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How Good Are Your Management Skills?

Are you getting the best out of your team? iStockphoto/Yuri Arcurs

!n business" we often seem to focus less on good management" and more on the glamorous and e#citing work of leadership$ Howe%er" managers are responsible for making sure that things are done properly$ And while leaders may bring us %ision" inspiration and challenge" these things count for nothing without the efficient implementation brought about by good management$ &o be a great manager" you must ha%e an e#tensi%e set of skills ' from planning and delegation to communication and moti%ation$ (ecause the skill set is so wide" it)s tempting to build skills in the areas of management that you)re already comfortable with$ (ut" for your long'term success" it)s wise to analy*e your skills in all areas of management ' and then to challenge yourself to impro%e in all of these areas$ &his +ui* helps you to +uickly identify your areas of strength and weakness" so that you can capitali*e on the former and manage the latter$ ,e then direct you to resources that you can use to de%elop your skills further$ Note: &o learn more about leadership and to assess your leadership skills" complete our +ui*" How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? How Good Are Your Management Skills? Instructions: For each statement, click the button in 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'. When you are finished, please click the ' alculate !y "otal' button at the bottom of the test.
-ot Some 0ery .arely /ften at All times /ften

20 Statements to Answer

1 ,hen ! ha%e a problem" ! try to

sol%e it myself before asking my boss what to do$ whoe%er has the most time a%ailable$

2 ,hen ! delegate work" ! gi%e it to

20 Statements to Answer

-ot Some 0ery .arely /ften at All times /ften

! follow up with team members whene%er ! see that their beha%ior has a negati%e impact on customer ser%ice$

! ! make decisions following

careful analysis" rather than relying on gut instinct$ out for themsel%es how best to work together 1 teams are a work in progress2 member" so that people ha%e a chance to correct their beha%iors for themsel%es$ important skills that ! need to be an effecti%e manager$ team about what)s going well and what needs impro%ing$ moderator/facilitator when necessary" and ! help my team reach a better understanding of the issue or reach consensus$

" ! let my team members figure

# ! wait before disciplining a team

$ &echnical skills are the most

% ! spend time talking with my

& !n meetings" ! take on the role of

1 ! fully understand how the 0 business processes in my

department operate" and !)m working to eliminate bottlenecks$

1 ,hen putting together a team" ! 1 consider the skills ! need ' and
then ! seek people who best fit my criteria$

1 ! do all that ! can to a%oid 2 conflict in my team$ 1 ! try to moti%ate people within
my team by tailoring my approach to moti%ation to match each indi%idual)s needs$

1 ,hen my team makes a ! significant mistake" ! update my

boss on what has happened" and then ! think of it as an important lesson learned$

20 Statements to Answer

-ot Some 0ery .arely /ften at All times /ften

1 ,hen conflict occurs within a " new team" ! accept it as an


ine%itable stage in the team de%elopment process$

1 ! talk to team members about # their indi%idual goals" and ! link


these to the goals of the entire organi*ation$

1 !f !)m putting a team together" ! $ select people with similar


personalities" ages" time with the company" and other characteristics$

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1 ! think that the statement 5!f you % want a 9ob done well" do it
yourself5 is true$

1 ! talk with team members as & indi%iduals to ensure that they)re


happy and producti%e$

2 ! brief my team members so that 0 they know what)s going on


around them in the organi*ation

'otal ( 0
Score !nterpretation Score )omment You need to impro%e your management skills urgently$ !f you want to be effecti%e in a leadership role" you must learn how to organi*e and monitor your team)s work$ -ow is the time to start de%eloping these skills to increase your team)s success2 >.ead *elow to start$? You)re on your way to becoming a good manager$ You)re doing some things really well" and these are likely the things you feel comfortable with$ -ow it)s time to work on the skills that you)%e been a%oiding$ Bocus on the areas where your score is low" and figure out what you can do to make the impro%ements you need$ >.ead *elow to start$? You)re doing a great 9ob managing your team$ -ow you should concentrate on impro%ing your skills e%en further$ !n what areas did you score a bit low? &hat)s where you can de%elop impro%ement goals$ Also" think about how you can take ad%antage of these skills to reach your career goals$ >.ead *elow to start$?

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Dffecti%e management re+uires a wide range of skills" and each of these skills complements the others$ Your goal should be to de%elop and maintain all of these skills" so that you can help your team accomplish its ob9ecti%es efficiently and effecti%ely$ .ead on for ideas and resources that you can use to do this$ A Model of Dffecti%e Management /ur +ui* is based on eight essential skill areas where managers should focus their efforts$ (y co%ering these basics" you)ll en9oy more success as a team manager6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ J$ Enderstanding team dynamics and encouraging good relationships$ Selecting and de%eloping the right people$ Felegating effecti%ely$ Moti%ating people$ Managing discipline and dealing with conflict$ Hommunicating$ Ilanning" making decisions" and problem sol%ing$ A%oiding common managerial mistakes$ ,e)ll e#plore each of these in more detail$ Enderstanding &eam Fynamics and Dncouraging Good .elationships >Kuestions G" CG" C@? Good management means understanding how teams operate$ !t)s worth remembering that teams usually follow a certain pattern of de%elopment6 +ormin,- normin,- stormin,- and per+ormin, $ !t)s important to encourage and support people through this process" so that you can help your team become fully effecti%e as +uickly as possible$ ,hen forming teams" managers must create a balance so that there)s a di%erse set of skills" personalities" and perspecti%es$ You may think it)s easier to manage a group of people who are likely to get along" but truly effecti%e teams in%ite many %iewpoints and use their differences to be creati%e and inno%ati%e$ Here" your task is to de%elop the skills needed to steer those differences in a positi%e direction$ &his is why introducing a team charter and knowing how to resol.e team con+lict are so useful for managing your team effecti%ely$ Selecting and Fe%eloping the .ight Ieople >Kuestions CC" C@? Binding great new team members" and de%eloping the skills needed for your team)s success is another important part of team formation$ You can impro%e your recruiting skills with our /ecruitin, Skills (ite'Si*ed &raining pack" and with out articles on Hirin, 0eople 1 2uestions to Ask" In3o4 Assessment" 5sin, /ecruitment 'ests" and Aptitude 'estin,$ And you can de%elop people)s skills with our articles on" among others" Success+ul Induction " 5nderstandin, 6e.elopmental Needs " 'rainin, Needs Assessment " and the G/78 9odel $ You)ll also find our (ite'Si*ed &raining session on 9entorin, Skills useful$ Felegating Dffecti%ely >Kuestion :" CJ? Ha%ing the right people with the right skills isn)t sufficient for a team)s success$ Managers must also know how to get the 9ob done efficiently$ 6ele,ation is the key to this$ Some managers" especially those who earned their positions based on their technical e#pertise" try to do most of the work themsel%es$ &hey think that" because they)re responsible for the work" they should do it themsel%es to make sure it)s done right$ Dffecti%e managers recogni*e that by assigning work to the right people >not 9ust those with the most time a%ailable?" and clearly outlining e#pectations" teams can accomplish much more$ (ut it)s often difficult to trust others to do the 9ob$ As a manager" remember that when

