Big picture orientation

  Big picture orientation

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

As we discuss the importance of developing project management skills to get things done in addition to functional expertise as we move up the career ladder, 80 % of the tasks are non-repetitive or project nature, and we may need to deal with many stakeholders who may not be directly reporting to us.

We discussed the relevance of defining outcomes in the beginning, to get things done and reduce the complexity into simplicity and holistic planning.
 
The next principle we can learn from project management is “Big picture orientation” in any task.
 
What is meant by big-picture orientation?

Big-picture orientation is the ability to look at any task more broadly. When we look at things from a long-term perspective, looking at the purpose more profoundly, we tend to look at any ideas or crisis during execution with reference to the project's goal and complete the project successfully.

Most project managers or even experienced project team members are equipped with big-picture orientation; this ability helps them navigate any crisis with higher motivation and always look to meeting the project deliverables. That way, only the project manager stands out from the functional manager.
 
How can functional managers develop the big-picture orientations?

When a functional manager or team is getting into any functional activities, always look at how it affects the end customer or business at large rather than only from functional perspective.
 
For example,

as a planning functional head, you aim to reduce the inventory level of materials; that is typically your functional deliverables. Your decisions and focus most of the time are on reducing inventory. However, your actions to minimize inventory may affect the delivery or delay or affect the customer. In such circumstances, when you look at the customer’s demand during peak and lean periods, supplier capability, internal dynamics of reacting to sudden changes in demand, organization culture of responding to customers, and communication process, you tend to OPTIMIZE the inventory considering the service level rather than just mere reduction of stock. The approach towards optimizing rather than just reduction comes from a big-picture orientation.

In most organizations, functional silos or conflicts between functions arise because people with good intentions try to optimize at the functional level rather than looking at it from a business perspective.

Developing business perspective or big-picture orientation can be developed with awareness and practice. We discussed this in detail sometime back, and the link is below.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/developing-big-picture-thinking-professional-growth-s-ganesh-babu/

Have a great week ahead.

Holistic Planning before execution

  Holistic Planning before execution 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

As we discuss the importance of developing project management skills to get things done in addition to functional expertise as we move up, 80 % of the tasks are non-repetitive or project nature. We may need to deal with many stakeholders who may not directly report to us.

We discussed the relevance of defining outcomes in the beginning and reduce the complexity into simplicity to get things done in the workplace.
 
The next principle of project management is “Holistic Planning before execution.”

This principle says that before execution, we need to spend quality time on all aspects of planning. The mental visualization of possible risks will help us to solve the problem quickly as we already planned for it.
 
Generally, we do the planning before venturing into any event or task. However, we are primarily trained to plan typically on cost or budget, timeline or schedule aspects, and scope or deliverables aspects only.Having done reasonable planning on time, cost, and scope, we get into execution, and then we realize some changes in scope, and again, we get into managing the cost and timeline aspects. In the process, either we become poor in execution or the purpose is not met.

There only, project management suggests holistic planning beyond schedule, budget, and scope. The planning calls for a 360-degree approach to the event or task as much as possible. 
 
For example, when recruiting a senior person, you obviously go with the budget plan, timeline to close the recruitment process, job descriptions etc. Despite all the planning, the success of recruitment is not guaranteed. The reason is that we are not anticipating or visualizing other aspects related to recruitment beyond essential planning.
 
What are other factors to be planned before recruitment?

How are you going to search for the right people? (Procurement planning)
Who are all likely to get affected by the recruits, and what are their alternatives? (Stakeholder planning)
How do we communicate the new recruitments to all the employees? (Communication planning)
How does the organization structure change? (People planning)
What is the likely growth plan for the new recruit? (People planning)
How can we ensure the success of the new recruit in the first 100 days / one year in given organization dynamics? (Risk management planning)
What will happen if the new recruit fails or leaves the company quickly? (Risk mitigation planning)
 
You may note that this planning process goes beyond the budget/time/scope planning process, and this kind of visualization or planning process will likely lead to success…That is called holistic planning before the execution.
 
