Use Meetings for Employee Development

-By Development Network- Meetings are often considered the bane of employees' existence. Among the most common complaints: being forced to attend a meeting that has little or no value. Through a more optimistic lens, however, meetings that are properly planned and executed can actually offer development opportunities for some employees. Here are some tips to use meetings as a development tool. 1. Assign a different staff employee to put together the agenda for each staff meeting. This will require the person to gather information on reports to be made and issues to be discussed. It will also require the assigned employee to discuss priorities with the manager and allot time to each agenda item. Development potential: It gives that employee a broader perspective of the work of others; it helps further develop business acumen; and it adds meeting management competencies. 2. Assign a staff member to bring in and lead a learning activity. This might be in the form of discussing a recent problem, circulating an article of interest (and the leading a discussion of it), suggesting a change in how the group does its work, or bringing in information on a competitor's product or service. Development potential: Leading a discussion; listening skills; presentation skills; learning other perspectives and receiving feedback. 3. Rotate responsibility for facilitating each staff meeting among staff members. Development potential: Listening skills; meeting management skills; facilitation skills and conflict management skills. 4. Brainstorm the solution to a problem, challenge or opportunity. Managers can opt to announce the topic during the meeting or inform employees of the topic ahead of time so they can think about alternatives before the brainstorming session. Development potential: Brainstorming skills; listening skills; influencing skills; developing synergy among staff members; critical and creative thinking skills. 5. Invite a guest speaker. This could be a customer or a supplier who can address how the two groups can work together more easily and effectively. Development potential: Listening skills; critical and creative thinking skills; and problem analysis skills. 6. Notice who dominates discussions and who participates little, if at all. This can help introverts to participate more and extroverts to limit their input. Not only will this result in more equal participation, but it will also model meeting management and facilitation skills for employees. Development potential: Meeting management skills; facilitation skills and leadership skills. 7. Be open to new ideas. When a staff member suggests a change in how the group handles a procedure or process, and it's something that won't work or varies from what's in place, don't just reject it out of hand, but ask probing questions to help the employee develop the idea. It may be that a discussion of the idea may spark others to suggest improvements that will work. Development potential: Facilitation skills; critical and creative thinking skills; and conflict management skills. 8. Be creative. Instead of following the usual agenda, take employees on a field trip to spark their thinking and creativity. This must be followed up, however, with discussions of what everyone saw and how to use new and different ideas and methods to improve the company's operations. Development potential: Creative and critical thinking skills. 9. Help employees see the larger context of their work. Too often, employees are so focused on their own tasks that they lose sight of the larger context. By demonstrating how their work contributes to larger organizational goals, employees develop a more nuanced understanding of the business. Development potential: Business acumen and taking pride in one's work. [About the Author: Daniel R. Tobin is a consultant, author, and speaker on corporate learning strategies and author of seven books, including Learn Your Way to Success]. -For more Articles and Information:   http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

