iia springfield chapter april 18, 2013
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IIA Springfield Chapter April 18, 2013. Successful Time and Project Management tools for the 21 st Century Auditor Presented by: Julie M. Kowalski Of Spizzerinctum Group LLC [email protected] 262-993-4883. Effective Time Management. The choice is Yours!. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
IIASpringfield Chapter
April 18, 2013
Successful Time and Project Management tools for the 21st
Century AuditorPresented by:
Julie M. Kowalski Of
Spizzerinctum Group LLC [email protected]
262-993-4883
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Effective Time Management
The choice is Yours!
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What is Effective Time Management?
Identifying what is important to YOU and giving those activities a place in your schedule!
Creating days that are meaningful and rewarding to YOU!
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Top Time Wasters
1. Lack of planning, prioritizing and focus
2. Procrastination
3. Interruptions
4. Lack of delegation
5. Meetings
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Top Time Wasters
6. Crisis management, fire fighting
7. Telephone, email and internet
8. Not saying 'No'
9. Lack of organization and untidiness
10.Not enough time-off or time for yourself
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Top Time Wasters
11.Lack of tools – forcing workarounds
12.Too many ways to “forget”
13.Lack of clarity in action items / responsibilities and follow through
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Effective Time Management
The Big Black Hole
We can loose 4 hours a day to this!
What is it?
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Effective Time Management
The BIG BLACK HOLE = Needless Interruptions
What are needless interruptions?
"unanticipated events"
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Effective Time Management
Interesting Statistics
On average we experience 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 6-7 per hour
In an 8 hour day that totals around 50 – 60 interruptions
The average interruption takes approximately 5 minutes
50 interruptions / day @ 5 minutes = 250 minutes or just over 4 hours out of 8 or 50% of the workday
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10 Most Common Time Management Mistakes
1. Failing to keep a to-do list
2. Not setting personal goals
3. Not prioritizing
4. Failing to manage distractions / interruptions
5. Procrastination
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10 Most Common Time Management Mistakes
lTaking on too much
lThriving on “busy“
lMultitasking
lNot taking breaks
lIneffectively scheduling tasks
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How Good Is Your Time Management?
For each statement, check the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the 'wrong direction'.
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# Question Notat all
Rarely Sometimes
Often VeryOften
1 Are the tasks you work on during the day the ones with the highest priority?
2 Do you find yourself completing tasks at the last minute, or asking for extensions?
3 Do you set aside time for planning and scheduling?
4 Do you know how much time you are spending on the various jobs / tasks you perform?
How Good Is Your Time Management?
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# Question Notat all
Rarely Sometimes
Often VeryOften
5 How often do you find yourself dealing with interruptions?
6 Do you use goal setting to decide what tasks and activities you should work on?
7 Do you leave contingency time in your schedule to deal with "the unexpected"?
8 Do you know whether the tasks you are working on are high, medium, or low value?
How Good Is Your Time Management?
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# Question Notat all
Rarely Sometimes
Often VeryOften
9 When you are given a new assignment, do you analyze it for importance and prioritize it accordingly?
10 Are you stressed about deadlines and commitments?
11 Do distractions often keep you from working on critical tasks?
12 Do you find you have to take work home, in order to get it done?
How Good Is Your Time Management?
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# Question Notat all
Rarely Sometimes
Often VeryOften
13 Do you prioritize your "To Do" list or Action Program?
14 Do you regularly confirm your priorities with your boss?
15 Before you take on a task, do you check that the results will be worth the time put in?
Types of Interruptions
Total interruption: Completely occupy one’s conscious mind & disallow any thought relevant to the task (i.e.. Actively participating in phone conversation)
Dominant interruption: Largely occupy the mind, leaving thought about the task to slowly develop in the back of one’s mind (i.e. recreational web browsing)
Distractions: Do not stop one from consciously working on task but do draw attention away from it thus slowing the accuracy, thoroughness and speed of completion (i.e. instant messaging friends)
Background activities: may not be obvious but divert some portion of one’s attention away from task. (i.e. listening to music)
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Skill Building ExerciseBrainstorm as many interruptions you can think of then come up with
realistic ways to reduce / eliminate that interruption!