Holistic planning or visualization can be done for any simple daily task.

For example, you are making monthly presentation performance to your management team. In addition, with regular stuff or content, plan or think about who will be present in the meeting / what will be their likely questions / what may go wrong during presentations, and what is my plan B, etc.
 
Planning seems to be common sense; however, it needs to be holistic before execution, and looking at everything at 360 will give you an edge in getting things done.

This needs just awareness of our planning process before execution.

Have a great week ahead!

Complexity to Simplicity

 

 Complexity to Simplicity  
(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

As we discuss the importance of developing project management skills to get things done in addition to functional expertise as we move up, 80 % of the tasks are non-repetitive or project nature, and we may need to deal with many stakeholders who may not be directly reporting to us.

Last week, we discussed the relevance of defining outcomes in the beginning to get things done.

The next principle of project management is to “ Reduce the complexity into simplicity.”

Principle 2:
Reduce the complexity into simplicity by breaking down the major tasks into milestone tasks and managing milestone tasks effectively
 
It is human nature that we are overwhelmed with any assignments/projects by considering the amount of multiple activities and the complexity involved in each activity. In the process, either we get cluttered with many thinking about activities and are unable to move beyond or skip any activities and face the consequences later. This principle helps to overcome the challenges.

For example,

“ Implementing an ERP system in your organization is given to you as a project."
 
The moment you think of the successful implementation of an ERP system, many thoughts will come to your mind, like identifying vendors, people's acceptance, awareness creation, choosing the right technology, the scope of the implementation, lack of prior experience, and so on. In this process, we never move confidently to the next step or somehow get into implementation, but projects struggle to serve the purpose or fail.
 
The reason is our inability to break the complex project into many micro milestones and define each milestone with the outcome, stakeholder management in each milestone, risk estimation, and countermeasures.

The principle says any complex project can be broken down into manageable milestones. One has to ensure that each milestone will succeed and, eventually, the overall project will also be successful.

Mainly, it focuses on the current task and clarity on what we want….That is what a functional manager has to learn in any complex project.

For example, as HR head, if you are given a task to recruit a " Quality Head" for your organization, you can divide the tasks into milestones as below and focus on one milestone at a time and ensure the success of one milestone. That will make you focus clearly and execute well rather than thinking of entire tasks.


 Once you practice breaking any complex into simple tasks, that will make you focus clearly and have the ability to manage the challenges in any complex situation

Let us discuss some other principles next week.

Have a great week ahead.
 

Define outcome

  Define outcome  

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

As we discuss the importance of developing project management skills to get things done in addition to functional expertise as we move up, 80 % of the tasks are non-repetitive or project nature, and we may need to deal with many stakeholders who may not be directly reporting to us.

Let us understand the project management principles and how to apply them in day-to-day activities.

Principle 1:

In project management, one prime principle is that any project should have a defined outcome.

Indirectly, it means starting any task with the end objective in mind.
 
How any functional executive or manager can apply this principle in day-to-day activities?
 
In any task, mentally visualize what we look for at the end.
 
For example,
 
When writing a mail to customers or colleagues, what objective would you like to achieve in the communication?

When making a presentation to your team or management, think about the message you would like to convey at the end.

When meeting a new client, what would be the minimum success we expect at the end of the meeting?
 
When we start with the end objective as the focus, it helps us to think through using relevant words, slides, or content. When we do not have clarity of the end goal, we will be hovering around many sentences, slides, or conversations.
 
I use this principle in my consulting profession. Each client is unique, and priorities are different. When i visit them, my challenge is always time constraints and making an impact. I used to go with some mental agenda to be discussed with them and also sought their plan at the beginning of the day. That would help me determine what I need to accomplish at the end of the day and manage the time and people accordingly. If i do not have any agenda or objective, the proceedings would be more casual, as there are many stakeholders and high possibilities of sidetracking from the core.

 The point is that in either reviews/mail/presentations or any other dealings with others, if you mentally articulate what you want to accomplish at the end, that mindset will make you effective in getting things done.
 
Just relate your experience when dealing with any task before starting.

