A Cold Winter Forecast

It was autumn, and the Red Indians on the reservation asked their New Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Red Indian chief in a modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.

But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again.
"Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes," the man from the National Weather Service again replied, "it's definitely going to be a very cold winter."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely," the man added. "It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Red Indians are collecting wood like crazy."

Moral: The influence you have on others can be way beyond what you imagine it to be.

Taken from Stories That Coach: Sampler www.managetrainlearn.com

Innovation & Strategy..

Beberapa catatan tentang Innovation..

Tapi gua lupa sih tepatnya ngambil dari buku apa & siapa pengarangnya..


Innovation:
Adding new ideas that improve on existing ones,
e.g in the development of products or processes.

Strategy:
A plan to achieve a particular end or purpose.

Synergy:
The way in which the act of bringing together two or more elements adds power and performance to each element.
e.g. whenever two or more NIVEA brands are sold through the same media channels or retail outlets, the individual products support each other.


STRATEGY
A company can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference that it can preserve..

The essence of strategy is choosing to perform activities differently that rivals do..

Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a uniques mix of value..

Strategic positions can be based on customers' needs, customers' accessibility, or the variety of a company's products or services..

A sustainable strategic position requires trade-offs.. Trade-offs are essential to strategy. They create the need for choice and purposefully limit what a company offers..

Fit locks imitators by creating a chain that is as strong as its strongest link..

Strategic positions should have a horizon of a decade or more, not of a single planning cycle..

Kenang-kenangan dari kuliah Innovation tentang Brand Me..

12 Jurus Untuk Menyalakan Spirit Motivasi

Written by Yodhia Antariksa * Posted April 13, 2009 at 2:00 am

Buku-buku dan seminar tentang motivasi kini tumbuh subur bagaikan cendawan di musim hujan. Dan tengoklah bahasa bombastis dari iklan yang menyertai beraneka seminar itu : motivasi untuk mencapai sukses luar biasa..… membangkitkan inner motivation Anda untuk meraih peak performance.……atau kalimat heroik lainnya.

Persoalannya, spirit motivasi yang bersifat permanan acap tak bisa diciptakan dengan metode sim salabim semacam itu. Seminar yang penuh yel-yel semangat itu mungkin bisa menciptakan sensasi motivasi yang meletup; namun dalam hitungan hari bisa langsung lenyap tak berbekas. Sebab, disini memang tak ada lampu aladin yang mendadak bisa merubah mental kerja sesorang dalam sekejap.

Lalu, ikhtiar apa yang mesti diusung untuk merajut bentangan proses motivasi yang lebih bersifat permanen? Dan bukan sekedar sensasi sesaat?

Kita mungkin bisa menjawab pertanyaan itu melalui sebuah konsep penting dalam motivasi kerja. Para ahli menyebut konsep ini sebagai “work engagement”. Inilah sebuah tema yang ingin melihat sejauh mana totalitas dan keterlibatan seseorang dengan pekerjaan yang ditekuninya. Sejauh mana ia melakukan persenyawaan dengan pekerjaan beserta dengan segenap dinamikanya.

Ada sejumlah indikator kunci yang bisa digunakan untuk melacak sejauh mana seseorang memiliki work engagement yang kokoh. GallupOrganization, sebuah lembaga riset human behavior terkemuka, telah merancang sebuah instrumen yang mereka sebut sebagai Q -12 untuk mengidentifikasi level engagement itu.

Instrumen Q 12 ini berisikan 12 pertanyaan (questions) yang layak kita eksplorasi disini.

1. Pertanyaan yang pertama adalah : Dalam pekerjaan Anda, apakah Anda mengetahui dengan jelas ekspektasi yang diharapkan dari Anda? Pertanyaan ini penting, sebab jangan-jangan selama ini Anda tak tahu persis apa tujuan dan harapan dari atasan mengenai hasil akhir pekerjaan yang diinginkan.

2. Apakah Anda dibekali dengan peralatan dan bahan yang tepat serta diperlukan untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan Anda dengan benar? Kira-kira fasilitas kantor Anda sudah oke atau belum? Apakah komputer yang Anda pakai sudah kelas Dual Core atau masih kelas Pentium (pentium 2 lagi); apakah ruang kerja Anda sudah nyaman, atau sebaliknya, kumuh bak terminal bis?

3. Dalam menuntaskan tugas, apakah Anda diberi kesempatan dan didorong untuk mempersembahkan yang terbaik setiap harinya? Adakah atasan dan segenap lingkungan kantor secara simultan mendorong Anda to do your best every single day?

4. Dalam tujuh hari terakhir, apakah Anda pernah menerima pujian dan apresiasi atas tugas yang telah Anda selesaikan dengan sempurna? Jangan-jangan selama kerja puluhan tahun, Anda ndak pernah menerima secuilpun apresiasi dan pujian? Duh.

5. Apakah atasan atau rekan kerja menganggap Anda sebagai “a person” ? Mungkin Anda sendiri tahu maknanya, tanpa perlu dijelaskan.

6. Apakah di kantor ada seseorang yang care dan selalu meng-encourage pengembangan diri Anda? Atau Anda dibiarkan untuk melakoni rute panjang pengembangan diri itu sendirian. Dibiarkan mengembara dalam sepi dan kesunyian…

7. Dalam proses penyelesaian pekerjaan, Apakah opini dan pendapat Anda dihargai? Atau sebaliknya, dicuekin melulu (aduh capek deh….).

8. Apakah visi/misi perusahaan membuat Anda merasa bangga dengan tugas yang Anda kerjakan sekarang? Atau jangan-jangan Anda sendiri tak pernah tahu visi/misi perusahaan Anda. Hello……

9. Apakah segenap rekan kerja Anda memiliki komitmen untuk merampungkan pekerjaan yang berkualitas? Atau semuanya bekerja dengan semangat ala kadarnya saja.

