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Project Management
Project Management is one of a range of tools and techniques which assist with change management in its various forms.
Project Management has two key elements – managing the various stages of a project and coordinating the efforts of project team members to achieve the project objectives.
In this section we shall explore some of the fundamentals of the project management process and the models which have evolved including Prince2.
The following are some common definitions:
Project; a non-routine piece of work undertaken to deliver a beneficial result which meets a pre-defined specification within cost and time constraints and which contains an element of risk.
Programme: a group of projects which together contribute to the achievement of the same strategic objective.
Portfolio: a group of projects managed by the same team or individual which are not necessarily aligned towards the same strategic objective.
Project Management
In 1987 the American Project Management Institute produced the Body of Knowledge Handbook which was an attempt to provide a systematic framework for the training and development of project management professionals.
This focused on four key areas – Project Scope, Cost and Time considerations and the Quality Aspects of Project Management.
These were linked together across three management dimensions – General Management (managing the status quo), Project Management (managing change) and Technical Management (managing technology).
During the 1990’s senior project management professionals viewed the discussion of a project management model as becoming too academic and that a more practical illustration was required. The result was a distinction between ‘core’ functions and ‘facilitating’ functions.
Core functions cover Scope Management (defining the objectives,
outcomes and constraints of the project);
Quality Management (ensuring that appropriate quality standards are met within
the project and that project outcomes are aligned with appropriate strategic
and operational objectives);
Time Management (using a range of planning tools and techniques to ensure
that activities are managed in an appropriate way and schedules completed);
Cost Management (ensuring that a project budget is prepared and achieved).
Facilitating functions cover Information and Communication Management (ensuring information is readily available to interested parties and presented in good time);
Contract/Procurement Management (abiding by any tendering and other purchasing protocols);
Human Resources Management ( applying appropriate HR policies and staffing the project appropriately) and Risk Management (evaluating the severity of risk and planning contingencies).
Prince 2. Although more a methodology than a model it is convenient to mention this approach here as it has become one of the most established approaches to project management.
PRINCE stands for Projects in Controlled Environments and was first established in 1989 by the Office of Government Commerce as a UK government standard for IT project management.
Prince 2 is the latest version of the method and provides a process based approach to project management. Each stage of the process is defined in terms of its key inputs and outputs together with the specific objectives to be achieved and activities to be carried out.
An important element of this approach is that it is
‘product’ based identifying specific outcomes to be realised rather
than simply planning the various stages of a process.
Project Management
Whatever the demands of a particular project, those involved in its coordination and execution will need to be competent in the following areas:-
Leadership – championing a compelling vision, defining roles of project team members and ensuring there is an ongoing commitment to the project aims and outcomes.
Communication – ensuring communication plans are in place and regular reviews of project progress and performance are held with interested parties.
Negotiation – reaching agreement and influencing the processes by which decisions are made. Adapts to changing circumstances and works out differences in a logical manner.
Problem solving – identifying barriers to project success and selecting appropriate means to overcome them.
Project Management
www.ogc.gov.uk
main website for Prince2 information.
www.pmi.org
Project Management Institute of America. Wealth of information including the
Project Management Professional Qualification (PMP).
www.pmtoday.co.uk
Magazine for project management together with many articles and useful addresses.
www.projectconnections.com
Provides downloads including templates to assist with project planning and
control. Free subscription for the first 15 days.
Project Management
1. Undertake
Project Management Course (2 Days) at Centre for Learning.
Further details from either
Martin Truelove or Peter Gabe.
2. Read any of the following publications:-
• Essentials of Project Management by Dick Billows
• The Interactive Project Management Workbook by Robert Buttrick
• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) by Project
Management Institute
• Project Management: a managerial approach by Meredith and Mantel
Qualifications
Those interested in Prince2 can take the foundation and practitioner examinations. Subject to demand the Centre for Learning can organise courses to prepare delegates for both exam levels.
Project Management Professional (PMP). This is the
qualifying examination for practitioners developed by the Project Management
Institute of America.
The syllabus covers both the core and facilitating subjects (see Project Models
above) and consists of ten elements which explore the full management spectrum
from planning to closure. The exams can be taken in the UK.
