Talent Management, Acquisition and the Importance of Role Consultancy

Introduction

In all businesses today, aligning human resource management with business strategy has become an important element to succeed. Organisational restructuring, managing key resource requirements, performance management systems, career and succession planning have all been re-aligned to form synergy with the company's overall business strategy.

With increased competition, changing workforce demographics, talent shortages and increased globalization, many organizations are now proactively studying leadership, demographic and economic trends, to prepare for their future workforce needs. HR departments are developing comprehensive workforce plans and talent management strategies centered on attracting, assessing, selecting, engaging, and retaining talent

Talent Management, Acquisition and the Importance of Role Consultancy

The practice of Talent Management is more important in today's economy than it has ever been. Now in the new millennium, we find ourselves in the talent age. In the new millennium the only unique asset that many companies have to maintain a competitive edge is their people. In the global market place and every industry around the world, it is the talent and its management that differentiates and sets the tone for success or failure
To achieve organizational goals, one must synchronize their business strategy and human capital strategy. Successful organisations have the right talent in place at all levels - people who look beyond the obvious and take the business into the future. The basis for ensuring this is an integrated approach to talent management.

Finding and keeping the right people has an enormous effect on one's organization's financial performance. Identifying these talents and hiring people whose talents are similar to those of top performers are crucial steps toward achieving individual and organizational success Talent management and leadership development remain the biggest Human Resources challenges. The two issues are rated "highly critical for success" Talent management means aligning talent strategies with organisational needs; attracting and selecting the right people, identifying and shaping their potential and fuelling their enthusiasm and commitment

Effective talent management is a critical business goal for all leading organisations in today's economy. Human resource management is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goals of each other are met. The role of Human Resource manager is shifting from that of a protector and screener to the role of a planner and change agent. The knowledge age moved the basis of economic value to information assets through integrated communications and computer technology. Now the competitive battlefront is for the best people because they are the true creators of value. PEOPLE provide unique knowledge, an inherent component of the value-proposition that PEOPLE bring to an organization; knowledge gained through education, training, and experience. Investment in PEOPLE will position organizations for continual innovation in an increasingly diverse, competitive and ever-changing climate

Human capital is the most vital resource in any organization and also the most difficult to manage. Today the success of Human Resources professionals is directly linked to the quality of talent and its productivity and they are being held accountable to deliver on stringent and measurable performance metrices. Building a competitive talent pool is a function of attracting, engaging and retaining the right mix of competencies. Companies are also increasingly hiring employees whose personalities and values reflect those of the organization

Talent Management is more and more business critical to organizations, bringing with it, new visibility and challenges. For Human resources people, employees are the face of company's brand and the most vital asset of one's business. They drive organisation's productivity and profitability. Aligning Talent Acquisition to the organization's strategic objectives is imperative to the success of the organization and Human Resources tend to concentrate in recruiting those key people and focus their attention and resources on developing them. Indian organizations are also witnessing a change in systems, management cultures and philosophy due to the global alignment of Indian organizations. There is a need for multi skill development.

It would be apt at this juncture to recapitulate on the nuances on Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition are used synonymously but there is quite a lot of difference between the two. Recruitment involves the process of filling up of the vacancies where as talent acquisition shows the strategic hiring of talent not only for the current requirement but also planning for future. McKinsey & Company (1997) that coined the term 'the war of talent', predicted that there is high demand for managerial talent in future. The survey report insisted on five elements for tapping the successful talent such as talent mindset, growing great leaders, employee value proposition, continuous top talent recruitment and differentiation. Hence the companies need to be forearmed to anticipate and determine the talents.

Recruiting- been viewed as a transactional, commodity based business function to fill job openings with qualified people. In contrast, Talent Acquisition is distinct elements of the Talent Management continuum, a proactive, strategic function, procuring talent for the organization's value add. Talent Acquisition is no longer a silo in the human resource function, but collaboration with specialists from other functional areas within Talent Management to posture a company for talent who will evolve and become strategic partners within the organization. Talent Management/Acquisition asks: do we have a strategy in place to attract and retain qualified employees; do we know what business is in the pipeline, what the staffing needs are for the next six-twelve months, bill rates that determine potential candidate salaries, etc

On moving to a Talent Acquisition model there is a significant difference between those organizations that practice recruiting and those that have a talent acquisition practices

Recruiting- To identify & select a person for a position.
Talent - A special often creative, artistic or mental gift.
Acquisition - To gain possession of something as a result of effort or experience.

Strategic Talent Acquisition takes a long-term view of not only filling positions today, but also using the candidates that come out of a recruiting campaign as a means to fill similar positions in the future In the most enlightened cases of Strategic Talent Acquisition, clients will recruit today for positions that do not even exist today but are expected to become available in the future. Recruiting is involved on the front end of the process; Talent Acquisition would be as a collaborative business partner. Aligning Talent Acquisition to the organization's strategic objectives is imperative to the success of the organization

Role of Consultancy in Talent Acquisition and Talent Management.

The Talent Acquisition needs of companies are becoming more and more intricate - which means more focus and effort for proper functioning. Cross location, multiple skills, blend of technologies and personal attributes makes the hiring process a very involved effort

By outsourcing Talent Acquisition function, the organisation can focus on core business issues, while they have a reliable framework of Talent supply. This is a new emerging paradigm which is making a lot of companies tread this path. Nurturing Human Capital via Talent Management, would be the focus of Talent acquisition and recruitment. Recruitment Support includes activities from pre- and final- screening, interview management, Offer Management and Data Management. Recruitment is integral to talent management and requires considerable executive management mindshare. Recruiting is changing fast, with myriad challenges facing those responsible for attracting, hiring and retaining top talent.