10. Apakah Anda memiliki best friend di kantor? Ah, temen sejati gw sih cuman ada di Facebook, begitu mungkin hati Anda berbisik. Wah cilaka, kalo begitu.

11. Dalam enam bulan terakhir, apakah ada someone yang berbicara dengan Anda mengenai perkembangan ketrampilan Anda? About your progress?

12. Dalam setahun ini, apakah Anda memiliki sejumlah peluang to learn and grow? Tumbuh dan berkembang menjadi insan yang produktif nan termotivasi?

Itulah 12 pertanyaan kunci dalam Gallup Q-12. Jika Anda memberikan jawaban negatif lebih dari 10 pertanyaan diatas; kemungkinan Anda mengalami apa yang disebut “actively dis-enganged”. Kalau ada lebih dari 6 jawaban negatif berarti Anda merasa “dis-engaged”.

Kalau demikian, jangan hanya pasif belaka. Do something. Email-kan 12 pertanyaan kunci diatas kepada CEO atau HR Director di kantor Anda; dan kemudian bangunlah dialog untuk mencari solusi yang paling optimal. Sebab hanya dengan itulah, spirit motivasi Anda dan semua rekan kerja Anda bisa terus menyala.

Oke, salam semangat pagi teman !! Semoga hari ini, motivasi Anda semua bisa terus berkibar sepanjang hari !!


Photo Credit by : La Caitlin @Flickr.com

Coaching Employees

Coaching Employees - Why You Should Be A Career Coach, Not Just A Manager

How To Coach Your Employees To Reach Their True Potential... and Achieve Greater Productivity, Better Results and Higher Morale

By Anna Johnson

As an outstanding manager, you won't just "manage" people; you'll also assist the members of your team develop to their true potential.

Coaching employees means helping team members utilize their talents, develop new skills and knowledge, overcome fresh challenges, become more and more productive, become happier, and in all respects grow as employees and people.

To fulfill these responsibilities you'll need to develop coaching -- as well as -- managing skills.

The essence of being a coach is to help someone reach beyond his or her own perceived limitations and achieve his or her full potential. (I'll now interchange the male and female pronouns for the purpose of readability.)

Unlike other aspects of managing, when you coach someone, you are focused on her as a person, not on the task or tasks you want her to complete.

You have many "tools" to accomplish this. You can give advice and direction -- on the individual's career (career coaching), on how to complete certain tasks, on how to work within the political framework of the organization, and so on. For the most part, however, coaching employees involves prompting the person -- asking questions -- to help the "coachee" discover her own answers.

You may coach via your regular, day-to-day, interactions with your staff as well as during your more formal meetings (including the performance appraisal).

Ideally, however, you will schedule some specific coaching sessions with each team member. These aren't for giving feedback or for appraising her performance; they're for coaching. During these meetings -- which may last for 30 to 60 minutes -- you'll ask some questions and let your employee do most of the talking. Your aim is to find out if she has any specific goals or challenges, and help her find a way to overcome them.

You might kick off a coaching session by explaining how coaching works. Then you might ask the employee what she would like to be coached about. She might have a problem working with someone else, or she might want to know how she can get promoted faster, or she might want to change roles. (If that's the case, relax. Remember, you want the best people working for you, not people who want to be somewhere else!).

Your next question may be to ask her what outcomes she wants. After she answers -- and remember to give her as much time as she needs to do so -- your next question might be about the difficulties or challenges she perceives in pursuing those outcomes.

You might then ask, "How can you overcome those difficulties?" in order to prompt her to work out her own solutions. Of course, she might be looking for answers from you at this point... and although there is a place for giving her advice... ideally she will come up with her own ideas.

Finally, you might ask your employee to give you her "game plan" for overcoming the problem or achieving the goal, ensuring that she has covered off all possible roadblocks to her success.

Coaching employees can also be performed on a more informal basis. In fact, all "feedback opportunities" are coaching opportunities.

For example, if someone hasn't performed a task very well, he will learn where he went wrong and how to work better next time if you coach him through the problem rather than simply tell him what he did badly.

Instead of saying "You should have done this..." "You should have done that..." you might ask him lots of "what" and "how" questions like, "what went wrong" and "how would you do this next time?"

There are also situations where you may wish to engage a professional coach -- from within or outside your company (as the case may be) -- to work with members of your team. For instance, engage a career coach if they want to make dramatic and difficult changes in their working lives... or you think they need an outside perspective... or you want them to have coaching on a more regular basis than what you can provide...

There are no special qualifications required to be a coach, so it's critical for you to select one carefully. In particular, look for someone who specializes in coaching executives and who has been through a rigorous and highly regarded training program.

Incorporate coaching employees into your role as a manager and you're almost certain to develop a closer relationship with your staff that leads to greater productivity, better results and higher morale.

From : http://www.howtomanagepeople.com/coaching-employees.html

Performance Appraisals - The 5 Biggest Mistakes

Performance Appraisals - The 5 Biggest Mistakes Managers Make and How To Avoid Them

Discover How To Avoid The 5 Common Mistakes That Could Be Fatal To A Positive, Productive Relationship With Your Staff

By Anna Johnson

Performance appraisals.

Or, if you prefer, performance review.

Whichever term you use, mention it to a dozen of your friends -- whether they typically give or receive performance appraisals -- and notice the responses you get.

A grimace?

A roll of the eyes?

Tension?

A satisfied smile?

