Welcome to the August 24, 2005 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1. Team Success Depends on Manager's Ability To Interact with Others

Today, more than ever before, work is being conducted by groups. The implication, at an individual level is certainly that we need to become as effective as possible in working with others. Taken at the group level though, are thoughts that the success of any group is dependent upon the ability of its individual members to work cohesively and collaboratively.

When people work in groups there are two separate issues facing them. The first is the TASK at hand; what is the group required to accomplish. The second is the PROCESS of the group itself; how the group proposes meeting its specified goals. Unfortunately few groups dedicate much time or attention to this latter group issue, choosing instead to spend its time focusing on the task and the problems involved in getting the job done.

However, without focusing on group processes, the mechanisms by which the members will work together as one and coordinate the movements, the true value of the group itself can be diminished or lost. The "synergy" of the group becomes a critical component in the effectiveness and viability of any group.

Therefore, team success is not simply equal to the sum of its respective parts but rather, team success is equal to the ability of its parts to work effectively with each other.

Research into teams has suggested that the level of innovation and productivity of groups can be limited by establishing a group too similar, a group lacking in a diversity of approach and experience. However, it has also been sent that it is our very differences with others that lead to misunderstandings and disagreements, the severity of which can often lead to the disintegration of team effectiveness.

Your success as a Manager therefore depends, in large part, on your ability to manage others. It is not dependent upon your ability to get work done so much as it is dependent upon your ability to get work done effectively through and with others. Therefore, the more effective that you are in working and interacting with others, the more successful that you and your team are likely to be.

Energize your team and maximize results with CriteriaOne DISC and Values behavioral profiling  and TotalView Assessment System today.

Source: Understanding Style Differences, Manager's Guidebook.  Email about pricing.

2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #439 to #440

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.

Fact #439:   From 1980 to 2000, the male nurse population grew from 2.7 percent to 5.4 percent, according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Fact #440: About 18 percent of all first-home buyers in the U.S. were single women in 2002, compared with 9 percent for single men, according to the Detroit News.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3.  Understanding Style Differences

Understanding Style Differences (USD) has been developed to provide groups with insights into their potential strengths and weaknesses. Participants are given the opportunity to view their group's profile and to assess its relative strengths and potential downfalls, viewing each from a strategic perspective. In doing so, they are afforded the opportunity of increasing their interpersonal effectiveness and thereby their team's success.

Each team member receives a personality report and personal development guidebook detailing his/her preferred interpersonal style, work style, and emotional style. The manager receives a group report identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each employees and the impact of individual contributions (or distractions) to the success of the team.

Understanding Style Differences increases each employee's sense of accountability and responsibility to the team and minimizes the likelihood of miscommunications and personality clashes. USD is perfect for managers who want their new or existing work teams to increase productivity and reduce departmental conflicts, and for managers/supervisors new to their role of leading and coaching others.

Email us today to learn more about Understanding Style Differences and using individual differences to energize team productivity and innovation.

4.  Corporate Coach for Managers and Employees

Corporate Coach (also known as CoachView) reports provide information that will assist a manager or coach in understanding an employee's unique profile. It also provides each employee with a better understanding of him or herself.

The report provides insight into the employee's personality profile and important work related characteristics such as their:

Leadership Style
Preference for change
Approach to Conflict
Approach to Self-Promotion
Preference for Salary or Commission
Approach to Listening
- and more.

Corporate Coach is intended to assist the coaching or mentoring relationship by providing a starting point for meaningful discussion about an employee's values, needs and objectives. Further, the report assists the Coach in asking pertinent questions and providing relative feedback and ideas that are tailored for the employee.

Corporate Coach was specifically designed to provide general work related information that will initiate a positive and effective coaching or mentoring experience.

Corporate Coach produces two unique reports: one for the coach and one for the employee/mentee.

5. 50 Training Activities for Team Building - Volume 1 and 2

Create high performance teams with these collections of fully reproducible activities. All activities employ the principle of "learning by doing" to ensure that the skills the participants learn can be applied to real work situations.

Three-ring binders are ready to use and fully reproducible. Each volume - only $139.95 each - includes trainer's notes and clearly stated objectives.

Order Volume 1 - 50 Training Activities for Team Building

Order Volume 2 - 50 Training Activities for Team Building

Ira S. Wolfe. 2005 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

Syndication available - call us.