Organizations that are willing to allow hastily planned, poorly lead projects eventually weaken themselves

 REASONS WHY YOU MUST BECOME A GOOD PROJECT LEADER

project management isn't just for site engineers wearing hard hats and basking in the sun. Project Management is for any manager who has a complex task that's the new connotation for the word "project" it could include sales managers running a campaign; frontline professionals r software engineers handling a sub-task or an executive assistant to a Managing  Director 

WHY YOU MUST BECOME A GOOD PROJECT LEADER

Almost any human activity that involves carrying out a non-repetitive task can be a project. So we are all project managers! We all practise project management (PM). Project managers can be found in all industries. Their numbers have grown rapidly as industry and commerce has realised that much of what it does is project work. And as project-based organisations have started to emerge, project management is becoming established as both a professional career path and a way of controlling business. One reason for the rapid growth is the need to understand how to look after complex projects, often in high tech areas, which are critical to business success but also have to use scarce resources efficiently.



So opportunities in project management now exist not only in being a project manager, but also as part of the support team in a project or programme office or as a team leader for part of a project. There are also qualifications that can be attained through the professional associations.


But there is a big difference between carrying out a very simple project involving one or two people and one involving a complex mix of people, organisations and tasks.

This has been true for millennia, but large-scale projects like the Pyramids often used rather simple control and resource techniques including brute force to 'motivate' the workforce!

The art of planning for the future has always been a human trait. In essence a project can be captured on paper with a few simple elements: a start date, an end date, the tasks that have to be carried out and when they should be finished, and some idea of the resources (people, machines etc) that will be needed during the course of the project.

When the plan starts to involve different things happening at different times, some of which are dependent on each other, plus resources required at different times and in different quantities and perhaps working at different rates, the paper plan could start to cover a vast area and be unreadable.

5 BASIC PHASES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A easy definition of  project management means the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of a particular  task at hand. The process of directing and controlling a project from start to finish may be further divided into 5 basic phases:

1. Project conception and initiation

An idea for a project will be carefully examined to determine whether or not it benefits the organization. During this phase, a decision making team will identify if the project can realistically be completed.

2. Project definition and planning

A project plan, project charter and/or project scope may be put in writing, outlining the work to be performed. During this phase, a team should prioritize the project, calculate a budget and schedule, and determine what resources are needed.

3. Project launch or execution

Resources' tasks are distributed and teams are informed of responsibilities. This is a good time to bring up important project related information.

4. Project performance and control

Project managers will compare project status and progress to the actual plan, as resources perform the scheduled work. During this phase, project managers may need to adjust schedules or do what is necessary to keep the project on track.

5. Project close

After project tasks are completed and the client has approved the outcome, an evaluation is necessary to highlight project success and/or learn from project history.

Projects and project management processes vary from industry to industry; however, these are more traditional elements of a project. The overarching goal is typically to offer a product, change a process or to solve a problem in order to benefit the organization.

One reason for the rapid growth is the need to understand how to look after complex projects, often in high tech areas, which are critical to business success but also have to use scarce resources efficiently. Organizations that are willing to allow hastily planned, poorly lead projects eventually weaken themselves and endanger employees by wasting precious resources

1.    Organizations that are flattening (re-engineering, downsizing, rightsizing, etc) will depend on projects and project leaders to get work done that was once handled by departments.

2.    With rare exceptions, project prime movers believe that project meltdowns are the result of weak project leadership.

3.    More than one lumpy project leadership performance can give you a reputation that will repel future project participants.

4.    Project work is often disguised by the use of the word Team; if you find yourself on or leading teams, you're probably working together to complete a project.

5.    The abilities that are required to organize and carry out successful projects will enhance other aspects of your job.

6.    Leading successful projects is the best way to prove your promotability to the people who make those decisions.

7.    The best way to promote effective project leadership is to set examples that are so powerful and positive that others wouldn't dare do less.

8.    As Project leaders learn more, they get better faster.

9.    If you're not getting better, you're getting worse as you get older

10. The younger people are smarter;faster learners and need your job slot to advance their blocked careers

Project managers can be found in all industries. Their numbers have grown rapidly as industry and commerce has realised that much of what it does is project work. And as project-based organisations have started to emerge, project management is becoming established as both a professional career path and a way of controlling business.

