Planning for Growth Revised Version (Recovered)

7/31/2019 Planning for Growth Revised Version (Recovered)

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Planning for Growth

AIMThis unit is about proactively managing change to ensure the businessremains aligned with the Vets4Pets vision and values whilst maximisingopportunities locally

OBJECTIVES

To translate the company vision and values at a local level to create a clear andchallenging business plan for the practiceUse innovative approaches to grow and manage the business, thereby

maximising resultsUnderstand how change can effect individuals in different ways and how youmanage this effectively as a manager Identify how you make decisions and how you can be a more effective decisionmaker

CONTENT

Planningfor

growth

Our vision& values

Tools forcreativethinking

A simplebusiness

plan

Managinga Project

ManagingChange

Makinggreat

decisions


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OUR VISION AND VALUES

The objective for this module is to:Translate the company vision and values at a local level to create a clear and challenging business plan for the practice

1. To get started we will take a brief look at what a company vision is, its purposeand benefits and the Vet4pets Mission Statement and Vision.

2. We will then move onto gaining a greater understanding of the company valuesand how these drive behaviours.

3. And finally we will turn our focus onto what this means for our practice and our individual behaviours.

Company VisionWhat is a Mission/Vision Statement?Its not unusual for compan ieys to combine themission and vision statements. If we were togive each a definition it would probably be that amission statement asserts the companysfundamental purpose and the vision statementprovides the description of what and where the company wants to be, the aspiration andthe values. Together they provide the basis of a plan, the strategic framework.

Here are a few well - known brands mission and vision statements.

Your task is to identify which well - known company each of the followingbelongs to:

Mission Statement Vision Which company?

Be our customers' favouriteplace and way to eat.

To be the world's best quickservice restaurant experience.Being the best means providingoutstanding quality, service,cleanliness, and value, so that wemake every customer in everyrestaurant smile.

McDonalds

To enrich peoples lives withprogrammes and services thatinform, educate and entertain.

To be the most creativeorganisation in the world

BBC

A mission statement defines in a paragraph or soany entity's reason for existence. It embodies itsphilosophies, goals, ambitions and mores. Anyentity that attempts to operate without a missionstatement runs the risk of wandering through theworld without having the ability to verify that it is


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Of course a vision is not a vision if it is not visible!

? Are all team members able to recite your vision?? Do all team members understand their role in achieving the vision?? When you recruit new team members is your vision clearly articulated in your

recruitment and selection process?If you answered no to any of these questions, make a note to take action now.

We have already noted that successful companies know where they are heading andwhat they want to achieve and the same is true for successful people. A personal visionstatement is equally important and can help to define what the business goals are too.

Dont let your business run your life let your personal ambitions shape your business!

Take time out to identify your Personal Goals and Aspirations now as these will helpyou to successfully complete the next activities.

Personal Goals and Aspirations1. What do you love to do when

you have spare time?

2. What aspects of your current job or life activities do youthoroughly enjoy?

3. What do you naturally dowell?

4. What do you feel have beenyour ten greatest successesto date?

5. Is there a cause, value or quality that you feelpassionate about?

6. What are the ten mostimportant lessons you havelearned in your life?


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7. What do you dream about

doing?

8. What would you do if youknew you could not fail?

9. What are your personal goalsfor the next 5 years?

10. What other thoughts hasthis activity inspired in you?


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Company Values

As mentioned our ..

Vets4pets Mission

We help ambitious veterinary professionalsown and run their own business - Successfully.

And our Vets4pets Vision

Vets4Pets will be the veterinary group of choice.

explains the reason for our existence.

Company values are the principles or standards that guide the way a businessoperates or behaves. They sum up what the business stands for and what makes itspecial. They are a key reason that customers and employees choose a company andremain loyal. Why? . Because when personal values align with a companys valueswe feel comfort and trust.

Every business is different and will have its own set of values - whether or not these arearticulated.

For some businesses like Walt Disney, not surprising, innovation is one of their corevalues.

For Body Shop its about the planet, we always strive to protect this beautiful planetand the people who depend on it. We don't do it this way because it's fashionable. Wedo it because, to us, it's the only way.

Business plans and strategies may change, but the values of a business remainconstant.

For employees, values give them direction about how they are expected to behave.They inspire them to give their best. Shared with customers, values shape customers'understanding of why they should do business with the organisation.It is critical to ensure that the Vets4Pets values are clearly communicated andunderstood, and that you and your management team model them at all times.

Vets4pets Core Values 1. Pets come first.2. We treat each other with respect.3. Build winning relationships4. We do what we say5. Getting better day by day6. Create fun & recognise success


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Take a moment to consider how you currently communicate theVets4Pets values in your practice.

What will you do to improve?

Communicating the values is important, showing what you expect from your employeesand encouraging them to do the same is critical.

Take a moment to think about how you are demonstrating the Vets4Pets values to your customers, team and stakeholders and what more you could do. Give a few examplesfor each of the values.

Our Vet4Pets Value Ways I already demonstratethis value

What else I will do ..

Pets come first.

We treat each other with respect.

Build winning

relationships

We do what we say

Getting better day byday

Create fun &recognise success

Share some of your ideas with the rest of the cohort either via Ss kype or on the intranet.


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You will find that you can share some of your ideas and that you can add to the what

else I will do column

To support you in leading your team Vets4Pets have identified 6 guiding behaviours..the way our Leaders Behave. We;

1. Set clear expectations,2. Set objectives that are aligned with company goals.3. Create winning teams.

4. Are Firm & Fair.5. Encourage Innovation.6. Confront the brutal facts.

Reflect back on Modules 1 and 2the Leadership module and consider whatelse you will implement to deliver these 6 Leadership behaviours .

And finally all of this is translated into tangible goals.

Vets4Pets have seven business goals reaching out to the year 2020

Our Goals1. We will have more than 300 Vets4Pets sites operating by 2020.2. We will have 1 million active clients by 2020.3. We will grow our existing like for like business by more than 15% each year.

4. The majority of our leaders will be developed from within.5. We will have a world class Net Promoter Score (NPS over 50%) by 2015.6. We will appear in the Times 100 Top Employer list (or equivalent) by 2018.7. We will hit our profit targets every year.


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AYour Practice

Every practice is part of Vets4Pets and is responsible for delivering the Mission, Vision,Values and Goals of the company. And its equally important for each practice to havea clearly defined vision and short, medium and long term goals that will set them apartfrom their competitors and that are relevant for them, their local clients and their pets.

Strategic Business Vision

Start by designing a Strategic Business Vision for your practice or for your department..

Depending on the maturity of your business make this a 3 year, a 5 year or inline with the Vets4Pets timescales of 2020.

Question Strategic Vision Actions needed to achieve your vision

What is unique aboutyour Vets4PetsPractice or your support function ?What values are truepriorities for the nextyear?

What would make

you professionallycommit your mindand heart to thisvision over the next 5years?What do pets and petowners need thatyour practice can andshould provide?

As a supportfunction, how can

you assist thepractices to providethis ?


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What do you want

your practice /your support function toaccomplish so thatyou will becommitted, alignedand proud of your association with it?

Once you have defined your vision you can set yourself some goals aligned toachieving the vision.

Yale University took a poll of each student as they graduated from the class of 1953 andasked who had identified and written down their personal life goals. Of the entire classonly 3% had undertaken to complete this important task. Twenty years later, the 3% hadearned 50% of the entire income of all of the rest of the class combined.

And if this doesnt convince you here is a biological case for writing down your personaland practice goals .

Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) in your eyes has four sections, two mediatesensations that give pleasure and enable learning and memory. This constantly picksup signals from you on what you are focussing on and stores them in your unconsciousmind. When your RAS continuously gets sight of your goals it places them in your unconscious mind, which in turn finds the things that relate to them and helps you toachieve them.

To improve the process make the goals your RAS detects more exciting andmemorabl e. Design your own Treasure Map with pictures, words and phrases thatreflect your goals. The more visually exciting and different, the more your unconsciousmind will have to work on. Why not create a map as a team for your practice or department and have additional maps for individual goals. This will make a great focalpoint for your clients too. Keep it updated and fresh and consider laminating it.

This is a fantastic team building exercise and also gives you a focus as a team as youmove forward. If issues arise, you can refer back to what you are trying to achieve andpull the team back on track.


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Getting your team engaged with the values.

Vets4pets Core Values 1. Pets come first.2. We treat each other with respect.3. Build winning relationships4. We do what we say5. Getting better day by day6. Create fun & recognise success

This can be achieved using a number of different approaches.

Below are a few to get you going:

1. Set the team the task of defining how they will behave to each other and totheir clients to deliver the 6 Vets4Pets values

2. Make up a song or poem about delivering the values3. Ask your clients to rate you against the values and make suggestions on how

you can improve verbally or as a Client Satisfaction Ff orm4. Ask each team member to write down ways they will behave in their specific

role e.g. Practice Nurse, Receptionist etc., for each value, or in specific dutiese.g. booking people in, taking payments, vaccination reminders etc.

5. At end of each day recognise examples of individual and team successes andways to make it even better

6. Dedicate a notice board for your values with fun ways to identify appropriatebehaviours and recognise success

7. Review your business processes against the values do they help or hinder change them to fit

8. Stand in the shoes of different clients and measure your service from start tofinish against your values do the same for your team members

9. Design a recruitment campaign with your values at the centre10. Create a story with contributions from the team that encapsulates the values

Chris-could you give an example of a story because these can be reallypowerfulHere is an example of a well known story. See how it touches our emotions and helps us to understand and to recall.


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the blind man and the advertising story

An old blind man was sitting on a busy street corner in the rush-hour begging formoney. On a cardboard sign, next to an empty tin cup, he had written: 'Blind - Pleasehelp'.

No-one was giving him any money.

A young advertising writer walked past and saw the blind man with his sign and emptycup, and also saw the many people passing by completely unmoved, let alone stoppingto give money.

The advertising writer took a thick marker-pen from her pocket, turned the cardboard

sheet back-to-front, and re-wrote the sign, then went on her way.

Immediately, people began putting money into the tin cup.

After a while, when the cup was overflowing, the blind man asked a stranger to tell himwhat the sign now said.

"It says," said the stranger, " 'It's a beautiful day. You can see it. I cannot.' "

What do you take from this story? Share it with your colleagues and see how rich a

story can be.

There are also Margaret P arkins s tories which could be referenced

http://www.success-stories.co.uk/learning-development/ld-sub1/

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", First line


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A simple business plan- link from Strategic Business Vision and goals to develop a plan

Does Vet4pets have one of these?

The info that a partner will get is what I sent through to you. They dont get involved insetting the business plan-re. my email

Welcome to the second objective for your Planning for Growth Module

Objective

Use innovative approaches to grow and manage the business, thereby maximising results

1. An essential tool for every business a Business Plan2. Tips and tools for Project Management

A Business Plan is an essential tool for all businesses. Every new practice has abusiness plan which is developed by the business analysis team.

The plan will ensure the business knows where it is going, how it will get there and if itwill make sufficient money to survive and grow.

A business plan is equally useful throughout the life of a business as it is at its inception.Download the Business Link template now.

Read through the document and allocate time in the next couple of weeks to completethe plan. There may be elements that you already do, like legal requirements. If so skipthese aspects.

Allocate a date in your diary every month to review your plan and identify opportunitiesto grow your business.

A Business Plan needs to be more than a plan, it needs to be actioned. It is often usefulto break this down into everyday activities and projects.

This is the subject of the next session.

Introduce the concept of a business plan and the need to implement the plan ofteninvolving projects


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Managing a Project Dissertation Project

As part of your role as Practice owner or Manager you will find yourself implementingand managing projects. Whether these are large or small they can be tricky things tokeep control of. Project Management is a highly skilled role and managing projects canbe a daunting prospect for the un-initiated.

1. Project management has a definite beginning and end. It is not a continuousprocess.

2. Project management uses various tools to measure accomplishments and trackproject tasks, including Work Breakdown Structures, Gantt and PERT charts.

3. Projects frequently need resources on an ad-hoc basis.4. Project management reduces risk and increases

the chance of success.

Projects may mean different things to different people,but all involve bringing a number of strands together toproduce a successful outcome in a given time andwithin a given budget.

How do you get started? What approach and strategies do you need to consider? Howdo you ensure your project meets your stakeholders needs? If you are undertaking anew project do you have a framework in place to begin to scope what you will need tofocus on to achieve a successful outcome?

This module will help you to keep all your plates spinning.

Module Content

1. Defining your project2. Plan it3. Identify who has an interest and the power to help or hinder your Stakeholders4. Your project team5. Plan Do - Review

1/ DEFINING YOUR PROJECT

Before you begin your project you need to gather some key information, aproject summary document. This will serve as a useful checklist toensure you have considered all the key elements required for your

project plan, implementation and success.

A project is a set of activities tocreate something that is outsideof your day-to-day operations. A


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Project Summary document

Instructions for completion NEED TO AGREE ON A PROJECT??

Have asked the Board for suggested business project titles 1. Insert the name of your project2. Terms of Reference- write a brief statement outlining the aim/scope /purpose of

the project3. In each of the 4 boxes summarise using bullet points key factors as follows:

Current situation/issues what has led to the project beinginitiated?Stakeholders identify the key people both internal and external

who will need to be involved/consultedDeliverables - detail the top level activities that will be evident andimplemented once the project is completedSuccess Criteria what are the expectations of the stakeholdersand how will you and they know that you are meeting their expectations

4. Sign off and date once agreed with your Project Sponsor (If applicable e.g.initiated by your Regional Manager)

Project Name :

Terms of Reference/Scope/Purpose:

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

CURRENT SITUATION/ISSUES STAKEHOLDERS

KEY DELIVERABLES (incl budget) SUCCESS CRITERIA &TIMEFRAMES


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Agreed & signed by Project Sponsor: Date:

Chris

I think we should make this module, module 3 as they can apply the project planninginfo to their dissertation and then continue to build on this as they move throughthe units. Hi Ruth yes agreed it might be useful to see what the Board comesback with and then offer it as a smorgasbord? Any news?


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2/ PLAN IT

The boxes below are out of line on my system. They are over some of the text.We will need to check that when they access it , it is in the right format.

Project Lifecycle

A project goes through six phases during its life.

Put the following stages in the right order and match the activity thataligns to each

Defining the goals, objectives and critical success factors for the project

Detailed plans of how the work will be carried out including time, cost and resourceestimate

Doing the work to deliver the product, service or desired outcome

Ensuring that a project stays on track and taking corrective action to ensure it does

Everything that is needed to set-up the project before work canstart

Formal acceptance of the deliverables and disbanding of all the elements that wererequired to run the projectProject Stage Activity1

2

3

4

5

Project Execution

Project Closure Project

Project Monitoring

Project Planning

Project Initiation


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Planning the key steps

1. Confirm the scope of the project Ask yourself:

Who does your solution need to perform for? What results and benefits should the solution produce? What cost and penalties do you want to avoid? What limitations or restrictions apply? Have I got the resources?