Let's face it, mentioning "performance appraisals", not to mention terms like "360 degree feedback system" - gets such a mixed response because people have such mixed experiences.

Which is only to be expected... except I bet most of the responses you get are negative.

If your respondents aren't hostile, or scornful, then they're clearly unimpressed.

Why?

Why are performance appraisals seen to be negative experiences?

I mean, aren't performance appraisals simply a meeting between a manager and a member of his or her staff, where together they appraise the staff member's performance during the year (or other time period) and agree on goals for the coming year?

Well, that's the theory.

But in reality, many managers handle performance appraisals quite poorly. And the result is not only an unpleasant meeting, but one where the manager and his or her staff member never quite understand each other, never quite appreciate the other's point of view, and never quite settle on appropriate goals for the coming year.

It's almost inevitable that the staff member will end up less happy and less productive than he or she was before!

In fact, there are five (5) big mistakes that managers often make in conducting performance appraisals. Fortunately, these mistakes are easily avoided once you make a conscious effort to avoid them.

Let's discuss each in turn.

Mistake #1: Using The Performance Appraisal To Give Specific Feedback

This is the biggie, and all too common. It's where a manager fails to give someone adequate feedback on their performance during the year, and then dumps it on them in the performance appraisal meeting.

Unfortunately, the feedback is almost always negative, so the employee ends up sitting there in shock -- at best, wondering why his or her manager didn't say something sooner; at worst, feeling unjustly victimized.

And you have to wonder -- how can a manager expect an employee to do the right things, the right way, if the manager hasn't provided any guidance or feedback all year?

The solution: make it a habit to tell your employees if they've done a good or poor job, and if it's a poor job, explain how they can do things better in the future.

There should be no surprises when it comes to performance appraisals!

Mistake #2: Overemphasizing Recent Performances

It's all too human to remember, and give greater weight, to recent events rather than earlier events. However, this can lead to an inaccurate and unfair assessment when it comes to reviewing an employee's performance.

To avoid overemphasizing an employee's recent work, take note -- and ideally take notes -- of the employee's work throughout the year.

Mistake #3: Being Too Positive Or Negative

Some managers feel uncomfortable giving negative feedback and consequently, can omit to give employees the constructive criticism they need to improve. And then there are other managers who are instinctively too negative, leaving the employee wondering if they can do anything right!

While, as a manager appraising someone's performance you should give your honest opinion... you also want your employee to understand and appreciate what you're saying.

So instead of being too positive or negative -- which can result in the employee not believing what you say -- think about the impact on the employee you want, and communicate your feedback accordingly.

Mistake #4: Being Critical Without Being Constructive

Following on from Mistake #3... some managers can be too critical and neglect to provide any constructive advice on how an employee can improve.

This doesn't help the employee or the manager. Even if your criticisms all have merit, if you don't explain how the employee can improve, he or she is likely to miss the validity of what's being said and simply think he or she is being victimized. Not to mention the fact that his or her performance won't actually improve.

So if you need to be critical, be constructive too!

Mistake #5: Talking Not Listening

The final big mistake that managers make in performance appraisals is doing too much talking and not enough listening.

These meetings are supposed to be interactive -- where the manager doesn't simply relay his or her own appraisal of the employee's performance during the year, but also listens to the employee's viewpoint.

If, for example, you have criticized the individual's performance -- it's not only fair, but important, to get the employee's response as to why he or she may have underperformed.

Moreover, a key objective performance appraisals is to agree on goals for the following year. How can there be true agreement and commitment to such goals, if you don't learn the employee's point of view?

As you've probably gathered, you can avoid these five mistakes -- it just takes a little effort. It's certainly worth it -- if you think employee satisfaction, productivity and performance are important.

From : http://www.howtomanagepeople.com/performance-appraisals.html

Motivating Employees - How To Get People To Give You What You Want

A Time-Tested Approach For Motivation In The Workplace

By Anna Johnson

Intrigued?

Suspicious?

Don't worry, I'm not about to suggest any mind control techniques!

In fact, I'm going to suggest something quite the opposite. But first, let me explain why this article is about "getting people to give you what you want."

Well, the truth is, no matter what you do for a living - whether you're self-employed, run a business, manage people or work for someone else -- you need OTHER PEOPLE'S HELP to get ahead.

Whether it's getting customers to buy, managers to promote you or give you a pay rise, colleagues to help you... much of your success -- however you define it -- depends on persuading people to give you what you want.

So how do you do it?

You know what I'm about to say, right?

Yes, that's right: to get others to give you what you want, you must first give them what THEY want. This is the secret to motivating employees, and just in case you were thinking, the old / traditional employee incentives simply don't work!

Now you need to make some critical distinctions.

Firstly, you need to find out what that someone else REALLY wants. This may or may not be obvious... and it may not be what they say they want!

Here's a clue: focus on the BENEFIT they're seeking, rather than the MEANS by which they think they'll get that benefit. In many cases, a different means is just as (if not more) effective to delivering the benefit they want.

Which is just as well, because you may only be able to deliver the benefit through an alternative means.

Your next "task" is to identify whether you can -- and are willing -- to provide what this person wants. Will the "cost" of you providing it be too much (greater than the benefit you'll gain)?

Or is it no sweat at all?

Finally, you need to be able to COMMUNICATE to the other person that if they give you what you want, you'll give them what they want.

This "persuasive communication" (otherwise known as good, old-fashioned SELLING) firstly requires you to communicate in a way that the person UNDERSTANDS. (NOT how you "think" they'll understand.)

So you need to use the language they understand best -- not just in terms of "speaking language", but also in terms of using sensory cues (e.g. diagrams, sounds, etc), and explanatory "techniques" (e.g. stories, examples, etc) that appeal to them.