So opportunities in project management now exist not only in being a project manager, but also as part of the support team in a project or programme office or as a team leader for part of a project. There are also qualifications that can be attained through the professional associations.


Most people still want their projects to be on time, meet quality objectives, and not cost more than the budget. These form the classic time, quality, cost triangle. In fact if you have an unlimited budget and unlimited time, project management becomes rather easy. For most people, however, time and money are critical and that is what makes project management so important today. Most people still want their projects to be on time, meet quality objectives, and not cost more than the budget. These form the classic time, quality, cost triangle. In fact if you have an unlimited budget and unlimited time, project management becomes rather easy. For most people, however, time and money are critical and that is what makes project management so important today.

 

IMPROVE THE MOST IMPORTANT LEADER'S SKILL THE ABILITY TO COACH -to get the best out of your team members

Total Performance Management System refers to the system of managing both behaviors and results (not rewards as it is sadly mistaken)

RETHINK  YOUR  PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL  SYSTEM  EVERY  YEAR. We have all been through it:This year 2019 the annual appraisal is going to be no different...  it is highly demanded by HR dept & seemingly backed by the CEO but cynically scorned by staff.  It a familiar story year after year …the reporting  boss is vague about what the appraisee have been doing for the past 12 months but still says the appraisee is above average. A few trivial complaints are mentioned to damp the appraiser hopes of any increment or bonus. The appraisee’s heroic efforts to keep the show on the road are completely ignored. His part of the story is never heard. He vows to find another job…. Not this year end  but as soon as the job market improves…. The meeting is ended as quickly as decently possible and soon forgotten. Until next year- recheck your objectives… Yet performance appraisal is taken very seriously in some leading companies - and not just because the salary review depends on it. Many of India’s best employers describe it as the key to superior corporate performance. From the organization's viewpoint, one of the most important reasons for having a system of performance appraisal is to establish and uphold the principle of accountability, transparency of management processes of rewards & penalty, involve people in the goals setting process, create goal congruence between the individual and organization, align the individual /departmental goals to business strategy , make the reporting manager not just a evaluator of performance but a catalyst  to the individual’s performance . And last but not the least, continually aim to perfect the performance management system itself. Recent insights into performance management systems: Total Performance Management System refers to the system of managing both behaviors and results…the two critical elements of performance. Most forget the evaluation or appraisal system to be the whole of Paste main aim of the evaluation system is to identify the performance gap (if any). This gap is the shortfall that occurs when performance does not meet the standard set by the organization as acceptable. Effective appraisal systems contains four basic systems operating in conjunction: ¨     a goal setting system ¨     an evaluation system ¨      a feedback system. ¨     a development system It is important that the appraiser (usually the employee's supervisor) be well-informed and credible. Appraisers should feel comfortable with the techniques of appraisal, and should be knowledgeable about the employee's job and performance. When these conditions exist, employees are more likely to view the appraisal process as accurate and fair. They also express more        acceptances of the appraiser's feedback and a greater willingness to change. To facilitate greater accuracy & credibility, more and more companies, are using multilayer appraisals of manager performance with an objective to using useful feedback from multiple raters to guide the personal development of ratees.The basic premise is that multi-rater appraisals can be used to enhance the ratees' self-awareness, leading to improved leadership and management skills through knowledge of strengths, weaknesses, and others' expectations. The main aim of the feedback system is to inform the employee about the quality of his or her performance. However, the information flow should not be exclusively one way. The appraisers also are duty bound to listen & receive feedback from the employee about job problems, resources needed, expectations of the staff member. One the leading causes of organizational failure is "non-alignment of responsibility and accountability." Non-alignment occurs where employees are given responsibilities and duties, but are not held accountable for the way in which those responsibilities and duties are performed. What typically happens is that several individuals or work units appear to have overlapping roles. The overlap allows - indeed actively encourages - each individual or business unit to "pass the buck" to the others. Ultimately, in the severely non-aligned system, no one is accountable for anything. In this event, the principle of accountability breaks down completely. Like an engine that is poorly made or badly tuned, the non-aligned organization may run but it will be sluggish, costly and unreliable.   