Managing Conflict
The main point purpose of this essay is to classify identify conflict. I will portray
the sources of conflict and clarify the positive and negative
features of conflict. I will also specify methods for managing conflict.
First of all, I would like to define the meaning of conflict. Conflict
is a process that begins when one party observes that another party
has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect something
the first party cares about. Conflict is inevitable because people
will always have different viewpoints, ideas, and opinions. The
question is how can we deal with or relate to these differences. It is
unfortunate that negative connotations are often associated with
conflict, because if we manage conflict properly, it is highly
constructive and essential to cross-cultural interactions.
Conflict is a state of mind. It has to be perceived by the parties
involved. If two or more parties are not aware of a conflict, then no
conflict exists. This broad definition encompasses conflicts at
different levels within an organisation. Conflicts are based upon
differences in interest and values, when the interests of one party
come up against the different interest of another. Parties may include
shareholders, managers, departments, professionals and groups; while
conflict issues can include dividends, control and wage levels.
I am now going to examine the reasons that conflict can occur in
management. It can occur in businesses when the stakeholders’
objectives are different. Stakeholders are groups of people who has an
interest in business activity. Each type of stakeholder is likely to
have a set of goals that they want to achieve. For instance,
shareholders want regular, secure and high returns and a say in the
goals of the business; managers want responsibility, high rewards and
a lack of interference in their actions; employees want high earnings,
an interesting job and secure employment; customers want quality
products at low prices and a good service; suppliers want secure,
regular and profitable orders; government wants to achieve a large
number of goals including growth in the economy and low inflation; the
local community wants thriving local businesses which do not cause
problems. All of these stakeholders have different objectives
therefore they have different actions to fulfil their aims. When they
are making decisions for their businesses, conflicts can exist between
many different groups of stakeholder since they have varied goals.
There are some reasons that lead to conflicts between the employees
and the owners of a business, such as levels of pay, working condition
and changing practices. It is common for employees and owners to
disagree on new wage levels. This is because workers generally want
more than the owners are prepared to pay. Conflict may also arise if
workers are not satisfied with their working environment. The
consequences are that employees have no motivation to work and hence
less output will be produced. It leads to lower level of revenue and
profit.
Conflicts are always occurring between owners and managers. It is
because in some businesses the management team may become powerful and
influential. When this happens they may seek their own interests
rather than those of the owners. This might involve paying themselves
high salaries or organising their time to suit their own needs, whilst
achieving satisfactory levels of profit rather than high levels of
profit. This would go against the interests of the owners who would
benefit more from higher profits. Such conflict may result in some
owners selling their shares. This is often referred to as a divorce of
ownership and control. Conflicts between owners and managers may
result in lower levels of output and loss of profits for the owners.
Managers and other employees may suffer from poor motivation, a lack
of job security and loss of wages.
As I have explained above, if there is very high levels of conflict it
may cause problems. It could lead to anxiety and tension in the
workforce which are counter-productive. There are some reasons to
suggest that conflict always happens between groups. It is because
groups are often in competition with each other over resources. One
example might be where the sports and leisure department in a local
council needs funds for a swimming pool, but this may result in
another group such as the social services department having less. In
addition, there may be conflict between groups at different levels in
the business organisation. When there is a divorce of ownership, the
control managers may attempt to satisfy their own aims, such as market
leadership by a series of price cuts. At the same time they would
attempt to make a satisfactory profit for shareholders, who may have
wanted the business to maximise profits.
Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Servicecounselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.
3 Secrets That Set The Context For Sales Success
In today’s competitive environment, every organization is trying to improve sales results. In every company, the most important – and vulnerable – link in the success chain is the performance of their people. As a sales management trainer and coach, I see that managers across every industry fail to take a hard look at the capacity of their people to provide the service — whether it’s to internal or external customers – that puts them in a league apart from the competition.
As a sales manager, you can set the context for your team to pull ahead, or ‘breakaway’ from the competition. Context sets the tone and often determines the meaning of events and actions. In business, context affects our vision, motivation, ambition, and follow through.
Some aspects of context are outside of our control. Things happen. Markets rise and fall. Yet some people thrive even in hard times. While these people are the masters of context, I would also argue that the ‘climate’ in which they work could contribute enormously to the difference between success and failure.
