We all need to make decisions. While we all know that this is part of life, we can often find it difficult. It might be that:

• We are afraid of getting it wrong
• We procrastinate
• We get lost in the detail and lose sight of the bigger picture
• We worry about how others will react
• We don’t know what outcome we want to achieve

Given these potential hazards, what are my 10 key tips for more effective decision making?

1. Recognise that very few decisions are a matter of life or death. Most decisions, even if they don’t work out quite as you expected are irrecoverable. Give your self permission to make mistakes and learn from them.
2. Avoid putting things off. If you know a decision needs to be made, find a way of forcing yourself to move toward it. One way might be to set a deadline.
3. Keep your focus on the bigger picture and make sure you do not get lost in the detail. Keep asking what is important about this decision?
4. Whenever you have to take a decision, remember that not everyone is going to agree with it. As a leader or manager you are paid to take decisions and sometimes they will be unpopular.
5. Get clear about the outcome (result) you want before taking a decision so that all discussion, debate, etc is linked back to the result.
6. Make sure that you have the right information available to take the decision and if not go and find it.
7. Trust your intuition. Sometimes you will just have a hunch about something. Our natural reaction is to dismiss it. Instead try using it. For example, imagine you are part of a Senior Management Team discussing a new investment. You have a hunch that it is good long term even though the numbers might indicate otherwise. Throw it out you might just spark others to look at different perspectives.
   Trust your intuition. Sometimes you will just have a hunch about something. Our natural reaction is to dismiss it. Instead try using it. For example, imagine you are part of a Senior Management Team discussing a new investment. You have a hunch that it is good long term even though the numbers might indicate otherwise. Throw it out you might just spark others to look at different perspectives.
8. Look at the options and weigh up the pro’s and cons.
9. Consider talking through the decision with a more experienced and trusted colleague to broaden your perspective.
10. Remind yourself that we are all human and mistakes will be made. The key thing is to keep learning.

As a manager and leader, problem solving is a core part of your role. In a few instances you need to solve the problem immediately, for example, when the fire alarm is ringing. In the vast majority of cases you can however take a more structured approach.

So what are the key steps in effective problem solving?

While this might seem like stating the obvious, managers can fall into the trap of starting to leap into action before they have got clarity on what the problem is.

To avoid this take time to get clear and write down the problem.

Getting a clear understanding of the facts is essential. This is particularly important when dealing with a staffing problem such as a breakdown in a relationship between colleagues. In these situations everyone will want to give you their views some of which might be factual or some which might be personal opinions. It is the facts that matter.

The key at this stage is to identify possible solutions. Brainstorming or mind maps are two excellent tools to use for identifying potential solutions. Adopt an anything is possible approach to the process and don’t start eliminating things at this stage.

Go through all of the potential solutions and eliminate those that are clearly not workable in this situation. Carry on this process until you have a short list of 3-5 solutions. Weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of the 3-5 solutions.

Decide on what solution you are going to adopt in this particular case.

Once you have decided on your solution put it into action as quickly as you can.

Set up an appointment to review success and identify learning points.

At the end of the day, problems will always arise that need to be addressed. Make sure that you stand out from the crowd when it comes to problem solving.

You have got through the selection process and you hear the good news “congratulations you have got the job”. At this point like everyone else there is a feeling of happiness and enthusiasm. Sadly for many people the bubble quickly bursts, you start to realise what you don’t know and that you now have people senior to you and junior to you to keep happy.

So how might you make a successful transition?

