Synonym - Dec 2011

mull 2  (ml) v. mulled, mull·ing, mulls v.tr. To go over extensively in the mind; ponder. v.intr. To ruminate; ponder: mull over a plan. [Probably Middle English mollen, mullen, to moisten, crumble; see moil.]

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mull 3  (ml) n. A soft thin muslin used in dresses and for trimmings. [Short for mulmull, from Hindi malmal.]

Mull  (ml) An island of western Scotland in the Inner Hebrides. It is separated from the mainland on the northeast by the Sound of Mull.

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mull 1  (ml) tr.v. mulled, mull·ing, mulls To heat and spice (wine, for example). [Origin unknown.]

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skep·ti·cal also scep·ti·cal  (skpt-kl)

adj.

1. Marked by or given to doubt; questioning: a skeptical attitude; skeptical of political promises.

2. Relating to or characteristic of skeptics or skepticism.

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re·luc·tant/riˈləktənt/

Adjective:	Unwilling and hesitant; disinclined.
Synonyms:	unwilling - loath - loth - averse

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per·co·late/ˈpərkəˌlāt/

Verb:	(of a liquid or gas) Filter gradually through a porous surface or substance. (of information or an idea or feeling) Spread gradually through an area or group of people.
Synonyms:	filter - filtrate - strain - infiltrate - seep - ooze

per·co·late  (pûrk-lt) v. per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing, per·co·lates v.tr. 1. To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter. 2. To pass or ooze through: Water percolated the sand. 3. To make (coffee) in a percolator. v.intr. 1. To drain or seep through a porous material or filter. 2. Informal To become lively or active. 3. Informal To spread slowly or gradually. n. (-lt, -lt) A liquid that has been percolated. rid·dance/ˈridns/ Noun: The action of getting rid of something troublesome. Synonyms: deliverance - release - liberation - rescue - relief More info »Dictionary.com - Answers.com - Merriam-Webster - The Free Dictionary Noun 1. percolate - the product of percolation         filtrate - the product of filtration; a gas or liquid that has been passed through a filter Verb 1. percolate - permeate or penetrate gradually; "the fertilizer leached into the ground" leach dribble, trickle, filter - run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream; "water trickled onto the lawn from the broken hose"; "reports began to dribble in" 2. percolate - spread gradually; "Light percolated into our house in the morning" diffuse, fan out, spread out, spread - move outward; "The soldiers fanned out" 3. percolate - prepare in a percolator; "percolate coffee" percolate - cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance in order to extract a soluble constituent 4. percolate - cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance in order to extract a soluble constituent percolate - prepare in a percolator; "percolate coffee" 5. percolate - pass through; "Water permeates sand easily" filter, permeate, sink in penetrate, perforate - pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; "The bullet penetrated her chest" infiltrate - pass into or through by filtering or permeating; "the substance infiltrated the material" infiltrate - cause (a liquid) to enter by penetrating the interstices 6. percolate - gain or regain energy; "I picked up after a nap" gain vigor, perk, perk up, pick up convalesce, recover, recuperate - get over an illness or shock; "The patient is recuperating"

C# WebClient Tutorial

You want to use the WebClient class in the System.Net namespace to download web pages and files using the C# language targeting the .NET Framework. This class makes it possible to easily download web pages for testing, allowing you to automate important tests for important web sites. Here we look at the WebClient class.

Key point:Use WebClient to download files on the Internet.

Example 1

First, to use the WebClient class in your C# code you need to either use the fully specified name System.Net.WebClient or include the System.Net namespace with a using directive. This example uses the namespace and creates a new WebClient object instance and sets its user agent as Internet Explorer 6. This WebClient will then download a page and the server will think it is Internet Explorer 6, allowing you to test this case.

Program that uses client user-agent [C#]

using System;
using System.Net;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
 // Create web client simulating IE6.
 using (WebClient client = new WebClient())
 {
     client.Headers["User-Agent"] = "Mozilla/4.0 (Compatible; Windows NT 5.1; MSIE 6.0)" +
  " (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)";

     // Download data.
     byte[] arr = client.DownloadData("http://www.dotnetperls.com/");

     // Write values.
     Console.WriteLine("--- WebClient result ---");
     Console.WriteLine(arr.Length);
 }
    }
}

Output

--- WebClient result ---
6585

Simulating user-agent header. You can add a new HTTP header to your WebClients download request by assigning an entry in the Headers collection. You can also use the WebHeaderCollection returned by Headers and call the Add, Remove, Set and Count methods on it.