2. Define your objectives

Define your objectives and success measures. What outcomes will you achieve?Ensure they are SMART Link to the module for a reminder on SMART orduplicate here If we move this module to be no. 3 they will not have come across SMART. Inmodule 2 they will have done setting business objectives and how individualobjectives should be linked to this but SMArt is not mentioned.You can then go into more detail in Team Development module. Ruth think we said the other day that we could have SMART as a resourcethat could then be downloaded when needed wherever they are. I have donea PDF which I will attach

3. Breakdown the work

All projects can be split into a number of smaller tasks that when completed will givea successful project outcomeTo do this you must identify and document: all the different streams of work and put them into order all the tasks to be done and when they must be completed in relation to other

tasks the interdependencies -a task that relies on the outcome or completion of another

task either first or is concurrent4. Identify the milestones

These are the significant outputs that need to be checked and measured throughoutand documented at the start and spread over the lifecycle of the projectThey can include:

Fixed points and critical dates Phase, task or stage ends Major deliverables


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Payment Review dates with Project sponsor and key stakeholders Project meetings

5. Identify resourcesCheck you have identified and built into the plan the range of physical, technological,financial and human resources the project requires to achieve the deliverables. Haveall the Ms been considered?

M ethods, M anpower, M achinery, M aterials, M oney6. Compliance

Ensure your plan complies with the law, company policies, safety, quality,environment issues etc.

7. Risk Management

Look at your plan and identify anything that could be considered a risk, includingPeople, Vets4Pets, Finance, time, interruption, change etc.

8. CommunicationDefine the what, why, how, when and with whom you need to engage to ensureupdates, issues resolved, new ideas and feedback is maintained throughout to keepthe project on track


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Project Planning Tools

Here are a few popular examples of some of the commonly used tools in projectplanning and project management.

BrainstormingGantt ChartsCritical Path Analysis

BrainstormingBrainstorming is usually the first crucial creative stage of the project management andproject planning process. Brainstorming creates new ideas, solves problems, motivatesand develops teams. Unlike most project management skills and methods, the firststage of the brainstorming process is ideally a free-thinking and random technique. During brainstorming sessions there should be no criticism of ideas. You are trying toopen possibilities and break down wrong assumptions about the limits of the problem.Judgments and analysis at this stage will stunt idea generation. Ideas should only beevaluated once the brainstorming session has finished - you can then explore solutionsfurther using conventional approaches.

Individual Brainstorming When you brainstorm on your own you will tend to produce a wider range of ideas thanwith group brainstorming - you do not have to worry about other people's egos or opinions, and can therefore be more freely creative. You may not, however, developideas as effectively as you do not have the experience of a group to help you.

Group BrainstormingGroup brainstorming can be very effective as it uses the experience and creativity of allmembers. When individual members reach their limit on an idea, another member'screativity and experience can take the idea to the next stage. Therefore, groupbrainstorming tends to develop ideas in more depth than individual brainstorming.


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Brainstorming rules.

Ideally you need a flip-chart or alternative for group brainstorming or post-it notes on ablank wall work well. Its not easy to facilitate as you need to m anage the process,people's involvement and sensitivities and the follow up actions.

Define the problem you want solved clearly, and lay out any criteria to be met.Agree a time limit and keep the session focused on the problemEnsure that no one criticises or evaluates ideas during the session.Get everyone to contribute and develop ideas, including the quietest membersLet people have fun brainstorming.Encourage as many ideas as possible, from solidly practical ones to wildlyimpractical ones.Ensure that no train of thought is followed for too longEncourage people to develop other people's ideas, or to use other ideas tocreate new onesCategorise/condense /combine/refinePrioritise options/rank list as appropriateAgree action and timescaleControl and monitor follow up

Manage the brainstorming activity

Your role as facilitator is to encourage everyone to participate, to dismiss nothing, andto prevent others from pouring scorn on the wilder suggestions (some of the best ideasare initially the daftest ones).

During the random collection of ideas record every suggestion on the flip-chart aroundthe walls.

At the end of the time limit or when ideas have been exhausted, use different colouredpens to categorise, group, connect and link the random ideas.

Condense and refine the ideas by making new headings or lists. Combine ideas withinother themes to avoid dismissing or rejecting contributions.

With the group, assess, evaluate and analyse the effects and validity of the ideas anddevelop and prioritise into a more finished list or set of actions or options.

After the session circulate notes, monitor and give feedback. Develop a clear andpositive outcome, so that people feel their effort and contribution was worthwhile. When


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people see that their efforts have resulted in action and change, they will be motivated

and keen to help again.

2/ Gantt Charts

A Gantt chart allows you to assess how long a project should take. It lays out the order in which tasks need to be carried out and helps manage the dependencies betweentasks. It assists you in the planning stage and its a useful way to present your proposals to othersHow to use tool:Gantt Charts are useful tools for analysing and planning more complex projects.They:

Help plan out the tasks that need to be completedGive a basis for scheduling when these tasks will be carried outHelp to plan the allocation of resources needed to complete the project, andHelp work out the critical path for a project completion by a particular date.

Sequential and parallel activities: An essential concept behind project planning (and Critical Path Analysis) is that someactivities are dependent on other activities being completed first. It is not a good idea tostart building a bridge before you have designed it!Dependent activities need to be completed in a sequence, with each stage being more-or-less completed before the next activity can begin. We can call dependent activities'sequential'. Activities that are not dependent on completion of any other tasks may bedone at any time before or after a particular stage is reached. These are known asparallel tasks.Example - To draw up a Gantt chart, follow these steps:

1. List all activities in the plan For each task, show the earliest start date, estimated length of time it will take, andwhether it is parallel or sequential. If tasks are sequential, show which stages theydepend on.

You will end up with a task list like the one below:

Task Possiblestart

Length Type Dependenton...

1. High level week 1 5 days sequential


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2. Head up with the days or weeks through to task completion

3. Plot the tasksNext draw up a rough draft of the Gantt Chart. Plot each task, showing it starting onthe earliest possible date. Draw it as a bar, with the length of the bar being thelength of the task. Above the task bars, mark the time taken to complete them. Donot worry about task scheduling yet. All you are doing is setting up the first draft of the analysis.

4. This will produce an untidy diagram like the one below:

5. Schedule ActivitiesNow take the draft Gantt Chart, and use it to schedule actions. Schedule them insuch a way that sequential actions are carried out in the required sequence. Ensurethat dependent activities do not start until the activities they depend on have beencompleted.Where possible, schedule parallel tasks so that they do not interfere with sequentialactions on the critical path. While scheduling, ensure that you make best use of the

resources you have available, and do not over-commit resource.

6. Presenting the Analysis

analysis

2. Selection of hardware platform

week 1 1 day sequential 1

3. Installation andcommissioning of hardware

week 3 2 weeks parallel 2

4. Detailedanalysis of coremodules

week 1 2 weeks sequential 1


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The final stage in this process is to prepare a final version of the Gantt Chart. This

should combine the draft analysis (see above) with your scheduling and analysis of resources. This chart will show when you anticipate that jobs should start and finish.

A redrawn and scheduled version of the example project is shown below:

By drawing this example Gantt Chart, you can see that:If all goes well, the project can be completed in 10 weeksIf you want to complete the task as rapidly as possible, you can identify whatadditional resources you may need.

While this section describes how to develop a Gantt Chart, there are a number of software packages available that make it easier to draw up Gantt Charts and makemodifications easier as well as providing facilities for monitoring progress against plans.

Summary: Gantt charts are useful tools for planning and scheduling projects. They allow you toassess how long a project should take, determine the resources needed, and lay out theorder in which tasks need to be carried out. They are useful in managing thedependencies between tasks.When a project is under way, Gantt charts are useful for monitoring its progress. Youcan immediately see what should have been achieved at a point in time, and cantherefore take remedial action to bring the project back on course.