The role of human resources has shifted within most leading organizations and Human Resource practitioners are now required to demonstrate value to the business. Talent acquisition platform can be configured to fit the size and structure of any recruiting organization Working closely with the business, Talent Acquisition Consultant- would manage all Experienced Hire Recruitment

Talent Acquisition Consultancy would work in cohesion and coordinate with the respective & assigned business function(s) to source, recruit and select the best Talent for the organiation

Talent Acquisition Consultancy - would work in the role of a partner to align strategies that would support business objectives and create processes, tools and cultures that attract, motivate, engage and retain strong, high-potential Talent.

Talent Acquisition Consultancy- with the background and exposure of global competence in executive recruiting, and also country specific knowledge; will be in position to play a critically important role in identifying high profile executives and recruiting top global talent. Talent Search Service would range from single assignment to regional or global and could include multiple positions in various locations

Talent Acquisition Consultancy Would Play A Significant Role In

Identifying Top/Senior level Talent for all business groups and be responsible for identification, recruitment and on-boarding of senior level leaders throughout the organization utilizing direct sourcing techniques including personal networking, online search, and leveraging internal tools and resources

Responsible for providing creative sourcing solutions to customers in a consultative role. Recruiting through a variety of sources, including Internet, professional associations, networking, advertisements, job fairs, university relations, etc. Function as a full business partner to develop staffing processes, identify business issues and recommend innovative solutions.

Find, assess, engage, hire, and on-board the highest quality candidates, especially in the critical skill areas. Assess candidate skills, background and fit so as to predict performance levels and styles with a high degree of accuracy.

Manage the full life-cycle of the recruiting process - Recruit / Source, contact, screen candidates.

Assess candidate's competency to include job fit, motivational fit and culture fit.

Source, identify, and screen candidates to determine if their technical ability, attitude and personality make them a fit for the Client's culture

Develop candidate talent pipelines through sourcing channels, recruitment campaigns, internet searches, networking groups, social media, database search

Talent Management

Once the Talent Acquisition process is completed the human resource professionals have to concentrate on the next level of Talent Management- Talent Development. It is necessary to develop the skills of the employees through Training and Development Talent Management in organizations is not just limited to attracting the best people from the industry but it is a continuous process that involves sourcing, hiring, developing, retaining and promoting them while meeting the organization's requirements simultaneously

Talent Management, as the name itself suggests is managing the ability, competency and power of employees within an organization. The concept is not restricted to recruiting the right candidate at the right time but it extends to exploring the hidden and unusual qualities of one's employees and developing and nurturing them to get the desired results. Hiring the best talent from the industry may be a big concern for the organizations today but retaining them and most importantly, transitioning them according to the culture of the organization and getting the best out of them is a much bigger concern

To achieve success in business, the most important thing is to recognize the talent that can accompany one in achieving one's goal. Attracting them to work for you and strategically fitting them at a right place in your organization is the next step. It is to be remembered that placing a candidate at a wrong place can multiply one's problems regardless of the qualifications, skills, abilities and competency of that person

Talent Acquisition and Talent retention are like the two sides of a coin that are critical in the human capital management. Innovative technologies are to be adopted to enhance the process of Talent Management. With the dynamic situation prevailing in the global employability status, the role of human resource managers is very imperative in maintaining the talent balance. Holistic cum participatory approach is to be followed for harnessing the real benefits of Talent Management system. The Talent Management system that acts as a driver to performance excellence has to be integrated with the rest of the areas in the company and through effective Talent Management strategy.

The practice of talent management would involve no of strategies used in the management of human capital resources and their application. We shall dwell on few critical issues that are imperative in the management of talent and their significance:- i. e for Talent Management Best Practices:-

Key points & factors

Talent Acquisition
Assessing organizational talent readiness and execution capability Identifying talent gaps Identifying mission critical positions selection- identification- & recruitment- of right people assessment- assessing competencies of apt profile

Retaining Talent

In the current climate of change, it's critical to hold onto the key people. These are the people who will lead the organisation to future success, and the organisation can't afford to lose them
Employees are more likely to join stay within an organization if they believe the prospects are good for longer-term career and leadership development

To realise this and to attract and retain Talent -Organisation need to have a

Workforce planning ·building a road map for implementation

Diversity programmes designed to develop, retain and promote diverse Talent

Career Planning- - scope of advancement in career for employees- their effort being valued and recognized-

Selecting Talent:- Management should implement proven Talent selection systems and tools to create profiles of the right people based on the competencies of high performers. It's not simply a matter of finding the "best and the brightest," it's about creating the right fit - both for today and tomorrow.
Coaching and Mentoring- development of-new competencies. Using development to drive business objectives Building an effective development plan Development of employees - for a elevated and key position

Developing processes for Succession Planning and Talent pipelines

Managing Succession: Effective organisations anticipate the leadership and Talent requirement to succeed in the future. Leaders understand that it's critical to strengthen their Talent pool through succession planning, professional development, job rotation and workforce planning. They need to identify potential Talent and groom it.

