Tag Archives: Management

Multiple Project Management – Tips

shutterstock_32523 Today we have a guest post from Nate Miller, a part-time guest-blogger. His main interests are Business with a recent focus on Education and Technology. He is constantly extending his fields of interest to incorporate news suggested to him by his readers. He is currently interning at Domo. Make sure to follow him on his business intelligence blog.

Multiple Project Management – Tips

Multi-tasking is almost always tricky business. It can be seriously difficult to do just one major project at a time, never mind trying to juggle multiple. But the fact of the matter is that sometimes you just have to deal with several projects at once since schedules won’t allow for it to be done any other way. Fortunately, there are a few methods you can use for staying sane during the process and getting everything done on time.

Use Project Management Software

There are many different programs you can use to keep track of projects. For example, Microsoft Project is a piece of software that helps you maintain and manage projects effectively. This sort of management is crucial for not getting left behind or getting confused on which project you’re doing. One of the major benefits of this software is that it integrates with other pieces of Microsoft software. For example, there’s a seamless option to transfer files to project from Word, Excel, and so on. So if you are working on projects within these other programs, you can use Project to keep track of them all or mix them together, as the case may be.

After all, sometimes multiple projects will combine together or overlap for the sake of other larger projects. It can be much easier to have a program to help with the organization rather than trying to do all of it yourself in the long run. It can help to experiment with different programs until you find one that you’re comfortable with before settling down to learn every aspect of it. After all, the process of learning a project management program can be fairly time consuming.

Keep Organized

It’s also important to keep notes for the individual projects and organize them all separately. For example, it can be useful to create separate folders for each project. That way you’ll make sure that you don’t accidentally get projects confused. It can be easy to misplace some of the files from projects so that they get stuck in with other projects if you aren’t careful. This is especially likely to happen if you have a lot of projects and a lot of files for each.

For example, if you give files for different projects a similar name, like something with “project.doc,” then you could easily open and work on the wrong one if you don’t have them all in different folders. It can help to name not just the folder, but also every one of the files something related to the project so that you have no chance of getting confused.

After all, it’s easy to get confused when you have multiple projects all happening at the same time.

Overall, finding out as many different methods for managing multiple projects at the same time as you can is important. You can easily find business intelligence, blog after blog on the Internet on this subject as well, to get additional ideas. There are no shortage of possibilities for organization including a wide assortment of management programs and apps. 

Writer Biography

This is a guest post by Nate Miller, a part-time guest-blogger. His main interests are Business with a recent focus on Education and Technology. He is constantly extending his fields of interest to incorporate news suggested to him by his readers. He is currently interning at Domo. Make sure to follow him on his  business intelligence blog.

 

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Managing People – Is Your Performance Review Really Necessary?

Corporate TrainingManaging People – Is Your Performance Review Really Necessary?

Lots of organizations carry out “performance appraisals.” Most people consider them a “good thing!” And there is lots of information around to help you do them well.

But there is more to encouraging and managing good performance than carrying out the annual performance review. Some people even question whether carrying out annual performance reviews does actually impact on the quality of performance.

Let us think a little about what the person being assessed usually thinks about when a review is due.  Here’s what it likely to be

  • How is this review going to affect my bonus/performance related pay?
  • How am I being assessed and is it fair?
  • Is my contribution really going to be recognised and acknowledged?
  • How does this review affect my chance of promotion?
  • How well am I doing compared to my peers?

But if you think about it – this isn’t why as a manager you carry out a performance review. What you are concerned about is?

  • How will you help the person understand what you think of their performance?
  • What evidence is needed to support your view?
  • If they are not meeting the standard, what advice should you give?
  • What action should follow on from the review?

You are looking to do an assessment that helps your member of staff become more committed to your objectives and more motivated, accountable, reliable, creative, dedicated, and, yes, happy in the job!

Given the difference in perspectives, holding one annual performance review doesn’t really seem to meet either purpose really, does it? Surely what you need instead is a relationship and structures that support an ongoing dialogue?

No you don’t want spend every day discussing performance. Although there is much to be said about commenting very quickly on exceptions in performance – be they good or bad. Giving praise is as important as giving criticism.

Having a performance stock take once a month works for many! Certainly, having a more formal review quarterly where the question of the bonus isn’t part of the mix has worked for me. And then, at the end of the yea,r it is an agreed summary of those quarterly reviews that feeds into the financial reward system.

Developing an effective relationship and an open discussion about the quality of performance is much more likely to help you and your staff member achieve your goals, both corporate and personal.

Remember performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization.