3/ Critical Path Analysis


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Critical Path Analysis is a very logical and effective method for planning and managing

complex projects. It is normally shown as a flow diagram, whose format is linear (organised in a line), and specifically a time-line. They are very good for showinginterdependent factors whose timings overlap or coincide. They also enable a plan to bescheduled according to a timescale.

Critical Path Analysis flow diagrams also enable costings and budgeting, although notquite as easily as Gantt charts. CPA flow diagrams are very good for showinginterdependent factors whose timings overlap or coincide. They also enable a plan to bescheduled according to a timescale.

How to use tool:

As an example, the project is a simple one - making a fried breakfast.

First note down all the issues (resources and activities in a rough order):

Assemble crockery and utensilsAssemble ingredientsPrepare equipmentMake toastFry sausages and eggsGrill bacon and tomatoesLay tableWarm plates

Serve.

Note that some of these activities must happen in parallel - and crucially they areinterdependent. If you tried to make a fried breakfast by doing one task at a time, andone after the other, things would go wrong. Certain tasks must be started before others,and must be completed in order for others to begin. The plates need to be warmingwhile other activities are going on. The toast needs to be toasting while the sausagesare frying, and at the same time the bacon and sausages are under the grill. The eggsneed to be fried last.

A Critical Path Analysis is a diagrammatical representation of what needs to be doneand when. Timescales and costs can be applied to each activity and resource.

Here's the Critical Path Analysis for making a fried breakfast:


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This example shows just a few activities over a few minutes. Normal business projectswould see the analysis extending several times wider than this example, and the timeline would be based on weeks or months.

It is possible to use MS Excel or a similar spread sheet to create a Critical Path Analysis, which allows financial totals and time totals to be planned and tracked.Various specialised project management software enable the same thing. Bewarehowever of spending weeks on the intricacies of computer modelling, when in the early

stages especially, a carefully hand drawn diagram - which requires no computer trainingat all - can put 90% of the thinking and structure in place.


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3/ YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholder Management is an important discipline that successful people use to winsupport from others. It helps to ensure them that their projects succeed where othersfail.

Stakeholder Analysis is the technique used to identify the key people who have to bewon over. You then use Stakeholder Planning to build the support that helps yousucceed.

The benefits of using a stakeholder-based approach are that:

You can use the opinions of the most powerful stakeholders to shape your

projects at an early stage. Not only does this make it more likely that they willsupport you, their input will usually improve the quality of your project.Gaining support from powerful stakeholders can help you to win more resources,making it more likely that your projects will be successful.By communicating with stakeholders early and frequently, you can ensure thatthey fully understand what you are doing, and that they understand the benefitsof your project. This means they can support you actively when necessary.You can anticipate what people's reaction to your project may be, and build intoyour plan the actions that will win people's support.

The steps of Stakeholder Analysis are explained below:

Identify Your Stakeholders:The first step in your stakeholder analysis is tobrainstorm who your stakeholders are. As part of this, think of all the people who are affected by your work, who have influence or power over it, or havean interest in its successful or unsuccessfulconclusion.

Analyse and Prioritise Your StakeholdersYou may now have a long list of people andorganisations that are affected by your project.Some of these may have the power either to blockyour efforts, or help to advance them and some may be interested in what you aredoing, while others may not care.


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Map out your stakeholders using the Power/Interest Grid and classify them by their

power over your work and by their interest in your work.

For example, a boss is likely to have high power and influence over your projectsand high interest. Your work colleague may have high interest, but unlikely to havepower over it.

Understand your key stakeholders You need to know more about your key stakeholders. You need to know how theyare likely to feel about, and react to, your project. You also need to know how best toengage them in your project, and how best to communicate with them

Stakeholder Communication PlanThe next stage is to plan your communication so that you can win them around tosupport your projects. Stakeholder planning is the process by which you do this.

Implement the planOnce you have prepared your Stakeholder Plan, all you need to do is to implementit. As with all plans, it will be easier to implement if you break it down into a series of small, achievable steps and action these one-by-one.

4/ YOUR PROJECT TEAM

Depending on the project type, select an appropriate team. Refer to their learning stylesThey talk about learning styles but dont complete the questionnaire in module 2

I have found some sites where you can take similar questionnaires for free.http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/honey_mumford.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/extra/module1/3.shtml

Ruth I wouldnt use Learning Styles here . Id be more inclined to link it to the team moduleand the Belbin variation. Can we sugest they dip into a specific page of the module andthen direct them to the website.

Take care when picking your team. Selecting and gaining commitment is crucial to thequality of the project, and the ease with which you are able to manage it. Identifying or appointing one or two people even during the terms of reference stage is possible.
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/honey_mumford.htmlhttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/honey_mumford.html


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Appointing the team early will maximise buy-in, ownership, and accountability and you will

benefit from their input at an early stage.

Project management with tight resources can be a lonely business - get some help fromgood people you can trust, whatever the budget. Some of the most valuable team membersare informal advisors, mentors, helpers, who want nothing other than to be involved and afew words of thanks.

When forming teams, the Project Manager should consider the team's purpose, member participation and placement, as well as team processes and plans.

Purpose Will the team understand why it exists, what it is to do and how it willknow they are successful? Creating a powerful vision that provides challengewith clear business outcomes will motivate/influence people to provide supportand dedicate time to the project.

Participation - Who would be the best people to include on the team and howlarge should the team be in order to accomplish its purpose? Get people onboard with the skills, knowledge and passion for making a difference, allow themto get involved in things they are good at when agreeing roles andresponsibilities. Look for a balance between personality types -both task andpeople focus -so solutions the team design will be more diverse and innovative.

Placement - Where will the team members be physically located and how oftenshould the team plan to have meetings? If the team is to be an intact work group,this may make some things simpler. If the team is spread over multiple sites,consider conference calls to minimise travel and costs.

Process - How will the team get to where it needs to go in order to accomplish itspurpose? Develop and agree ground rules, identify and agree any constraintsrelated to decision-making authority or functional boundaries. Initial teamdiscussions should include meetings management e.g. a framework for meetings, record-keeping, communication, problem solving, and if relevant toteam's work include process mapping.

Plan - Will the team know what it needs to accomplish and complete the project? Are there SMART goals to focus on achieving the vision and outcomes? Is itclear what success looks like? Is there time scheduled for review, reflection,learning and celebrating achievements?


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Communicate, communicate, and communicate!

5/ PLAN DO REVIEW

Great planning and implementation are important but never forget to review progress andthe project

Here are some key points to remember: Check the progress of activities against the plan. Review performance regularly and confirm against the plan. Adjust the plan as necessary depending on performance,

changing circumstances, new information but stay within theoriginal terms of reference.

Identify, agree and delegate new actions as appropriate. Plan team review meetings. Analyse causes and learn from mistakes.

Project management almost always involves change management too, within which it'svery important to consider the effects of the project on people who have to adapt to thechange.

Plan

Do

Review


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Change Management

The objective for this module is to:Understand how change can effect individuals in different ways and how you manage this effectively as a leader

1. Understanding change2. Personal responses to change3. Changes in your Practice

1/ Understanding change

Change can be large or small. It can occur over a number of months or years or happenin a moment. It can affect a few or many. It can impact on our environment, our work,the way we do things, our relationships and many more. One thing is for certain it willhave an impact.

Charles Darwin wrote:Its not the strongest of thespecies that survive, nor the

most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

Business ChangeChange is any alteration in business processes or behaviours required to deal withinternal and external pressures more effectively. External pressures are increasing as afactor of globalised business, quicker and more effective communication/informationtechnology, changing world markets and demographics.

