Very often a question rises as to what are the different tools available under different categories of problem solving.
For ready reference, here is a list. This often varies from one practitioner to another but gives a broad idea anyway.
Under the category of ‘7 QC Tools’, we have:
Cause and Effect Diagram
Check Sheet
Histogram
Pareto Diagram or Pareto Analysis
Stratification
Scatter Diagram
Control Chart
Some persons include Brain Storming to this list.
The so-called ‘7 Management Tools’ are taken as:
Tree Diagram
Relations Diagram
Matrix Diagram
Matrix Data Analysis Method
Affinity Diagram
Arrow Diagram
Process Decision Programme Chart
Further Advanced Tools are:
Fault Tree Analysis
Regression Analysis
Design of Experiments (DOE)
Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Personal Scorecard
Are you a great professional? And do you feel down in the dumps at times? How about a balance?
This is how.
I have a friend Jagannath. A great guy oozing with wisdom at times. When that oozing stops, he is a normal guy, though. One of the pearls of wisdom that dropped out of him is that method of balance. I am sure he must have read it somewhere, couldn’t have imagined it all by himself.
Once he asked me the same questions as you see at the top and ventured to answer it himself. He told me to start a confidential notebook, preferably a large size. He said that a notebook could be kept more secure from prying eyes than a computer. “Have four sections under the four titles – My great achievements, My lesser achievements, My failures, My great failures”, he explained.
He wanted me to write down in brief with dates and in just one or two sentences, relevant points under each head – whatever I remembered from the past and certainly in future, but promptly without delay. He reminded me that the notings were entirely for my personal consumption and therefore I should be brutally frank there, subject of course to my not indulging in any criminal activity when it might serve as evidence against me!
He answered my quizzical look with, “If you are to keep your mental balance, you should not get carried away when you do a great job; at that time, it helps if you read about your failures and realize that you are not always that great. Similarly, when you are highly depressed due to a failure, read the section of your achievements – that will perk you up and make you realize that success and failure are equally common.”
I followed his advice and found that it really worked! Jagannath seemed to have guided towards what the Gita talks about “Nirmamo nirahankarh samadukha sukhah kshami” (Bereft of possessiveness and egotism, taking sorrow and pleasure with equanimity …).
This is how.
I have a friend Jagannath. A great guy oozing with wisdom at times. When that oozing stops, he is a normal guy, though. One of the pearls of wisdom that dropped out of him is that method of balance. I am sure he must have read it somewhere, couldn’t have imagined it all by himself.
Once he asked me the same questions as you see at the top and ventured to answer it himself. He told me to start a confidential notebook, preferably a large size. He said that a notebook could be kept more secure from prying eyes than a computer. “Have four sections under the four titles – My great achievements, My lesser achievements, My failures, My great failures”, he explained.
He wanted me to write down in brief with dates and in just one or two sentences, relevant points under each head – whatever I remembered from the past and certainly in future, but promptly without delay. He reminded me that the notings were entirely for my personal consumption and therefore I should be brutally frank there, subject of course to my not indulging in any criminal activity when it might serve as evidence against me!
He answered my quizzical look with, “If you are to keep your mental balance, you should not get carried away when you do a great job; at that time, it helps if you read about your failures and realize that you are not always that great. Similarly, when you are highly depressed due to a failure, read the section of your achievements – that will perk you up and make you realize that success and failure are equally common.”
I followed his advice and found that it really worked! Jagannath seemed to have guided towards what the Gita talks about “Nirmamo nirahankarh samadukha sukhah kshami” (Bereft of possessiveness and egotism, taking sorrow and pleasure with equanimity …).
Thursday, December 23, 2010
ISO or Eyewash?
When ISO 9000 was first introduced in India, there was a hue and cry even from many knowledgeable quarters that it was a conspiracy for creating a non-tariff barrier for Indian goods to the European markets. You may recall that the initial ones to be affected were the suppliers of grey iron castings. There was anyway a scramble to understand how the documents were to be prepared and the forerunners zealously guarded their Quality Manuals and Procedures from the evil eyes of aspirants.
Anyway, the initial resistance was got over and the major organizations proceeded to get certified to ISO 9000 without further ado. The turn came for the next line of companies and they got through with some struggle. When it came to the smaller ones, the typical Indian ingenuity came into play.
The big boys insisted on their suppliers being certified to ISO 9000 – so what was needed? Just a piece of paper with the due signatures. Certifying bodies sprouted to make use of the opportunity and pliant consultants were there to provide the nexus. Documents were reproduced in droves, competing agencies were very kind and certificates multiplied. A few days of polishing of records just before the due date, make-believe minutes of the ‘Management Review Meetings’ and a good protracted lunch for the auditor took care of the ‘Surveillance audit’.