Secondly, you need to be PERSUASIVE. This involves appealing to the person's emotional triggers, motivations, beliefs, attitudes, values and sense of logic.

A lot of selling and negotiation training programs focus on "persuasion." And rightly so. But you can probably see that YOU'LL ONLY BE PERSUASIVE if:

-- You know what the person really wants;

-- You can (and are willing to) give it to them; and

-- You communicate clearly (so they understand).

So that's all there is to getting people to give you what you want!

Okay, okay, I never said it was easy ;-) But it is effective and will lead to increased motivation in the workplace -- you just need to patiently and diligently discover what your "prospect" truly wants; decide that you can and will provide this to them; and communicate that you will give them what they want if they give you what you want through clear and persuasive communication.

From : http://www.howtomanagepeople.com/motivating-employees.html

Download FREE copy of Managing People

Untuk yang mau untuk mendownload ebook berjudul "Managing People"..
Silahkan buka situs berikut ini dan langsung mendownloadnya.. Tanpa perlu register atau memberikan alamat email..

http://www.winningwaysatwork.com/

Firing Employees and The Dreaded Termination Letter

For Many Managers The Only Thing More Stressful Than Getting Fired... Is Firing Someone Else! Here's How To Do It Without All The Stress

By Anna Johnson

If you manage people for any length of time, it's likely that, at some stage, you'll need to give someone a termination letter.

It might be because they aren't performing to your expectations; because you no longer need their role performed; or because they've breached the law or a company policy.

Whatever the circumstances, firing employees is a confronting and often stressful task.

So here's a way to make the process easier and less traumatic - both for you as well as the person you need to dismiss.

Depending on why you need to fire someone - whether it's due to poor performance, a role that's no longer required, or a legal or policy breach - I suggest you do the following...

1. Poor Performance

Firing employees or relocating someone because of poor performance is often the most difficult situation because, firstly, it may be unclear why your employee is underperforming, and secondly, depending on the relevant laws, it may be difficult for you to prove that they're underperforming, let alone legally justify your decision to fire them.

So, if you are dissatisfied with someone, the first step is to work out why he or she has performed so poorly. Specifically, is it because of:

-- You,

-- The organization, or

-- The poor performer?

Beginning with you... are you managing the person satisfactorily?

This is crucial for two reasons. Firstly because it may actually be unnecessary to fire your employee - if, for example, you can turn around their performance simply by changing the way you manage them. Secondly, because it avoids being confronted with a wrongful dismissal claim!

Alternatively, if both you and your employee work for someone else... the real problem may lie with the organization.

Has it failed to provide enough resources for your employee to do their job properly? Is it failing to give you the support you need to carry out your management responsibilities?

If so, you may need to request changes or more support from the "higher ups". And needless to say, if the organization is to blame... firing and replacing your employee is unlikely to improve the situation.

Of course, neither you nor your company may be responsible for the poor performance. It may be the employee.

So now you need to ask the following questions: is the employee ill suited to the role? Do they lack key talents, skills or knowledge? Are there personality clashes with you or other colleagues that are interfering with their work? Or are there personal issues that are impacting on the employee's attitude or performance at work?

And... is there anything you can do about any of this?

If not - and you've done all you can to help your employee improve - then the fact is, you cannot afford to keep them on!

Of course, none of this means you can't fire someone in a fair and compassionate way.

In fact, you can make it easier by giving the employee plenty of notice - for example, one to two months depending on how tight the job market is and whether you can afford it.

You can also enable the individual to apply for jobs and attend interviews. Even better (if you can afford it) would be to pay for them to attend career change training, where they will learn how to prepare, or update, their resume, and apply for new jobs.

And if you don't want the employee to continue doing their old job during this time, just get them to do other things. For absolute clarity, you should clearly state these benefits in his/her termination letter.

2. The Role Is No Longer Required

If a particular employee's role is no longer needed, or you no longer have enough work to keep them busy, then you'll have to "retrench" that individual.

In this case, it's important to remember that the worker is not to blame for losing his or her job.

If you can, redeploy the employee in another role. But if that's not possible try to provide plenty of notice, let them apply for jobs while still in your employ, and pay for career change training.

3. Legal / Corporate Policy Breach

Now you might think that firing an employee who has breached the law or a corporate policy is the easiest situation in which to sack someone.

Unfortunately, it can be just as tough!

For one thing, you'll need solid proof to back up any accusations that the employee has done something wrong. Depending on the policies of your company and the jurisdiction in which you operate, you may also need to comply with certain corporate and legal requirements.

You should also be prepared to give the employee a fair hearing... and be ready for what they have to say.

For instance, are there are any extenuating circumstances that, by law, policy or good conscience, you need to consider when deciding whether and how to fire someone? Should you put the employee on some kind of probation?

Of course, you don't want to take it easy on someone who has clearly lied, stolen or breached your trust!

While it may only be fair to help out a person you fire or retrench because of poor performance or because their role is no longer required... when it comes to someone who has clearly and knowingly done something wrong... don't be slow in cutting out the "dead wood" before the rot starts to spread!

Okay, so now you have some general tips for firing employees. Hopefully, if you follow this advice, you'll find employee termination much easier and less stressful.

From: http://www.howtomanagepeople.com/firing-employees.html

Conflict Resolution Tips

Conflict Resolution Tips - How To Deal With Unreasonable People

Sharpen Your Conflict Resolution Skills - What To Do When Someone Makes Unreasonable Demands Of You!

By Anna Johnson

Do you have an unreasonable boss? An unreasonable client? (An unreasonable spouse :) )

You know, someone who makes unreasonable demands of you - like expecting you to produce impossible results in unrealistic timeframes... without the people, time, budget or other necessary resources to deliver those results?