Here are three ways you can take charge of the context in which you create an environment where ‘breakaway’ results can happen:
ADOPT A ‘NO BULLIES HERE’ POLICY
Some people use much stronger language to describe the people I’ll politely call bullies. You may call them: tyrants, egomaniacs, jerks or unprintable. These are the people whose behaviour leaves you feeling badly about yourself, and feel free to use whatever profanity you want to describe them, because they are real trouble.
Many ’stars’ shout, belittle, and make unreasonable demands of support staff and colleagues, while ingratiating themselves with the higher-ups. How people treat both the powerless and powerful is a good measure of human character and the “bully” quotient.
One bully can destroy your team’s morale. You and your colleagues will spend inordinate amounts of time and energy dealing with this person, instead of focusing outward on breakaway performance.
HOT TIPS:
- Protect your people. If you are in a position to do so, aim to nourish a culture of decency in your organization. While you may not have a ‘no bullies here ‘ policy in writing, you can have it in spirit. If the superstar you’re about to hire has a reputation for being difficult, don’t hire!
- Set this ground rule for sales meetings: focus on the situation, issue, or behaviour, and not on the person. This rule translates into not placing blame on people. It safeguards the self-confidence and self-esteem of all meeting participants, and provides a process for regulating out-of-bounds behaviour.
PRACTICE ONGOING REGARD
We all do better at work if we regularly hear that what we do matters, that it is valuable, and that our presence makes a difference to others.
Nearly every organization or team I’ve been privileged to spend time with under-communicates the genuinely positive and admirable achievements of its members. I can understand wanting to avoid conflict, but avoiding praise is puzzling.
HOT TIP:
Make space at the beginning of a sales meeting for any expressions of appreciation or admiration that anyone may wish to deliver. I recommend that the leader not deliver any of these kudos during the first few meetings so team members get used to practicing ‘ongoing regard.’ If no one has anything to say, so be it (although I’ve never seen this happen).
You may find that sharpening your capacity to express genuine appreciation or admiration is vitalizing. It will remind you of why you want to be on your team, and why performing at your peak is important.
CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY
How many times have you said that you were going to do something and then not done it because nobody else would know the difference? Try spreading the word. Just the simple act of telling your plan to another person raises the stakes. Most of us place a high value on doing what we say we’ll do. There is something profound about taking our commitments seriously when we profess them to another person or when we join in a pact to reach a common goal.
HOT TIP:
If you are a sales manager, allow your people to tell you how they plan to reach their goals, rather than you telling them how to proceed. Create time, regularly, for them to report what they have been doing and learning. Useful questions to help the discussion are:
– What worked?
– What didn’t work?
– What happened?
– What would you do differently next time?
– What assumptions are you making?
– When will you do the tasks you propose?
– How will I know you have started the tasks?
If you are a team member, seek out someone you trust and check in regularly. Declare what you intend to do and watch what happens!
‘CREATE THE CONTEXT’ CHALLENGE
Establish the practice of ‘ongoing regard’ at the start of each sales meeting. The purpose is to recognize people whose performance and integrity helps the team achieve goals and objectives. Acknowledge that their specific behaviour, and the personal qualities that led to that behaviour, had a positive impact on you, on a customer, or on the team.
For example: “Lee, by delegating paperwork to the summer students and making more face-to-face sales calls you are helping us have a great second quarter. You are resourceful and creative.”
It may take a number of sales meetings for the practice to feel comfortable and meaningful. Stick with it.
This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express written permission from Nicki Weiss. The reprint must include the section “About the Author”.
Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized Certified Professional Sales Management Coach, Master Trainer, and workshop leader. Since 1992, Nicki has trained, certified, and/or coached more than 6,000 business executives, sales managers and salespeople.
Nicki guarantees increased sales performance when sales managers become better sales coaches. Sign up for her FREE monthly e-zine, Something for NothingTM, which has powerful tips and techniques for sales managers who are ready to make this transformation. Sign up at http://www.saleswise.ca.
You can email her at nicki@saleswise.ca or call 416-778-4145.
Managing Stress
You have heard someone tell you that they are under too much stress, but do you really know what stress is. Stress is a real reaction our bodies have to outside stimulants and it can be measured. When we are under stress our blood pressure and heart rates rise, we breathe more quick, our bodies produce more adrenalin and blood is pumped to our extremities. What our bodies are doing is preparing us to run away or fight the danger we perceive. This is called “flight or fight” reaction. This is a very good thing when there is a real danger to us.
