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Shaping Change Positively

When a change is proposed in the workplace, our first thoughts invariably turn to how we think it will affect us.

From the start, change seems to be personal, so our own initial response to change is important. If we’re not really aware of this it can easily take us down a difficult path, simply because of the initial assumptions we have made. Being aware of how we react to change, and the choices we have, are the first steps towards shaping change positively.

So with change try to:

1 Recognise your initial reaction to the change, and test the implicit assumptions you have made.

2 Think of change from a different perspective - see it through other peoples eyes.

3 Ask your self how you can respond positively to the change.

4 Engage in shaping change - there is often much that can be done to make change more positive than it at first might seem.

Often change happens for reasons beyond our control, or because of factors that are external to the organisation or our team.

Whilst the reason behind the change might be beyond our control, our response isn't. We always have a choice with change, and there is usually more potential to shape change than we might initially think.

Too often we allow changes to shape us rather than being proactive and choosing to help shape the future in a positive way.

As American writer and futurist, Alvin Toffler perceptively remarked:

“It is true that if we do not learn from history we may have to re-live it, but if we do not change the future we may have to endure it – and that could be worse”

Do More with Less

Managers are increasingly being asked to do more with less. How though do you achieve this? A good place to start is with three principles that need to come together to set the context for doing more with less. They can be summed up as the Eff words.

1. Effective - Having a definite or desired effect. Doing the right things.

2. Efficient - Productive with minimum waste or effort. Doing things right.

3. Effortless - Seemingly without effort; natural, easy. Doing things easily.

A fundamental principle of doing more with less is to combine each of these words. Effectiveness is the main aim, doing the right things always takes precedent over doing things well. Only then do you consider efficiency. Efficiency is about doing the right things well. Finally effectiveness and efficiency come together when they are done with minimum of effort, applying the resources required to achieve organisational goals. Elegant and simple processes are integral to being effective and efficient.

So to begin finding ways to do more with less ask these three questions:

Why are we carrying out this activity?

How well are we doing things?

How can we simplify what we do?

Not just getting things done, getting the right things done.

In a recent workshop with a group of managers we looked at something that often causes confusion. Dealing with confusion caused by other people or events is one thing, but try not to confuse effectiveness with efficiency. This is often one of the main issues with poor use of resources and something all managers should be able to address.

Be honest, how much time and effort would you say is wasted on efficiency, even if this is done in the name of effectiveness. How often do we accumulate activities, routines and processes, over time, which we then need to check regularly just to see how efficiently they are being performed.

But when do we stop to ask: is this the most effective way of doing something?

Efficiency begs the question: how are we doing something.

Effectiveness begs a much better question: why are we doing it?

Doing things right might result in efficiency, but too much focus here can stop you being effective by doing the right things.

Team Building Resources

Welcome to the Happy Manager's page of team building resources. A rich supply of practical and inspirational resources to help you find a better way to build a team. Whether you're seeking team building ideas or products to help you lead a team effectively, there will be something for you in this growing growing collection of links to our free downloads, our own products, and a range of relevant products from our affiliate partners.

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Time Management Resources

Welcome to the Happy Manager's page of time management resources. A rich supply of practical and inspirational resources to help you find a better way to manage your time. This page contains a growing collection of links to relevant products from our affiliate partners.

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Employee Personal Development Resources

Welcome to the Happy Manager's page of employee personal development resources. A rich supply of practical and inspirational resources to help bring out the best in you and the people you manage. This page contains a growing collection of links to our free downloads, our own e-guides, and a range of relevant products from our affiliate partners. All to help with your and your employee personal development.

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MBA Starting Salaries: It's Pay-back Time!

Let's face it, MBA starting salaries are pretty important to anyone interested in gaining that qualification. Quite rightly so, considering the investment any MBA student makes in time, effort and finance. So where do you go to find useful, reliable information to inform your decision about committing to an MBA?

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MBA Program Rankings: Issues and Insights

MBA program rankings are used widely by prospective students and employers, but these ranking lists have also generated a good deal of controversy. As useful as such lists may be, they should always be used with an element of caution. Here we discuss some of the issues you should be aware of when consulting MBA ranking lists.

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MBA Business School Ranking Criteria

What exactly is an MBA business school ranking? Thinking about an MBA's rank can be a useful exercise when you're trying to decide which program is best for you, but are these rankings really that straightforward? Independent ranking systems can help inform your decisions but it's important to think carefully about what each ranking system means. In this article we look at three of the most popular ranking systems and the differences in their criteria and focus.

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MBA School Rankings

MBA school rankings have gained significant popularity and importance as a way to compare different business schools and their MBA offers. To help you with your search for the right MBA for you, we've written several pages of useful tips and links. This page introduces you to MBA school rankings and gives you links to three of the most popular lists.

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Business School Executive MBA Explained

What differentiates a business school executive MBA from any other kind of MBA? Deciding to study for any such course is a big decision, requiring an even bigger investment and commitment. So it's important to make sure you choose the right one. In this article we discuss how an executive MBA differs from a traditional MBA, and how you can make sure you get the best from the executive program.