Let us discuss other project management principles that can be used for functional effectiveness next week.
 
Have a great week ahead!

Why project management skills in addition to functional skills?

 Why project management skills in addition to functional skills? 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

 

As we have discussed the macro level importance of developing project management skills to get things done in the workplace, let us understand how a manager/leader is exposed to more of a project environment in day-to-day activities and the need for project management skills in addition to functional skills.
 
Even though we will be doing repetitive tasks in a functional area, when we grow up, we only get into more non-repetitive tasks.

 

Typically, in the organization, when you are at a lower level of the hierarchy, say at the executive level, your task may be repetitive. For example, in HR functions, as an executive, processing attendance and payroll are repetitive. When you grow up in the same HR functions and get into managerial positions, your tasks become non-repetitive. The non-repetitive task is the project.
 
For example, as HR head, "recruiting people" is a typical HR activity. It looks like a repetitive task, but it is not. Each recruitment is a new experience, new candidate, new profile, and requirements are different. Expectations of stakeholders like candidates and internal customers are different, and the timeline and cost are fixed.
 
You may relate to any function and managerial position, but you realize that we do non-repetitive tasks only 80 % of the time, even though it looks repetitive.

Whenever any task calls for different scope, timeline, and resource commitment, that is called a project.

When there is a project nature of work, there may be uncertainties of success, we need to deal with many stakeholders whose expectations are different, and conflict will be part of it; there is always pressure on meeting timeline and cost aspects.
 
This non-repetitive task or project needs different skills to overcome the challenges. Typical functional expertise alone is not sufficient. There only developing project management skills becomes essential.

To sum up, when we go higher up in our career, we will deal with more projects, and project needs different skills to manage the challenges beyond functional skills. The person who learns the project management skill will have more edge in getting things done in the workplace.
 
 Have a great week ahead.

Developing Project Management Skills

 Developing Project Management Skills

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

 

As we are discussing the ability to get things done under the Execution Excellence series, one of the skills every manager and functional head should develop is the "Project management skill."

What is project management skill?

Project management skills combine hardcore functional/technical skills and softcore skills of interpersonal, proactive, and result-oriented traits and characteristics that will help to get things done.
 
As working professionals, we display functional expertise by using many skills, tools, and techniques. We are reasonably successful in getting things done. When we look at our success as a functional manager, we can see some patterns in it.

Our functional activities are familiar or routine to us.
The environment is safe, and we are comfortable.
Our team is familiar with our functioning style, and we know them very well and know their expectations as stakeholders.

We often deal with routine activities, and familiar stakeholders and the environment are certain. 
 
Hence, getting things done is relatively easy. Functional capabilities are sufficient to get things done.
 
For example,

as a financial head, compiling the bills and making reports related to finance and statutory requirements are relatively easy as it is routine, stakeholders are limited, and they may report directly to the head.

When the finance head is asked to implement an ERP system, he/she needs to work beyond functions to get things done, as stakeholders are beyond functions. They have to manage a cross-functional team with varied expectations; the work is new and uncertain, and most stakeholders do not report to them directly. They must balance people and results and get things done in a cross-functional environment.
 
 In that scenario, project management skill becomes essential.
 
Why is project management skill required?


  
When you are growing up in a career, you will be dealing with more than your functional boundary. You have to get things done through the cross-functional team.

Developing project management skills will enhance the capability to look at things from a business perspective, which will help you get into business leadership positions.

Since you can get things done with any stakeholders, your execution skill enhances, and your personal productivity also improves.
 
Let us discuss the following in the coming weeks.
 
*How is project management different from functional management?
*Misconception about project management
*Typical project management principles and skills one has to learn?
*How to develop those skills in the current functional role?
*How do leaders develop project management skills for the team?
 
Have a great week ahead!
 

Knowing your work

  Knowing your work 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

Under the Series " Execution Excellence-Ability to get things done" in a professional setup, we have discussed the importance, methodologies, and some insights on
 1. Personal Leadership
 2. Inspiring and influencing others

The last is "Having in-depth knowledge and awareness of the work or business."
 