Any certifying body which tries to do a real job is afraid of getting thrown out in favour of a more ‘helpful’ one. The six-monthly surveillance audits tend to be conveniently made into annual ones; auditors are expected to bend over backwards to ‘accommodate’ the clients.
It is unfortunate that the companies do not realize that they are the losers. They are anyway spending money for the audits, for the certificates, for the consultants; they are spending time and energy to maintain the records (even if false). But many of them are not getting the benefit of these things, except that they continue to be approved suppliers of their principals.
Many times of the costs incurred can be recouped if they only bother to make use of the well-thought out provisions of ISO 9000. Just a few are:
Use the Non-conforming products clause to reduce the defectives and improve the profits
Use the Corrective and Preventive actions clauses, again to improve the operations and improve the bottom-line
Put the requirement of Continuous Improvement into effect to see the operations become more efficient
Implement the Objectives and Targets in order to reap the benefit of all-round advancement of the organization
Anyway, the initial resistance was got over and the major organizations proceeded to get certified to ISO 9000 without further ado. The turn came for the next line of companies and they got through with some struggle. When it came to the smaller ones, the typical Indian ingenuity came into play.
The big boys insisted on their suppliers being certified to ISO 9000 – so what was needed? Just a piece of paper with the due signatures. Certifying bodies sprouted to make use of the opportunity and pliant consultants were there to provide the nexus. Documents were reproduced in droves, competing agencies were very kind and certificates multiplied. A few days of polishing of records just before the due date, make-believe minutes of the ‘Management Review Meetings’ and a good protracted lunch for the auditor took care of the ‘Surveillance audit’.
Any certifying body which tries to do a real job is afraid of getting thrown out in favour of a more ‘helpful’ one. The six-monthly surveillance audits tend to be conveniently made into annual ones; auditors are expected to bend over backwards to ‘accommodate’ the clients.
It is unfortunate that the companies do not realize that they are the losers. They are anyway spending money for the audits, for the certificates, for the consultants; they are spending time and energy to maintain the records (even if false). But many of them are not getting the benefit of these things, except that they continue to be approved suppliers of their principals.
Many times of the costs incurred can be recouped if they only bother to make use of the well-thought out provisions of ISO 9000. Just a few are:
Use the Non-conforming products clause to reduce the defectives and improve the profits
Use the Corrective and Preventive actions clauses, again to improve the operations and improve the bottom-line
Put the requirement of Continuous Improvement into effect to see the operations become more efficient
Implement the Objectives and Targets in order to reap the benefit of all-round advancement of the organization
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Customer Satisfaction
Often, Companies tend to evade obtaining real feedback from customers.
Even when it is a requirement as under ISO 9001, they try to get away by saying that most customers do not respond when the survey form is sent to them. While it is generally true, it is the approach that is flawed - why would a customer bother about a piece of paper and spend time on it when he has more pressing work to do?
Is it not possible for a really concerned Company to ask their reps in different areas to visit the customer, sit across the desk with him and get his reaction, if the matter is really taken seriously?
I recently came across a good practice in a nationally renowned group engaged in a large urban service. It was pleasantly surprising to note that they had employed the well-known Nielson for carrying out the customer satisfaction survey so that they could get an independent, unbiased and professional feedback.
Cannot more companies follow this example?
Even when it is a requirement as under ISO 9001, they try to get away by saying that most customers do not respond when the survey form is sent to them. While it is generally true, it is the approach that is flawed - why would a customer bother about a piece of paper and spend time on it when he has more pressing work to do?
Is it not possible for a really concerned Company to ask their reps in different areas to visit the customer, sit across the desk with him and get his reaction, if the matter is really taken seriously?
I recently came across a good practice in a nationally renowned group engaged in a large urban service. It was pleasantly surprising to note that they had employed the well-known Nielson for carrying out the customer satisfaction survey so that they could get an independent, unbiased and professional feedback.
Cannot more companies follow this example?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The New Manager
· Take these steps within your first 90 days. The sooner you establish your authority with your team and prove your competence to your boss, the easier your job will be.
· Boundaries: If you’re managing former peers, now’s the time to put up some walls and keep the socializing to a minimum.
· Support from your new team: Set aside time during your first week to meet with all of your direct reports individually and ask for their advice on their current projects. You won’t build trust overnight, but this will help.