Creative Thinking
The Leadership Development Commission, through the Employers
Organisation & the Improvement & Development Agency, identifies “an
adaptable mindset” & a “diversity of mindset” as one
of the key leadership qualities needed to enable local government to meet
the challenges of the next 5 to 10 years.
The Transformational Leadership model we have worked with also suggests that
our managers should be analytical & creative thinkers, able to deal with
a range of complex issues & solve problems creatively.
Creative Thinking
The Creative Process
Effective leaders (whether they are managers or not) are able to be innovative
by questioning their assumptions, reframing problems, & taking new approaches
to old problems.
They can also stimulate others to take this up.
Edward deBono says that the brain is a system which makes & uses patterns
in a logical way. These patterns become preferred, our usual way of recognising
the information coming to our attention.
Thus we think of any situation through our existing patterns (vertical thinking),
& can only see what we are prepared to see.
Lateral thinking is escaping this main track of thinking, moving across this
instead of along it.
To do this we need a stimulus, or provocation .
This is provided by different tools & techniques, such as The Six Thinking
Hats Method, the use of metaphors, Mind Mapping & reframing.
For an overview of some of these techniques, visit the ‘Out
of the Blue’ presentation.
Creative Thinking & Critical Thinking
Much of the thinking promoted in formal education stresses analytical skills
– how to follow or create a logical argument, use deductive reasoning
&, by eliminating incorrect paths, reach the correct answer.
This linear process, using the left brain, is critical thinking.
In contrast, creative thinking synthesises, connects, uses intuition &
images to generate many paths & answers.
This process uses the right brain.
Problem Solving
In classical problem solving, we use both critical & creative thinking.
We begin by using critical thinking to analyse the problem, defining &
labelling it.
We then explore the problem through reflection & creativity.
After this, we use imagination to generate alternative solutions.
We then look critically, using analysis to evaluate & choose a preferred
solution.
Finally, we implement, using rational planning to act & evaluate.
These techniques should be regarded as frameworks to aid understanding. As
such, they should be thought of as more or less useful tools, rather than
as more or less ‘true’.
Taking this view allows you to look at how you are considering something,
to separate the map from the territory.
Team Practice
As with any process, you can take three positions on the use of these models
& techniques with your team or group:
Hierarchy: choosing the technique & defining the problem for the group,
giving clear instructions for the procedure, assessing their success &
giving feedback; taking the material & ideas produced into action in another
arena.
Co operation: working alongside the group to select the most appropriate technique,
remaining closely involved with how it is applied, & jointly implementing
& evaluating a solution.
Autonomy: leaving the group to define the problem, choose a technique, apply
it, generating applying & evaluating solutions.
In this model from John Heron, the preferred position with the group, the
one you always aspire to reach, is autonomy.
However, it is appropriate to retain control until you are sure of their competence.
Creative Thinking
The ability to identify new problems, & not depend on
others to do this.
The ability to transfer knowledge gained in one context to another, in order
to solve a problem.
A belief in learning as an incremental process, with repeated attempts leading
to success.
The capacity to focus attention in the pursuit of a goal.
(adapted from ‘The Creative Age – knowledge & skills for
the new economy’, DEMOS, 2004)
Creative Thinking
www.edwdebono.com
Edward deBono’s website - access to deBono’s books on lateral
thinking in general in general & the Six Thinking Hats, & an online
course in effective thinking.
www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm
Virtual Salt website - an introduction to creative thinking which compares
critical & creative thinking, looks at creative attitudes & methods,
blocks to creativity & how to overcome them, & the characteristics
of the creative person.
www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic69.htm
Critical & Creative Thinking website – a useful map of the underlying
ideas, using Bloom’s classification.
www.human-inquiry.com/jhcvpubl.htm
John Heron’s website – all the wisdom you’ll ever need about
how to facilitate learning in groups & teams, in particular through ‘The
Facilitators Handbook’.
Creative Thinking
1. Attend ‘Out of the Blue - Creativity & Problem
Solving in Leadership’ at St Peter’s House.
Course details here
Check dates & book here.
2. We also have a great software package for developing mind maps on a computer
in our Open Learning area. Please contact Martin
Truelove for details.