Interruption Realistic way to reduce / eliminate
3 Reasons why we don’t get done what needs to be done!
Technical issuesExternal realitiesPsychological issues
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
1. Ask yourself “Is what I am doing right now the best use of my time?”
2. Know thyself and thy time wasters and STOP
3. Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect
4. Schedule / Block time – you have to “make time” as you will never “find time”
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
5. Use “to do lists” – include “where” in the schedule – great apps (Put Things Off)
6. Eat that elephant one bite at a time - work on larger tasks for short periods of time
7. Create start and stop times as well as what you will accomplish in that amount of time
8. Plan more time than you actually think it will take
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
9. Stop trying to multi-task and start practicing mindfulness
10. Challenge your own tendency to say 'yes' without scrutinizing the request - start asking and probing what's involved - find out what the real expectations and needs are
11. Take 2 minutes to think about better options
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
12. Re-condition the expectations of others as to your availability and their claim on your time
13. Always probe deadlines to establish the true situation - people asking you to do things will often say 'now' when 'later' would be perfectly acceptable
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Skill Building Exercise
List specific ways you will recondition others (specifically what will you say / do)
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
14. Do not start lots of jobs at the same time - even if you can handle different tasks at the same time it's not the most efficient way of dealing with them, so don't kid yourself that this sort of multi-tasking is good - it's not
15. Manage your environment
16. Appropriately challenge anything that could be wasting time and effort, particularly habitual tasks, meetings and reports
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Skill Building ExerciseBrainstorm as many time wasters as you can, then determine realistic
ways to reduce / eliminate them!
Time wasters Realistic way to reduce / eliminate
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21 Effective Time Management Tips
17. Have a regular place for things and put them back when you’re done with them
18. Use a calendar and write down everything you need to do and when you need to do it – on the same calendar
19. Relearn how to focus
20. Stop procrastinating
21. Build coping skills to deal with challengesSpizzerinctum Group 262-993-4883
Sample Calendar
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Sample To Do list
To Do’s Where in ScheduleBuy Milk Saturday morning - Errand time
Get together with Jane Friday night - Friendship time
Register for conference Thursday afternoon - Planning time
Clean pantry Sunday afternoon - Project time
Make dentist appt. Any lunch hour – Self time
Update resume Thursday evening – Writing time
The Time Trap
We can go with the flow of human nature; after all, if it’s natural, it must be right.
ORWe can take a hard, unflinching look squarely into the face of time to see what practical efforts our
time habits have on our jobs and our lives. And we can decide if we want to make some changes by
confirming the powerful pull of human nature.
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5 Beliefs that Hinder our organizational skills
1. I have to keep everything
2. There is just too much information and interruptions to be organized
3. Getting and staying organized takes too much time
4. I am too undisciplined to be organized
5. I am not organized by nature
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Keys to being organized
Source: Project Simplify
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Tips to Keep Your Life Organized
3 most important tasks rule An easy & workable task list/to do list Choose one tool and stick with it Do one thing at a time Do it now Make use of the word no Use the recycling bin/trash basket Put it away now Unapologetically take control of your time and priorities
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Work smart or hard!
A man was hired to paint the stripes down the middle of Main Street. The boss issued him a can of paint and a paintbrush and checked up on him after an hour and he noticed he was making reasonable progress. When the boss visited him at lunchtime, he saw that progress had slowed dramatically. At the end of the day, the boss counted only two new stripes since lunchtime and called his new worker to account for the lack of results. The worker said, "Well, just look how far I am from my paint can!"
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Skill Building ExerciseThink about your life and then answer the questions below.
What I have to do to become more organized
When / How I will do it
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What is Project Management?
Project Management is the discipline of: planning organizing directing managing / controlling
company resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals / objectives
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Project Management
What is a deliverable?
A deliverable is the end result of an action or set of actions
Deliverables are verifiable
Could be a report, a document, a service (server upgrade), or a product
Differs from a milestone in that a milestone is a measure of progress toward an outcome, and the deliverable is the outcome
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Project Management
What is Project Scope?
The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.
What is Scope Creep?
Scope Creep is a term which refers to the incremental expansion of the initial scope of a project.
How do we avoid Scope Creep?
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Project Management
Tracking the Project
How do you monitor & compare actual results to planned?
How do you manage, document and communicate changes?