your team members ha%e the right skills" training and moti%ation" you can usually trust them to get the work done right$ Bind out your strengths and weaknesses related to delegation by taking our +ui* How 8ell 6o You 6ele,ate? Moti%ating Ieople >Kuestion CA" CL? Another necessary management skill is moti%ating others$ !t)s one thing to moti%ate yourself" but it)s +uite another to moti%ate someone else$ &he key thing to remember is that moti%ation is personal$ ,e)re all moti%ated by different things" and we all ha%e different le%els of personal moti%ation$ So" getting to know your team members on a personal le%el allows you to moti%ate your people better$ Iro%iding +eed*ack on a regular basis is a %ery powerful strategy to help you stay informed about what)s happening with indi%idual team members$ You can test :our moti.ation skills with our +ui*" and use your answers to de%elop your skills further$ Managing Fiscipline and Fealing with Honflict >Kuestions A" =" C:? Sometimes" despite your best efforts" there are problems with indi%idual performance$ As a manager" you ha%e to deal with these promptly$ !f you don)t discipline" you risk negati%e impacts on the rest of the team as well as your customers" as poor performance typically impacts customer ser%ice" and it hurts the team and e%erything that the team has accomplished$ !t)s %ery demoti%ating to work beside someone who consistently fails to meet e#pectations" so if you tolerate it" the rest of the team will likely suffer$ !n our article on team mana,ement skills " we e#plore this issue in further detail and gi%e you some e#amples$ &eam performance will also suffer when differences between indi%idual team members turn into outright conflict" and it)s your 9ob as team manager to facilitate a resolution$ .ead our article on /esol.in, 'eam )on+lict for a three'step process for doing this$ Howe%er" conflict can be positi%e when it highlights underlying structural problems 1 make sure that you recogni*e conflict and deal with its causes" rather than 9ust suppressing its symptoms or a%oiding it$ Hommunicating >Kuestion J" L" C=" :;?

An element that)s common to all of these management skills is effecti%e communication$ &his is critical to any position you hold" but as a manager" it)s especially important >you can test :our communication skills with our +ui* here?$ You need to let your team know what)s happening and keep them informed as much as possible$ 'eam *rie+in, is a specific communication skill that managers should impro%e$ Also" de%elop the ability to +acilitate effecti%ely" so that you can guide your team to a better understanding and ser%e as a moderator when necessary$ Ilanning" Iroblem Sol%ing and Fecision'Making >Kuestions < and C;? Many managers are %ery comfortable with planning" problem sol%ing and decision making" gi%en that they)re often skilled specialists who)%e been promoted because of their knowledge and analytical abilities$ As such" one of the most important issues that managers e#perience is that they focus so intensely on these skills when they think about self'de%elopment that they fail to de%elop their people skills and team management skills$ Make sure that you don't focus on these skills too much2 Howe%er" if you need to de%elop these skills" see our ma9or sections on 0ro*lem Sol.in," 6ecision;9akin," and 0ro<ect 9ana,ement$ You)ll find many rich skills impro%ement resources in these areas$ A%oiding Hommon Managerial Mistakes

>Kuestions C" @" C<? Good communication helps you de%elop facilitation skills" and it also helps you a%oid some of the most common problems for managers$ Some of these common mistakes are thinking that you can rely on your technical skills alone" asking your boss to sol%e your problems" putting your boss in the awkward position of ha%ing to defend you" and not keeping your boss informed$ /ur article on 'eam 9ana,ement Skills highlights what to do to a%oid these" and other managerial problems that you should be aware of$ Mey Ioints You need to de%elop and impro%e your managerial skills on an ongoing basis as your career de%elops and as you meet new managerial challenges$ ,hether you manage a department or a pro9ect team" it)s important to know how to get the work done right$ ,hen you)re asked to achie%e something with the help of others" it)s comple# 1 and you spend much of your time managing relationships instead of doing the actual work$ So" you must de%elop not only your technical skills" but your management skills as well$ Felegating" moti%ating" communicating" and understanding team dynamics are some of the key skills needed$ ,ith those skills" along with patience and a strong sense of balance" you can become a %ery effecti%e manager$ &his site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career7 and this is 9ust one of many tools and resources that you)ll find here at 9ind 'ools$ Hlick here for more" subscribe to our +ree newsletter" or *ecome a mem*er - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_28.htm#sthash.tV9jh !".dp#$ &eam Management Skills &he Hore Skills -eeded to Manage Your &eam

Fe%elop effecti%e management skills$ iStockphoto/Andresr

So you)%e 9ust got a new 9ob as a manager$ Hongratulations2 /r" maybe you)%e been gi%en the task of pulling a new team together$ ,hat a challenge2 Dither way" whether your team e#ists already or it)s your responsibility to create it" what do you do ne#t? &his article looks at some of the key things that team managers need to do for their teams thri%e and succeed$ &hese range from choosing the right people and deciding who does what" to communicating with" de%eloping and moti%ating people$ !t also co%ers some of the most common pitfalls to be a%oided$ Birst &hings Birst

(ut before that" some definitions are useful$ ,hat is management" e#actly? And how does it differ from leadership? A good starting point is ,arren G (ennis) saying that 5Neaders are people who do the right things7 managers are people who do things right$5 Neadership in%ol%es creating a compelling %ision of the future" communicating that %ision" and helping people understand and commit to it$ Managers" on the other hand" are responsible for ensuring that the %ision is implemented efficiently and successfully$ /f course" these two roles o%erlap 1 and" to be fully effecti%e" you need to fulfill both roles$ Howe%er" the focus of this article is on the specific skills and responsibilities of managers" and on the tools a%ailable to them$ After all" there)s no point energi*ing people to work towards an e#citing %ision of the future" only to fall flat on your face when it comes to implementation$ &he !mportance of Felegation &he top priority for team managers is dele,ation$ -o matter how skilled you are" there)s only so much that you can achie%e working on your own$ ,ith a team behind you" you can achie%e so much more6 that)s why it)s so important that you delegate effecti%ely2 Successful delegation starts with matching people and tasks" so you first need to e#plain what your team)s role and goals are$ A good way of doing this is to put together a team charter" which sets out the purpose of the team and how it will work$ -ot only does this help you get your team off to a great start" it can also be useful for bringing the team back on track if it)s %eering off course$ /nly then will you be in a position to think about the skills" e#perience and competencies within your team" and start matching people to tasks$ .ead our article on task allocation for more on how to do this" and to find out how to deal with real'world challenges" such as managing the gaps between team members) skill sets$ Moti%ating Your &eam Another key duty you ha%e as a manager is to moti%ate team members$ /ur article on 'heor: = and 'heor: Y e#plains two %ery different approaches to moti%ation" which depend on the fundamental assumptions that you make about the people who work for you$ !f you belie%e that they)re intrinsically la*y" you belie%e in &heory O" while if you belie%e that most are happy and willing to work" you)ll tend towards &heory Y$ Make sure that you fully understand these theories 1 they will fundamentally affect your success in moti%ating people$ You can find out much more about moti%ation with our +ui* How Good Are Your 9oti.ation Skills? &his helps you learn a number of core approaches to moti%ation 1 Her>*er,?s 9oti.ation; H:,iene 'heor: " 9c)lelland?s Human 9oti.ation 'heor: and Sirota?s 'hree @actor 'heor: are particularly useful$ ,hate%er approach you prefer to adopt" you also need to bear in mind that different people ha%e different needs when it comes to moti%ation$ Some indi%iduals are highly self'moti%ated" while others will under'perform without managerial input$ Ese our article on 0:,malion 9oti.ation to understand how to manage these different groups of people$ Fe%eloping Your &eam &eams are made up of indi%iduals who ha%e different outlooks and abilities" and are at different stages of their careers$ Some may find that the tasks you)%e allocated to them are challenging" and they may need support$ /thers may be 5old hands5 at what they)re doing" and may be looking for opportunities to stretch their skills$ Dither way" it)s your responsibility to de%elop all of your people$ Your skills in this aspect of management will define your long'term success as a manager$ !f you can help team members to become better at what they do" you)ll be someone that people aspire to work for" and you)ll make a great contribution to your organi*ation" too$ &he most effecti%e way of de%eloping your people is to ensure that you gi%e regular +eed*ack to members of your team$ Many of us are ner%ous of gi%ing feedback" especially when it has to be negati%e$ Howe%er" if you gi%e and accept feedback regularly" e%eryone)s performance will impro%e$ (eyond this" our article on 5nderstandin, 6e.elopmental Needs will help you de%elop indi%idual team members" so that they can perform at their best$