3. Read any of these publications :
• ‘Serious Creativity : using the power of lateral thinking to
create new ideas’, Edward deBono, Harper Collins, 1995`
• ‘Simplicity’, Edward de Bono, Penguin, 2001
• ‘Use Your Head’, Tony Buzan, BBC Books 2003
Coaching & Mentoring
Coaching and mentoring have become key elements of organisation
change and development.
Whilst both have some evident characteristics it is better to view them as
complementary as both coaches and mentors need similar skills sets if they
are to be effective.
In this section we provide some information on the nature of both approaches
and the appropriateness of such interventions when dealing with either performance
issues or learning and development.
Coaching &
Mentoring Contrasted
Coaching & Mentoring
A widely used model developed from the work of Sir John Whitmore
is G.R.O.W.
This covers Goals (ensuring that there are clear objectives for coaching sessions);
Reality ( ensuring that the coaching is appropriate ,its aims realistic and
any gaps between current performance and future requirements established);
Options (ensuring that alternatives are fully covered as part of a problem
solving process);
Will (ensuring that there is a commitment to act on the options which have
been agreed and a way forward determined).
A more elaborate model is O.U.T.C.O.M.E.S.
This provides more structure than GROW and covers
Objectives for the coaching session;
Understanding why a particular objective is relevant and timely;
Taking Stock of where the coachee is in relation to the objective;
Clarifying the Gap by establishing exactly what needs to be done;
Options Generation ensuring full exploration of alternatives not just the
obvious ones;
Motivate to Action by checking the commitment and capability of the coachee;
Enthusiasm and Encouragement may mean that the coach needs to provide reinforcement
for the agreed actions;
Support by checking out any further actions required to support the individual
either at the end of the session or in the future.
Mentoring flourishes in a wide range of situations
– in education, paid work, the voluntary sector, sport and leisure,
the creative arts and across both public and private networks.
Mentors were traditionally seen as people who could provide wisdom and different
perspectives to their mentees although the latter were sometimes referred
to as protégés.
The mentoring relationship is widely drawn and may cover an infinite range
of needs from advice on a particular topic to broadening and rounding the
mentee in terms of experience and skills.
Mentoring has often been informal by nature but in recent years more formal
programmes have been established linking mentors and mentees both within and
from outside organisations.
Coaching & Mentoring
Coaching & Mentoring
www.coachingnetwork.org.uk
www.coachingandmentoring.com
www.oscm.co.uk
Coaching & Mentoring
What types of coaching are there?
Coaching comes in many forms to meet particular organisational, team
and individual client objectives. Some coaches specialise in a particular
area e.g. career, relationships and professional development whilst others
offer a more holistic service e.g. life and executive coaching.
Is there a national system of accreditation for coaches
and mentors ?
Unlike counselling and psychotherapy these are not regulated at either
government or professional level. The European Coaching and Mentoring Association
has a professional standards committee concerned with promoting ethics amongst
practitioners.
Do coaching and mentoring have to be conducted face
to face ?
Increasingly both coaches and mentors are using
both the telephone and e-mail to conduct coaching and mentoring sessions.
These can usefully complement other face to face meetings and help to maintain
momentum whilst being time efficient.
Leadership
The Leadership Development Commission, through the Employers
Organisation & the Improvement & Development Agency, recently said
that ‘leadership is a critical means for the improvement of local government’,
& we know that leaders embed & transmit cultures old & new.
Leaders reinforce some behaviours & suppress others, through what they
pay attention to & reward, & the behaviours they model themselves.
In the following area you can look at a variety of ways of viewing leadership,
& access a questionnaire to assess your leadership performance.
You can think about how this might be developed.
You can also find out more about the Leadership Development Programme undertaken
in 2003-4 by our top managers.
Leadership
Trait
An early approach, from the 1940’s to the present, which focused on
the innate qualities of great social, political & military leaders –
Gandhi, Lincoln, Napoleon.
This produced lists of traits – intelligence, alertness, drive, integrity,
dominance, sociability……….
Whilst this fits with our intuitive idea that leaders are people who have
exceptional qualities & can do special things, there is no definitive
list of traits, & the choice of which traits are more important, eg ambition
or creativity, is subjective.
Skills – Competences
This approach shifts from personal characteristics to the abilities needed
for effective leadership - skills which can be developed.
These represent what a leader can accomplish, rather than who they are.
They can be divided into technical, human, & conceptual categories, &
these are needed in this order as you move from the bottom of an organisation
to the top.