With a performance management system that works and a well developed relationship, it becomes much easier to discuss career development and the opportunities for progression.  And guess what in this climate potential threats to good performance can be seen off before they become real issues and so everyone benefits.
Wendy is the Happiness Coach and author of  The Wolf Project and a new novel, Blood Brothers, to be published in Summer 2013.  As a life and career coach and blogger, she helps people reach their goals and aspirations. As a novelist she hopes to entertain. Oh and she writes poetry too! To find out more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation gives you an opportunity to try phone coaching without risk. Remember there are great benefits to be achieved by being coached in the comfort  of your own home by phone or Skype .

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

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Management: 6 Simple Tips For New Managers: A Checklist

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Management: 6 Simple Tips For New Managers

All managers have a first day in the job.  And it is never easy!  So here are some tips to help you on your way;

  1. Understand your organization; its rules and culture.  Your team is part of a wider organization and you need to understand that wider context. How do people behave – what are the rules (written and unwritten)?  Spend some time finding out and talk to your HR department about what they expect of you as a manager
  2. Understand the work requirement.  What are you there to do and by when do you have to do it? Be clear about the objectives of your own manager and their expectations of you.  If you don’t have anything written down yet, try to agree a time to do that.  What do your team, and each member of it, think they are there to do?  Does it line up with what the organization needs and the team objectives?
  3. Be consistent – firm but fair.  Don’t have favorites and treat everyone in the same way.  Try to be consistent in how you behave – don’t let your bad mood or your “off day” be reflected in how you behave. If you do it will confuse and de-motivate your team.  Above all reward or penalize the same things over time. Do your team understand the standards set for their work? Does your behavior reflect them?
  4. Kindness goes a very long way – kindness engenders kindness – show and encourage appreciation.   Being kind doesn’t mean you become a “soft” manager that people can take advantage of.  Kindness is an extension of being fair.  Do you treat people as you,  yourself, would like to be treated?  You will be surprised what a difference to your life as a manager it will make when you have your team’s support. Kindness will help gain you that support.
  5. Work on you own confidence – confidence inspires others.  Learn how to look and sound confident even when you don’t feel it.  This will hep your team to feel more secure and able to give their best work.  Do you have a problem maintaining your feelings of confidence? If so work with a coach to learn some techniques to help – my contact details are below.
  6. Learn to make quick and effective decisions – dithering bosses lose the confidence of their teams.  Do you know how to identify relevant information quickly and then to weigh evidence to help you make a decision. Be willing to take risks – making decisions means being prepared sometimes to take a risk.  Giving someone the benefit of the doubt or even delegating effectively requires you to take risks.  Do you understand risk and how to take it? Learn about risk and how evaluate how much of it you are taking and how to manage the consequences.  At the end of the day,  as the manager, you “carry the can” and that is something that good managers learn to live with.

I am sure you will be a first class manager.  It isn’t easy but it can be immensely rewarding.  Good Luck.  If you would like my help, please get in touch

Wendy is the Happiness Coach and author of  The Wolf Project and a new novel, Blood Brothers, to be published in Summer 2013.  As a life and career coach and blogger, she helps people reach their goals and aspirations. As a novelist she hopes to entertain. Oh and she writes poetry too! To find out more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation gives you an opportunity to try phone coaching without risk. Remember there are great benefits to be achieved by being coached in the comfort  of your own home by phone or Skype .

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

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Management:Some Good Thoughts On Giving Feedback

Management;Some Good Thoughts On Giving Feedback

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Wendy Mason is the Happiness Coach and author of a new novel, The Wolf Project.  Wendy is a life and career coach and writer. She is passionate about helping people find happiness at work and at home! To find out more emailwendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.  
A free trial/consultation allows you to give phone coaching a real trial without any financial risk. And remember there are great benefits to be achieved from coaching by phone or Skype.

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

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Management – Gregory Smith Speaks On Employee Retention, Talent Management & Leadership

gregManagement – Gregory Smith Speaks On Employee Retention, Talent Management & Leadership

Greg Smith is a “perceptive teacher, an inspirational speaker and a motivating preacher.” From Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, to company president, and the author of six books, Greg’s 27 years of leadership and consulting experience have helped propel him as one of the US’s leading authorities on employee retention, talent management, and leadership. As a business management consultant, he shows executives and business owners how to build their organizations and retain and motivate their workforce.

The video is from the Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau -http://www.eaglestalent.com/Gregory-S…

Wendy Mason is the Happiness Coach and author of a new novel, The Wolf Project.  Wendy is a life and career coach and writer. She is passionate about helping people find happiness at work and at home! To find out more emailwendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.  

A free trial/consultation allows you to give phone coaching a real trial without any financial risk. And remember there are great benefits to be achieved from coaching by phone or Skype.

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

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