Understand Your Role
A few tips on how to head off awkwardness with former peers:
· From the outset, tell everyone on your team how you will evaluate performance. If anyone in the group slacks off or breaks the rules, it will be easier to raise the issue in an objective way. If it is very clear what you are measuring, you can say, ‘This job requires x, y, and z. I’m not seeing z.’
· Confront poor performance head on. If someone — friend or not — is failing, act decisively. Give formal warnings, recommend how to remedy the problem, and keep a written record of your conversations. If the situation reaches a point where you have to let him go, you don’t want him to be surprised.
Harsh as it may seem, if you don’t establish professional boundaries, you won’t have the objectivity to supervise effectively. Your relationship with direct reports should be “I’m personable, but not personal” — and learn to talk to them immediately about performance problems.
Know What You Don’t Know
Many companies fall short when it comes to training new managers. Your bosses won’t expect you to know how to tackle every aspect of your new job from the outset, but they will assume that you will ask for the help you need. So, if your company wants you to take on a legally sensitive task such as giving performance reviews, and you’ve never done it before, don’t try to improvise it. Ask for coaching from HR or higher-ups. Without training, it’s easy for a new manager to overlook the implications of what one wrong thing said can do. If you can’t get the level of help you need internally, sign up for a relevant training program.
Master the Unwritten Rules
If you’re new to a company, understand that no matter how similar the culture seems to others you’ve experienced, it is going to have its own unique and sometimes bizarre quirks. Learn how things get done — both the rational and irrational aspects of it. Listen carefully when colleagues volunteer tips on, say, the best time of day to approach a senior manager, and pay attention when they tell stories about the office. At the same time don’t get too inquisitive. If you are overly interested in learning something, they will wonder, ‘Why? What’s your motive?’ As you build your new colleagues’ trust, they’ll volunteer more details.
It’s easy to cut yourself off from a vital pipeline if you always eat lunch alone, a common rookie mistake. If your peers have been around a while, they’ll give you a hint of what’s coming up and can give you some tips that will make your job easier.
Be Loyal, to a Point
Be careful about seeming too closely aligned with any one person — even your direct boss. The best job-protection insurance, especially as a newbie, is to remain as neutral as possible on controversial issues. If your boss asks for a point of view, run through the pros and cons of a decision rather than answer directly. Remember that your boss could be gone tomorrow — and you could be working for the person whose point of view he opposed.
Build the Support You Need to Get Things Done
Showing your bosses that you’re ready to take on new projects isn’t just a matter of stellar performance or demonstrating initiative — though these things certainly help. You also need to prove to the top brass that they can trust you in subtler ways.
Even with solid backing from the top, you won’t be able to get anything done if your team isn’t behind you. This often means building support among longtime or more senior workers — including some who wanted your job and didn’t get it. You won’t win any allegiance by reminding them that you have an MBA or that your last gig was at an even bigger company. Meet with each member of your team individually to learn about his background and ask for advice on upcoming projects. Let them know you’ll be relying on their expertise. You don’t have to act on the advice they give you, but listening carefully will go a long way toward building the good relationships you will need to succeed.
- Extracted from “The Rookie Manager’s Guide to Office Politics” by Elaine Pofeldt and Adriana Gardella in http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-401835.html?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
· Boundaries: If you’re managing former peers, now’s the time to put up some walls and keep the socializing to a minimum.
· Support from your new team: Set aside time during your first week to meet with all of your direct reports individually and ask for their advice on their current projects. You won’t build trust overnight, but this will help.
Understand Your Role
A few tips on how to head off awkwardness with former peers:
· From the outset, tell everyone on your team how you will evaluate performance. If anyone in the group slacks off or breaks the rules, it will be easier to raise the issue in an objective way. If it is very clear what you are measuring, you can say, ‘This job requires x, y, and z. I’m not seeing z.’
· Confront poor performance head on. If someone — friend or not — is failing, act decisively. Give formal warnings, recommend how to remedy the problem, and keep a written record of your conversations. If the situation reaches a point where you have to let him go, you don’t want him to be surprised.
Harsh as it may seem, if you don’t establish professional boundaries, you won’t have the objectivity to supervise effectively. Your relationship with direct reports should be “I’m personable, but not personal” — and learn to talk to them immediately about performance problems.
Know What You Don’t Know
Many companies fall short when it comes to training new managers. Your bosses won’t expect you to know how to tackle every aspect of your new job from the outset, but they will assume that you will ask for the help you need. So, if your company wants you to take on a legally sensitive task such as giving performance reviews, and you’ve never done it before, don’t try to improvise it. Ask for coaching from HR or higher-ups. Without training, it’s easy for a new manager to overlook the implications of what one wrong thing said can do. If you can’t get the level of help you need internally, sign up for a relevant training program.
