Saturday 6th February 2010
“The entrepreneurs who’ve succeeded are the people who have chosen one line only and stuck to it”.
Follow me on my WebLog at: http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Saturday 6 February 2010
Friday 5 February 2010
The importance of Teams
Friday 5th February 2010
Teams are not a new invention; you have probably been part of one at school. How effective it was may be debatable. In fact, if you were a member of a sporting team which regularly got beaten by every other team you ever met, you could probably identify that the problem was for one of two reasons:
The skills of the team were very poor.
The team didn’t work well together.
To function as an effective team member in the workplace you need to possess the skills required to undertake your part of the work. Assuming you have these you also need to know two things:
What teams are and what they are supposed to do, particularly in the business context.
What other factors also operate to make a team effective, or disastrous (in other words, what exactly is teamwork?).
Definition of a team
You should understand, a team is different from a group. You may go out at the weekends with a group of friends but that does not make you a team. You could all have different interests, for one thing. There could be a half-hour debate each week on where you should go and what you should do. Even if you and your best friend have the same interests, this doesn’t make the two of you a team. You only become a team when you work together in a complementary way. A simple example should make it clearer.
I spent 18 years onthe RNLI's New Brighton Lifeboat, joining as a young man in 1974. Serving on the Atlantic 21 we had a team of 3 and on the shore we had what was clled the "beach team" that looked after everything else; the launch of the boat in this instance you had the tractor driver who played a crucial role in both the launch and the recovery of the boat. The whole team worked together as one, there was never any argument on who did what and when, we were so well practiced every member of the team knew their place but, there was always someone there who could take over at a moment’s notice.
Have you ever seen two nurses make a bed, you will witness teamwork? Each knows their own role. They work together to do the job in less than half the time it would take each of them to do it individually. They may then split up to do different, complementary jobs in different places. They don’t get in each other’s way, they don’t argue about “who does what”, they don’t “check up on each other”. They are both equally responsible for doing the work properly and by the required deadline.
My definition of a team therefore would be:
“A very professionally trained group, people who are able to work well together, Sometimes under pressure to get a job done with speed and efficiency without compromising safety”.
Teams in business
You may wonder why teams are considered so important in business today. The reasons are that effective teams have several benefits, both for the organisation and for the individuals who are in them.
These include:
Many varieties of skills and abilitiesHigher standard of work, as jobs can be allocated to maximise the strengths of individuals.Work done more quickly, this is often called (synergy).More flexibility, members of the team can be multi-skilled to cover for absences or to meet particular challenges.Less duplication of work effort, especially if communications are good and the team is used to working together.Far better cooperation between people, who will see the “team achievements” as importantA far happier and more motivated workforce, because team members support each otherImproved communications, because the team consult each otherA much higher level of commitment from staff, people are usually more motivated if they work with other people, they share problems and ideas, especially if this is done in a friendly atmosphere. An organisation benefits because work is of higher standard and productivity. Individuals benefit because of the support from other team members; they exchange information, advice and guidance between one another freely as well as greater job satisfaction by being working cooperatively with each other.
Thought for the Day
Friday 5th February 2010
"Give me an office clerk with a goal and I'll give you a person who will make history. Give me a person with no goals and I'll give you a office clerk".
Follow me at my WebLog: http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Thursday 4 February 2010
Thought for the Day
Thursday 4th February 2010
I can’t give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.
Follow me at my WebLog http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Group Brainstorming
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
“Brainstorming” is a technique that allows businesses to generate new and useful ideas by promoting creative thinking within its own employee base. This type of thinking will help to define projects or problems to be worked on and to diagnose problems by coming up with possible solutions. It will also help to identify possible resistance to proposed new ideas or solutions.
Brainstorming is a very effective way of generating lots of ideas, which will then allow you to determine which would be the best and the most cost effective way of coming up with answers.
Benefits of Group Brainstorming
As a rule, people generally have creative boundaries that they stay within. Often, these boundaries are referred to as a "box" and, when one begins to think "outside of the box" the creative process really takes off. Group brainstorming helps the members of the brainstorming team think outside of their boxes, opening creative doors for each member of the brainstorming team.