Getting byte arrays. The DownloadData instance method on the WebClient is called and its reference return value is assigned to a new byte array reference. Internally, the DownloadData method will allocate the bytes on the managed heap. When you assign the result to the variable, you are doing a bitwise copy of the reference to that data.

Disposing of WebClient. The program shows that you can use the 'using' statement to ensure that the system resources for the WebClient are cleaned up by the system by placing them on the finalization queue. This is critical for longer programs but not needed for very short and trivial programs.

The Hard Truth About How Success Really Works

Here's what's getting in your way when you attempt (and fail) to hit those "reach" goals.

By Jeff Haden |  @jeff_haden   | Nov 22, 2011

Many people fall prey to, “Yeah, but...” thinking.

I have a friend who absolutely hates how successful his brother-in-law has become. “Oh yeah, I’d like to be doing that well,” he’ll say, “but he has very little downtime.”

Another is bitter because one of his friends is extremely fit. “Oh yeah, I’d like to be in that kind of shape,” he’ll say, “but he has to run like 30 miles a week.”

Sound familiar? It’s easy to look at people who are successful and begrudge their success. So we say, “Yeah, but he constantly watches what he eats,” about a thin friend, or, “Yeah, but he’s a slave to his schedule,” about a friend who achieves multiple goals, or even, “Yeah, but he took on way too much risk when he started his company,” about another entrepreneur.

But that’s how success works. Fit people are fit because they work out a lot. Successful people are successful because they work incredibly hard. People whose family relationships are close-knit have put time and effort into building those relationships.

Nothing worth achieving comes without a price. To begrudge those who pay the price is unfair. To be unwilling to pay the price will always result in failure.

The next time you consider a goal you want to achieve, decide if you really want to pursue that goal. If the answer is yes, the rest isn’t easy but it is simple.

Look around: No matter what your pursuit, plenty of people have already succeeded. Great blueprints and easy-to-follow road maps are everywhere.

If you want to start a business, don’t look at the guy down the street who only talks a good game; pick a person who has succeeded and follow her example. Do what she did. It will be really hard, but it will work. If you want to run a marathon, don’t use the guy struggling on the treadmill next to you as an example; follow the training program of a person who has run a number of marathons. It will be really hard, but it will work.

If you don’t have what you want, pay the price to get it. Don’t begrudge the success of others. Do what they do. It works for them and will work for you.

If you’re not willing to pay the price, recognize that fact and take that particular goal off your list. When you truly let go of a goal you say you want to achieve but really aren’t willing to work to achieve, you shrug off the mental drain of chronic frustration and get more energy to spend on the goals you really are willing to achieve.

Then, instead of begrudging the success of others, you’ll be happy to cheer them on from the sidelines­—just like they will for you. 

5 Unusual Ways to Become a Better Speaker

The art of captivating an audience can take years to develop. Since you don't have that long, here are some quick tips to improve overnight.

By Jeff Haden |  @jeff_haden   | Nov 21, 2011

You’ve been asked to speak at an important event. It’s a great opportunity and you should be thrilled—but since you rarely speak, especially in a formal setting, all you can think about is bombing.

Unfortunately, captivating an audience is definitely a skill that takes years to develop and hone. Since you don’t have that kind of time, here are five unconventional ways to become a better speaker almost overnight:

1. Share an emotional story. Many speakers tell self-deprecating stories but few can resist including the Tom Cruise “talk to me Goose” moment (4:20, NSFW) when all your mistakes and poor decisions and ill-fated tower flybys over an Admiral’s daughter finally came to a head and transformed you into the wonderful person you are today.

Admitting a mistake is great but not when used simply to show how far you’ve come. Instead just tell a story that relates to your topic and let your emotions show. If you were sad, say so. If you cried, say so. If you felt remorse, let it show. When you share real feelings you create an immediate and lasting connection with the audience. Emotion trumps speaking skills every time.

2. Pause for 8 to 10 seconds. There’s a weird phenomena that occurs when you stop talking. Pause for two or three seconds, the audience assume you lost your place. Pause for five seconds and the audience begins to think the pause is intentional... and starts wondering why. Pause for ten seconds and even the people who were immersed in Angry Birds can’t resist looking up.