It is stress that gives us the added energy we need to meet tight deadlines. Many people find that they work the most efficiently under stress, as their bodies are revving them up to perform at their best, but stress can also be harmful to our bodies. When we produce too much stress toxin and do not give our bodies the chance to release that stress, we have too much left over toxins in our bodies. Think about if there was a real danger ahead of you, like a bear. If you were walking along in the woods and a bear jumped out in front of you, your body would be under stress. It would produce the necessary chemicals for you to run away. You would run away and this exercise would release the toxins your body is producing. This is a perfect design for dealing with danger.
However, in today’s modern society, the stresses we face are no longer (usually) in the form of giant grizzly bears coming across our path. Instead, we face deadlines, bosses, projects, pressures and family problems. There is no longer that automatic release of the stress through running away. This is why stress-induced problems are on the rise today. We have more people with high blood pressure, heart attack, ulcers and diabetes problems. This is because of the exposure to prolonged and unmanaged stress in people’s lives.
So, what can you do to manage the stress in your life? First, avoid creating stress where there is none. If you have a tense family situation, this does not have to become a source of stress. Deal with the problem and then move on. Do not let it fester into stress in your life. Start and exercise routine. Vigorous exercise is one of the best ways to reduce the stress toxins in the body and our modern society, unfortunately, does not emphasize exercise the way it should.
Not only should you exercise regularly, but you should also relax on a regular basis. Our bodies were not made to go twenty-four/seven. Try to find at least twenty minutes a day where you can do nothing but relax.
One of the best pieces of advice for dealing with stress is to set realistic expectations for yourself. Do not take on too much and do not set expectations too high. You know what you are capable of doing. When you try to go beyond your capabilities, you create unnecessary stress. Avoid doing this and your life will be much less stressful!
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Stress
Manage Expectations to Reduce Everyday Frustrations
Just today my partner Russ and I sat down to hash out a nagging frustration. It took a little bantering back and forth [not without some rise in emotional tension I'll have you know] until we got at the heart of the issue.
Unmet expectations!
Stop and look back at the last time you were frustrated with your life or business partner. Odds are it was because he/she did not meet your expectations.
Expectations of
- Leaving the toilet seat up or down
- Making the bed
- Meeting you at the restaurant on time
- And so on.
These expectations can be small or large, simple or complex, pertinent or absurd; the point is that somewhere in your head you expected something different to happen than what did happen.
So, most every time you find your level of frustration on the rise it is because your partner acted contrary to one of your myriad expectations. Now that you’ve become more or re-aware of this what can you do about itbesides hoot and holler?
The first step is to identify what the expectation is
For example: My husband expects that we arrive at least 15 minutes early for meetings where we are the speakers, as he likes to greet attendees and take our position behind the podium in a timely manner. When for some reason I get caught talking with someone outside he gets perturbed.
Now before we had a dialog about this and how important it is to him I didn’t have a clue. The same holds true for how he and I squeeze the toothpaste!
What are your expectations with your life partner regarding
- Taking out the trash [who does it and when, every day or only when it reeks to high heaven?]
- Being intimate
- Raising your children
- Getting the oil changed
- Balancing the check book
- Hanging out with members of the opposite sex
And with your business partner what are your expectations regarding
- Time and effort put forth
- Taking time off
- Doing the work neither of you much enjoy
- And the list goes on.
Once you have identified which expectation is being stomped on address it with your partner [when you emotions are in check] and find out what his/her expectations are around the same issue. At times you’ll find that your partner doesn’t care and readily does it your way, and other times he/she has opposing expectations [like the proverbial squeezing the toothpaste scenario]. If that is the case you have some work to do.
Where do our expectations come from?
Our expectations generally are spawned during our childhood years. I recall when our daughter was about five years old and she came home from visiting our neighbors rather concerned and said, “Jason’s mommy and daddy are mad and his daddy went away. Mommies and daddies must stay together.” Her expectation was [and still is now that she is 26 and married] that couples work it out.