The developable skills are inclusive, covering all levels of management &
leadership, & provide a basis for education & qualifications, but
can lead to a range & number of competences which means less precision
in explaining performance.
Style
Moves to outline the kinds of leadership behaviours – concern for results,
achieving goals, making policy decisions, managing workflow, & concern
for people, attending to people, building commitment & trust.
Blake & Moulton’s Managerial Grid (1961) combines these into a grid
with four styles, which provide a broad map helpful to leaders in understanding
how they come across to others.
Whilst this moves successfully from personality to action & behaviour
at work, it implies that a high concern for results & a high concern for
people is best in all situations.
Situational
This was developed by Hersey & Blanchard in 1985, & remains used as
a model.
It recognises that different situations require different kinds of leadership,
& that the appropriate style depends on the competence & commitment
of the follower in relation to the particular task.
Style comes from a combination of directive behaviour – setting goals,
defining roles, clarifying what has to be done & how, & supportive
behaviour – social & emotional support to others, joint problem
solving, & self disclosure.
There are four styles, Directing, Coaching, Supporting, & Delegating.
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
This is a well researched model which developed in the 1980’s &
1990’s, & distinguishes between transactional leadership, where
there is an exchange between leaders & followers, eg promotions for high
performers, & transformational leadership, where the motivating quality
of the connection between leaders & followers enables the latter to reach
their fullest potential, eg Gandhi in raising the hopes & demands of millions.
Transformational leadership transforms individuals by treating them as full
human beings with needs to be satisfied.
Both transactional & transformational leadership are seen as necessary
for effective performance.
Bernie Bass (US, 1985)
Bass said that transformational leaders employ four kinds of behaviours (the
four “I”’s):
Idealised Influence
Being a role model, admired, respected & trusted.
Someone who followers identify with.
Someone who can be counted on to do the right thing.
Inspirational Motivation
Providing meaning, challenge & clear direction to followers in their work.
Arousing team spirit & communication.
Getting followers to envision the future.
Intellectual Stimulation
Helping followers to question their assumptions, reframe, try new approaches.
Encouraging creativity
.
Supporting the expression of divergent views.
Individualised Consideration
Listening to each person’s needs for achievement & growth.
Interactions are personalised.
Effective delegation.
If you wish to assess your transformational ability, please go the Multifactor
Leadership Questionnaire(MLQ).
Professor Beverley Alimo-Metcalfe, Leadership Research & Development
Ltd(LRDL), Leeds, 2003
This model is the basis for the Transformational Leadership Programme for
our top 133 managers, which ran from October 2003 to December 2004.
The Programme centred on 360 feedback to participants from at least one boss,
two peers, & two direct reports.
There was then feedback to the participant & an action plan, conducted
through one to one meetings with LRDL staff.
Feedback was also given by LRDL to management teams & at departmental
level, & finally, in November 2004, to the whole organisation.
The scales used for the feedback were :
1. Leading & Developing Others
Genuine concern for others’ well being & their development.
Empowers, delegates, develops potential.
Accessible, approachable, in touch.
Encourages questioning & critical & strategic thinking.
2. Personal Qualities
Transparency, honesty & consistency.
Integrity, openness to ideas & advice.
Decisive, risk taking.
Charismatic, in touch.
Analytical & creative thinker.
3. Leading the Organisation
Inspirational communicator, networker & achiever.
Clarifies individual & team direction, priorities & purpose.
Unites through shared vision.
Creates a supportive learning & self development environment.
Manages change sensitively & skilfully.
If you’d like to know more about the Transformational Leadership Programme,
you can telephone Val Priestley on 432026, or by email.
Leadership
The Multifactor Leadership
Questionnaire(MLQ). can be used by yourself alone, or more powerfully,
you can introduce a 360 process, asking a few ‘critical friends’
for wider feedback on your performance.
Questionnaires are also available to look at your leadership traits, skills,
& style, & are available through Martin
Truelove.
