Toxic Leadership and Change Management - How to Spot it, Deal With it and Avoid It

Toxic leadership as a concept was coined by Marcia Lynn Whicker, in her book: "Toxic Leaders: When Organizations Go Bad". This is all about the abuse of power and its destructiveness.

This is bad enough in every day business, but for an organisation undergoing any form of change initiative it is potentially catastrophic. In change management terms, having anyone in a leadership or a management position in your organisation who displays these characteristics is like a poison that needs to be identified and eradicated at the earliest opportunity.

How To Time Management

In my experience and in my view, toxic leadership contaminates and infects an organisation beyond the immediate reach of the person creating it.

Marcia Lynn Whicker describes toxic leaders as "maladjusted, malcontent, and often malevolent, even malicious. They succeed by tearing others down. They glory in turf protection, fighting and controlling rather than uplifting followers."

In "Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters" [2004] - writer Barbara Kellerman suggests that toxic may manifest in seven different categories:

- Incompetence

- Rigidity

- Intemperance - lack of self-control

- Callousness

- Corruption

- Insularity

- Evil

Personal experience of surviving toxic leadership...

Personally, I have twice in my career had the misfortune of working for a toxic boss. These guys were terrible to work for and made people's lives an absolute misery.

In business terms their "games" were always counter productive as everyone expended far more energy in trying to pacify or avoid them than in undertaking productive useful work. Each time was a nightmare, because:

- These guys were bullies and like all bullies were fundamentally weak and insecure individuals.

- They led by "divide and rule" by setting people against each other.

- They lied and were duplicitous and untrustworthy in their dealings.

- They engendered a culture of fear and mistrust.

- The general atmosphere they created can best be described as evil because of its insidious nastiness and destructiveness.

Here are 3 of my best strategies for dealing with toxic leadership if you have the misfortune of working for a boss like that.

(1) Neutralize their assaults on you

Neutralize their assaults, or to [use a cricketing term] "dead bat" them, by never being seen to react to any of their games. Because, these people feed off of the negative energy they create - it energizes them - so a non-reaction to their games deprives them of energy. Or to put it another way, evil feeds off of evil!

(2) Always wait before responding

These toxic people thrive on the reactions that they create. I have always found it best to never ever respond immediately. I learned to wait until I had calmed down, and then acted from a calm rational position. So, recognise and allow for the fact that it may [depending on your temperament] take you 24-48 hours for your emotional and nervous system to recover and re-stabilize after you have been on the receiving end of one of their assaults.

(3) Respond factually, accurately and supportively.

I have always found that a factual, practical and supportive response makes it easier and [more likely] for them to make the "right" decisions for my areas of business responsibility. It might seem counter-intuitive to act supportively, but the fact is these are fundamentally weak people and responding in this manner addresses their areas of weakness and insecurity and thus goes to the root of their toxic behaviour.

Spotting toxic leadership amongst your subordinates

As a director of your business or organisation you are in the privileged position of being able to identify any areas of your organisation where toxic leadership may be manifesting and to be able to do something about it.

The best defense for a director is to pay close and regular attention to the culture[s] within your organisation. Undertake regular "cultural audits" of the divisions, departments and operating units and subsidiaries in your organisation and as part of that process, take the emotional temperature and assess the energy of the working environment in each operating unit.

This should be an integral part of the preliminary stages of planning any change initiative. The 70% failure rate of all change initiatives would suggest that you are facing enough difficulties without harboring the poisonous complications of toxic leadership within your organisation, and this issue is closely linked to the core reasons for this failure rate.

Toxic Leadership and Change Management - How to Spot it, Deal With it and Avoid It

For more on this: "Avoiding toxic leadership"

Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives with the "Practitioners' Masterclass - Leading your people through change, putting it all together and managing the whole messy business."

Stephen Warrilow, based in Bristol, works with companies across the UK providing specialist support to directors delivery significant change initiatives. Stephen has 25 years cross sector experience with 100+ companies in mid range corporate, larger SME and corporate environments.

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How to Overcome Time Stress

Time stress is a major stress factor in everyday life. We need to meet deadlines in almost every aspect of our lives: from completing certain tasks in our work, catching a bus, to cooking our dinner. In contemporary living, in spite of the advancement of modern technology, we find ourselves having too much to cram into the twenty-four hours of a day.

Time stress is a major stress factor, detrimental to both physical and mental health. How can one overcome time stress?