If you do, here's some conflict resolution tips for responding to their unreasonable demands.

It's actually based on some advice I recently gave to a good friend of mine after he came to me wanting to improve his conflict resolution skills.

Basically, my friend is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a growing technology company, who reports directly to the CEO.

Now this CEO happens to habitually make unreasonable -- in fact, outlandish -- demands of his people. So it came as no surprise that he recently asked my friend to (in my friend's words) "fly to the moon... in a rubber dinghy."

My friend was tempted to tell the CEO "no" and that what he wanted was impossible.

A logical response perhaps. But also the type of response that would send the CEO into a spasm! (Like many CEOs, he's not the kind of guy who takes kindly to the word "no.")

But the other problem my friend faced in saying no or it's impossible was that the CEO would never appreciate just how unreasonable his demands were... let alone actually provide my friend with the resources necessary to meet those demands.

So rather than say "no", I advised my friend to take a totally different approach. I encouraged him to say: "Yes, here's what I need..." and then specify all the resources he would need to fulfill the CEO's vision.

Initially, my friend objected, "He's never going to give me the money or the people to do that."

But I reassured him, "that's not your decision. It's his. Your job is to tell him what you need to produce what he wants."

In fact, an unreasonable boss is likely to have one of three reactions to this response:

1. They'll see that what they've asked for is unreasonable, and lower their expectations.

2. They'll somehow give you what you need to do the job.

3. They won't believe you.

And if they don't believe you, they don't trust you - which is a much bigger problem than having a boss or client with unrealistic expectations!

So... next time someone asks YOU to do the impossible, don't say "no." Say, "Yes, here's what I need...". Then explain what YOU need from your boss or client in order to deliver what he or she wants. (Just make sure you're being realistic and reasonable with yourself when you detail what you need from your boss or client!).

from : http://www.howtomanagepeople.com/conflict-resolution-tips.html

Sebuah Catatan "How To Manage People Effectively"

How To Manage People Effectively
Keys tor Successful People Management

© Mitch McCrimmon
Mar 26, 2007

To manage people effectively, broaden your role from that of decision maker to catalyst, coach, and facilitator as well. Ask more questions, do less telling.

The biggest mistake managers make, regardless of experience level, is to think they need to have all the answers. Managing people effectively means motivating and engaging them so they feel valued and important.

The best way to really engage employees is to ask them for their input to problem solving. You can pat them on the back for a job well done, give them clear direction but if you never ask them for their advice or suggestions they will never feel fully engaged.

The key to effective people management is to realize that managers must be faciitators, catalysts, brokers and coaches, as well as decision makers. Less effective managers make the mistake of seeing their role too narrowly. They focus only on the role of decision maker, which is why they think they need to solve all work problems personally. Ineffective managers base their whole identity and confidence on their ability to provide better answers or solutions than anyone else.

Tips for Effective People Management

· Know how your team members differ. Ask them to describe their ideal manager to find out which ones simply want to be told what to do and which ones like to have a say in now things are done.

· Those who simply want clear direction and admire a firm but fair, decisive manager can be treated accordingly.

· For those who want involvement, ask them more questions. Make them come to you with options for solutions, not just problems.

· Ask more questions generally, not to gather facts but to find out what they think.

· Manage expectations by making all your sub-roles clear. Sell them on the benefits of your taking a more facilitative role. The main benefits are to engage them and foster broader ownership, also as a means of developing them.

· Hold regular one to one meetings where you ask them what went well and what didn’t since your last meeting. Push them to think of at least 3 things they did that they are pleased about. When you move onto what hasn’t gone well, use questions to draw ideas for improvement out of them. Use praise for good work as appropriate.

· Think strategically about which decisions you need to make and which you need to draw out of others.

· Delegate real developmental challenges, not just the stuff you don’t want to do.

Conclusion

To manage people effectively, you need to broaden your role to include coaching, facilitating and being a catalyst while still flexing your style for the needs of different team members.

The copyright of the article How To Manage People Effectively in Business Management is owned by Mitch McCrimmon.


Read more: "How To Manage People Effectively: Keys tor Successful People Management Suite101.com" - http://businessmanagement.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_manage_people_effectively#ixzz0Gfin3YLz&A

20 menit pertama di pertemuan kedua..

Pelatihan HRD hari Jumat kemarin dimulai dengan sebuah ilustrasi tentang ikan..
Jika kamu diharuskan memilih 3 jenis ikan..
1. Ikan Kakap
2. Ikan Hiu
3. Ikan Lumba-lumba
Ikan mana yang akan kamu pilih..

1. Ikan Kakap (dipilih sekitar 15% peserta)
Ikan kakap memiliki karakteristik sebagai ikan yang selalu berkumpul, baik di sungai ataupun di pinggir laut. Tetapi jika terkena ombak atau gelombang.. maka sang kakap-kakap ini akan tercerai berai.. Jika diilustrasikan kepada karakteristik karyawan maka karyawan tipe ini adalah karyawan yang suka berkumpul dan suka dengan lingkungan yang aman.. Tetapi ketika terjadi perubahan maka mereka akan sangat terganggu dan tercerai berai.. Tipe ini tidak sesuai dengan Pengembangan SDM abad 21..

2. Ikan Hiu
Ikan hiu merupakan ikan pendominasi.. Selalu ingin berkuasa.. Jika di ilustrasikan maka karyawan dengan tipe ini akan selalu berusaha untuk menjadi orang yang paling berkuasa.. Jika suatu saat ada orang lain yang "lebih", maka dia akan berusaha menjatuhkannya.. Tipe ini juga tidak sesuai dengan Pengembangan SDM abad 21..

