Employee Empowerment, Leadership & Change, Team building & Teamwork, Communication & Interpersonal Relations, Education &

Training

Course Instructor:

Dr. Syed M. Ahmed, Ph.D.

College of Engineering & Computing Florida International University, Miami, Florida

Major Topics
Employee Empowerment Leadership and Change Team Building & Team Work Effective Communication Education & Training

Employee Empowerment

Employee Empowerment Defined

Employee Empowerment is Employee Involvement that matters. It could also be defined as controlled transfer of authority to make decisions and take actions. What is needed?
Successful implementation of empowerment requires change in corporate culture.

Does this mean Abdication?

NO. Empowerment involves actively soliciting input from those closest to the work and giving careful thought to that input.

Rationale
An aspect of Working Smart Empowerment is the key to motivation & Productivity. It enables a person to develop personally & professionally.

Inhibitors of Empowerment
Resistance from Employees & Unions Resistance from Management
Insecurity Personal Values Ego Management Training Personality Characteristics of Managers Exclusion of Managers

Workforce Readiness Organizational Structure & Management Practices

Managements Role in Empowerment & Implementing Empowerment

Managements Role:
Commitment Leadership Facilitation

Implementing Empowerment:
Development of Suggestion Systems (Fig 8.3) Considering the Employees Point of View Putting Vehicles in Place
Brainstorming Nominal Group Technique (fig 8.4) Quality Circles Suggestion Boxes Walking & Talking

Suggestion Systems - 1
Managements Role:
Establishing Policy Setting Up the System Promoting the Suggestion System Evaluating & Implementing suggestions Rewarding employees

Improving the system..

Improving Suggestion Processing Improving Individual Suggestions
Problem Identification Research Idea Development

Suggestion Systems - 2
Evaluating Suggestions
Though Employees make suggestions, final analysis is still to be made by manager. Thus, Establish a formal rating system for evaluating suggestion systems.

Handling Poor Suggestions

Listen Carefully Express Appreciation Carefully explain your position Encourage feedback Look for Compromise

Achieving Full Participation

Removing Hidden Barriers
Negative Behavior Poor Writing Skills Fear of Rejection Inconvenience

Encouraging new Employees Coaching Reluctant Employees

Assess Investigate Match Choose Manage

How to Recognize Empowered Employees

Taking Initiative Identifying Opportunities Thinking Critically Building Consensus

Empowerment
Avoiding Traps:
Defining Power as Discretion & Self- Reliance Failing to Properly Define Empowerment for Managers & Supervisors Assuming Employees Have the skills to be Empowered Getting Impatient Making the Transition from Traditional Approach

Beyond Empowerment

Leadership & Change

Leadership Defined
Leadership is the ability to inspire people to make a total, willing and voluntary commitment to accomplish or exceeding organizational goals. Leaders must
Overcome resistance to change Broker the needs of Constituency groups Establish an ethical framework

Characteristics
Balanced Commitment Positive Role Model Good Communication Skills Persuasiveness

Leadership for Quality

Principles:
Customer Focus Obsession with Quality Freedom through Control Looking for Faults in Systems Teamwork Continuing Education & Training

The Juran Trilogy:

Quality Planning Quality Control Quality Improvement

Leadership
Motivation & Inspiration:
Understanding Individual Needs Understanding Individual Beliefs

Leadership Styles:
In a total Quality setting, the most appropriate style might be called participative leadership taken to a higher level

Building & Maintaining a Following

Popularity & the Leader
Not all good leaders are popular. Vice Versa applies.

Leadership Characteristics
Sense of Purpose, Self-Discipline, Honesty, Credibility, Commonsense, Stamina, Commitment, Steadfastness.

Pitfalls
Trying to be a buddy, Having an Intimate relationship with an employee, Trying to keep the same when supervising former peers.

Paradigms of Human Interaction

Win/Win, Win/Lose, Lose/Lose, Win

Leadership Vs Management
Leadership & Management are two distinctive and Complementary systems of action. Management
Coping with Complexity Planning & Budgeting for Complexity Develops capacity to carry out plans through organizing & staffing Ensures accomplishment of plans through controlling & Problem Solving

Leadership
Coping with Change Setting the Direction for change Aligns people to work toward the vision Motivates & Inspires people to want to accomplish the plan

Leadership, Ethics, Change

Leadership & Ethics:
Setting high standards of ethical behavior is an essential task of leaders in a total quality setting.