Measurement is hard enough when the appraisee know how to do it. Having a clear path allows the appraisee to concentrate on creating measures instead of wondering what to do next. Common and yet avoidable errors in the evaluation are: ¨     Subjectivity of performance. It is always difficult to measure work performance. This is due to the fact that most work performance does not produce measurable results at the end of the day. ¨     The halo effect. This is when someone is appraised highly, because of one outstanding characteristic. For example, when someone is a very good speaker, this outstanding skill or ability will serve to cloud the judgment of the appraiser and there will be a tendency to grade this individual highly, irrespective of whether he performs or not. ¨     Central tendency. Experience has shown that most appraisers tend to avoid the high and low extremes on a rating scale. They tend to take the easier and 'safer' middle rating. ¨     Appraising the wrong things. Appraisers sometimes appraise behaviours rather than actual work performance. For example, behaviours like looking busy and being pleasant may tend to cloud an appraiser's perception and hence count more than the actual performance. ¨     Similar characteristics. Research has shown that there is a tendency for an appraisal to be more favourable if the individual is perceived as being similar to the appraiser in relation to gender, personality, race, appearance etc. ¨     Politics. There is always the possibility that politics may influence the conduct of appraisals, as individuals maneuver to try to get the rewards that come with good appraisals. ¨     Ability to evaluate. The other main problem is that people vary considerably in their ability to evaluate accurately the behaviour of others. Due to lack of training in how to observe subordinate behaviour, or lack of ability to do so, the immediate supervisor may not have the necessary skills to act as an effective appraiser, hence affecting the quality of the appraisal. ¨     Different standards. Different appraisers may apply different standards of judgment in making their assessments. As well as this individual variation, the position of the appraiser, the sex, the position of the appraisee may also affect the ratings. Multiple ways to align or link. Linkage or alignment with organizational goals is more and more important in today's business environment. This process provides two ways to provide that "line of sight.”. This process is not rocket science. It can be taught and learned by any workforce with a high school education. Traditional appraisal systems often fail because they have a strong top-down bias, concentrating, say, on how far the individual has achieved specified goals in the past year.  Feedback from our client companies (www.synergymanager.net) has shown that few employees understand the strategy on which the goals are supposedly based. An individual may be made to feel a scapegoat for organizational failings and even the manager feels uncomfortable. In the modern business, teamwork is everything and change is constant. Modern appraisal systems emphasize future team performance and the way individuals can develop their skills and improve their contribution to the team. Appraisals can eliminate what they call the "C players" and relieve a company of the hidden costs of tolerating under performance. Today HR managers report, that  appraisees seem to have greater acceptance of the appraisal process, and feel more satisfied with it, when the process is directly linked to rewards. There is also a school of thought which argues that the evaluation of employees for reward purposes, and frank communication with them about their performance, are part of the basic responsibilities of management. The practice of not discussing reward issues while appraising performance is, say critics, based on inconsistent and muddled ideas of motivation. Such findings are a serious challenge to those who feel that appraisal results and reward outcomes must be strictly isolated from each other. Why does performance appraisal have to be a formal annual process – shouldn’t managers do this every day as part of managing their teams. Are managers always skilled to hold performance related conversations with their teams??? The basic problem with appraisals is that the system becomes loaded with too many functions, with the result that none is done particularly well. For individuals, money is probably at the top of their minds, followed by performance and working relationships. Longer term, career development and the necessary competences and skills are critical for the young professionals. For some others mentoring - from someone whom the individual respects - is usually valued higher. A novel “competency-based” approach to performance appraisal is based on teaching all employees to identify, deploy, and develop their strengths. Then aligning all performance appraisal and review systems around employee strengths. And lastly designing each role to create world-class performers in the role. This is called performance planning & development the higher order of the performance management system What role do HR and Line/Functional managers play in the performance appraisal process? Are line managers given a thorough grounding of the systems as a whole…with additional training in counseling & performance feedback skills? Or does HR see itself as a high & mighty arbitrator and lord of the performance appraisal system. There is need for complete clarity & trust between line managers and HR dept Organizations need the system to ensure productive performances, and yet at the same time, whatever system implemented is fraught with pitfalls as it deals with the human factor. In a sense, performance appraisals are a necessary evil and a double-edged tool; organizations and managers will have to learn to live with this and work with this unimpeachable fact! Best of Luck Dr Wilfred Monteiro

Becoming an entrepreneur takes a specific type of personality not necessarily the business skills of a manager

DO YOU HAVE THE

 DNA OF AN ENTREPRENEUR?