Then when you start speaking again, the audience naturally 1) assumes the pause was intentional and 2) decides you’re actually a confident and accomplished speaker. Like nature a poor speaker abhors a vacuum and rushes to fill it, and only confident speakers—like you—feel secure in silence. While it won’t be easy, take one long pause to gather your thoughts and the audience will automatically give you speaker bonus points.

3. Ask a question the audience—and you—can’t answer. Speakers ask questionsto engage the audience but that technique is often forced and tends to work about as well as this. Instead ask a question you know the audience can’t answer and then say,” That’s okay. I can’t either.” Explain why you can’t and then talk about what you do know. Most speakers have all the answers; the fact you don’t—and are willing to admit it—not only humanizes you but makes the audience pay greater attention to what you do know.

4. Find one thing no one knows. I’ve never heard someone say, “I was at this presentation the other day and the guy’s Gantt chart was amazing...” I have heard someone say, “Did you know when you blush the lining of your stomach also turns red?” Find a surprising fact or an unusual analogy that relates to your topic. Audiences love to cock their heads and think, “Hmmm...”

5. Never think “sales.” Most businesspeople assume they should capitalize on a speaking engagement to try to promote a product or service, win new clients, and build a wider network. Don’t. Thinking in terms of sales only adds additional pressure to what is already a stressful situation. Put all your focus on ensuring the audience will benefit from what you say; never try to accomplish more than one thing.

And don’t worry that you’ll be missing out on an opportunity: When you help people make their professional or personal lives better, you’ve done all the selling you’ll need to do.

9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money

Don't show 'em the money (even if you have it). Here are nine better ways to boost morale.

By Ilya Pozin |  @ilyaNeverSleeps   | Nov 28, 2011

The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did.

Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale.

I was wrong.

With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am. 

Here are nine things I learned from him:

1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.  
2. Get rid of the managers. Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.  
3. Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”  
4. Never criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.  
5. Make everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.  
6. Take an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work.  
7. Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques. 
8. Throw company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together.
9. Share the rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent.

Managing Team Conflict by Cynthia Phillips

Purpose of this Paper

• Describe the nature of conflict in teams
• Define types of conflict and describe how each manifests in a team
• Identify reasons why team members struggle with conflict
• Describe how a team leader can manage conflict within the team
• Summarize my key learning, with recommendation for an intervention that may work in a group conflict situation

Introduction
It is commonplace for organizations today to work in teams. Whether they be leader-driven teams or self-directed teams; the hope is that productivity, creativity, and results will be greater in a team environment. While this is a proven approach, any time you bring together people from differing backgrounds and experiences, it is inevitable that conflict will occur.

Many people and organizations view conflict as a negative, or something to be avoided. Yet conflict, differences, or disagreements are a natural result of people working together. Also, without conflict, teams can become complacent and not perform at optimum levels. The challenge then becomes, how should the team be prepared for this stage of their existence, and how should the team leader facilitate through it?

Types of Conflict
"Conflict arises from the clash of perceptions, goals, or values in an arena where people care about the outcome" (Alessandra, 1993, p. 92). If the management of that conflict is not effective, it can totally disrupt the entire group process. However the old saying "that which does not kill us will make us stronger" illustrates how successfully managed conflict can benefit the group.

The paragraph above illustrates why conflict is often termed either functional or dysfunctional. Functional conflict is at a level that enables a group to maximize it's performance, and the outcomes are desirable. However; when that conflict escalates to a level that disrupts the group and gets in the way of accomplishing its goals, then it has become dysfunctional. Managing that balance is the key to effective groups. Another way to categorize conflict is by focusing on its origin. How the conflict has evolved is clearly an indicator of whether it will help or hinder the group process. Some common sources of group conflict are listed in Cappozzoli (1995) and Alessandra (1993):

• Values of team members
• Attitudes of team members
• Goals/Expectations - the processes and expected outcomes
• Roles and responsibilities of team members
• Limited resources
• Personalities
• Interdependency
• Increased interaction (frequency)

Allen C. Amason, of Mississippi State University, has studied conflict and its role in decision-making. He suggests there are two types of conflict: (These actually trace back to the sources listed above.)

