How To Take Advantage Of The 80/20 Rule

If you are like most knowledge workers, you might be familiar with the 80/20 rule or the Pareto Principle which states that the 80% of the effects come from the 20% of causes. This means that 80% of your output is produced by 20% of your input. If you apply the same principle to  why you are lagging from your productivity goals, 80% of your woes can be attributed to the 20% of your activities. The key is to find which 20% is this.

80% of your output is produced by 20% of your input

80% of Your Output Comes From 20% of Your Input

The average number of hours we spend at the office is 8 hours. 80% of our output on any single day is produced by 20% of our effort in that whole 8 hours. If the Pareto Principle holds true, then majority of our daily output basically comes from less than 2 hours of our whole effort in that 8-hour period. They key to productivity, then, is to identify the 2 hours window you are producing the most. If you solidly focus on working on those 2 hours, chances are you can produce 80% of your required daily output.

Set Your No-Fly Zone

If you are working from 9AM to 5PM, set aside those 2 hours in which no other activities  can intervene in your work. You need to arrange everything in advance. If you think most office collaborations not related to your tasks are scheduled in the morning until about noon, then that is not probably the best time to set your no-fly zone.

Appoint Your Off-Limit Hours

Some surveys say that the most effective time to call (marketing call, that is) is 10AM. Most emails come around this time. This is also the best time to have a coffee break. If you think that you are most effective at around this time, then you have to find a way to adjust. The key here is to make your officemates respect your off-limits hours.

Learn When To Say Yes and When To Say No

Your ability to say yes or no on certain things can really make a difference in the context of the 80/20 rule. You can only accommodate so much. Once you set your no-fly zone or appointed your off-limits hours, people will have the idea when they can approach you. Saying ‘no’ is a virtue when it comes to Pareto Principle.

What do you think is the best way to leverage the 80/20 rule to achieve your productivity goals? Do you have any examples that can prove the principle? Have you taken advantage of it yet? Read the The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best to have a solid idea about the 80/20 rule.

 by Marlon Ribunal.

المبادئ الأساسية للقيادة الإدارية

المبادئ الأساسية للقيادة الإدارية

أولاً : التزم بمبدأ الاستقامة التامة في كل ما تعمل:
 ويشمل ذلك القواعد التالية : لا تخلف وعداً أو عهداً ، أفعل ما هو الصواب حتى لو كنت أنت الشخص الوحيد الذي يعلم أنك تفعله . دائماً أختار الأمر الصعب الصحيح ، بدلاً من السهل الخاطئ .
ثانيا : كافح في أن تكون خبيراً في مجال عملك :

 لأن الخبرة مصدر هام من مصادر السلطة لدى القائد . ان الناس عادة ما يشعرون بالطمأنينة مع قادة يتمتعون بخبرة ومعرفة جيدة في مجال اختصاصهم.
ثالثا : قل للآخرين ما تتوقعه واستعمل لغة قوية للتأثير في نفوس المستمعين: 

وفي توضيح أهداف ورؤى وقيم المؤسسة وأعد خطة لما تنوى الوصول إليه ثم ابدأ في تنفيذها ، وراقب رد الفعل على الخطة ، وقرر هل هناك حاجة لتعديل في الاستراتيجية  ام لا.
 رابعا :كن ملتزماً وصادقاً في التزامك:

  حيث سيزيد ذلك حماس من تقودهم إذا شعروا بأنك تتقبل المخاطر في سبيل الإصرار والالتزام بمواقفك . وهذا يتم بتمسكك بهذا النهج حتى في أوقات العسرة ، وحل المشاكل التي تبدو مستحيلة للآخرين .
خامسا : توقع الأفضل: تعود على أن تكون لديك رؤية مبنية على الثقة بالنفس لما تود أن تحققه وهو(النجاح) ، وليس على نظرة سلبية لما لا ترغب في تحقيقه (الفشل) .حيث  أن التفكير الإيجابي له قوة دافعة ، ولكن بشرط أن يتزود بوقود من الحماس.
سادسا : أهتم بشؤون من تقود :

 ضع حاجة من هم تحت ادرتك في أعلى قائمة اولوياتك . إذا أختلت الأمور ، فتحمل المسؤولية والملامة .
سابعا : ضع الآخرين في المقام الأول :
فكر في من هم تحت ادارتك  قبل أن تفكر في نفسك احتفل معهم بالنجاح بالأطراء عليهم أكثر ما يمكن . قاسمهم الآلام حتى لو يسبب لك ذلك بعض المضايقات ، أو تجد في ذلك صعوبة ، أو يكون مكلفاً من حيث الوقت أو المال أو غير ذلك من الموارد .
ثامنا :  افعل ما تعنيه كلمة القيادة: أي كن في المقدمة إذا كنت لا ترغب في أداء عمل تطلب من غيرك تنفيذه ، فلا تطلب منهم القيام بذلك العمل . أن القائد الناجح يتألق نجمه في ميدان العمل، أما القائد العاجز فيختبئ في مكتبه ويصدر الأوامر .