2/ Personal responses to change

Firstly lets consider how we respond to change

The reaction to change

Change means:new , which means

Effective leaders help others tounderstand the necessity of change and to accept acommon vision of the desired outcome John Kotter


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learn , which means at firsta loss , in whole or part, of what was familiar to what may feel (at first), is an

uncomfortable transition.

William Bridges wrote:

It isnt the changes that do you in, its the transitions. Change is not the same as transition.

Change is situational: the new site, the new boss, the new team roles,the new system, policy etc.

Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation.

Change is external, transition is internal

Identify a recent change that you have experienced at work.Write down how the change personally affected you. Consider this in a chronologicalway, starting with your initial reaction to the change.e.g. A new member of the team I feel a rather sad, as Ill miss theprevious person, but I expect this one willbe all right. Im a bit frustrated, she doesnt seemto have grasped things very quickly, Icould do the job quicker

e.g. A new member of the team Im not sorry to see Susan go, cantsay we ever got on. Im quite excited as this will give me anopportunity to train up someone to our way of doing things

Use the following questions to guide you:

What was your initial reaction to the change?How did you feel about the change?What were the low points?What were the high points?How did you feel at each stage?How did people around you help or hinder?

What was the impact on you outside of work?How did you relieve any stress?How are you feeling about it now?What helped you to cope?


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The Transition Curve A model to embed change

The transition curve was originally developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to explain thegrieving process. The Change Curve has since developed as a model to describe thestages everyone must go through when faced with a change in their lives. From grievinga loved one to changing an IT system, people have to experience the same stages of personal development in order to move on.

The model describes nine states of emotion, which can be simplified into three phasesof the transition process- Endings, Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings.

These three stages are shown in a Transition Curve and whilst this curve is over simplified, it is a useful tool for understanding the sorts of issues people might be facingduring a change.


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Many different versions of the change curve have been developed since the work of

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. All agree that people respond differently to change dependingon their experience of it, their levels of optimism, values, beliefs about own and others abilities and so on. It is important as leaders that you can anticipate and plan what to doin the different scenarios that result from change at different stages.

A description of each of thestages from the point of view of someoneexperiencing the changeprocess:

Source: The gluecurve from theglueless about change game

Disruption - the change, expect an emotional reaction, ranging from avoidance,confusion, apprehension and uncertainty to excitement.

Ostrich mentality resist the reali ty and hope it goes away. Ill be okay It wont affectme Ive heard it before. Head buried - work harder, avoid the issues deny theinevitable!

Victim mode position, skills, knowledge, status have gone. Fear and fall into the trapof blaming everyone they the bosses, the economy, friends, family and even self.

Angry, undervalued, out of control and not taking responsibility .

Washing machine good looking ahead days and bad, everything is in a spin,counterproductive and pointless days. Constant churn, want to fit in but not knowingquite what or how.

Explorer starting to go forward, makes more sense, clearer, more controlled and

planned. Scared, or is it excitement? Embrace mistakes - expect too much and its backto the washing machine.


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Breakthrough the jigsaw puzzle is coming together and the start seems a long way

away. Confidence is increasing and you feel more like the old you, but different!

Patterns of Behaviour

Part 1 - Take yourself back 5 or even 10 years What do you see as different?

Where were you?

What was your job?

Who did you work with?

What methods/technology were you using?

What motivated you about what you were doing?

So what have been the major changes since then?

1. Enter the changes in the left hand column of the table.

Change InitialReaction

CurrentView


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2. What was your initial reaction to the change? Enter a score out of 10.

- 1 being a negative reaction to the change and 10 positive.

3. How do you view the change now? Enter a score out of 10. - 1 being a negative reaction to the change and 10 positive.

Part 21. What were the 2 most significant changes over that time?2. How long did it take to realise that the change was past?

Enter this in the box provided.

Change Transitionperiod

1

2

Part 3What helped you move

forward?What for you was a barrier to

moving forward?

Change1

Change2


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3/ Change in your Practice

The ability to manage change is the critical differentiator between successful and poor performance in todays world. Successful implementation of change management tools and completing the first parts of this module are critical in preparing you to lead changein your practice.

Some of the changes you implement will be because you want to and others becauseyou have little or no choice. Make a mental note now of how different this feels. Youmight be wondering what change it is that you have no choice in. After all this is your business.

We are going to review eight key factors that affect change in business in a changewheel with equal emphasis to each factor.

The eight factors are: Social/Environmental.

Political.Competitors.Customers.Stakeholders.Economics.Demographics/Workforce.Technology


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Ideally click on each section to reveal the information below:

A. Social/Environmental It is no longer acceptable to ignore issues of pollution,long-term health and societ ys welfare. Similarly, busines ses can no longer operate in aclinical environment outside of the communities they interface with.

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice or Department ? High areas of truancy or long term unemployment?Your Practice as part of the community? Environmental pressures?

B. Political - changes in political direction at both a local, national and Europeanlevel can have dramatic effects. Some political decisions have obvious economicissues, others have indirect effects (e.g. local policy and its effects on the public).

Social/Environmental

Political

Competitors

Customers,Owners/Stakeholders

Economics

Demographics/Workforce

Technology


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What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?

What is the local political direction?How might it affect you in the short, medium and long term?What political changes are likely to occur in the near future?

C. Competitors Who are our competitors? might not be as easy to answer aswe might think. Having identified our competitors, the key challenge becomes one of finding out what they are focusing on and why.

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?What is the impact on your services?What is their strategy for the next five years?

D. Customers/Public businesses are often well equipped to measure thecloseness of their current relationships with the customers (e.g. customer service levels,complaints, feedback surveys), but are not always as successful at predicting customer reaction in the medium and long term.

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?Loyalty/retention rateConsumer/buying trendsIncreased/decreased buying ability?Responsiveness to marketing

E. Owners/Stakeholders perhaps the most relevant aspect of this factor is your relationship with Vets4Pets. It can also be changes of ownership with people you dobusiness with or the impact of other stakeholders. If you are not sure who these may be complete the Stakeholder Mapping Activity in Project Management can this click through? .

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?What do they want from their investment in your business?What is their current involvement profile?Will they become more/less involved?Key business success indicators - will they change?


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F. Economics cyclical economic climates and unexpected changes to worldwide

trading conditions can make a difference.

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?. UK economy boom or bust?

EU/World economic issuesInterest rate policyInflation predictions

G. Demographics/Workforce new technologies combined with changingpopulation and age patterns have created a complex scenario for human resourceplanning.

What effects do the following factors have on your Practice?. Ageing customer profile?

Ageing workforce profile?More retired people in the populationMovement of people out of cities and townsTravel to work distances

H. Technology securing the winning edge is a key rationale underpinning mostsignificant technological changes. Predicting and overcoming technological limits togrowth is a key to enhancing competitiveness.

What effects do the following factors have on your business?New information technologiesInternetCustomer technology

Advances in research

The key aspects of the Change Wheel are:

The eight factors cannot be viewed or managed in isolation they have atendency to impinge on each other.Prioritise the factors so that the change agenda remains relevant.The priority of factors may alter on a regular basis, so the wheel needs to bereviewed continually.


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Make the Change Happen

ARE YOU A CHANGE LEADER?

As explored in the transition curve change brings with it a degree of discomfortand fear. It is not a natural state for people and even those that appear to cravenewness an difference you will not be surprised to know that they also have a lotof order and sameness too. I think it would be useful to acknowledge that changecan make us feel uncomfortable and is not a natural state for us .

