This Article is given by me and would come in the February-2011 Edition of 'Horizons' under the head 'Management Quotient' in A2Z Group.
For an exponent of Management, to ignore ‘Harvard Business Review’ (HBR) is similar to ignoring an Elephant in the living room.
Personally I am a big fan of HBR and by its help I have lined up some excerpts from the blog posts by the well known Management Gurus, Thinkers and Leaders from around the world.
These would certainly help you in your endeavors.
3 Ways to Cultivate Your Proactive Brain
Studies have shown that a good memory helps you better navigate the future. And in business, anticipating and negotiating future demands is an asset. A proactive brain uses details from past experiences to make analogies with your current surroundings. It then helps you determine where you are and envision future possibilities. We are all born with proactive brains, but these three things can help improve brain performance:
1. Give it a lot to work with. Create a richer pool of information to draw from. Expose your brain to diverse experiences and situations.
2. Borrow from others. Find out as much as you can about others' experiences by talking, interacting with, and reading about other peoples' lives.
3. Let your mind wander. Undisturbed time gives your brain the space it needs to recall and recombine past experiences in ways that help you anticipate the future.
- adapted from "How Your Brain Connects the Future to the Past" by Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske.
3 Tips for Asking Better Questions
For leaders to be effective, they need to connect honestly with others: investors, direct reports, fellow leaders. Asking good questions can not only help you find out essential information, but also lay the groundwork for collaboration. Often it's not about what you ask, but how. Here are three tips for improving the way you ask questions:
1. Be curious. Doing all the talking doesn't make you an effective leader. Be inquisitive and ask about topics that are important to you and to the person with whom you're talking.
2. Be open-ended. Use what, how, and why questions. Don't just ask about events, but about thoughts and motivations as well.
3. Dig deeper. Don't accept the first answer you get. Ask follow-up questions to get more detail and surface the real story.
- adapted from "Learn to Ask Better Questions" by John Baldoni.
3 Steps to Recover from a Mistake
While most people accept that mistakes are inevitable, no one likes to make them. The good news is that even large errors don't have to be career-enders if they are handled well. Next time you make a blunder, follow these three steps to recover gracefully:
1. Fess up. Trying to hide a mistake or downplay its importance can be fatal to your career. Be candid and transparent about the mistake, take responsibility for your part in it, and don't be defensive.
2. Make necessary changes. Mistakes are important learning opportunities. Explain to your boss and other interested parties what you will do differently going forward.
3. Get back out there. Don't let your errors keep you from ever taking risks again. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future.
- adapted from "You've Made A Mistake. Now What?" by Amy Gallo.
3 Ways to Bring Out the Best in Your People
The brightest leaders don't just rely on their own intelligence to succeed, but use it to help their people shine as well. Here are three ways you can help your employees not only feel smarter, but act smarter:
1. Look for ideas everywhere. Don't assume you know where all the new and creative ideas will come from. Involve people on projects not because of their titles, but based on their ability to contribute.
2. Encourage openness. Create a safe environment where your people know they can — and should — think, act, and speak with reason. Have a high tolerance for mistakes so people aren't afraid to take risks.
3. Challenge them to get better. Offer opportunities for people to stretch their thinking and behavior. Set the expectation that everyone, including you, should improve their skills.
- adapted from "Bringing Out the Best in Your People" by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown.
3 Ways to Manage Clashing Leadership Styles
If everyone had the same management style as you, life at work would be easier, wouldn't it? Not necessarily. While managing the tension can be challenging, working with someone who has a different approach than you can often yield innovation and creativity. Here are three ways to make the most of differing styles:
1. Unpeel the onion. On the surface, you may seem to have little in common with your coworker. But if you look deeper, you are likely to see shared values or a mutual goal. Focus on what you have in common, not on what you don't.
2. Manage your expectations. Recognize that you and your coworker are going to have different expectations about how things should be done. Communicate about these disparities and be open to doing something another way.
3. Push for innovation. The true value of diversity is a richer end product. Use your relationship to find innovation and benefit in the work you do together.
- adapted from "Three Ways to Capitalize on Creative Tension" by Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins.
3 Steps to Stop a Team Fight
Working with teams can be a frustrating experience, especially when seemingly straightforward conflict devolves into personal or protracted disputes. Next time your team members start throwing proverbial punches, take these three steps to get them to stop fighting and start working:
1. Intervene early. The sooner you step in the better. A simple disagreement can turn into a serious conflict within seconds when emotions are running high.
2. Focus on team norms. Refer the parties back to something they can, or hopefully already have, agreed on. Use team norms to guide behavior and help the parties identify common ground.
3. Create a shared agreement. To reach an accord, have the team members talk it through. With all parties' cards on the table, facilitate an outcome that is amenable to all. Avoid a lowest common denominator solution. Instead find one that integrates both parties' interests.
3 Tips for Keeping Your Action Plan on Track
The best-designed and articulated plans mean nothing if they aren't executed. Yet, we have all action plans languishing on a desk or in a drawer never to be carried out. Here are three tips for keeping your plan on track:
1. Make it a living, working plan. Be sure the plan is specific, realistic, and has clear time frames. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
2. Ask what stands in the way. All plans have potential threats. Whether they include your own waning motivation or your boss's inability to cooperate, knowing what those threats are can help you prepare to face them.
3. Develop strategies to mitigate challenges. Your implementation approach needs to compensate for or respond to any opposing forces. If threats loom too large, consider revising your plan accordingly.
- adapted from "How to Keep Your Action Plan on Track" by Gill Corkindale.
3 Ways to Leverage Your Best People
Too often managers unintentionally hinder or discourage their star performers. This counter-productive behavior is not ill-intended. It's often because the manager isn't sure how to motivate someone who is so exceptionally talented. If you are lucky enough to have such high-performers on your team, try these three things to make the most of them:
1. Push them to the next level. Stretch and challenge stars. Find out what they are good at and what they need to learn and craft assignments accordingly.
2. Let them shine. Don't hide your stars. Give them visibility. Let others know what they are doing. When they look good, you do too.
3. Let them go. Top performers need room to grow. If it makes sense for their development, let them move on.
Stop Bringing Down Your Team
Chances are you've worked with someone who drains all the intelligence and capability out of a team. Sometimes, despite your intentions, that person may be you. Here are three things you can do to get out of your team's way and let it shine:
1. Don't be a hero. You don't always need to have an answer. Give your people the opportunity to think things through themselves.
2. Don't make abrupt decisions. Quick decisions can short-circuit a team. Let your people in on your decision-making process and whenever possible, cultivate debate about an issue before coming to a conclusion.
3. Don't talk too much. You may think your excitement is infectious when in reality it is stifling. Try keeping quiet and leave room for your employees to share their ideas.
- adapted from "Bringing Out the Best in Your People" by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown.
Your Views, Comments and arguments are welcome. You can personally reach me at nitin.sharma@gmail.com.