How To Time Management

The solution is surprisingly quite simple: deliberate non-doing. Yes, you simply do nothing. It is just that simple!

Do not let the constrains of your life mold your time. To be able to do this, you need to change your perceptions of time.

Time is all in your mind - a result of your own thinking. Everybody has only twenty-four hours a day. Come to think of it, time is an equalizer of men. Do you really have more work that needs to be done than everyone else? Do you need to be a "thief of time" by sleeping much less than others so that you have more time than others to do what needs to be done?

Deliberate non-doing gives you a sense of inner calmness that enables you to re-consider the importance of doing only what is most important, to see in perspective what is most important in your life. Only when you start doing what is the most important to you, then you will begin to have enough time for everything. This may sound stranger than fiction, but this is the truth to overcome time stress.

This evening, when you get home, you may feel you are overwhelmed and pressed for time, such as there is a TV program that you want to watch, a dinner you need to cook for your family, some laundry you need to do, some phone calls you need to make, or your kids' homework you need to attend to.

At that very moment, when you think you are going to go crazy, stop short of doing anything - that is, do nothing! Be mindful of only that present moment. Live in the present moment. Sit down and meditate for fifteen to twenty minutes: you just sidestep the flow of time. If you don't know meditation techniques, just close your eyes, and pay attention to your breathing; if thoughts come to your mind, do not deliberately dismiss them, but just continue to concentrate on your breathing.

After the meditation, you may have a totally different perspective of you needs and wants in life. If you have missed the TV show, so what? If you haven't made those phone calls, that is not the end of the world. If you haven't helped your kids with their homework, it doesn't mean they would never go to Harvard. What is most important to you is your inner calm, which is the absence of time stress. Maybe you have just avoided a heart attack due to time stress.

Remember, time stress occurs when you are spread too thin. So, prioritize and simplify your life. The first step to achieve this is deliberate non-doing amidst the hustle and bustle of life.

How to Overcome Time Stress

For more information on stress, go to Stephen Lau's web page: Anger and Stress Management [http://www.healthy-ebooks.com/anger-stress-management.html]. Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher with books and websites on health, Chinese healing, eating disorders, golf, and money matters. Visit his most recent website: Are You Healthy? [http://www.healthy-ebooks.com]

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Resume Writing - How to Create a Project Manager Resume

Project managers are highly sought after these days. Businesses find it more manageable when they break down work into projects. The cost and profitability of each project may then be easily monitored. So how do you come up with a killer resume for a project manager position?

Tip 1: Focus on the needs of the employer. What sort of projects will you be handling? What functions are involved? Be as specific as possible when answering these questions. What sort of tools (e.g. spreadsheets) will you be using to handle each specific function? You haven't began writing your resume yet, but it's useful to have such information at your finger tips.

How To Time Management

Tip 2: When you start writing your resume, you already know what you want to include in it. For example, if you have experiences working in similar projects, now is the time to flaunt your experience. You are focusing on "transferable experience". In other words, employers can expect you to start functioning right from the day you are hired instead of having to train you from the ground up.

Tip 3: Provide specific results. Results are very powerful. How valuable are you to your previous employers? Can you quantify the value that you bring to the table? For instance, the project you previously managed was successfully completed and you not only managed to stay within budget, but you managed to save the Company in excess of 0,000. That is a tangible result and employers are more likely to take notice of you as compared to those who claim that they have good communication skills.

Resume Writing - How to Create a Project Manager Resume

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How to Access the Computer Management Console Event Viewer in Microsoft Windows Vista

So your new computer is acting up and you want to find out why. Today, I will show you how to access your computer management logs and see what is going on behind the scenes of your operating system.

1. Click on the start menu to the bottom left of your screen.


2. Right-click on computer (a menu will now show up with several options)


3. Left-click on Manage


4. If UAC (User Account Control) is turned on, you will need to click Continue to allow Windows to access your computer management console


5. You will now see the computer management console - double click on "System Tools" on the left of the management console


6. Now double-click on "Event Viewer'


7. Next, double-click on "Windows Logs"


8. Finally, single-click on "System"

How To Time Management

In the middle of the computer management console, there is a list of events that can be sorted by date and time, level, source, event ID, or task category. Level gives you an idea of the severity of the event. There are going to be many events in the "Information" category. These events are just information on common tasks that are occurring behind the scenes. There are other events that are classified as "Warning" and have a yellow sign with an exclamation mark in the middle. There are yet other events in the "Error" category which have a circle with an exclamation mark.