Cognitive - conflict aimed at issues, ideas, principles, or process

Affective - conflict aimed at people, emotions, or values

His studies showed the presence of both types in any group setting; but he's clear to explain that cognitive conflict is constructive, while affective is destructive (Brockmann, 1996).
Another researcher, Thomas K. Capozzoli (1995), reinforces this by describing the outcomes of constructive and destructive conflict:

Constructive conflicts exists when…

1. People change and grow personally from the conflict
2. The conflict results in a solution to a problem
3. It increase involvement of everyone affected by the conflict
4. It builds cohesiveness among the members of the team

Destructive conflicts exists when…

1. No decision is reached and problem still exists
2. It diverts energy away from more value-add activities
3. It destroys the morale of the team members
4. It polarizes or divides the team

Team Member Preparation
As mentioned above, teams are a powerful force in organizations. They are assembled to tackle complex and strategic issues within a company. Often the membership is a select group of people from different departments, each with special skills or talents to solve a particular problem. However; what is often lacking is training in the core competencies of working on a team. "In order for a team to be successful, it is essential that members know the basics of conflict resolution, delegation, and consensus building" (Convey, 1994, p. 13). Without these skills, each member must rely on whatever they've learned on their own, or the facilitator's skills in moving the team through these struggles. This is not an ideal way to manage teams, and reduces the synergistic benefits of team-based activities.

Every organization or group should develop a strategy for training and preparing team members for group process. One example that I found to be a good model was an initiative at Monmouth University (Gahr, 1995). It involved the Student Life organization -the Program Director, the staff, the administration, and the students. They used training to proactively manage conflict, and the results were positive. Here's a brief overview of the training phases they used:

Stage 1 - conflict resolution awareness- overview, examples, stimulated need to change and learn.

Stage 2 - conflict resolution training- workshops to learn skills and techniques for managing situations of conflict.

Stage 3 - mediation training- aimed at selected leaders of each segment of the population, that would become certified mediators, and provide future support.

Stage 4 - reinforcement workshops- informal sessions to perpetuate the concepts and continue improving people's awareness and ability to manage conflict.

Stage 5 - institutionalization of the program- assignment of the on-going support, maintenance, and mediation services to specific organization.

I think the Monmouth University project has three key ingredients that should be a part of any group skills training. First, it trains everyone- group members and group leaders. Without that, you have not given everyone the tools to help the process. Second, it focuses on what conflict is, and how to manage it. This gives the participants some skills to not only recognize conflict, but to also take action. Lastly, it has reinforcement built in. These are not easy skills to learn, so continual repetition is critical to truly internalizing them.

Team Leader's Role in Managing Conflict
"Conflicts are part of individual relationships and organizational development, and no relationship or organization can hope to mature to productivity and be successful without being able to resolve conflicts effectively" (Cottringer, 1997, p. 6). Clearly, one of the main responsibilities of any manager or group leader is to resolve conflict. The two key goals for a group leader are to remain impartial, and to facilitate understanding among the group members.

"As a team leader, one must realize the paradox that surrounds conflict. The team needs to embrace conflict as a means of generating and evaluating ideas. While at the same time, it must shy away from it to prevent anger, frustration, or alienation. The biggest challenge for the team leader is figuring out how to balance these two forces" (Brockmann, 1996, p. 61).

Preventative Strategies
The first step in conflict management is learning how to prevent or minimize conflict. A team leader has several ways to do that. Here are just a few: (Parker, 1994) At the beginning of each project, or each meeting, ground rules should be developed. These should incorporate processes or behaviors that the group will allow or prohibit. Ground rules can be useful because as conflict arises, the leader can refer the team back to them for guidance. These tend to be good objective guidelines that remove the leader from the role of enforcer.

Another technique is to develop a team agreement on how the group will resolve conflict if it does occur. This gets them to focus on good resolution behaviors, and prepares the team with a process that is available if necessary.

As mentioned previously, training in conflict resolution or communication skills would be invaluable to a team. It would be preferable if the team could attend this training as a group.

Finally, it is important to focus on goals of the team early in the process. Often times conflict arises from goal mis-alignment, and if this is uncovered and cleared up early, then it could minimize problems later. If new members are added to the team, then it would be beneficial to re-visit this exercise again.

Reactive Strategies
There are many ways for a team leader to facilitate the resolution of conflict. Every situation is different, and often a combination of techniques is required. Here are a few examples of theories or suggestions that I found interesting: (Cottringer, 1997)

CONFLICT
RESOLUTION
STRATEGY

DEFINITION
BEST TIME TO USE LEADER
EXECUTION TECHNIQUES

Acting Exercising an authoritarian approach, simply tell the group what the resolution will be. Resolves it quickly and without discussion. Emergency situations or when emotions are high and issues will require widespread unpopular decisions. Think through any expected negative fallout ahead of time and have a contingency plan. Tell people calmly and directly what you are going to do- no hesitation or confusion.