'ip: !f you ha%e to bring a substantial number of new people into your team" read our article on +ormin,- stormin,- normin, and per+ormin, 1 this e#plains the stages you can e#pect your team to go through$ You can do a lot to help your people through this process2 Hommunicating and ,orking ,ith Your &eam 1 and ,ith /thers Hommunication skills are essential for success in almost any role" but there are particular skills and techni+ues that you)ll use more as a manager than you did as a regular worker$ &hese fall under two headings6 communicating with team members" and communicating with people outside your team$ ,e)ll look at each in turn$ Hommunicating ,ith Ieople in Your &eam As a team manager" you)re likely to be chairing regular sessions as well as one'off meetings$ Meeting of all kinds" and regular ones in particular" are notorious for wasting people)s time" so it)s well worth mastering the skill of runnin, e++ecti.e meetin,s$ Many meetings include *rainstormin, sessions$ As a team manager" you)ll often ha%e to +acilitate these" so you)ll need to be comfortable with doing this$ &here)s more to this than simply coming up with creati%e ideas" as you do when you)re 9ust a regular participant in such a session6 read our article to find out how to run brainstorming sessions$ Make sure that you understand where they can go wrong" and what you can do to a%oid this$ Acti.e listenin, is another important skill for managers 1 and others 1 to master$ ,hen you)re in charge" it can be easy to think that you know what others are going to say" or that listening is less important" because you)%e thought of a solution anyway$ Fon)t fall into this trap$ Most good managers are acti%e listeners6 it helps them detect problems early >while they)re still easy to deal with?" a%oid costly misunderstandings" and build trust within their teams$ Hommunicating ,ith Ieople /utside Your &eam Your boss is probably the most important person you need to communicate with$ &ake time to understand fully what your boss wants from you and your team 1 if you know e#actly what she likes" and how she prefers this to be deli%ered" you)ll be better able to meet with her appro%al$ Fon)t be afraid to ask your boss to coach or mentor you6 you can usually learn a lot from him" but he may not be proacti%e about offering this$ !f you)re approaching your boss for ad%ice" make sure you)%e thought things through as far as you can$ !ntroduce the sub9ect with a summary of your thinking" and then say where you need help$ Also" as a manager" part of your 9ob is to look after your team and protect it from unreasonable pressure$ Nearn skills like asserti.eness and win;win ne,otiation" so that you can either turn work away" or negotiate additional resources$ Another part of your 9ob is to manage the way that your team interacts with other groups$ Ese stakeholder anal:sis to identify the groups that you need to deal with$ &hen talk to these people to find out what they want from you" and what they can do to help you$ Managing Fiscipline Howe%er much you hope that you won)t ha%e to do it" there comes a time in most managers) careers when they ha%e to discipline an employee$ Fiscipline may be subtly different from basic feedback" because it doesn)t always relate specifically to the employee)s work$ You can gi%e feedback on their phone manner" for e#ample" but handling problems with timekeeping or personal grooming can need a different approach$ /b%ious breaches of the law or of company policy are easy to identify and deal with$ (ut what of other situations? /n one hand you don)t want to seem petty$ /n the other hand" you can)t let things go that should be dealt with$ Ese these rules'of'thumb to decide whether you need to take action$ !f the answer to any is yes" then you need to arrange a time to speak to the employee in pri%ate$ C$ :$ Foes the issue affect the +uality of the employee)s deli%erable to the client >internal or e#ternal?? 5A graphic designer regularly gets in to work late" although he stays late to make up for this$ Hustomers are sometimes frustrated by not being able to get through to him at the start of the day" particularly when he)s working on rush 9obs$5

C$ :$ C$ :$

Foes the issue ad%ersely impact the cohesi%eness of the team? 5!ndi%idual designers tend to work on their own pro9ects" with few meetings between design team members" so cohesi%eness is not impacted$ Howe%er people are noticing his lack of punctuality" and other people)s timekeeping is beginning to slip$5 Foes the issue unnecessarily undermine the interests of other indi%iduals in the team? 5&he designer sitting ne#t to the latecomer is unhappy that she has to field calls from clients before he reaches the office" and is unable to gi%e a firm answer to the +uestion ),hen will he be in?)5 !n this situation" the design team manager decides to speak to the latecomer because of the impact on his co'worker$ &hey agree that coming in to work late is not a problem >he has a long commute" with hea%y traffic en route? but that he will commit to being in by L$A; a$m$ e%ery day to reduce the number of calls his co'worker has to field" and also gi%e her a fi#ed time to gi%e clients$ He will work late to make up time" and will take on a task she doesn)t like to make up for her e#tra phone handling$ ,hen you are faced with a potential discipline issue" take time to gather information about the situation" decide what you)re going to do" and act$ Fiscipline issues rarely go away of their own accord" and they usually get worse" often causing considerable resentment amongst other team members$ &raps to A%oid &here are a number of common mistakes that new managers tend to make$ &ake care to a%oid them2 &hese are6