Leadership & Change

Have a clear vision & corresponding goals Exhibit a strong sense of responsibility Be an effective communicator Have a high energy level Have the will to change

Change
Employees & Mangers on Change
Difficulty in Change Different perceptions of employees & managers. Hence, proper atmosphere should be created to accommodate change.

Restructuring & Change:

Be smart & Empathetic Have a Clear Vision Establish Incentives that Promote the Change Continue to Train

How to Lead Change?

Change Facilitation Model:
A critical aspect of leadership in todays globally oriented organization involves leading change.

Team Building & Team Work

Overview of Team Building & Teamwork - 1

What is a Team?
A team is a group of people with a common, collective goal.

Rationale for Teams

Primary reasons for advocating teamwork are:
Two or more heads are better than one. People in teams get to know each other better, build trust & as a result help each other. Teamwork promotes better communication.

A group of people become a team when the following conditions exist:

Agreement exists as to the teams mission Members adhere to the team ground rules Fair distribution of responsibility & authority exists.

Overview of Team Building & Teamwork - 2

Types of Teams
Department Improvement Team Process Improvement Team Task Force

Learning to Work Together

Factors influencing teamwork:
Personal Identity of Team members Relationships among Team members Identity within the organization

How to be a Member?
Gain Entry, Be Clear on the Teams mission, Be well prepared and participate, Stay in Touch.

Overview of Team Building & Teamwork - 3

How to be a Leader?
Be clear on the teams mission Identify success criteria Be action centered Establish the ground rules Share Information Cultivate Team Unity

Team Excellence & Performance

Interdependence, Stretching tasks, Alignment, Common Language, Trust/Respect, Shared Leadership/ Followership, Problem-solving skills, Confrontation/ Conflict-handling skills, Assessment/Action, Celebration.

Building Teams & Making them Work

Following are the factors that influence team building & should be taken care of:
Makeup & Size of Teams Choosing Team Members Responsibilities of Team Leaders Other Team Members Creating Teams Mission Statement Developing Collegial Relationships Promoting Diversity in Teams

Four Step Approach to Team Building

Assessing Team Needs Planning Team-Building Activities Executing Team-Building Activities Evaluating Team-Building Activities

Character Traits & Teamwork

Following are few character traits required for Teamwork:
Honesty Selflessness Dependability Enthusiasm Responsibility Cooperativeness Initiative Patience Resourcefulness Punctuality Perseverance

Teams are not Bossed They are Coached

Bosses approach the job from
Im in charge do as you are told perspective.

Coaches are
facilitators of team development and continually improved performance.

Following are a few characteristics of a Coach:

Clearly Defined Character Team Development/Team Building Mentoring Mutual respect Human Diversity

Handling Conflict in Teams

Resolution Strategies for Team Conflicts:
Plan & Work to establish a balanced culture Establish clear criteria Dont allow individuals to build personal empires Encourage & Recognize risk-taking behavior Value constructive dissent Assign people of widely differing perspectives Reward and recognize both dissent & teamwork

Structural Inhibitors of Teamwork

Commonly found structural inhibitors to teamwork in organizations are:
Unit Structure Accountability Unit Goals Responsibility Compensation & Recognition Planning & Control

Rewarding Team & Individual Performance

An organizations attempt to institutionalize teamwork will fail unless it includes implementation of an appropriate compensation system

Effective Communication

Defnition of Communication

Communication is the transfer of message ( information,idea,emotion,intent,feeling or something else) that is both received and understood.

Effective Communication
Effective Communication means that the message is received ,understood and acted on in the desired manner. It is higher order of communication.

Strategies to communicate the importance of quality

1) Be optimistic and tie quality to the organizations strategic direction 2) Consider the points of view of all sides when formulating your message. 3) Be positive ,honest and consistent-give every one the same message.

Defnition of Listening

Listening means receiving the message,corretly decoding it and accurately perceiving what it means.

Inhibitors of effective listening

Lack of concentration Interruption Preconceived ideas Thinking ahead Interference

Improving the listening skills

Upgrade your desire to listen Ask the right question Judge what is really being said Eliminate listening errors

Communicating in Writing (Helpful Rules)

Plan before you write. Be brief. Be direct. Be accurate. Practice self editing.