1. Recognise there is lots to learn and that this is part of the transition
2. Remember that those who appointed you have faith in you so have faith in yourself
3. Treat everyone equally and don’t show bias to those that were previously your buddies when you were on the team
4. Ask people for their ideas on what they want from you and want to change and listen carefully to that feedback. Be careful not to make promises you cannot keep
5. If you are making changes start with something that is small but important to the team
6. Make time for the people in your team. You are a manager now so you need to take the time to manage. You can’t spend 100% of your time on tasks any more
7. Get clear on what your manager expects from you
8. Find out what those that you support in the organisation want from you and your team. One option is to do a survey
9. Commit to your own personal development to build your skills and competencies
10. Find someone in the organisation who you can bounce ideas off so that you get different perspectives on how they may or may not be received

For many people career progression is really important. You might aspire to:

• Become a team leader
• Manage a department
• Managing a division
• Be a director or partner

As people progress along the career path it is all too easy to lose sight of other things and get out of balance. Here are 10 tips (based on my own experience) of how to get the balance right:

1. Decide the maximum amount of time you want to spend at work each week and stick to it. Work will expand to fill the time
2. Get a good team of people to support you
3. Be bold, delegate tasks and responsibility. Not only is it good for motivation, it’s also great for personal development
4. Set yourself sensible targets
5. Take a break at lunchtime
6. Avoid back to back meetings whenever you can
7. Make time in your schedule for regular exercise
8. Eat regularly and properly
9. Set aside time in your schedule for fun
10. Set weekly goals for your whole life, not just work related goals

As Richard Carlson says in his book Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, when you die there will still be things in your in-tray. There is a lesson for all of us in that statement.

At this time of year many people are coming to the end of their formal education. Maybe your finishing a degree, A Levels or GCSEs and are deciding what's next. While we all spend a huge amount of time at work, very few of us take time to sit down and give some serious thought to our career choice. As a result, most people:

• Just fall into the first job that comes along
• Find themselves bored after a very short period of time

So how can you reduce some of the risks? Here are my 10 tips.

1. Ask yourself what you are really passionate about and love doing
2. Determine the types of jobs that would really fuel that passion
3. Determine the types of things you loathe doing
4. Determine the types of jobs that you would be a real turn off
5. Speak to people doing the type of job you would love to do and get an insight into what it is really like
6. Don't be pressurised into doing something because someone else expects you to do it (e.g. parents, teachers, lecturers)
7. Don't just grab the first thing that comes along because it gives you money
8. If you start in a job that you thought you would love and it seems dull, give it time
9. If your looking for career progression, decide what you are willing to trade to make it happen
10. Take a long term view. Many people are attracted to a job at the start because of the pay and benefits. If progression is important to you, finding the right kind of employer is more important than how much you earn in the short term.

More and more professionals now have a mandatory requirement for Continuing Professional Development. Others just decide to make a conscious decision to embark on a journey of development. These days we have such a range of options open to us to support our development such as:

• Internet
• Classroom Courses
• Workshops
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Shadowing senior people
• E-Books
• On-Line Courses
• Audios
• Associations
• Clubs
• Magazines

When considering your own development and what resources to utilise, think about the following:

1. What areas do I want to develop?
2. How do I learn best?
3. How much time have I got available to devote to the areas I want to develop?
4. What is the most effective way of acquiring the skills I want?
5. What do I love doing?
6. What do I loathe doing?
7. What is the cost to me of not developing?
8. What are the benefits to me of investing in my development?
9. Who can help me stay on track?
10. How can I make it fun?

At the end of the day there is no right or wrong way, just what works for you

The first stage in applying for a position is to create a CV or resume. Sadly people often fail to give this the time and effort it deserves. Remember, this is your personal marketing document. It will determine whether you move to the next stage in the recruiting process or are assigned to the recycling bin. Adopting 5 simple tips can help you to move to the next stage rather than the recycling bin. What are they?

Getting yourself into the right frame of mid is essential. If you see producing your CV as a chore, this is exactly what it will be. If on the other hand you view it as an opportunity to sell a unique service called you, not only will you be more motivated but will start to be much more creative.

What perspective do you think is going to produce the greatest finished article?