The cost of replacing a valued employee is enormous. Organisations need to promote diversity and design strategies to retain people, reward high performance and provide opportunities for development.
It's imperative to assess existing talent within the organization. Talented and ambitious people are more likely to stay with their current employer if they receive positive development, motivation and encouragement to reach their potential

Organisation need to focus on managing the needs of individual employees, in alignment with organizational objectives, while identifying and deploying top performers accordingly.

a) For the individual: Coaching and mentoring based on discovered needs.
b) For the work team: Identifying top performers, or "stars," and capitalizing on their talent.
c) For the organization: Maximizing return on investment by putting the right person with the right skills in the right job at the right time

Identification & selection of - high performers- represent the requisite competencies of the organisation and also inspiration to others to follow suit.

Focusing on Core Talent

Companies are increasingly looking at bringing exceptional talent on board for those roles that are core to their business and·building a business case for inclusion in the organizations strategic policy
In an increasingly global business world, where teams work across borders, understanding different work cultures is the key to success.

In India, there is a high demand for good talent and hence a lot of attention is being given to retaining and engaging that talent. Retaining talent for Indian companies has become a key factor in their growth strategies.

We shall just give a brief sketeh of talent management systems adopted in an Indian organisation.

Mahindra and Mahindra -- A US . 5 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, with more than 137,000 people in over 100 countries, in the business of utility vehicles, information technology, tractors, and vacation ownership- - created a robust Talent Management system to attract, nurture and promote employees.

Anand Mahindra, the group's 57-year-old vice-chairman and managing director has been grooming some key leaders to replace the ageing stars. A Talent Management programme conceptualised in 2004 to chart out the succession plan for top executives, has already produced eight key leaders.

For the group, organisational restructuring posed the greatest challenge keeping in mind the changing dynamics in the business especially the tractor and automotive division. the re-alignment was necessitated by changing dynamics in the business environment. the objective was to grow leadership positions in the UV and tractor market and developing successful businesses in relatively new business areas like IT, financial services, realty and infrastructure development and also service industries like Time share (Club Mahindra). "Keeping in mind the new business objectives the challenge was to re-orient the human resource management towards these objectives. "

To achieve these objectives the company began a full reassessment of organisation and management structure with the help of consultants like Mckinsey's, Arthur Anderson and Korn Ferry. The outcome was, clear roles and responsibilities were identified and the competency required for each role was mapped. The officers went through individual assessments of competencies against the requirement of each role. External consultants as well as internal assessors ran assessment centres and each individual was then placed based on competency and role fitment

THE RETIREMENT OF ARUN NANDA (Executive Director - 2 Years ago) marked the beginning of the end of a long reign of stalwarts. New leaders are already rising and showing every sign that the group's succession planning initiatives will help fill the void. Most are in their forties, rising rapidly and are being thrown into different roles in the group - clues that they are being groomed for greater responsibilities.

Many emerging leaders were inducted onto the group's apex-decision making body Group Executive Board in 2010 in preparation for the retirement of six members on the board.

Anita Arjundas, the 44-year-old head of the real estate business and the lone woman member of the group executive board, mirrors the emergence of a quiet transition that is taking place inside the automobile-to-aviation group.

Conclusion.

Today, companies have become fiercely competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining Talent. The present scenario with abundant opportunities has triggered a wave of employees, perpetually "on the move", forever seeking better opportunities whenever, wherever and however they can

Talented people want to be a part of something they believe in and not just a fat pay package. A culture of commitment is the key to employee retention- a culture that concentrates on vision, mission, values and ambitious goals to attract and hold on to talented people. This culture of commitment can only set in if there are guiding principles or core values that are of intrinsic importance to those in the organisation.

Cultural dimensions as a tool to retain talent zeroes in on functional, technical and control aspects, while simultaneously dealing with inspiration, emotion, energy, enthusiasm, collaboration and camaraderie, openness and a sense of belonging

At the end of the day, creating and delivering a great employee value proposition is clearly the best way to retain good people. Research shows that companies which have recognised the need to give priority to its people management-driven strategies are the winners

Talent Management, Acquisition and the Importance of Role Consultancy
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Will give a good understanding of the Concept of Talent Management and its constituents and its practical relevance and applicability in a True Life Business Environment.

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Main Functions of Management

There are four main functions of management.

1. Planning.
2. Organizing.
3. Leading.
4. Controlling.

Planning.

Main Functions of Management

Planning is an important managerial function. It provides the design of a desired future state and the means of bringing about that future state to accomplish the organization's objectives. In other words, planning is the process of thinking before doing. To solve the problems and take the advantages of the opportunities created by rapid change, managers must develop formal long- and short-range plans so that organizations can move toward their objectives.

It is the foundation area of management. It is the base upon which the all the areas of management should be built. Planning requires administration to assess; where the company is presently set, and where it would be in the upcoming. From there an appropriate course of action is determined and implemented to attain the company's goals and objectives

Planning is unending course of action. There may be sudden strategies where companies have to face. Sometimes they are uncontrollable. You can say that they are external factors that constantly affect a company both optimistically and pessimistically. Depending on the conditions, a company may have to alter its course of action in accomplishing certain goals. This kind of preparation, arrangement is known as strategic planning. In strategic planning, management analyzes inside and outside factors that may affect the company and so objectives and goals. Here they should have a study of strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. For management to do this efficiently, it has to be very practical and ample.