I was recently a guest at a business network breakfast meet  and the youngster were bursting with enthusiasm to become entrepreneurs!!!  Mid-career survivors the ones who have just been laid off in today business environment think even more vivaciously the “adventure” of being an entrepreneur.

One has to look at the graveyard of the entrepreneurial ventures of the 21^st century. How many billions of precious money went up in smoke? Not to speak of the heartbreaks and the endless sleepless nights of toil and tension which came to naught? The universal statistics are clear 80 % of entrepreneurial startups fail in the nascent stage. 10% meekly survive to adulthood. And the one in a million becomes a Dhirubhai Ambani and a Jeff Bezos.

Do you think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Becoming an entrepreneur takes a specific type of personality. Fortunately, it's the type of personality you can develop by working on yourself, growing, and learning how to express these traits. Focus on theser top traits below and you'll find yourself ahead of the crowd.

AN ENTREPRENEUR IS FIERCELY INDEPENDENT

The wannabe entrepreneur places a high value on independence .Like in Aesop’s fable the lean  stray dog talking to the fat.collared dog… the starving mongrel would not exchange the riches  a chained existence for the  fat privilege of roaming free in the world. The wannabe entrepreneur knows that freedom is the prerequisite for all success- it begins with an unfettered scope for  your talents and energies. But freedom also means responsibility hence the next step ...become self-driven proactive and opportunity ready

AN ENTREPRENEUR IS A SELF-STARTER

This is about more than simply being your own boss. This is about more than simply being able to get up in the morning and get to work. An entrepreneur is always capable of seeing a tomorrow that's just a little bit better than today. He's not satisfied to just sit on his laurels and enjoy the fruits of his success. He's constantly looking forward-creating plausible plans to create more opportunities and find his next point of success. An entrepreneur is also willing to push himself. Last year's success was fine, but this year's success should reflect his growth. He's always coming up with some new project and looking for ways to make that project succeed.

AN ENTREPRENEUR HAS IMMENSE SELF-BELIEF

There's not much room in the business world for self-doubt. Fear can make you back away from projects that could be the key to your ultimate success. Furthermore, the entrepreneur has to be in the business of convincing other people that his ideas are good. Partners, investors, financing, creative structuring-it all depends on the entrepreneur's ability to convince other people that they're making a good bet when they team up with him. If the entrepreneur isn't sure about himself, how can anyone else be sure of him?

AN ENTREPRENEUR MAKES THINGS  HAPPEN

An entrepreneur looks at a problem and knows it's an opportunity. That's not a cliché talking. A problem is literally an opportunity to get paid if you can be the one to solve it. Successful entrepreneurs make their name identifying problems without solutions, and providing those solutions. Every good product solves some sort of problem. Even video games solve a problem-they provide a way for people to unwind after a stressful day and fulfill a fantasy.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, your natural response to any given problem should always be to ask yourself how you can solve that problem. Not who is to blame, not how that problem came to be-just how the problem can be solved. Problem-solving becomes a habit. As you become alert to problems with no solutions, you become alert to new ways to create, grow, develop, and innovate new products. If you can marry this alertness to calculated action you will develop the instincts that you need to be an outstanding entrepreneur.

AN ENTREPRENEUR HAS A BIG APPETITE FOR RISK. 

Risk-adverse people don't make very good entrepreneurs-but neither do extremely reckless people who leap first and look later. Real entrepreneurs evaluate their potential risks. They also know how to minimize the risks they need to take through hard work, dedication, and strategic planning.When a risk goes bad an entrepreneur doesn't waste a lot of time looking for someone to blame. Instead a true entrepreneur analyzes what went wrong, learns from it, and moves on.