• Skills
• Knowledge
• Experience
• Personal attributes

This will take you a bit of time but will pay dividends in the long run. In carrying out your personal audit, make sure that you:

• Look at your whole career and not just your current job
• Think about things outside of work where maybe you are in a leadership role or have to be highly organised (parenting is a good example)
• Ask others for their input
• Recognise your achievements

A summary profile is a bit like a 30 second pitch that grabs the attention of the recruiter and wants them to find out more. Make this the first section on your CV. In producing your profile, make it as powerful as possible. Include things like:

• ears of experience
• Industry sector experience if appropriate
• Track record in sorting out problems or turning round poor performance
• Specific knowledge of say mergers and acquisitions, risk management, taxation
• Specific IT skills where relevant

Recruiters are not that interested in a list of what you do and how you do it. They want to know about your achievements and results. Use a bullet point format and aim for 2-3 key achievements. They could be for example:

• Saved the company £100,000 in tax
• Increased sales by 20%
• Reduced departmental running costs by 15% while maintaining quality
• Automated a manual process that released x days of resource each month
• Increased client satisfaction scores by 10%

Once you have produced your document, pass it to a few people whose opinion you respect. Ask them for their feedback on the following questions

• What overall message does it give?
• What stands out?
• What is missing?

Consider all of the feedback and decide for yourself what changes you want to make to improve the document while still retaining it as your document.

Your CV is your personal marketing document. Use it to your advantage to get the job you desire and get ahead in your career.

You have done the hard work of completing the application form or CV and you find out that you have the interview for a job you are keen to land. Often when it comes to the interview stage people perform well below their best. Yes nerves are a factor and everyone has them.

So how can you excel in interviews? Here are my 8 top tips.

1. Be prepared. So often candidates turn up for interviews ill prepared. They have not found out about the company, its issues and challenges and plans for the future. Take the time to do this and you will be off to a flying start
2. Think about possible questions that might be asked. Strange as it may seem, by spending a couple of hours jotting down possible questions and answers you can probably be prepared for about 50% of the questions that are asked. You might not get the exact question but most likely will get a variation on the theme
3. Listen effectively. If you are going to give a good answer you need to listen to the question being asked. Doing so will enable you to give a powerful and structured answer to the question
4. Be succinct. When you are answering questions, what you are aiming to do is give the interviewer confidence that you know what you are talking about- not to give a verbal thesis. For example, imagine the interviewer asks you what are the greatest challenges in managing a team? You could talk for ever. Instead try delegating effectively, keeping people motivated and balancing time spent managing and doing. If the interviewer wants more they will ask
5. Be honest. A typical question is what are your weaknesses? Don’t under any circumstances say you don’t have any. At the same time don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Try something like I see weaknesses as opportunities for development. Some of the areas I am working on right now are….
6. Remember it is a two way process. Candidates often forget that the interview is as much about them finding out if this is a company and people they could work with as it is the interviewer finding out if you could do the job and fit in
7. Have 2 or 3 good questions to ask them. Good interviewers will always give candidates the chance to ask questions. Poorly prepared candidates will ask about pay, holidays, benefits. Candidates who excel will ask about what it is like to work there, how the company will contribute to their development, future plans for the business and individuals over the next few years
8. Ask for feedback. Whether you get the job or not ask for feedback on what they liked about you and what was missing. Good employers will take the time to give feedback

At the end of the day, what makes you stand out are the small but important things. So pay attention to them and go forth and excel in your next interview.

For many people the mere thought of giving a presentation fills them with fear. This article sets out some hints and tips to make it a success.

Planning

It seems really obvious when someone says you need to plan your presentation. Often however this is an area that is skimmed over.

How long?

As a general rule, I suggest that you take the time allocated for the presentation time and multiply it by 3 to give you an indicative time for your planning.

Structure

If you are going to get your message across you need structure. One of the best tips I ever received was to think of the presentation like a newspaper article. You have:

• A headline
• Two or three messages

Slides

Many of us will have heard the term death by power point. Presenters can often:

• Have too many slides
• Have too much content on the slides
• Use too many graphics

Again, as rule of thumb, if you are doing a presentation lasting 10-15 minutes you are unlikely to need more than 6 slides.

Practice

No matter how many times you have delivered a presentation you need to practice you presentation in advance. Start with standing in front of a mirror. Then move on to practising in front of your family or partner. Then colleagues and friends. Try to do at least 3 practice runs.