Take a moment to reflect on some of your expectations; you might just chuckle about where some of them come from. Like the one about the ham
Mother is teaching her daughter how to cook ham for a holiday dinner. “Mom, why do you cut off the ends of the ham before putting it in the casserole?” Mother stops to think for a moment then says, “Because that’s how grandma did it.” Fortunately Grandma is visiting and is sitting in the front room reading to her five year old grandson. “Grandma, why do you cut the ends off the ham?” Grandma smiles and says, “Why child, because when your mother was young the pan was too small.”
Choose your battles
Depending on the expectation you may want to concede so that in another area your partner will agree to your preference. Determine which expectations are most important to you and which are most important to your partner. Be prepared for some give and take.
Find a better way.
When expectations are in conflict, it is frequently best to sit back and look at what is best for the situation or the relationship. Who takes out the trash may vary according to work schedule and availability. When to take out the trash may be determined by sanitary concerns. When individual expectations clash the fastest way to resolve the concern is to create a totally new expectation that fits you and your life or business partner best.
If you are a workaholic working 16 hours a day and your partner puts in 8hours you need to look at what your business demands and set your expectations to line up with your business plan and goals.
In a partnership, life or business, remember that your expectations may need to be realigned so that they work for the good of the relationship.
Margrit Harris, Your Relationship Expert, provides Helpful Answers to Tough Relationship Questions for life and business.
Business clients include Wachovia Securities, Morgan Stanley and a variety of small business executives. While life clients range from college students to seasoned professionals. Author of StrataTips, practical weekly free Relationship Advice, and the ebook Can [I Make] My Partner Change?. Visit StrataTeam’s estore today.
How to Talk So People Will Listen
At the end of any given conversation, whether it’s with co-workers, employees, or customers, do you ever find yourself asking the following questions:
– “How many times do I have to tell them how it’s done?”
– “Why are there so many misunderstandings?”
– “Doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”
If so, you’re not alone. In companies across the nation, communication breakdown is one of the main challenges managers deal with on a daily basis. As a result, they spend time restating their objectives to the same people over and over again, only to have the intended message still get altered or confused. Depending on the situation, communication breakdown can have severe consequenceseverything from lost sales and profits to high employee turnover rates.
The warning signs of communication breakdown include the listener losing interest before you’re finished speaking, your being unable to get the floor at meetings, and doing all the talking during a conversation when you want feedback. If any of these things routinely happen to you during conversations, your communication efforts are not effective or efficient.
Traditionally, most business leaders have spent their time attempting to change the way others listen. This is an exercise in futility because the only element in any interaction you can change is your part of it. Those professionals who are motivated to adjust their speaking in order to get people to listen, develop better relations with staff, investors and customers. The result will be fewer misunderstandings and more success in the business. By making the following adjustments to your conversations, you too can experience the satisfying results of positive communication.
1. Stop talking
When someone talks incessantly, the listener naturally wants to tune out. Listening is an energy draining process, so forcing people to listen for long periods of time can wear them out. To motivate others, especially if you are the boss or key figure in a negotiation, be quiet and listen to others in order to discover what they are thinking. Stop talking long enough to capture the entire essence of what the other person is saying. Listen for the value the other person wants to add and incorporate that into your response.
2. Get to the point
Effective communicators don’t beat around the bush. They make their points clearly and accurately. To do so, start with a single sentence that notes your positive intent. Next, state the overall goal. Once you make your suggestion for action, follow it up with justifications. Often, but not always, ask for feedback on the idea and allow for brainstorming. Summarize all decisions and each person’s role with dated, specific, and measurable commitments.
3. Take a presentation skills class
By brushing up on your speaking skills, you can “even the playing field” with those successful but less talented colleagues who got where they are because of their excellent oratory skills. Most accomplished speakers take a class or review a book on presentation skills every few years to become more confident, persuasive, and effective.
4. Keep your tone neutral
During every conversation, speak to others as you want them to speak to you. Avoid sarcasm and other hostile behaviors. When you routinely humiliate, berate, or poke fun at others, they won’t listen to much of what you say or go the extra mile for you. Speak loud enough so that no one must strain to hear you, and speak with authority, so you’ll be perceived as more credible. As far as what to say, always remember to praise in public and criticize in private, each time addressing the behavior itself and not the person’s personality.