Adjusting Splitting differences, exchanging concessions, or give and take to reach a middle ground. Good when a quick, temporary solution is needed for a complex issue. It merges very different opinions or perspectives quickly. Often a third party mediator is effective negotiating the gives and takes of all parties. End the mediation by summarizing, gaining commitments, and setting up future check points in the plan.

Accommodating Sacrificing self concerns in yielding to another person. Most valuable when one person has more vested in the outcome, when one person is wrong, or when there may be more to gain later. Requires getting one person to see their wrong, either through proof or humor. Need to separate thoughts from feelings, and clearly identify how one person's giving in is right, beneficial, and thank them for it.

Avoiding Withdrawing, sidestepping or postponing the issue. Most effective when importance of issue is low, when the conflict is a symptom of a bigger issue, or when time alone will bring about a natural outcome. Good question here- what if I do nothing- what's the worst that could happen? Always explain why you are not doing anything-let them know that it is meant for a time out or cool off, and when you expect to deal with the issue.

Many researchers of conflict resolution suggest using a step-by-step process. This enables the leader to follow a systematic approach to resolving a conflict. Comparing this type of approach to the one in the last section, I believe this method would take more time. However; if that time is available, it might be a more effective method. In fact, it may be useful after one of the other strategies is used to fix the immediate situation. Here is a summary of the various step-by-step theories I found in my research:

STEP BY STEP PROCESS
1. Set up an environment that all parties know the goal is to resolve
2. Make sure all parties want to resolve it
3. All parties must accept the conflict as a mutual problem- not win/lose
4. Explore the reasons for the conflict
5. Generate solution options
6. Involved parties must agree on which solution is most appropriate
7. Implement the selected solution
8. Evaluate the success/failure of the solution
9. Celebrate or go back to #6

Key Learning
I chose this topic because as a team leader, I am constantly faced with conflicts, large and small, within the groups I manage. However, I was raised without much conflict, so as a result I have a tendency to avoid it. As my research pointed out, this could get in my way of being an effective leader. My goal in doing this research was to learn and equip myself with some knowledge to be effective at conflict management. I think I accomplished my goal!

In my teams, I see the two main causes of conflict to be interdependence among team members, and inconsistent goals. The interdependence is the hardest for me to manage. In fact, this theory really made sense to me, as I thought about growing up. I never experienced much conflict as a child, and I think it was because as an only child, my parents and I were very independent. In a different family structure, one with several children, I can see where the interdependence would cause conflict. I see that family as a team, and the interdependence as a natural extension of any team.

The conflict management strategies that I think could help the interdependence conflict are ground rules, and a conflict resolution process. Also, some team building exercises that demonstrate how each team member has input to the final outcome. An example would be puzzle building exercises, where everyone has a piece, or any survival exercise that all members must live for the team to survive.

Trust is also critical to this type of conflict, so any means of developing better trust levels within the group would also be effective here. One source I read noted that in conflict situations, team members will never trust each other, but they can be trained ahead of time to trust the conflict resolution process.

The second cause I want to be prepared for is the goal mis-alignment. I experience this frequently with my teams because most are cross-functional, and each organization they represent has different goals. As a result, each team member may approach our project with a different commitment, different timeline, or even with a hidden agenda of some type.

I'm not sure this situation is preventable, but I think there are some ways to manage it. One absolute for me is going to be developing a "goal statement" at the beginning of the project. Also, as team members change, it will be reviewed and revisited. Having this will enable me to refer back to it when conflicts arise that are unrelated, or if the group slows down and is not moving toward the goal.

One particular intervention I thought would be helpful during any stage of a project would be to review the original goal with the team, and then ask each team member to evaluate the team performance up to that point. Then take each of their comments and board them for group review. I believe this would surface some of the obstacles or frustrations that exist, and it would come from the team, not the team leader (I think it's more effective when the team identifies it's own problems.) As a follow up, the team could brainstorm how to resolve each problem and develop an agreement to move ahead.