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Project Management
Common Mistakes of Project ManagementNot using % complete to measure progress
Not conducting mid point check ins
Not identifying the critical path
Using Project Management Software to only create a “laundry list” of tasks
Allowing “scope creep”
Not having the “right” resources
Not preparing for project meetings
Not accounting for “Murphy’s Law”
Lack of communication
Short changing the amount of time a task / change takes
Ignoring problems, “hoping” they will go away
Skill Building Exercise
Define and then brainstorm solution to the top project management obstacles Auditors typically encounter
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Project Management
Pre-Meeting Preparation Define roles for each meeting:
Meeting Manager: Manages administration and results • Provides facilitation & leadership• Develops team and individual meeting goals • Sets the tone• Clarifies the purpose of the meeting• Point of contact • Retains team records• Drives content • Assigns tasks• Promotes robust participation & maintains order and pace• Ensures feedback is provided not meaningless praise / criticism• Gains buy-in• Ensures people are eager to attend and to express themselves• Ensures team holds people accountable
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Project Management
Pre-Meeting Preparation Define roles for each meeting: - Continued
Scribe: Tracks and publishes records• Helps create agendas• Distributes notes / records• Keeps a list of action items / thoughts that need further exploration (Parking
lot)
Timekeeper: Ensures meeting stays on track• Help the meeting run on schedule by timing each of the participants according
to the timings given on the agenda. • Allows someone other than the manager to be the “heavy”
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Project Management Pre-Meeting Preparation
Create and publish an agendaSample meeting agenda
Date: Time Keeper: Colleen Scribe: Kim Purpose / Objective(s):Location: Attendees:
Time frame Topic Presenter Notes
9:00 am – 9:10 am Welcome and goals Tom
9:10 am – 9:30 am Each person will provide an update on action plan
All
9:30 am – 9:55 am Obstacle review We will go around the room and each person can share obstacles they are encountering
We will brainstorm solutions for each obstacle for 2 minutes each
9:55 am – 10:00 am Review of all action items assigned during the meeting
Kim
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Project ManagementSample Rules of Conduct / Rules of Engagement
Email• Reply to all emails within 24 hours (at least acknowledge receipt of and let the person know when you
will get back to them with the answers) • Use spell check and upper & lower case letters • Delete non pertinent message strings when forwarding • If the email is to several people identify what action each person is to take
Meetings• Respond to all meeting requests within X hours • Show up 1-2 minutes early for all meetings • Be open to other associate’s ideas – don’t discount them, seek first to understand• Share your ideas – remember silence is the same as buy in• Don’t be afraid to disagree, but focus on solutions not individuals• Hold all Team members accountable – if they don’t follow protocol, gently remind them • Buy-in to the ultimate decision / approach and fully support it in your actions and words
Interacting with Fellow Associates• Always offer help and support - don’t merely “dump” problems into someone else’s lap • Clearly communicate expectations and consequences of non action• Pass on all pertinent information as soon as it is available
Housekeeping• Silence all cell phones when in meetings•
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Project Management
Tools Brainstorming: Purpose is to generate a list of ideas Do not comment on any idea – merely write it down Use round robin method if you are having problems getting people to speak up Prevent criticism or judgment Encourage “coat tailing”
Quick vote: Purpose is to quickly gain group consensus Give X number of votes to each member Can not use more than X number of votes on any one item If there is a narrow point spread, change the X and vote again At the end ask each person to verbalize their “buy-in”
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Project Management
Tools Parking lot: A repository for important information or questions generated which need to be addressed but not necessarily at that moment.
Scribe is responsible for faithfully and accurately capturing all parking lot issues – be sure to include enough detail so that anyone reading them will know exactly what thought / question was being raised
Get team buy-in that the thought / question is indeed a parking lot issue Periodically review the parking lot list with the team to determine timeliness of
any of the captured items / to assign resolution
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Project Management
Risk Management
What is risk?
Risk is the possibility that you may not achieve your product, schedule, or resource targets because something unexpected occurs or something
planned doesn’t occur.
What is Risk Management?
The process of identifying possible risks, assessing their
potential effect, and then developing and implementing plans for minimizing those negative effects.
Risk management can’t eliminate risks, but it offers the best chance for successfully accomplishing your project despite the uncertainties of a
changing environment.