SUMMING UP

Now do you really want to be an entrepreneur? Weight the pro’s and the cons’ It is said at the end of your life you will regret the things you did not do … rather than the blunders  for which you paid a small price and the harvest of benefits of making life an adventure

with best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

Business coaching has gone from fad to being an essential part of the managers job.

COACHING :

 THE  NEW STYLE OF MANAGING ?

Business coaching has gone from fad to being an essential part of the managers job. This was badly needed, in a knowledge economy; where the young generation believe: they are drivers of their own performance and would therefore detest a dominating style of leadership. The prime purpose of coaching  is to increase effectiveness, broaden thinking, identify strengths and development needs and set and achieve challenging goals. It is based on asking rather than telling, on provoking thought rather than giving directions and helping a person become self-regulating and accountable for his or her goals. Young generation have their highest priority (after pay packet) ... how to  grow in the role?... and a manager’s job is to help them get there!!!

Research from both academics and the corporate world has fine-tuned the skills managers need to coach others into five categories:

1) PUTTING TRUST AT THE CENTRE OF THE RELATIONSHIP. 
It’s easier to learn from someone you trust. People can learn more from a friend than a knowledgeable  but authoritative figure. Good Coaches must effectively establish goodwill  and build trust by being clear about the learning and development objectives they set, showing good judgment, being patient and following through on any promises and agreements they make.

2) PROVIDING OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK .
 In coaching the master question is: Where are you now and where do you want to go? Helping others to gain self-awareness and insight is a key job for an effective coach. The coach can provide timely feedback and help clarify the behaviors that an employee would like to change. Performance improvement is  often an exploration; which focuses on gaps or inconsistencies, on current performance vs. desired performance, words vs. actions and intention vs. impact. The ownership of accepting the gap is based upon the learner and not a prescription from the coach
 
3) PROVOKING NEW  THINKING . 
Thinking from a new perspective is an important part of the coaching process. Challenging old myths and pet assumptions helps to bring a new insight to the problem at hand or a fresh zeal to meet daunting challenges. Hence good coaches ask open-ended questions, push for alternative solutions to problems, motivate through task simplification and encourage reasonable risk-taking.

4) TASK AND EMOTIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT . 
Coaching places the responsibility on the learner, who has to generate the solution; or at least work in partnership with the coach  to find solution Coaching is certainly  not a prescription or a command mode of interaction.  Therefore the learner understands the solution, and how it was arrived at.  Creating their own customized solution, they are also more likely to carry it through. As partners in learning, good coaches listen carefully, are open to the perspectives of others and allow employees to vent emotions without judgment. They encourage employees to make progress toward their goals, and they recognize their successes.

5) FOCUSS ON MEASURABLE RESULTS. 
Effective coaching is about concrete results. The coach helps the employee set meaningful ones and identify specific behaviors or steps for meeting them. The coach helps to clarify milestones or key measures of success and holds the employee accountable for them. Self assessment is the key to learner participation and the low-risk context (if  failure occurs) is what the coach should build.

Would you want to change your corporate culture of managing and develop you line managers to become executive coaches 24x7. VISIT MY WEBSITE www.synergymanager.net for contact details.

with best compliments

DR WILFRED MONTEIRO

EXECUTIVE COACHING MYTH OR MASTER-KEY TO PEFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

In the avalanche of “certified” coaches and the certifying bodies galore the business world has some re-think on the issue of Executive Coaching The need for coaching has never been greater. Executive Coaching  is  best defined as the “building a relationship of trust, tapping a person’s potential, creating commitment and executing goals.” research shows that a team that is highly engaged has double the chance of job performance and success.


First there are a lot of questions of what coaching entails. As a starter, here’s what Executive coaching is not:
·         Coaching is not ordering people around because you have authority or a title.
·         Coaching is not “fixing” a person.
·         Coaching is not creating a dependency or indulging in “open-ended therapy.”


The services provided by an Executive coach are quite similar to that of a sports coach, the only difference is that business coaching is undertaken for the benefit of an organization. Executive coaching not only aims at improving individual performance but also concentrates on improving team performance.
in unlocking hidden potential


Just as a sports coach helps in unlocking the real potential of players, an Executive Coach helps the employees to improve their working skills. Most successful business coaches know that every employee has the potential to perform above expectations. The only thing required is proper guidance and the confidence that he can achieve the set goal and objective. The aligning of personal and professional goals of the employees with organizational goals and objectives enables the Executive Coachto increase productivity and maximizing profitability. This helps in the increase of profitability and success in a very short time.


