Edition 11 - June 2008A Word From The Editor: Hello Readers! Here we find ourselves at the start of winter and the cold is beginning to set in, it’s time to rug up and relax with our latest issue of Access News. In this issue we are looking back at some popular articles from past newsletters. So please enjoy the following articles: Breakthrough Ideas High Performance Teams (HPT) Coaching with Access HR Relationships in the Workplace We would like to introduce Abi Yathavan, who has recently joined our Access HR team as a Recruitment Consultant. Abi is providing temporary and permanent recruitment solutions, and is looking forward to establishing a partnership with all our established and soon to be clients and candidates Happy Reading From the Team at Access HR!! | |
Breakthrough Ideas
Breakthrough or innovative ideas sets aside organization’s top employees (world-class players) from the rest. Without innovation, companies cannot grow, and their products, services and people can become stale. Marketing, sales and business development are traditionally thought of as the idea makers, although these days everyone in the company has a responsibility to be creative. The Four Steps to having Breakthrough Ideas:
Identify problems that you can apply some creative thinking to. It is important that you give the matter your close attention and collect as much related information as possible. You must understand the problem before being able to think of a solution. Always bear in mind the outcome and effect to your solution. Discuss with others to obtain a wide scope ensuring you will be addressing the whole problem.
Inspiration comes from everywhere – be receptive and constantly open to new influences, opinions and ideas. You don’t need to be in the office to think of the idea, you may be in the car, at gym, or in the shower. Work out when your best thinking time is and channel it. When it comes to recognizing a good idea, listen to your subconscious. If you’re excited, chances are – others will be too.
New ideas and fresh solutions are not generated by taking the same approach to solving every problem, or by following orders. Be prepared to try something new and challenge the conventional method. Even if it transpires that a tried and trusted method looks like the best bet, is there an innovative twist you can take to improve the results?
Ideas can come when we are on our own but more often as a result of collaborating creatively with others. Hectic offices aren’t always the best environment to create a creative thought, so organise brainstorming sessions away from the workplace. It is important that everyone is given the opportunity to put their thoughts and ideas forward – the more perspectives and experiences that come to the table the better. Source; HR Resource Magazine – October 2006 |
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HPT = High Performance Teams
“High Performance Teams are the supercharged way to lead organizational change” Utilising high performance teams to lead a change in an organization greatly increases the chances of success. Coming in many forms HPTs share a series of qualities and characteristics that set them apart from the average team.
Trina Lewis developed the HPT Four Fundamentals Framework for working with teams to help them be the best they can be. The basis of the framework is four groupings of characteristics typical to HPTs: · Goal alignment · Structural clarity · Constructive behaviour · Change agility Goal alignment exists when all team members are openly committed to a set of ambitious goals and objectives. Once a team is aligned they can ensure a robust operating structure which includes clear processes, roles, accountabilities and measures of success. Constructive behaviours refer to being committed to an effective way of behaving as a team. This enables extraordinary results. Team members collectively commit to behaviours such as straight talk, mutual support, fluid coaching and acknowledgement. HPTs are especially agile in dynamic and demanding environments because they have very intentional approaches to leading and managing change, dealing with issues and problems, decision-making, and growth and learning. Accountability underlines the four fundamentals of a HPT. They use accountability as a tool to drive action and ultimately measure success. Accountability is at the core of four interrelated, underlying drivers of success in HPTs. Accountability refers to people being responsible to themselves and others for what they say and do. It’s moving from “I will try” to “I will” (“or I won’t”). Members accept accountability for specific tasks and the quality of their teamwork. They ensure they have the right resources to meet their accountabilities, so they are empowered. The team trusts their members to deliver on their accountabilities and depends on them doing so. The success is managed in a transparent fashion, and enables formal and informal feedback and measurement of performance against accountabilities. This also enables formal and informal feedback and measurement of performance against accountabilities. A commitment to regularly reflect on performance as a team is critical to sustaining HPT behaviours. To become a HPT depends on a team’s context. A good starting point is to consider the current state of the team, without getting it stuck in the past. Focus on the question, “How will we reach our desired future state from where we are now?”, rather than “How do we fix things we have done wrong in the past?” Both questions are valid, but by keeping the question future focused this generates much more energy and engagement. HPT matters need to be given adequate time on an agenda, they cannot be competing with too many other priorities. If the team is ‘change fatigued’ and cynical about change, consider engaging smaller, more specific HPT interventions to the points of most pain or benefit, without the fanfare of a branded