Why not try this simple exercise to experience a little change for yourself.Individual exercise to show this:

When you finish work today, you must drive home a different way. When you getup tomorrow, you must shower yourself in a different order and again drive towork an unfamiliar route. When you get to work, ask yourself how you a refeeling?Most people feel cross, frustrated, that time has been wasted because you had towash yourself twice because it didnt feel right and the unfamiliar drive made youfeel crossThis is how your people feel when faced with change. You are r allowed to feel cross and need more reassurance.

You might like to try this activity with your team at your next meeting. Rememberto fully debrief the activity.A group exercise

Ask all your team to stand up in pairs. Stand back to back and change 3 thingsabout your appearance. Eg remove glasses, role up sleeves, remove item ofclothing or jewellery. Face each other and see if your partner can identify thechanges. Then repeat the exercise so that you have now changes 6 things aboutyour appearance. Discuss how you felt. Ask everyone to sit down andimmediately they will want to change back to how they initially appeared. Explainthat this is because we like to revert back to familiar ground and this is what youwill naturally do when faced with change. If you insisted that they cannot changeback, how would they feel? Be aware of how people feel when faced with newsituations. It takes 30 days of a new behaviour before it starts to become a newhabit.

Anyone can be a change leader; it has nothing to do with position or status.

The key to leading change is in your behaviour.1. Model the Change

Even if youre on the right track youll get run over if you just sit

there.


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2. Communicate the Change

3. Involve others in the Change

4. Help others break from the past

5. Create a supportive learning environment(Libove & Russo)

1/ Modelling the Change

Your team will look to you for positive signs of change. You must make the first moves.

A common pitfall is to raise expectations and then run out of steam. Your actions mustbe consistent, overcome setbacks and stand the test of time.

If you always do what youve always done then youll always get what youve alwaysgot!

What will you do now to model the change?

1.

2.

3.


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7.

8.

9.

4/ Helping Others Break from the Past

Breaking old habits can be very tough! Try folding your arms the other way! It may bethat we are comfortable with the status quo, or feel attached to the old ways/job etc. or

feel its too hard or feel too threatened by the unknown. You have to underst and andwork with all these reasons and fears.

People who feel dissatisfied with the status quo want to abandon it for a better future.

Its often difficult to imagine how things could be done differently. This is often broken bya personal break through of an idea or result.

What will you do now to help others break from the past?

10.

11.

12.

5/ Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

Change involves trial and error, false starts, blind curves and an environment wheremistakes occur as a learning experience. This is a very necessary part of change.


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In the status quo people are confident and know what they are doing. In a changing

environment they do not this includes you!. This leads to feelings of inadequacy,embarrassment and discomfort. New skills and behaviours need to be learned in asupportive environment.

What will you do now to create a supportive learning environment?

13.

14.

15.

A diagnostic to measure your own style for the above is available by Laurie Libove andEileen Russo

I have just looked up the change reaction online tool and it is $16 per person so I willlook at it in more detail.


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Overcoming barriers to change

Despite the best planning, modelling, communication and involvement it seems we arestill prone to resist change.

1. You have to end before you begin.Frequently people talk about what's about to begin and there is no mention of what has to end.No one can develop a new identity or a new purpose until he or she has let go of the old one.It is best to deal with endings realistically and help people gain closure on thepast. They will move on more readily and take advantage of what the future hasto offer if you do.

2. Between the ending and the new beginning, there is an hiatus.In between letting go of the old way and taking hold of the new, there is a difficult journey through the wilderness or 'a time in between the trapezes'.This is a dangerous time when systems don't work well and people lose hearteasily. People need to know that it is usual to go through a chaotic interimbetween letting go and taking hold again and that it's normal to be discouragedand confused by the experience.Build in temporary sources of support and ways that people can feel in control bybeing involved in decisions that affect them.

3. The hiatus can be a creative time.The same forces that make the in-between time difficult, mean that the normalresistances to new ideas and new behaviours don't work well either.

For that reason, the interim is a potentially creative time, when new things can beintroduced more quickly and easily than usual.This can be a time to step back and take stock, to try new things and a time toview every problem as an opportunity to abandon outmoded ways and createmore adaptive and effective ones.

4. Transition is developmentalAssist people to see that the old way was fine for its' time, but a new chapter isneeded for a new day.It is also very important for managers to publicly identify, protect and carryforward the parts of the past that are valuable and still viable.


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5. Transition is also the source of renewal

The leap from one stage of development to another, like comparable leaps innature, releases energy.Renewal for individuals or groups comes from going through transitionsuccessfully, not in time away from the situation.Emphasise the need to re-prioritise as a way of unloading irrelevant policies andprocedures.Discontinuing the old ways can be a release, especially if it is paired with aneffort to clarify and celebrate the new mission, strategies and the new identitythat the organization is growing into.

6. People go through transition at different speeds and in different ways.The leaders who designed the change are often far out ahead. They had a headstart; they feel more in control of their fate and probably aren't as personallyaffected as many of the rank and file.Leaders understand these things and communicate in terms that make sensefrom where people presently are, not just where the leaders are.

7. Most organisations are running a transition deficit.Many organisations don't give people a chance to complete the transition cycle.They think that they are saving time by hurrying people, but actually all they aredoing is leaving people with still more unfinished business to carry along withthem.Sooner or later the load will get too heavy, and some apparently small changewill send the whole system into transition bankruptcy.To keep that from happening, slow down. Listen more and talk less. Investigatewhat old hurts and resentments may be getting in the way of people dealingdirectly with this transition.


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8. The Timings of New Beginnings

Beginnings cannot be made to happen by a word or act. They happen when thetiming of the transition process allows them to happen, just as flowers and fruitappear on a schedule that is natural and not subject to anyone's will.

Beginnings can be encouraged, supported and reinforced. You cannot turn the keyor flip the switch, but you can cultivate the ground and provide the nourishment.What you can do falls under four headings:You can explain the basic purpose behind the outcome you seek. People have tounderstand the logic of it before they turn their minds to work on it.You can put a picture of how the outcome will look and feel. People need toexperience it imaginatively before they can give their hearts to it.You can lay out a step-by-step plan for phasing in the outcome. People need aclear idea of how they can get where they need to go.You can give each person a part to play in both the plan and the outcome itself.People need a tangible way to contribute and participate.

References and Reading

Bridges, William (1998) Leading Organizational Transitions. Available online (URL: www.williambridges.com )

Jeffreys, J. S. (1995) Coping with Workplace Change: Dealing with Loss and Grief

THESE ARE QUESTIONS FROM GLUELESSABOUTCHANGE SUGGEST THIS ISPURCHASED AND ALL QUESTIONS AVAILABLE

How much would this cost?

Formatted: Normal, Left, Indent: Left:

Formatted: Font: Gill Sans MT, Italic, Fcolor: Auto
http://www.williambridges.com/http://www.williambridges.com/http://www.williambridges.com/


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Disruption Action Points

Discussion Points Notes and ActionsTeam Values What team values shouldyou have, that remainconstant regardless of anychanges you experience?

How can you agree thesevalues and gain optimumcommitment from teammembers?Communicating a change at the outset

What are the ideal methodsof communication to your team that are likely to getpositive commitment?

What could you dodifferently?

Ostrich Mentality Action PointsDiscussion Points Notes and Actions

Responding early to signs of resistance

What can you do in your team to help individuals tomove through this period of inertia?

Role-modelling the right behaviours

Based on a current or recent change initiative,what behaviours are criticalfor you to role-model as ateam leader?

Which behaviours willguarantee mutiny, apathyand mistrust?


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Victim mode Action Points

Discussion Points Notes and ActionsEncouraging team members to take ownership

What specific responsibilitiesduring a change process(current, recent or future) canyou get your team involved in?

