Pontiac Summit

Archive for the ‘Management’ Category

Having the desire to manage won’t guarantee your success in management. A confluence of many skills and talents is necessary, as well as a solid commitment to learn and grow.

Rather than adhere to a mythical managerial mold, consider developing a style that fits your personality and strengths.

An honest and thoughtful self-assessment will help prepare you for the challenges and demands intrinsic to management.

Ask yourself these questions as you determine your readiness to assume a successful managerial role:

* Am I a compelling communicator? The ability to effectively communicate is essential. Using strong, persuasive language during a staff meeting, for instance, lets people know that you’re in control. A memo that’s written succinctly and in the active voice will get someone’s attention versus one that’s wordy and unclear.

* Do I easily embrace change? Being open to the benefits of change will help the people you manage be more accepting of what lies ahead. Patience, accepting ideas from subordinates, and a willingness to learn from mistakes all contribute to successfully embracing change.

* Do I enjoy managing people? Excelling at project management means taking care of the work and the people involved. Staff reviews, workplace conflicts, and other numerous employee issues must be dealt with, often on a daily basis. But helping your people grow is a very rewarding part of managing.

* Am I capable of managing negativity and fear in the workplace? It’s tempting to want to hide when things aren’t going smoothly, but it’s a manager’s job to maintain a steady presence no matter how rough the waters. Anticipating the negatives and being able to turn them into opportunities is a hallmark of successful management, as is developing the same abilities among members of your team.

* Do I know how to build trust? Creating trust means more than simply telling the truth. Setting clear objectives, taking responsibility for mistakes, and creating an open forum for discussion are all good ways to build trust. Listening to good news and bad will also engender an atmosphere of trust.

* Am I passionate and enthusiastic about my work? If you expect others to be excited about their work, then you must lead the way. Speaking with passion and purpose, assuring people of their value, and demonstrating real excitement are critical managerial characteristics.

* Do I know how to properly praise and recognize? It’s a manager’s job to let people know when they’re doing a good job. Minimize the emotion and maximize the use of powerful language — say “Thank you for getting the report in on time” versus “I love how you completed that report.”

* Can I infuse fun into the workplace? Work and no fun isn’t, well, fun. Don’t underestimate the benefits of a little amusement in the workplace. Celebrate the completion of a project with an impromptu pizza party. Announce an early closing when people least expect it. Bring in a cake (and candles, too) on employee birthdays.

* Do I have the necessary skills to hire and fire? Hiring the right people is a big job and can be fulfilling as well. Telling someone things aren’t working out may be as appealing as getting a root canal, but handling personnel issues is a manager’s responsibility. Ignoring a human resource issue won’t make it go away. Indeed, it will probably only get worse.

* Can I withstand the ups and downs of being a manager? Some days are better than others. Coping skills like patience, resilience, flexibility, and a clear notion of your objectives will help you handle the myriad challenges that typically occur in the workplace.

Leading a business is time-consuming, stressful, and demanding work, which can drain your excitement for the job and leave you frustrated and exhausted. Regardless of how much enthusiasm you had when first starting out, there eventually comes a point when the wear and tear of everyday worries begins to overshadow the passion you once had for your business. If you are feeling drained or uninspired, you may simply need a recharge. The good news is that in so doing, you may become more focused and effective than ever before.

If you recognize that you are feeling burned out and no longer find excitement or joy in leading your business, the best thing you can do for yourself is to step away from it. Workaholics take note: It does no one any good for you to continue allowing yourself to grow increasingly unhappy or exhausted while explaining all the reasons you cannot take time off.

In a fast-paced business environment, everyone needs time off to simply relax and refresh. This means stepping back from e-mail, voice mail, and having someone else cover those “in case of emergency” situations. A little physical — and mental — rest goes a long way, and this time apart from the daily grind of your business can be a big step toward regaining the vision you once had for your company.

After you’ve had time to unwind and refresh, come back to work planning to evaluate and reflect on the current state of your business. Try to look at things from a fresh perspective and don’t be afraid to enlist the help of your employees in doing so. In addition to looking for things that could be changed, consider if it is time to move the company in a new direction. This could mean anything from a shake-up in the business structure to tapping into a whole new market. Sometimes a fresh perspective will inspire you to pursue new challenges; however, be careful to make such decisions wisely. Don’t make a change for the sake of change alone.