&hinking that you can rely on your e#isting 9ob knowledge and technical skills to succeed as a manager$ !t is essential that you take the time to de%elop good management and people skills as well 1 these can often be more important than your technical skills2 Bailing to consult regularly with your boss" in a misguided attempt to show that you can cope on your own$ Approaching your boss without ha%ing thought a problem through" and without ha%ing considered how the problem could be sol%ed$ Dmbarrassing your boss" or letting her get a nasty surprise$ Bollow the 5no surprises5 rule2 Foing anything that re+uires your boss to defend you to others$ &his can cause your boss to 5lose face5 with his peers and superiors" and it makes it look as if his team is out of control$ Bailing to talk to your customers >whether internal or e#ternal? about what they want from yourself and your team$ Esing your authority inappropriately 1 make sure that e%erything you ask people to do is in the interests of the organi*ation$ Many of these points sound ob%ious" howe%er it)s incredibly easy to make these mistakes in the rush of e%eryday managerial life$ Mey Ioints ,hen you mo%e from being a worker to a line manager" you need to de%elop a new set of skills" and make use of new tools and techni+ues$ &hese will help you with the key management acti%ities of organi*ing" moti%ating" de%eloping and communicating with your team$ Abo%e all" learn how to delegate effecti%ely$ Howe%er" also learn how to moti%ate people" de%elop team members" communicate effecti%ely with people inside and outside your team" and manage discipline effecti%ely$ And make sure that you a%oid the mistakes that many new managers make2 &his site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career7 and this is 9ust one of many tools and resources that you)ll find here at 9ind 'ools$ Hlick here for more" subscribe to our +ree newsletter" or *ecome a mem*er

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_92.htm#sthash.t%ow&'().dp#$

How Good Are Your Ieople Skills?

Soft skills enhance your technical skills$ iStockphoto/peepo

!n almost all 9obs" your people skills 1 also known as 5soft skills5 1 ha%e as much of an impact on your success as your technical skills$ &hat)s especially true when you)re in a management or leadership role$ &he importance of ha%ing solid people skills transcends industry and profession7 so" whether you lead people" aspire to lead people" or work within a team of professionals" you need to apply people skills to achie%e your ob9ecti%es$ So" how good are your people skills? &ake this short +ui* to assess your current skill le%els$ /nce you)%e answered these +uestions" we can then point you toward specific tools and resources that you can use to de%elop and impro%e this important area of competency$ How Good Are Your Ieople Skills? &ake the online test below" and click the 5Halculate my total5 button at the foot of the test to assess your people skills$ Instructions: For each statement, click the button in 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'. When you are finished, please click the ' alculate !y "otal' button at the bottom of the test.
-ot Some .arely /ften at All times 0ery /ften

1# Statements to Answer

1 ! make sure that ! display

the same standards of beha%ior that ! e#pect from other people$ wait until !)%e obser%ed enough incidents of a beha%ior to make a generali*ed statement that is accurate$

2 ,hen pro%iding feedback" !

1# Statements to Answer

-ot Some .arely /ften at All times

0ery /ften

! go along with others) decisions rather than in9ect my ideas into the mi#$

! ! say 5thank you5 to the


people ! work with$

" Furing times of conflict !

think about how to preser%e the relationship and still get my needs met$ someone" ! ha%e composed my answer before they ha%e finished speaking$ and do what is necessary to get ahead$ percei%e a problem or issue$

# ,hile acti%ely talking with

$ ! look out for myself at work % ! think about how others & ! speak first" and think later$ 10 ! collaborate with others to
sol%e problems using a %ariety of problem sol%ing tools and techni+ues$

11 ! cause more harm than

good when trying to resol%e a conflict$ feedback" ! ask him or her to pro%ide e#amples so that ! can better understand the issue$ ! pay attention to other people)s body language$

12 ,hen someone gi%es me

1! ,here team agreement is

necessary" ! figure out the best solution to a problem and then e#plain why it)s the right decision$ needs" decide what ! want to say and then figure out the best way to say it$

1" ! study my audiences)

1# Statements to Answer

-ot Some .arely /ften at All times

0ery /ften

1# ! make sure e%eryone

knows about my contribution to a positi%e outcome$

'otal ( 0
Score !nterpretation Score )omment Your technical skills may ha%e taken precedence o%er your people skills in your career to date$ You aren)t making the most of the relationships you ha%e at work" and this may be limiting your career growth$ !t)s time to assess how you can work better with others in the workplace and de%elop a more collaborati%e" understanding" and open approach to getting your needs met 1 while still achie%ing team and organi*ational ob9ecti%es$ >.ead *elow to start$? You recogni*e that working well with others in the workplace is important7 and you are trying to work collaborati%ely while still making sure your needs are met$ &here is room for impro%ement" howe%er" as old habits may creep in during times of stress and pressure$ Make a plan to work acti%ely on your people skills so that they form the natural basis for how you approach workplace relationships$ >.ead *elow to start$?

C=1 A=

A@1 GJ

Your people skills are good$ You understand the gi%e and take in%ol%ed in comple# issues in%ol%ing people$ You might not always approach situations perfectly" howe%er you ha%e a sufficiently good understanding to know when and where you need to take steps to rectify things$ Meep working on your people skills" and set an e#ample for the rest of your team$ And take some time to work on the specific areas *elow where you GL1 J; lost points$ &he +ui* assesses your skills according to the four main themes below$ .e%iew your scores for each theme" and read more where you need to$ !nterpersonal Hommunication Skills >Kuestions =" L" CA" CG? Many people spend more time working with other people than they do with processes or products$ &his means that they need to communicate well with others" and this makes communication skills some of the most important skills in the workplace$ Some of the key communication stumbling block to be aware of include6

9essa,e *arriers: &hese occur when the person communicating fails to communicate clearly$ !f you find that you often confuse people" then a good starting point for fi#ing this is to figure out what you want to say$ Fo you want to persuade? Are you trying to moti%ate? Are you simply informing? /r are you attempting to build a relationship? &he purpose of your communication will largely determine what you say and how you say it" and our article