Overall, it's clear to me now that conflict is a natural part of group work. It can be a tremendous source of creativity, and at the same time it can sidetrack a team. What makes the difference is having group members, and a group leader that understands and manages conflict effectively.

http://www.chumans.com/human-systems-resources/managing-team-conflict.html

10 Ways to Improve Your Team's Performance and Gain Back Your Personal Time

re you having trouble getting your team to meet company goals? Is your team lacking energy, creativity and motivation? Are you stressed, overwhelmed and feeling the need to work long hours just to hold your department together? It doesn't need to be that way you can take control of the situation. You can get your team working effectively towards a common goal and you can gain back your personal time. Work is important and you want to exceed company expectations but having control of your time to pursue personal interests is just as important. You want to be there to see the kids grow up and have time for that significant other (Yes honey I meant you and not golfing)... but you also want to have time to shave a few strokes off that handicap as well. Whatever your interests are you need to find balance. Work on implementing these 10 steps and you will improve your teams performance and gain back your personal time.

1) Improve the Atmosphere

As a leader you alone have an enormous impact on the morale of the team. You set the example for your team. Not just by what you say and do but also by what you allow. Make it clear to all team members that at the work place everyone needs to be treated with dignity and respect with no exceptions. You need to be aware of how team members communicate with one another. Often their tone and body language say more than the words spoken. It is common to have 3 or 4 team members creating a negative atmosphere for the entire group. They also tend to be the same team members involved in the majority of conflicts. Don't allow it to happen. Often these team members are unaware of their impact and a quick discussion will resolve the issue. If not it becomes a performance issue.

Join your team in the lunch room whenever possible. It opens the lines of communication when the team members get to know you better and see your personal side. Your title as manager alone is enough to scare some of your team. Spending time with them will help to put them at ease and to feel more comfortable bringing work related problems to you.

Give praise and positive feedback often. Make it a part of every day to recognize the things that your team is doing right and be specific with your praise. As a management person it is easy to get caught up in what needs fixing but if we only talk about problems it is not a very energizing environment.

Morale issues and team member conflicts are unproductive and can waste a lot of your time. As a leader you have direct control of the morale. Take responsibility and make it a priority.

2) Open Communication

Improving communication with your team is key to getting your time back. Always have an open door policy. Ensure that your team knows that they can come and talk to you when they have concerns. Act on those concerns quickly and get back to the team member with the action you have taken. When you do this you will create an atmosphere where the team members feel valued and as it ripples through your team you will find that you are more likely to be aware of the small problems and can take action before they become big problems. You will also see you team start to bring to your attention suggestions and ideas on how they can improve the work place.

Despite your efforts to create an atmosphere where anyone can come and talk to you there will always be some team members who just don't feel comfortable talking to the boss. These team members can still be a great source of ideas or may bring up concerns that you are unaware of. Set up a system to solicit information from your team in an anonymous way. A simple way to do this is through an exercise called a 5-15. Give the team 15 minutes to write the 5 things they like about the company or job and 5 things that they feel need improvement. They do not need to put their names on the lists. This can be done in a group but do not let them discuss their individual responses so that you are getting everyone's input and not just the few that may be more vocal. In just 15 minutes you can get great suggestions to improve the workplace and again find out about those small problems in time to fix them before they are big ones. Summarize your list of needs improvement areas and develop a plan to get them corrected. Hold a meeting with you team to let them know what actions you will be taking as a result of the 5-15 exercise.

If team members feel they cannot bring concerns to management because they won't be dealt with you will have morale issues. When a team member can't bring concerns to management they will discuss it among other members of the team. This creates a negative atmosphere and turnover. If you want to save yourself some time improve the communication.

3) Who Works for Whom?

Often management is frustrated because they see their team as not listening or following direction. Team members appear as if they are not putting much effort into their job and they keep doing tasks incorrectly. Frustrated managers say "this group just doesn't listen or seem to care." Chances are there is a reason your team is not performing at a high level. Your team cannot work for you until you work for them. How do I work for them I thought they were supposed to work for me? As a manager you need to stress the importance of proper training. You need to build that solid foundation for new hires or they will never meet your expectations. As a leader it is your job to give them every chance to succeed.

Put systems in place to ensure training is completed properly and in a timely manner. Often we get caught up in putting out the days fires but you need to follow up on new hires progress. Consider having a "Buddy system" and pair a new hire up with a team member who has a positive attitude and performs at a high level.