Keys to Driving Culture Change

-By Development Network- An organization's culture has proven potent in driving employee engagement, productivity and, some might argue, general happiness. In theory, firms with more positive and inclusive corporate cultures perform better than those that don't - and have the financial results to prove it. Talent Management spoke with Dan Denison, author of Leading Culture Change in Global Organizations: Aligning Culture and Strategy and professor of management at Swiss-based business school International Institute for Management Development (IMD), about the role HR plays in driving culture change. The following are edited excerpts from the interview. 1. What's the biggest culture problem firms face today? I think the biggest problem is just the ferocious global competition and the need for short-term survival. It's hard to plan a vision until you're clear how you're going to survive short term, and it's important for building a culture because the steps that we take to survive a crisis are always the lessons that stick, the lessons that are the strongest ones over time. And so you can't say, 'Well, we're going to do this and that and fight hard to survive, and then when we survive we're going to take a deep breath and step back when we've got some resources and we'll build a culture for the long term.' A culture is the collection of lessons that a company learns as they survive together as a team, as a tribe, as an organization. And I think that's the biggest problem: you have to solve short-term problems every day with an eye on the future, because that's the way that those lessons really stick. 2. What are the most important lessons for leaders to drive culture change? The one thing that comes out of the book is a focus on rituals, habits and routines. There's a lot written on corporate culture about what you can see on the surface, and the values and what you can't see. ... Every little habit that we have has its visible parts, has its values that underlie it and has the parts that we've stopped thinking about and are just instinctive. The main lesson that you learn from this is that organizations , like people, are creatures of habit, and the change process is always a dilemma, because you can't dig up all of the habits and change everything at the same time. You have to be very strategic about that and you have to understand what the points of leverage are. But I think the key point that you want to emphasize is that organizations are complex bundles of habits and routines that have developed over time, and when you start to try to sort out those habits and routines it gets pretty challenging. You can't make the change on a superficial way; you can't write the new corporate values and annual report and expect it to stick. You have to unravel and recreate the new ones. 3. What role does HR or talent management play in shaping organizational culture? It plays a big role because HR policies touch everyone in the organization. They're one of the clearest expressions of the value that an organization puts on its people. In a lot of ways, culture of an organization is the way that you establish the brand of the organization in the talent market. HR puts those principles, those values, into practice in the labor market every day, so they have a huge strategic role in shaping it. I think the other thing that's important is to understand both how good that can be and how bad that can be.We work with organizations where their HR leadership and their team are the most principled, visionary, business-savvy people in the organization that are constantly stewards of the organization's culture because they understand how it's important to compete in the labor market and in the business. On the other end, we see talent and HR organizations that are totally consumed by just kind of getting the right people in the right jobs and trying to stay ahead of that responding to the direction they're given by their leaders and haven't risen much beyond a pretty administrative approach on the job. And that's such a big factor when organizations are trying to change - because you really can't change the system without changing the mindset of the people. 4. How has the notion of ''corporate culture'' evolved over time? Where does it stand today? It's a concept that's been around for a long time, at least 50 to 75 years. Great leaders for thousands of years have been driven by principles and purpose. In management literature what you see is that it's been pretty prominent since the early 1980s, with American industry struggling to compete, and authors Tom Peters and Bob Waterman [were] probably the best known ones that said it really has a lot to do with the mindset and the systems that we create with the viability of the habits that organizations have developed over time for a future business environment that's got to be different. ... It's easier said than done, for sure. But the thing that you've seen in the last 10 years is just how mainstream the topics [have] become. It's a serious component to any leader's portfolio. Leading with culture as a principle and understanding that the biggest legacy a leader leaves is the organization and the capacity of its people to work together - you see that becoming more and more mainstream. 5. What is the first step a leader can take to ignite a culture change? I think the first step is [having] awareness of the gap between the current way of operating and an ideal future. And understanding and articulating that gap in real specific terms and becoming sort of the teacher of why that difference is critically important to the performance of the business. I'll give you an example. I worked with a number of companies these last few years that are trying to make the transition from being a product company to being a service company. And that vision of a CEO standing up and saying, 'Guys, we love the service people, we love the product people, we love the technology, we love the customers. But unless we put all of those pieces of the puzzle together, we're never really going to win this game.' That's a mindset change. It's not about being either a product guy or a service guy. It's about people seeing the complex interplay between those. That's quite difficult to manage, but understanding that complexity - and learning how to do it well - that's the path of the future. [About the Author: Frank Kalman is an associate editor at Talent Management magazine.] -For more articles and information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

