Business Contingency Planning and Curve balls

Contingency plans are vital for your ongoing business success..  A contingency plan is what will help you deal with the curve balls and unplanned events that arise.  Despite your best research and planning, there will always be surprises or unexpected events.  Markets and market forces are in a constant state of flux.

When you develop contingency plan you need to consider all issues that can think of that will either positively or negatively impact your business. There are a number of things that you should consider for your contingency plan including:

Your market niche - what contingency plan can you put in place if your niche dries up or turns out to be unable to support your business?  Who are your competitors?  How many competitors are in your market niche and how long have they been established in the marketplace?  What is the point of difference with your product/service?
Labor market supply and demand - do you need a contingency plan (Plan B) for a lack of availability of employees or contractors?  Where is your business located geographically?
Your products/services- if clients don't need the services you provide, are you able to move into different service markets?  What is the level of responsiveness of your organisation?

A thorough contingency plan address a wide range of  reasonable possibilities that could affect your ability to remain profitable and commercially viable. Your contingency plan should be revised regularly and thoroughly.  The time spent in contingency planning can determine whether you prosper or perish!


At the end of the day, your company doesn't  want to be caught without a contingency plan.   For assistance with a range of business planning options, please visit our website.

www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

 

Why Professional Currency is critical

 

In an increasingly competitive business environment, the importance of ensuring that your skills and knowledge are up to date has never been more important.  Laws change, workplace processes change and old skills are replaced or updated with new.

 

LMS understands the importance of professional and vocational currency for your career. 

 

 

Our Workshops

 

Our Professional Development Workshops are delivered by highly qualified multi award winning trainers with many years of business experience in both the public and private sectors locally and internationally.  Workshop sizes are small to enable your learning experience to be personalised and to provide maximum benefit for your learning experience.  We offer a range of different workshops to suit specific training needs.  Whether your need is leadership or management training, business skills or work health and safety, we offer a wide range of workshops to cater for individual needs. 

 

Our Difference

At LMS our difference is quality and value.  Highly experienced and qualified trainers committed to your learning. Our trainers don’t simply train – they facilitate your learning.   This is a key difference. You’re guided every step of the way. Our professional development workshops are fun, engaging, interactive and practical.  You’ll learn hands on skills and practical knowledge that you can apply to your workplace. Small workshop sizes to enable your maximum benefit for your investment.

 

Your Return on Investment

 

LMS Professional Development Workshops provide the following:

• Measurable results and learning outcomes.
• Consistent high quality professional delivery.
• Permanent knowledge and skills transfer for participants.
• Identifiable return on investment.
• An enjoyable, engaging and interactive learning experience.

 

How to enrol

We're enrolling now for our North Ryde Workshops.  For further details, please visit the events tab on our Facebook page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leadership-and-Management-Solutions-Pty-Ltd/648739605160579

 

Alternatively, please email info@leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

if you have any further questions.

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all our readers.  We thank you for your business and look forward  to working again with you in the new year.

Watch this space for further updates.  Shortly we will be releasing our calendar of Professional development workshops  to be held throughout the Sydney metropolitan area commencing from February 2014.  Workshops will be held in the areas of work health and safety, leadership, management, mentoring, business networking, presentation skills and many other areas. 

Further details will be placed here when they become available.  Updates will also be on our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leadership-and-Management-Solutions-Pty-Ltd/648739605160579

If you require customised training or business solutions for your business, please don't hesitate to email info@leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

Welcome

Welcome to Leadership and Management Solutions.  We are an Australian Company with our key focus being your business success.  We provide customised leadership and management solutions for your business locally, nationally and globally.  By way of introduction, I'd like to ask you the following questions:

1) How far does your company plan ahead?  In today's fast paced business environment, have you considered what your company will be doing in a decade?

2) How do you anticipate your business and customer needs to change in the future?  What challenges can you forsee?  Will these challenges open up new opportunities for your business?

3) What solutions do you have in place for your business?  What solutions do you have in place for next year or several years from now?  What strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats does your business face?

4) What obstacles is your business facing? 

5) What is the core focus of your business?  Although this may sound strange, your core focus will affect your decision making and risk taking.

6) What do your customers expect from you?  What solutions do you have currently for meeting and exceeding customer expectations?

7) How do you develop staff capability within your organisation?  Are there potential gaps between actual and expected performance?  Do you need a customised staff development solution for legal compliance?  

If you would like some assistance with any of these issues, please contact us.  We would be delighted to partner with you to develop a customised solution for your business.

Website:
 www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

 Email:
 info@leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au





Copyright Leadership and Management Solutions 2013

Developing Leadership Skills

What skills and attributes does a successful leader need?

Ethical behaviour: learning about the ethical issues and concerns that impact on your business sector; adopting a balanced, open-minded approach to the ethical concerns of others; considering the ethical issues and implications of all personal actions and organisational activity; raising and discussing ethical issues before proposing or agreeing to decisions; resisting pressures from the organisation or its partners to achieve objectives by unethical means.

