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How Can I Become Creative in My Own Space as a Leader and Manager?

January 28, 2022

Here are some thoughts on the question "how can I become creative in my own space as a leader and manager"? I oftentimes hear employees who are experts in their fields say their manager is a micromanager. Managers who micromanage can cause their employees to become frustrated and resign from the organization. Therefore, the manager must begin to trust their employee's expert knowledge and skills. Invite these same employees to participate in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas on a project or brainstorm solutions to solve a problem. Take time to listen to their employees and give them credit for doing a great job.

The manager should want to engage in professional development by reading leadership books or taking leadership workshops to confront the micromanaging tendencies and make the necessary changes to their behavior. Each of these mentioned elements can help a manager become creative in their space as a manager.

Inviting Team Members to Generate and Submit Ideas Anonymously to the Leadership and Management Team

May 4, 2021

It is common for people to feel like they will be ridiculed for sharing their ideas; therefore, they may not share. As a leader and manager, are you listening to what your team members have to say? If you have team members who want to share their ideas anonymously, try a technique called brainwriting. Brainwriting enables team members to generate more ideas and submit them anonymously. No one is judged for their ideas. Also, try the Nominal Group Technique that is conducted by a facilitator who poses a set of questions for the team members or participants to write down their ideas silently. No one is judged by their ideas because they were submitted anonymously.

The results from the ideas generated should be reviewed carefully by the leadership and management team to understand what the team members are proposing. A follow-up meeting should be scheduled with the team members who participated in the brainstorming session. During the follow-up meeting, the results from the ideas generated anonymously should be reported and an action plan provided based on the results.

You may need to hire an outside consultant like WTA Management Consulting Firm who has the expertise to see situations from a macro and micro level view to facilitate your brainstorming session. WTA Management can help your organization analyze the ideas generated and assist with devising a realistic and executable action plan. We welcome the opportunity to speak and meet with you to help you with this essential fact-finding and investigative discovery that can benefit your organization both short-term and long-term.

Build Team Cohesion to Have High Performing and Engaged Team Members

April 27, 2021

Team cohesion is powerful when each team member knows their role, supports their team members, and communicates and collaborates effectively. The reason why some teams fail is because of individualistic attitudes and behaviors. The “me, myself, and I” approach may sometimes work for a moment in a group setting but does not work in a team setting. Does your organization have a problem with team cohesion? The problem does not need to continue going on and ruining employee morale and productivity. WTA Management Consulting Firm is available to provide consultation and training to help your teams form the bonds needed to achieve organizational performance goals.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills Develops Work Relationships

April 20 , 2021

Ineffective interpersonal and communication skills can make it difficult for organizations to achieve their strategic goals. Sometimes organizational leaders think changing processes and procedures will steer them toward their goals. But, in reality, the processes and procedures may not be the root cause of the problem. The root cause of the problem based on my management consulting experience is the organizational leaders' need to finetune their interpersonal and communication skills to develop, cultivate, and sustain relationships with colleagues. When the organizational leader realizes they are the problem, the realization can be challenging for the person to accept. It is not wise to continue functioning in dysfunction.

There is a solution. Invest in professional development books or workshops. We encourage hiring an organizational behavior, leadership, or management consultant like WTA Management Consulting Firm. The firm has the expertise to assist organizational leaders acquire the interpersonal and communication skills needed to achieve their organizational performance goals.

Micromanaging Stifles Creativity and Productivity in Workplaces

April 13, 2021

In a recent conversation with a family member they shared a job-related issue with a senior level colleague. The problem is their senior colleague acts like they know what they are doing. But, the team members find themselves reworking what the senior colleague has done to prepare for the next phase of the project. The job-related issue has a solution.

1. The senior colleague needs to be honest with themselves about their skill level because there is so much for them to gain by being honest.

2. What the senior colleague can gain from being honest include humbling themselves and realizing one person does not know it all or need to know it all.

3. Learn new knowledge and skills from their team members, and learn how to delegate work tasks.

4. The relationship between the team members and the senior colleague should be one of openness to provide correction and encouragement.