Five Ways to Improve Teamwork in the Workplace (by Catherine Capozzi, Demand Media)

The efforts of teams often produce far greater results than individual efforts. Leslie Palich of Pepperdine University concludes from her studies that teams are generally more productive and their work can lead to the creation of valuable new products. However, groups can also encounter difficulties: infighting, disagreement about the project's direction and vague objectives are just a few issues that can create contention with even the most skilled teams. Improving teamwork in the workplace can be achieved in several ways.

Implement Recognition Programs

Encourage quality teamwork by rewarding groups for good performance. Create incentives to work well as a team by giving praise and issuing small tokens of appreciation that bear the project or company name. Alan Orr, author of the book "Advanced Project Management," suggests giving the team publicity for its work. Such a gesture instills a sense of meaning and value into the nature of the job, thereby boosting teamwork among group members.

Encourage Social Activities

Teamwork is enhanced when workers know each other and are comfortable discussing a variety of issues. Build this sense of camaraderie by formulating team activities. These events could be informal, such as meeting together over coffee at the nearby café, or the team building event may be more elaborate by taking place over the weekend at a secluded resort on the outskirts of town.

Outline Clear Roles

Boost teamwork abilities by outlining clear roles for each of the members. Before the project commences, work with the members to outline skill sets and deadline charts. Delineate responsibilities according to ability. Consult with the group regarding the feasibility of the listed tasks as well, which will deduce possible stress arising from unrealistic expectations.

Identify Existing Problems

Gain feedback from the team to assess sources of strife. Examples of problems include one group member being unresponsive, an inability to meet deadlines, conflict over how best to proceed on the project and personality clashes. Though groups might be tempted to let issues sort themselves out over time, such a method may not be optimal. Lisa DiTullio, author of the book, "Project Team Dynamics," advises that problems be handled the moment they arise. Encourage group members to discuss issues collectively instead of letting the problem fester and grow larger.

Mediate Disputes

Provide detailed instructions on how to remedy issues that arise among team members, which boosts teamwork by empowering members to solve issues efficiently and productively. Begin by suggesting that group members talk directly with the person creating any negative effects. Encourage the group to provide clear documentation of any problems as well. From there, team members should give distinct guidelines for how to improve the situation. Instead of creating a culture of blame, foster an attitude of being proactive and solution oriented. For example, if one member repeatedly fails to turn in her portion of the project on time, mandate that she provide daily documentation of what she has completed thus far.

About the Author

Since 2008 Catherine Capozzi has been writing business, finance and economics-related articles from her home in the sunny state of Arizona. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in economics from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, which has given her a love of spreadsheets and corporate life.

Original Link: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-ways-improve-teamwork-workplace-13766.html

Five Ways To Focus on Service (By John Tschohl)

If 2011 taught us anything, it’s that service is more important than ever.

A small company must know that when it does less than customers expect, they perceive service to be bad. When the company does exactly what customers expect, service is good. And when a company does more than customers expect, their service is perceived as superior. I urge you to do more than your customers expect if you plan to retain them.

The Netflix lesson

Look at what happened to Netflix. It lost about 1 million accounts because it lost focus of the customer. When the company announced a price increase last July, customers made a stink and many left. While Netflix has attempted to fix the problem, it still has its work cut out. After leading the pack in customer service in 2010, the company’s satisfaction index fell to an average score this year.

Regardless of the customer base you serve, all small businesses should think of themselves as being in the service business. As you create goals for the new year, first and foremost be sure your company is offering the best customer experience possible.

Here are five areas to focus on:

Value – Competition is fierce these days, and consumers want to feel they are getting value for their money. Larger companies might offer better pricing, but after the initial purchase consumers will ultimately get more bang for their buck with a small business because of the service provided.

Quality – Small businesses can win big with service, because big chains are focused on quantity instead of quality. When a customer has a problem, small businesses are more knowledgeable, have specialists in many cases and can provide unparalleled quality to  customers.