Strategies for improving communication

Keep up to date. Prioritize and determine time constrains. Decide whom to inform. Determine how to communicate. Communicate and follow up. Check understanding and obtain feedback

Education & Training

Overview of Education, Training & Learning - 1

Training is
An organized, systematic series of activities designed to enhance an individuals work-related knowledge, skills, and understanding.

Corporate America invests more than $45 billion per year in training. Sources of Training:
In house training External Training or a combination of both.

Numerous Instructional methods like

video tapes, lecture, demonstration etc., are used to provide training to employees

Overview of Education, Training & Learning - 1

Types of training by Industry:
Customer Education Sales Skills Employee relations etc.,

Changing Role of Training

Mission of corporate Training is becoming the maximization of competitiveness through continual improvements.

Attitudes towards Training

Although interest levels dont yet match those found in European and Pacific Rim countries, attitude towards training in North America are changing for better.

Rationale for Training

The rationale for training can be found in the need to compete. Following are the important factors for need for training
Quality of the existing labor pool Global Competition Rapid & Continual Change Technological Transfer Problems Changing Demographics

Any kind of learning can benefit employees & employers alike in ways that cannot be predicted.

Training needs Assessment

It is most important to:
Train those who need it most Ensure that the training provided is designed to promote the goals of the organization

Managers may become involved in assessing training needs at two levels:

Organizational Level Individual Level

The most structured approach managers can use to assess training needs is the job task analysis survey.

Providing Training
Strategies for maximizing training resources:
Build in Quality from the start Design Small Think Creatively Shop around Preview & Customize

Internal Approaches
Computer Based training, Group instruction etc.

External Approaches
Enrolling employees in programs provided by public institutions.

Partnership Approaches
Training partnerships combine characteristics of the above two approaches.

Evaluating Training
Evaluating Training begins with a clear statement of purpose. To know where training has improved performance, managers need to know three things:
Was the training provided valid? Did the Employees learn? Has the learning made a difference?

Managers as Trainers & Trainees - 1

Principles of Learning:
People learn best when they are ready to learn People learn more easily when what they are learning can be related to something they already know People learn best in a step-by-step manner People learn by doing The more often people use what they are learning, the better they will remember and understand it Success in learning tends to stimulate additional learning People need immediate and continual feedback to know if they have learned.

Managers as Trainers & Trainees - 2

Four Step Teaching Method:
Preparation Presentation Application Evaluation

Managers as Trainees:
Quality basics Strategic Quality management Quality Planning Quality Improvement Quality Control

Workforce Literacy
Impact of Illiteracy on Industry:
Difficulty in filling high-skill jobs, lower levels of productivity, higher levels of waste etc.,

What Industry Can Do

Industry in United States has found it necessary to confront the literacy problem head-on. Companies are doing this by providing remedial education in the workplace.

What Managers Should Know about Literacy Training

The need for workforce literacy will be a fact of life with which managers will have to deal for some time to come.

Improving Learning
Teaching Study Skills
Make a schedule and stick to it Have a special place to study Listen and take notes Read assertively Improve test-taking skills

Using Humor in Training

Properly used relevant humor can produce a more favorable audience for the trainer.

Why Training Sometime fails?

Lack of participation in planning by management Too narrow in scope

Orientation Training
Recurring errors associated with orientation training:
Insufficient Information Too much Information Conflicting Information

Principles for providing effective training:

Base orientation topics on a needs assessment Establish an organizing framework Establish learner control Make orientation a process, not just an event Allow people and personalities to emerge Reflect organizations mission & culture Have a system for improving & updating

Customer Training
An old adage states
The customer is always right

Customer education has several aspects:

Shaping customer expectations Providing user support Marketing

Customer expectations are shaped by the promotional literature used in marketing the product. Customer training can also help market a product.

Ethics Training
Ethical behavior and the rationale for it can be taught. Ethics training is becoming increasingly important
As the pressures of succeeding in an intensely competitive global marketplace grow.

Following are a few recommendations:

Stimulate discussion Facilitate, dont preach Integrate ethics training Highlight practical applications

Questions/Queries