Characteristics of planning.

Ø Goal oriented.
Ø Primacy.
Ø Pervasive.
Ø Flexible.
Ø Continuous.
Ø Involves choice.
Ø Futuristic.
Ø Mental exercise.
Ø Planning premises.

Importance of planning.

* Make objectives clear and specific.
* Make activities meaningful.
* Reduce the risk of uncertainty.
* Facilitators coordination.
* Facilitators decision making.
* Promotes creativity.
* Provides basis of control.
* Leads to economy and efficiency.
* Improves adoptive behavior.
* Facilitates integration.

Formal and informal planning.

Formal planning usually forces managers to consider all the important factors and focus upon both short- and long-range consequences. Formal planning is a systematic planning process during which plans are coordinated throughout the organization and are usually recorded in writing. There are some advantages informal planning. First, formalized planning forces managers to plan because they are required to do so by their superior or by organizational rules. Second, managers are forced to examine all areas of the organization. Third, the formalization it self provides a set of common assumptions on which all managers can base their plans.

Planning that is unsystematic, lacks coordination, and involves only parts of the organizations called informal planning. It has three dangerous deficiencies. First, it may not account for all the important factors. Second, it frequency focuses only on short range consequences. Third, without coordination, plans in different parts of the organization may conflict.

Stages in planning.

The sequential nature of planning means that each stage must be completed before the following stage is begun. A systematic planning progress is a series of sequential activities that lead to the implementation of organizational plans.

The first step in planning is to develop organizational objectives. Second, planning specialists and top management develop a strategic plan and communicate it to middle managers. Third, use the strategic plans to coordinate the development of intermediate plans by middle managers. Fourth, department managers and supervisors develop operating plans that are consistent with the intermediate plans. Fifth, implementation involves making decisions and initiating actions to carry out the plans. Sixth, the final stage, follow-up and control, which is critical.

The organizational planning system.

A coordinated organizational planning system requires that strategic, intermediate, and operating plans be developed in order of their importance to the organization. All three plans are interdependent with intermediate plans based on strategic plans and operating planes based on intermediate plans. Strategic plans are the first to be developed because they set the future direction of the organization and are crucial to the organization's survival. Thus, strategic plans lay the foundation for the development of intermediate and operating plans. The next plans to be developed are the intermediate plans; intermediate plans cover major functional areas within an organization and are the steppingstones to operating plans. Last come operating plans; these provide specific guidelines for the activities within each department.

Organizing.

The second function of the management is getting prepared, getting organized. Management must organize all its resources well before in hand to put into practice the course of action to decide that has been planned in the base function. Through this process, management will now determine the inside directorial configuration; establish and maintain relationships, and also assign required resources.

While determining the inside directorial configuration, management ought to look at the different divisions or departments. They also see to the harmonization of staff, and try to find out the best way to handle the important tasks and expenditure of information within the company. Management determines the division of work according to its need. It also has to decide for suitable departments to hand over authority and responsibilities.

Importance of the organization process and organization structure.

Promote specialization. Defines jobs. Classifies authority and power. Facilitators' coordination. Act as a source of support security satisfaction. Facilitators' adaptation. Facilitators' growth. Stimulators creativity.

Directing (Leading).

Directing is the third function of the management. Working under this function helps the management to control and supervise the actions of the staff. This helps them to assist the staff in achieving the company's goals and also accomplishing their personal or career goals which can be powered by motivation, communication, department dynamics, and department leadership.

Employees those which are highly provoked generally surpass in their job performance and also play important role in achieving the company's goal. And here lies the reason why managers focus on motivating their employees. They come about with prize and incentive programs based on job performance and geared in the direction of the employees requirements.

It is very important to maintain a productive working environment, building positive interpersonal relationships, and problem solving. And this can be done only with Effective communication. Understanding the communication process and working on area that need improvement, help managers to become more effective communicators. The finest technique of finding the areas that requires improvement is to ask themselves and others at regular intervals, how well they are doing. This leads to better relationship and helps the managers for better directing plans.

Controlling.

Managerial control is the follow-up process of examining performance, comparing actual against planned actions, and taking corrective action as necessary. It is continual; it does not occur only at the end of specified periods. Even though owners or managers of small stores may evaluate performance at the end of the year, they also monitor performance throughout the year.

Types of managerial control:

* Preventive control.

Preventive controls are designed to prevent undesired performance before it occurs.

* Corrective control.

Corrective controls are designed to adjust situations in which actual performance has already deviated from planned performance.

Stages in the managerial control process.

The managerial control process is composed of several stages. These stages includes

Determining performance standards. Measuring actual performance. Comparing actual performance against desired performance (performance standards) to determine deviations. Evaluating the deviations. Implementing corrective actions.

2) Describe how this each function leads to attain the organizational objectives.

Planning

Whether the system is an organization, department, business, project, etc., the process of planning includes planners working backwards through the system. They start from the results (outcomes and outputs) they prefer and work backwards through the system to identify the processes needed to produce the results. Then they identify what inputs (or resources) are needed to carry out the processes.

* Quick Look at Some Basic Terms:

Planning typically includes use of the following basic terms.

NOTE: It is not critical to grasp completely accurate definitions of each of the following terms. It is more important for planners to have a basic sense for the difference between goals/objectives (results) and strategies/tasks (methods to achieve the results).

