster when trying to find the right blend for your organization.

We’ve seen this scenario happen time and time again. Executives are brought into an organization without their roles being clearly defined. Before they’ve had a chance to make their mark they find themselves stomping on someone else’s territory. The reaction of other key management personnel tells the tale best. Some choose to fight this new predator while others let their newly crafted resumes speak on their behalf. Either scenario means energy is being depleted from the organization. You are leaving opportunities for your competition to quickly take over your leading position.

Even a coach needs a coach

It’s lonely at the top. Just ask star chefs like Emeril and Bobby Flay. These guys didn’t get where they are today on their own. They still use seasoned veterans to keep their names on the tip of everyone’s tongue.

Forget the company car. Instead, give your new executives access to a coach. This person can help your executive quickly assimilate into the business and avoid many of the landmines that exist in most organizations.

Team development

Strong ego’s often come as standard equipment when you hire powerful executives. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it comes in bite-size pieces. Successful companies know that some conflict can be healthy. But like a good piece of chocolate, it can quickly lose it’s appeal if eaten daily.

It would be great if team building happened on it’s own but that’s rarely the case. Set aside time for your executive team to get to know one another. Consider using cross-functional teams to solve business challenges. Acknowledge and reward team efforts.

If you start to incorporate some of these ideas into your organization you could find yourself walking into a room where you might receive a standing ovation. The sound you hear is not applause for your Jell-O mold. It’s for the carefully crafted soufflé you have just created in an organization that is hungry for strong leadership.

© 2006 Human Resource Solutions. All rights reserved.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Northampton, Mass. based Human Resource Solutions (http://www.yourhrexperts.com) and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business goals. She is also considered an expert in generational workforce issues. Roberta publishes a monthly newsletter “HR Matters” http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi which is jammed with resources, articles and tips to help companies navigate through sticky and complicated HR workforce issues. She can be reached at 413-582-1840 or [email protected].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roberta_Matuson

Here are some of the memorable things people have said to me since I started my business in 1992. And, yes, all of the quotes are true.

"Paying these royalties is a real hassle."

> Comment: You can't judge a book publisher by the cover.

"I know that you're a much better speaker, and that your content is better, your materials are better, and even your fee is lower, but I decided to use a seminar company from out of state because my boss will approve it without asking any questions."

> Comment: That explains why sometimes you find yourself in a really terrible seminar.

"I save all the invoices in a drawer and every four months or so I go through the stack and approve them."

> Comment: I bet she would go ballistic if her paycheck were ten minutes late.

"Okay, in your case we'll make an exception and pay you on time."

> Comment: Here's another person who fails to understand how business works.

"Instead of hiring a speaker we decided to spend our money on an ice sculpture."

> Comment: I suppose it's more important to watch ice melt than learn something.

"I want you to send me a proposal with complete descriptions of all of your workshops, a resume, your client list for the past five years, a dozen testimonial letters, and a fee schedule. I've got 21 proposals so far and I want to collect 25."

> Comment: If I were this man's boss, I'd fire him for being a public nuisance. (And I did not submit a proposal.)

"If she had wanted to act on your proposal, she would have returned your calls. Duh!"

> Comment: Every vendor is also a customer, and in this case I responded to their rudeness by transferring my phone service to another company. Cost to them: over $1,200 per year.

"What do you charge to speak for 54 minutes?"

> Comment: The same that I charge for 55 minutes. And 53 minutes.

"Now that we have your workbook, we'll use one of our staff to conduct the workshop."

> Comment: Let me know when you start so I can call my attorney.

"You asked too many questions. You're not supposed to figure out that this is illegal."

> Comment: We never ask too many questions. (And I only work with ethical companies.)

Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Kaye