program. The team leader needs to have a personal ambition that will influence the pace and scope of the plan. If you require immediate transformation of the way teams work in your business to support a major change agenda, then your program will be more intense. Design a series of carefully constructed change interventions. Depending on your needs, you may focus on a couple or even one of the four HPT fundamentals at a time. Starting with goal alignment and structural clarity to build a solid basis for the others is a good start. Achieving HPT status is a journey – not an event – that requires sustained focus. It remains an elusive state for many teams. Teams are diverse and dynamic. They change people, organizations and their environments change, so any team requires refinement and regeneration. High-performance teaming is a significant investment, as new highs are reached and change is accepted easier the pay offs show. Source: HR Monthly : - February 2006 – Peak Performance by Trina Lewis |
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Coaching with Access HR
Why have coaching? Access HR has integrated coaching into their organisation to assist clients with their professional development. Often there are perceived gaps within a clients development which needs to be identified and clarified so clients can develop to their fullest potential overcoming barriers that may restrict them from moving beyond where they are in their development and learning process. Often clients are already looking for change, important goals to reach, better fulfillment, better balance wanting to create a transformation, utilizing coaching to achieve its maximum benefit. The coach uses a wide variety of behavioral techniques and methods to assist the client achieve a mutually identifiable set of goals to improve his or her professional performance. Ultimately this will create personal satisfaction whilst improving and enhancing organisational effectiveness within a formally defined coaching agreement.
What is coaching Coaching in contrast to mentoring does not need to have direct experience of your job, and most likely comes from outside of the organization. A coach helps people to improve their individual effectiveness so that they can accomplish specific goals. When a coach coaches an individual client the client is usually wanting to reach a higher level of performance, learning or satisfaction. The client is not seeking emotional healing or relief from psychological pain. The coach supports the client so the client can take action to move towards a goal with the support of the coach. The client has a high level of learning regarding their position and has the ability to take action to progress to the next stage of development. The Relationship in Coaching A coach relates to the client as a partner. A coach does not relate to the client from a position of expert, authority or healer. Relationship is the foundation of coaching. The coach and client intentionally develop a relationship which is characterized by a growing mutual appreciation and respect for each other as individuals. This relationship is not an adjunct to or by product of the coaching. Nor is it based on the client’s position or performance. Honesty and trust are the trademarks of making a relationship work. The client must be upfront on their feelings, what they think and what their abilities are. The client needs to commit to experimenting with new ways of thinking, behaving and operating. The coach and client together choose the focus, format and desired outcomes for their work. The client takes on the ultimate responsibility to create, maintain and action the outcomes. Advice
Advice, opinions, or suggestions are occasionally offered in coaching. Both the client and the coach understand that the client is free to accept or decline what is offered from the coach.
Time Frames Coaching concentrates primarily on the present and future. Coaching does not focus on the past or on the past’s impact on the present. Coaching uses information from the client’s past to clarify where the client is today. It does not depend on resolution of the past to move the client forward.
Ongoing relationship
Coaching is designed to provide clients with greater confidence in their ability and a greater capacity to produce results. In coaching any contribution to the coach from the client assists in producing the client’s desired outcome. The coach’s role does not include producing a contracted product or result outside of the coaching sessions. Clients do not leave coaching with a perception that they need to rely on a coach in order to produce similar results in the future. To find a coach it is important that a client seeks out a coach that has an accredited qualification and that they are a member of the International Coaching Federation of Australasia which ensures a high standard of practice and ethical standards. Find out More
To find more about coaching and how Access HR can assist you with your professional development contact Anna Lane on (03) 9544 1899. Access HR have integrated coaching into their business and are looking forward to working with clients to ensure maximum performance within their organizations. |
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Relationships most important in workplace
The Australian workforce considers relationships with colleagues one of the main factors influencing job satisfaction, according to a survey by Michael Page International. The survey of 640 white collar workers found relationships with team members and relationships with managers are two of the top three factors influencing Generation Y, X and baby boomer’s level of engagement in the workplace. The survey also found personal development is only valued highly by the youngest generation, while Generation X and baby boomers do not consider it a major influence. Source: Issue 107.Human Resources. www.humanresourcemagazine.com.au |