Goals

Goals are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, in order to achieve some larger, overall result preferred from the system, for example, the mission of an organization. (Going back to our reference to systems, goals are outputs from the system.)

Strategies or Activities

These are the methods or processes required in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals. (Going back to our reference to systems, strategies are processes in the system.)

Objectives

Objectives are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals in the plan. Objectives are usually "milestones" along the way when implementing the strategies.

Tasks
Particularly in small organizations, people are assigned various tasks required to implement the plan. If the scope of the plan is very small, tasks and activities are often essentially the same.

Resources (and Budgets)

Resources include the people, materials, technologies, money, etc., required to implement the strategies or processes. The costs of these resources are often depicted in the form of a budget. (Going back to our reference to systems, resources are input to the system.)

Basic Overview of Typical Phases in Planning

Whether the system is an organization, department, business, project, etc., the basic planning process typically includes similar nature of activities carried out in similar sequence. The phases are carried out carefully or -- in some cases -- intuitively, for example, when planning a very small, straightforward effort. The complexity of the various phases (and their duplication throughout the system) depends on the scope of the system. For example, in a large corporation, the following phases would be carried out in the corporate offices, in each division, in each department, in each group, etc.

1. Reference Overall Singular Purpose ("Mission") or Desired Result from System.

During planning, planners have in mind (consciously or unconsciously) some overall purpose or result that the plan is to achieve. For example, during strategic planning, it is critical to reference the mission, or overall purpose, of the organization.

2. Take Stock Outside and Inside the System.

This "taking stock" is always done to some extent, whether consciously or unconsciously. For example, during strategic planning, it is important to conduct an environmental scan. This scan usually involves considering various driving forces, or major influences, that might effect the organization.

3. Analyze the Situation.

For example, during strategic planning, planners often conduct a "SWOT analysis". (SWOT is an acronym for considering the organization's strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats faced by the organization.) During this analysis, planners also can use a variety of assessments, or methods to "measure" the health of systems.

4. Establish Goals.

Based on the analysis and alignment to the overall mission of the system, planners establish a set of goals that build on strengths to take advantage of opportunities, while building up weaknesses and warding off threats.

5. Establish Strategies to Reach Goals.

The particular strategies (or methods to reach the goals) chosen depend on matters of affordability, practicality and efficiency.

6. Establish Objectives Along the Way to Achieving Goals.

Objectives are selected to be timely and indicative of progress toward goals.

7. Associate Responsibilities and Time Lines with Each Objective.

Responsibilities are assigned, including for implementation of the plan, and for achieving various goals and objectives. Ideally, deadlines are set for meeting each responsibility.

8. Write and Communicate a Plan Document.

The above information is organized and written in a document which is distributed around the system.

9. Acknowledge Completion and Celebrate Success.

This critical step is often ignored -- which can eventually undermine the success of many of your future planning efforts. The purpose of a plan is to address a current problem or pursue a development goal. It seems simplistic to assert that you should acknowledge if the problem was solved or the goal met. However, this step in the planning process is often ignored in lieu of moving on the next problem to solve or goal to pursue. Skipping this step can cultivate apathy and skepticism -- even cynicism -- in your organization. Do not skip this step.

To Ensure Successful Planning and Implementation:

A common failure in many kinds of planning is that the plan is never really implemented. Instead, all focus is on writing a plan document. Too often, the plan sits collecting dust on a shelf. Therefore, most of the following guidelines help to ensure that the planning process is carried out completely and is implemented completely -- or, deviations from the intended plan are recognized and managed accordingly.

Involve the Right People in the Planning Process

Going back to the reference to systems, it is critical that all parts of the system continue to exchange feedback in order to function effectively. This is true no matter what type of system. When planning, get input from everyone who will responsible to carry out parts of the plan, along with representative from groups who will be effected by the plan. Of course, people also should be involved in they will be responsible to review and authorize the plan.

Write Down the Planning Information and Communicate it Widely

New managers, in particular, often forget that others do not know what these managers know. Even if managers do communicate their intentions and plans verbally, chances are great that others will not completely hear or understand what the manager wants done. Also, as plans change, it is extremely difficult to remember who is supposed to be doing what and according to which version of the plan. Key stakeholders (employees, management, board members, founders, investor, customers, clients, etc.) may request copies of various types of plans. Therefore, it is critical to write plans down and communicate them widely.

Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER

SMARTER is an acronym, that is, a word composed by joining letters from different words in a phrase or set of words. In this case, a SMARTER goal or objective is:

Specific:

For example, it is difficult to know what someone should be doing if they are to pursue the goal to "work harder". It is easier to recognize "Write a paper".

Measurable:

It is difficult to know what the scope of "Writing a paper" really is. It is easier to appreciate that effort if the goal is "Write a 30-page paper".

Acceptable:

If I am to take responsibility for pursuit of a goal, the goal should be acceptable to me. For example, I am not likely to follow the directions of someone telling me to write a 30-page paper when I also have to five other papers to write. However, if you involve me in setting the goal so I can change my other commitments or modify the goal, I am much more likely to accept pursuit of the goal as well.

Realistic:

Even if I do accept responsibility to pursue a goal that is specific and measurable, the goal will not be useful to me or others if, for example, the goal is to "Write a 30-page paper in the next 10 seconds".

