learn to lead 10

What is an "organization?"

A body of individuals working together under a defined system of rules, assignments, procedures, and relationships designed to achieve identifiable goals and objectives.

What are the five components of an organization?

The operating core
The middle line
The strategic apex
The technostructure
The support staff

The Operating Core

performs the organization's basic work. They are the front-line workers and foot soldiers whose efforts directly affect the organization's accomplishment of its mission

The Middle Line

has direct authority over the operating core. Serving as a link between the front-line workers and the top leaders, middle line leaders pass information up and down the chain

The Strategic Apex

presides over the entire organization and exercises authority over the whole operation. The central figure is the commander, company president, or business owner, but the term also includes the handful of the most senior leaders who work closely with the boss - the vice commanders, vice presidents, directors, and the like.

The Technostructure

is the group of specialists who help standardize the organization. They design programs, plan new initiatives, and issue technical directions about the work that the middle line and operating core performs.

The Support Staff

is the group of specialists who provide administrative, financial, logistical, and other support to the mission areas of the organization.

What are four reasons to support the use of hierarchical organizational structures?

Hierarchies promote accountability
Hierarchies allocate authority
Hierarchies are easy to manage
Hierarchies create efficiencies

What are two reasons to support the use of free-form organizations?

Hierarchies get in the way
Free-form, self-directed teams are agile

What did Tom Peters say?

Toss out the pyramid of superiors and subordinates and allow the organization to be freeform. A limited structure will arise spontaneously

What is a "committee?"

A group of people entrusted to study issues, make recommendations or decisions, or perform some kind of service to a larger group.

What are three reasons leadership by committee can be helpful?

Good ideas can come from anybody
Committees can be smarter
Group action adds legitimacy to decisions

What is a "standing committee?"

A permanent committee

What is a "select committee?"

A temporary committee

What are five triggers that alert an organization to begin using a committee?

In-depth discussion
Manageable group size
Division of labor
Specialization and expertise
Special handling

What are six tools that leaders can use to ensure productive committee meetings?

Goal statements
Objective-driven agendas
Read-aheads
Oral presentations
Agenda sequencing & breakouts
Closings & minutes

What is the job of a meeting facilitator?

To evoke the best possible performance from each member of their team.

Why is the committee chairperson or meeting facilitator a servant leader?

His or her role is to serve the team, not command it.

What are four hallmarks of facilitative leadership?

A neutral attitude
Adherence to process
Desire for consensus
Counterweight to the status arena

What are eight tips a facilitative leader can use to actively manage a group discussion?

Ask open-ended questions
Ask for specificity in responses
Redirect questions to the group
Invite quiet members to join the discussion
Record ideas and make them visible to all
Signal to dominating memebers their need to hold back
Help rambling members wrap up
Redirect the energy of combative members

What is "parliamentary procedure?"

A code of rules and ethics for working together in groups.

Why is parliamentary procedure important for committee meetings?

They are designed to keep the committee or deliberative assembly running smoothly, whether it is in perfect harmony or in contentious debate.

What is "motion?"

A formal proposal beginning with the words "I move…"

What is "quorum?"

the minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.

What is "management?"

Working with or through other people to accomplish the objectives of both the organization and its members.

Why is a staff officer a manager?

He or she is responsible for people, time, or resources.

Why is ethical management important?

A strong code of morality is the first step towards success.

What are four functions of management?

Planning
Organizing
Leading
Controlling

Planning

is "the process of determining organizational goals and the means for achieving them.

Organizing

is "bringing together resources in the most effective way."

Leading

in its context as a management function, is "creating an atmosphere that will assist and motivate people to achieve the organization's objectives. Through this function, managers "build and maintain a supportive environment."

Controlling

is the process of monitoring progress toward the organization's goals and making changes, as necessary

What is a "project?"

A set of coordinated activities, with a specific start and finish, pursuing a specific goal, with constraints on time, cost, and resources.

Who are the five key players in project management?

The project sponsor
Project manager (most important, supervise everything)
Assistant project managers
Stakeholders
Customers

The Project Sponsor

is "the internal buyer for a project." He or she is the executive-level leader who tasks the project manager with running the project, and/or approves that individual's request to launch the new initiative.

The Project Manager

is "the individual responsible for planning, coordinating, tracking, and reporting progress of a project."71 He or she is the day-to-day leader who supervises the project team

Assistant Project Managers

are subordinate to the project manager and take ownership of a particular slice of the project

Stakeholders

are people who have either a direct or indirect interest in the project. They have "something at stake."

Customers

are the most important people in the project environment. They are the people who directly benefit from or consume whatever the project creates

What are the four phases in the project lifestyle?

Proposal phase
Planning phase
Execution phase
Review phase

The Proposal Phase

The first step in the project lifecycle is the proposal phase. Here, the individual who has a "good idea" makes a case for launching the project. He or she proposes the idea to the project sponsor via a project brief.