The Top Ten Principles for Communication in the 21st Century

• Character is a differentiator –This is all about trust both for organizations and individuals.  There’s a critical need to sync up the culture and reputation of organizations.  At the same time, credible leaders and organizations need to focus on actions and then follow with words 
• No one leadership style is preferred – What’s most important to know is one’s style and then to flex your style in various situations.  Authentic leadership is about being more of who you are in the workplace (and knowing yourself – see below) with high visibility, high impact communications that inspire and motivate others to action.
• There’s a greater need to imagine and advance a vision – Leaders inspire others by being able to paint a picture of the future they envision, and encourage others to help them get there.  They codify their strategy with communication artifacts that keep teams and the organization focused.
• People really are the greatest asset – Everything that gets done today is through people.  When set up for success, employees will continue to play a much larger role in Brand- and reputation-building by positively impacting the “moment of truth” and advocating on behalf of the organization to get its story out and be part of important conversations.
• Everyone is a leader – Leadership is something in which everyone participates, no matter whether one manages people or not.  Everyone can and must lead no matter what one does.
• There’s a greater focus on self – Before you can lead others, you need to first know and understand yourself.
• Change is the norm – Change is constant and leaders increasingly need to be able to deal with ambiguity and adapt to change.
• Employees everywhere have the same fundamental communication needs  – This isn’t changing.  Meeting employee’s communication needs and answering The Eight Key Questions™ All Employees Have give you the best chance of engaging them, especially during change.
• More and better listening, individually and systematically  –  Leaders  need to talk less and listen more.  Additionally, leaders need reliable data to understand the communication climate and specifically how they’re doing so they can know what to stop, start, and continue, and how to better meet employees’ communication needs.
• The communication system is better honed to manage overload and inefficiencies – E-nough already!  Re-balance the communication system by taking away what’s not useful according to employees, setting expectations for effective communication, and empowering employees to improve their communication skills and etiquette.
  
  by David Grossman 

6 Tips for becoming a better listener:

1. It’s not about you: Stop worrying about what you’re going to say and focus on what’s being said. Don’t listen to have your opinions validated or your ego stroked, listen to be challenged and to learn something new. You’re not always right, so stop pretending you know everything and humble yourself to others. If you desire to be listened to, then give others the courtesy of listening to them.

2. You should never be too busy to listen: Anyone can add value to your world if you’re willing to listen. How many times have you dismissed someone because of their station or title when what you should have done was listen? Wisdom doesn't just come from peers and those above you – it can come from anywhere at anytime, but only if you’re willing to listen. Expand your sphere of influence and learn from those with different perspectives and experiences – you’ll be glad you did.

3. Listen to non-verbals: People say as much (if not more) with their actions, inactions, body language, facial expressions, etc., as they do with their verbal communications. Don’t be lulled into thinking because someone isn’t saying something they’re not communicating. In fact, most people won’t overtly verbalize opposition or disagreement, but they will almost always deliver a verry clear message with their non-verbals.

4. Listen for opportunity: Intuitive listeners are looking for the story behind the message, and the opportunity beyond the issue. Listening is about discovery, and discovery can not only impact the present, but it can also influence the future. Opportunities rarely come from talking, but they quite frequently come from observing and listening.

5. Let listening be your calling card: One of the best compliments you can be paid is to be known as a good listener. Being recognized in this fashion will open doors, surface opportunities, and take you places talking never could. Listening demonstrates that you respect others, and is the first step in building trust and rapport.

6. Recognize the contributions of others: One of the most often overlooked aspects of listening is thanking others for their contributions. If you glean benefits from listening to someone, thank them. Even if no value is perceived, thank them for their time and input. Never forget to acknowledge those who contribute energy, ideas, actions or results. Few things go as far in building good will as recognizing others.

 by Mike Myatt

5 Essential Skills for Contemporary Leaders

1. Operating with trust. In a world where it’s hard to differentiate a real photograph from one created by computer wizardry, and more people trust infomercials than organizational leaders, trust is the new workplace currency. Trustworthiness is now the number one quality people want in their leaders. But operating with authentic trust requires more than behavioral integrity, the alignment of words and actions. It also requires performance trust, self-trust, and relationship trust.

2. Becoming an independent thinker. Bandwagon “solutions” for the ills troubling organizations or employees are often gobbled up by leaders and reinforced by trade and business publications featuring successful examples of the “new” thinking or approach. Yet complex problems plaguing most groups and businesses don’t have bandwagon solutions. Successful leaders are not herd followers. They cultivate an active personal practice of curiosity, alternative perspectives, expanded sources, and challenging assumptions.

3. Applying dependable politics. Getting things done the “right way” is what it means to apply dependable politics at work. “Right” in this context implies operating with ethics, integrity, and a positive use of influence others can count on. It means building lasting relationships. To do that requires an understanding of healthy conflict and the power of stories, plus a consistent application of c’s: collaborate, cooperate, consider, and contribute.