5. Reduce your speaking accent
When listening to someone who has a thick accent, people routinely miss 10-30 percent of what is said. If you are completely fluent in English but still have people asking you to repeat yourself, taking a presentation skills class that focuses on accent reduction is a wise career move. It’s your job as the speaker to be a clear communicator, especially since others won’t work to understand you. Additionally, listeners can become embarrassed when they have to continually ask you to repeat yourself. Instead, very often they’ll nod and smile, and then ask each other afterward, “What are we supposed to do?” But there is no reason to lose your accent entirely, as a charming accent differentiates you from the group and is part of your persona. However, with information and videotaped training, even a couple of days of coaching can improve comprehension by 80 percent.
Being an effective communicator is the best way to get others to listen to what you say. Since few people enjoy repeating themselves multiple times or the resulting consequences of not getting important messages understood, improve your communication skills so that listening is not a burden for others. The result will be that listeners will hear and comprehend you each time you speak.
Dr. Reesa Woolf
Public Speaking Coach
Website: Http://ConfidentSpeaking.com
Blog: Http://HowToSpeakWithoutAnxiety.blogspot.com
Conflict Management Strategy Revealed
Conflict is inevitable. No matter where you work, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself in a disagreement with someone. We’ve all heard of disputes that erupt into expensive and divisive lawsuits. A simple personality conflict between two members of a team can cripple productivity and in the end leave the entire team feeling angry and betrayed. The following strategy describes a successful approach to resolving conflict.
We’re taught at an early age to defer to someone else, to take our problems to the teacher, to mom and dad, to the police. At the same time, trying to address potential disputes before they arise with detailed policies of appropriate behavior is ultimately unsatisfying as well. The suggestion is that if we have enough rules, somehow things will be fair and everyone will be treated fairly. Uniformity doesn’t necessarily produce fairness, and rules can’t address every real situation. For managers to assume they have dealt with an issue in the workplace because they have passed a rule or a policy is, at best, a naive assumption.
The question then, is not “How can we avoid conflict?” but “How can we manage it?” If conflict can’t be eliminated, we can at least deal with it constructively.
Conflicts between work employees can spring from any number of sources; miscommunication, unmet expectations, feelings that one’s contributions have not been acknowledged. Conflicts and disputes seldom have a simple cause, but they arise when people choose to make their differences into disagreements.
If conflict is the result of individual choices, managers that want to successfully manage and resolve conflicts must create an environment where employees can make the right choices. the optimum strategy depends on building the right group norms in the first place. If a employees are open to differences effectively to reach good decisions, then employees will be able to express differences appropriately and effectively resolve them.
The following items must be addressed and managed to successfully manage conflict.
Be Comfortable Dealing With Conflict
Being open to disagreement is sometimes difficult. Most people are afraid of conflict. That’s the reason for rules in the first place. But rules designed to eliminate conflict may allow situations to smolder and then erupt if employees do not have the opportunity to express their concerns. Much of the way you do that is not by trying to squelch the conflict and getting everybody to calm down, but by allowing everybody to voice their concerns. You can generally move people to a place where they are saying, “Okay, now what are we going to do about it?”
Acting quickly to air the issues is better psychologically for all the employees as well. People do not like to be embroiled in conflict or have disputes, so the quicker it’s over with, the better for everyone and the faster you can move on.
Find The Source of the Conflict
The tendency to look to some superior authority to resolve disputes frequently leads to unsatisfactory conclusions. Thus, the ability of employees to solve problems close to the source, at the team level, will also contribute to a healthy conflict resolution process. For example, if a factory manager walks around a couple of times a day to inspect whether people are bypassing the safety goggles, you will get people trying to conceal what they are doing. On the other hand, if a coworker who is working down the line from you is the safety contact person, there is no hiding what you are doing. And when that person says, “Look, don’t be a fool”, it’s much closer to the source. It’s a whole different kind of interaction.
In addition, bringing in outside authority may too quickly turn the process into a fact finding investigation that puts everyone involved on the defensive. The person who made the allegation says, “Why are you looking at me?” And the person who’s accused of inappropriate behavior says, “You’re trying to get me fired.” For these reasons, attempting to resolve disputes at the team level is more likely to lead to a constructive result.
Addressing the interests of the parties in conflict is also more likely to lead to a satisfying resolution. Very often people put things in positional terms, “I want him fired”. With active listening, managers and dispute mediators can help move the disagreement away from demands and toward a discussion of each party’s legitimate interests.