When brainstorming is conducted alone, a person only has their sole knowledge and experience to rely upon. Creating a diverse brainstorming team, allows for multiple techniques of knowledge and expertise for the group brainstorming team to draw on. It also acts as a team-building exercise by making sure all members of the team express their opinions and contribute their ideas. Team brainstorming is about creativity, productivity and development. When there are a number of personalities and perspectives at work, the results of the brainstorming process can't help but be maximized.
To do this effectively it is a good idea to bring in a consultant in who is from outside the sphere of that organisation. They would set up a series of meetings with the management to set out the parameters and objects that the organisation is trying to achieve.
Brainstorming Sessions
The area that should be covered straight away is talking to all the employees to get their ideas and their views. It is a brave step for an organisation to take. The most effective way of doing this is in groups of between 5 and 12 persons with no management present to impair vision. The starting point of this process is what we call “Brainstorming Sessions”.
Reducing resistance
Brainstorming is a technique that allows businesses to generate new and useful ideas by promoting creative thinking within its own employee base. This type of thinking will help to define projects or problems to be worked on and to diagnose problems by coming up with possible solutions. It will also help to identify possible resistance to proposed new ideas or solutions. Brainstorming is a very effective way of generating lots of ideas, which will then allow you to determine which would be the best and cost effective way of coming up with answers.
Generating lots of Ideas
Brainstorming Sessions are the most effective method of allowing a team to generate lots & lots of ideas that will allow and help it to go forward and as these ideas come forward from the “company employees themselves”, (which in itself is a very soft way for a new team to start jellying together) because they feel that they have been involved and empowered with the future and long term development. If the employees look at these sessions in a productive and constructive way and realise that they will be getting their issues, problems and ideas over in an informal and relaxed manner, with the sessions being run and chaired by an outsider to the company who will also put in their own creative and innovated ideas as well, they will be more likely to be comfortable about them.
Group size
Brainstorming is effective when you have groups of varied people, generally between 6 -12. It should always be conducted in a relaxed environment and in a relaxed manner. If participants feel free to be silly, great, they will stretch their minds more and will produce more creative ideas.
Criticising of ideas
There must be “Absolutely no criticising of ideas coming from any participants in the session” this will only lead to participants clamming up and not taking part in the group activity, which could lead to the session being counterproductive and a waste of time, money and resources.
Step by Step Guide
1. Define the issue or issues at hand. Remember there may be more than one issue to be dealt with in the session.
2. Produce a “time frame” to work within. I feel that about 15—20 minutes per issue is about right. Larger groups may require more time to get everyone’s input and ideas down on paper.
3. Everyone should shout out their ideas while one person writes them down. No matter how daft, how impossible or how silly an idea may be, it must be written down. Laughing should be encouraged in the group, criticism is not. Why? What you are after and must encourage is the free flowing of ideas. As soon as participants of the session feel criticism of their ideas, they will stop generating them. You should remember that some ideas which may seem very silly at first could prove to lead on to be very good.
4. When the time limit is up select five of them which you feel are the best, making sure that everyone in the group is happy and in agreement.
gurugeoffrey’s runs Masterclasses:
Half day workshops as well as over the internet as distance learning courses, they cover many aspects of learning. Time can be set aside to talk over Skype at geoffrey.prince gurugeoffrey@gmail.com
Brainstorming is a very effective way of generating lots of ideas, which will then allow you to determine which would be the best and the most cost effective way of coming up with answers.
Benefits of Group Brainstorming
As a rule, people generally have creative boundaries that they stay within. Often, these boundaries are referred to as a "box" and, when one begins to think "outside of the box" the creative process really takes off. Group brainstorming helps the members of the brainstorming team think outside of their boxes, opening creative doors for each member of the brainstorming team.
When brainstorming is conducted alone, a person only has their sole knowledge and experience to rely upon. Creating a diverse brainstorming team, allows for multiple techniques of knowledge and expertise for the group brainstorming team to draw on. It also acts as a team-building exercise by making sure all members of the team express their opinions and contribute their ideas. Team brainstorming is about creativity, productivity and development. When there are a number of personalities and perspectives at work, the results of the brainstorming process can't help but be maximized.
To do this effectively it is a good idea to bring in a consultant in who is from outside the sphere of that organisation. They would set up a series of meetings with the management to set out the parameters and objects that the organisation is trying to achieve.
