Contributions from you, our students, are very welcome ~ if you have information, advice, website links, or ideas, that may be of help to other students, please send them to us.

Leadership- not just for others

One of the fallacies about Leadership is that it is only relevant to individuals who are working at very senior levels in the organisation.

Although this is true if we are discussing “leaders” in the traditional way, for example if we are talking of strategic issues, and the need for an organisation as a whole to have a leader or team of leaders, it is increasingly recognised that people at all levels can, and should, make use of what we call leadership skills and approaches.

In response to this new line of thinking, and to encourage our students to add leadership attributes to their portfolio of skills, this issue of the newsletter is devoted to looking at leadership in this way.

The following sections have been prepared by our Management tutor team, partly from our own articles, partly from articles from the sites shown on the left:

Learning to be a Leader

The good news is that you too can be a leader, and be an effective leader, as long as you learn the fundamental skills needed. The way these skills are applied on a day-to-day basis is what sets good leaders apart from ineffective leaders.

To be a truly effective leader requires a blend of many attributes, but by developing skills in four fundamental areas, you can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be dynamic and effective in how you tackle the problems and challenges you face on a daily basis.
The four fundamental skills are:

Decision Making

The ability to solve problems and make good decisions is extremely important for effective leadership. But decision making and problem solving are commonly taught skills - so, with all those problem solvers out there, why can good leaders be so hard to find?

The difference often lies in your approach to finding solutions. If you face a problem believing that you have to find the ‘right’ answer, this can actually lead to failure. You can analyse a problem forever, and still not be totally sure that your solution is the best. The only way to assess your decision is by looking back, after the fact. Even then, there are sometimes too many variables to determine whether or not you definitely chose the right action.

Effective leaders use practical and responsive approaches to decision making. They know you can’t wait to make a ‘perfect’ decision. When you’re in the middle of a situation, you have to be confident enough to do what needs to be done right now. This often means you must quickly evaluate the situation, and take the action that has a high probability of success.

Leaders make decisions under pressure that might not be perfect, but they’re consistent with the desired outcome.

Strong leaders also know that problem solving and decision making aren’t entirely rational processes. We all have emotions, so completely objective decisions don’t really exist. Successful leaders therefore use critical thinking - a technique that questions every step of your thinking process - to deal with the subjective side of decision making.

Ultimately, what sets apart effective leaders is that they know how to decide. They know when to take the time to use more analytical and thorough decision-making processes. They know when to engage the whole team, and when to make the decision on their own. As a developing leader, look for opportunities to make decisions in a wide variety of situations to help you gain that experience.

Problem Finding

Leaders don’t simply solve problems that people bring to them - they look for problems that may be hidden. In other words, they often recognize potential issues before they become problems.

The quicker you discover a problem, the more time you have to find a solution, and the more able you are to tackle the problem before it becomes serious. Skilful leaders are proactive, and they continuously ask questions to help them get to the root of a problem quickly. This is something that good leaders often do instinctively when they first ‘find’ a problem.

Also, look for potential problems that may be caused by a solution - before that solution is implemented. The objective is to find a problem before it develops into a much larger, and potentially damaging, issue.

Opportunity Finding

When you solve problems, you make sure the organization can continue on its defined path toward achieving its objectives. When you find opportunities, however, you can also focus on refining, or redefining, and improving the company’s overall direction.

As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, “The important question is not how to do things right, but how to find the right things to do, and to concentrate resources and efforts on them.”

Successful leaders find opportunities and use them effectively.

Be Flexible in your Approach

Good leaders use effective styles of leadership. You may find all kinds of problems and opportunities, and you may make great decisions to move the organisation forward - but if you can’t inspire people to take action, there’s little chance of success.

Most management and leadership thinkers agree that there’s not a single correct leadership style that everyone can use across all situations. Effective leaders recognize this, and adapt their approach as necessary. However, they always use authentic styles that naturally fit their personalities.

Whilst it is true that, technically, there is no one leadership style that suits all business situations, taking a flexible approach and applying a leadership style to suit the current situation is, in effect, a leadership style that does suit all situations – because it is a style that makes use of all the available styles, as and when appropriate to the circumstances.

Conclusions

Leaders aren’t created overnight. Strong leadership is something you need to work on every day. It’s more than learning how to solve problems and make decisions - you must focus on making your organisation, or your part of it, better through everything you do.

This means that you need to understand how and when to make a decision, recognize problems before they appear, constantly look for opportunities to improve, and be aware of your natural leadership style but also be prepared to adapt that style depending on the situation.

By displaying these fundamental skills, thoughtfully and consistently, people will believe in you, and trust your decisions and actions.

You will have learned how to be an effective leader.

Thought Leadership

Leadership is traditionally discussed from the point of view of examining the style, the effectiveness, of the “leader” – the person in charge, the individual who is, usually, formally given the authority and the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the group that she or he leads.

However, there are other ways to look at leadership – other attributes that are not always present in the individual formally nominated as the leader.

One of these alternative views it to look at leadership as being the capability to generate positive change – to innovate, to inspire, to persuade others to change direction.

This is thought leadership.

Whenever you advocate a new idea to your colleagues or boss, you show thought leadership. It isn’t necessary to have inspirational influencing skills, which is necessary for senior executives because they need to win over the entire organisation and beat off their internal competitors for top jobs. Also, to initiate organisation-wide change, it helps to be inspirational. But a thought leader focuses on smaller scale changes - ideas for a new product or changes to an existing one. Thought leaders can persuade others using logic, evidence or an actual demonstration of a prototype to win support.

To be a thought leader, you need to immerse yourself in your professional domain and search for new things to say that add value to your organisation’s objectives.

Traditional, top-down leadership depends on personal credibility or character because such leaders are asking people to join them on a difficult journey and they have a great deal of power over their followers. Hence, we need to trust them.

Conversely, the thought leader could have weak interpersonal skills and an indifferent character. They could be loners or eccentrics. All that counts is the credibility of their new idea. This is why we can buy innovations offered by odd creative types who we would not entrust to manage any part of an organization. If you can demonstrate the value of your idea and explain it with conviction, you might not need inspirational influencing skills.

Thought leadership is based on rebelliousness - the willingness to risk group rejection in the pursuit of a better way of doing things. Hence, thought leadership is not a learned skill. Only the content of your discipline or field is learned.

Thought leaders are saying, in essence, that they know of a better way of doing things.

Traditional, top-down leadership is portrayed as a collaborative effort between leaders and followers to achieve shared goals. But thought leadership has a more competitive edge.

Thought leadership ends when the target audience accepts the idea. It may be that you are using hard evidence to persuade others to avoid dumping a current process for a passing fad. In this case, your leadership does not result in any action taken.

This is a key point because it enables us to define leadership as the initiation of new directions and categorize the implementation of new ideas as a managerial activity. This is particularly important because we tend, traditionally, to focus on the “person in charge” of a group as the leader who may both champion a new direction and implement it. Hence we think that leadership is about managing change.

The real value of examining thought leadership is that it helps us to see that there is a critically important distinction between leadership and management. When executives move from championing a new idea to managing and monitoring its implementation, they are switching hats from leadership to management.

Leadership is about the initiation of new directions – management is about implementing the changes.

Leadership Values and Ethics

Successful leaders know what they value. They also recognise the importance of ethical behaviour. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their leadership style and in their actions. Your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you live them in your actions every single day.

A lack of trust is a problem in many workplaces. If leaders never identified their values in these workplaces, the mistrust is understandable. People don’t know what they can expect. If leaders have identified and shared their values - living the values daily and visibly – this will create trust. To say one sentiment and to do another will damage trust - possibly forever.

Workplace ethics take the same route. If the organisation’s leadership has a code of conduct and ethical expectations, they become an organization joke if the leaders fail to live up to their published code.

Leaders that exhibit ethical behaviour powerfully influence the actions of others.

Your Personal Values

The following are values that true leaders, at any level in an organisation, should display:

ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility.

It may well be impossible for any individual to display all of these characteristics, but as a leader, you should at least choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day at work.

Displaying your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence others.

Featured BSBM Course

In keeping with this month’s theme, here is information about Leadership in our courses portfolio:

Our Professional Diploma in Leadership focuses on Leadership skills and attributes and on related knowledge areas such as Business Strategy, Managing Change, and Business Ethics.

The Certificate in Management Studies CMS and Diploma in Management Studies DMS both have a module that focuses exclusively on Leadership.

These two qualifications are amongst the most popular with employers in all business sectors, as they cover the main topics that middle managers need to have knowledge and understanding of, and cover Leadership as well as other critical disciplines such as Quality Management, Financial Awareness, Managing Change, and Project Management.

Our Advanced Diploma in Management Studies ADMS, designed for specialists and managers working at strategic, corporate decision-making levels, has leadership elements woven in to every one of its modules.

For details of these courses, please visit: www.brightonsbm.com/coursesoverview.htm

Study Resources of the Month

As this issue is focused on Leadership, here are some recommendations related to that topic:

Books

Understanding Leadership: A Framework for Thought and Practice

Thomas and Staub. Publisher: Sage Publications

Boundary Spanning Leadership: Six Practices for Solving Problems, Driving Innovation, Transforming Organisations

Ernst and Chrobot-Mason. Publisher: McGraw Hill

The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century

Denning. Publisher: Jossey Bass

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section ~ to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Websites

Please see the links, above in the left hand column, for websites that contain valuable information, articles, reports, case studies, and reflections on Leadership.

Student Recommended Resources

Related to last month’s topic of career development planning:

 “I often browse these websites http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/ - http://www.quintcareers.com/career_development_journal.html - http://www.cipd.co.uk/default.cipd ~ our thanks to Audrey

Leadership Quotes

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” ~ John C Maxwell

“We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark” ~ Whoopi Goldberg

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”~ John Quincy Adams

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, when you celebrate victory, when nice things occur. As the Leader you should take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership” ~ Nelson Mandela

“Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be - become one yourself!” ~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got” ~ Janis Joplin

Useful Study Links

Each of the websites listed here have a range of articles, reports, case studies, discussions, best practice checklists, and links to other sites:

www.mindtools.com

advice, guidance, articles, on leadership issues

www.ccl.org

Centre for Creative Leadership institution offering research findings in areas of creative leadership

www.work911.com

information, guidance, advice, on all things workplace related

www.managementhelp.org

many sections on leadership issues

www.womengurusnetwork.com

the Women Gurus Network

www.12manage.com

management and leadership models, cases, examples, illustrations

www.thinkers50.com

maintains a ranking of the world’s 50 most influential business thinkers ~ East and West ~ with links to articles on these, and to other related sites

www.ase-solutions.co.uk

consultancy offering free articles and an electronic newsletter on leadership issues

www.hbsp.harvard.edu

extracts from Harvard Business Review articles

www.managers.org.uk

Chartered Management Institute searchable databases which members can use to access journal articles and other publications

Contributions from you, our students, are very welcome, if you have information, advice, website links, or ideas, that may be of help to other students, please send them to us.

As the global recession continues to affect most types of organisations, and also threatens the stability of individual countries, there is even more reason for ambitious professionals to focus even harder on their professional and career development situation.

This month’s newsletter contains a blend of articles that shed light on how the workplace is changing, and, importantly for working professionals, how this is affecting career opportunities.

We realise that, and are pleased that, most of you are not out of work, but we feel it is important, given these grave times, to offer advice for those who are, and to those who may be in the near future.

The following articles have been selected by our Management tutor team:

Future Proof Your Career

For the full article, and others, visit: www.mindtools.com

How will your job be different five years from now? Indeed, will your job even exist in its present form in five years, or in 10 or even 20 years time? And over this time, what will happen to the company and industry you work for?

We really don’t know what the future holds. What we do know for certain is that change is a constant in the workplace. This means that what we are doing now will be different in the future.

How can you predict and prepare for this workplace of the future? What should you be doing now to make sure you don’t find yourself facing a dead end in your career?

Here are some strategies you can begin pursuing now. They will help you keep your skills current and your opportunities open.