Set out clear expectations early. It is a lot easier to train properly from the start than it is to turn around poor performance. Whether you are directly responsible for the training or not make sure you check in regularly.

When you bring a new team member into a positive atmosphere, give them clear expectations and train them correctly you will reduce turnover and improve productivity. The added time put in to get the team member off to a good start will save you time in the long run. More time means more golf and that's a good thing.

4) Attitude is Everything!

We all know as a manager we need to lead by example and come to work with a positive attitude everyday. What we fail to do is expect that same positive attitude from everyone on our team. Whether it is a management person or an hourly team member the expectation is the same. This is part of creating a great working environment. We've all experienced that team member who complains about everything and will never be happy. They are a drain on the morale and usually a source of conflict. You might think that "He does a good job otherwise. That's just who he is." But that's not fair to the rest of your team. They deserve to be in a positive environment. You need to let any negative team members know how they are impacting the team and what your expectation is. You may also need to deal with this as a performance issue. It is easy to look at the results of their work and say they are a great employee but if they can't interact with your team in a positive manner you will be continually resolving conflicts.

When interviewing one of your main goals should be to try to identify whether this person has a positive attitude as well as the skills required. This can be hard as most applicants get prepared for an interview and are on their best behaviour but don't accept general answers when interviewing. Probe as much as possible and get the applicant to be specific.

Because applicants rehearse interview situations you may want to add a few interview questions to your phone screening. The applicants are not as prepared to answer your questions and you may get a more truthful response. Always check work references for applicants. The past often predicts the future.

Remember having a positive attitude is a requirement for all members of your team. You will have a fun and energized team and a lot more time for yourself.

5) Who Knows More?

Often as managers we think we need to be the source of all the ideas. The truth is we just need to get the best ideas implemented and if you are not listening to your team member's suggestions and ideas you not using the best. You probably have people that work in a specific area of the business everyday. They are the experts of that part of the business. This goes back to the open communication. You need to encourage your team to continually think about how they can improve their part of the business and to share that with the management team. When you start to act on just a few of their suggestions you will see the momentum build.

Sometimes we let our egos get in the way but if you can create a culture where the best idea wins and not just those of management your team will be more engaged. If you keep telling them what to do and don't ask for their ideas you will lose out on your greatest resources and that's the thoughts and ideas of everyone at the workplace.

Always make sure you give credit to whoever came up with the best idea. Don't try to pretend to your boss or anyone else that it was your idea. Acknowledge these people in meetings and encourage the entire group to start thinking about how to be more profitable, provide better service, be more efficient or improve the working atmosphere. You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

6) You Need Successors

If you want to save yourself time, help build your business for the future and impress the executives you need to have successors. What is a successor? They are the people that you and your management team identify as having potential to advance in the organization but to be successful it goes a lot further than just identifying them. As a manager one of your most important responsibilities is to be able to grow your people. You will stand out from the other managers when you are able to provide qualified people for available positions within the organization.

To be truly successful at it you must be able to give your star performers away with no adverse affects on your department. Many managers hate to give their top performers away but if you have been proactive and have someone ready to step in and fill their shoes it can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the job. The only good way to lose a team member is to a promotion and when you play even a small part in helping that person reach their goal it should bring a smile to your face.

How do I get these successors ready for the next step? If your organization hasn't already done so you need to develop a list of core skills that are required for each position such as confronting direct reports, planning, organizational skills, team building etc.

Once you have a list of core skills you need to talk with the potential successor and find out their career goals and through discussion identify the core skills that this individual needs to develop. Then you can create a development plan which shows what success looks like (ie the skill is fully developed), give them actions or different responsibilities to help them get there and have a way to clearly measure the progress. The manager then has to follow up and have regular check in times to keep them on track with their development but if they are a real successor most of their development plan will be self driven.

If you are working within a growing organization having successors is invaluable. You help the company to grow and your department doesn't miss a beat. You never get caught having to fill in for other positions because you are proactive and that saves you time. Growing successors is rewarding, great for morale, helps to build the business for the future and will get you recognized by your boss. It's a must.

7) Delegate

When you delegate effectively it frees up your time to focus on the big picture aspects of the job and be more effective. It may even allow you enough time to get an extra round of golf in each week. Many managers hang onto to many tasks because they are easy and they feel comfortable doing them, or they think they can get it done faster than someone else. You need to look at what you do on a daily basis and ask yourself is this task something I personally need to do? Does this task add value or could I benefit the organization better by focusing my attention elsewhere?