Behaving like a bit of a victim yourself

If you find your own behaviour is starting to affect others inthe team negatively, what can

you do?

Washing Machine Action Points Discussion Points Notes and ActionsThe risk of not letting go

What evidence is there of notletting go of the past in your team and what impact doesthis have onperformance/team motivation?

Motivating the team

What can you do to motivateyour team and the individualsin the team to keep themomentum going at thisstage?

Explorer Action PointsDiscussion Points Notes and ActionsDeveloping supportive and


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trusting relationships during

change What can you do personally todevelop stronger relationshipswith peers and teammembers?

Conflicting messages

What typically are theconflicting messages that arecommunicated during changeand what is their impact onyou and the team?

Breakthrough Action Points Discussion Points Notes and ActionsMaintaining momentum without undue pressure

What can you do that will keepthe momentum going withoutexerting too much pressure onindividuals in the team?

Introducing new team members

What can you do to ensurenew team members fully adoptthe prescribed values andbehaviours?


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Effective Decisions

The objective for this module is to:Identify how you make decisions and how you can be a more effective decision maker

1. Tools for creative thinking2. Looking at problems3. Daring to decide

1/ Tools for creative thinking

Leaders know that creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of their businesses. Newideas lead to products and services that provide distinct competitive advantage. Withmany routine tasks becoming more automated and the competitive environmentbecoming more dynamic, creative problem solving and innovation plays an increasinglyimportant role in determining success.

There are many different definitions of creative and innovation, this is just one..

Creativity is the process of generating new and useful ideas.

Innovation is taking a new idea and putting it to use.

The critical role of the leader is to build the environment where creativity and innovationflourish, and where peoples innate resistance to the changes that requires, issuccessfully overcome.

What does Creative Leadership mean to you? Write your own definition(two or three sentences) which takes account of the broad range of qualities, skills and behaviours that excellent creative leaders need to

demonstrate to be successful.


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List the typical personality traits which creative leaders need to exhibit. Think

about how they interact with other people, how they influence others, howthey communicate and how they get people to follow them.

Can we share these on line?

Yes, via intranet or conference call or skype call

Identify the leader that for you most closely matches the description in your previousresponses. This might be someone you know, world or famous figures or even fictional.

Finally consider your own skill set. What are your current strengths? List them!

Can these be captured onto a CPD or profile

_______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________

Theories of Creativity

The human brain is divided into 2 halves or hemispheres. Each has its own way of thinking and its own memories.

Most people have a dominant side that they use and have developed more.

Click to test your dominant side

Your Answers and a score.

Did you use your right brain to uncover a familiar set of letters or dive into left brainrepetition?

JFK MBE IOC WWF HMRC VAT BBC

The diagram above has gone off the bottom of my page

1 / You have 15 seconds to memorise the following list in order:

ILOVE

PARIS IN THE


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The BBC site I referenced in the learning styles section has an online test for left brainor right brain thinking

How about this one:

If you havent seen this one before and you spotted the repetition of the word THE thatwas your left brain at work.LEFT BRAIN likes .. RIGHT BRAIN likes .

Symbols and words

Logical thinkingJudgementSpeakingMathematical reasoning

And looks for disaster!

Sensory images

DreamingFeelingIntuitionVisualisation

And looks for the bright spots!

Creative thinking requires co- ordinating and using both sides of the brain. The flashesof inspiration will come from right brain thinking while the analysis of those flashes willcome from left brain thinking. Research into the thought processes of highly creativepeople shows that they rely heavily on the intuitive side of their brain. For example:

Einstein relied heavily on visual thinking before he transformed his thoughts into preciseequations.

There is a Zen story about Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era who wasintroduced to a university professor. The professor wanted to enquire about Zen. Nan-in served his guest tea. He poured tea into the cup until it was full and then continuedpouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup for a while until he could no longer restrain himself. The cup is full. No more will go in! Like this cup, Nan -in replied,you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unlessyou first empty your cup? (Adapted from Gary Zukav, The Dancing Wu Li Masters)

Perhaps your left brain is too full at the moment with the obvious, logical, and rational. Itmay need to be emptied slightly so that creativity can get in!

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", First line


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Creativity Climate

Just as vegetables will thrive and flourish if theyre provided with ideal growingconditions, creativity will prosper in the right climate. What is that climate?

One in which:

People are encouraged to take risks thoughtfully!Colleagues at all levels are supportive of creativityColleagues - at all levels - respond positively to new ideasCreativity is rewardedResources, both financial and non-financial, are availableDifferent viewpoints are encouraged not just tolerated

Time is made for creativityThe overwhelming atmosphere is one of fun!

How well does your climate score?

Tips for Creative thinking

Be curious - Collect other peoples ideas, references and resources

Remember your RAS Reticular Activation System can help you with this. Writeyour goal down, look at it every day and your brain will help you find the answersyou just need to quieten the left side and listen to the right!

Generate ideas in the practice your own, your teams and your clients.- Ask yourself 3 deep questions every day- Give prizes for ideas- Use brainstorming as described in Project Management- Write down the 26 letters of the alphabet and have an idea or thought aboutyour situation for every letter - Give yourself time to let the ideas wash aroun d your brain

Evaluate the ideasRating Ask Yourself Checking Questions

YesNo

Is the ideasimple?

Does it seem obvious?Is it too clever?


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Is it too ingenious?

Is it too complicated?YesNo

Is the ideaexciting?

Do people say: Why didnt I think of that?Does it explode in peoples minds?

YesNo

Is the ideaacceptable?

Could anyone accept it as beingreasonable?

YesNo

Is the ideauncomplicated?

Is it direct?Can you write a simple, clear andconcise statement of it?Can anyone and everyone understandit?

YesNo

Is it timely? Would it have been better 6 monthsago?Is there a point in pursuing it now?Will it be better in 6 months time?Can you afford to wait?

(Adapted from: Creativity for Managers, Alan Barker)

Maybe insert the De Bono thinking hats in here and then use problem solvingmodels later


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2/ Looking at Problems

There are 2 types of problem: those you acquire and those you create.

1.Acquired problems arise from a tension between what is and what ought to be. Thistriggers an emotional reaction. It can feel stressful and unpleasant.

2.Created problems arise from a tension between what is and what might be. Thistriggers a creative reaction. It can feel exciting and energising.

In order to do your best it will feel more acceptable if you canown the problem create that feeling of excitement and energythat arises from a created problem. So, next time you acquire a problem change it

into one that is self-imposed!

A problem is an opportunity, a positive rather than a negative experience. It gives you achance to shine! By combining your creative thinking with a problem solvingapproach, youll be more likely to evolve the best possible solution.

Insert the following

Consider the following problems:

1. The Injured Boy Problem

A father and son are passengers on a train that crashes. The father is only slightly hurt but ispinned in the wreckage. His son is unconscious and is taken to hospital for examination. Thedoctor, upon seeing the boy, is visibly shaken and says 'I can't examine him or operate. Theboy is my son'.

Problem What is the relationship between the doctor and the boy?

: A problem is a chancefor you to do your best.


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2. The Dot Problem

Nine dots are arranged in a square as shown below:

Problem Connect the 9 dots by drawing 4 continuous straight lines without lifting your pencil from the paper.

3. The Numbers Problem: 1 0 1 0 1 0

Problem With just one stroke, how do you turn the above number into 950?


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Six Honest Serving Men

Another way of defining your problem involves the Six Honest Serving Men method(Parnes, Noller and Biondi 1977). The six honest men are the words: who, what,where, when, why and how? The technique provides a framework for systematicinformation gathering. The information gathered often provides new perspectives aboutthe issue being addressed, which in turn can lead to a redefinition of the problem.