Find an “Academy” company. If you’re early in your career, get a job at a company renowned in its industry for developing its people (traditional examples are GE, Toyota, ECCO, and Mars.) When you work for this kind of company, you are enrolled in a continuous development program that goes well beyond the technical skills you need for your current role. This forms a great foundation for a successful career.
Become and remain tech-savvy. Much of the change we see has to do with new technology. We keep finding faster and leaner ways to do things. Force yourself to keep your technical skills current, even if new developments don’t seem directly related to your current job. Otherwise, you’ll get left behind and may have to catch up a huge amount before you can head off in a new direction in the future. If that means learning the newest online tools like blogging and web conferencing, do it. If you’re in a highly technical field of work, be proactive and stay current - even when your company does not.
Develop your competencies, skills and experience. Along with technical skills, it is critically

important to continue your professional development, so that you remain in demand in the marketplace. You need to develop the transferable skills that are universally sought by employers. Leadership, communication, innovation, stress management and interpersonal skills are all fundamental requirements of the jobs of today and tomorrow. Here are some ways to do this:

Choose two competencies or skills to improve each year. Monitor and track your progress.

Develop a five year learning plan to acquire the knowledge and education you need.

Develop cross-functional skills. Beyond a certain stage in your career and in uncertain environments, specialisation is no longer the route of choice. It can pay off for some; however, it has high risk of obsolescence attached.

Your specific technical skills may get out of date. That’s why you see nurses with business skills and technology experts with financial experience. A broad range of competencies, skills and abilities can help you secure a new job or may even open the door to working in a new industry.

Think global. In many industries, geographical barriers to business are getting less and less relevant. Your co-workers, clients and stakeholders now and in the future can be from anywhere in the world. You need to acquire the ability to work within the international marketplace by:

Learning about working with diverse cultures.

Asking for assignments that require international exposure.

Learning another language.

The more experience you get, the more confidence you will have when working in the global marketplace. This will make you much more attractive to employers in the future.
Create and maintain a success journal. The time to start thinking about your accomplishments and skills is not when you are looking for a new job. You need to be proactive and take continuous inventory of what you do really well, the accolades you have been given and the noteworthy results you’ve been responsible for. Employers want to know what you will do for them. When you have a ready list of things you have done, it is much easier to recall your most relevant achievements and skills, so:

Track your duties, projects and results.

Keep a list of professional development activities you’ve participated in.

List the training you’ve completed.

Note your volunteer work.

File your performance reviews and the written letters and emails you receive that note your performance.

Build and maintain a professional network. Make sure that you develop good relationships with people both within and outside your organisation. These people will be invaluable as the landscape of work changes. They can bring you along with them as they weather changes, and can provide opportunities when your current position looks uncertain. When you add a mentor or two to your network, you have the added bonus of learning new skills, technologies and strategies that will help you move your career in the direction you want. Don’t forget to:

Collect business cards.

Keep track of former bosses and colleagues.

Join professional networking associations.

Participate in a wide range of activities and build relationships beyond your current career or industry.

Scan the environment. Be aware of changes and trends in the economy, your profession and the industry you are in. No one can accurately predict the future; however stay ahead of the crowd by keeping yourself informed, and choosing to work in industries - and for employers - that have long-term sustainability. So:

Keep track of business trends by reading a good newspaper and the industry press.

Complete PEST analysis for your industry and others you are interested in.

Analyse the attractiveness of your company using Porter’s Five Forces and the USP Analysis models.

Back your hunches and analysis with action. If you think your company or industry is in trouble, it’s best to get out while the going’s good!

Overall, avoid industries and companies that are on a downward slide. Being an expert in a dying field may provide a niche strategy into the medium term; however, you will eventually have to leave. It is better to prepare now.
Keep a clear career path open. You may be fortunate enough to be in an organisation where there’s a clear and attractive career path ahead of you. For many, this will not be the case.
This may not be a problem if you’re in a fast growth industry - if you’re good at what you do, opportunities will most-likely appear with alarming regularity. However if you’re in a slow growth industry or are one in decline, then this is a problem: There may be no onward path, and development may be blocked, however hard you work. This will lead to frustration, boredom and, in the long term, failure to achieve your potential.
This is where you need to review your options and take action to unblock your career, even if it means a job- or career-change.

Develop resilience. Because the future is uncertain, you will probably encounter setbacks no matter how much you prepare and plan. People who will be successful are those with the ability to bounce back and consider such setbacks as learning experiences. So:

Evaluate and affirm your strengths on a regular basis.

Develop realistic and achievable goals, monitor your progress and identify what is holding you back.

Build your flexibility and maintain your enthusiasm despite what is happening around you.

Conclusion

All of these techniques can be very useful as you begin to plan and prepare for your future. And they all have in common the elements of risk management and career planning.

You need to become good at both to secure your future career.

While your current job description may not be relevant in the future, you can ensure the skills you bring to the table are. With some forethought and planning, you can take control of your future career today.

The key is not so much in how skilled you are at predicting what will happen, it is in how attuned you are to the early indications of change.

When you realise that change is constant and you need to be constantly planning so you can stay ahead of the game, you will find yourself in a great position to recognize and capitalize on the opportunities that arise.

Recession-Proofing:Advice from international HR Experts

For the full article, and others, visit: www.timesascent.in

Experts suggest that “recession-proofing” is about gaining a variety of experiences which will enable you to be relevant in turbulent times. Understanding the key priority areas for your business, and focusing on gaining experiences in those areas, is the key. Namrata Mathur, executive director, HR, Diageo India, who believes strongly in the above says that the best way to do so is by leveraging your strengths and focusing on excelling in areas which you are good at. “This will enable you to work at top performance levels and ensure that you remain relevant,” she adds.
There are many recessions, according to Dr. Uma Ganesh, CEO, Global Talent Track - the real one which implies decline of GDP and then there is what India is currently undergoing, a recession of sentiment. The need for relevant skills to boost one’s career opportunities enables the fight to be won against both real and perceived recessions. “Recession proofing means giving one’s resume a true edge by acquiring skills that will always be in demand. It will ensure that the skills acquired, be it in technical areas or business and marketing or even team leadership are seen to be truly mission-critical for any organisation. Every person who aspires to be successful must demonstrate that their skills will help the company through good and bad times,” adds Ganesh.

HR experts say that the recession is only a temporary tide. “Recession proofing will help companies focus on nurturing and growing talent, resource optimisation and enhancing quality and productivity. Employees would benefit by focusing on producing good work and multi-disciplinary skills, so as to make him/her stand above the rest, during such times,” adds Vinay Verma, executive VP, Human Capital, Subhash Projects “but there are things one should avoid at the workplace that might hinder the recession-proofing process: 1) don’t be fearful about losing your job, 2) don’t spread uncertainty or fuel rumours, 3) don’t be a job hopper and 4) don’t downplay/pull down your colleagues”.

An employee can be called “recession proof” when the value of his/her current contribution does not dwindle and he/she is also seen as a potential contributor under tough circumstances. Somsuvro Chatterjee, head of training, AIG India, who makes the above observation, says that being realistic in your expectations from the organisation - in terms of monetary and other benefits is vital. Chatterjee concludes, “I would encourage employees not to resort to negativity. That is the first thing that hits everyone. If you manage to stay positive that will solve a lot of issues. Also, do not stop communicating; silence and ambiguity can be killing; talk to people, gather information, process them objectively and act positively.”

Nick Cox, MD, Hays Continental Europe & Rest of World, gives some quick pointers on recession-proofing your careers in the present economic environment:

How job seekers can recession-proof their careers:

Re-skill:
Learn new skills for areas where there are still skill shortages and vacancies.
Equip yourself with transferable skills:
Clearly identify what these are so that you can demonstrate your adaptability, particularly relevant if considering a move between public and private sectors or vice versa

Prepare effective resumes:
Ensure they are carefully tailored for each role and targeted towards the competencies.
Be flexible: Be prepared to accept a lower salary, a change in location or a wider job remit.

 How existing employees can recession-proof their careers:

Upskill:  Use all available resources (formal and informal training) to make sure that you have the necessary skills to excel in your job.
Upgrade: This is possible if you initiate discussions with your line manager and discuss career development opportunities.
Network: Use every opportunity to make contacts and learn about new opportunities.
Be proactive: Examine ways in which you can take on extra responsibility and delve into other areas of the organisation to look for opportunities.

Finding Work in the Recession

A summary of an article by Lauren Zander - co-founder and chairman of the Handel Group, a New York executive coaching company, and lecturer on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology course: Designing Your Life.

For the full article, and others, visit: www.businessweek.com

Despite the immense problems that face individuals affected by the recession, the fact is that the rules you have to follow when looking for a job in the middle of a recession are the same as the ones you must follow when times are good, only now you have to be even more disciplined about following them. Here’s how to find that next opportunity:

 1. Remember, It’s About Attitude

The most important thing about looking for a job, in any type of economy, is attitude. This is worth repeating: The right attitude is the key ingredient to success in finding your next job.

Every job seeker thinks that as long as they hope they get a job, they will get one. But you have to know you will get a job. It is not enough to go through the motions—redoing your cv-résumé, prepping yourself for interviews, and acting earnest and engaged once you’re before a prospective employer.

More important than all of these actions, though they are important, is attitude. If you only hope you’ll get a job but you are swimming in worry and anxiety, then you will not be as successful. You have to know you are going to get a job. It can be hardest to have a positive attitude after your ego has been dealt the body blow of being made redundant of being dismissed.

But moaning about why it happened, trying to assign blame -while understandable - are a colossal distraction and a waste of time. Complaining has never paid a bill or found someone a job.

2. Set a Routine

Draw up a schedule for yourself, just like you did when you went to work every day - you will feel a lot more empowered. Set a time for when you will be researching new opportunities. Schedule time to call around to your old sources and contacts—both professional and personal. Set a time to read the paper or look online at the news that’s happening in your field so you are up-to-date on trends and issues.

3. Keep Fit and Healthy

Make exercise part of your routine. Exercise is critical, even if it’s just getting out of the house and walking for half an hour. If it’s running or lifting weights or taking a class for an hour, all the better. It is a lot harder to sit around and feel sorry for yourself if you’re not sitting around.

Be religious about your routine. Be very smart about not indulging your vices. This can be a time when people start to drink too much, eat too much, or watch too much TV. You have to be vigilant about the tools you use to make yourself feel better. Don’t indulge in temporary fixes that may ultimately make you feel worse in the long run.

4. Take Advantage of the Time Off

You should be in the best physical shape of your life when you’re out of work - you have the time.

Go out. Do new things. For instance, volunteering really will feel good. And it makes you meet new people. It will make you feel useful—and if in a strategic place or industry - working for a local or national charity for example - it could help you get contacts.

5. Embrace Risk

Wanting a new job and getting a new job are all about embracing risk, and opportunity. Look at the opportunities all around you, rather than the obstacles. Explore opportunities in business sectors and locations that you previously haven’t considered.

6. Get a Mentor or Coach

It can be immensely useful to have access to someone who is going to keep you honest about reaching your goals.

7. Treat Finding a New Job as a Project

Treat finding a new job as an exciting new “project” – for that’s what it is – and manage it exactly as a project should be managed – with goals/objectives, planned, resourced, monitored, adjusted, given as much time and effort as you can.

Passion Sells!

This is a summary of an article by Alaina Love ~ the president of Purpose Linked Consulting, a leadership and organization development firm. She is co-author of the new McGraw-Hill book, The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results.

For the full article, and others, visit: www.businessweek.com

When looking for a new job, most people pursue every viable lead and interviewing as often as possible, hoping for that breakthrough opportunity. If you’re among the many for whom finding a new job has become a full-time occupation, what might you be missing? What’s the one opportunity you’re letting slip away? If you’re not factoring your passions into your job search, it’s time to start now.

Being unemployed not easy, but it does present an opening for reflecting and designing your best future.

Rather than pursuing a new position merely because it resembles your former job, take time to consider your deep internal drivers, so you can find a role that’s an outlet for all of your best qualities. Make the more than 84,000 hours of your life - 10 hours every day, five days every week - that will be spent on the job both fulfilling and meaningful by pinpointing work aligned with your specific passions.