on )ommunications 0lannin, shows you how to prepare for a %ariety of communication e#changes$ /ecei.in, *arriers: &hese barriers occur on the recei%er)s end of the communication" and they typically result from ineffecti%e listening$ ,e hear and understand faster than we speak" and this can lead to boredom and a wandering mind when on the listening end of communication$ &o combat this you should try to listen acti%ely to what the speaker is saying$ ,hen you engage acti%e listening you respond in a way that makes it clear that you understand the feelings and intent of the speaker$ !n our article Acti.e Listenin," you)ll find some useful guidelines to follow when you are on the recei%ing end of communication$ 6ecodin, *arriers: Here the real message is not fully grasped or translated because of misperceptions" misinterpretations or missing information$ &he most common problem here is with mismatched non'%erbal communication$ A lot of non'%erbal communication is unconscious 1 meaning that the sender isn)t aware of the messages he or she is sending" yet these messages can re%eal a great deal of someone)s true thoughts$ !f you can learn to understand people)s non'%erbal communication" you can impro%e your people skills significantly$ /ur article on 3od: Lan,ua,e will show you how to understand other people)s non'%erbal communication 1 and manage your own$ Bor more on impro%ing your communication skills see the )ommunicateA Nearning Stream" and %isit our )ommunication Skills main page$ Managing Fifferences >Kuestions A" G" J" CC? Ieople can seem to disagree about almost anything 1 what caused a problem" how to sol%e it" what %alues are right" what %alues are wrong" what goals should be pursued7 the list goes on2 /n top of this" you ha%e the personal" non'9ob'related differences between people that lead to ob%ious differences in outlook and approach$ (ecause of this" respecting and managing the differences between people can be one of the most important skills you can de%elop2 !ndeed" it can be a huge ad%antage if you learn to celebrate and en9oy differences" and make them work to your ad%antage$ Mey to this is recogni*ing that" in many cases" conflict is not 5bad5$ !n fact" conflict often causes significant" positi%e change$ !t spawns creati%e and no%el approaches to problem sol%ing" and can actually impro%e organi*ational performance if managed properly$ !n our article on /esol.in, 'eam )on+lict" we discuss how you can build stronger teams by facing and embracing personal differences$ And then" with our )on+lict /esolution tool" we outline how to use the !nterest'(ased .elational >!(.? approach for sol%ing interpersonal issues$ (oth of these articles outline how you can emerge from conflict with strong and healthy relationships$ ,hen resol%ing conflict" it helps a lot if you can understand other people)s needs and points of %iew 1 this can often help you find solutions that may otherwise not ha%e occurred to you$ And when you take the time to understand another person)s perspecti%e" you are demonstrating your willingness to work together to find a solution$ /ur articles on Bmpath: at 8ork and 0erceptual 0ositions can help you de%elop this aspect of people skills$ &hese help you to adopt different %antage points when resol%ing differences$ Binally" you need to be appropriately asserti%e if you)re going to manage differences effecti%ely$ Aggression is clearly counter'producti%e if you)re trying to resol%e conflict" but also" if you fail to recogni*e your own needs in a situation" you run the risk of agreeing to a solution that works against your own interests$ Again" it)s important to remember that differences aren)t necessarily negati%e" so suppressing your thoughts and ideas 9ust to come to an easy agreement isn)t effecti%e or efficient$ You can read more about asserti.eness in our article here$ And our piece Yes to the 0erson- No to the 'ask is a useful approach to use in e%eryday situations where you need to manage differences asserti%ely and effecti%ely$ Managing Agreement >Kuestions :" C;" C:" C<? ,hile managing differences may be an ob%ious application of people skills" managing agreement may not seem to be$ Howe%er" helping people come to an agreement with one' another is important" and re+uires a great deal of skill2

5Synergy5 is one of the most important things that you)re looking for with teamwork$ &his is where the team)s output is better or greater than the sum of each indi%idual)s input$ &o achie%e synergy" you need to get people working together collaborati%ely$ !f you)%e e%er participated in a team decision'making process" you probably reali*e that reaching a decision by yourself can be much more straightforward2 &he problem with indi%idual decision'making" though" is that you miss out on all of the insights that other people can gi%e$ ,ith strong people skills" you don)t need to back away from collaborati%e situations6 you can approach team meetings with a genuinely positi%e attitude2 'ip: ,hen you)re engaging in group decision'making" make sure you a%oid the common pitfalls$ See our article on Groupthink for more2 Iart of this in%ol%es feeling comfortable with different kinds of +uestions" and with when to use them" and how$ !n our article on 2uestionin, 'echniCues" we look at open and closed +uestions" as well as other common types of +uestion that you can use to keep con%ersation flowing and get the specific information you need$ As well as this" it)s useful to ha%e a good selection of pro*lem sol.in, tools in your arsenal$ ,hen you are confident in your ability to find solutions you will be more likely to participate in these con%ersations and add %alue to your team$ !n our article 7penin, )losed 9inds" we show you how to get your point across effecti%ely" so that you can reach the agreement you are seeking$ &hese types of tools will gi%e you the confidence you need to confront differences" knowing that you can also manage the agreement side of the e+uation$ Another aspect of managing agreement relates to feedback$ ,hen gi%en poorly" people re9ect feedback6 it)s %iewed as destructi%e criticism" and it can damage relationships$ Feli%ered well" howe%er" feedback can lead to an impro%ed understanding of one another)s needs and perspecti%es" as well as impro%ing performance and producti%ity$ ,e look at this in detail in our article" Gi.in, and /ecei.in, @eed*ack$ Also" in our article looking at the Dohari 8indow we outline a great techni+ue for increasing interpersonal understanding through self' disclosure$ &he bottom line is that" to de%elop strong people skills" you need to be able to accept what others are saying and learn from this$ -ot only will this help you personally" it will help you relate openly and honestly with others$ Iersonal !ntegrity >Kuestions C" <" @" C=? !ntegrity is the cornerstone of people skills$ !ntegrity means basic honesty and truthfulness when dealing with others$ !t also means working with people openly" and in such a way that people)s interests aren)t compromised for the sake of the team or the organi*ation$ (asic courtesies like saying Pthank you5 often" and gi%ing credit where it is due" are the types of people'oriented beha%iors that can make all of the difference to other people$ ,hether you are in a leadership position or not" recogni*ing your teammates) contributions and acknowledging their efforts will go a long way towards creating a positi%e" harmonious" and producti%e team climate$ /ur articles on /ewardin, Your 'eam" Leadin, *: B4ample" and Bthical Leadership are all great resources that help you learn how to beha%e with integrity on a daily basis$ Mey Ioints6 ,ith well'de%eloped people skills" you can communicate effecti%ely on an interpersonal le%el7 manage conflict positi%ely7 work producti%ely with others to find solutions and reach agreement7 and work with integrity and ethics to moti%ate and inspire others$ &hese are all skills that can be learned and de%eloped$ D%en the most technically'oriented worker can begin to incorporate people skills in his or her work setting$ (est of all" people skills are not limited to the workplace$ ,hen worked on acti%ely" they will enrich all aspects of your professional and personal life$

&his site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career7 and this is 9ust one of many tools and resources that you)ll find here at 9ind 'ools$ Hlick here for more" subscribe to our +ree newsletter" or *ecome a mem*er for 9ust QC$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_*+.htm#sthash.(,%hT-.9.dp#$ Se%en Surprises for -ew Managers Hommon Management Misconceptions

Nearn how to deal with these common surprises$ iStockphoto/sgame

Most new managers and leaders know that things will change once they)re the boss" and that they)ll ha%e to apply a different set of skills to be successful in their new role$ Howe%er" despite being prepared for the challenges ahead" new managers can come unstuck in une#pected ways$ Michael Iorter" Ray Norsch" and -itin -ohria e#plored common misconceptions about management in a :;;< Har%ard (usiness .e%iew article titled" 5&he Se%en &hings &hat Surprise -ew HD/s$5 Although they based their article on their obser%ations from workshops for new HD/s" you can apply their findings to other management roles as well$ !n this article" we)ll take a closer look at each of the se%en surprises" and we)ll help you to be more prepared for them in your role" whether you)re managing an organi*ation" a department" or a small team$ Surprise /ne6 You Han)t .un the Hompany or Fepartment As a new manager" you first need to reali*e that you can)t be directly in%ol%ed in e%ery pro9ect that your team is working on" and that you can)t ha%e a direct influence on e%erything that happens within it$ So your perspecti%e has to shift from getting things done yourself" to getting things done through other people$ >&his sounds ob%ious ' but many new managers struggle with this2?