Strategic Thinking: learning and understanding how the different functions, physical divisions, and layers, of the organisation should work together: understanding the complexities of, and the changes happening in, the external environment, and considering how the organisation can best respond the these; understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation, and the opportunities and threats facing it; understanding how the strategic objectives are influenced by all the current and forecast influences that will impact on the organisation; understanding that the operational objectives and targets must be in line with and support the strategic objectives of the organisation; being aware of and responding to the behaviour of current and potential competitors.

Support for Corporate Goals : helping to create and communicate a vision which can be understood and supported by people at all levels; helping others to understand and contribute to the strategic goals; giving visible personal support to the strategic direction and specific goals set by the organisation.

Effective Communication: being responsive to messages and signals from the internal and external environments; making effective use of communication channels from and to all levels within the organisation; pro-actively encourage the exchange of information within the organisation, and amongst suppliers, customers and partners; listening to others, including those with opposing views, carefully and thoughtfully; selecting personal communication styles that are appropriate to the different situations and audiences.

Gathering Information : establishing multiple channels and networks which generate a constant flow of information, from within and outside the organisation; regularly and consistently gathering, analysing, challenging, and using the information gathered.
Making Decisions, by: establishing a consistent approach to the analysis of information; drawing on personal experience and knowledge to identify current and potential problems; consider a range of solutions before selecting the final one; ensuring that the selected decision is feasible, achievable, and affordable; considering the impact of the decision on all stakeholders, at all levels, before approving implementation.

Developing Effective Teams, by: appreciating the contribution of others, at all levels in the organisation; ensuring that individuals and teams are kept informed of plans, developments and issues that will affect them; ensuring that individual and team development schemes are given appropriate priority; providing personal support for the implementation and maintenance of development activities for individuals and teams at all levels.

Assertive Behaviour: understanding and responding to personal roles and responsibilities; adopting a leading role in initiating action and decision making; taking personal responsibility for decisions and actions; being properly prepared for involvement in activities and events; being confident and professional in dealing with change and challenges; refusing unreasonable demands; defending and protecting individuals and teams from unfair or discriminatory actions; remaining professional in manner at all times.

Results focussed: contributing to the establishment of an organisational culture that demands high standards and high levels of performance; focusing on objectives and planned outcomes, at all times; dealing with issues and problems when they arise; planning and scheduling personal work and the work of others in ways which make best use of available resources; delegating appropriately; giving personal attention to the critical issues and events.

Self management: reflecting regularly on personal performance and progress; pro-actively asking for feedback on personal performance; changing personal behaviour in the light of feedback received; being responsible for your own personal development needs.

Presenting a Positive Image: adopting a leading role in initiating action and decision making; behaving in a professional manner at all times; being open-minded and responsive to the needs of others; visibly working towards personal and career development goals; adopting an ethical approach to all personal and organisational activity; being supportive to colleagues; demonstrating fairness and integrity at all times.

These essential attributes are many, and difficult to maintain consistently, but they are the attributes needed by, and expected of, our business leaders. The size of the organisation, the business sector, whether public or private, is of no consequence. The leaders of all organisations should be role models for others, be visible champions of high standards of professional and ethical behaviour, be leaders who others in their organisations can be proud of, and be leaders that competitors are envious of. Not many of these characteristics are imbued in our leaders by default. They have to be learned, can be learned, and should then be continuously developed and enhanced. With these personal attributes in place, and being demonstrated in behaviour and actions, business leaders will be more effective and more successful.

Like to know more?  We can customise a business solution for you or your staff. Visit our website.

http://www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

Copyright Leadership and Management Solutions Pty Ltd 2013

Foundations for Effective Leadership

If you were to build a house, you would start with strong foundations.

So, what does this have to do with leadership?

A good listener, enthusiasm, passion, shows appreciation, a visionary, role model, trusting, integrity, organized, knowledgeable, credibility, persuasive, charisma, team building, clarity of purpose, problem solver, attitude of service, leads by example, patience, willing to act without complete knowledge, understands followers, consistent, empowers other people, and adapts to change.

This is essentially the same list that I receive time after time when I ask this question. From this information comes some useful insights.

1) The list contains characteristics relating to the human side of leadership.  That's interesting because I often hear people diminish this side of leadership with terms like "soft" or "touchy feely." Actually, applying these characteristics requires more strength than not.

2) The list excludes characteristics such as stern, mean, serious, short tempered, vindictive, tough, angry, harsh, punitive, controlling, violent, or ruthless. And that's interesting because many popular representations of leadership emphasize at least one of these "hard" characteristics. In fact, these characteristics are the refuge of those who lack the strength (or the skills) to apply the human side of leadership.

3) How would you rate yourself as a leader compared to the list of positive characteristics? If you were to survey the people who report to you, how would they describe your leadership? Would they list characteristics from the "soft" list or from the "hard" list? Could you become more effective by improving upon any of the "soft" characteristics? And how about the other leaders in your organization? Do they truly maximize human potential?

People want leaders who treat them with genuine compassion, courtesy, and respect. They want leaders who help them become more successful. They want leaders who inspire them with a vision for a better world and show them how to go there.

Like to build strong leadership foundations for your business?  Contact us.

http://www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au

Copyright Leadership and Management Solutions Pty Ltd 2013