Leadership
www.idea.gov.uk
The Improvement & Development Agency website - a wealth of information
for the development of local government leaders & managers, with a link
to IDEA Knowledge for further information.
www.lg-employers.gov.uk
The Employers Organisation website – good information on leadership,
leadership development strategy, & leadership competences.
www.managementandleadershipcouncil
The Council for Excellence in Management & Leadership(CEML) website –
a good practice interactive toolkit, & reports about the state of leadership
& management in the UK.
www.rgu.ac.uk/hr/leadership/page.cfm?pge=9421
The Leader Values website – a wealth of leadership information with
a “world” view, & a robust leadership model.
www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leader.html
Big dog’s leadership page – US oriented, but some very useful
source material, plus useful links to organisation development ideas.
Qualifications
www.i-l-m.com
The Institute of Leadership & Management(ILM) website – offers qualifications
at all levels from team leader to strategic manager,& some with a Coaching
& Mentoring focus, delivered through local colleges.
www.management-standards.org
The Management Standards website – offers the latest version of the
national leadership & management standards
Leadership
Course Details
Here
In planning how you wish to develop from here, think about what the questionnaire
has identified as :
-Three major strengths.
-Three major development needs.
- For each need, think of how you intend to learn, who needs to be involved,
what resources you need, & a time frame.
Teamwork
There are few situations where the benefits of teamwork are
not recognised.
Teams have become so much a part of organisational life that the terms ‘team’
and ‘group’ are often used interchangeably. Consequently the advantages
of real teamwork are sometimes not clearly understood and plans not put in
place to move a group of individuals to ‘true’ teamwork in circumstances
where such working has a distinctive pay-off and adds an effective element
to organisational development.
Teamwork
There are a variety of definitions and frameworks and the following are widely used:
Work Group: a group which interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help one another perform within each member’s area of responsibility. Individuals work alone, not collectively, on a task. Performance is the summation of all the group members’ individual contributions.
Team: generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. Their individual efforts result in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of individual inputs.
The two structures differ in three main ways:-
1. Goals. For the work group this is sharing information.
For the team it is collective performance.
2. Accountability. In the work group this is individual. In the team it is
both collective and mutual.
3. Skills. In the work group these are varied and uncoordinated. In the team
the skills sets of individuals are complementary.
In addition performing teams frequently display the following
characteristics:
Team members have agreed methods of working and established ground rules by
which each team member will operate for the greater good and effectiveness
of the team.
Team performance is regularly reviewed and performance improvement becomes
a shared responsibility of the team.
Individual members are committed to the development of team learning.
Success is readily identified and celebrated.
Team leadership may be progressively shared between individuals depending
on the situation and skills required.
Reasons for Team Popularity
1. Teams outperform on tasks requiring multiple skills, judgment
and experience.
2. Teams are known to make better use of employee talents.
3. They are more flexible and responsive to changing events.
4. Teams facilitate employee participation in operating decisions.
5. They are effective in democratising the organisation and increasing employee
motivation.
Types of Work Team
There are four main types of work team.
1. Problem solving teams: share ideas and offer suggestions
on how work processes and methods can be improved.
2. Self managed work teams: determine work assignments and collectively control
the pace of work without a formal management structure.
3. Cross-functional teams: members from diverse areas within and between organisations
involved in the exchange of information and coordinating complex projects.
4. Virtual teams: computer technology ties physically dispersed members together
to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork
Forming: during this phase the team leader will need to orientate
the members to the objectives and tasks and define the team’s mission.
Areas of uncertainty regarding operating rules and procedures need to be clarified
and team roles assigned.
Storming: the team leader needs to recognise that conflict
is often an element of team development due to uncertainty (goals and roles),
member commitment to the task or lack of operating rules.
The leader needs to manage conflict constructively and resolve issues in a
timely manner.
Norming: team leadership at this stage is concerned with coaching and providing feedback to members so that ways of operating effectively are clearly established and redirection applied to ensuring that the team is focused on what is important.
Performing: team leadership assists the team to achieve high
performance levels through constructive development, broadening skills and
celebrating
success.
Teamwork
www.businessballs.com
Wide range of training resources covering team development and communications
which can be downloaded free of charge.
www.grove.com
Useful site for understanding team development and the characteristics of
high performing teams. Includes models, surveys and other support materials.
www.belbin.com
W ebsite of the UK’s teamwork guru, Meredith Belbin. Covers team roles
and provides software, case studies and CDrom programs on team effectiveness
and leadership.
Teamwork
1. Attend the one day course ‘Leadership in Practice’
run at the Centre for Learning.