Here are 10 types of work-related passions that you can consider and explore:

The Creator: With a passion for the aesthetic, Creators work tirelessly to transform a concept they hold in their minds into a form that can be shared with others and evoke emotion. These are the artisans of the organization. They manifest their passions by seeking beauty, form, or functionality in whatever they develop.

The Conceiver: Big-picture thinkers who focus on the outside-the-box solution, Conceivers enjoy playing in the space of new and often revolutionary ideas. They are the intellectual acrobats of the organization, the ones others work hard to keep up with. They are rare and valuable innovators.

The Discoverer: Sure that every problem or riddle has a solution, Discoverers enjoy lifting up every rock to determine what’s underneath and will relentlessly design experiments to test their theories until they determine the truth. They are the explorers of the organisation.

The Processor: An archetype that thrives on data and information, the Processor is at home in the world of analysis. Processors uncover information that prevents the organisation from stepping into land mines, while maintaining a steady focus on quality. They are the system stewards.

The Teacher: These are the knowledge promoters of the organisation who enjoy developing others. They are also passionate learners who willingly share new information and insights with their colleagues. Teachers can be relied upon to translate knowledge in ways that make it understandable to others.

The Connector: Consummate communicators and negotiators, Connectors can be counted on to form and nurture relationships. They are invaluable resources when common ground is needed to resolve problems. These are the bridge builders of the organisation.

The Healer: Often the ones to first notice dysfunction, Healers will help others in the organisation navigate through pain to a find a better place. They take personal responsibility for helping others deal with their difficulties and can frequently be found working behind the scenes to create a positive workplace culture.

The Altruist: This archetype often acts as the moral compass of the organisation and will work passionately to serve the higher good. Altruists will challenge the organisation to look beyond profit and contribute to the broader community and society as a whole.

The Transformer: These are the passionate change agents of the organisation. They help others embrace a new direction or vision. Transformers thrive in chaos and ambiguity and will rarely wait for change to happen. Instead, they will orchestrate it, always seeking out new possibilities.

The Builder: As the architects of the organisation, Builders thrive with an ambitious goal and a flat landscape on which to construct their vision. They are excellent at building new business in unchartered territory or “boldly going where no one has gone before.” Builders will develop the blueprint for the organisation’s success, but they require immense freedom to deliver results—on which their eyes remain clearly and unerringly focused.

Understanding your unique passions offers a new and more complete language with which to describe yourself to prospective employers. Incorporate a description of your passions in a compelling and well-written cover letter or resume, detailing the impact those passions have had on achieving results. It will help your application stand out among the hundreds of others under review. It’s also important to examine each potential new position for the opportunities it might provide for using your passions to enhance results in a way that skills alone can’t deliver. During the interview process, ask questions that will allow you to discover how both your skills and passions might be applied in the job. In situational questions, where the interviewer may ask how you’ve successfully applied your skills in past positions, find ways to weave your passions into responses. Highlight how your skills have led to results, of course, but remember to reveal how your passions have provided an edge.

In this highly competitive job market, having the right skills will get your foot in the door. Adding genuine passion to the mix will earn you a well-deserved seat at the table.

So remember passion sells!

Featured BSBM Courses

Given the content of this month’s newsletter it is difficult to suggest a particular course or qualification, but we would suggest that you browse through the categories and look closely at the descriptions of each individual course, and who it is aimed at – most suitable for.

Ultimately, any course or qualification that is recognised in your current or planned business sector, and is relevant to your age, experience, and recent roles and responsibilities, will be worth considering.

However, referring to what is the main message in many of this newsletter’s articles, also consider each course in the light of what will be of most use to you in the near to medium term future.

Details of our courses, please visit   www.brightonsbm.com/coursesoverview.htm

Study Resources of the Month

As this issue is directly linked to Professional and Career Development and Change,here are some recommendations related to that topic:

Books

Skills Development for Business and Management Students

Gallagher, Keith. Publisher: OUP Oxford

Fifty Lessons Writers - Managing Your Career

Publisher: Harvard Business School Press

Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook

Cottrell, Stella. Publisher: Palgrave Skills

 Second Chance: How Career Changers Can Find a Great Job

Ghilani, Mary. Publisher: Praeger

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section, to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Student Recommended Resources

http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com  I’m not in IT but still found this site really useful for professional development advice ,our thanks to Barry

 www.about.com/careers/,many useful articles about just about all to do with career development, our thanks to Ahmed

Advice from the Gurus

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself”

“Achievers – whether in business, sports, or the arts – are committed to continual improvement”

both by Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles

“When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home”

Betty Bender, thinker, writer, author

Useful Study Links

Each of the websites listed here have a range of articles, reports, case studies, discussions, best practice checklists, and links to other sites:

www.iipuk.co.uk

information on the Investors in People staff development quality system

www.work911.com

information, guidance, advice, on all things workplace related

www.managementhelp.org

many sections on professional development issues

www.stevepavlina.com

well established and respected personal development blog

www.learndirect.co.uk

advice, guidance, hints, tips, on career development

www.about.com

career and personal development advice in human resources pages

www.businessballs.com

Comprehensive coverage of most business and management topics.

www.mindtools.com

Huge range of articles on management models, theories, concepts, approaches.

www.the-happy-manager.com 

Advice, tips, articles, on managing effectively, and happily!

http://www.about.com/careers/

Huge range of articles on management models, theories, concepts, approaches.

In response to a number of requests from students, this month’s newsletter focuses on the role and responsibilities of the middle manager. Approximately 60% of our students are in this group, with 20% more aspiring to be a middle manager, and the remaining 20% managing middle managers as part of their own role.

The following articles have been recommended by our Management tutor team.

Definitions:

Management Traditional Interpretation

For the full article, and others, visit: http://managementhelp.org/mgmnt/defntion.htm

There are a variety of views about this term. Traditionally, the term “management” refers to the activities (and often the group of people) involved in the four general functions listed below. Note that the four functions recur throughout the organisation and are highly integrated and overlapping:

1) Planning
including identifying goals, objectives, methods, resources needed to carry out methods, responsibilities and dates for completion of tasks. Examples of planning are strategic planning, business planning, project planning, staffing planning, advertising and promotions planning, etc

2) Organising resources
to achieve the goals in an optimum fashion. Examples are organising new departments, human resources, office and file systems, re-organising businesses, etc.

3) Leading
including setting the direction for the part of the organisation, groups and individuals they are responsible for and also influencing people to follow that direction. Examples are establishing strategic direction (vision, values, mission and / or goals) and championing methods of organisational performance management to pursue that direction.

4) Controlling, or coordinating
the organisation’s systems, processes and structures to reach effectively and efficiently reach goals and objectives. This includes ongoing collection of feedback, and monitoring and adjustment of systems, processes and structures accordingly. Examples include use of financial controls, policies and procedures, performance management processes, measures to avoid risks, managing quality standards, etc.

Another common view is that “management” is getting things done through others. Yet another view, quite apart from the traditional view, asserts that the job of management is to support employee’s efforts to be fully productive members of the organisations and citizens of the community.

To most employees, the term “management” probably means the group of people (executives and other managers) who are primarily responsible for making decisions in the organisation. In a non-profit, the term “management” might refer to all or any of the activities of the board, executive director and/or program directors.

Another Interpretation

Some writers, teachers and practitioners assert that the above view is rather outmoded and that management needs to focus more on leadership skills, e.g., establishing vision and goals, communicating the vision and goals, and guiding others to accomplish them. They also assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how visions and goals are established and carried out. Some people assert that this really isn’t a change in the management functions - rather it’s re-emphasizing certain aspects of management.

Middle Management

For other definitions, see: www.yourdictionary.com/business/middle-management

That tier of managers that answers to and carries out directives from upper management. Middle managers, such as a department manager, are closely identified with managing an organization’s day-to-day operational

Management Quality: the Role of the Middle Manager

For the full article, and others, visit:

http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/Middle_Managers.htm

Management Quality has a strong impact on customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and the efficiency, productivity and development of the organisation. The overall responsibility for management quality lies with executive management, but they often leave it to the HR function to put policy, programs and processes (methodology) in place. But policy and programs must be implemented in the line organisation, mainly through middle managers (managers of managers).
Middle managers who fill this role address all critical success factors pertaining to management quality. They are role models who interpret and represent the established management policy and make it alive to their reporting managers and their staff. They are key persons in communicating and tracking different kinds of goals and in making information flow up and down.

The middle manager role has frequently been declared “extinct” and/or redundant in modern organisations, and reduction of staff has taken a severe toll among middle managers. Unfortunately, the decision makers often forgot that the management quality tasks then must be handled in some other fashion.

This key role of the middle manager is rarely well understood until compared to the role of the newly appointed manager. The new manager must change his/her ways of going about the business. Rather than achieving results on his/her own, he/she now must do it through the excellent performance of the staff. The manager must focus on maintaining and improving the total competence of the group and that of each individual. These are cornerstones of good management and a main theme in all new management education.
At the time of promotion to the middle management level the conditions are once again changed. The new middle manager now has to attain his/her objectives through efforts of the larger organisation, and in particular by working through his/her reporting managers.

Compare the situation of the first line manager with that of the middle manager:

Thus, the middle manager bears a great responsibility for maintaining and developing management quality.

Middle Management’s Role in Managing Change

For the full article, and others, visit: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Adebi

It is tough to be a middle manager. On the one hand, you are pulled by the force of demands from senior management.

This is the force that demands seamless and sometimes unquestioning execution of organisational strategy. It requires you to toe the company line, even when you believe the line is flawed. An outlet for those who have unsuccessfully tried to influence organisational direction is to exit the company. A more common but insidious alternative is to remain and become a mindless conveyor of decisions from the top.

On the other hand, you contend with the pressures of frontline supervisors and employees who, in addition to typically wanting higher pay and better benefits, are opinionated about how work is performed and often resist unfamiliar systems, technologies, and processes. In the short term, pressures from this group are generally easier to manage as middle managers can assert their authority and use sanctions, or fear of sanctions, to gain compliance.

The dizzying pace of change in corporate entities further complicates the already difficult existence of the middle manager. Innovation, technology, and globalisation are forcing companies to take unprecedented steps to stay afloat. Business strategies are overhauled and thousands of jobs are reshuffled in the process. To ensure the organization that emerges remains nimble, concepts such as “flat organisation” and “de-layering,” which essentially translate into reducing the size of middle management, are introduced.

Conversely, constant change presents a unique opportunity for middle management to reinforce its value to the organization. Middle managers are extremely instrumental in creating the agility that enables an organisation to swiftly respond to its environment. No matter how many times the business plan changes, they are to elicit the support, commitment, and optimal performance of operational supervisors and personnel requisite to maintain a forward momentum.

Middle managers must recognise that change management is an integral, inescapable part of their role and that they play a key role in enabling the organisation to benefit from change.

New Survival Skills for Middle Managers

For the full article, and others, visit: http://www.ccmanager.com.au/web/au/ccmanager/en/pages/108_middle.html

In the best organisations, middle managers play three roles beyond their everyday jobs - they: 1) identify, codify and transfer existing knowledge; 2) help create new knowledge; and 3) champion change.
The new role of middle managers represents a leadership paradox. Middle managers are expected to exert influence without authority. However, these are new skills for middle managers to develop. Like senior executives, middle managers must invest in their self-development and reinvent themselves for the times.

In conversations with over a thousand middle managers, Deepak Sethi, vice president of executive and leadership development for the Thomson Corp., identified six critical skills needed to lead effectively from the middle:

Self-awareness. Leadership requires self-awareness; yet self-awareness cannot come from self alone. Even the most successful managers have blind spots. It is therefore important to tap trusted sources of feedback. Senior executives can validate the process for middle managers by themselves asking for, and acting upon, honest feedback from colleagues and subordinates.