Lessons Learned
When employees are able to learn from the disagreement and apply lessons learned to new situations, they will be able to resolve those new situations more efficiently. This may be the toughest element to work with, especially on an organizational level. Most organizations have what can be thought of as serious learning disability. But on the team level the opportunity for learning may be less difficult. For example, you might have teams that have had a problem with unfair job promotion, so some people had more opportunity to qualify for higher pay increases. In those cases, where the conflict has been surfaced and then resolved and addressed by the team, there’s a much higher chance that the next time somebody starts showing favoritism in those ways, the team will be able to say, “No, we dealt with this last year.
Conflict Do’s
Practice some self recognition. Only rarely does a conflict arise without contributions from both parties. Very often people tend to project it, and say, “They made me do this”. Employees should try to recognize when they are angry about a situation, and what their role in creating the situation really is.
Be careful about what is put in writing. Despite the advice of many lawyers, memos, letters, and emails can exacerbate and escalate the conflict.
Conflict Don’ts
Involve more people in the process than you need to. Gossip about a conflict can derail attempts to resolve it amicably.
Address the subject while you’re angry. The resulting discussion probably won’t be very constructive, and may have negative effects. Find an appropriate time to engage with the other person.
Summary
While conflict is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be destructive. Management experts point out that you can’t assume everyone is happy just because no complaints are being aired. Conflicts can seethe beneath the surface, working them out openly can create new opportunities for your employees.
The wonderful thing about dispute and conflict resolution is that when managed effectively, not only does it help to address many conflicts that can pull you down, but it liberates all sorts of energy. Conflicts constructively addressed not only avoid something that would have been otherwise festering and difficult, but they also usually lead to insights and opportunities that might no be seen otherwise.
Dennis Sommer is a widely respected and world renowned authority on sales, business development and leadership performance improvement. He is a leading adviser, author, and speaker providing clients with practical strategies that improve personal and organization performance. Dennis can be reached at Dennis@btrconline.com or http://www.btrconline.com
Six Foundational Reasons for Managing Your Time
Most of us know how to manage our time. It is pretty simple really. What most of us miss are compelling reasons to manage our time. We know the “how” but miss the “why.” Here are six foundational reasons I have that motivate me to manage my time and myself properly.
It is a matter of stewardship. I view my life as not my own. I am merely a steward of it. I am given control over it for some 70 years and I should make wise decisions with it! This is a great sense of responsibility that compels me to manage my time.
It is a matter of personal fulfillment. When I get to the end of my life I want to be able to feel a sense of pride and satisfaction that I have lived well, helped others, and achieved much. This drives me to not waste time but to use it wisely.
It is a matter of providing for and being responsible to your friends and family. I owe some of my time – serious amounts – to my friends and family. If I let myself get out of control, they suffer the loss and that is something I do not want for them. I manage myself and my time so that I can give valuable portions of it to those who matter most.
It is a matter of accomplishment and purpose. I manage myself and my time because I want to fulfill my mission here. That is to use my abilities to enhance the lives of others. If I don’t manage myself, I hinder my ability to accomplish what I want and to fulfill my purpose. This drives me to manage right.
It is a matter of self-control. This and number six are closely aligned. One of the reasons I manage myself closely is because I can! Imagine that. What separates us from the animals is that we do not live by instinct, but by self-control and choice.
It is a matter of choice. See number five. I can choose when and where I will spend my resources. That in and of itself sounds like fun!
I am sure you can come up with more reasons, and I would encourage you to do so!
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.
To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.
Innovation Management – idea selection and valuation issues
Innovation is different and distinct from creativity in that it is idea selection, development and commercialisation as opposed to creativity, which is problem identification and idea generation. The core issue with innovation management is, therefore, how to select those ideas that are most likely to succeed?
Ideas have to pass though an idea funnel as most organizations lack the resources to try out all their good ideas. The Economist (2003) states that 3000 bright ideas result in 100 worthwhile projects, which are winnowed down to four development programmes. And four such development programmes are required to stand any chance of getting one winner.
Within the idea funnel, ideas must regularly pass GO and KILL points. Here it is decided whether an idea should remain in order to ascertain its potential or be killed off and make way for a new idea. The selection process can be difficult – drop an idea and you may have lost that one gem; keep it in and you disallow another potentially good idea reaching fruition.