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Most Read Pages on the Happy Manager

Find our most popular pages with our regularly updated list of most read pages. Here's a list of last month's most popular pages.

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Management Consulting Leadership Training Development....What are Businesses Looking for in a Provider?

Management Consulting Leadership Training Development....What are businesses looking for in their training providers? There can be few decisions more important for a business than finding the right help in developing their leaders and managers. After all, managers are central to the growth and health of an organization.

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Stages of Team Building: What are the Problems?

What are the common problems found during the different stages of team building, and how do you avoid them? Find the answers in our e-guide: The Problems with Teams. 30 pages of team building ideas, insights, tips, and tools.

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Management Concepts Training Courses Programs: From MBA Programs to Leadership and Management Training

Management concepts training courses programs - this is our collection of articles, tips, tools and resources for managers interested in keeping up to date. Whether you're already studying, thinking of applying for a program, or just keen on developing management skills yourself, there is something here to help.

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Developing Management Skills: Focus on the 8 P's of Effective Management

Developing management skills is perhaps one of the most critical activities facing any organization. Yet it can also be one of the most complicated, given the diversity of the average manager's work. How do you go about developing the broad range of skills managers need to be effective? Start with a focus on the 8 P's of Effective Management.

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Team Building Exercises: 15 Ways to Build a Better Team

This guide contains a selection of team building exercises designed to help you build a better team. The exercises can be used for a variety of purposes such as: introducing ideas; fostering team bonding; developing teamwork skills. They are conveniently grouped to help you with teams at each of the four team development stages.

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Team Building Essentials: Time for a Team Health Check?

This e-guide uses 10 team building essentials for our structured, systematic Team Health Check. Teams will only grow and flourish when they are properly managed and cared for. Where this is neglected, the result will eventually be ill-health. This e-guide has been designed to help you create and maintain a healthy team. It will show you how to evaluate the current state of your team's health and how to deal with your findings.

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Leadership and Professional Development: Be in the Know

At the heart of leadership and professional development is the idea of building a core of knowledge that becomes an essential part of your expertise. Most of us are familiar with the kind of knowledge to be gained from management and leadership courses, or MBA programs. However, alongside this type of knowledge there is other wisdom which, though perhaps more applied and tacit in nature, is equally important for leaders and managers.

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Effective Management Skills: Making it Happen

Effective management skills must first and foremost be about getting things done. Here we discuss 5 key management skills, and end with the real secret to getting things done as a manager.

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Team Building Exercises Ideas, Tools and e-guides

Team building exercises ideas, tools and e-guides is our great value offer. Four e-guides to help you: Build a Better Team; manage the Problems with Teams; conduct a Team Health Check and Team Building Exercises. Plus our free bonus gift!

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Management and Leadership Development Training: It's More Than Course and Classes...

Think for a moment about your own management and leadership development training. Was it based largely on a formal course or qualification? It is ongoing, whether through more courses or by on-the-job-training or development? Both are essential for professional ability and growth. In this article we discuss 6 ways to get the most from your management and leadership development training.

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Business Management Education: Re-thinking Our Approach

Do we need to re-think our approach to business management education? Is it time for more conventional thinking about business management education - lectures and case study discussions - to be turned on its head? Read on to find out how.

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Vision Statements: Can They Cause More Problems Than They Solve?

Can vision statements cause more problems than they solve? One problem with vision statements is that they are a view of what is not yet there - and staff may therefore think of them as too distant, unreal or irrelevant. Assuming they think of them at all! Yet vision, is exactly what is needed in organizations, to lift aspirations above the mundane, to articulate and picture what could be and what should be. Find out 5 ways to make your vision compelling.

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Personal professional development plan resources

Anyone aiming to be a happy manager needs a personal professional development plan. So, if you want to create yours, our 'developing' pages are the best place to start!

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Managing Change in the Workplace: Producing Value

Managing change in the workplace is perhaps one of the most important management tasks. The real importance of managing change is in producing value, both for the organizations you work for, and for the people you manage. That's why this 'producing value' category includes sections on: Change Management; Project Management; and Time Management.

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What we can do for you

What we can do for you on the Happy Manager. Few things are more important than developing good management and leadership skills; it's one area that really shouldn't be left to chance! So we have written the Happy Manager site to help you invest in your own development. The site takes a fresh look at better ways to manage. It is an excellent resource for those who want to create the conditions where work is a dynamic, enriching activity for all - managers, colleagues, customers, shareholders and wider stakeholders.

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What is leadership? Leading on the Happy Manager

What is leadership? We think leadership means shaping, so here you'll find plenty to help shape your understanding of leadership - theory and practice! We bring together ideas that have helped shape the existing world of work, and those which are now starting to shape the future.

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Importance of motivation? It's at the heart of performance!