3. Ikan Lumba-lumba
Ikan lumba-lumba mampu menyelam ke dasar laut dan juga mampu untuk melompat ke permukaan air.. Ikan lumba-lumba juga sering disebut sebagai iklan penolong.. Jika di ilustrasikan maka karyawan dengan tipe ini mampu menganalisis sampai ke tingkat dasar dan mampu menganalisa kekuatan orang lain (untuk persaingan) tanpa ingin merusak tetapi malah membantu orang lain.
Tipe Ikan Lumba-lumba ini dinilai sebagai Tipe yang sangat sesuai dengan Pengembangan SDM abad 21..

Lalu apa sih Pengembangan SDM Abad 21 itu?
Pengembangan SDM ini bertitik fokus pada Kecerdasan Emosi (Emotional Quotients).
Menurut Daniel Goleman, Pengaruh Kinerja terbesar (80%) adalah pada EQ bukan pada IQ (Intelegent Quotients).. IQ hanya berpengaruh sebesar 20% pada Kinerja seseorang.

Secara sekilas dapat dilihat EQ yang baik dari seorang karyawan adalah
- Senang melihat orang lain sukses.
- Senang dengan persaingan yang sehat (tidak saling menjatuhkan).
- Suka berkerjasama.
- Ketika berhadapan dengan masalah, maka akan dihadapi dengan pikiran yang jernih.
- Mampu mengatur dan mengendalikan emosi dan mood kerja..

Dan Sang Pengajar berkata.. (kalimat yang bukan bikin lega malah bikin pening)..
"Nah untuk di Indonesia.. Sangat sulit mencari orang yang memiliki EQ yang baik.."
Dan para peserta tersenyum.. Mungkin buat yang belum kerja dan belum merasakan bagaimana intimidasi dari seorang senior di tempat kerja masih bisa senyum-senyum.. Tapi buat yang sudah merasakan.. Dan terutama SAYAH yang sudah mulai membaca gelagat-gelagat tersebut di kantor.. Susah Booo..

Yah.. begitulah 20 menit pertama di dalam kelas.. Cukup bikin galau sesaat.. di sela-sela gigitan nyamuk dan rasa was-was karena ada kecoa kecil di belakang pintu.. YAIKKK...

Kerjasama Team

KERJASAMA TEAM

Team adalah sekelompok orang dengan kemampuan, talenta, pengalaman dan latar belakang yang berbeda, yang berkumpul bersama-sama untuk mencapai satu tujuan. Meskipun ada perbedaan di antara mereka, namun tujuan bersama merupakan penghubung yang menyatukan mereka sebagai team. Dalam sebuah organisasi, kerja team menentukan output kerja yang dihasilkan.

Karakteristik Team

- Harus memiliki tujuan bersama yang jelas. Apapun bentuk tujuannya, usaha untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut merupakan alasan keberadaan suatu team.

- Adanya kerjasama untuk mencapai tujuan.

Mengapa Team diperlukan?

Kualitas keputusan dan tingkat kreatifitas yang dihasilkan oleh sebuah team, jauh lebih baik daripada kualitas dan kreatifitas yang dihasilkan oleh rata-rata individu yang bekerja sendirian. Keuntungan team adalah adanya kekuatan kerjasama.

Ciri-ciri Team yang hebat :

- dapat menciptakan hasil dengan cepat;

- kreatif;

- bijaksana;

- positif

- dan konsisten.

Salah satu faktor yang membuat sebuah team berfungsi adalah keikutsertaan seluruh anggota team.

TUJUAN TEAM

Tujuan team dinilai baik apabila hasil yang diharapkan tidak dapat diraih oleh usaha seorang saja.

Agar seluruh anggota team mengetahui tujuan team maka :

1. Jadikan tujuan singkat, padat, jelas, pasti dan beorientasi pada tindakan. Contoh tujuan team adalah “Menciptakan hubungan yang lebih baik antara pelanggan dan perusahaan”. Tujuan ini terlalu luas dan dapat menciptakan berbagai arti. Seluruh anggota team harus mengartikan tujuan secara sama. Pernyataan tujuan dapat diperjelas dengan “Mengurangi keluhan pelanggan” atau “Meningkatkan kualitas kepuasan pelanggan”.

2. Seluruh anggota team harus mengetahui arti dari tujuan team yang sebenarnya. Hal ini dapat dilakukan dengan menanyakan kepada tiap anggota mengenai tujuan team. Jawaban anggota team akan menunjukkan apa yang sebenarnya menjadi hasil pekerjaan team.

3. Adanya kemungkinan keberhasilan. Team harus percaya bahwa tujuan tersebut dapat dicapai dan merupakan hal yang tepat untuk dilakukan.

“Tujuan kita hanya dapat diraih dengan bantuan rencana yang dapat dipercaya dan bisa digunakan untuk memimpin tindakan kita dengan bersemangat. Tidak ada jalan lain untuk meraih keberhasilan” -Pablo Picasso-

MEMBANGUN TEAM YANG BAIK

1. Bergerak ke arah yang sama secara bersama-sama.

Untuk membangun sebuah team yang baik, setiap anggota team harus mengetahui tujuan team dan memiliki persepsi yang sama tentang arti dari tujuan team tersebut.

2. Perjelas Keahlian dan Tanggung Jawab Anggota Team. ( Job Description)

- Setiap anggota team harus tugas dan tanggung jawab secara personal.

- Setiap anggota team harus mengetahui cara dan melakukan tugas teknis mereka.

- Setiap anggota team harus mengerti dan memahami peraturan dasar yang dibangun berdasarkan tujuan team.