Guilt Is Good

-By Development Network- The more guilt you feel, the better friend, co-worker and boss you just might be. Researchers Taya Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University and A. T. Panter of the University of North Carolina examined people's predisposition to feelings of guilt and how it influences their behavior in the workplace in a recent article in academic journal ''Current Directions in Psychological Science.'' Their conclusion: People more prone to feelings of guilt are more likely to be sympathetic, able to see situations from others' perspectives, consider future consequences of their behavior and value moral traits. ''There's quite a bit of variability between people who, when faced with tempting situations, are likely to yield to temptation and do things that are ethically questionable and people [who] are better able to resist those temptations and act more ethically,'' said Cohen, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and theory. People who are subject to high levels of guilt proneness - the predisposition to feel bad about a negative personal behavior before they actually do it - are less likely to engage in bad bad or counterproductive behavior, such as showing up late for work, stealing office supplies and being rude to clients and customers, even when no one is monitoring them, Cohen said. Measuring Guilt Proneness Researchers measure workers' proneness to feelings of guilt using the 16-item Guilt and Shame Proneness (GASP) scale which asks participants to rate their feelings in an imaginary situation on a seven-point scale. Assessment items include questions such as: After realizing you received too much change at the store, you decide to keep it because the sales clerk doesn't notice. What's the likelihood you would feel uncomfortable about keeping the money? ''The idea is that there is a private situation where you've done something wrong - in this case, keeping too much change - and [to rate] how bad you feel about what you did,'' Cohen said. The researchers found that 39 percent of adults surveyed rated low in guilt proneness, 27 percent had medium guilt proneness scores and 34 percent had high levels of guilt proneness. ''The people that we'd categorize as low are much more likely to perform these counterproductive work behaviors - these are things that harm the organization - whereas people that are high are much less likely compared to average,'' Cohen said. The research also showed that women are more guilt prone than men and guilt proneness increases as people get older. ''As people get older they recognize often the consequences of their own behavior for themselves and towards other people,'' Cohen said. ''Guilt is related to consideration of others - things like empathy or perspective taking. People who are more likely to consider other people and consider the future consequences of their actions are more likely to be guilt prone.'' Guilt at Work Cohen is now conducting research to validate the use of GASP in high-stakes situations in the workplace, such as hiring and promotion, and hopes to be able to show similar conclusions about work behavior. People who are predisposed to feel guilt are less likely to make unethical business decisions, lie for monetary gain or cheat during negotiations, said Cohen. Being able to assess and identify a worker's level of guilt proneness can have real benefits for the organization not just in selection and hiring but also in ongoing development and career growth. ''It's really important to recognize at the end you have to live with yourself and your own decisions,'' Cohen said. ''You should be aware that if you are feeling uncomfortable about a particular decision and might feel guilty about it later, it's important to recognize those feelings and see whether that might change your decision making.'' [About the Author: Mike Prokopeak is the editorial director at Talent Management magazine.] -For More Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

A review of the 5th World Forum Convergences 2015

-By Development Network- From the 19th -21st September 2012,    The 5th edition of the World Forum Convergences 2015  brought together over 5,000 participants: 4,000 decision-makers and experts from the public, private, and solidarity-based sectors were present + 1,000 youths ready to get involved + 300 international speakers who came to share their solutions + 200 journalists invited to reflect upon the role of the media > Over 5,000 participants at the Forum: we achieved a global and intersectoral mobilisation! * With over 4,000 professionals, the World Forum brought together key actors from the public, private and solidarity-based sectors committed to the fight against poverty,as well as over 1,000 youths involved in the movement "Youth We Can", and 200 journalists who attended the evening event "Can the media change the world?". >Find highlights of the 3 days online Over 50 workshops, round tables, conferences and grand debates were held at the Palais Brongniart and Paris City Hall. Over the 56 sessions, experts and decision-makers from the public, private and solidarity-based sectors shared experiences, exchanged their viewpoints, and addressed strong messages. Grouped into 17 thematic focuses, these discussions dealt with issues as diverse as the social impact of microfinance, technical innovation in the agricultural sector, and the role of banks.  >Watch and listen to the Forum's sessions. 300 international decision-makers and experts The Forum was host to prestigious speakers such as Michel Barnier, Simon Compaoré, Antoine Frérot, BenoîtHamon, Anne Hidalgo, Martin Hirsch, Jeremy Hobbs, Nicolas Hulot, Alain Juppé, Stéphane Richard, Michel Rocard, Louis Schweitzer, François Villeroy de Galhau, andmany more... > Find the 300 prestigious speakers in the Forum's Who`s Who. A Professional Marketplace: joining forces to create innovative partnerships in the fight against poverty! At the heart of the Palais Brongniart, the Professional Marketplace offered over 50 stalls for the Forum's 5,000 participants. It brought together professionals from the private (Unilever France, KPMG, ...), public (City of Paris, European Commission, ...) and solidarity-based (Agence Française de Développement, Vision du monde, ...) sectors. The 2012 edition of the Forum demonstrated the potential of the Professional Marketplace to act as a true platform of exchanges, mobilisation and synergiesin order to create innovative partnerships to fight poverty! The laureates of the 2nd Convergences 2015 Awards: Entreprendre pour Humaniser la DépendanceandPrakti Design In partnership with the City of Paris, Le Monde, the European Commission and FACTS, the Convergences 2015 Awards reward innovative partnerships towards poverty alleviation through creative and viable projects. The 2nd edition of the Convergences 2015 Awards gave the France Award to the projet « Vie Grande Ouverte » of Entreprendre pour Humaniser la Dépendancein partnership with Habitat et Humanisme and the Université Catholique de Lyon and theInternational Awardwas given to the social enterprise Prakti Design in partnership with Skillmech.       >Have a look at the Presentation of the Convergences 2015 Awards (in French). > Commit to the Global Appeal for responsible microfinance and  to the New Paris Appeal for the future Millennium Goals The Global Appeal for responsible microfinance Following the "Paris Appeal for responsible microfinance", launched during the 4th edition of the World Forum Convergences 2015, the 5th edition of the Forum renewed, reinforced and widened its call for microfinance to serve poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals through the "Global Appeal for responsible microfinance". To increase the impact of microfinance, all actors - microfinance institutions, regulators, policy makers, investors, researchers, and financers, must play their part. Support this Appeal and join the 500 organisations and 1,000 individuals who have already signed it on www.appeldeparis.org. The New Paris Appeal for the future Millennium Goals for Sustainable and Equitable Development 3 years to the Millennium Development Goals deadline, the 5th edition of the Convergences 2015 Forum launched a New Paris Appeal for the definition of new Millennium Goals for Sustainable and Equitable Development. For these goals to stem from the experience of the past decades, and to be as inclusive as possible, all actors - governments, businesses, associations, local authorities, civil society, must be mobilised in a co-construction approach. Only then can the objectives meet the requirements of universality, inclusiveness, adaptation, appropriation, operationality, balance and rationality. -For more Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