Feedback

Ask and listen carefully to the feedback you are receiving about the structure, slides and delivery. See this as an opportunity to turn a good presentation into a great presentation.

Delivering Presentation

For many, this is the part they dread. Here are a few tips to ensure things go smoothly.

• Check the equipment in advance
• Make sure you know how to load the presentation
• Take a few minutes to relax yourself before you start
• Don’t worry about memorising the words, just remember your headline and key messages
• Pace yourself
• Try not to be too serious
• Have fun

One of the most important decisions facing any organisation is recruiting the right people. Some organisations appear to be highly effective while others struggle. So how can you improve in this area?

Train Those Recruiting

Strange as it may seem, many organisations don't make the investment to ensure that those faced with one of the most important decisions have the right skills.

Be Clear On What You Are Looking For

If you are going to get the right person for the job, you need to be clear on the skills, qualifications, experience, personal attributes and qualities that the right candidate will have.

Select The Most Approriate Source For Securing Applicants

The key point here is to be sure you are choosing the right place to advertise. Sometimes a local newspaper will work. At other times, you may need to go to specialist publication or a recruitment consultant.

Establish A Clear Framework For Shortlisting

You might for example use a scoring system to shortlist applicants.

Consider The Best Option For Selecting Candidates

In some cases you might just go for a traditional interview and possibly add in a presentation. Other times you might want to use assessment days.

Remain Open Minded

Often people jump to conclusions about candidates within minutes. Remember some of the best candidates might take a few minutes to get warmed up so don't discount people too quickly.

Remember It Is A Two Way Choice

Recruiters often forget that the candidate is also making a choice about whether they want to work in the organisation.

Be Professional

When interviewing you are representing your organisation, its values, beliefs. Today's candidate if they don't get the job could be a customer or supplier in the future so give the best impression you can.

Give Feedback

Good candidates spend a lot of time preparing. Good employers will take the time to provide good feedback to successful and unsuccessful candidates.

Review

Every time you are involved in recruiting take time to reflect on your performance and process. What worked well? What would make it more effective?

As a manager or leader you will no doubt have responsibility for undertaking staff appraisals. If you have been appraised in the past by your manager it can appear easy and it should be. So how can you make appraisals effective and powerful sources of staff motivation?

Planning is the key to effective appraisal. Make sure that:

1. You schedule appraisal meetings at least two weeks before the appraisal date
2. You book a room for the appraisal
3. All of the pre-appraisal documentation goes out to the employee at least two weeks before the appraisal with clear instructions on how to complete it. Within this documentation include a draft agenda
4. You set time in your diary to carry out the pre-meeting work
5. You block out sufficient time for the appraisal in your diary. Ideally, I suggest that you block out a minimum of 2 hours for the meeting and have a gap of at least 30 minutes before the start time and your previous meeting
6. Re-familiarise with any company guidelines and training materials that might exist

The key to an effective appraisal meeting is to put the appraisee at ease. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to spend a few minutes at the start chatting more generally about how things are going in life. As the appraiser is important that:

1. You set the scene including being clear what the meeting is about and what it is not about
2. At least 70% of the talking should be done by the appraisee not you
3. You give the appraisee the opportunity to give their own self assessment of their performance before you
4. You don’t interrupt them even if you don’t agree with something they are saying
5. When you are giving your feedback, you are as specific as possible and ideally include examples to illustrate. For example, I notice that you are always really well prepared with all the key information for your meetings with the divisional managers
6. You ensure that the appraisee is fully committed to and in agreement with objectives for the next period
7. You spend time looking at the development needs and career plans
8. Make sure the appraissee is clear on the next steps and timescales

1. Produce a meeting note or completed summary
2. Provide two copies of the meeting note or completed summary and ask the appraisee to sign and return one copy to you if they are in agreement that it accurately reflects what was discussed and agreed
3. Make yourself available to discuss concerns that the appraisee might have about the meeting note. It could be that you have misinterpreted something or incorrectly recorded it
4. Set up a time to review progress on objectives

At the end of the day, a well planned and run appraisal meeting can have a powerful motivational impact on your staff, so don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Understanding what your values are is a key part of living a fulfilling life. When asked about values people often come up with words like love, money, integrity, professionalism, creativity. While lists of words give a useful starting point, getting to the root of what the value means to you is a more complex process. Using word strings and identifying a metaphor that captures the value is a powerful way of really getting to the heart of the value.