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day routine but your job as a manager is to be focused on the big picture and make your business more profitable. Sometimes delegating might take additional time in the beginning if you have to train someone but once you're through the training you may never have to complete that task again. Think of the time you'll save. Usually the person you are delegating to welcomes learning a new responsibility. Pick some of your successors to delegate to. It will also help with their development. When people stop learning and growing they look for other employment where they can grow. Delegating new responsibilities to the right people will keep them learning and free up your time.

8) Planning

Even though you have freed yourself up of some of the time consuming daily responsibilities by delegating you still find yourself running from one fire to the next to keep your department going. Now that you have some extra time you can even resolve many of these daily distractions that take you away from the big picture. You need to drill down and find the root cause of these fires that keep popping up. You'll find most of them can be avoided if you dig deep enough and develop long term solutions rather than just throwing a bit of water on it today.

When you are able to stop working on today's problems you can start working on the future. When you are looking into the future you can lead the business instead of the business pulling you in every direction. To be an effective manager you need to be aware of your future business trends, budgets, sales goals and be putting plans in place now to be prepared to meet those organizational goals. Most businesses have seasonal trends and times of the year that are far more profitable. Put plans in place to maximize these peaks in business. This is where most of your opportunity is.

When you give yourself the time to plan effectively and be working in the future you will save your self time, have less stress and maximize your business opportunities.

9) Hold Them Accountable

Holding team members accountable can be the hardest part of the job but it is absolutely necessary. Many managers allow poor performers to continue because they are uncomfortable confronting people but if you allow poor performance to go unchecked you may soon end up with an entire team of poor performers. Other members recognize when people aren't pulling their weight and maybe not all but some will say "if he doesn't have to do anything why should I?"

The key is to stay on top of individual performance issues and address them immediately. First determine that it really is a performance issue that is the team member's responsibility and not failure to train properly or lack of direction. Once you have determined that the performance issue is the team member's responsibility you need to address it. Always remember to discuss the specific performance issue and never attack the person's character. It is recommended to have another management person witness when corrective action is being given and to always take notes.

It is important to be fair and consistent with your expectations of all team members but at the same time you may need to vary your approach with corrective action to match the individual. Everyone has different personalities. Some people get very emotional at the thought of doing something wrong and others may be argumentative. Use your knowledge of your team to anticipate the various challenges you may face due to these individual personalities prior to giving the corrective action. You want to plan your conversation with the end result in mind being they understand the issue and are willing to correct it. Then develop the best approach based on that individual's personality. This is not favouritism. It is knowing your people and taking the right approach to get the desired results. All the time you still have the same expectation of performance but a varied approach may be necessary to reach that goal.

Often just a few team members will drag down the performance of the entire team and waste a lot of your time. Address performance issues immediately to save yourself time in the long run.

10) Have Fun

You want people to enjoy their work by providing a challenging job in a great atmosphere but most people spend more of their awake hours at the office than they do at home so you also need to encourage your team to have some fun. Try scheduling 1 hour a month for a fun activity for the entire team if possible. Have the management team join in. It is a great way for the team to get to know you in a more relaxed atmosphere. This doesn't have to be extra work for you. You can have a fun committee plan each event and even use a successor to plan and organize it to help in their development.

Everyone wins when you have a fun atmosphere at work. As a manager you need to be a supporter of that fun. You'll see improved productivity, reduced turnover and better morale. Usually that means less work for you in the end.

If you can implement these 10 steps into your workplace you will have less stress, better results and more personal time. You deserve to have time for your own hobbies, to watch the kids grow up or spend time with that significant other (Sorry honey this time I did mean golfing).

I have always been a results-driven person; at the same time, many of my friends and colleagues have commented how "lazy" I am. Being both results-driven and somewhat lazy, I always look for the best and easiest method to reach my goals. This is why I wrote The Lazy Manager. It is a book to help you work smarter and not harder and will help you improve the communication and morale within your team.

Bruce Bell has over 15 years of management experience improving the atmosphere, culture and communication in the workplace as a way to increase morale, customer service and profit. He has consistently taken on problem stores and turned them into top performers. As a trainer and mentor of new and experienced managers Bruce has given them the tools and confidence to be effective leaders in an often very demanding field.

Bruce Bell
Author
http://www.thelazymanager.com

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