Master the Unwritten Rules
If you’re new to a company, understand that no matter how similar the culture seems to others you’ve experienced, it is going to have its own unique and sometimes bizarre quirks. Learn how things get done — both the rational and irrational aspects of it. Listen carefully when colleagues volunteer tips on, say, the best time of day to approach a senior manager, and pay attention when they tell stories about the office. At the same time don’t get too inquisitive. If you are overly interested in learning something, they will wonder, ‘Why? What’s your motive?’ As you build your new colleagues’ trust, they’ll volunteer more details.
It’s easy to cut yourself off from a vital pipeline if you always eat lunch alone, a common rookie mistake. If your peers have been around a while, they’ll give you a hint of what’s coming up and can give you some tips that will make your job easier.
Be Loyal, to a Point
Be careful about seeming too closely aligned with any one person — even your direct boss. The best job-protection insurance, especially as a newbie, is to remain as neutral as possible on controversial issues. If your boss asks for a point of view, run through the pros and cons of a decision rather than answer directly. Remember that your boss could be gone tomorrow — and you could be working for the person whose point of view he opposed.
Build the Support You Need to Get Things Done
Showing your bosses that you’re ready to take on new projects isn’t just a matter of stellar performance or demonstrating initiative — though these things certainly help. You also need to prove to the top brass that they can trust you in subtler ways.
Even with solid backing from the top, you won’t be able to get anything done if your team isn’t behind you. This often means building support among longtime or more senior workers — including some who wanted your job and didn’t get it. You won’t win any allegiance by reminding them that you have an MBA or that your last gig was at an even bigger company. Meet with each member of your team individually to learn about his background and ask for advice on upcoming projects. Let them know you’ll be relying on their expertise. You don’t have to act on the advice they give you, but listening carefully will go a long way toward building the good relationships you will need to succeed.
- Extracted from “The Rookie Manager’s Guide to Office Politics” by Elaine Pofeldt and Adriana Gardella in http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-401835.html?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
Saturday, January 23, 2010
TIME MANAGEMENT
Biggest Time Wasters
1. Interruptions. There will always be interruptions. It's how they're handled that results in wasted time.
2. Hopelessness. People "give in", "numb out" and "march through the day".
3. Poor delegation skills. This involves not sharing work with others.
Common Symptoms of Poor Time Management
1. Irritability. Fellow workers
notice this first.
2. Fatigue. How many adults even notice this?
3. Difficulty concentrating. You often don't need to just to get through the day somehow but have to utilize the time effectively!
4. Forgetfulness. You can't remember what you did all day, what you ate yesterday.
5. Loss of sleep. This affects everything else!
6. Physical disorders, for example, headaches, rashes, tics, cramps, etc.
7. At worst, withdrawal and depression.
Simple Techniques to Manage Time
There never seems to be enough time in the roles of management and supervision. Therefore, the goal of time management should not be to find more time. The goal is to set a reasonable amount of time to spend on these roles and use that time wisely.
1. Start with the simple techniques of stress management.
2. Managing time takes practice. Practice asking yourself this question throughout the day: "Is this what I need to be doing right now?" If yes, then keep doing it.
3. Find some way to realistically and practically analyze your time. Logging your time for a week in 15-minute intervals is not that hard and does not take up that much time. Do it for a week and review your results.
4. Do a "to-do" list for your day. Do it at the end of the previous day. Mark items as "A" and "B" in priority. Set aside two hours right away each day to do the important "A" items and then do the "B" items in the afternoon. Let your answering machine take your calls during your "A" time.
5. At the end of your day, spend five minutes cleaning up your space. Use this time, too, to organize your space, including your desktop. That'll give you a clean start for the next day.
6. Learn the difference between "Where can I help?" and "Where am I really needed?" The latter question is much more important than the former.
7. Learn the difference between "Do I need to do this now?" and "Do I need to do this at all?" Experienced leaders learn how to quickly answer this question when faced with a new task.
8. Delegate. Delegation shows up as a frequent suggestion because it is one of the most important skills for a leader to have. Effective delegation will free up a great deal of time for you.
9. If you are CEO in a corporation, then ask your Board for help. They are responsible to supervise you, as a CEO. Although the Board should not be micro-managing you by being involved in the day-to-day activities of the corporation, they still might have some ideas to help you with your time management. Remember, too, that good time management comes from good planning, and the Board is responsible to oversee development of major plans. Thus, the Board may be able to help you by doing a better job themselves in their responsibilities as planners for the organization.