Bird’s eye perspective. Middle and front-line managers, often mired in work, can lose sight of the big picture. This limits their ability to transfer or create new knowledge. It is important for them to understand their organisation’s strategies, the industry they are in, their competition. Senior executives need to provide learning opportunities for others and to explain the role that middle and front-line managers play in each area.

Emotional competence. Psychologist Daniel Goleman has done all of us a favour by defining “emotional intelligence” as a significant leadership issue. Many careers get derailed because of a lack of empathy and fundamental people skills. Middle managers need to cultivate these skills through conscious practice - and honest feedback.

Advanced Communication Skills. Effective persuasion and communication are essential tools. Senior executives, who generally excel in these skills, need to give middle managers opportunities to make presentations to the senior teams. Providing a safe practice field has the added benefit of giving middle managers exposure and recognition.

Career management skills. The key to managing one’s own career is building a network both inside and outside the company. Sethi likes to say that his network is worth more than his net worth. With career management comes the self-confidence to take on the leadership role. Senior executives need to understand and support middle managers who want to take charge of their careers. It is a win for all when managers work for an organisation because they want to, and not because they have to.

Continuous learning. When we change, our world changes. It is helpful for middle managers to know how they learn and to seek out opportunities for learning. Senior executives need to invest heavily providing the right developmental opportunity at the right time. Executives also set a powerful example by helping an organisation learn from its mistakes.

If middle managers master these skills, they will not only help their organisations flourish, they will also enhance their own careers. Organisations will begin to look for innovations within the ranks of middle managers before rushing to outside consultants. As senior executives establish new expectations of, and provide new resources for, middle managers, organisations will begin to create a new psychological contract based on mutual respect and interdependence.
It takes the efforts of the whole organisation to be successful. Senior executives have to help create the right climate, and that demands changes in both style and substance. But senior executives can’t do it all - the front line and the middle must seize the moment, initiate leadership, and behave as owners.

Featured BSBM Courses

For those aspiring to become middle managers, many of our Level 2, 3, 4 and 5 qualifications could be suitable, depending on your personal experience and existing qualifications.

However, the most popular, and most attractive to employers, are our:

Level 5 Short Professional Management courses

Higher National Certificates HNC

Higher National Diplomas HND

Certificate in Management Studies CMS

Diploma in Management Studies DMS

 to see full details of these, please visit our website www.brightonsbm.com/coursesoverview.htm

Study Resources of the Month

As this issue has focused on Middle Management,here are some recommendations related to that topic:

Books

High Impact Middle Management: Solutions for Today’s Busy Managers

Lisa Haneberg. Publisher: Adams Media Corporation

The Truth About Middle Managers: Who They Are, How They Work, Why They Matter

Paul Osterman. Publisher: Harvard Business School Press

The Changing Face of Women Managers in Asia (Working in Asia)

Rowley and Yukongdi. Publisher: Routledge    * also available as an EBook

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section, to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Student Recommended Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_Americans

Asian Indians who have achieved great success in the West, our thanks to Sunita

http://www.management-issues.com/2009/10/15/research/the-most-influential-business-gurus.asp

 useful information on some of the leading business gurus our thanks to Niki

Advice from the Gurus

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional. Professionalism has nothing to do with getting paid for your services.”

Joe Paterno, Penn State University Football Coach

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

Charles Darwin, Naturalist and Author

Useful Study Links

Each of the websites listed here have a range of articles, reports, case studies, discussions, best practice checklists, and links to other sites

allwebhunt.com/wiki-article

A list of articles on general management and strategic management topics. * For articles on specific areas of management, such as marketing management, production management, human resource management, information technology management, and international trade, see the list of related topics at the bottom of the web page.

allwebhunt.com/dir

A list of Management-specific sites, each with its own list of additional links.

allwebhunt.com/dir

A list of business and management-related websites, each link with a list of additional links.

www.bettermanagement.com

Leadership and Management articles and reports, with many links to related business and management topics.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index

A list of articles on general management and strategic management topics. ?With articles on specific areas of management, such as marketing management, production management, human resource management, information technology management, and international trade, listed at the bottom of the page.

www.valuebasedmanagement.net

Packed with explanations, examples, articles, on Management methods, models, theories, and concepts.

www.managementhelp.org

Free management and business library.

www.work911.com

Business and management information database.

www.mftrou.com  

Management information and articles.

www.bized.co.uk

Wide range of materials, case studies, examples, on most business and management subjects.

www.themanager.org

High quality articles and explanations on the main management models and theories.

www.thetimes100.co.uk  

Free information on most business and management topics.

www.beabettermanager.com   

Information and advice focusing on improving management performance.

www.referenceforbusiness.com

An encyclopedia of business and management information.

www.businessballs.com

Comprehensive coverage of most business and management topics.

www.mindtools.com

Huge range of articles on management models, theories, concepts, approaches.

In response to a number of requests from students, this month’s newsletter provides advice on studying effectively, and focuses on two aspects of this  creating a study area, and maintaining motivation.

Creating a Personal Study Area

What Is A Personal Study Area?

Personal - organised and equipped to suit your personal study needs, no-one else

Study –that is specifically what it is for, nothing else

Area – a physical area, a space, designated for your personal study activities

Why Is A Personal Study Area Necessary?

It is necessary to have a dedicated personal study area because this provides important benefits to the study process. It creates a visible, physical, and personal location where your studies are carried out, providing support facilities for your study activities. Think of it as being similar to going to your workplace, where on arrival you switch into “work” mode. When you go to your study area, you switch into “study” mode.

Where Should It Be?

An ideal location would be in a small room that is specifically for study, in the style of a home office. Some students might have lofts, garages, or basements, that could be converted. Less ideal, but still suitable, would be an area in a bedroom, equipped for study, and not used for any other purpose. This would remove you from most day and evening time domestic activity (and even if you are single, living alone, it will keep you away from the television and refrigerator!).

Don’t try to study in the same room as others, or where there is domestic activity visible or audible. It won’t work.

What Equipment Do I Need?

If at all possible, buy a traditional desk. It doesn’t have to be large, or expensive (a low cost, second-hand, used, desk will be perfectly suitable). This will immediately give a “professional”, “workplace”, feel to your study area, and give you drawers and surface space to place your pc, laptop, papers, printer, pens, study books, on.

Next, make sure you obtain a suitable chair. An office-style, swivel chair would be best, but a fixed chair will suffice. No matter what style, make sure that it is comfortable to use for long periods. Again, a used chair will be just as good as a new one, if selected carefully.

For most courses of study a PC or Laptop will be essential. A mid to low range one will be suitable for most courses. Ideally an office software suite such as MS Office should be used, but lower cost, simpler packages are fine too (Microsoft itself offers a MS Office in “Student-Teacher” version, at one third of the cost of the commercial price) and the free Open Office package is excellent.

A printer is essential (a basic, low cost one will do), even if you email assignments to your tutor, there will be occasions when you want to print documents.

Lighting is important. A well-lit room is vital, and a desk-top lamp can add focus to the working area.

Having supplies and peripherals nearby is helpful. A set of drawers in the desk, or a cupboard, or wall shelves, specifically for books, paper, pens, pencils, cartridges, etc, will help you to be organised, keep your study area tidy, and to have essential supplies available when you need them.

How Should It Be Organised?

Choose a layout that suits you, but organise your equipment and furniture so that when you sit down to study you are not distracted by activity in a doorway, window, or other part of the room.

For most people, “keep it tidy” would be good advice. However, some people can’t work in a “tidy” fashion, but are very comfortable working in what others see as “chaos”. If that is your natural style, that’s fine, but even then, try to be as organised, as neat and tidy, as you can be – this will help to keep you on track with your timetable of studies.

When Should I Use It?

Your personal study area should be used whenever you have planned, scheduled, study activity that requires you to read and reflect on what you are reading, carry out research on the internet, correspond by email, telephone, or letter with your tutor, or write responses to exercises, tests, or assignments.

Don’t use it for anything else. It isn’t the place to eat a snack, watch television, planning your next holiday, painting your nails, or chatting to other family members. If you want to do any of these, leave your study area and do them somewhere else!

Dealing With Distractions

If you have family or friends who live with you or work close to your study area, talk with them and agree that when you enter your personal study area they will not disturb you. Make this a permanent, non-negotiable, rule, broken only in cases of emergency.

You can help by scheduling your study times when other people are less likely to disturb you, and by building in time to spend with family and friends when you are not studying.

If your study area is, by necessity, near a busy area where people are active, try to schedule your study time when that local activity is at its quietest, less busy times.

Keep your mobile phone switched off, unless you have to be available to colleagues from work. If you do have to be contactable at home by work colleagues, try to make contact first, to stop calls coming in when you are studying.

Keeping It Personal, Keeping It Fresh

The area belongs to you, so try to give it a personal touch, to make you feel that the space is just for you.

Some students like to have a favourite photograph, print, clock, or memento, in the study area. Flowers, or plants, are a favourite of others. Some like to have their pet dog, cat, or goldfish (!) with them in the study area as they are studying.

Study Areas In Other Locations

For some students it is not possible to have a dedicated personal study area in the home, or at least not a permanent one.

External locations are available which, although not capable of being personalized, could be regular locations in which, with regular use, you can feel familiar and comfortable.

These include:

Internet Cafes, where there is most of the equipment and furniture that you need. You can supplement these by taking carefully selected study aids such as coursework books. Internet Cafes usually do charge an hourly fee, which is usually a reasonable price, but most will give discounted prices for regular users.

Libraries, where there is usually plenty of desk space, a very quiet and studious atmosphere, and, of course, reference and subject textbooks which, if not permanently available, can be ordered and loaned for short period. Today, many libraries also have pc and internet facilities. Libraries are virtually free to use, apart from a low internet usage fee.

Your Workplace, where you may be able to use lunch breaks, and-or time before or after work, to fit in some study time. It may also be possible to arrange to use a meeting room or unoccupied office, at least on a short-term basis.

Some of our students who find it impossible to study at home, and who work in organizations that operate on a 5 day week, make arrangements to go into the workplace on weekends and study there.

Finally, some of our students have organized a personal study area in the homes of relatives or friends. One, for example, studies at the home of a friend, in that persons’ personal study area, at times when it is not being used by the friend. Another studies at the home of her grandparents, who have unused rooms, one of which has been turned into a home office and personal study area for their granddaughter.

This type of arrangement can be very effective, as it eliminates, by default, many of the potential distractions found in their own homes.

Conclusion

Establishing a Personal Study Area is one of the most beneficial actions that you can take when starting to study for a professional development qualification.

For advice on this, try some of our Study Advice links, such as those shown on the left, and also talk with your Personal Tutor.

Maintaining Motivation Whilst Studying

If you are studying a distance learning, online, or correspondence course, aiming for a formal qualification or purely as personal development, this is for you. If you are not currently suffering from lack of motivation, this is still for you because there will come a time when your motivation level falls. If you are currently not very motivated, and your studies are suffering, then this is for you – now!

Why Is Maintaining Motivation So Difficult?

For most students, whether studying in the classroom or by distance learning, their course of study is usually spread over many months, and in some cases, two or three years, and maintaining consistently high levels of motivation over such long periods is almost impossible. The reasons for this are many, and each of these reasons affects different individuals in different ways.

Firstly, once you have started your course of studies, this event itself changes the balance in your life.

Study time has to be planned and fitted into a pattern of life where it didn’t exist before. Family, friends, and work colleagues are all affected, to a lesser or greater degree, by your decision to study. The demands of studying, the planning, the organising of facilities, the concentration needed, the pressure of coursework and-or examination deadlines – all add stresses to your life that have to be managed effectively.

Once the initial excitement of starting the course and setting out on the road to achieving a new objective has passed, then the pressures and the workload start to have more impact on your life.

Secondly, over these relatively long periods of study, you change.

By this we mean that after one year, for example, you have gained more experience in your work role, you will have completed a large part of the course of studies. You may have been promoted, or been disappointed that you weren’t. Your work colleagues may have changed, or your manager may have been replaced with another. You may have changed jobs, moved to a new work location, or moved to a new home. You may have found new friends, or a new partner, be having relationship difficulties, or have become a father, or

mother.