Time frame:

It may mean more to others if I commit to a realistic goal to "Write a 30-page paper in one week". However, it will mean more to others (particularly if they are planning to help me or guide me to reach the goal) if I specify that I will write one page a day for 30 days, rather than including the possibility that I will write all 30 pages in last day of the 30-day period.

Extending:

The goal should stretch the performer's capabilities. For example, I might be more interested in writing a 30-page paper if the topic of the paper or the way that I write it will extend my capabilities.

Rewarding:

I am more inclined to write the paper if the paper will contribute to an effort in such a way that I might be rewarded for my effort.

Build in Accountability (Regularly Review Who is Doing What and By When?)

Plans should specify who is responsible for achieving each result, including goals and objectives. Dates should be set for completion of each result, as well. Responsible parties should regularly review status of the plan. Be sure to have someone of authority "sign off" on the plan, including putting their signature on the plan to indicate they agree with and support its contents. Include responsibilities in policies, procedures, job descriptions, performance review processes, etc.

Note Deviations from the Plan and Replan Accordingly

It is OK to deviate from the plan. The plan is not a set of rules. It is an overall guideline. As important as following the plan is noticing deviations and adjusting the plan accordingly.

Evaluate Planning Process and the Plan

During the planning process, regularly collect feedback from participants. Do they agree with the planning process? If not, what do not they like and how could it be done better? In large, ongoing planning processes (such as strategic planning, business planning, project planning, etc.), it is critical to collect this kind of feedback regularly.

During regular reviews of implementation of the plan, assess if goals are being achieved or not. If not, were goals realistic? Do responsible parties have the resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives? Should goals be changed? Should more priority be placed on achieving the goals? What needs to be done?

Finally, take 10 minutes to write down how the planning process could have been done better. File it away and read it the next time you conduct the planning process.

Recurring Planning Process is at Least as Important as Plan Document

Far too often, primary emphasis is placed on the plan document. This is extremely unfortunate because the real treasure of planning is the planning process itself. During planning, planners learn a great deal from ongoing analysis, reflection, discussion, debates and dialogue around issues and goals in the system. Perhaps there is no better example of misplaced priorities in planning than in business ethics. Far too often, people put emphasis on written codes of ethics and codes of conduct. While these documents certainly are important, at least as important is conducting ongoing communications around these documents. The ongoing communications are what sensitize people to understanding and following the values and behaviors suggested in the codes.

Nature of the Process Should Be Compatible to Nature of Planners

A prominent example of this type of potential problem is when planners do not prefer the "top down" or "bottom up", "linear" type of planning (for example, going from general to specific along the process of an environmental scan, SWOT analysis, mission/vision/values, issues and goals, strategies, objectives, timelines, etc.) There are other ways to conduct planning. For an overview of various methods, see (in the following, the models are applied to the strategic planning process, but generally are eligible for use elsewhere).

Critical -- But Frequently Missing Step -- Acknowledgement and Celebration of Results

It's easy for planners to become tired and even cynical about the planning process. One of the reasons for this problem is very likely that far too often, emphasis is placed on achieving the results. Once the desired results are achieved, new ones are quickly established. The process can seem like having to solve one problem after another, with no real end in sight. Yet when one really thinks about it, it is a major accomplishment to carefully analyze a situation, involve others in a plan to do something about it, work together to carry out the plan and actually see some results.

Organizing.

Organizing can be viewed as the activities to collect and configure resources in order to implement plans in a highly effective and efficient fashion. Organizing is a broad set of activities, and often considered one of the major functions of management. Therefore, there are a wide variety of topics in organizing. The following are some of the major types of organizing required in a business organization.

A key issue in the design of organizations is the coordination of activities within the organization.

Coordination

Coordinating the activities of a wide range of people performing specialized jobs is critical if we wish avoid mass confusion. Likewise, various departments as grouping of specialized tasks must be coordinated. If the sales department sells on credit to anyone who wished it, sales are likely to increase but bad-debt losses may also increase. If the credit department approves sales only to customers with excellent credit records, sales may be lower. Thus there is a need to link or coordinate the activities of both departments (credits and sales) for the good of the total organization.

Coordination is the process of thinking several activities to achieve a functioning whole.

Leading

Leading is an activity that consists of influencing other people's behavior, individually and as a group, toward the achievement of desired objectives. A number of factors affect leadership. To provide a better understanding of the relationship of these factors to leadership, a general model of leadership is presented.

The degree of leader's influence on individuals and group effectiveness is affected by several energizing forces:

Individual factors. Organizational factors. The interaction (match or conflict) between individual and organizational factors.

A leader's influence over subordinates also affects and is affected by the effectiveness of the group.

* Group effectiveness.

The purpose of leadership is to enhance the group's achievement. The energizing forces may directly affect the group's effectiveness. The leader skills, the nature of the task, and the skills of each employee are all direct inputs into group achievement. If, for example, one member of the group is unskilled, the group will accomplish less. If the task is poorly designed, the group will achieve less.

These forces are also combined and modified by leader's influence. The leader's influence over subordinates acts as a catalyst to the task accomplishment by the group. And as the group becomes more effective, the leader's influence over subordinates becomes greater.

There are times when the effectiveness of a group depends on the leader's ability to exercise power over subordinates. A leader's behavior may be motivating because it affects the way a subordinate views task goals and personal goals. The leader's behavior also clarifies the paths by which the subordinate may reach those goals. Accordingly, several managerial strategies may be used.