As an example, suppose one of your values is money. Money itself is not a value but people value what it can give them. Freedom, choice, security, safety, pleasure, adventure, etc. By building up a clear picture people can then start to pick up the words that really hit the mark for them. For some people security is the real value. For others freedom and adventure might be what hits the mark. The great thing is that no one is right or wrong. Values are personal to you.

So have a play and start to get clear on what you value. If you do, you will find that lots of things start to become easier. The breadth of the options you consider, the range of perspectives you can see, the decisions you take. Why? Quite simply you will have a reference point which you can access and make choices from by asking yourself a simple question. How does this fit with my values?

Have fun.

Whether you are an employee or run your own business you will no doubt be faced with the question what makes you different? It might be in a job interview, an appraisal or a sales pitch to a potential client.

So what is it that makes you different? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. What special knowledge do you have?
2. What training and qualifications do you have that demonstrates your ability?
3. What specific experience have you had that few people have?
4. What qualities do others admire in you?
5. What do you contribute over and above the normal run of the mill stuff?
6. What do you have a reputation for?
7. What do you value?
8. How do you contribute to others?
9. What amazing things have you achieved?
10. What in a nutshell describes you?

Go on and create your own unique version of what makes you different and start to use it to your advantage.

Goals and Achievements. Helping inviduals and organisations to reach their true potential contact us today.

A new year is a time when people reflect and make plans for the coming year. Many folks make resolutions, the vast majority of which fall by the wayside within weeks. Are you ready to realise your potential in 2008 or will it be another year of hopes, dreams and no results? Fortunately there are simple steps which, if followed, can help you to realise your potential in 2008.

1. Get clear

Before you can realise your potential, you need to be crystal clear on what that means for you. Is it:

• More business success
• A promotion at work
• Regular exercise
• Healthier eating
• Better life/work balance
• More family time

Write down a paragraph or two that clearly encapsulates what will have happened if you realised your potential in 2008.

2. Take control

You determine your destiny and what you achieve. You have choice. Are you going to allow others to determine what you achieve or are you going to take control and shape your direction?

3. Take responsibility

Unless you take full responsibility for getting results, chances are that you will fall short of your potential. How ready are you to take responsibility?

4. Challenge your beliefs

We all make up things. You know the type of thing. I am no good at ……(fill in the blank). We also have had others help us collect some labels along the way. If we allow these beliefs to run us (especially those that limit us), we can end up completely stuck. Every time you come up with a negative thought, ask yourself whether it is true, beyond doubt. If it is not, chose there and then whether you are going to allow it to get in the way of you realising your potential.

5. Set SMART goals

Goals that are SMART are:

• Specific and clear
• Capable of being measured
• Achievable and realistic
• Time limited

An example of a SMART goal would be “To be earning 5,000 dollars more per annum by 31 December 2008"
The goal is clear, can be measured, is achievable, realistic and has a time limit for when you want to achieve it.

6. Aim high

When setting out what you want to achieve, make sure you aim high rather than aim low. If you aim high and get 80% of the way towards it, chances are you will have achieved much more than you would have otherwise.

7. Invest in yourself

Lifelong learning might be considered a bit of a buzz word. Yet in truth, if you are going to realise your potential, you need to be willing to invest in developing yourself. The great news is that you can get your hands on lots of stuff or go to seminars that are free or very low cost if you are willing to dig a little.

8. Set up accountability

If you want to greatly enhance your chances of success, get some accountability in place. The truth is that you achieve much more when you have to self account for the progress you have made and results achieved. It has been suggested that you have a 95% chance of succeeding when you have accountability.

So what will 2008 be for you? Another year of plodding along or the year in which you really start to realise your potential?