10. Use a "Do Not Disturb" sign! During the early part of the day, when you're attending to your important items (your "A" list), hang this sign on the doorknob outside your door.
11. Sort your mail into categories including "read now", "handle now" and "read later". You'll quickly get a knack for sorting through your mail. You'll also notice that much of what you think you need to read later wasn't really all that important anyway.
12. Read your mail at the same time each day. That way, you'll likely get to your mail on a regular basis and won't become distracted into any certain piece of mail that ends up taking too much of your time.
13. Have a place for everything and put everything in its place. That way, you'll know where to find it when you need it. Another important outcome is that your people will see that you are somewhat organized, rather than out of control.
14. Best suggestion for saving time - schedule 10 minutes to do nothing. That time can be used to just sit and clear your mind. You'll end up thinking more clearly, resulting in more time in your day. The best outcome of this practice is that it reminds you that you're not a slave to a clock - and that if you take 10 minutes out of your day, you and your organization won't fall apart.
15. Learn good meeting management skills. Meetings can become a terrible waste of time. Draw up guidelines for good meeting management
- From HR..Com
1. Interruptions. There will always be interruptions. It's how they're handled that results in wasted time.
2. Hopelessness. People "give in", "numb out" and "march through the day".
3. Poor delegation skills. This involves not sharing work with others.
Common Symptoms of Poor Time Management
1. Irritability. Fellow workers
notice this first.
2. Fatigue. How many adults even notice this?
3. Difficulty concentrating. You often don't need to just to get through the day somehow but have to utilize the time effectively!
4. Forgetfulness. You can't remember what you did all day, what you ate yesterday.
5. Loss of sleep. This affects everything else!
6. Physical disorders, for example, headaches, rashes, tics, cramps, etc.
7. At worst, withdrawal and depression.
Simple Techniques to Manage Time
There never seems to be enough time in the roles of management and supervision. Therefore, the goal of time management should not be to find more time. The goal is to set a reasonable amount of time to spend on these roles and use that time wisely.
1. Start with the simple techniques of stress management.
2. Managing time takes practice. Practice asking yourself this question throughout the day: "Is this what I need to be doing right now?" If yes, then keep doing it.
3. Find some way to realistically and practically analyze your time. Logging your time for a week in 15-minute intervals is not that hard and does not take up that much time. Do it for a week and review your results.
4. Do a "to-do" list for your day. Do it at the end of the previous day. Mark items as "A" and "B" in priority. Set aside two hours right away each day to do the important "A" items and then do the "B" items in the afternoon. Let your answering machine take your calls during your "A" time.
5. At the end of your day, spend five minutes cleaning up your space. Use this time, too, to organize your space, including your desktop. That'll give you a clean start for the next day.
6. Learn the difference between "Where can I help?" and "Where am I really needed?" The latter question is much more important than the former.
7. Learn the difference between "Do I need to do this now?" and "Do I need to do this at all?" Experienced leaders learn how to quickly answer this question when faced with a new task.
8. Delegate. Delegation shows up as a frequent suggestion because it is one of the most important skills for a leader to have. Effective delegation will free up a great deal of time for you.
9. If you are CEO in a corporation, then ask your Board for help. They are responsible to supervise you, as a CEO. Although the Board should not be micro-managing you by being involved in the day-to-day activities of the corporation, they still might have some ideas to help you with your time management. Remember, too, that good time management comes from good planning, and the Board is responsible to oversee development of major plans. Thus, the Board may be able to help you by doing a better job themselves in their responsibilities as planners for the organization.
10. Use a "Do Not Disturb" sign! During the early part of the day, when you're attending to your important items (your "A" list), hang this sign on the doorknob outside your door.
11. Sort your mail into categories including "read now", "handle now" and "read later". You'll quickly get a knack for sorting through your mail. You'll also notice that much of what you think you need to read later wasn't really all that important anyway.
12. Read your mail at the same time each day. That way, you'll likely get to your mail on a regular basis and won't become distracted into any certain piece of mail that ends up taking too much of your time.
13. Have a place for everything and put everything in its place. That way, you'll know where to find it when you need it. Another important outcome is that your people will see that you are somewhat organized, rather than out of control.
14. Best suggestion for saving time - schedule 10 minutes to do nothing. That time can be used to just sit and clear your mind. You'll end up thinking more clearly, resulting in more time in your day. The best outcome of this practice is that it reminds you that you're not a slave to a clock - and that if you take 10 minutes out of your day, you and your organization won't fall apart.
15. Learn good meeting management skills. Meetings can become a terrible waste of time. Draw up guidelines for good meeting management
- From HR..Com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