Each event has a description of the event in the details field on the bottom portion of your screen. If you are having a particular issue, research the different events that hare happening in and around the time frame of when the issue at hand occurred. If you are unsure about what an event means, copy and paste the details into a search engine and see if you can find out some more information like that.

How to Access the Computer Management Console Event Viewer in Microsoft Windows Vista

DKNJ Networks is a NJ SEO and laptop computer repair company in New Jersey providing DC jack repair, LCD screen repair and hard drive data recovery services for Apple Macintosh and PC computers. We do search engine marketing for New Jersey business. We also create BLOGS and microSites using WordPress. Check out our website and visit our SEO BLOG for the latest tech news, tips and tutorials.

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8 Steps to Improving Time Management Skills

Does your day get away from you and you can't figure out where the time went nor can you figure out why you did not get anything done? Does this happen day in and day out? Is this affecting your life at work or are there other areas being impacting with your inability to manage time? Are you late to appointments? Do you forget what you were supposed to do each day? Do you spend time trying to find things?

If you are answering yes to the above questions, it might be time to figure out what you can do to become a better manager of your time. There are eight easy steps you can use to take control of your time.

How To Time Management

1. Acknowledge that you have a problem

This is true for any behavior you want to change - acknowledging that a problem exists is the first step to changing behaviors. Many people use the excuse for lateness as, "I tried to get here on time, but..." followed by some excuse or story.

2. Deciding to Change is Important

Once you have acknowledged managing your time is an issue, the next step is deciding and wanting to change. This is a critical step. At many levels you know when something is working and you know when something is not working. Begin to set small, measurable goals about being on time. Example goals might be arriving at work on time for a week, then a month, etc. Or a sample goal might be to arrive at all of your scheduled appointments on time for a week, month, etc. Take baby steps.

3. Commit to Your Goals

It is not enough to create goals, it is just as important to commit and stick to the goals you create. Everyone knows it takes a minimum of 21 days to break a habit. Because you are making a commitment to break this habit, it will be important to stick to the goals for a minimum of 21 days and more.

4. Write a Daily List of Tasks

This is probably the easiest and simplest ways to manage time. Creating a to-do list that shows you what you are committed to that day gives you a visual of your day. Either put your list in the order of importance or after the list is created, write next to each task an "A" or "B" or "C" to signify the level of importance. Always tackle "A's" first.

5. Find and Use Good Tools for Time Management

There are so many great time management tools on the market - from simple to complex. The key is to find the tools that work well for you and that you will keep using. If you are not comfortable with an electronic device, use a simple planner book. Don't use a specific tool because someone else uses the tool - it might not match your personality.

6. No is an Answer

People get in the habit of telling everyone who asks us to do something, or take on another project - yes. Every time you say "yes" to someone that takes away time from your day and your life that you do not get back. Learning to say no will be critical in capturing the time you need to create the life you want. Learn to ask for help, delegate, and don't over-commit.

7. Getting Organized

Being organized is a key to managing time. When you are disorganized, time is wasted on finding things such as keys, glasses, misplaced documents, books, messages, etc. Being disorganized is a killer. Begin to create routines for putting things where they belong - have a place in your home where you put your keys every time, a place at work where documents are filed or stored, etc.

8. Think about Hiring a Professional

If the task of managing your time feels overwhelming and you can't get yourself started, you might consider hiring a professional to help you get through the initial challenges. You might also look to hire a professional to clean you house, or to do other tasks that don't make sense for you to be doing.

Time management is a learned skill. We all have the same 168 hours per week and the more effective we are in managing these hours, the more successful and productive our lives will be. Success in one area of your life breeds success in other areas of your life.

8 Steps to Improving Time Management Skills

Sonja Fullwood, author, life, health, and prosperity coach. Sonja brings a life-time of experience, knowledge, and accomplishments to her coaching business. Sonja is direct in her approach to coaching and holds people accountable for their actions and supports the greatness and potential in everyone. Visit my site at http://sonjafullwood.com.

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How Time Metrics Contribute to Employee Productivity

Metrics, also called key performance indicators (KPIs), are designed for use as business metrics, implementation metrics, or as time metrics. These are tools widely used for assessing and evaluating the impact or effect of any project or activity to an employee's productivity. These metrics may be given different labels depending on how they are used and what they are meant to measure.