First, the leader may partially determine which rewards (pay, promotion, recognition) to associate with a given task goal accomplishment. Then the leader uses the rewards that have the highest value for the employee. Giving sales representatives bonuses and commissions is an example of linking rewards to tasks. These bonuses and commissions generally are related to sales goals.

Second, the leader's interaction with the subordinate can increase the subordinate's expectations of receiving the rewards for achievement.

Third, by matching employee skills with task requirements and providing necessary support, the leader can increase the employee's expectation that effort will lead to good performance. The supervisor can either select qualified employees or provide training for new employees. In some instances, providing other types of support, such as appropriate tools, may increase the probability that employee effort leads to task goal accomplishment.

Fourth, the leader may increase the subordinate's personal satisfaction associated with doing a job and accomplishing job goals by

Assigning meaningful tasks; Delegating additional authority; Setting meaningful goals; Allowing subordinates to help set goals; Reducing frustrating barriers; Being considerate of subordinates' need.

With a leader who can motivate subordinates, a group is more likely to achieve goals; and therefore it is more likely to be affective.

Controlling.

Control, the last of four functions of management, includes establishing performance standards which are of course based on the company's objectives. It also involves evaluating and reporting of actual job performance. When these points are studied by the management then it is necessary to compare both the things. This study on comparison of both decides further corrective and preventive actions.

In an effort of solving performance problems, management should higher standards. They should straightforwardly speak to the employee or department having problem. On the contrary, if there are inadequate resources or disallow other external factors standards from being attained, management had to lower their standards as per requirement. The controlling processes as in comparison with other three, is unending process or say continuous process. With this management can make out any probable problems. It helps them in taking necessary preventive measures against the consequences. Management can also recognize any further developing problems that need corrective actions.

Although the control process is an action oriented, some situations may require no corrective action. When the performance standard is appropriate and actual performance meets that standard, no changes are necessary. But when control actions are necessary, they must be carefully formulated.

An effective control system is one that accomplishes the purposes for which it was designed.

Controls are designed to affect individual actions in an organization. Therefore control systems have implications for employee behavior. Managers must recognize several behavioral implications and avoid behavior detrimental to the organization.

It is common for individuals to resist certain controls. Some controls are designed to constrain and restrict certain types of behavior. For example, Dress codes often evoke resistance. Controls also carry certain status and power implications in organizations. Those responsible for controls placed on important performance areas frequently have more power to implement corrective actions. Control actions may create intergroup or interpersonal conflict within organizations. As stated earlier, coordination is required for effective controls. No quantitative performance standards may be interpreted differently by individuals, introducing the possibility of conflict. An excessive number of controls may limit flexibility and creativity. The lack of flexibility and creativity may lead to low levels of employee satisfaction and personal development, thus impairing the organization's ability to adapt to a changing environment.

Managers can overcome most of these consequences through communication and proper implementation of control actions. All performance standards should be communicated and understood.

Control systems must be implemented with concern for their effect on people's behavior in order to be in accord with organizational objectives. The control process generally focuses on increasing an organization's ability to achieve its objectives.

Effective and efficient management leads to success, the success where it attains the objectives and goals of the organizations. Of course for achieving the ultimate goal and aim management need to work creatively in problem solving in all the four functions. Management not only has to see the needs of accomplishing the goals but also has to look in to the process that their way is feasible for the company.

Main Functions of Management
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What is Management?

Management is different from leadership but just as important. To understand the nature of management, we need to be clear how it differs from leadership. The first step in answering the question: "What is management?" is to understand the basic tasks of all organizations. Like any other species, an organization needs to take care of its immediate business of survival but it also has to evolve to ensure its fitness to cope with changes in the environment and the actions of competing species.

Management is the function that organizes the execution of today's business. Leadership is the evolutionary mechanism that changes organizations to prosper in tomorrow's world. Whenever a species or individual animal runs into obstacles, variations occur and new forms are selected from those variations. Leadership is a risk taking type of action that explores new frontiers and promotes new ways of behaving. It follows that, in a stable environment, good management is all that is needed to prosper; leadership in this context isn't required.

This portrayal is not the popular one where leadership means being the top dog in a group regardless of what's going on in the environment. Also, management has been cast on the rubbish heap since the late 1970's following the initial wave of Japanese commercial success in the West. We wanted a scapegoat for our failure to compete with the Japanese, and management was fingered for this role. Jack Welsh, Tom Peters and other gurus called for more leadership and an end to management, which they saw as stifling innovation. The reality was that a lack of competition created a complacent attitude AND lackluster management. It was the way management was practiced that was the problem, not anything to do with management as a function. We simply needed to upgrade management for a new reality.

What is Management?

Being hierarchical by nature and inclined to worship heroes, we tend to regard the person in charge of our group as a leader. But complexity demands specialization and executives need to perform multiple roles that depend on the unique demands of their situation. If their main function is to maintain quality, low cost and good customer service while motivating employees to perform to their potential, then they are performing the management function, not showing leadership.

Management is like investment. Managers have resources to invest - their own time and talent as well as human and financial resources. The goal or function of management is to get the best return on those resources by getting things done efficiently. This doesn't entail being mechanical. The manager's style is a contextual issue. With highly skilled and self-motivated knowledge workers, the manager can be very empowering. Where the workforce is less skilled or motivated, the manager may need to monitor output more closely. By saying that management is a function, not a type of person or role, we better account for self-managed work teams where no one is in charge. Managemenet simply makes the best use of all resources even when we manage ourselves. Hence management does not necessarily entail a dictatorial, controlling overseer. Skilled managers know how to coach and motivate diverse employees. Getting things done through people is what they do.