4. Enabling transition after change. Who would you follow? Someone having difficulty handling the constancy of change, or someone who practices and uses tradition tools to move themselves and others forward? Enabling transition requires choosing growth, even for change you did not choose, and reinventing yourself along the way. It also requires helping those you lead do the same. Transition follows change. Enabling it is an essential skill.

5. Being self-aware. Authentic leadership yields natural followership. It springs from self-awareness, and understanding one’s own thoughts and actions, and how they impact others. Too many pre-recession leaders have focused only on outer-work. That’s the skills, knowledge, information, or know-how. Contemporary leaders must add inner work to their skill palette to increase self-awareness. Both are needed to be a leader others will enthusiastically give their best ideas, discretionary efforts, and great work to in today’s world.

Guest post by Nan S. Russell:

5 Ps of Strategy :

About the 5 Ps

Mintzberg first wrote about the 5 Ps of Strategy in 1987. Each of the 5 Ps is a different approach to strategy. They are:

1. Plan.
2. Ploy.
3. Pattern.
4. Position.
5. Perspective.

By understanding each P, you can develop a robust business strategy that takes full advantage of your organization's strengths and capabilities.

In this article, we'll explore the 5 Ps in more detail, and we'll look at tools that you can use in each area.

1. Strategy as a Plan

Planning is something that many managers are happy with, and it's something that comes naturally to us. As such, this is the default, automatic approach that we adopt – brainstorming options and planning how to deliver them.

This is fine, and planning is an essential part of the strategy formulation process.

Our articles on PEST Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Brainstorming help you think about and identify opportunities; the article on practical business planning looks at the planning process in more detail; and our sections on change management andproject management teach the skills you need to deliver the strategic plan in detail.

The problem with planning, however, is that it's not enough on its own. This is where the other four Ps come into play.

2. Strategy as Ploy

Mintzberg says that getting the better of competitors, by plotting to disrupt, dissuade, discourage, or otherwise influence them, can be part of a strategy. This is where strategy can be a ploy, as well as a plan.

For example, a grocery chain might threaten to expand a store, so that a competitor doesn't move into the same area; or a telecommunications company might buy up patents that a competitor could potentially use to launch a rival product.

Here, techniques and tools such as the Futures Wheel, Impact Analysis andScenario Analysis can help you explore the possible future scenarios in which competition will occur. Our article on Game Theory then gives you powerful tools for mapping out how the competitive "game" is likely to unfold, so that you can set yourself up to win it.

3. Strategy as Pattern

Strategic plans and ploys are both deliberate exercises. Sometimes, however, strategy emerges from past organizational behavior. Rather than being an intentional choice, a consistent and successful way of doing business can develop into a strategy.

For instance, imagine a manager who makes decisions that further enhance an already highly responsive customer support process. Despite not deliberately choosing to build a strategic advantage, his pattern of actions nevertheless creates one.

To use this element of the 5 Ps, take note of the patterns you see in your team and organization. Then, ask yourself whether these patterns have become an implicit part of your strategy; and think about the impact these patterns should have on how you approach strategic planning.

Tools such as USP Analysis and Core Competence Analysis can help you with this. A related tool, VRIO Analysis, can help you explore resources and assets (rather than patterns) that you should focus on when thinking about strategy.

4. Strategy as Position

"Position" is another way to define strategy - that is, how you decide to position yourself in the marketplace. In this way, strategy helps you explore the fit between your organization and your environment, and it helps you develop a sustainablecompetitive advantage.

For example, your strategy might include developing a niche product to avoid competition, or choosing to position yourself amongst a variety of competitors, while looking for ways to differentiate your services.

When you think about your strategic position, it helps to understand your organization's "bigger picture" in relation to external factors. To do this, use PEST Analysis, Porter's Diamond, and Porter's Five Forces to analyze your environment - these tools will show where you have a strong position, and where you may have issues.

As with "Strategy as a Pattern," Core Competence Analysis, USP Analysis, andVRIO Analysis can help you craft a successful competitive position. You can also use SWOT Analysis to identify what you do well, and to uncover opportunities.

Note:
There can be a lot of overlap between "Strategy as Position" and other elements of the 5 Ps. For instance, you can also achieve a desired position through planning, and by using a ploy. Don't worry about these overlaps - just get as much value as you can from the different approaches.

5. Strategy as Perspective

The choices an organization makes about its strategy rely heavily on its culture – just as patterns of behavior can emerge as strategy, patterns of thinking will shape an organization's perspective, and the things that it is able to do well.

For instance, an organization that encourages risk-taking and innovation from employees might focus on coming up with innovative products as the main thrust behind its strategy. By contrast, an organization that emphasizes the reliable processing of data may follow a strategy of offering these services to other organizations under outsourcing arrangements.

12 keys to a great PowerPoint presentation

1. Have a point.

2. Do an outline.

3. When in doubt, leave it out.

4. Highlight personal benefits.

5. Use powerful images.

6. Use images to simplify complex ideas.

7. Use slides for emphasis, not exposition.

8. Use humor carefully and selectively.

9. Ask great questions.

10. Rehearse again and again.

11. Solicit audience feedback afterward.

12. Watch yourself on video.

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