Service – Get to know your customers on a first-name basis, know their preferences and take care of the little things that big companies often overlook. Many small businesses don’t have the lowest prices, but they dominate in service.

Empowerment – Empower employees to make customer-service decisions on the spot. Give employees a $25 or $50 limit that they can spend on a customer to fix a problem.

Speed – Think of speed as the jelly to empowerment’s peanut butter; they form a perfect combination. Customers want problems solved yesterday, so act quickly.

Small businesses should adopt a whole-company customer service mentality. Because quality service is an effective selling tool, it also can be a long-term competitive advantage. Customers will discern a distinct difference in service quality, and it becomes a company’s competitive edge.

John Tschohl is president of  the Service Quality Institute and author of the books, “Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service” and “Empowerment: A Way of Life.”

Original Link: http://www.smallbizchicago.com/2012/01/five-ways-to-focus-on-service/

Five Ways To Deal with a Perfectionist at the Helm

BOSSES CAN sometimes be too demanding. Whatever you do is never enough for them, not even if you are the best of employees. Rica Bhattacharyya suggests ways to deal with a boss who is never satisfied. 

1 Insist on a Deadline Clarify the exact delivery deadline of a task assigned by the boss. This makes your boss aware of time constraints and provides you with a more concrete definition of your responsibilities, says Dhruv Desai, senior vice president and head – human resources and leadership academy, Angel Broking. 

2 Improve Performance Expertise and sound understanding of the subject matter help meet a perfectionist boss’ expectations. “Make an effort to learn your job inside out and as quickly as you can. If necessary, study ways you can improve your performance,” says Desai.

3 Be Smart It helps to be patient at work and demonstrate to the boss that you take their attention to quality seriously. “If they ask you to make corrections to your work, keep making alterations as many times as necessary, to satisfy them,” says Desai. Also, a perfectionist boss likely suffers from insecurity. “Verbally acknowledging your boss’s strengths can work for you, increasing your boss's self-esteem,” he says. 

4 Be Assertive It can be useful to be assertive and honest in a polite manner. “Sometimes it is good to be honest and tell them that they are perfectionists and share the challenges you face as you work with them,” adds Madhavi Lall, regional head - human resources - India & South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank. 

5 Learn What you Can Working with a ‘perfectionist’ boss can be a great learning opportunity. “The stretch can expand one’s thinking and build an ability to look at various perspectives,” says Desai. Also, a demanding boss is likely to be a motivated, high-energy type of person. One way to make the most of such a boss could be to “get aligned to their priorities and execute effectively,” says Lall.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 21-11-2012)

Five Ways To Forge Ahead as Young Leader

The path for a young leader could be strewn with multiple pitfalls, but awareness and the right approach are the key to success, says Rica Bhattacharyya. 

1 Stay Grounded 

A major challenge in a young leader’s career path is keeping his or her feet firmly on the ground. “A young leader should never let success get into his head,” says Dhruv K Desai, senior vice president and head, human resources and leadership academy, Angel Broking 

2 Get Good Mentors “Young leaders must build strong professional networks but also sounding boards or a coterie of like-minded people outside the workplace to discuss and share ideas on professional issues,” says Desai. Also, it is crucial to diversify the sources of mentoring, says Meena Wilson, interim managing director, Asia Pa cific, Centre for Creative Leadership. 

3 Communicate Well As the world gets increasingly globalised and interconnected, knowledge of the right way to communicate in different cultural and linguistic contexts is crucial for a young leader, who otherwise runs the risk of being misconstrued and misinterpreted, says Wilson. 

4 Take Risks “Don’t be over-safe. Take risks early in your career. Expose yourself to multiple opportunities to know your true strengths and passions,” says Wilson. 

5 Know your Subject “Young leaders need to build subjectmatter expertise in a particular domain or in the industry,” says Desai.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 02-11-2012)