Treating Symptoms Wastes Precious Time and Money
Greetings!I've seen it too often -- organizations that spend their limited time and money on cosmetic enhancements apparently designed to improve productivity or performance.
Enhancements may include motivational programs, new production schemes, leadership training of every description, conflict resolution seminars, life balance courses, and many more individually useful treatments for a long list of symptomatic ailments -- but usually the reason the enhancement was sought is the absence of an effective core process for organizing and managing the members of the organization. Typically, what is missing is an effective performance management system; the root cause of the vast majority of employee (or member) performance problems.
Organization leaders need to resist symptomatic treatments and address the likely possibility that there may be a design flaw in the operational structure of the organization. Rather than looking to managers or supervisors or even the Human Resource department for the solutions, it is the Leader who needs to take the initiative to make sure that the structure of the enterprise works.
Are you sure your organization is working as well as it could? Let's talk.
Sincerely,
Bob Kent
Searching for Occam's Razor?
Over his career, Bob has encountered many programs, theories and ideas that insist they are the solution to a host of business difficulties and dilemmas. And although many do work for their intended purposes, the ceaseless promotion of this never ending list of "fixes" more often distracts many managers from attending to the basics of management. The principle of Occam's Razor seems to be in order.All of this made Bob wonder, "am I the only one who wants to find a simpler solution?" This pondering led Bob to write My Apologies. In this article, Bob considers Mansis' place amidst the clutter of concepts and theories of people management.
Where does Mansis fit in?
Can performance management be a more simple task?
Get the answers to these questions and more by clicking here.
Where We're Headed
What does it take for form a successful working relationship between the organization, its managers and the staff (especially newly hired staff)?Several years ago, Bob had the opportunity to write a series of articles for the Winnipeg Sun on that topic. Since Bob regularly receives questions from students, ambitious professionals and organizational leaders that pertain to the topic of employee selection and performance management of new employees, he thought re-publishing the articles in the Mansis Newsletter would be valuable to our readers. You can expect to see a couple of them each month.
The first article, Protect Your Investment, will be sent out in a couple of weeks.
Guides for Successful Employment
by Robert H. Kent, Ph.D.
Pragma Press, 2009, 25 pages.
This booklet contains a series of new and practical articles about how to increase success at developing a lasting employment relationship for both an organization and its new employees. The recruiting and hiring process is very expensive and time consuming for both a business and prospective employees, and this booklet is full of practical ideas to ensure the return on that investment.
The employee recruitment and selection process is about developing relationships and it is one of the most critical stages in any person's career and in an organization's efforts to manage its employees. The path to a successful relationship is influenced by the actions of both the prospective employer and the prospective employee; it is a shared responsibility. Employers must do things to ensure a successful, long lasting selection, and prospective employees must do things to make their own job search efforts pay off. And as you'll read in these articles, the most fundamental principles of managing people significantly influence this process.
"Your new book is first-rate stuff! Your knack for taking the complicated and making it understandable and practical is a trait worth its weight in gold."
-- Dr. Jerry Gray, Dean Emeritus, Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba
"The most readable, concise collection of management direction I've found. This book takes the management advice from all the management books I've ever read and presents it in one simple tool. I've handed it out to all of our managers and they're delighted to have such an easy-to-use reference."
-- Judy Saxby, Vice President (retd.), Keewatin Airlines
"A very insightful, practical guide, useful at all levels in an organization."
-- Gordon. L. Simpson, Simpson Management Systems, Inc.
"Your book "Principles of Managing People" is absolutely fantastic! I use it as a kind of a "checklist" every once in awhile to see if I'm on track. Thank you! I see your book as an effective complement to your training."
-- Brian Klassen, Lifetouch Professional Lab
"I really like the tone and style of this book. It's a very simple, straightforward read."
-- Garth Johnson, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
"Bob's new book gives me some tools I can use right away to run my business. Real-time, relevant, support material."
-- James Buller, Norcraft Corporation
Cost: $5.00 plus 5% GST and shipping. E-mail sales@mansis.com to purchase. You will receive an invoice with details on how to submit payment. Volume discount -- contact us for details.
Ask Dr. Bob
-- Human Resource Manager, Health Care Centre
Without more details, what I can suggest is that the managers of these supervisors need to meet with each supervisor and conduct a problem-solving meeting. Topics that should be addressed include: Why are the supervisors doing whatever they are doing that is unacceptable; what is the cause? Why is the behavior unacceptable? What is the acceptable behavior? The managers, with each supervisor, need to develop, implement and enforce an action plan so that the supervisors successfully perform as required.
Fundamentally, it’s the manager’s responsibility to see that each supervisor is successful in his or her job. Managers need to support their supervisors by using a coaching process. Furthermore, if the manager just sends employees away for training whenever jobs aren’t performed correctly, the next step should include the senior executive who will need to coach the manager about what the manager should be doing.
About the Mansis Development Corporation
Mansis teaches and certifies individuals in the skills and knowledge of Employee Performance Management and helps organizations implement practical systems for Simple, Sensible Management.Bob Kent helps businesses and organizational leaders to learn and implement simple and very effective systems and skills for managing people. Since 1978, Bob has been serving as a personal coach and management consultant to business managers and owners in Canada and the United States, helping them to resolve (and prevent) organizational, management and employee performance problems.
Bob is the author of over 150 published articles as well as several texts, videos and software applications on performance management, supervision, executive development and organizational change. He has lectured at several Universities and currently teaches Human Resource Management courses for the MBA Program in the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. He is well known for his ability to clarify concepts and offer practical, field-tested solutions to everyday problems faced by management, something that Bob calls Simple, Sensible Management.
Mansis Development Corporation
18 Chatsworth Place
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3K9
info@mansis.com
Telephone (204) 770-2184
North America toll free phone 1-888-445-7575
18 Chatsworth Place
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3K9
info@mansis.com
Telephone (204) 770-2184
North America toll free phone 1-888-445-7575