You may feel unsure, albeit temporarily, that the course of studies is going to be as useful as you first thought, or the qualification as relevant to your career as you initially believed.

Thirdly, the people in your life will have changed, perhaps in small ways, perhaps in significant, major ways.

Your partner and family members will also have changed, at least in some ways. If you have children they will have grown older, and perhaps become more demanding of your time. Your friends may have developed new interests, or moved away, or changed jobs, and are not as close as before. Any one or more of your family, friends, work colleagues, may have themselves changed jobs or started a course of studies, and taken on the pressures that accompany these.

Fourthly, a long course of studies will almost inevitably include areas of study that you are not excited about, or find boring, or which you can’t see the relevance of.

One of our tutors has always struggled with subjects like Statistics and Data Analysis, and motivating herself to study these was very difficult! Some of her colleagues love these subjects but dislike what they view as vague subjects such as those around managing people – subjects she finds fascinating.

Finally, studying for a professional development qualification is hard work. Very hard work. Working full time and also studying at professional level is the equivalent of having two jobs at the same time. This means that you will inevitably become tired and listless and probably irritable, at least on some occasions, as you work through a long course of studies.

The result is that your motivation level will fall as it becomes more difficult to study effectively in this condition.

What Positive Steps Can I Take?

The first, most important, most critical, step is to recognise and accept that maintaining a consistent level of motivation is impossible.

The second, equally important step is to accept that although motivation levels will fluctuate, the extremes of high and low can be controlled.

The third, equally critical step is to plan and take positive action to counter the influences that will be attacking your motivation levels.

This action should be planned as early as possible, ideally at the very start of your studies, but it is never too late to implement such action.

What Specific Actions Should I Take?

The specific actions are, individually, simple ones, and relatively easy to implement. The difficulty is in maintaining these actions, integrating them into your approach to your studies, to your work, and to your personal and home life, so that they become part of your lifestyle, rather than occasional, irregular activities.

They should include:

Talk with your family or partner about the course of studies and explain why it is important to you, and to them.

Set up a Personal Study Area, which you can organise and use for your studies. This should be a place where you will be comfortable, properly equipped, relatively undisturbed and where you can switch into “study” mode.

Plan your studies so that you study at times that suit you, but also are times that don’t clash with times when it is important that you are with your family, partner, or friends.

Keep your family, your friends, your partner, your work colleagues, your manager, appropriately up to date with your progress.

Build in time for leisure and pleasure. Make sure that you take it! You will return to your studies fresh and reinvigorated.

Plan your studies to take into account, and leave room for, working on tests, assignments, and revising for exams if required.

Talk regularly with your Tutor.

Don’t procrastinate! Set study goals and meet them.

Don’t set yourself unreasonable targets. If you can’t study for more than an hour at a time, don’t plan to. Plan to work in 30 minute sessions. If you can’t study effectively in the early morning, don’t plan to. Plan to study later in the day, or in the evening. If you can’t actually manage to study for more than 8 hours a week, don’t plan to!

Equip yourself with the best study aids that you can afford. Your PC or Laptop doesn’t have to be the latest model, or the most powerful, and it’s not necessary to have the latest versions of software, but if it regularly crashes, or you lose valuable work, that can be very demotivating.

Make sure that you have good quality anti-virus software (this should be kept up current through regular updates). Losing completed coursework and other files and folders because of a virus can make even the sanest person suicidal! Don’t risk it, our own experiences and those of many of our students tell us that viruses are a real, ever-present danger.

Resist distractions when studying. When you are studying, as planned, don’t let anything (except for emergencies) distract you. Whatever the temptation, stick to your plans.

Help yourself to avoid distractions occurring. Make it clear to family and friends, in the discussions you have with them, that once a timetable of study has been set and they have agreed that it is reasonable, they must not try to distract you. Turn off your mobile phone. Don’t have a television set visible from your personal study area.

Take defensive action to prevent distractions occurring, such as contacting work colleagues before they contact you.

Keep fit and healthy. This is crucial. You need to take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet, try to avoid too much alcohol (!). It is well established knowledge that poor diet and lack of exercise has a very detrimental effect on concentration levels and on achievement levels.

Reward yourself. When you meet a key target, submit an assignment on time, pass an examination, give yourself some time off, or a special treat. Be pleased with yourself!

Build some of your study activities into your everyday life. For example, if you are studying for a professional management qualification, read a business newspaper or journal instead of your usual newspaper, look out for business focused programmes on the television and radio, read business and management books to gain background knowledge and understanding, talk with your manager and specialists at work to see if you can be included, perhaps as an observer, in management meetings.

Finally, work at your studies to the best of your ability. Study hard. Study effectively. This will almost certainly guarantee that you will meet your deadlines and that the standard of your work will be high. The result will be that your progress will be successful and you will complete the course and achieve the qualification.

Nothing is more powerful in raising morale and motivation levels than success!

Conclusion

In order to maintain your motivation when studying for a professional development qualification you need to look at this as a task, as a project, that has to be managed.

Motivation needs managing!

Featured BSBM Course

Advanced Diploma in Management Studies Level 7 National Qualification

A recent addition to the range of nationally accredited management qualifications, the Advanced Diploma is designed to equip managers at executive, senior management, levels, with strategic management knowledge and skills.

The modules in the ADMS are: Advanced Professional Development, Managing Change in Organisations, Management Research, Strategic Planning & Implementation, Leadership of Your Organisation, Managing Finance for Strategic Managers, Strategic Marketing Management, Quality & Systems Management, HR Planning & Development.

Assessment is through work-related or research based Assignments for each module, plus an in-depth, strategic level Dissertation.

Students can progress on to an MBA, but many find that the ADMS is more than sufficient as a “management” qualification, and instead choose an MA or MSc in a specialist area, such as Quality, Public Policy, Consultancy, Marketing, or Project Management, to broaden their knowledge and their attractiveness to employers.

If you are looking for a highly respected, internationally recognised, strategic management qualification, the Advanced Diploma in Management Studies is ideal.

To see full details please visit our website http://www.brightonsbm.com/management-courses/advanced-diploma-management-studies.htm

Study Resources of the Month

There are hundreds of sectors and technique-specific books on Project Management, here are some recommendations:

Books

Learning Support for Mature Students (Sage Study Skills Series)

by Elizabeth Hoult. Publisher: Sage

The Mature Student’s Study Guide: Essential Skills for Those Returning to Education or Distance Learning by Catherine Dawson. Publisher: How to Books

The Study Skills Handbook (Palgrave Study Skills)

by Cottrell. Publisher: Palgrave McMillan

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section, to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Student Recommended Resources

http://distancelearn.about.com/od/studyskills/Study_Skills.htm a bit USA-focused but still very useful,  our thanks to Muharrem

 http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/distance-learning-success.htm a great checklist for distance learning students, our thanks to Pierre

Advice from the Gurus

Learning is a process not an event.  Elliott Masie

Your ability to learn faster than your competitors will be your only sustainable competitive advantage.  Arie de Geus

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.  Chinese Proverb

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.  Alvin Toffler

Useful Study Links

www.bized.co.uk

www.times100.co.uk

www.about.com

www.work911.com

www.managementhelp.org

www.12manage.com

www.mindtools.com

Contributions from you, our students, are very welcome ~ if you have information, advice, website links, or ideas, that may be of help to other students, please send them to us.

~ Student Services: studentservices@brightonsbm.com

Personal & Career Development ~ Tip of the Month

As can be seen, this issue focuses on Project Management. We have chosen this because there is a visible, major shift in the skills and qualifications requirements of many major business sectors, towards project management, particularly in the developing countries around the world.

Our Tip of the Month is to investigate and analyse to what degree your organisation, your business sector, or your planned future sector, is adopting, turning to, demanding, project management skills to enhance, supplement, or replace traditional management skills.

It is almost certain that you will find there is a significant trend towards the adoption of project management approaches, methods, tools, & techniques, and this will increasingly be reflected in the experience, expertise, and qualifications required by employers when taking on personnel, and by clients when selecting providers.

As part of your personal, professional, and career development activity, it is now essential that you seriously consider gaining project management knowledge, skills, and, possibly, qualifications.

What is a Project?

For those of you who are knowledgeable about projects, this will be familiar to you, but may be a description that you can use in your induction for new project team members.

People have been undertaking projects since the earliest days of organized human activity. The hunting parties of our prehistoric ancestors were projects; they were temporary undertakings directed at the goal of obtaining meat for the community. Large complex projects have also been with us for a long time. The pyramids and the Great Wall of China were in their day of roughly the same dimensions as the Apollo Project to send man to the moon. We use the term project frequently in our daily conversations. Going hunting, building pyramids, moving offices, entering a new marketing sector, building a new airport, all share certain features that make them projects.

A project has distinctive attributes, which distinguish it from ongoing routine work or business operations. Projects are temporary in nature. They are not an everyday business process and have definitive start dates and end dates. This characteristic is important because a large part of the project effort is dedicated to ensuring that the project is completed at the appointed time. To do this, schedules are created showing when tasks should begin and end. Projects can last hours, days, weeks, months or years.

Projects exist to bring about a product or service that hasn’t existed before. In this sense, a project is unique. Unique means that this is new, this has never been done before. Maybe it’s been done in a very similar fashion before but never exactly in this way. For example, a car manufacturer is in the business of designing and assembling cars. Each new model that is designed and produced can be considered a project. The models differ from each other in their features and are marketed to people with various needs. However the actual assembly of the cars is considered an operation - a repetitive process that is followed for most makes and models. The same is true of services, where the design and implementation of a new service, or major variation, will be treated as a project, but once completed it becomes part of the portfolio of services that is managed operationally.

A project is completed when its goals and objectives are accomplished. It is these goals that drive the project and all the planning and implementation efforts are undertaken to achieve them.

A formal definition

A project is a temporary endeavour – with a planned beginning and end – which is undertaken to create a unique product, service or outcome.

The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved, and the resulting new or changed process, product, or service, is absorbed into routine operational management activity.

Managing Projects Successfully

For those of you who are experienced in taking part in, or leading projects, you will recognise, nod wisely, and perhaps smile at some of these points ~ for those of you who don’t have experience of projects, this list should enlighten you as to what is involved in a project.

Four key planning points:

Do the right project. Using benefit cost analysis or ROI (return on investment) analysis, and looking at opportunity cost, look at the project that gives you the biggest value for your effort and is most aligned with your organisation’s strategy, moving you in the direction you want to go.

Define Scope (depth and breadth, and boundaries) clearly and precisely.

Plan the whole project. Make a plan for each of the nine areas.

Do good architecture. Work with words and pictures to bring people with different perspectives onto the same page, contributing to and committed to the project.

Prepare your team in just two steps:

Get the right team. Using a WBS (work breakdown structure), define the skills needed, and get people with those skills. Be honest about gaps, and close them by taking time to learn to get it done right.

Get the expertise you need. Know that being expert in one area means not being expert in other areas—sometimes closely related disciplines. Recognize that projects, being unique work, require learning from and collaborating with experts. Remember, hiring experts you can work can be a lot less expensive than not hiring experts you can work with.

Cover all the bases with the nine knowledge areas:

Scope. After defining scope clearly, consider how to manage potential changes, in order to add to or make changes to the project only when it is essential.

Time and cost. Use unbiased, accurate estimation techniques. Set up systems to gather, track, and analyse time and cost information, so you can keep them under control

Quality. Focus on quality at all three levels to ensure value. At the technical level, trace requirements and design checking and testing throughout the project to reduce errors. At the project level, plan to prevent error, then during the project find and eliminate the errors that slipped through. At the business level, include (internal or external) customers in planning wherever possible, and remember that the goals are customer delight and added value.

Risk. Plan for uncertainty; prepare for the unexpected. Perform risk management with your team every week of the project.

Human Resources. Help each team member step up in self-management and technical expertise. Ask everyone to work to the PDCA cycle, so that they can improve individually and collectively. Show them how to work together, ensuring that you have a great team of effective people.

Procurement. Be sure to obtain the supplies and resources you need. The right amount, quality, and availability of resources is vital to the success of your project.