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/se/en-s#rprises.htm#sthash.)w0/mn'0.dp#$

Management (y ,andering Around >M(,A? Staying in &ouch with Your &eam

Manage better by getting to know members of your team in their working en%ironment$ iStockphoto

Iicture a boss in a la%ish office with sumptuous leather furniture and wood'paneled walls$ He)s sitting behind a huge desk full of important work that needs his attention$ He)s far too busy to be concerned with anything outside his office walls6 there)s enough happening within2 &his type of boss can be intimidating and unapproachable$ Yet" this is a common scenario in many organi*ations$ ,hat type of boss would you like to be? Fo you want to be remote and bask in your own importance? /r do you want to know what)s happening out there 5in the trenches5? As a boss" you can be admired for your wisdom" knowledge and e#pertise without being distant and disconnected$ !f you build a wall around yourself" your team may not gain from your e#perience" and this can undermine problem sol%ing and decision making$ (eing connected can be a ma9or factor for success6 &he more connected you are" the better you can understand what moti%ates members of your team" analy*e what)s really going on" and find solutions that meet the needs of your people and your company$ !ntroducing M(,A$$$ &o get connected and stay connected" you need to walk around and talk to your team" work alongside them" ask +uestions" and be there to help when needed$ &his practice has been called Management (y ,andering Around >or Management (y ,alking About? 1 M(,A for short$ ,illiam Hewlett and Fa%id Iackard" founders of Hewlett Iackard >HI?" famously used this approach in their company$ &om Ieters" in his wildly successful CLJ: book 5!n Search of D#cellence"5 included lessons learned from HI and other companies that used a similar style 1 and the term M(,A immediately became popular$ ,hat M(,A Han Achie%e Since then" Management (y ,andering Around has ne%er really gone out of fashion$ !f you use M(,A" you can increase the following6

Approacha*ilit: 1 ,hen your staff sees you as a person and not 9ust a boss" they)ll be more likely to tell you what)s going on$ You)ll get the chance to learn about issues before they become problems$ 'rust 1 As your team gets to know you better" they)ll trust you more$ You)ll be naturally inclined to share more information" and that will break down barriers to communication$ 3usiness knowled,e 1 Getting out and learning what)s happening on a daily basis can gi%e you a better understanding of the functions and processes around you$ Accounta*ilit: 1 ,hen you interact daily with your team" agreements you make with each other are much more likely to be completed$ D%eryone is more moti%ated to follow through" because you)re seeing each other on a regular basis$

9orale 1 Ieople often feel better about their 9obs and their organi*ation when they ha%e opportunities to be heard$ M(,A makes those opportunities a%ailable$ 0roducti.it: 1 Many creati%e ideas come from casual e#changes$ M(,A promotes casual discussions" so people will more likely feel free to come to you with their ideas$ Fespite its ob%ious benefits" use of M(,A has been hit'and'miss$ &o be successful" it takes more than simply strolling through your office" warehouse" or production facility$ M(,A isn)t a 5walk in the park56 !t)s a determined and genuine effort to understand your staff" what they do" and what you can do to make their work more effecti%e$ Fon)t 9ust do M(,A because you feel it)s an obligation 1 this probably won)t work %ery well$ You ha%e to truly want to get to know your staff and operations" and you ha%e to commit to following up concerns and seeking continuous impro%ement$ How to !mplement M(,A &hese 5wandering around5 tips can help you get started6

/ela4 1 Ieople will sense your genuineness and casualness" and they)ll respond accordingly$ Stiff" formal con%ersation will probably lead to e+ually rigid responses$ Listen and o*ser.e more than :ou talk 1 Ese acti%e listening with your staff$ ,hen people feel you)re hearing them" you)ll probably seem more sincere$ .ead some pointers on acti.e listenin,$ Ask +or +eed*ack and ideas 1 Net e%eryone know that you want ideas to make things better$ As the boss" people may think that your opinions and ideas are 5right$5 So hold back from saying what you think 1 the goal is to see what others ha%e to say$ 8ander around eCuall: 1 Fon)t spend more time in one department or section than another$ And don)t always talk to the same people" or to people with certain ranks$ You want to be approachable to e%eryone" regardless of 9ob title or position$ 5se the time +or spontaneous reco,nition 1 !f you see something good" compliment the person$ &his is a perfect way to show your gratitude$ Hold meetin,s Eout and a*outE 1 !nstead of ha%ing all your meetings in the boardroom or your office" meet with people in their work areas and 5on their turf$5 &his can put them more at ease$ Hommunicate your e#pectations and needs so that e%eryone knows what you %alue$ 6on?t use this time to <ud,e or critiCue 1 &his can make people ner%ous when you)re around$ !f you see something that concerns you" talk to the person later" in pri%ate$ Answer Cuestions openl: and honestl: 1 !f you don)t know an answer" find out and then follow up$ !f you can)t share something" say so$ &elling half'truths can break down trust$ )ommunicate 1 Share company goals" philosophy" %alues" and %ision$ Your 5walk' arounds5 are opportunities to mutually share information that helps e%eryone understand and do their 9obs better$ )hat 1 Dffecti%e organi*ations aren)t all about work" work" work$ (uild relationships$ Nearn the names of your staff)s kids$ Bind out what they lo%e to do or where they)re going on %acation$ Roke" laugh" and ha%e fun$ You may be surprised at how great it feels to relate on a personal le%el with the people in your office$ 6on?t o.erdo it 1 Fon)t lea%e people feeling that you)re always looking o%er their shoulders2 ,ander around often enough to get a good feel for what)s going on" but not so often that your presence feels like a mundane distraction$ Note: &o implement M(,A throughout your company" consider making it one element of your managers) performance e%aluations$ ,hat gets measured gets done2 !f super%isors work far away from the staff they manage" consider mo%ing them" or gi%ing them a second office that)s closer to where the work is done$ !f managers work near their staff" they may be more approachable$

Mey Ioints Management (y ,andering Around can be an effecti%e and practical way to keep up with what)s happening within your team and your organi*ation$

Make the effort to get out and build relationships with your staff$ &his can pay off significantly with the information you)ll gather and the trust you)ll build$ A team spirit can naturally de%elop when you show a genuine interest in your people and their work$ !t)s also a great way to keep the company)s %ision ali%e at all le%els$ !t)s easy" economical$ and a whole lot of fun2 Apply &his to Your Nife How can you use Management (y ,andering Around to help you achie%e your leadership goals? Ask yourself the following6