Tips For Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur

-By Development Network- Becoming an entrepreneur is something that a lot of people dream about. After all, these are the people who you hear about in the news making tons of money, and living the good life. Of course, not all entrepreneurs are rich, but it can be quite fun to live this kind of life. But before you decide that being an entrepreneur is right for you, there are some things that you will need to take a closer look at. Remember, if being a successful entrepreneur was a piece of cake everybody would be doing it. This is not to say that you have no chance of entrepreneurial success, but you cannot simply jump into this and expect to start raking in loads of cash. Here are three tips for becoming a successful entrepreneur. At the very least, they should be able to push you in the right direction towards success. 1. A successful entrepreneur is one who knows what they want, and then works hard to get it. In other words, you should set your sights on a goal, and then do whatever it takes to reach it. A lot of people jump from opportunity to opportunity without ever really sinking their teeth in. You should avoid this at all costs, and instead work hard to reach one goal before you move onto the next. 2. Do you think that all entrepreneurs become rich and successful over night? The fact of the matter is that there are only a small percentage of people who fall into their success. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur you need to be willing to exercise some patience. Your first idea may not take off, but if you stick with things you will realize your potential sooner rather than later. If you are searching for a quick buck, you will probably be a disappointed entrepreneur. 3. There is nothing wrong with asking other entrepreneurs for help. Everybody needs some assistance along the way, and you are probably no different. If you know an entrepreneur friend, let them guide you if they are willing to assist. After all, getting first hand advice from an already successful entrepreneur is invaluable. These three tips may go a long way in helping you to become a successful, and hopefully rich, entrepreneur. Of course, just like anything in life there is no guarantee. Only you will be able to determine the level of success you have in this new venture. If you want to be an entrepreneur who is all over the news, you need to go out and work for the right to do so. Nobody is going to make things easy on you, but successful entrepreneurs are born everyday. There is no reason that you cannot join them at the top. Are you planning on becoming a entrepreneur right now or in the near future? If so, visit the link: http://tinyurl.com/8e9emlt and pay attention. There's finally a new, breakthrough book created just for people like you. And, if you really want to have the most beautiful, paycheck that will bring a smile to your face, then this book is definitely for YOU! -For more Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/