Brainstorming Sessions
The area that should be covered straight away is talking to all the employees to get their ideas and their views. It is a brave step for an organisation to take. The most effective way of doing this is in groups of between 5 and 12 persons with no management present to impair vision. The starting point of this process is what we call “Brainstorming Sessions”.
Reducing resistance
Brainstorming is a technique that allows businesses to generate new and useful ideas by promoting creative thinking within its own employee base. This type of thinking will help to define projects or problems to be worked on and to diagnose problems by coming up with possible solutions. It will also help to identify possible resistance to proposed new ideas or solutions. Brainstorming is a very effective way of generating lots of ideas, which will then allow you to determine which would be the best and cost effective way of coming up with answers.
Generating lots of Ideas
Brainstorming Sessions are the most effective method of allowing a team to generate lots & lots of ideas that will allow and help it to go forward and as these ideas come forward from the “company employees themselves”, (which in itself is a very soft way for a new team to start jellying together) because they feel that they have been involved and empowered with the future and long term development. If the employees look at these sessions in a productive and constructive way and realise that they will be getting their issues, problems and ideas over in an informal and relaxed manner, with the sessions being run and chaired by an outsider to the company who will also put in their own creative and innovated ideas as well, they will be more likely to be comfortable about them.
Group size
Brainstorming is effective when you have groups of varied people, generally between 6 -12. It should always be conducted in a relaxed environment and in a relaxed manner. If participants feel free to be silly, great, they will stretch their minds more and will produce more creative ideas.
Criticising of ideas
There must be “Absolutely no criticising of ideas coming from any participants in the session” this will only lead to participants clamming up and not taking part in the group activity, which could lead to the session being counterproductive and a waste of time, money and resources.
Step by Step Guide
1. Define the issue or issues at hand. Remember there may be more than one issue to be dealt with in the session.
2. Produce a “time frame” to work within. I feel that about 15—20 minutes per issue is about right. Larger groups may require more time to get everyone’s input and ideas down on paper.
3. Everyone should shout out their ideas while one person writes them down. No matter how daft, how impossible or how silly an idea may be, it must be written down. Laughing should be encouraged in the group, criticism is not. Why? What you are after and must encourage is the free flowing of ideas. As soon as participants of the session feel criticism of their ideas, they will stop generating them. You should remember that some ideas which may seem very silly at first could prove to lead on to be very good.
4. When the time limit is up select five of them which you feel are the best, making sure that everyone in the group is happy and in agreement.
gurugeoffrey’s runs Masterclasses:
Half day workshops as well as over the internet as distance learning courses, they cover many aspects of learning. Time can be set aside to talk over Skype at geoffrey.prince gurugeoffrey@gmail.com
Follow me at my WebLog: http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Thought for the Day
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
"In business today, it's not the crook that’s feared most. It's the honest person who doesn’t know what they are doing".
Follow me at my WebLog: http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Stop Kidding yourself
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
My thought is:“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make visions, dreams & goals come true.”
Time wastingTime is a moving constant. When each minute passes if we “don’t use it, we lose it”. All the years I have been in business and for the companies I’ve worked for, if I haven’t worked, I didn’t get paid. This by the way is the same when working for yourself, as I certainly know. With this in mind, how many of us have shirked our responsibility and stolen “TIME OUT” in the working day? (Either to the company we work for or our families but more importantly, to ourselves).
Over 30 years ago a friend of mine and I had a bet. I said that you could go into an afternoon cinema performance in the interval and shout out; “Is there a SALESMAN in the house?” I said to him that 20% of the audience would be salespersons, my friend said no way. We did it at the old Odeon Cinema in Liverpool. Guess what, yes you’ve got it, in actual fact it was over 30%.The point I’m trying to make is that during our working day we are ALL GUILTY of wasting valuable and productive business enhancing TIME.
Good plans shape good decisionsWe all know the statement; “Failure-to-Plan is just Planning-to-Fail”. I have over the years thought about this particular saying on many occasions and have on more times than I care to remember mentioned it to salespeople and in many workshops all over the United Kingdom. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who only pay lip service to it. Why? I believe that the reason is we don’t have the time to plan our day or we can’t be bothered to make the time to do it.