3. Adanya Peraturan, Panduan atau Prosedur

Hal ini akan memberikan perasaan yang stabil dan sebagai acuan dalam menyelesaikan masalah yang belum terjadi atau telah terjadi.

4. Hindari Masalah yang Dapat Diprediksi

Jangan mengambil resiko dengan tetap melakukan suatu proses yang memungkinkan terjadinya kegagalan.

5. Gunakan Segala Peraturan, Panduan atau Prosedur Sebagai Alat Pengukur

Peraturan, Panduan atau Prosedur dapat menjelaskan bagaimana team ingin bekerjasama. Peraturan team harus diperhitungkan sebagai konsep yang hidup dan dinamis, yang dapat dilakukan dengan meluangkan waktu untuk membicarakannya, mengubah peraturan/ panduan jika tidak berfungsi dan buatlah dokumen mengenai perubahan tersebut.

Jika terjadi pelanggaran terhadap Peraturan/Panduan harus langsung dibicarakan, setiap anggota team harus bertanggung jawab terhadap kinerja team dan juga bekerja keras untuk mencapai tujuan team.

6. Membantu Rekan Baru dalam Team

Yang dibutuhkan oleh anggota baru adalah

- Memperoleh gambaran jelas tentang cara kerja, norma dan nilai-nilai team.

- Orientasi tentang budaya team.

Untuk membantu rekan baru dalam team fokuskan pada hal dasar terlebih dahulu. Jangan berasumsi bahwa rekan baru akan otomatis mengerti apa yang sedang terjadi.

7. Selalu Bekerjasama

Ketika seseorang berkerjasama untuk memecahkan suatu masalah maka pandangan dan interprestasi masalah yang berbeda ditambah kenyataan dan pengetahuan yang berbeda akan menciptakan solusi yang lebih baik.

8. Wujudkan Gagasan/Ide Menjadi Kenyataan

- Jika salah seorang anggota mengemukakan gagasan/ide, dengarkan dengan baik. Lalu piculan dengan mengajukan pertanyaan “Bagaimana jika..”, hal tersebut akan memacu perkembangan pikiran. Banyak orang yang menjadi kreatif karena tantangan.

- Kejarlah kuantitas gagasan/ide bukan pada kualitas gagasan/ide. untuk memunculkan gagasan/ide seseorang membutuhkan waktu untuk berpikir. Yang perlu dilakukan selanjutnya adalah memperbaiki gagasan/ide apabila kurang sesuai.

- Hindari kritikan terhadap gagasan/ide ketika gagasan/ide itu terbentuk. Namun pusatkan perhatian pada cara gagasan/ide dapat diperbaiki/digunakan.

9. Paculah Kreatifitas

Pada dasarnya setiap orang dapat menjadi kreatif, hanya saja dibutuhkan latihan. Cara sederhana adalah dengan melakukan beberapa latihan kelompok yang terdengar bodoh. Para anggota team diberi masalah kecil dan tugas yang mengembangkan imajinasi dan tidak mempunyai konsekuensi nyata. Hal tersebut dapat memacu pemikiran kreatif team ketika masalah harus ditangani.

Antisipasi perilaku team yang tidak produktif dengan menghindari perilaku yang cenderung menjatuhkan gagasan sebelum gagasan dibangun.

10. Ambilah Keputusan secara Solid

Fungsi dasar team adalah mengambil keputusan yang akan mempengaruhi hasil yang penting. Pengambilan keputusan harus dilakukan secara efektif dan efisien dengan berorientasi pada masa depan. Artinya mengidentifikasi dan mengurangi faktor yang tidak dikethui yaitu RESIKO. Tiga informasi yang dibutuhkan untuk mengurangi resiko adalah :

- Informasi yang menyangkut fakta, data, trend dan informasi akurat lainnya dari sumber yang dapat dipercaya dan dapat diandalkan.

- Informasi data hasil percobaan.

- Intuisi atau indra keenam yang dimiliki beberapa orang yang didasarkan pada pengalaman dan persepsi yang tajam.

Kenali Resiko -- menciptakan cara untuk meminimalisasi resiko dari setiap alternatif -- memilih alternatif terbaik.

11. Hindari Pemecahan Masalah dengan Kompromi

Kompromi adalah apa yang terjadi ketika team mencapai keputusan yang tidak disetujui sebagian anggota atau mereka tidak benar-benar perduli pada keputusan itu.

Contoh : Pihak A percaya bahwa produk dapat diselesaikan dalam waktu dua hari, sedangkan pihak B beranggapan bahwa waktu yang dibutuhkan adalah setengah hari. Setelah diskusi yang panjang dan saling mengalahkan opini, akhirnya team berkompromi dan memutuskan bahwa pekerjaan akan diselesaikan satu setengah hari. Apa yang akan dirasakan oleh para anggota? Para pihak akan merasa tidak puas dengan keputusan tersebut.

Perlu diingat kompromi dapat dilakukan apabila keputusan harus diambil sesegera mungkin (tekanan waktu) dan kompromi merupakan keputusan sementara.

Agar keputusan kompromi dapat berguna dan berjalan dengan baik :

- Perhatikan Kompromi. Ketika mengambil keputusan haris dipertanyakan bagaimana perasaan team. Apabila anggota team setuju makan keputusan dapat dilaksanakan tetapi apabila tidak setuju maka ada baiknya menimbang kembali keputusan tersebut.

- Perhatikan Penerapannya. Pastikan keputusan yag dicapai melalui kompromi diterapkan secara se-efektif dan se-efisien mungkin.

- Jangan jadikan keputusan kompromi sebagai kebiasaan. Sebagian anggota akan merasa diacuhkan. Semangat dan komitmen akan jatuh.