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Project ManagementPossible Risk Factors
Insufficient time on one or more phases Key information not in writing Move to a subsequent phase without completing one or more of the earlier phases Some background information and plans not in writing No formal cost-benefit analysis Missing parts to the plan All or some aspects of plan not approved by all key audiences Plan not reviewed or questioned by team members who didn’t participate in its
development No team procedures to resolve conflicts, reach decisions, or maintain communication Inconsistent project-progress reporting Reassignment of one or more key project-supporters Replacement of team members Change of marketplace characteristics or demands Changes handled informally, with no consistent analysis of their effect on the overall
project Workers assigned to new projects before completion of this project
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Project Management
Task Lists
Key data required includes:
Task description More detailed task description when necessary Owner Due date Current status
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Project Management
Project Communications Best practices
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Project Management
Concluding the ProjectFormal process
Include project closure activities in your project plan Call your team together and reaffirm your mutual commitment to bring the project to a successful
completion. Obtain all required approvals. Reconcile outstanding transactions Acknowledge and document team members’ contributions. Help people plan for their transition to new assignments Announce to the organization that your project is complete. Take a moment to let team members and others who supported your project know the true results of the
work they invested. Identify techniques and approaches that worked and devise steps to ensure they’re used in the future. Identify techniques and approaches that didn’t work and devise steps to ensure they aren’t used again in
the future. Gather post-project evaluations Secure Customers’ & Management’s feedback on the project results and processes
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The Four Primary Communication Styles
Style 1 – The Action oriented / Director style – What needs to be done?
Results / ObjectivesAchieving / Doing
Style 2 – The Process oriented / Thinker style – How do we do it? Strategies / Organization Facts / Details / Processes
Style 3 – The People oriented style / The Relater – Who will do it? Communication / Relationships
Teamwork
Style 4 – The Idea oriented style / The Socializer – Why will we do it? Concepts Theories Innovation
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Communication Styles: Self-Assessment Instructions: Please select from each pair of attributes the one which is most typical of your personality. No pair
is an either-or proposal. Make your choice spontaneously. There are no wrong answer. If you absolutely can not
decide score each one .5.
1. I like action. 2. I deal with problems in a systematic way.
3. I believe that teams are more effective than individuals.
4. I enjoy innovation very much.
5. I am more interested in the future than in the past.
6. I enjoy working with people.
7. I like to attend well-organized group meetings.
8. Deadlines are important for me.
9. I cannot stand procrastination. 10. I believe new ways have to be tested before being used.
11. I enjoy the stimulation of interaction with others.
12. I am always looking for new possibilities.
13. I want to set up my own objectives. 14. When I start something, I go through until the end.
15. I basically try to understand other people’s emotions.
16. I do challenge people around me.
17. I look forward to receiving feedback on my performance.
18. I find the step-by-step approach very effective.
19. I think I am good at reading people. 20. I like creative problem solving.
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Communication Styles: Self-Assessment
21. I extrapolate and project all the time. 22. I am sensitive to others’ needs.
23. Planning is the key to success. 24. I become impatient with long deliberations.
25. I am cool under pressure. 26. I value experience very much.
27. I listen to people. 28. People say that I am a fast thinker.
29. Cooperation is a key word for me. 30. I use logical methods to test alternatives.
31. I like to handle several projects at the same time.
32. I always question myself.
33. I learn by doing. 34. I believe that my head rules my heart.
35. I can predict how others may react to a certain action.
36. I do not like details.
37. Analysis should always precede action. 38. I am able to assess the climate of a group.
39. I have a tendency to start things and not finish them.
40. I perceive myself as decisive.
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Communication Styles: Self-Assessment
41. I search for challenging tasks. 42. I rely on observation and data.
43. I can express my feelings openly. 44. I like to design new projects.
45. I enjoy reading very much. 46. I perceive myself as a facilitator.
47. I like to focus on one issue at a time. 48. I like to achieve.
49. I enjoy learning about others. 50. I like variety.
51. Facts speak for themselves. 52. I use my imagination as much as possible.
53. I am impatient with long, slow assignments.
54. My mind never stops working.
55. Key decisions have to be made in a cautious way.
56. I strongly believe that people need each other to get work done.
57. I usually make decisions without thinking too much.
58. Emotions create problems.
59. I like to be liked by others. 60. I can put two and two together very quickly.
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Communication Styles: Self-Assessment