Communications. Have a communications plan, and follow it so that you are in touch with all stakeholders throughout the project. Make sure everyone knows what they need to know to make decisions and get work done. Analyze status information to create status reports. Be prompt and decisive.

Integration. Constantly monitor progress and take corrective action where necessary. Evaluate all future events that could change the project schedule, and all scope change requests. Review the effects of any change on all nine areas before making a decision, and then implement a revised plan.

Keep the project on track with stages and milestones:

Use a life cycle approach. At a minimum, make a formal launch of the project, and then have milestones after planning, after each key event, and for each major stage completion.

Every milestone point should encompass a thorough evaluation. Bring every deliverable—parts of the product/service, documentation, technical documents, the project plan and supporting documents—up to specification. If a project appears not capable of delivering value, be willing to change it.

Use feedback with your team and focus on scope and quality in the doing stage:

Use feedback at all four levels. Give team members the support and resources to meet quality targets and stay on schedule; ensure delivery of milestones; manage project risk; and manage project change.

Focus on scope and quality. Get it all done, and get each piece done right.

Follow through to success:

Deliver customer delight. Seek to exceed customer expectations while leaving customers delighted with every encounter with your team. Use every success and every error as a chance to learn to do a better job next time.

When reviewing and evaluating the success of the project, be honest about the degree of your success. Compile project historical information and lessons learned to make future projects easier, and more successful.

Excerpted from Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Project Management: Get It Done Right! Sid Kemp. Copyright 2005, Entrepreneur Press

Featured BSBM Course

Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Project Management ~ UK Accredited

* we have featured these before, but as discussed in this newsletter, there is currently a phenomenal rise in demand, especially in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East for qualified project team members and managers - good reasons for considering these qualifications

Many management thinkers argue that in today’s world, middle and senior managers are now, in effect, project managers, managing overlapping projects that are a mix of simple and complex projects.

Our Level 4 Diploma in Project Management is designed to give junior and middle managers all the knowledge and understanding that they need to contribute positively and effectively to workplace projects.

The Level 6 Advanced Diploma is designed to equip national and international managers at middle, senior, and specialist levels, with a comprehensive range of knowledge and skills, enabling them to successfully lead and manage complex, large scale, projects.

The content in both courses is based on the internationally recognised PMI Project Management Institute set of best practices in managing projects.

Assessment is through work-related or research based Assignments for each module, plus an in-depth, strategic-level research report.

If you are looking for a highly respected, internationally recognised, project management qualification, the Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Project Management is worthy of serious consideration.

To see full details please visit our website www.brightonsbm.com/professional-courses/professional-courses-index.htm

Rising Demand for Project Management Skills

Projects come in all sizes, involving one or two people up to many thousands, and they can cost anywhere from a few £hundreds to many £billions. They can last anywhere from a few days to several years.

In most countries project management skills are now recognised as being valuable for any size of organisation, in any sector. However, in countries such as India and China, and in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and South America, the demand is particularly high for project management skills to support major infrastructure development projects.

In India for example there is a 20 year plan to completely revolutionise the country’s road and rail network, a 10 year plan to build 5,000 5 Star hotels, and the Indian government has forecast a need for 20 million people to be trained in project management techniques.

In China there is planned development for cities and rural areas that will bring networked infrastructure such as road, rail, telecommunications, electricity, water and sanitary services, to 750 million people, and the development for leisure and tourism purposes of 10,000 sites of historical interest.

These massive, long-term projects are just a few of the thousands of similar projects being planned around the world.

For more information on projects such as these, see these web pages:

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/05/stories/2009110551400500.htm

http://www.pmhub.net/wp/2009/05/roger-chou-what-about-china-now-pm-development-amidst-the-current-economic-situation-in-china/

http://www.theprojectmanager.co.za/index.php/Skills-and-Development/developing-homegrown-project-managers.html

Study Resources of the Month

There are hundreds of sectors and technique-specific books on Project Management ~ here are some recommendations:

Books

Managing Projects: A Team-Based Approach

Karen Brown, Nancy Lea Hyer. Publisher: McGraw Hill

Project Management: Best Practices: Achieving Global Excellence

Harold Kerzner. Publisher: John Wiley

Public-Sector Project Management: Meeting the Challenges and Achieving Results

David Wirick. Publisher: John Wiley

Project Management in Health and Community Services

Judith Dwyer, Pauline Stanton, Valerie Thiessen. Publisher: Routledge

Project Management, Fourth Edition: Get from the Idea to Implementation Successfully

Elvin Haynes. Publisher: Crisp Learning

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section ~ to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Student Recommended Resources

www.openworkbench.org, we use this in our company – it’s free and it’s effective” ~ our thanks to Elias

www.projectkickstart.com, simple to use … meets all our mid-sized business needs….” ~ our thanks to Francis

Advice from the Gurus

“The manager of the 21st Century will be a managing projects”

Tom Peters ~ Management Guru ~ 1975

“..businesses are realizing that traditional management processes cannot adequately deal with the amount of change in today’s working environment, and that a project management approach is best suited to handle the degree of relentless change that we encounter daily..”

Charlie Ashmore ~ Alpha-Net Solutions

“Having started in the 1990s and now continuing into the 21st century, project-based management is sweeping aside traditional functional management and almost all organisations will adopt flat, flexible structures”

Rodney Turner ~ Editor - International Journal of Project Management

Useful Study Links

Each of the websites listed here have a range of articles, reports, case studies, discussions, best practice checklists, and links to other sites ~

all directly or indirectly related to Project Management

www.mindtools.com

www.projectconnections.com

www.method123.com

www.work911.com

www.managementhelp.org

www.12manage.com

Contributions information, advice, links, ideas, that may be of help to other students  are very welcome  please email them to studentservices@brightonsbm.com

Issue Focus

Consistent reliability and quality of products, processes and services are no longer desirable features  they are now essential ingredients, without which no public sector or private sector organisation can be successful.

In today’s highly competitive business environments it is critically important for managers and specialists, at all levels, to be fully conversant with quality management thinking, tools, techniques, developments, and trends, in order for them to contribute productively to operational and strategic activities.

Knowledge and understanding of Quality Management principles and best practice is an area of expertise that every professional needs to add to their portfolio.

This issue focuses on Quality Management, providing links to explore and suggestions that will help you build your awareness and knowledge of this essential discipline.

Food for Thought

Does your organisation take Quality seriously?

You may be surprised to learn that many people don’t know what “quality management” is and just as many are not even sure that they understand what is meant by the phrase: ”quality in the workplace”.

If you are one of these, don’t despair, for there are many at every level of management who would also struggle with these.

The first difficulty is to recognise that, in business, in the workplace, “quality” has a very specific meaning. It doesn’t mean “good”, “expensive”, “better”, “best”, “top quality”, in the way that we sometimes describe the “quality” of items or services in our social or domestic lives.

In business, quality has a specific meaning.

It means “getting it right first time, every time”, “zero defects”, “fitness for purpose”, “meets the specification”, “meets the criteria”, “meets the requirements”, “achieves the targeted standards”, “satisfies the needs of the customer”.

Many variations, but all underpinned by the fact that each phrase implies that there is a “standard”, a “specification”, a “criteria”, a “need” that has been identified, is known, and is recorded as being the “target”, the “performance level” that must be achieved.

The product, or service, is then measured against those.

So how do you know if your organisation is taking “quality” seriously? here’s how:

in the organisation you will find that:

·         all staff know the organisation’s policy on (approach to) quality

·         staff at all levels have been involved in creating or are involved in improving that policy

·         standards, for every key activity, have been agreed on and clearly (usually in writing) laid down

·         these standards are achievable, measurable, reasonable, but as high in terms of performance as the organisation can manage, given the resources it has

·         all staff involved in any activity have been trained in and understand the quality standards set for that activity

·         a monitoring system is in place to ensure the standards are maintained

·         a continuous improvement system is in place to ensure that the standards are improved where possible

·         corrective action is taken when a standard is not achieved

·         individuals and teams are rewarded for consistently achieving the standards

·         end users / customers (could be: product users, patients, cinema goers, bank customers etc) are regularly asked to give their views on the quality of the product or service

·         staff at all levels of the organisation, from the most junior to the most senior, are visibly proud of their work and are visibly striving to improve the quality of the work they are involved in

If you see this then the organisation is taking quality seriously it is managing quality effectively.

If you are a manager in an organisation, and you don’t see this, you have a responsibility to start working towards it, at least in your own area of work.

If the organisation belongs to you – as owner, chief executive, or executive manager - and you don’t see this, you have a responsibility to start changing things.

Written by the Quality Management Courses Tutor Team at Brighton School of Business and Management

Study Advice

We wondered whether to include this section in this Quality focused edition, but decided to go ahead, as we all instantly agreed that “quality” had a role in every business, workplace, and organisational activity, and definitely in continuing professional development.

As the definitions of Quality are, in the business context, “fitness for purpose” – “meeting the criteria” – “satisfying the customer-client” – “getting it right first time” – “zero defects”,  we have taken these as our headings:

Fitness for Purpose ~ not so easy to translate into study activities, but if we take the view that the study approach, and activities, and resources used, should be fit for the purpose of studying effectively, then it is easier to see that this means: dedicating the appropriate amount of time, effort, and energy, and using appropriate resources – equipment, materials, tools - so that the business of studying is carried out for as long as is needed, with the appropriate resources, to the right standard,  in order to achieve the objective

Meeting the Criteria ~ simply, studying in the way that has been advised, and producing coursework that meets the criteria laid down in the assignment briefs, and-or responding to examination questions in the style, format, and quality of content expected ~ writing assignments as asked for ~ answering the examination question as asked for

Satisfying the Customer-Client ~ is satisfying the requirements of the accreditation body, the educational provider, the tutor, the assignment criteria, the examination questions ~ these, as a student, are your customers-clients

Getting it Right First Time ~ is achieved by studying in the depth and breadth required, as advised by advice documents and tutor guidance and feedback, so that when assignments are written or examination questions answered, your response is appropriate and to the standard required – first time, not needing re-writing or re-sits

Zero Defects ~ a Phil Crosby phrase that he used to stress to organisations and their managers that the ultimate objective, no matter how difficult to achieve, should be no defects, no mistakes, no flaws, no errors, no unnecessary wastage, no re-working, no after-sales putting things right ~ in other words, getting it right first time ~ often (wrongly) mocked as an impossible  objective, but, as a student, if you select your course of study wisely, plan your studies carefully, work diligently, follow the guidance and advice of your educational providers and tutors, study in the depth and breadth required, take the whole process very seriously, and produce assignments and-or examination answers to the best of your ability you will, at least, be close to achieving it.

As succinctly expressed in one of the quotes below, excellence is not an event, it is the result of habit, a routine, a consistent level of performance and when studying for professional qualifications, this means planning, and maintaining, a consistently high quality approach to the process of studying.

Written by the Management Studies Tutor Team at Brighton School of Business and Management

Quality Internationally

For anyone who doubts the importance of taking Quality seriously, here are extracts from recent articles on Quality Management that illustrate how organisations and governments in developing and emerging countries are adopting Quality principles and techniques in order to become leading global providers.

China Leads in Adopting ‘Quality Management’ Measures for Business

“Chinese organizations are embracing management systems faster than the rest of the world in a bid to boost reputation and customer satisfaction.

The research conducted for the UK Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) said the surge of investment in management systems is driven by a desire to overcome perceptions in the developed world that quality and social and environmental standards are lower in emerging markets such as China.

 The desire for improved reputation, customer satisfaction and improved quality of products and services is the driving force behind the change in management systems, the report said.

China’s response has been to recognize the upside of having robust, assessed systems and the positive impact it has on reputation and customer satisfaction. Systems dedicated to managing quality control have now spread to many other areas of business operations, and have become key tools for managing organizational performance and behaviour”.

See www.chinagate.cn for the full article

How India Inc is Managing Quality

“Today India boasts over 20 companies that have won the Deming Award from the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers, over 100 companies that have been awarded TPM (total productivity management) certificates from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance, and 50,000 ISO-certified companies.