Good plans shape good decisionsWe all know the statement; “Failure-to-Plan is just Planning-to-Fail”. I have over the years thought about this particular saying on many occasions and have on more times than I care to remember mentioned it to salespeople and in many workshops all over the United Kingdom. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who only pay lip service to it. Why? I believe that the reason is we don’t have the time to plan our day or we can’t be bothered to make the time to do it.
Inconsequential activities
One of the things I try to get delegates in my workshops and indeed over the distant learning courses to do is to monitor themselves during the working day, the week and the month. Honestly you will be surprised the time that is spent doing inconsequential activities and things that are non-productive in the daily routine of the business. What we need to start doing is to monitor our productivity, e.g. monitoring our time during the working hours. For instance on a normal working day how many times:
Do we look at our e-mails?
Do we look at our e-mails?
Are we talking to people around us, with nothing in particular in mind?
Spend answering telephone calls that are non-productive to the business?
What we should be doing is to prioritise our time during the working day!
Plan-to-Succeed
Over the years I have had many “visions and dreams” and on numerous occasions many people have said to me “That will never work”. Ask any successful business person how they started out in business. They will tell you “I had an idea”. In other words, they had a vision, a dream and from that they set a plan into motion. There are “dream thieves”, who love nothing better than to take away the would-be entrepreneur’s dreams, sometimes, for no other reason than jealousy.These same entrepreneurs will always “Plan-to-Succeed”. Why? Because that is the way they have forced themselves to work, they do not “fail-to-plan they plan-to-win”
You should now try to be:PRO-ACTIVE This means you have control of what you want to do with your “visions & dreams. This is your desire, this alone means that you will then become “master of your own destiny”NotRE-ACTIVE When you have to re-act to other people, you have no control of the direction it will take you in. Generally this is because you have not been able to plan things, not necessarily because you failed to plan but because you had to react to or for some other outside influence. It could very well be through the fear and the circumstances that are happening around you. So you should take stock and “Stop re-acting to what is happening”.
You may think that I make it sound so simple and easy, believe me, I have been there. In my short life of 66 plus years, I’ve been made redundant, lost businesses, sold and bought businesses and lost a property to a mortgage company and also been divorced but I have always learned by those adversities.
In October 2004 I had a major heart attack followed by a quadruple By-Pass. Then in 2007 was I diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid leukaemia (CML) and this year they added on, type 2 diabetes for good measure!
In October 2004 I had a major heart attack followed by a quadruple By-Pass. Then in 2007 was I diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid leukaemia (CML) and this year they added on, type 2 diabetes for good measure!
One thing I have never forgotten for long is the insatiable strength I have in NEVER GIVING UP on anything, if I can possibly help it. So I do think I can safely speak with some knowledge. Something that I’ve learned is that when you think you can go no further down, there is always someone who is far below where you are at the moment.
So think positive and start being “PRO-ACTIVE” in the way you are thinking at the present. Start planning what you need and want, put it down on paper and keep reading it and looking to succeed at all times. One thing that I’ve learned later in life (I wish I had listened earlier) is that help is there, it is up to you to reach out and take it with both hands. The door is there, it’s up to you to turn the key to go in.
So think positive and start being “PRO-ACTIVE” in the way you are thinking at the present. Start planning what you need and want, put it down on paper and keep reading it and looking to succeed at all times. One thing that I’ve learned later in life (I wish I had listened earlier) is that help is there, it is up to you to reach out and take it with both hands. The door is there, it’s up to you to turn the key to go in.
Geoffrey Prince runs BSB Masterclasses in a few selective business subjects. Some are “Half day workshops” and some of them are over the Internet as distance learning courses.He also sets aside time to talk over Skype at: geoffrey.prince when you become one of his students, by booking time. Follow me at my WebLog: http://www.geoffreyprince.com
Thought for the Day
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It’s best to admit them quickly; then get on with improving your other innovations”.
Monday 1 February 2010
Thought for the Day
Monday 1st February 2010
"When you walk into a room; "DON'T BLEND-IN". Dress for the occasion, mean business and "STAND-OUT".
Follow me at my WebLog http://www.geoffreyprince.com
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