Who needs a #business plan ?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by admin

Every Business needs a Business Plan.

It is commonly recognized that 4 out of 5 new start ups fail in the first 12 months and a key reason for this is a lack of a proper Business Plan. Your Business Plan is not just used to gain financial support (although this is obviously a key reason) but to act as a “roadmap” for the Business by which progress can be measured and tracked.

If you are starting a new business a comprehensive Business Plan is essential. If you want help with your Business Planning get in touch for a free consultation.
chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Success in Project Management by improving people skills #pmot

Posted on February 6, 2013 by admin

Whatever type of Project you are Managing results will be improved by paying more attention to your people skills:-

Treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself – it’s so obvious but so easily neglected. When the pressure is on it’s even more important. Every word you say, every action you take needs to take into consideration the impact on the feelings of those around you. It sounds a bit ‘wet’ but if you consistently neglect the impact your actions have on others you will pay the price of poor Team performance and morale.
Communicate – keep the team informed by giving regular briefings and updates.
Don’t rely on email – it’s a great way of communicating complex information but terrible at conveying emotions.
Face to Face – the most effective way of communicating. Sit down with your key team members at least once a week.
Leave the door open – always make yourself available for a private chat.
Make it fun – it’s all too easy to get bogged down in the bureaucracy of project management – keep a sense of humor & maintain a positive outlook.
Never criticize anyone in front of the Team – keep it for your one to one.
Open & Honest – personal communication should make your team members aware of your thoughts. This means telling people face to face what you think is good & what you think is bad. This requires you to listen openly without interrupting & being argumentative. Through this process your team will gain respect for your point of view & learn that you are a good listener.
Treat people equally – whether they are the cleaner or the CEO.

These issues will be further explored in my forthcoming book – ‘The Projectsguru guide to effective Project Management’
chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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10 tips to eliminate the blame culture…..#pmot…#leadership

Posted on January 30, 2013 by admin

Changing a company culture is not an easy thing to do & the blame culture which is endemic to many organizations needs to be eliminated for innovation to thrive. Here are some tips to eliminate the blame culture:-

Adopt a leadership position by ignoring the accepted blame culture & practicing a solution based mind set.
Instead of asking who did what & why identify the steps required to move from the current position to the desired one.
Look to the future not the past, develop a vision of where you want the organization to be.
Ignore the jibes of others who try to lay the blame by focusing on the steps required to achieve the desired outcome.
Lead by example – people will begin to notice & copy positive behavior.
Reward positive behavior with encouragement.
Deal with negative behavior by ignoring it.
Promote positive people within the organization at the expense of those who cannot change.
Forgive those who exhibit redemption.
Celebrate success & generate genuine teamwork.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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#Freelancers earn loads of wonga………..#HFD2012

Posted on November 21, 2012 by admin

It’s Freelancer day today so lets debunk some of our favorite myths about freelancing:-

Freelancers earn loads of wonga – Freelancer pay is very much dependent upon industry, location, length of contract etc. In Engineering a typical freelancer may earn 25% more than a “permie” but that’s like comparing apples & pears as the freelancer gets no paid holiday’s, sick pay, pension, bonus etc etc so a direct comparison needs to take into account the monetary value of these “permie” benefits.

Freelancers pay less tax – There is some truth in this. By owning a Limited Company a Freelancer may structure his pay to take home more income (perfectly legal) but the biggest benefit is being able to deduct legitimate business expenses like car mileage from taxable income. It should be stressed that legitimate Freelancers pay their full contribution according to UK tax law.

Freelancing is insecure – This is largely down to career management. In a lot of respects it can be more secure because the contractor has more active control. Rather than being at the whim of an employer the Contractor tends to be secure for the length of his contract & needs to be active in seeking another towards the end. If her Network is well developed this is perfectly manageable.

Freelancers can’t get a proper job – some people move easily between Contracting & “Permanent” roles. The majority, however, prefer freelancing. Most Freelancer’s wouldn’t take a permie job given the choice.

Freelancers are ruthless opportunists – no more so than the companies who employ them on short notice contracts. Freelancers are certainly not naive & are perfectly capable of exploiting an opportunity should it arise.

Freelancers are essential – Of course I would argue this but who else is going to step in & cover for 12 months maternity leave or provide invaluable support through a period of rapid growth. If it wasn’t for Freelancers the corporate world would be like a Swiss cheese.

Freelancers are competent Professionals – undoubtedly true. To survive without the fluffy blanket of corporate support, to learn on the job, hit the ground running, contribute immediately & be effective are all signs of competent professionalism. If you want an easy life don’t go into freelancing.

So why would anyone want to go into Freelancing ———that’s for the next post.

Happy Freelance Day!