For several reasons, having in-depth knowledge and awareness about one's work or business helps get things done efficiently.

1. Informed Decision-Making: When you have a deeper understanding of your work or business, you can make more informed and well-thought-out decisions. Knowledge allows you to consider various factors, analyze potential outcomes, and choose the best action.
2. Building Credibility and Trust: Expertise in your field enhances your credibility and earns the trust of colleagues, superiors, and clients. Others are more likely to rely on and support your decisions and initiatives when they see your knowledge and competence.
3. High Edge on solving problems and influencing people than someone with limited knowledge about the work/ business.

For example,
 
 An executive working for new product development in a software company with a solid technical background and knowledge of the industry can better assess the feasibility of the product, understand the market demands, and guide the development team effectively. They can provide valuable insights during the design and development phases, resulting in a product that meets customer needs and gains a competitive advantage. In contrast, an executive with limited technical knowledge might need help comprehending the project leading to delays, miscommunication, and potentially a less competitive product.

Similarly financial head in a manufacturing company with a thorough understanding of the business's financial performance can make strategic financial decisions more confidently. He/ She can identify cost-saving opportunities, evaluate investment options, and allocate resources efficiently to drive growth. In contrast, a finance head with limited financial acumen may need help to grasp the financial implications of different decisions, leading to suboptimal financial outcomes for the organization.

Similarly, consider a Human Resources (HR) executive responsible for talent acquisition and employee development in a pharmaceutical company. An HR executive who understands the specific skill sets required for various roles can hire suitable candidates and design training programs to enhance their capabilities. An HR executive with limited knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry may need help to recruit and retain the right talent.

The key point is that in-depth knowledge about own profession will help to execute fast without struggle. 
 
Learning more about our work and our business is a continuous effort, and the more we know, the higher we have capabilities to get things done.
 
Have a great week ahead!

New Tool- Online companion

  New Tool- Online companion 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

Recently one of my well-wishers suggested that i should be aware of ChatGPT and its application, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is sweepingly changing how we do things.

As per his recommendation, i read the book " The Art of Prompt Engineering with Chat GPT,"  and it is an eye-opener on the power of AI, and i thought every professional should be aware of it as it is relevant for professional development.

Whenever any new technology comes in, there is always apprehension and skepticism about using the technology. But there are always positive aspects of any technology; using it properly will help us in professional development. One such technological tool is  ChatGPT -an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a form of generative AI - a tool that lets users enter questions/prompts to receive human-like responses, images, text, or videos created by AI with backend machine learning.

ChatGPT is similar to the automated chat services found on customer service websites, as people can ask it questions or clarifies anything.

Now some people are using this chatbot as an online companion.

How will this ChatGPT be helpful for personal productivity and effectiveness?

Knowing how to prompt the AI application with the right question will help us as virtual mentors or personal online assistants.

For example,

You have a drafted email to your customer, and you want to make sure you use the right words and format to reflect your communication style and context. AI will help you to correct the draft… Of course, many software is available to check grammatical and spell check; AI will help you more than that by aligning your communication style in the past and the context.

Similarly, if you want to modify your LinkedIn profile/ resume w.r.t many samples, it will do it when you give suitable inputs and the style you want it.

Similarly, as a business head, you want to check your new idea into business opportunities. It will guide all business planning aspects if you want to know more about market feasibility, consumer preference, risk, development roadmap, etc.

However, it all depends on the quality of the question you ask. That skill is called Prompt Engineering, which one needs to learn to leverage AI to make a personal assistant or virtual mentor.

Some of the advancement in technology looks scary, and historically, when we look at it, we can not avoid any advancement, and if we use it properly, it will help us for effectiveness.

It is now the beginning of a  long journey to leverage AI in our professional life and let us learn it. 
 
This book helps get an overview of ChatGPT and how we can harness our skill in prompting with the proper questioning and use AI-powered online companions for our professional development.

Enjoy learning a new skill!
 
Have a great week ahead!