The technique involves:Step Process

1 State the problem in the format:In what ways might ..? (IWWM)

2 With regard to the problem, generate separate lists of the 6 questions:

Who, what, where, when, why and how?Write down the responses

3 Examine the responses and use them to generate re-definitions of theproblem

4 Write down any re-definitions identified5 Select the redefinition that seems to reflect the issue most closely and

work on it

Defining Your Problem Example - Six Honest Serving Men

Step OneThe Problem: There are too many clients disputing their accounts.

Steps Two and Three TO BE COMPLETED WITH VETS4PETS EXAMPLE

I will complete

Question: Who are the people concerned? Answer: Clients, vets and receptionists

Question: Who specifically is disputing their account? Answer: Primarily Johns clients and a handful of Sarahs.

Question: What is the impact? Answer:

Question: What


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Answer:

Question: Where are the team affected? Answer:

Question: Where is this not a problem? Answer:

Question: When are clients dissatisfied? Answer:

Question: When does the problem come to light? Answer:

Question: Why resolve this problem Answer:

Question: How can clients be less resistant to the charges? Answer:

As a result of following through steps 1 to 3, the following might be generated.

Step Four - Possible re-definitions

In what way may we:

Change perceptions about costs of treatment?

Give all clients consistent information?

Ensure team members are not faced with the difficulty of addressing the problemretrospectively?

Step Five Examine the re-definitions generated during step 4

Select the one(s) that most closely reflect the original issue and work on it/them.


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Edward de Bonos six Thinking Hats

If this was moved to the creative thinking part above, you could add in someproblem solving models eg Ishakawa fish diagram, decision making tree, forcefield analysis

This tool looks at a problem or opportunity from different perspectives. It helps peopleto understand the full complexity of a possible decision and to see the best course of action.

There are 6 Thinking Hats each one a different colour and each one symbolises adifferent style of thinking. Switching to a different hat means switching to a different wayof thinking.

Have a look at this typical scenario and try out the 6 hats

INSERT VETS4PETS e.g.

Hat Colour Function Example

White

To be curious and resolve anyambiguity.

Focus on all the factualinformation. What you know andwhat you dont know. To fill in anyknowledge gaps and theconsequences of not.

What do you know

What do you not know .

What can you find out

What information is missing

Red

To use your emotions as your guide.

What are your first instincts,feelings, gut reactions, intuition,hunches and emotions.

Express what you like, dislike,fear or feel good about without

justification just be!

My gut feeling is that

My fear is that .

I have a good feeling about

Black

To achieve excellence throughcritical judgement, caution and

When we last increased prices, sales dropped


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judicious evaluation.

Ask why it might not work andwhat and why things could gowrong. Find the weak spots

Have we done all the figures

What could go wrong if .

And if it didnt work out

Yellow

To show confidence throughoptimism and a logical positiveperspective

Seeks out the benefits of anysolutions and further opportunities.

This might work if we alter the design a little

I can see how this could benefit other clients .

Green

Originality and creativity.

Other possibilities and/or alternatives that might work. Newconcepts, methods, technologiesthat could be introduced. Freethinking without question or criticism.

Are there any additional alternatives?

What else have we missed

Blue

To control all other h ats bythinking about the thinking.

Process control identifies anddirects the thinking to be used acts as the chairperson and

conductor

Enough of the Black Hat are there any Yellow thoughts about this

I think we should start by hearing from the White hat first


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3/ Daring to Decide

The ability to make decisions and then put them into action is a crucial competence for any leader. It could even be argued that it is the one competence that makes thedifference between being effective and not. We can fudge many of the others things weare expected to do, but if we fail to make decisions and accept responsibility for themwe are immediately exposed. Some avoid making decisions until the last possiblemoment and often end up leaving it too late, creating even more stress for themselvesand difficulties for their business.

Poor decision-making can be described as decisions that are too slow, too late andbadly informed.

The reasons for poor decision-making are many and include:

The search for perfection the desire to make sure that the decision is perfectcan often lead to late and therefore ultimately rushed and ineffective decision making.

Paralysis by analysis this is the tendency to want too much information beforereaching a decision. Of course, all decisions need to be based on valid and reliableinformation that enable the decision maker to make informed choices. Some leadersdelay a decision because they require too much information but making the lack of information a reason for not making the decision can be fatal.

Fear of having to make choices this is the tendency of allowing yourself toget caught by the confusion of having to make choices, often quickly. Some people findthis difficult and so take too long over decision-making. They agonise and causethemselves stress and unnecessary worry. This gets worse and they become evenmore reluctant to make decisions.

Lack of confidence some people are afraid of making decisions. The reasonsfor this can be varied, they may have had a bad experience previously, they may never have been encouraged to make decisions for themselves and so be concerned aboutmaking mistakes. The culture may be one in which people are blamed when things gowrong so they are frightened of making decisions.

A lack of training like many other things in management, decision-making is askill, which can be learned and improved with practice.


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Procrastination this is the tendency to put off until tomorrow what you should

be doing today. It can also be the avoidance of making a decision in the hope that it willgo away or that someone else will make it for you.

Making the decisionIt is important to understand that every decision is unique, it will only be made once.Because the decision is unique the decision maker will want to make sure that it isbased on enough information to enable an informed decision to be made. Mostdecisions, however, are subject to time constraints, they have to be made within acertain time limit and if they are not made in a timely way the decision will be ineffective.

The amount of information that any individual needs before making a decisionis impossible to estimate but it is clear that if you make decisions without the necessaryinformation they are likely to be as poor as decisions that are made late.

The key to decision making is that sooner or later someone has to take therisk that is always associated with decision-making and make the decision. Themanager can seek advice, ask other people for their opinions, review past similar decisions, but in the end a decision has to be made and this decision will involve someelement of risk.

Steps to good decision making

Knowing how to make a decision can save you time and energy. No matter what thedecision the following principles apply.

State the purpose

Ask yourself: What am I really trying to accomplish? Then define the problem in termsof:

The outcome you want to achieve

The limits of what you can do.

Clarity of purpose and outcomes can help to focus attention and make the identificationof the most appropriate decision easier.


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Ask yourself the following questions:

What are the benefits of making this decision? What are the risks? What will be the best possible outcome from making this decision? What can I do to maximise the possibility of this result? What is the most probable result? (consider both possible positive and negative

outcomes). If it proves to be the wrong decision what will be the impact of it, will I be able to

retrieve the situation? Should I alter my plans to avoid this possibility?

Key steps to making decisions

Once you have considered the answers to the above questions you can use thefollowing six-step process for making a decision.

1. Check the facts you cannot predict the future but you can learn about thepresent situation. The amount of time and effort you devote to this stage willdepend on the urgency with which the decision is required and the impact it willhave on the company.

2. Set criteria list the criteria, positive and negative you will use in reaching your decision.

3. Establish priorities list out the priorities that will influence the decision.

4. Select the alternatives select no more than two or three alternative decisionsthat most closely meet your criteria and priorities and consider any additionalmerits of each.

5. Make the decision choose and implement the choice you have made.

6. Follow-up learn form both good and poor decisions you make.

This step-by-step approach to making decisions can help you to make decisions more

easily than one based on taking a new approach each time you have to make adecision.


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Applying the decision making process a practical example

GIVING A FORMAL DISCIPLINARY WARNING TO A MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM

You are faced with a situation where you have to decide whether or not to give a formaldisciplinary warning to a member of your team. This person has been under-performingfor some weeks, arriving late for work, taking long breaks and making errors. Twoweeks ago you s

Documents

Planning for Growth Revised Version (Recovered)