61. I try out my new ideas on people. 62. I believe in the scientific approach.
63. I like to get things done. 64. Good relationships are essential.
65. I am impulsive. 66. I accept differences in people.
67. Communicating with people is an end in itself.
68. I like to be intellectually stimulated.
69. I like to organize. 70. I usually jump from one task to another.
71. Talking and working with people is a creative art.
72. Self-actualization is a key word for me.
73. I enjoy playing with ideas. 74. I dislike wasting my time.
75. I enjoy doing what I am good at. 76. I learn by interacting with others.
77. I find abstractions interesting and enjoyable.
78. I am patient with details.
79. I like brief, to the point statements. 80. I feel confident in myself.
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Communication Styles Assessment Scoring
Circle the items you have selected and add up the totals for each style (one point per answer). The maximum is 20 per style and your total for the four styles should be 40.Style Circle your answer Total Score
Style 1 1 - 8 - 9 - 13 - 17 - 24 - 26 - 31 - 33 - 40 - 41 - 48 - 50 - 53 - 57 - 63 - 65 - 70 - 74 - 79 _____
Style 2 2 - 7 - 10 - 14 - 18 - 23 - 25 - 30 - 34 - 37 - 42 - 47 - 51 - 55 - 58 - 62 - 66 - 69 - 75 - 78 _____
Style 3 3 - 6 - 11 - 15 - 19 - 22 - 27 - 29 - 35 - 38 - 43 - 46 - 49 - 56 - 59 - 64 - 67 - 71 - 76 - 80 _____
Style 44 - 5 - 12 - 16 - 20 - 21 - 28 - 32 - 36 - 39 - 44 - 45 - 52 - 54 - 60 - 61 - 68 - 72 - 73 – 77 _____
Total 40
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Style 1
The Action, Driver, Director, Directive style:• Is bold & direct. Tells more than asks. Focuses on the big picture, & tends to
be competitive, aggressive, & ambitious.• Gets right to the point, & generally uses as few words as possible. Directors
may come across as forceful & intimidating.• Is concerned with achieving tasks & goals, & often forgets about the needs of
the people carrying out the work.• Likes to be involved in several projects at once.• Is not detail-oriented, & can under-estimate how long it takes to accomplish a
task.• Are unafraid of conflict, & may seem overly stubborn in defending their ideas.• Thrive on change.
How to communicate with an Action, Driver, Director, Directive:• Get to the point right away, & communicate your ideas quickly & clearly.• Show how your ideas are compatible with their goals.
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Style 2
The Process, Analytical, Thinker, Reflective style:• Is technical & systematic. They value logic, thoroughness, & precision.• Tends to focus on facts & technical details while communicating.• Has a methodical way of approaching problems & tasks, & works well
independently.• Is detail-oriented, accurate. However, they may sometimes become
overwhelmed by the details & lose track of the big picture.• Is uncomfortable with conflict, & feels that facts should take precedence over
emotion.• Needs time to adjust to change.
How to communicate with a Process, Analytical, Thinker, Reflective:
• Present your ideas in a logical fashion, & back them up with facts & proof.• Try not to rush a thinker during a conversation or in her/his work.• To help them cope with change, focus on the reasons that made
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Style 3
The People, Amiable, Relater, Emotive style: • Is considerate & sympathetic. They are focused on people & interpersonal
relationships.• Is a wonderful team player, since they are cooperative & easy to work with.• Is a great listeners & is always willing to help others. However, their desire to
keep everyone happy may sometimes interfere with getting the job done.• Dislikes conflict, & will try to mollify the people involved & smooth over issues.• Change can upset relationships as well as work routine. Relaters can become
upset by this, & so they need awhile to adjust to change.
How to communicate with a People, Amiable, Relater, Emotive:• Spend the time needed to establish rapport. Feel free to share personal
experiences or common interests.• Avoid being aggressive or pushy.• When discussing issues, focus on how the changes may affect the
interrelationships among the staff.
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Style 4
The Idea, Expressive, Socializer, Emotive style• Are expressive & spirited. They value relationships, acceptance, & prestige.• Are animated & expressive. They'll often speak quickly, use gestures, & may
get easily sidetracked onto another story.• Are great motivators because of their enthusiasm.• Usually focus on the bigger picture, and may sometimes neglect the details.
Socializers are easily bored by routine, and work best in a group setting.• Often make decisions based on intuition.• Are not afraid of conflict, & enjoy spirited discussions that involve a difference
of opinion.• Love change and challenges.
How to communicate with an Idea, Expressive, Socializer, Emotive:
• Be willing to keep up with their breakneck conversational pace, & be patient with digressions.
• Focus on concepts & trends, & on what they might mean for the future.