A leading example is in the auto components industry, where, amongst China, India and Thailand, India is No.1 on the quality of products supplied, and multinational companies have begun to see the benefits of sourcing from India.

General Motors and Caterpillar source radiator caps from Sundram Fasteners - the company has won GM’s best-supplier award for three years. GM sources light equipment from Lumax. Mitsubishi of Japan sources front-axle beams from Bharat Forge. Federal Mogul of the US sources components through a tie-up with the Anand group.

This is a reflection of the increasing quality consciousness of India Inc, generated by the Total Quality Movement launched in 1988 that gained momentum resulting in TQM and TPM now being extremely popular models among Indian companies”.

See www.rediff.com for the full article

Membership of Quality Organisations

For those managers and specialists who have a professional interest in keeping up to date with developments in the field of Quality, membership of a Quality association or institute can be valuable, as an information source, for education and training, or simply for networking with other members.

Here are some, with links to their websites, many with international branches that our tutors can recommend:

CQI Chartered Quality Institute ~ United Kingdom

SASQ South African Society for Quality ~ South Africa

SAQI South Africa Quality Institute ~ South Africa

QBPC Quality Brands Protection Committee ~ China

NAHQ National Association for Healthcare Quality ~ USA

AOQ Australian Organisation for Quality ~ Australia

APQN Asia Pacific Quality Network ~ Pacific Basin region

ASQ American Society for Quality ~ USA

QFI Quality Forum of India ~ India

NQI National Quality Institute ~ Canada

BSBM Courses with Quality Modules

We don’t have any newly launched courses to highlight this month, but in keeping with the Quality Management theme, here are some of our courses that have significant Quality Management content:

HND Higher National Diplomas – with Option Units in Managing Quality

DMS Diploma in Management Studies – with mandatory Managing Quality module

ADMS Advanced Diploma in Management Studies – with mandatory Quality and Systems Management module

CQI Certificate in Quality  - foundation level Quality course

CQI Diploma in Quality – professional specialist Quality Management qualification

For more information please go to  www.brightonsbm.com

Study Resources of the Month

There are hundreds of sector and technique-specific books on Quality Management ~ here are some examples that our tutors can recommended:

Books

Quality is Free: the art of making Quality certain

by Philip Crosby – publisher McGraw-Hill

Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure

by Mok and Sparks – publisher Haworth Press

Total Quality: Management, Organisation and Strategy

by J R Evans – publisher South Western College

The Health Care Quality Book: Vision, Strategy and Tools

by Ransom, Joshi, Nash – publisher Health Administration Press

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section ~ to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Student Recommended Resources

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk, ok it’s a government organisation, but the advice on their website is very good – easy to understand, written in a format that you can use as action plan frameworks”  our thanks to Geoff

http://www.information-management .com for data specialists like me, but there’s other stuff for managers generally …” ~ our thanks to Jeannine

for Safety, Quality, and Environmental managers – lots of useful items …. http://www.isqem.com ~ our thanks to Hassan

Advice from the Gurus

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an event, but a habit”

Aristotle ~ Philosopher and Scientist ~ 2,300 years ago

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort”

John Ruskin ~ Social Critic  ~ 120 years ago

“Quality has to be caused, not controlled”

Philip Crosby ~ Quality Guru ~ 8 years ago

Useful Study Links

Sites that illustrate the range  of Quality Management activities taking place around the world:

www.africanews.com

article on accreditation of African medical laboratories

www.kanban.blogspot.com

articles and views on Japanese quality management and best practices, with many links to other quality related sites

www.articlesbase.com

many articles on Quality Management issues and topics

www.investorsinpeople.co.uk

information on the Investors in People staff development quality system

www.businesslink.gov.uk

information on Environmental Management systems

www.qualityamerica.com

information on Six Sigma and Quality Management in general

www.efqm.org

information on the European Foundation for Quality Management models and standards

www.businessballs.com

massive amounts of information about all things Quality related

www.sportengland.org

information on the UK Quality Scheme for Sport and Leisure organisations

www.iso.org

the International Standards Organisation site ~ invaluable!

www.bsi-emea.com

advice on implementing a Quality Management System from BSI – one of the main developers of  quality management best practices

www.philipcrosby.com

the website of the late-lamented Quality Guru – Philip Crosby – promoting his down to earth, practical, no-nonsense approach to quality management tools and techniques ~ the simple but highly effective approach driven by the phrase ~ “get it right first time!”

Many of our professional development qualifications are not examined, as assessment is through a number of written assignments for each main subject module. As a result, there are not specific times of the year when we can send congratulations to successful students.

In this issue we are highlighting the recent success of two students who have done exceptionally well in their particular courses.

On the HND Higher National Diploma in Business Management – a Bachelor degree level qualification that is also highly respected as a management qualification by employers worldwide – Morten, a student from Denmark, achieved 12 Distinctions and 4 Merits in completing the 16 modules.

On the Advanced Diploma in Management Studies – a Masters level management qualification which is the highest professional development management studies qualification in the UK – Peter, a UK student, achieved 5 Distinctions and 4 Merits in completing the 9 modules.

These are outstanding results.

Congratulations to both! - and to all our students who successfully complete assignment-assessed professional development courses

News Update

Our new Marketing, Human Resources, Event Management, and Leadership professional development qualifications – UK nationally accredited by Edexcel - were launched in September, and are now an established part of our portfolio.

These courses provide the knowledge and understanding of important specialist activities that most managers, at all levels, are now expected to be involved in and contribute to effectively.

They also provide internationally recognised qualifications that will add breadth and depth to your profile.

More details are given below, in the New Courses section.

New Courses

If you need specialist knowledge of Marketing, Human Resources, Events Management, or Leadership, then these courses will be of considerable benefit to you:

Marketing Management - Award, Certificate, Diploma - Level 5 - which provides knowledge and understanding of marketing best practice covering, at different levels: Managing Marketing, Marketing Intelligence, Marketing Planning, two from Advertising and Promotion, Sales Planning and Operations, Internet Marketing, plus Management Accounting.

Human Resource Management - Award, Certificate, Diploma - Level 5 - which provides knowledge and understanding of marketing best practice covering, at different levels: Recruitment, Selection, Human Resources Management and Managing Teams and Individuals, Human Resource Development, Employee Relations, Employment Law and Management Accounting.

Events Management - Award, Certificate, Diploma - Level 5 - which provides knowledge and understanding of marketing best practice covering, at different levels: The Contemporary Hospitality Industry, Contracts and Events Management, Conference and Banqueting Management, Entertainment and Venue Management, Managing People, Managing Quality, Managing Projects, and Management Accounting.

Leadership - Award, Certificate, Diploma - Level 5 - which provides knowledge and understanding of marketing best practice covering, at different levels: Leadership, Managing Change, Financial Awareness, Business Strategy, Organisations and Behaviour, Business Environment, and Business Ethics.

Edexcel UK qualifications are highly regarded by employers in all public and private business sectors around the world, and can also lead to higher level business and management qualifications, through to Masters level.

For more information please go to Short Professional Management Courses

Study Advice

Monitoring Your Personal Development Progress

On many of our courses there is a requirement to carry out self-assessment activities, prepare and maintain a personal development plan, and maintain a development journal.

These activities are extremely important in adopting a professional approach to personal and career development.

At regular intervals you should review your progress on the course, and in any other developmental activities that you are involved in, and your overall progress against the professional development objectives that you set in the first version of your development plan.

As part of this you should:

• look again at the situation analysis that you carried out at the start of the course
• reflect on the opportunities and threats that you identified
• consider how well you have responded to those
• take into account recent and imminent professional development events
• review your objectives and amend them where necessary

This will ensure that you are in control of your development activities, rather than allowing long periods of inactivity, or inappropriate activity, to occur, and to being unable to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Most individuals are now acutely aware of how vital it is to continuously develop their professional knowledge, skills, and qualifications, and being able to demonstrate that they are successfully managing their own development.

Your competitors – for involvement in projects or for promotions within your current organisation, and when applying for positions in other organisations – will be presenting evidence that shows they are actively developing themselves and are ready for new challenges.

To remain competitive - you need to do the same.

Written by the Tutor Team at Brighton School of Business and Management www.brightonsbm.com

Food for Thought

In an assignment about personal and organisational behaviour, one of our students mentioned the “3 I” approach - a set of behaviours that all employees, managers, specialists, and senior managers should follow.

We thought that these principles, standards, approaches, would be of interest to you.

They are:

Integrity

Being respectful to all people that you come into contact with – colleagues at all levels, customers, clients, suppliers – at all times, and through all communication channels – by email, telephone, fax, letter, face to face – in all situations.

Behaving ethically and honestly in all situations at all times.

Innovation

Being open to new ideas, willing to change in order to improve personal, team, or organisational performance.

Actively seeking opportunities and methods of continuously improving work practices and behaviour.

Intensity

Be passionate about your work.

Motivate others to perform to the best of their ability at all times.

We believe that this is a very powerful model - simple to express - difficult to apply - but one that every organisation, and every individual, should strive to adopt.

Tutors’ Tip of the Month

Being aware of developments in the business world

Most professional development courses expect the student to research and be aware of developments in the business world and in the workplace. These events have an impact, an influence, on the way managers and specialists behave, and on the way in which the organisation sets strategies and objectives.

Here are two very different examples:

Health and Safety

All organisations today must have policies, procedures, and work instructions designed to enable the organisation to meet Health and Safety legislative requirements. A recent case has highlighted how vital appropriate training in this area is, and how the behaviour and actions of employees must be monitored regularly to ensure that procedures are being followed correctly.

The restaurant chain owned by Jamie Oliver (a well known UK “celebrity chef”) has been fined £8,500 plus £3,910 costs (US$ 20,000) after a chef was horrifically burned with hot oil. A colleague accidentally spilled the scorching liquid on the feet of a co-worker during a training day. The injured worker was in hospital for ten days and required skin grafts to her left foot.

The interesting point here is that a manager asked one of the staff to move the container of boiling oil, even though they knew it should not have been moved, and that it was against the company’s rules, but the restaurant owners were still found guilty and fined.

Read about the accident here: http://www.coshh365.com/news.asp?id=20091020

European Union

This newsletter is being written on the day that the Lisbon Treaty was ratified. This will have massive implications in the way that the European Union operates, including how its collective laws and rulings will affect commercial businesses, public sector organisations, charities, and educational establishments.

Even before the Lisbon Treaty was signed, the EU has had a major impact on the way businesses are operated, ranging from maximum working hours to the free movement of labour within the EU, to, very recently, the EU Commissioner ordering RBS (a British bank 80% publicly owned by the UK Government) to break up its organisation and sell its Insurance services divisions.

Keep in touch with further developments now that the Lisbon Treaty is in place, at http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/index.php

Study Resources of the Month

Business Law is an important element of many of our Management courses. Here are some recommended resources:

Books

Law for Business Students

by Ms Alix Adams - Published by Pearson Longman

Employment Law for Business Students (Paperback)

by Stephen T Hardy & Professor Robert Upex – Sage Publications

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section - to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Websites

www.lawnerds.com

www.lawteacher.net

www.law.freeadvice.com

www.bailii.org

www.i-law.com

www.legal-dictionary.com

www.companieshouse.gov.uk/companiesAct/implementations/oct2009.shtml (for up to date information on the recent changes to the UK Companies Act)

These links are worth exploring, as they contain valuable information and also many links to other useful websites.

Student Recommended Resources

“I know they are on your website Useful Links page, but for anyone studying Project Management these two sites are great! www.method123.com and

www.projectconnections.com” - our thanks to Amina

www.about.com a huge range of subjects, but I suggest trying the Management “channel” via this link first http://management.about.com…” - our thanks to Philip

“for anyone who doesn’t have a Charts/Graphics package … this is free and easy to cut and paste into assignments www.chartgo.com - our thanks to Ross

Advice from the Gurus

“In business you get what you want by giving other people what they want.”