What's the importance of motivation? We think it lies at the very heart of management. The 'motivating' category contains three sections dealing with this critical management skill: Motivation at Work; Motivational Stories; and Motivational Quotes.

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Services to Business: What the Happy Manager can do for your organization

What are our services to business? Important as it is, do you really have time to search for informed, stimulating, challenging, management and leadership development resources? Well that's where the Happy Manager comes in - we'll do that work for you. Partnering with the Happy Manager will help you maximize your management development investment.

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Managing Personal Growth and Professional Expertise

Managing personal growth and professional expertise can be a time consuming business. That's why the Happy Manager contains a series of categories to help you find useful ideas, information and tips as easily as possible.

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Happiness is a serious problem. Why? Because it's not just good for you, it's good for business!

Here's why happiness is a serious problem: it's not just good for you, it's good for business! The 'Being Happy' category contains three sections dealing with happiness and well-being: About Happiness; Happiness at Work; and Sress Management.

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Personal Value Development: You're Worth It!

Your personal value development begins with a simple premise: your development is your responsibility. Here are some tips to help you make your own development a priority, rather than leaving things to chance.

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How to Become Happier at Work? With 'How to Be a Happy Manager: 15 Essential Tips!'

How to become happier at work? Well if you're a manager you can find out in our new e-guide: How to be a Happy Manager. In 15 concise tips, this guide shows how happiness is good for managers, the people they manage, and the organizations that employ them.

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Free Performance Appraisals Guide: It's All About Performance

Download our free performance appraisals and management guide: It's All About Performance. Start improving your performance management right now! We'd like to offer you this taste of our quality management resources - absolutely free!

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Performance Appraisal Tools: The Performance Management Toolkit

Would you like to learn how to carry out productive performance appraisals? Then look no further! Conducting a Performance Review is our 33 page, step-by-step e-guide, packed with practical insights, tips, and 8 performance appraisal tools.

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Performance Appraisal Methods: 15 Performance Management Tips

Some of the most effective performance appraisal methods are brought together in our e-guide, 15 Performance Management Tips. This guide is essential reading if you want some great ideas to apply, with concise but vital tips to help raise performance levels.

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Good Management Skills - the Key to Managing Your Own Performance

This e-guide is designed to help you develop good management skills. Performance management isn't just about helping others to perform. It;s also about your own performance. We all know that managing effectively can be hard work - demanding and a balancing act. But if you're going to manage the performance of other people, you need to ensure your performance is up to the task!

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Employee Motivation Factors - the Key to Motivating Employees to Perform

Managing the mix of employee motivation factors is a critical step to improving performance in your teams. That's just what our e-guide: Motivating Employees to Perform will help you to do. 37 pages packed with practical insights, tips, and 10 performance motivation tools.

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Basic Management Skills? Develop Your Performance Management Skills!

Mastering some basic management skills is the secret behind being good at managing performance. This guide is a resource to help you identify the specific skills needed to manage performance, and to help you develop them quickly and effectively.

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SWOT Analysis.

What is a SWOT analysis? If you want to understand the business you are in, SWOT is one of the best known tools to help you do that. Here we explore what it is and how to use it.

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PESTLE Analysis.

What is PESTLE analysis? PESTLE is one of the best know management tools. Here we explore what it is and how to use it to help understand the environment in which your organization operates.

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Performance Management Articles

Looking for performance management articles, tools and tips? Here is our growing range of resources designed to introduce some essential ideas on performance management. Plus a few more to help you reflect on how you currently think about performance at work.

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15 Personal Development Strategy Tips

A personal development strategy begins with a simple premise: your development is your responsibility. Here are 15 tips to help you make your own development a priority, rather than leaving things to chance.

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Management Skill Training: Performance Requires Practice

Management skill training is fundamentally about practice. Without practice there is no performance. Here are 5 tips to build performance through practice.

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Formal Performance Appraisal (Be Prepared)

Most organizations have some kind of formal performance appraisal. If you are responsible for conducting such an appraisal you need to make sure you are well-prepared. In this article we will outline some steps to take and some questions to ask. If you want to conduct a productive performance appraisal, ensure your preparation is thorough, and that you are well equipped to make the process a success.

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What is Performance Appraisal? A waste of time or are we missing something?

What is performance appraisal? Not many people look forward to their performance appraisal and perhaps even fewer managers look forward to conducting them. Are they a waste of time, merely ticking the corporate box to show they have been done? Or is there something important we are missing about performance appraisals?

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Define Performance Management: Inspiring Performance

Can you define performance management in a way that captures the heart of the process? Ensure your performance management process is about the performance, and not just about the process

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Self Performance Appraisal

Arguably, performance management is as much about self performance appraisal as about your manager's view or perspective. In this article we suggest some questions to ask yourself when reviewing your own performance.

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Definition of Performance Appraisal

What is your definition of performance appraisal? Far too many managers might believe that it's an annual review of an employee's performance within an organization. However, this is perhaps too simplistic if performance appraisal is to be truly effective.

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