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Style Descriptors
Action / Style 1
Process / Style 2
People /
Style 3
Idea /
Style 4
Strengths Leadership, juggling
Planning, organizing
Persuading, motivating
Listening, teamwork
Weaknesses Impatient, Insensitive to others, poor listener
Perfectionist, critical, unresponsive
Inattentive to detail, short attention span, poor follow through
Oversensitive, slow to begin action, poor at goal setting
Seeks Productivity Accuracy Recognition Acceptance
Priority The task / results
The task / process
The relationship / interaction
The relationship / communication
Fears Being taken advantage of
Criticism of their work
Loss of prestige Sudden change
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Style Descriptors
Action /
Style 1
Process /
Style 2
People /
Style 3
Idea /
Appearance Business like, formal
Formal conservative,
Fashionable, stylish
Casual, conforming
Visual Clues Firm handshake, steady eye contact
Few facial expressions / gestures
Animated facial and hand body movements
Intermittent eye contact, gentle handshake
Internal Motivator
Winning The process The chase Involvement
Verbal clues Tells more than asks
Focused, task and fact oriented
Tells stories, shares personal feelings
Asks more than tells
Irritations Inefficiency, indecision
Disorganized, unpredictable
Routine, perfectionism
Insensitivity, impatience
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Leadership skills for SuccessSoft skills
What are soft skills?
Personal qualities Habits Attitudes Social graces
Which make someone a good employee, manager, leader,
compatible co-worker, etc.! (“What are soft skills”, Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com)
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Differences between a Leader and a Manager
Leader Recognizes increase in responsibility and loss of
some “rights” & freedoms of the past Focuses on fixing the problem Knows the “main thing” and eliminates confusion
Puts the “right” people in the “right” positions Always reaches for improvement Develops themselves and others Confronts and handles problems
Creates the vision and communicates it in such a way that people want to embrace the vision
Embraces, creates and makes change positive Flexible Collaborator Quits only when the job is done Sees the purpose of life and an opportunity to
grow & share Never settles for mediocrity Creates victories through multiplication
Manager Recognizes increase in responsibility
Focuses on who or what to blame Isn’t always able to eliminate confusion and often
adds to the confusion Fills positions Can become complacent Develops themselves Can avoid and disregard problems – hoping it will go
away Follows the vision set forth
Likes the status quo Rigid Can be more of a Dictator Quits when tired Sees the purpose of life as a race to win
Often settles for mediocrity Creates victories with hard work and individual effort
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Leadership skills for Success
Engaging Team members
Ask Questions Listen Inspect what you expect Communicate effectively not mindlessly Provide timely communications (Best if given by…) Have an even temperament Be approachable Play to strengths
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Leadership skills for Success
Enabling Team members
Provide clear expectations and make sure they can repeat them back to you Ask for their commitment / buy-in – get a verbal “yes” Respond to all emails / voicemails within 24 hours (12 if at all possible) Delegate AND schedule “mid point check” meetings Play to strengths Address issues immediately Involve people as much as you can Provide guidance not micro-management Allow 1 minute to gripe and 3 minutes to develop solutions Keep people in the “know”! Ask what tools / information / training / help they need and then either give it to them to explain how to
find it Demonstrate collaboration Ensure people know what the rewards AND consequences are
10 questions to help you plan your project!
1. What are my goals and objectives?
2. Who will benefit?
3. How will they benefit?
4. How will I communicate with all parties involved?
5. What schedule / timeframe do I want / have to achieve?
6. What obstacles will I face?
7. How will I be evaluated?
8. What are our team ground rules?
9. What are my teams best assets and how can I leverage them towards success?
10. What kind of check-points have I set up with my team and client?
Spizzerinctum Group 262-993-4883 68
10 tips for being a better project manager
1. Think ahead – be proactive versus reactive!
2. Plan for setbacks / obstacles
3. Error on the side of over communications rather than under – communications
4. Under promise and over deliver – always ask for and commit to a specific date and time
5. Give everyone associated with the project their WIIFM
6. Demonstrate empathy
7. Create supportive environments
8. Don’t accept or give meaningless praise or criticism – Always give and ask for feedback
9. Set CLEAR expectations – specifics not generalities or assumptions
10. Be a leader not a manager! Spizzerinctum Group 262-993-4883 69
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THANK YOU
Thank YOU for allowing me the privilege of spending this time with you!
It has certainly been my pleasure!
Please do not hesitate to call me if I can be of assistance to you, your company, or your team or another professional organization to which you belong.
I would be honored to talk to you. I am always willing to brainstorm, learn and share with others!
Spizzerinctum Group LLC Energy Enthusiasm Success Julie Kowalski
262-993-4883 [email protected]
Spizzerinctum Group 262-993-4883