Summarizing - Art of developing influence

 Summarizing - Art of developing influence 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

As we have discussed the art of influencing for the last 14 weeks, let us summarise the key learnings.
 

• While we go up the career ladder, beyond a certain point, we need to get things done beyond our functional boundary, and positional power alone will not help. We need to develop influencing skills to get things done.
•  We need to be aware of our dominant influencing style (logical, commanding, balancing, or engaging) and be mindful of other person's influencing styles. We need to modify depending on the context and other people's styles. Most workplace problem is due to inflexibility in influencing style.No single style will help in all situations. It is more about awareness. 
• We can see some patterns in highly influencing people in the workplace. Two things we can learn from them. One is their mindset or thinking pattern, and the other is their behavior or practices to influence others.

Regarding mindset

 

• They operate with a WIN-WIN philosophy and always look at maximizing their impact and others in every interaction.
• They will always look at the position with pride and make their body language and tone positive, which helps to influence others easily.
• They have a high level of clarity of what they want in each interaction/task and operate an outcome-based thinking process.

Regarding practices

• They put their continuous effort into building their credibility by developing expertise or improving relationships with others.
• They display respect for others by keenly listening
• They empower others by outlining the task and not indulging in micro-management, however available when the situation is required for the people
• They are good at communication, and they are more expressive while explaining the need for the task
• They will always look for fixing the process than people.
• They will develop charisma by being authentic in their domain.

 
To summarise, developing the art of influencing takes time and effort. However, the payoff will be high for any professional's growth, and everyone has to invest in it.
 
Have a great week ahead!

Charisma Vs. Influence

 Charisma Vs. Influence 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

As we discussed the mindset and practices that highly influencing people demonstrate in the workplace to get things done, one of the queries asked by my friend related to influence.

"Some people are born with inherent charisma, and they influence people easily. Is it possible to develop charisma? 

i have also encountered this question myself at the beginning of my career. This question is relevant to the Influence topic and deserves the answer ... I've included my perspective below. 

First, we need clarity between charisma and charm as we interchangeably use both. My friend means that some people are charming by nature and use their charm to influence; Is it possible to develop charisma?
 
Charm is associated with surface-level traits like friendliness, appearance, and appealing first impressions. In contrast, charisma is related to deeper-level attributes like authenticity, quality to inspire others with conduct, trust, and admiration. It is associated with confidence and passion in what one does.

Generally, people with charm readily connect with people at first instance. They are outgoing, expressive, fun lovers, friendly nature, and attract others easily. (sometimes, too much of it lands them in trouble!). 

Most of us believe that the person with the charm will have all the qualities to influence others and be good at getting things done. However, this belief is not true. It is just perception; anyone can become charismatic with effort and conduct.

For example, You are selling yourself in an interview and influence with your charm; you may be appealing instantly. But there is no guarantee that you will get the offer. However, you can get an offer if you influence with your charisma (as quality).

In a professional context, we must focus more on developing charisma to become influencers. When we concern too much about charm, it will affect our self-esteem.
 
The movie "M.S Dhoni's- untold story" beautifully depicts the perception of charm and its impact on others. In the early days of playing in Ranchi tournaments, on the first day of the test match, MSD did well. Then in the evening, MSD & the team met Yuvaraj Singh first time very closely on a basketball ground and internally felt inferior to Yuvaraj's charm or instantly appealing personality.

The next day, the MSD team played against Yuvaraj Singh and badly lost the match. While narrating the game to his friends, MSD said, "We did not get defeated in the cricket ground; we got defeated in the basketball ground itself." That is a very insightful observation by MSD. 

Later on, we all know how things turn around! That is, charisma wins over charm.
 
The key learning is that some people are gifted with charm, which does not mean they are successful influencers. Anyone can develop the skill of charisma with character building and consistent effort in delivering results, through which one can become a charismatic leader.

Charm is a subset of charisma. Natural charm is all about character, and it is all about how confident one is and how others feel good about their presence.

Anyone can develop Charisma regardless of their personality type.

You are highly influential and blessed if you are both charmed and equipped with charisma !!

Have a great week ahead.