The key to recharging your excitement is finding that work-life balance that allows you to enjoy life outside of the business as well as the time you spend in the office, sleeves rolled up and hard at work. Going forward, be sure to get regular exercise, which will keep your energy levels higher and make you feel better about yourself. Take regular lunch breaks. Spend time with positive-minded people and outside friends who may have no connection to your business — they will help you to keep things in perspective. Such simple steps will help you to rejuvenate, and you will be less likely to wear out when the burdens of leading a business become

I read this in the WSJ this morning:

Next spring, Fine Living Network, a cable channel created in 2002 at the height of America’s infatuation with affluent living, is slated to be phased out. In its place, Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. will launch the Cooking Channel.

Gone will be “I Want That!” celebrating diamond-encrusted sinks, and “Dream Drives,” showcasing America’s richest zip codes. Instead, viewers will see shows focusing on instructional cooking at home.

“It’s not so much [that we have] a different audience but an audience that’s acting different,” said John Lansing, president of Scripps Networks Interactive. “Their value system is shifting from aspiring to material wealth to aspiring to a life better lived.”

Now if they’d only do the same thing with Extreme Makeover – Home Edition!

Anyway, I welcome the ‘getting-back-to-basics’ lifestyle. Materialism brought to the masses is usually not a good thing because people start wanting things regardless of whether or not they can actually afford them. I think that’s what we saw with the housing crisis. Builders kept building bigger, fancier, more expensive houses and people kept having to stretch themselves a little further to be able to afford them.

Now I’m reading reports that builders are scaling back in their designs. They are cutting out square footage and taking out some of the amenities in order to make the homes more affordable.

Now if we could only start manufacturing more products here in the U.S.A…

Assets, asset management, asset recovery, asset protection, asset tracking and asset evaluation. Technical, isn’t it? Most people would probably be bewildered when bombarded with these terms. Others would dismiss these as pre-occupations of the rich and wealthy. Some even think of these as the plaything of stockbrokers, bankers, and finance people. But this should not be the case because everybody has assets. No matter how little or valuable your assets are, they should be one of your priorities. Just think about it this way, how you protect and oversee your assets can make or break you in the future.

How to go about this? You can hire a professional asset management company to do this for you. They are equipped and trained to secure for you the best possible value and protection for your assets. However, if you want to take a more personal approach, it is better to try and clarify a few terms. Assets, asset management, asset recovery, asset protection, asset tracking and asset evaluation are easily understood if you know how they work together. Assets are your material and physical possessions. These include your lands, real estate, money, jewelry, stocks, and every source of your income. Asset evaluation simply means putting value on your assets. This entails finding out how much all your assets are worth and the evaluation also probes if your spending habits are still within your assets’ value. Asset management refers to how and where you invest your assets (think: stocks, bonds, real estate) where they can yield the highest returns possible. Asset recovery is the means you take to get your investments back; for example, when someone rents your property, the rent is your means to recover your asset. It’s also the same thing when somebody borrows money from you. His payment and interest enables you to recover your assets. Asset protection are the measures you take to prevent the losing your assets. Insurance policies and contracts are common means of asset protection. Asset tracking obviously is a system you adapt to track your assets. Through this system, you map your assets, cash flow, and income returns. It is also important that this system allows you to identify which assets are making the most money and which of assets are in danger of loss. With these key factors, you can be capable and adept in taking charge and managing your assets.

However, if you’re still unsure facing the world of assets, asset management, asset recovery, asset protection, asset tracking and asset evaluation, here are some guidelines. Your strategy must depend on assets’ value, your income, age, and portfolio. Your risk appetite is also a big factor. As a general rule, high-risk asset investment is suitable while still young but move on to more reliable assets as you age (changing stock market or steady real estate investment?). The larger your assets, the more it is needed to allot time to manage it. Search the web for online tools and asset management software to guide you in taking charge of your money and assets better. Still not comfortable with the idea? Call for asset management assistance now.