Further details from Martin
Truelove
2. Read any of the following publications:-
• Five Dysfunctions of a team – a leadership
fable by Patrick Lencioni
• Who moved my Cheese ? by Spencer Johnson
• Mastering Team Leadership by Roger Cartwright
• The Performance Factor: Unlocking the Secrets of Teamwork by Pat MacMillan
• The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork: Embrace them and Empower your
Team by John Maxwell
Qualifications
There are several certificate and diploma courses which
cover team development and leadership.
You should consult Mark Anderson at the Centre for Learning in the first instance.
Further information on a structured approach to management development can
be obtained from the Institute
of Leadership and Management or
Chartered Management Institute
Performance Management
At the heart of Performance Management are some frighteningly
straightforward questions.
What is expected of me?
How am I doing?
How can I improve?
As the Audit Commission said:
‘Managing performance is not rocket science.
It is about practical ways of improving how you do things in your organisation……..
It is about supporting your staff to make the difference that originally attracted
them into the public sector.
Managing performance is much more than setting up a system.
The mechanics – targets, indicators & plans – are only a small
part of the whole process, & they are easy to deal with in comparison
with getting the right focus, leadership & culture in place’.
(‘Performance Breakthroughs : Improving Performance in Public Sector
Organisations, Audit Commission, 2002)
Performance Management
In this area, we concentrate on the people management &
development aspects of performance management.
Performance management is about getting results, conducting business successfully
whilst also developing the capacity of individuals, teams, services &
the organisation at the same time.
It’s about increasing the chances of success, & acknowledging achievement.
It’s also about constructively challenging poor performance.
Why is it hard to manage performance well? (after the Audit
Commission report)
It’s seen as separate
Something existing within staff appraisals, within service plans, discontinuous,
occasional, inspected in through quality audits.
Leaders are not seen as interested
The message is not given, or then reinforced, that performance matters, there
is no apparent enthusiasm.
Performance is not reviewed or learned from
There is no proper processes for doing this at individual (professional supervision
or performance review,& appraisal), or team level (team days, peer supervision,
action learning sets).
Everything is a priority
It’s all too complex, priorities come from all around, & can pull
us away from what our customers want & need.
We don’t know clearly what has to change
Performance management can be seen as management speak, when some plain language
would help : how does what I do contribute to the priorities of the organisation?
The system doesn’t help
Does the system measure what is important, or only what is measurable? A system
can help to organise your approach, but won’t do the hard thinking &
decision making for you.
What can you do to break through? (after the Audit Commission
Report)
Show your staff you think performance matters
State & restate clear objectives, & show how they influence your own
performance. Do things differently, keep it all visible!
Join up your thinking & learn
Support regular, well facilitated team & individual sessions, with time
out to reflect, celebrate achievements, & learn from mistakes.
Take action on what matters most
Pick out the priorities & do something, put some resources behind the
priorities.
Make national agendas work for you
If you can’t show ownership of these, nor will your staff - how do these
apply to our work, & where can they help us?
Sign up your staff
Consult staff, allow people responsibility & make them accountable, make
sure the language means something to them.
Measure what matters
What is important to the customer? Don’t just collect information because
it is collectable.
Help people to perform
Give continuous feedback to individuals, have the courage to be honestly critical.
Use coaching & training to support people to do well.
Staff Appraisal
The Performance Appraisal & Development Scheme(PADS)
All staff are entitled to an annual appraisal & a six month interim review
conducted by their line manager. This will not be effective unless supported
by regular professional supervision / performance review.
PADS is intended as a benchmark of best practice, & individual Departments
will also have their own schemes with excellent practice which meet the overall
PADS requirements.
A new scheme, the Success at Work Scheme, is currently being considered. Keep
up with news on this through this site.
For some ideas on how to conduct effective appraisals, look at the practice
guide ‘Appraisal & Development’
& Powerpoint slides, both from
the one day ‘Appraisal & Development‘ workshop.
How are you doing?
Find out how your culture supports performance management by completing
this quiz. For a wider view, give it other team members & compare
your results.