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Building great teams……..#business #leadership

Posted on November 12, 2012 by admin

Team building is not all about weekends away in the Lake District building rafts & swinging through the trees. Effective Managers employ simple everyday methods to build team performance. Here are 10 tips for great team building:-

Do as I do not as I say. – If you ask team members to carry out tasks you either cannot or wouldn’t do yourself you will quickly lose respect.
Eliminate the blame culture – Organizations which have an overwhelming blame culture are unproductive & waste energy. Avoid blaming others, especially in public, and seek to improve your own performance & those of your team.
Open & Honest Feedback – is to be encouraged. If you want to question a team members performance it must be done in private & in an open, honest manner. Be prepared to hear things you don’t want to hear but don’t be afraid to point out weaknesses you feel need to be rectified.
Don’t delegate irresponsibly – by overloading your team or passing off un-savoury tasks you don’t fancy doing yourself. This will only create resentment & lower morale.
Get your hands dirty – now & then, the team will really appreciate it – and so will you.
“Big Up” your team – to Senior Management instead of taking the credit yourself.
Have an “open door” policy – to listen to people’s personal problems, it will be much appreciated.
Show Leadership – by taking responsibility for failure as well as success.
Treat others as you would have them treat you – it’s obvious but the best advice normally is.
Celebrate Success – buy the drinks, cakes – whatever but celebrate that win !

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Are you listening to the Voice Of the Customer?….#business, #innovation

Posted on October 30, 2012 by admin

One of the most difficult choices in New Product Development is in deciding what products to develop !

Lot’s of us watch “Dragons Den” on TV and it’s pretty obvious some of the budding entrepreneurs believe they have a great idea but have never even considered asking their customers or potential customers what they think.

To avoid wasting millions of dollars on products no one wants it is essential to listen to the Voice Of the Customer. (VOC)

Companies involved in New Product Development & Innovation need to establish effective methods to capture VOC.

This can take many different forms such as surveys, telephone conversations, face to face interviews, feedback forms, Social Media strategies etc etc etc

Whichever mix is used the information then has to be filtered and sorted to identify priorities for New Product Development. To do this effectively it is essential to have a multi-functional team involved to get a number of perspectives.

If you are involved in Innovation you need to capture the VOC.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Digital Switchover – a great project management success #pmot

Posted on October 24, 2012 by admin

This week has seen the completion of the Digital TV switchover in the UK. Over a 5 year period the team has managed the successful transfer from Analogue to Digital in all regions of the UK. This has involved:-

Re-engineering over 1100 transmitters from Analogue to Digital.
Maintaining coverage at around 98.5% of UK residents.
Making 95% of the population aware of the programme.
Ensuring those who need help get it fast.
Freeing up the Analogue bandwidth for other uses.

The Team achieved all this and more completing the changeover on time and within budget. It was also an excellent example of collaboration between public sector broadcasters, independent broadcasters, Ofcom, Government and other parties.

Particularly impressive were the adverts targeted at the public which were clear, concise and informative.

Congratulations to the Digital Switchover team for a job well done.
chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Your #business cannot compete on cost alone…

Posted on October 16, 2012 by admin

According to new research published today by Allianz Insurance, some 83% of UK managers rank Innovation as the key to their organization performing strongly.

However, despite the fact most leaders are fully aware of the benefits of innovation, the ongoing challenging economic environment has caused many to opt out of such projects in recent months.

For instance, 23% of the 500 respondents noted that the economic slump has pushed innovation further down their list of business priorities, with issues such as a lack of funding and a focus on profits being the main reasons behind this fact.

This approach is not only wrong it is patently short sighted. Innovating value added products or services is the only way to ensure long term survival never-mind success. Long-term it is not possible for organizations to compete purely on cost. Globalization ensures that whenever you compete purely on cost, someone, somewhere will be able to undermine your cost base and do it cheaper. The only way to compete successfully, particularly in the West, is to produce differentiated products with high added value, which cannot be easily reproduced elsewhere where labor costs are significantly cheaper.

This requires investment in R & D, training and advanced manufacturing techniques.

Innovation is essential to long term survival.
chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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#Innovation adds value and creates jobs……

Posted on October 9, 2012 by admin

Fantastic news today regarding the development of a National Automotive Innovation Campus at the University of Warwick.

Funded jointly by the Government’s U.K Research Investment fund, Tata Motors & Jaguar Land Rover, the centre will cost 92 million pounds.

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: “The UK has world-class companies and great universities. This new investment will get them working together to deliver innovation and growth.”

“The automotive industry in the UK has seen a recent resurgence, but for the UK to remain internationally competitive we must create urgently a critical mass in research excellence,” said WMG chairman and founder Professor Lord Bhattacharyya. “Our vision is to create the National Automotive Innovation Campus where we link people, research and world-leading infrastructure to create and develop novel technologies.

“NAIC will be an ‘engine’ for economic growth, with wide economic benefit, and sustained growth from the creation of world-leading technologies. It will enable academic and industry teams to work together in state of the art buildings, with tailored equipment and digital solutions to create and integrate breakthrough technologies with a whole system approach crossing multiple disciplines.”

This is exactly the type of investment British Science & Engineering has been crying out for & is a terrific example of how collaboration between successful organizations and Government can work together to increase innovation & deliver high value added products along with well paid jobs.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Tag Archives: leadership

Who needs a #business plan ?

Success in Project Management by improving people skills #pmot

10 tips to eliminate the blame culture…..#pmot…#leadership

#Freelancers earn loads of wonga………..#HFD2012

Building great teams……..#business #leadership

Are you listening to the Voice Of the Customer?….#business, #innovation

Digital Switchover – a great project management success #pmot

Your #business cannot compete on cost alone…

#Innovation adds value and creates jobs……