Metrics are generally considered to be most powerful and effective when they are used to measure desired business results. Management of organizations that are metrics-driven usually applies metrics in every functional unit -- from product development to marketing to sales and customer service. Recently, many business organizations have already seen the wisdom behind using metrics to assess employee performance and productivity.

How To Time Management

As many textbooks and management experts contend, the workforce of a company is its most valuable asset. This is because the success or failure of a company hinges on the amount of effort that employees exert as they perform the tasks expected of them. So, when employees are performing below standards, the company is not able to efficiently utilize its resources. This translates to waste, and as we all know, waste decreases profitability.

For this reason, many HR practitioners see the need to inculcate upon their employees good time management skills. When employees are able to effectively manage their time, they not only accomplish everything they need to do, but they will also cultivate a positive outlook of their jobs. What is even better is that good time management is also a solution to the problem of stress and burnout. In fact, time management and stress management are often addressed together because of their interrelatedness.

Obviously, time management is a skill that positively affects employee productivity. Good employee performance is often viewed as a manifestation of an employee's effectiveness in managing his or her time at work. To measure this aspect of performance, many companies make use of time-driven metrics. Naturally, these metrics would greatly depend on the nature and focus of the company's operation. In call centers, for example, some of their most critical metrics are average handle time, average hold time, arrival rate, and after call time. On the other hand, relevant metrics of time for sales and distribution firms include sales generated per hour, or sales contracts closed in a week.

Nevertheless, an important skill that employees should learn, regardless of the type and nature of the organization they belong to, is the skill of budgeting time. To do this, they should first define basic categories of time utilization according to the tasks they have to perform. Once these are defined, they can now decide how much of their time they will allocate for each task. By using this method, they will concentrate much of their efforts and resources on things that really matter. While time management is not a skill that employees would be able to learn and practice overnight, the regular use of time management tools will help accelerate this. Lastly, the integration of time metrics in employee performance evaluation will also reinforce the importance of acquiring this specific skill.

How Time Metrics Contribute to Employee Productivity

If you are interested in time metrics, check this web-site to learn more about time scorecard.

See Also : Management Concept Style The Global Marketing How to time management

Sales Management Training: How to Destroy Your Sales Quota in 5 Easy Steps

Here's some so great news for you: your potential customers have got too many additional vendors to buy from.

Your own sales team is usually way too savvy (as well as a little bit spoiled) too...they are simply a product of a "feel good" era of unlimited success.

How To Time Management

There are tons of solutions almost exactly like the ones you have which are simply a mouse click away. Even worse is that chances are your current product or service is likely bordering on a being a commodity!

Now in this kind of super competitive, price-driven business universe most of us reside in, precisely what can a sales manager do regarding this?

The vital thing you will need to try to is to decide on a strategic sales approach which optimizes your own sales results while maximizing and bettering your prospects satisfaction with your products or services.

Seems like a mouthful...but allow me to explain.

With information simply a mouse click away, if you sell a product to a person and they are unhappy with it, the swiftness which that knowledge will get passed from the let-down customer to a would-be client is faster than you can say "Follow me on Twitter"...

For that reason, your own sales team's sales tactics need to evolve with the times.

What your sales managers need to do is position your product or service under the ultra-high powered electron microscope of scrutiny and determine precisely what "features" of your products and services are TRULY better-quality than the competition.

Several examples are:

* Your expanded support is longer

* Your consumer support number is open a bit longer

* Your price is a little bit cheaper

* Your product or service saves office time because it delivers fewer errors when used

* Your replacement items are built with better quality material

When you figure out those 1 or 2 features you are genuinely outstanding at then implement the 5 key techniques to beating sales quota below:

1. Identify which of those "feature" distinctions between you and your competition are actually significant

2. Figure out precisely what the "benefit" of that particular feature is

3. Figure out the "benefit behind the benefit" of that benefit

4. Coach your salespeople on the correct way to articulate this "feature - benefit behind the benefit" tactic in a sales call

5. Settle back and enjoy your sales budgets getting blown out

In our next post we're going to train your sales managers specifically what questions they need to ask to complete #1 above, in addition to how to find out exactly what the "benefit behind the benefit" actually is.

Sales Management Training: How to Destroy Your Sales Quota in 5 Easy Steps

To learn more about sales management training, click here to get your choice of free sales management training courses.

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