,hen was the last time you walked around your office or department? ,hy did you walk around? ,ere you looking for things that people were doing poorly or doing well? ,ere you using it as an opportunity to critici*e or learn? ,here do you usually hold your meetings? !f you use your office or your boardroom" do you think your staff finds that intimidating? Fo you know the first and last names of all your team members? &his is a must$ (etter yet" you should learn the names of their spouses and kids$ Fo you know more about a small group of your staff %s$ all staff" or more about one department %s$ others? ,hy ha%e you been focusing your attention on 9ust those people? Fo you think the rest of the staff sees this as fa%oritism? Fo colleagues come to you with ideas? &hink about the creati%ity and inno%ation you could tap into if they did$ Many of these tips were suggested by Hlub members" who discussed M(,A in the Hareer Hafe forum$ So thanks again to Shackledog" lulu" wee*e" and chepkemoi2

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_12.htm#sthash.'2*3r$44.dp#$

Supporting Your Ieople Helping &eam Members Achie%e

Gi%e your team members the right support$ iStockphoto/peepo

!magine that you)%e arri%ed at work raring to go" but your laptop takes :; minutes to boot up because of configuration problems$ Nater" your eyes are sore because your desk lamp is flickering" and you ha%e to wear your coat in the office because the heat is out 1 again$ Ilus" you need help" but key administration positions in your department are still %acant$ And you can)t find a stapler anywhere2 Although this is an e#treme e#ample" most of us know how frustrating and stressful it can be to work without the right support 1 that is" without the help" tools" and resources we need to do our 9obs effecti%ely$

!f you)re in a management role" then one of your most important responsibilities is to ensure that members of your team ha%e e%erything they need to work safely" comfortably" and producti%ely$ !n this article" we)ll e#amine what you can do to make that happen$

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/s#pporting-0o#rpeople.htm#sthash./r%0hr55.dp#$

Feming)s System of /rgani*ational Mnowledge Enderstanding Your /rgani*ation (Also known as Deming's System of Profound Knowledge)

Make sure that you)re heading in the right direction$ iStockphoto/Bertographer

(ecause of recent budget cuts" Ranet asked her assistant to find the cheapest flights and rental cars whene%er he)s organi*ing trips$ Howe%er" problems +uickly surfaced from this seemingly innocuous goal$ &he cheapest flights in%ol%ed se%eral layo%ers" which meant that salespeople were arri%ing at client offices feeling tired" bruised" and demorali*ed$ &his affected their performance$ &hen" if they took a client out for dinner" they were forced to dri%e them in a budget rental car" which diminished their reputation$ Sales were starting to fall$ &his simple e#ample highlights what can happen when you don)t fully understand how team ob9ecti%es relate to the o%erall goals of your organi*ation$ Although Ranet)s assistant was meeting his ob9ecti%e of sa%ing money" it was affecting the company)s o%erall performance$ &his is where Feming)s System of /rgani*ational Mnowledge is useful$ &his model helps you think about your organi*ation from a general perspecti%e" so that you can meet your team)s ob9ecti%es in a way that is consistent with your organi*ation)s goals$

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/deming-s0stem.htm#sthash.',6ji9pi.dp#$

&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$

Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$

'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and

deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$

You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder

anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious

Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be?

Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change?

,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$

Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$

Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full

picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on

processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$

Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$

'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$

Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$

Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$

'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and

deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$

You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder

anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious

Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be?

Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change?

,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$

Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$

Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full

picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on

processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$

Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$

'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$

Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$

Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$

'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and

deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$

You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder

anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious

Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be?

Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change?

,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$

Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$

Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full

picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on

processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$

Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$

'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$

Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$

Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$

'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and

deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$

You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder

anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious

Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$ Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be?

Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change?

,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6

C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$

Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$

Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsibility-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.OorHNM5X.dp !&aking .esponsibility in a -ew Neadership .ole &aking Hontrol of Your Accountabilities

As a leader" you)re responsible for ensuring that your organi*ation does the right things$ iStockphoto/SochAnam

Sarah has 9ust been appointed HD/ of her organi*ation" and she)s feeling e#cited but an#ious$ &he realities of her new 9ob ha%e hit home$ She is no longer simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets$ She is now responsible for making sure that her organi*ation is doing what it)s meant to do" and for ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things" in the right way$ &hat)s a lot to be accountable for$ So" how can she make sure that e%erything is /M? !n this article" we)ll look how you can be truly responsible for your organi*ation)s work" right from the start$ Note: ,e focus on new organi*ational leaders in this article$ Howe%er" you can also follow some of these steps if you)re new to a departmental or team leader role$ ,hat is .esponsibility? &he Merriam',ebster Fictionary defines being responsible as being 5liable to be called to account$5 As a leader" you)re responsible for e%erything that happens in your organi*ation" and you)ll +uite rightly be held accountable for e%erything that happens" good or bad$ You need to +uestion the decisions and processes that hold your organi*ation together" and the conse+uences of not doing this can be se%ere$ !t)s no e#cuse to say that you didn)t know what was going on" or that you weren)t personally in%ol%ed 1 the buck stops with you$ -ew leaders are especially %ulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations$ &hey may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures" or simply be too o%erwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to +uestion$ &his is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from within6 they may make assumptions about their organi*ation based on their pre%ious roles" they may feel loyal to pre%ious leaders) decisions" and they may fail to see the 5bigger picture5 that a leader needs$ Bull responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on" and it can feel o%erwhelming$ Howe%er" leaders who plan for this responsibility right from the start >that is" when they accept the 9ob? ha%e a far greater chance of success than those who take a more 5laisse>;+aire5 approach$

Note: ,ithin this article" we)ll focus on mo%ing into a new role$ Howe%er" taking responsibility is an ongoing process" and you should think about these steps as often as you feel necessary$ How to &ake .esponsibility &o fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your organi*ation)s actions" you need to build an accurate understanding of the organi*ation" and of what)s going on within it$ Bollow the steps below to build and maintain this$ C$ Enderstand and Honfirm Your /rgani*ation)s Mission Your first step is to re'e#amine what your organi*ation aims to do$ /f course" it will ha%e a mission statement and other documents that outline its remit" and you should look at these as your first step$ Howe%er" it pays to reflect on this mission statement" and to consider how faithfully it represents the purpose of the organi*ation$ !s it still correct? And is it likely to moti%ate people to beha%e in the right way? !f you ha%e doubts" then you need to clarify these" one way or another$ :$ Analy*e .isks /nce you understand what you)re trying to achie%e" you need to think about what could go wrong$ How could your organi*ation let people down" and what would the conse+uences be? Honduct a risk anal:sis to identify potential problems and their conse+uences$ &his e#ercise can be time'consuming as you)ll need to dig deep into potential issues" but it will yield powerful information$ (y considering all le%els of risk" you)ll also gain a good grasp of the many different roles and processes within your organi*ation" as well as the potential risks in%ol%ed in each$ 'ip 1: Some of this groundwork for this analysis can be done before you step into your new role$ !f possible" spend time with the outgoing leader before his or her last day" and ha%e an honest con%ersation about both the role and the organi*ation$ &his will gi%e you a good understanding of problems that ha%e already happened" the ways that crises ha%e been a%erted" and the pressures on different colleagues$ 'ip 2: !t)s likely that you)ll need to look outside your organi*ation for many of the risks that might occur$ Bor e#ample" your team may be affected by key customers) decisions" or" in non'profit or go%ernment organi*ations" by those of e#ternal funders or go%ernment bodies$ ,hile you can)t know how these groups will beha%e" you can look for patterns" and you can scan your en%ironment to a%oid unpleasant surprises$ A$ Enderstand Mey Stakeholders ,ho holds the real power o%er your organi*ation? ,ho does it ser%e? ,ho controls the resources that you need" and how do they make decisions? Honduct a stakeholder anal:sis to identify the people whose %iews matter most" so that you can find out 5what makes them tick$5 Fo your best to forge meaningful connections with these people" early on$ !f you can" call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open con%ersation$ ,hat is their e#perience with your organi*ation" and what issues are they most concerned about? !n particular" talk to key internal and e#ternal clients$ ,hat problems are they facing? ,hat)s working well? &hese early con%ersations will help you identify problems that you may need to address +uickly$ <$ Enderstand Irocesses" 0alues" Hulture" and Management Structure -e#t" conduct a thorough re%iew of your organi*ation$ &his is likely to be a substantial pro9ect" and you may need to assign members of your team to help you with it$ Your aim is to get a full

