Archive for May 30th, 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

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As I see it, those organisations that survived 2008 are only going to get through 2009 if they manage cash really carefully. Cash management is only useful if it takes into account the full range of possible risks faced by the organisation. Simply hanging onto cash, not paying creditors and avoiding all expense and investment, is not the same as managing cash – because, even in a recession, there are business opportunities and growth prospects and those organisations that manage their cash effectively are able to prepare themselves to handle the range of possibilities – both on the upside and the downside.

Effective risk management tends only to happen in well-governed organizations. Where risk management has failed (such as in our banks, the Big Three auto manufacturers and so on) it doesn’t take long to spot that their governance framework must also have been ineffective – not least if the organisation has had to beg for a support package from central Government.

I think that governance and risk management are going to be key themes in 2009 for the world’s better organisations; for all the rest, those for whom governance is just about box-ticking, 2009 will bring much more box-ticking, because regulatory authorities are not going to allow a repetition of 2008′s ‘perfect storm’, which means that compliance requirements are going to increase.

Of course, box-ticked governance will still be the poor relation of more constructive, fully engaged governance and risk management models that boards – under the guidance of an independent Chairman – deploy to manage the risks faced by the organisation in the difficult economic climate we all face this year.

I kind of hope that those organisations that eschew proper governance will go bust quickly, and get out of the way of the rest of us.

Some evidence is emerging that that ISO/IEC 38500, the best practice standard for IT governance, is catching on. We’ve certainly seen steady demand for copies of the ISO38500 standard itself, as well for the ISO38500 Pocket Guide and, more importantly, the ISO38500 IT Governance Framework Toolkit.

ISO38500 is a catch-all IT governance standard and it’s much more attainable for a lot of businesses and it will give the directors of those businesses a sense that they are doing things the right way.

In a nutshell, ISO38500 provides practical, straightforward guidance for directors as to how they should go about ensuring that their IT operations are doing the right things – and doing the right things, cost-effectively, is going to be a critical component for all organisations of surviving the tough economic conditions that we are currently experiencing.

About the Author

Alan Calder – author of “IT Governance – a Manager’s Guide”, is a founder director of IT Governance Ltd. Before that, he was CEO of Wide Learning, a supplier of e-learning, of Focus Central London and, before that, of Business Link London City Partners (BLLCP).

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Monday, May 30, 2011

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Training new Managers is essential to the effectiveness of any organisation. It is amazing that many organisations put time, effort and money into training their staff, but leave their new Managers to find their own way in the world. It makes even less sense when you appreciate that the staff will only achieve results if they are led by a Manager who is effective in their role.

Training the New Manager
Every new Manager achieves their promotion because of attributes they have displayed in their previous role. The role of the Manager or Team Leader is a completely different role. This is one of the most difficult issues for the new Manager, to get a full appreciation of the role of the Leader as opposed to that of the follower.

If you are exploring training for your new Managers, ensure that this aspect of the training covers the full range of headings that will help the new Manager really understand the role. The following is a checklist of headings that should be included in an effective training programme for new managers.

1. The Role of the Manager. What exactly is the Manager’s role and responsibilities regarding their Team, their colleagues, senior Management and the achievement of results and objectives? It is important that this is clearly defined for the new Manager, and that he or she understands the difference in positioning of this role versus their previous role as a member of staff.

2. Success in the Management Role. A new Manager needs to have a clear success vision, as clear as a target in a shooting range. The clearer he or she is on the end goals, the better chance they have of making a good beginning in their role. Any training for the new Manager must give them a clear focus on success.
The success vision is not a figure or result. It is a Team who can achieve the results, clients who will provide the results, colleagues who will work with you to achieve the results and Management who will provide resources and encouragement. Prior to their Management role, the staff member might use any one of these factors as blocks to achieving success. However, as a Manager, removing blocks or devising work arounds is part of the role.

3. The Manager is the Owner of the role and is responsible for achieving success. The new Manager must be aware that it is their responsibility to achieve that end result. Prior to being a Manager, the person may well have taken responsibility for a lot of their role, but certain aspects were beyond their control.
A Manager’s role is to remove blocks, repair broken relationships, draw down resources, inspire others, solve problems and come up with creative ways of improving. Training for new Managers must bring this point home. When the new Manager gains a full appreciation of the role from the above factors, they will then be open to working on and improving the essential skills and competencies.

4. The Competencies of the Manager. The skills of the Manager include people centred competencies, process competencies and personal management. Management training should provide a range of topics on all aspects. Some training courses will favour people management as opposed to managing metrics or time management. The new Manager needs an initial grounding in all factors, to emphasise that they must learn, develop and become competent in this aspect of their role.
The aim is not that they will be competent after one training event, this is not possible. You want the new Manager to be aware that this is an area they must work on and improve. It is like providing a framework on which they will build.

Training for new Managers must include the role definition as well as the key competencies to be effective in the management role.

About the Author

Kate Tammemagi provides training for new Managers. She also designs Leadership Training Courses for all levels.

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