Certain ideas have more probability of success than others.
a) Some ideas will naturally have cultural, technical or other impediments. Condom use in Africa to prevent AIDS is subject to cultural taboos. Non-carbon fuel cars must beat back resistance from the oil industry. E-commerce suffers from fear of Internet fraud. Impediments can be plotted against the S-curve in order to generate a risk profile for each idea under consideration.
b) Some ideas have an inherent greater chance of success than others, depending on their origin. Franklin (2003) argues that ideas that have resulted from solution spotting – when individuals have sought solutions for particular problems – have a significantly greater chance of success than most other ideas. The nearest competitors are ideas that originate from random events.
This topic is covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com.
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at http://www.managing-creativity.com.
Kal Bishop, MBA
**********************************
You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.
Are You Managing to Lead
For many people, the terms “manager” and “leader” are synonymous.
Managing Your Boss
How good is your relationship with your boss? If you’re asking yourself “what relationship?” then read on.
- What baggage are you bringing into the relationship? Do you see your boss as an authority figure (a k a your father or your mother)? Ask a trusted colleague if you overreacted to the latest run-in with your boss. Be open to hearing honest feedback.
- You and your needs are a fraction of your boss’s responsibility. Stop taking your boss’s behavior personally. She/he probably spends little time thinking about your problem or concern. If you can learn to become immune to your boss’s minor slights, which are often a product of his/her stress, you will be happier.
- Put yourself in your boss’s shoes. Let that perspective guide you. If you were the boss, you’d want your employees to come to you with solutions, suggestions, ideas and ways of elevating your profile within the organization. Are you doing this with your current boss?
- How many bosses have you had in the last 1-2 years? Do you resent having to prove yourself yet again? Get over it. Rapid management changes are the norm. The sooner your new boss knows you’re on his/her side, the better.
- Do you understand your boss’s communication style? Does your boss want just the facts? Or does he/she enjoy a more collaborative style and like brainstorming and discussion? When is the best time to speak with your boss; is he/she a morning person or is after 5 PM better? You need to know how to read your boss or all your good work will fall upon deaf ears.
- With a new boss, make it clear how you can help. Talk about how you want to ease his/her transition into the company and outline areas where you can contribute. Don’t wait for your boss to come to you. You can get lost in the shuffle during the boss’s learning curve.
- Ask for what you want. This goes for money, a promotion or ownership of a new project. Make sure you choose an appropriate time and have a well-prepared case. Be prepared for a no. Hope for a yes. Be willing to negotiate. Know what your fallback position is.
- Speaking of negotiating, when was the last time you negotiated with your boss? Most people run from negotiating. It’s too confrontational. Did it ever occur to you that negotiating might be a strength that your boss is looking for from you? Winners know how to negotiate. It’s a crucial skill to have in your toolbox. Time to swallow the anxiety and do it.
- Do you feel used, abused, and exhausted at work? What boundaries have you created with your boss? Take a look at how you might be allowing this to happen. Are you afraid to ask for what you need? Are you using work as an excuse not to deal with other aspects of your life? Blaming your boss for your inability to take charge of your life is unfair.
- Do you feel smarter than your boss? Okay, maybe you are. How are you going to use your smarts to position yourself for the next step, assuming that’s what you want? And how will you do it without threatening your boss? You need to earn your boss’s trust. This is a process that happens over time. And be sure to continue to monitor your need to grandstand. Arrogance is not a plus.
- Do you need to be right? Can you see your boss’s point of view? Are you willing to compromise your position for the good of the boss, department, or company? Keeping the bigger picture in mind is key and shows commitment to the team. So, ask yourself “do I want to be happy/successful or do I want to be right? ”
Finally, if you truly do have an ogre for a boss, and nothing seems to work, get out! Sometimes you need a fresh start with a new boss to create the kind of work environment in which you can flourish.
Dale Kurow, M.S., is an author and a career and executive coach in New York City. Dale works with clients across the United States and internationally helping them to become better managers, figure out their next career moves and thrive despite office politics. Visit Dale’s web site at http://www.dalekurow.com/newsletter to sign-up for her free monthly e-zine “Career Essentials,” chock full of useful tips and strategies you can use immediately.