Alice MacDougal

Useful Study Links

www.evolvingexcellence.com

articles, comments, on lean enterprise, leadership, quality management

www.kanban.blogspot.com

articles and views on Japanese quality management and best practices, with many links to other quality related sites

www.iipuk.co.uk

information on the Investors in People staff development quality system

www.efqm.org

information on the European Foundation for Quality Management models and standards

www.sportengland.org

information on the UK Quality Scheme for Sport and Leisure organisations

]]> http://www.brightonsbm.com/news/november-2009-newsletter/feed/ http://www.brightonsbm.com/news/newsletter-oct-brighton-school-of-business-and-management/ http://www.brightonsbm.com/news/newsletter-oct-brighton-school-of-business-and-management/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:54:09 +0000 admin http://www.brightonsbm.com/news/?p=86

 Welcome !

Contributions ~ information, advice, website links, or ideas, that may be of help to other students ~ are very welcome ~ please email them to studentservices@brightonsbm.com

Congratulations!

It is not often that we mention our Management Short Courses students - those who take our intensive short study courses to gain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of specific areas of management, rather than a full qualification.

These students belong to a very active, interesting and important group. To date this year over 160 working professionals, from over 40 countries and a wide range of public and private business sectors, have successfully completed one or more short courses, and been awarded a Certificate of Achievement.

Congratulations to you all!

News Update

Our new portfolio of Purchasing, Procurement, and Supply Chain Management qualifications - nationally accredited by CIPS, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply - were launched in September, and are now on our website.

More details are given below, in the New Courses section.

New Courses

CIPS Foundation Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Diploma

We are very excited about these new qualifications, as they will help us to meet the rising demand that has been created by the rapidly increasing emphasis on minimizing the costs of resources whilst maintaining quality and value for money, and the effective management of the whole supply chain, in both private and public sector organisations of all sizes.

We offer the:

CIPS Foundation Diploma in Purchasing and Supply ~ Level 4 ~ which provides a foundation of knowledge and understanding of purchasing and supply key activities, covering: Effective Negotiations, Developing Contracts, Measuring Performance, Managing Relationships, and Purchasing Contexts.

CIPS Advanced Diploma in Purchasing and Supply ~ Level 5 ~ which provides considerable knowledge and understanding of the management aspects of this function, covering: Managing the Purchasing Function, Risk Management and Supply Chain Vulnerability, Improving Supply Chain Performance, and two options from Marketing, Storage and Distribution, Operations, Contracting, Sustainable Procurement, and the role of Government.

CIPS Graduate Diploma in Purchasing and Supply ~ Level 6 ~ which provides comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the strategic aspects of supply chain management, covering: Leading and Influencing in Purchasing, Strategic Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Management in Practice, and two options from Legal Aspects in Purchasing and Supply, Advanced Project Management, Finance for Purchasers, Strategic Public Sector Programme Management, and Public Sector Stakeholders and Governance.

The CIPS qualifications are highly regarded by employers in public and private sectors around the world, and also lead to higher level business and management qualifications, through to Masters level.

For more information please go to CIPS Purchasing and Supply Qualifications

Study Advice

The importance of professional development in difficult times

As a reader of this newsletter you are already actively engaged in trying to develop your skills, understanding, knowledge, and awareness of business and management.

For most, you will also be trying to study regularly and meet assignment or examination deadlines, whilst continuing to carry out your workplace activities to the best of your ability.

Negative Factors

This is not an easy task at any time, but today, for many, it is increasingly difficult due to a number of factors. These include: uncertainty over potential job losses and other cutbacks due to the effects of the recession, recruitment slowed or stopped, extra the absence of colleagues due to holidays and sickness. All of these can lead to increased workload, longer hours, and stress.

Added to this is the ever-faster pace of change, caused by technological developments, social, political and legislative changes, and, not least, the changing needs of customers and clients.

Change, as the gurus tell us, is here to stay ~ Change is Permanent.

You will know this, but it’s important to accept it as a fact, that life at work, for most people in most organisations, has become more difficult, will not become any easier, and may well become more pressurised.

Positive Factors

However, despite the difficulties, there is a compelling reason why you should continue to study and gain new qualifications - a major factor that needs to be taken into account.

This is that, alongside the drive to cut costs, reduce staffing levels, and respond to the external forces, organisations are very much aware that they must employ the best possible people, at operational, management, and executive levels.

They still need, and will always need, qualified, experienced, knowledgeable people to help them survive and be successful.

This has led to organisations demanding – more than ever before – that their operational staff, managers, and specialists, are appropriately qualified.

Your Response

If you are currently suffering from the pressures of workplace difficulties, the only way to successfully complete an important professional development course is to plan a regular, weekly, small amount of study time, and make sure that you maintain that every week, without fail.

If you are unemployed, or facing that situation, it is even more important to continue your professional development. Take advantage of the extra time that is available for studying - while you can.

For all our students, the advice and guidance that you receive from Student Services, on how to study and how to successfully complete assignments, is invaluable, and should be read and followed.

Also for all students, your Personal Tutor is available to give support – make use of that service.

Keep focusing on the fact that when you have completed your course of study and gained the new qualification, you will be regarded as more knowledgeable, more expert, better qualified, more suitable for certain roles and responsibilities.

The fact that you can provide solid evidence that you have managed to study and obtain a relevant, current, respected qualification, during difficult times, will make you an exceptionally attractive prospect in the eyes of your current or potential employers, or if you are self-employed, in the eyes of your clients and potential clients.

It will be worth it

There is overwhelming evidence that undertaking professional development gives you a clear advantage in the workplace.

Despite the difficult times and because of the difficult times – it will be worth it!

Food for Thought

Roles, Responsibilities, and Development Design

In medium to large, complex organisations, there are distinct, clearly defined layers of leadership and management, with primary roles broadly as described below:

The Role of the Operational Middle Manager

The primary role of the operational, middle manager is to take appropriate action in a range of appropriate ways, some visibly, some more subtly, some directly, some indirectly, some regularly, some occasionally, in order to make certain that the activities which they are responsible for support and contribute to the achievement of the organisation’s operational and strategic objectives.

To achieve this, these managers must interpret and communicate those higher level objectives to operational team leaders, teams and individuals, translate them into “local” action plans with output targets, quality standards and performance levels, provide sufficient resources to support those planned activities, motivate those individuals and teams to consistently maintain the necessary performance levels needed to achieve their local objectives, provide individuals and teams with appropriate training, development, guidance, and support, and to monitor, evaluate, and appraise their performance.

The Role of the Senior Manager

The role of the senior manager, director, executive, is three-fold.

One is to contribute to the strategic planning process, and to the setting of higher level objectives.

The second is to ensure that activity in their area of responsibility is supporting and contributing positively to the achievement of those objectives.

The third is to make certain that these strategic objectives are effectively communicated to the operational managers, to provide those managers with sufficient physical, financial, and human resources to achieve their local objectives, to provide those managers with appropriate training, development, guidance, and support, and to monitor, evaluate, and appraise their performance.

The Role of the Leader

The role of the leader(s) of an organisation is, in essence, two-fold.

The first is to gather information to enable them to look into the future and analyse, predict, forecast, reflect on, the business and external environment that the organisation is moving towards, and to use this knowledge to select the most appropriate pathway for the organisation to take, and then lead the strategic planning process and the setting of strategic objectives which will ensure that the organisation follows that pathway and is successful in the future.

The second is to ensure that the senior managers are applying and managing current strategies, and that they are making sure that the middle managers and operational staff are engaged in activities that are supporting and contributing to the achievement of the objectives found within those strategies.

Questions to Consider

With the above information in mind:

Is the training and development of managers and leaders in your organisation designed to actively develop and enhance these roles and responsibilities?

Or is that training and development designed only to enhance specialist areas of expertise?

If the latter, it is likely that most of your managers and leaders are not performing their primary roles effectively.

Which leads to the question: what negative impact is this having on the performance of your organisation?

Written by the Tutor Team at Brighton School of Business and Management www.brightonsbm.com

Tutors’ Tip of the Month

Considering the Impact of Technological Change

Most Management courses now expect the student to have an understanding of the impact of technological change on the behaviour and performance of organisations.

The impact of technological change – either upgrading or introducing new systems or equipment – is an area of change that is often neglected.

However, this has a considerable impact on every organisation, large or small, public or private, and on the operational staff, managers, and specialists at all levels.

New technology is usually introduced to improve processes, reduce costs, enable new services or products to be offered, or to improve internal and-or external communications.

Introducing new technology needs detailed planning, very careful selection of equipment and software, and thoughtful, flexible implementation period that allows for the changes to be introduced in a way which minimises disruption and conflict.

Most changes can generate resistance, conflict, disruption, and confusion, if they are not appropriately selected, timed, and implemented.

Change driven by technology is no different.

Technological change is now one of the primary drivers of organisational change, and all managers and specialists must build up a comprehensive body of knowledge and understanding of it.

As with all types of organisational change, any organisation that introduces technological change without understanding, and being prepared for, its potential positive and negative impacts will inevitably suffer damaging consequences.

When studying or planning technological change the established change models, such as the Levin 3 Stages, Kotler’s 8 Steps, the Change Curve, should be considered, as should more general tools and techniques such as Force Field Analysis, Gap Analysis, and the SWOT analysis.

In addition, you should look at the thinking of some of the early management gurus, such as Fayol, Porter, Handy, Drucker, and others who wrote thoughtfully, and accurately, about the management of change at a time when it was less understood.

See below for books on this subject that are worth considering.

Study Resources of the Month

Books

International Competitiveness and Technological Change, by Miozzo and Walsh, published by OUP Oxford

Managing Innovation and Change:  People, Technology, and Strategy, by John Clark, published by Sage Publications

Controlling the Future:  Managing Technology-Driven Change, by Stewart Stokes, published by John Wiley and Sons

On our website we now have a direct link to the Amazon Management Books section ~ to use this go to our Study Bookshops page.

Websites

On our website there is a Study Resources page, which we recommend as a starting point for those not familiar with internet research and searching.

However, we are aware that not all our students follow this advice, so this month we have placed a number of these links in our Useful Study Resources column, shown on the left of the newsletter.

These links are worth exploring, as they contain valuable information and also many links on to other useful websites.

Student Recommended Resource

 “ …..  hi guys, here are 2 sites I found useful - www.thefreelibrary.com/   and

www.is4profit.com  …..”

~ our thanks to Nazir

 “….if anyone is looking for case studies or articles, this is a great place – some you need to buy but a lot for free - check Free Resources page at www.icmindia.org…..”

~ our thanks to Kata

 Advice from the Gurus

“Best Effort” will not substitute for knowledge ~ W. Edwards Deming, Quality Guru

Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing ~ Warren Buffett, Entrepreneur

Useful Study Links

Management

ManagementHelp.org

Free management and business library

Work911.com

Business and management information database

BizEd.co.uk

Excellent materials, case studies, on all business and management subjects

TheManager.org

High quality articles and explanations on the main management models and theories

TheTimes100.co.uk

Free information on most business and management topics

BeABetterManager.com Information and advice focusing on improving management skills

ReferenceForBusiness.com

An encyclopedia of Business and Management information

QuickMBA.com

A collection of tutorials and checklists on the typical MBA subjects

NetMBA.com

Materials and case studies on operational and strategic management topics

BusinessBalls.com

Comprehensive coverage of most Business and Management topics

Finance & Accounting

FT.com

Wide range of finance and accounting pages provided by the Financial Times

AAT.org.uk

Association of Accounting Technicians website

IASB.org.uk

International Accounting Standards Board information site

FRC.org.uk/ASB

UK Accounting Standards Board) information site

Marketing

UTalkMarketing.com

A huge range of free marketing case studies, and help forums

ICMR.ICFAI.com

Asia-focused articles and case studies on marketing

WilsonWeb.com

Many free articles and case studies on web marketing

Leadership

EvolvingExcellence.com/Blog Articles and comments on lean enterprise, leadership, and quality management

Melcrum.com

Cases, articles and information on internal communications best practice

Quality

EFQM.org

Information on the European Foundation for Quality Management models and standards

SportEngland.org