picture of how your organi*ation)s processes" people" culture" %alues" and management structure help or hinder its ability to deli%er what your customers e#pect$ &hen e#plore the key functions of your organi*ation in detail$ Nook at roles and responsibilities" work flows" information and budget management processes" and ongoing pro9ects$ Nook for e%idence that procedures are being followed 1 and that they)re working$ Hulture and %alues also play a huge part of how your organi*ation ser%es its customers$ Nook at how these affect processes" and at how they may need to change to make your organi*ation more successful$ 'ip: &he 9cFinse: $S @ramework can help you identify different elements of your organi*ation" and to think about how they relate to one'another$ G$ Audit and .e%iew !nternal Systems You need to ensure that the information you rely on is correct and comprehensi%e$ &his means that you can monitor your organi*ation effecti%ely to ensure that it)s doing what it should do$ Ask +uestions such as6

,hen were the organi*ation)s accounting systems last audited? ,hat were the conclusions? Are there any issues with the accounting system that)s in use? !f so" what needs to change? ,hat people'related problems could there be? ,hat risks do these present? ,hat risk management systems are used? And do these report effecti%ely on the risks you)%e identified? Are goals and targets appropriate" and are they likely to moti%ate the beha%iors that you want? !s management information useful" appropriate" accurate" and robust? And how well does it monitor deli%ery of the organi*ation)s mission? =$ Hhallenge Your Bindings -ow it)s time to compare your risk analysis with the information that you)%e gathered about how your organi*ation works$ &his comparison will help you see if reality di%erges from what has been planned$ Kuestion e%erything" and use common sense$ Bor e#ample" look for the following6

&eams with e#cessi%e workloads6 ,hat do members of these teams not ha%e time to do? ,hat risks does this present? How does this affect the organi*ation)s mission? /utcomes that seem 5too good to be true56 Are corners being cut? (ottlenecks that could cause serious delays6 ,hat are the implications of these? !nefficient work flows6 !s effort being spent at the wrong stage of a process? Fepartments with high staff turno%er or sickness6 Are there management or process problems in these departments? @$ (e Honstantly Hurious Your work doesn)t stop once you)%e made sure that current procedures are working$ You must continue to scan for new problems" and pre%ent them from escalating$ (uild time into your schedule to do this$ Nook for the right balance between micromana,ement and staying informed about people" e%ents" and trends$ Also" it)s likely that you)ll ha%e additional representational responsibilities" now that you)re in a leadership role 1 for e#ample" you may ha%e e%ent organi*ers clamoring for your time$ So" prioriti>e these demands carefully so that you can respond to sudden demands on your time$ &his way" you)ll be better placed to mana,e crises calmly$ And remember the idea of mana,ement *: wanderin, around$ &his is an effecti%e way of gathering information from your colleagues on a rolling basis" including getting feedback on

processes" workloads" and customer e#pectations$ 0isiting all parts of your organi*ation also builds trust" so that colleagues are more likely to report problems to you before they escalate$ Nast" schedule brief but regular meetings with your team to discuss issues" trends" and risks$ ,ork out which matters you e#pect to be kept informed about 1 these could be issues that are problematic" or that are high'risk or fast'paced 1 and ask for regular updates on these$ Mey Ioints ,hen you step into a new organi*ational leadership role" you)ll be shouldering a lot more responsibility than you)re used to$ You)re no longer simply in charge of meeting targets and deadlines6 you now ha%e an obligation to many groups of stakeholders to make sure that e%erything appropriate is being done to deli%er your organi*ation)s mission" safely and reliably$ &o prepare yourself to meet your new responsibilities" follow these steps >among others that you may identify?6 C$ :$ A$ <$ G$ =$ @$ Enderstand and confirm your organi*ation)s mission$ Analy*e risks$ Enderstand key stakeholders$ Enderstand people" processes" %alues" culture" and the management structure$ Audit and re%iew internal systems$ Hhallenge your findings$ (e constantly curious$ Much of your new role in%ol%es gathering information and assessing it ob9ecti%ely$ Make sure that your schedule is fle#ible enough to cope with sudden problems" and build trust among your colleagues" so that you)ll be best placed to hear about issues early on$ &his is likely to need careful prioriti*ation" but it)s a key part of your new role$

See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/responsi5ilit0-new-leadershiprole.htm#sthash.7or(8M%'.dp#$

(uilding an Dffecti%e &eam Hreating a Iroducti%e and Dfficient Group

Nearn how to put a great team together$ iStockphoto/kycstudio

,hat comes to mind when you think about an effecti%e team? You might picture a team that works seamlessly as a whole$ D%eryone brings uni+ue talents and strengths to the table" no'one is playing politics or bickering" and there)s 9ust enough competiti%e spirit to bring out the best in e%eryone$ ,ork gets done effecti%ely" and e%eryone contributes to the team)s goals$ !t can be a challenge to reach this le%el of effecti%eness if you)re putting together a new team" or if you)re de%eloping an e#isting one$ Howe%er" it)s much easier if you ha%e a plan in place$ &his article highlights a common'sense" step'by'step process for building and maintaining an effecti%e team$

Step C6 Analy*e and Ilan ,hether you)%e been tasked with setting up a new team" or you)re taking o%er an e#isting one" begin by defining the goal of your team$ ,hat is its ultimate purpose? ,hat are your e#pectations? How will your team contribute to your organi*ation)s goals and mission? &hen create a'eam )harter to help clarify your team)s ob9ecti%es$ !f you)re in charge of an e#isting team" and you want to help it function more effecti%ely" take our 'eam B++ecti.eness Assessment$ &his +ui* will help you understand the areas that you need to work on$ - See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/5#ilding-e$$ecti/e-teams.htm#sthash.9&3is:$!.dp#$

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