The Planning Phase

Armed with the sponsor's authorization to proceed, the project enters the planning phase and the project manager gets to work. During this phase, the team plans how they will accomplish the project's goals and objectives

The Execution Phase

During the execution phase, the project team builds the product deliverables and presents them to the customer for acceptance. It is in the execution phase where the team implements the plan, conducts the operation, flies the mission, runs the event, or whatever the case may be.

The Review & Concluding Phase

The project manager closes out the project, while also collecting feedback and lessons learned to improve the project for next time. Some elements of this phase include the following

What are the five components of a project brief?

Goal statement
Project narrative
Key data
Deliverables
Action recommended

Goal Statement

In a clear, direct sentence, simply answer, "What does the project aim to achieve?"

Project Narrative

The narrative discusses the context of the project, explaining what is entailed and why the project is important

Key Data

Include relevant key data such as the project's duration, the estimated budget, number of people involved, location of project, etc.

Deliverables

List the deliverables - the clearly identifiable output of a project. These are the tools the project team must create to make the project run

Action Recommended

Clearly identify the specific steps that the sponsor should take to authorize the project and get it started.

What is "opportunity cost?"

The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action.

Project Initiating Document

The key tool that the team produces during this phase is the Project Initiating Document (PID), which documents how the project will be managed

What are the five components of a Project Initiating Document?

Organizational chart
Gantt chart
Budget
Governance plan
Communications plan

Organizational Chart

that lists everyone involved with the project, their roles and responsibilities, and contact information.

A Budget

that shows the revenue that the project generates, alongside the expenses that the managers expect the project will incur.

A Governance Plan

or a simple list of policies that identify how the project will be monitored and controlled. This document identifies who is authorized to spend money on the project, how much they can spend at a time, and how the purchases are to be made.

A Communications Plan

that details how the project team will communicate news to the potential customers, stakeholders, the press, or the public at large.

Field Tests

The final step in the planning phase is testing. The purpose of the test function is to demonstrate that the project output fulfills the customer's requirements

What are the four checkpoints that can be used to monitor success during a project's execution phase?

Staff meetings
Inspections
Schedules
Budgets

Staff Meetings

Each member of the project team verbally updates the team on how their slice of the project is coming along.

Inspections

Through a uniform inspection, a barracks inspection, or (in a manufacturing environment) a quality inspection, the project managers examine the deliverables to see if they meet the standards.

Schedules

By recording how much time was required to complete various tasks and comparing that data against the schedule (i.e., comparing reality against the ideal), the team manages their time and adjusts the remaining schedule accordingly

Budgets

Managers keep an eye on the financial receipts, checking that the revenue they have anticipated is actually coming in, and likewise, they compare the expenses going out against the budget.

What are three elements in a project's Review and Concluding Phase?

Feedback instruments
Recognition programs
Administrative close-out

Feedback instruments

Course critiques, customer surveys, help desk logs, scores on final exams, and similar tools provide managers with feedback they can use to improve the project.

Recognition programs

"A loyalty mindset," explains one expert on customer satisfaction, "…believes that investing in your customers will deliver return." That return is reciprocal. "You first have to demonstrate your loyalty to your customers before they. . . give you their loyalty in return."

Administrative Close-Out

During the review and concluding phase, the project manager administratively closes the project. This can entail recouping the project's supplies and returning them to inventory, preparing a financial report detailing all income and expenses, credentialing the project alumni and updating their personnel records to reflect their accomplishments, and other administrative tasks

What is the secret of writing effectively for the boss?

Have a good relationship with him.

What are differences between writing for the web and writing for print?

On the web, people browse and scan.

What are seven tips for copywriting when writing for the web?

Place the key point right up front
Limit paragraphs to just one idea each
Choose simple, direct words
Avoid jargon
Write short sentences
Respect the worldwide audience
Talk to your audience

What are four rules for formatting that can make web copy more reader-friendly?

Use headings and subheadings
Use bulleted and numbered lists
Highlight critical information
Write clear links

What are the two main types of briefings?

Informational briefings
Advocacy briefings

What are the three main parts of a briefing?

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

What are five logical patterns for grouping a briefing's main points?

Cause & Effect
Chronological
Compare & Contrast
Climactic Order
Topical Order

What are five techniques for answering briefing questions effectively?

Rephrase for clarity
Answer one question at a time
Be honest
Boomerang
Go offline

Why is it important to monitor audience members for nonverbal feedback during briefings?

So you can change your tone, clarify, or adjust as needed.

Why is time management important while briefing?

You are taking someone else's time and should be respectful of that.

How can visual aids be used to enrich presentations?

They help illustrate data-rich information in less time than it would take to explain.

Why are PowerPoint slides not always the ideal communication medium?

Often times presenters simply read off of their PowerPoint, or rely on them without really knowing the information.

How can you use body language effectively in presentations?

Start with eye contact
Smile!
Express emotion with your facial muscles
Avoid distracting mannerisms
Tell a story
Stay true to your personality
Make gestures convincing
Vary your speaking position by moving from one spot on the stage to another