Performance Management
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/index.asp
The Audit Commission website, with a link to a download of the ‘Performance
Breakthroughs’ report – also, find details of future plans for
comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), & Best Value Key Performance
Indicators
http://www.iqa.org/publication/c4-1-89.shtml
The Institute for Quality Assurance website – a review of John Seddon’s
2003 book ‘Freedom from Command & Control’, which offers a
critique of top down hierarchy & advocates Systems Thinking as a tool
for transforming performance by putting customer demand at the centre of how
we organise.
http://www.testagency.com/
The Test Agency site – training & tools available for psychometrics
on topics ranging from emotional Intelligence to Management & Team Development.
Performance Management
Performance Management
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Change Management
Is all about changing managers Is all about changing
managersIs all about changing changing managersIs all about changing
Coaching & Mentoring
1. Undertake a self assessment inventory to explore your
helping and supporting styles whether you are a manager or a staffer who wants
to develop these skills (contact Martin
Truelove or Peter Gabe)
2. Read any one of the following publications –
• Coaching and Mentoring: Practical Methods to Improve Learning by Eric
Parsloe and Monica Wray
• Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore
• Complete Guide to Coaching at Work by Perry Zeus
• The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning
Relationships by Lois Zachary
• The Mentor Handbook by Robert Clifton and Richard Clifton
Certificate and Diploma in Life Coaching
Positive Impact Coaching
These are distance learning programmes available via Newcastle
College Flexible Learning and accredited by the Northern Council for Further
Education (NCFE).
Programmes are completed and assessed on a modular basis – diploma programmes
require evidence of practical coaching experience. There are no examinations.
Contact – dlu@ncl-coll.ac.uk
Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring
Advanced Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring
Both courses are provided by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in conjunction with the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring.
Contact – www.cipd.co.uk
Project Management
Is there a Bradford Council course on project management ?
Yes, we run a
two day programme which explains the fundamental principles and introduces
a framework for project management.
Following this programme you will have an informed view as to which methods
and approaches might best suit your requirements.
I’ve heard the terms ’simple’ and ‘complex’ used when discussing projects. What’s the difference ?
Organisations vary in terms of how they define the
complexity of projects.
You may find that complexity is related to such factors as – degree
of risk, political implications, costs, duration, involvement of third parties
e.g. contractors and the demands on the project management team.
Teamwork
I am a team leader. I would like to assess where my team is in terms of its development and actions needed to improve the skills of both team members and myself. What resources are available ?
We have a variety of tools and techniques available to help in this diagnosis. There are also a variety of resources available from publishers and suppliers of training and development resources. We can advise on these. Please contact either Martin Truelove or Peter Gabe at the Centre of Learning.
I want to create a team to improve quality in my department. How do I go about it ?
There are a number of problem solving tools and quality
improvement techniques which can assist in this area. Again, we can support
you in meeting this objective. Contacts as above.
Creative Thinking
Can anyone be more creative?
Yes, creativity is a skill which can be learned, practiced & improved
by the application of models & techniques such as those above. Whilst
there are, of course, people who are naturally more creative than others,
we can all use more of our brain by paying as much attention to the right
brain – the centre of connectedness, images, intuition & music –
as naturally do to the left brain – the centre of step logic, analysis,
maths & reason.
Why is creativity important in organisations today?
Firstly, you can do existing things in a better way, & secondly, you can
create better things – new services or products.
Also, those organisations who can learn faster than the rate of change are
the ones who will thrive, & central to this is how well they support their
people in creating & sharing new ideas & knowledge.
How do I introduce more creativity in what happens at work?
Beyond learning the new skills yourself, ensure that time is taken within
your team to think matters through, with the assistance of effective tools
& techniques. Recognise those who take the risk of thinking more creatively.
Value the ideas produced for themselves – as much as you value human
& physical resources.
Leadership
Do I have to be a manager to be a leader?
Certainly not! Some managers do not exercise sufficient leadership, &
many non managers do. If you help others to establish a direction, enable
them to align their efforts to this, & if you motivate others to make
change, you are a leader.
Is there one ‘best’ way of looking at leadership?
No, & there is no single way the Council thinks about leadership, either.
How you view leadership should be as individual as your own qualities as a
leader. What way tells you most about the ways you lead?
How do we choose which leadership competences to work from, as a team?
Think about your service priorities, & the skills needed to deliver them.
You may wish to distinguish between technical/professional, & non technical/leadership
skills.
Performance Management
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