People often confuse Executive Coaching with business consulting. Both are very different from each other and are undertaken for achieving different set of goals and objectives. In business consulting, the consultant offers you solutions to your queries, based on his knowledge, experience and technical qualifications. Business consulting is more like gambling in which you win some and lose some. The advice provided by the consultant may or may not work in solving your problems. In comparison, business coaching allows the employees to explore and find the solutions for themselves. It just provides the right guidance, which may not seem much help, but is very essential when it comes to unlocking the true potential of an individual. It takes a great amount of skill and patience to be able to connect with the employees, which can only be made possible with the help of a business coach. The coach provides the necessary guidance to the employee or team members. This helps them to overcome common organizational problems.


Executive Coach  differs from consulting, counseling, and therapy in that the focus is on each executive’s success in the work setting. Coaching is similar to these other professions (consulting, counseling, and therapy) in that they all rely heavily on skillful listening to clients (executive) and reflecting back what is heard and what is meant so that clients can achieve deeper self-understanding and learning.

As a business growth specialist we provide you with knowledge to succeed in business, we only use proven time tested methods. And act as a sounding board to you and provide useful guidance for getting the best from difficult situations.

An Executive Coach can see the problems from the outside without being shortsighted by old bad habits the company have been gathering over the years. The owner needs someone to encourage, to push him, to congratulate him, to support him and keep him focused on the planned goals and made accountable for the outcomes. It can be a lonely job being the boss without a trusted sounding board.

Meta+Coach^© Model Coaching is a way to bridge any gap between where you and your business or career are today and where you would like to be. Customized business coaching works faster, is more effective, and is more convenient than standard management seminars and work books. Business coaching is not an extravagance but a must to get fast effective business solutions.

The Executive Coach may work with business owners, executives, and people at every level in the company.
·         Set and achieve higher quality goals
·         Ensure people are accountable and take responsibility of their actions
·         Accelerate development in business processes, skills, knowledge, and relationships
·         Eliminate rather than tolerate the negatives in their life
·         Encouraging you to focus on your key priorities
·         Providing you with an impartial sounding board
·         Supporting you in making better decisions
·         Giving you greater confidence
·         Helping you achieve new levels of job satisfaction and motivation

Life’s toughest issues are not solved by having all the answers, but by asking the right questions. Coaches who continue to ask powerful and provocative questions help individuals develop a sense of internal purpose and commitment for the long run.
Meta+Coach^©suggests that powerful questions leaders ask may fall into three areas:
1.      Engaging with purpose (Opening)
2.      Advancing to commitment.
3.      Obtaining commitment (Closing)


CONCLUDING : THE BENEFITS OF COACHING.
o   Coaching highlights what people can readily achieve, given the right support.
o    Good programs can simplify what might appear to be particularly difficult situations.
o   Successful programs can lead to improved individual and team performance and increased levels of motivation.


 

WHAT MAKE META+ COACHING THE FIRST CHOICE?

WHAT MAKE  META+ COACHING THE FIRST CHOICE?

META –COACHING ©  is a proprietary model developed by Dr Wilfred Monteiro ; it is  a highly personalized relationship that strengthens managers’ performance by helping them identify, organize, and execute important life & work priorities.

Through a mutual exploration process, it guides the coachee as they interrelate personal aspirations and role demands with the organization’s current and future business challenges and goals. The result is a focused action plan supported by hands-on guidance that ensures performance success.

META coaching  will make a real difference in the performance of the coachee and the success of your organization because our approach:

1. Initiates an action plan that drives clarity and focus on business requirements

2. Increases talent retention by considering individual career aspirations and motivations

3. Improves employee engagement and work performance by highlighting  the obstacles to peak performance

4. Involves coachees in the process of learning and self-development

5. Targets development that benefits both the business and the individual

6. Program is personally conducted by Dr Wilfred Monteiro to ensure quality and authenticity