12. Carilah Kesamaan Pandangan dengan Pengambilan Keputusan secara Konsensus

Konsensus adalah melakukan diskusi yang mengacu pada pemecahan masalah, menciptakan sudut pandang yang sama terhadap masalah dan hambatan, serta memikirkan tindakan yang paling mungkin dilakukan berdasarkan suatu kondisi tertentu.

Konsensus merupakan keputusan yang dibuat dalam kelompok dan disetujui semua orang sebagai keputusan terbaik yang diambil pada kondisi saat itu. Dalam konsensus diperlukan pengertian yang jelas mengapa keputusan diambil dan semua orang mendukung. Konsensus menjadi penting karena untuk menerapkan suatu keputusan diperlukan dukungan dan bantuan total dari team.

Dalam konsensus, sudut pandang yang beragam dari setiap anggota team harus diperhatikan, dipertimbangkan, diselidiki, dibandingkan dan didiskusikan, sampai semua anggota melihat dan memahami semua aspek masalah atau keputusan. Hasil konsensus jauh lebih baik daripada kompromi, tetapi harus diingat, konsensus memerlukan waktu dan tidak berlaku untuk semua keputusan, konsensus akan menghasilakn keputusan yang tepay untuk saat dan kondisi saat itu.

Pengambilan Keputusan secara konsensus dapat dilatih.

- Kuncinya adalah setuju bukan kompromi.

- Mendengarkan secara aktif.

- Berpikir Terbuka.

- Mengutarakan posisi dan alasan, bukan pungutan suara.

- Partisipan yang bersemangat.

13. Manfaatkan Pertentangan Sebagai Langkah Membangun Kreatifitas

Team adalah sekelompok orang yang berkerjasama untuk meraih tujuan bersama. Kenyataannya, setiap orang berbeda. Setiap orang di dalam team berasal dari tempat yang berbeda, memiliki pendidikan, pekerjaan, pengalaman, dan kegemaran yang berbeda. Apa yang menjadi jelas dan penting bagi pihak lain belum tentu jelas dan penting juga bagi pihak lain.

Cara mengatasi perbedaan adalah dengan menghadapi perbedaan tanpa emosi, dengan tidak memandang perbedaan sebagai serangan pribadi. Perbedaan harus dihadapi dengan dewasa dan profesional. Perbedaan dapat menghasilkan pemecahan masalah yang berbeda, menghasilkan gagasan/ide yang berbeda dan dapat memunculkan kreatifitas.

14. Perangi Virus Konflik

Meskipun team dapat menangani konflik dengan efektif tetapi tidakkan efisien jika potensi terjadinya konfilk dapat dihindari sejak awal.

Pemicu konflik yang dapat dihindari antara lain adalah

- Komitmen. Setiap anggota team harus bertanggung jawab pada pekerjaan dan hasil yang diperoleh team.

- Persepktif menang kalah di kalangan para anggota harus dihilangkan dari awal.

- Ingatlah bahwa perbedaan dapat memacu kreatifitas. Dengarkan dengan seksama apa yang dikatakan orang-orang dan usahakan untuk melihat dari sudut pandang mereka.

15. Saling Percaya

Bagaimana team membangun kepercayaan :

- Tepati janji anda tanpa ragu.

- Pastikan apa yang anda katakan dan informasi yang anda bawa merupakan informasi terkini dan akurat.

- Lakukan tugas anda dengan sungguh-sungguh. Orang cenderung mempercayai orang yang kompeten dan punya disiplin diri.

- Selesaikan tugas anda dengan kualitas dan akurasi yang baik.

- Bergaul dengan oranglain. Apakah anda akan mempercayai indovidu yang cenderung enggan bersosialisasi?

- Kerjasama dengan oranglain dalam mengambil keputusan. Tunjukkan fleksibilitas dan kreatifitas.

- Biasanya orang akan mengerjakan segala sesuatu dengan baik dan bertanggung jawab apabila dia merasa dipercaya.

16. Adakan Rapat dengan Baik

Susun agenda rapat dan lakukanlah rapat secara baik.

17. Saling Memberi Penghargaan

Hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan berulang kali menunjukkan bahwa uang bukanlah motivator paling penting dalam pekerjaan. Faktor nomor satu yang memotivasi adalah bahwa mereka telah berkontribusi terhadap pekerjaan yang menarik. Selain itu tanggung jawab tambahan juga dapat merupakan bentuk tanda kepercayaan dan keyakinan. Dan jangan lupa untuk mengucapkan “Terimakasih”.

18. Evaluasi Team secara Teratur

- Evaluasi team

- Evaluasi Tujuan

- Rayakan kemajuan

- Lakukan perbaikan

19. Pimpinlah Tanpa Mendominasi

Mengendalikan tanpa memerintah dapat dilakukan dengan :

- Mengusulkan;

- Mengarahkan;

- mengajukan pertanyaan;

- merangkum sudut pandang;

- mengarisbawahi konsekuensi;

- membiarkan segala sesuatunya terjadi.

“Kunci Keberhasilan Kepemimpinan dewasa ini adalah pengaruh bukan kekuasaan” -Ken Blanchard-

20. Mintalah Bantuan

Bagi sebagian orang meminta bantuan dinilai sebagai tanda kelemahan. Hilangkan pemikiran mengenai hal tersebut dan tekankan bahwa meminta bantuan lebih baik demi menghindari terjadinya kesalahan atau masalah.

21. Jangan Menyerah

Jangan biarkan kendala menengendalikan team, belajarlah dari kesalahan dan maju terus demi mencapai tujuan team secara bersama-sama.

Ringkasan dari buku "Making Teams Work by Michael Maginn"