WELCOME to our Summer 2009 e-Newsletter.

As organizations work to sustain their competitive position, the bulk of the effort inevitably falls on managers, who juggle shifting priorities, strained resources and people management issues. AIM Strategies^® continues to research these core challenges faced by our clients in these tough economic times. More than ever, we have found that managers with a deep understanding of their own people management skills are able to maintain successful business relationships. There is a direct correlation between self-awareness of key strengths / development needs and success at managing partnerships, teams, and consequently the entire organization.

I do not find it surprising that more than 75% of participants in a recent Hackett Group survey of 200 global organizations rated people-management skills as very important (source: HR Professional, Aug/Sept. 2008). However, it is surprising to learn that only 19% of senior managers, 10% of mid-level managers and 8% of supervisors were rated highly effective at managing people, which clearly highlights a gap between the real and the ideal.*

How do organizations address this gap? Although 360° feedback tools are widely used, not all of them have the power to effectively bridge this gap because they do not adequately deal with the essential competencies – People Management Skills! Over the years we have observed the qualities and practices of effective leadership through working with management teams and organizational leaders. After refining our own assessment tool to help organizations focus on these valuable people skills, we introduced a People Management Assessment (PMA)™ 360° tool in 2008. We hope you find the information about our 360° process interesting and a useful addition to your Management Portfolio.

In the dozen years of our company’s existence, we have seen several business cycles and have developed and promoted an understanding of managerial ‘best practices’. Now more than ever, staff and management need a high degree of comfort with these people management characteristics, for their current situations and potential promotions, or for opportunities elsewhere.

AIM’s Approach to People Management Skills

AIM’s People Management Assessment™ (PMA)™ is a 360° tool that allows individuals to focus on specific intra and inter-personal skills that are required for productive working relationships. Based on our research, we have identified the specific people management skills consistently demonstrated by successful managers into four Domains:

• Managing Self
• Managing Communications
• Managing Relationships
• Managing Teams

BELOW ARE BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF THE DOMAINS THAT WE MEASURE:

DOMAIN 1: MANAGING SELF

This is the core Domain from which the other three Domains extract meaning. An individual who manages him/her self appropriately takes others’ feelings into consideration and maintains an inner assurance which helps maintain resilience in times of stress. Self-awareness allows you to be more sensitive to others. The first key step to maximizing your management skills is building self-awareness because it enables you to identify opportunities and helps you recognize your own strengths and weaknesses. The four PMA™ Components of Managing Self are: Self Awareness, Sensitivity Toward Others, Dealing with Adversity, and Attitude Toward Work/Career.

DOMAIN 2: MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS

Managing Communications is the second essential PMA™ Domain since effective communication skills are necessary to successful people management. In fact, management is communicating for a certain effect. Communication skills enable you to build rapport with individuals, motivate others, and develop a unified team. The four PMA™ Components of Managing Communications are: Listening, Oral Expression, Written Expression, and Presentation.

DOMAIN 3: MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

One of a manager’s primary responsibilities is to support others, given the vast number of relationships that must be built and nurtured in the workplace - peers, supervisors, direct reports, internal and external stakeholders, and other colleagues. The four PMA™ Components of Managing Relationships are: Connecting Individuals, Motivating Others, Developing Talent, and Serving Stakeholders.

DOMAIN 4: MANAGING TEAMS

Along with developing individual connections with team members, managers must know how to elevate their team into a more cohesive, collaborative and productive unit. To do so one needs the capacity to manage conflict and the skill to influence others. The four PMA™ Components of Managing Teams are: Team Supervision, Team Effectiveness, Conflict Management, and Influence. Successful people managers elevate their teams to a more cohesive, collaborative and productive unit. 

Our model illustrates the components of the specific people management skills known as the four Domains, with each Domain consisting of four key Components, for a total of 16 Components.  These Domains and their Components are not mutually exclusive - many skills overlap between Domains. Our goal is to assist managers and provide them with a roadmap that helps maneuver through today’s work place environment.  People skills are vital, and today’s managers need to use these skills on a constant basis to produce results.

Here’s one participant’s success story with our PMA™: Sam B’s job as a middle manager at a busy pharmaceutical company was in jeopardy because his people management skills were weak. His business acumen and technical abilities led to several promotions; however, once he began managing an entire department his staff began to leave or ask for transfers. Within a two-year period Sam’s team completely turned over, and he failed to address the issues that led to this or to build a cohesive team.

Although the company could not spare the resources for a full time coach or engage in a lengthy coaching process for Sam, it did want to offer this valued employee some guidance. AIM was approached to provide a high-impact, low-cost plan to help Sam and quickly determined that the PMA™ tool would achieve the desired results. After survey participants anonymously answered an easily accessible online tool, AIM produced a detailed response report highlighting key areas for Sam to address. Also included was a comprehensive, personalized manual, with models and exercises to work with in place of more costly and time consuming coaching sessions. A PMA™ certified AIM Coach did lead a one-time coaching session so Sam could grasp the essentials of the process and then continue on his own.

To change behaviors and become a successful people manager, one must develop an Action Plan based on meaningful data. The Action Planning Guide associated with the PMA™ process helps identify steps to improving people management skills based on the specific PMA™ 360° Feedback Report. We were pleased to see a win-win result. Sam improved his key people management skills, and his company achieved results with a cost-effective, relatively quick tool done online. He continued to communicate with his AIM virtual coach and is now an effective people manager.

More than ever, a manager’s success depends on the ability to motivate and mobilize his/her team. With the complexities of today’s business environment, a manager’s success depends on how well s/he can integrate people resources into every aspect of the organization. AIM’s PMA™ 360° tool provides that unique opportunity – to focus on the people management aspects of one’s job, receive a personalized report and work with a virtual coach online. If you have interest in this unique tool, now is the time to look into it. The feedback you will receive is timeless, and can be utilized in your current and future roles. We invite you to contact AIM if you would like a more comprehensive understanding of this tool.

*Reference: As reported on the website http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business- Coach/2493/How-Are-Your-PeopleManagement-Skills.html

Written by: Susan Victor, Yael Sara Zofi

AIM Strategies^® Applied Innovative Management^® is a results-driven Management Consulting firm specializing in the areas of: Global Leadership Development, Team Facilitation, Talent Retention, Performance Management and general Culture Change Services. To request information about AIM Strategies^®, please click here, or see the following link: http:www.aim-strategies.com for more information about how AIM offers a personal, no-nonsense approach through the proprietary experiential learning methods (5D's™ Consulting/Training Methodology and the ACT™ Coaching Process). In upcoming issues of this newsletter, we'll update you on tips and techniques related to raising your innovative management IQ. Please forward this newsletter to your associates!

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