The aim of management is to deliver results cost effectively in line with customer expectations and profitably, in the case of commercial organizations. It is not only leaders who can be inspiring. Inspiring leaders move us to change direction while inspiring managers motivate us to work harder.

Management is a vital function thanks to the complexity of modern organizational life. The need to coordinate the input of so many diverse stakeholders, experts and customers requires enormous patience and highly developed facilitative skills. Excellent managers know how to bring the right people together and, by asking the right questions, draw the best solutions out of them. To facilitate well requires managers to work very closely with all relevant stakeholders.

By contrast, the leader can be a bit of an outsider. Like Martin Luther King, Jr. promoting desegregation on buses to the U.S. government from the sidelines, the leader can induce people to change even with no direct involvement or authority over the people who are needed to take the hoped for action.

Managers don't just keep ongoing operations ticking over. They also manage complex projects like making a modern movie or putting the first man on the moon. Leadership is only required to sell the tickets for the journey or to resell it periodically if resistance develops, but management drives the bus to the destination.

What is Management?
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See http://www.lead2xl.com for more articles like this one. Mitch McCrimmon has over 30 years experience in executive assessment and coaching. His latest book, Burn! 7 Leadership Myths in Ashes, 2006, challenges conventional thinking on leadership.

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6 Characteristics of Total Quality Management

TQM is a new method of quality management involving many levels and processes of different functions, but requiring an integrated cooperation. Characteristics of TQM can be listed as follows:

1. Target:

In TQM, the most important target to achieve is Quality; Quality policy must be set toward customer. Meeting customer's needs mean satisfying every customer requirement but not trying to reach some quality standards set before. Never stop innovating - never stop perfecting the quality is one of the most important principles of TQM.

6 Characteristics of Total Quality Management

2. Scope:

To ensure the quality of service and product, TQM system requires the extending of production process to suppliers and sub-contractors. Normally, the trading of material in production may account for 70% of final product cost (depend on types of product). Therefore, to ensure the quality of the input material, it is necessary to set up specific standards for each type of material to control its quality. It is also necessary to change the method of placing order to make it suitable with the production process.

3. Form:

In stead of controlling the quality of the finished product (after production), TQM sets up plans and programs to supervise and prevent problems right before the production process. Statistical tools are used to supervise, quantitatively analyze the results as well as factors affecting the quality, consider the reasons and take appropriate prevention methods.

4. Basis of TQM system:

The basis of TQM practice in the company is Human. Talking about quality, people usually think about the product quality. But it is the quality of employees that is the main concern of TQM. Of the three factors of Business, which are hard factor (machines, equipments, money...), Soft factor (methods, secrets, information...) and Human factor, Human is of the first concern to TQM.

The basic principle for implementation of TQM is that the qualification of employees is developed fully and integratedly through training, delegation and assignment.

5. Organization:

TQM system is cross organized and functioned in order to manage, integratedly corporate with different activities of the system and facilitate group working. The implementation of TQM requires the participation of high and middle level managers. A proper organization will help duties to be assigned clearly. Thus, TQM needs new management model, with different characteristics from the previous model.

6. Management skills and tools:

Methods to implement must be based on the principle "do correctly at the very beginning", in researching and designing to minimize economic cost. Strictly apply DEMMING circle (PDCA) to make foundation for the continuous quality improvement.

6 Characteristics of Total Quality Management
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I am a author of quality assurance management articles at http://qualitymanagement.hrvinet.com. You can find all templates, form, procedures of quality management, ISO...at: ISO 9001 procedures.

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Role of a Manager

Managers are building blocks of the organization. A manager performs five basic functions - Planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. At all the levels of management we have managers working there and performing one or more of these managerial functions. A manager's main role is to achieve effective utilization of resources in an organization. He achieves so through coordinated human efforts. A manager has a very important role to play in achieving organizational objectives. He is responsible for aligning the individual's objectives with the organizational objectives. This is very essential for achieving long-term organizational success.

A Manager is the one who communicates organizational vision to the employees of the organization. He should ensure that there is effective communication flow in an organization and that there should no misinterpretations taking place.

A manager has crucial role to play in decision making process in an organization. He has to decide how to bring and communicate organizational changes. He plays a major role in setting organizational goals. He has to be in close contact with the employees of the organization. He should understand them and motivate them. He should encourage them so that they can perform effectively. He should praise them when they show brilliant performance and on bad performance, he should give them constructive feedback rather than negative feedback. He should provide them online support and coaching.

Role of a Manager

A manager should resolve conflicts among the employees and try to reach at an acceptable solution. This would improve employees work quality as well as performance. Thus, a manager's role is very important so as to improve employees productivity as well as organization's productivity. He should understand that organizational success depends on employees. Thus the more satisfied and happy the employees are the more success the organization will show. A manager must be committed to his work so as to set an example for his subordinates.

Role of a Manager
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Managers at different levels have different roles to perform. In any organization we have mainly 3 levels of management and at all these levels we have different managers working with their respective powers and authority. Author is the writer of Levels of Management which explains in detail about the roles performed by managers at different levels.

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