Self Directed Learning

Hi Everybody,

As a PMP, one has to earn 60 PDUs towards recertification in a cycle.
There are total 5 categories under which one can get PDU.

Out of that, there is one category "2-SDL" which gives PDU for self-directed learning activities for individualized learning events. I am presently reading a book on Primal Leadership(1) from Daniel Goleman. Below is the extract from the said book on Self-directed learning.

Most of the companies use something called Developmental strategy or goal for individuals. This theory is equally applicable in that case too.

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Self-directed learning: Intentionally developing or strengthening an aspect of who you are or who you want to be, or both. This requires first getting a strong image of your ideal self, as well as your real self.

This model of learning was developed by Richard Boyatzis (coauthor of the said book). This learning involves five discoveries. The goal is to use each discovery as a tool for making changes. This has been explained better in the picture below.

1) My ideal self

- Who Do I want to be?

2) My real self

- Who am I? What are my strengths and gaps?

3) My learning agenda

- How I can build on my strengths while reducing my gaps?

4) Experiment and practise

- New behaviors, thoughts, and feelings to the point of mastery.

Practise new leadership skills.

5) Developing supportive and trusting relationship that make change possible.

Although this model is called self-directed learning process, it actually cannot be alone. Others' involvement is a must for lasting change. Self-directed learning is most effective and sustainable when you understand the process of change -and the steps to achieve it-as you go through it.

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Catch you next time,

Mahesh Masurkar, PMP

1: Primal Leadership -Realizing the power of Emotional Intelligence

By Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee

SMILE: A BUSINESS SECRET

A research by Yale University says that cheerfulness and warmth spread most easily among working groups than irritability and depression. This greater diffusion rate for good moods has direct implications for business results. The research also says that mood inadvertently influence how effectively people work. Happy moods boost fairness, cooperation and business performance.

There is something called open-loop nature of the limbic system. Humans rely on connections with other people for their emotional stability. This open-loop limbic system helps to foster this stability. Laughter demonstrates the power of the open-loop in operation. Hearing laughter, we automatically smile or laugh too, creating a spontaneous chain reaction in a group.

Smile has an irresistible power to make others smile in return. Smiles and laughter plays important role to cement alliances. Laughing represents the shortest distance between two people. It has been proved that good moods create a good work.

The bad mood such as rudeness or anger is the opposite of good mood and it is bad for the business too. Business is benefited by upbeat (happy) moods. A good leader is the one who is able to pitch a group into an enthusiastic, cooperative mood which will ultimately determine the success of the group.
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Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

HI,

Recently, I read a book "Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done".
I will say this is a MUST read book by anybody especially by leadership and top management.
Here is a short summary of the same.
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Execution is not only the biggest issue facing business today; it is something nobody has explained satisfactorily. Execution is a specific set of behaviors and techniques that companies need to master in order to have competitive advantage.

The book is authored by:
Larry Bossidy: The chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, Inc. He also served as a CEO for Allied Signal between 1991 and 1999. He also served in a number of executive positions at the General Electric Company.
Ram Charan: An advisor to CEO’s and senior executives for a broad range of organizations.
Charles Burke

The book provides numerous examples of where execution has both succeeded and failed and calls on Larry Bossidy’s 43 years experience in General Electric extensively.
This book gives a new discipline of execution based on the three core processes for the leadership.

Part I: Need for Execution
Throughout the book, authors have given stress on need for the Execution i.e. How to do part of any planning. Authors have pointed out that most strategies fail as the result of poor execution, and not due to poor strategic planning.

According to authors, execution is a discipline and integral part of any strategy.
It should be the major job of any business leader and he should make sure that this is also a part of his organization culture as well.

Part II: Building Blocks of Execution

According to the authors Execution consist of the following three building blocks:

Building Block 1:
This describes the Leaders Seven Essential Behaviors as:

1) Know your people and your business – Leaders have to live their businesses. In companies that don’t execute, the leaders are usually out of touch with the day-to-day realities. Leaders spend too much time in their offices and too little time with their people where most of the action is taking place.
2) Insist on realism – Realism is the heart of execution, but many organizations are full of people who are trying to avoid or shade reality. To make realism a priority, you start by being realistic yourself and make sure realism is the goal of all dialogues in the organization.
3) Set clear goals and priorities – Leaders who execute focus on a very few clear priorities that everyone can grasp.
4) Follow through – The failure to follow through is wide spread in business, and a major cause of poor execution
5) Reward the doers – If you want people to produce specific results, you reward them according
6) Expand people’s capabilities – Coaching is the single most important part of expanding others’ capabilities.
7) Know yourself – Without what we call emotional fortitude, you can’t be honest with yourself, deal honestly with business and organizational realities, or give people forthright assessments. Emotional fortitude comes from self-discovery and self-mastery. It is the foundation of people skills. There are four core qualities which make up emotional fortitude as Authenticity, Self-awareness, Self-mastery and Humility.

Building Block 2: Creating the Framework for Cultural Change

When a business isn’t going well, its leaders often think about how to change the corporate culture. Author says that the organization software i.e. people’s belief and values are equally important as organizational hardware i.e. strategy and structure.

This involves changing “people’s behavior so that they produce results”, by “linking rewards to performance and making linkages transparent” with Robust Dialogue. Robust dialogue makes an organization effective in gathering and understanding information for the correct decisions. It fosters creativity and ultimately more competitive advantage and shareholder value. Robust dialogue happens when there is open mind and no trapped preconceptions. Informality helps in boosting the robust dialogue.

Building Block 3: The Job no Leader Should Delegate

Having the Right People in the Right Place: It essential to have the right people, especially those in leadership positions, in the right place. The authors believe that leaders should “contribute as much as 40 percent of their time and energy, in one form or another, to selecting, appraising, and developing people.

These are the 3 main building blocks which are the foundation for the three core processes of execution as explained later. These processes are linked to one another and can not be separated.

As per author, “If you have leaders with the right behavior, a culture that rewards execution, and a consistent system for getting right people in the right jobs, the foundation is in place for operating and managing each of the core processes effectively.”

Part III: The Three Core Processes of Execution

Part III discusses the three core processes that require focused management attention to ensure effective execution. The heart of the working of a business is how these processes link together. Leaders need to master the individual processes and the way they work together as a whole. They are the foundation for execution. They are the real differentor between you and your competitors.

The People Process:
“A robust people process does three things. It evaluates individuals accurately and in depth. It provides a framework for identifying and developing the leadership talent – at all levels and of all kinds – the organization will need to execute its strategies down the road. And it fills the leadership pipeline that’s the basis of a strong succession plan.” The people process is regarded by the authors as the most important of all three processes and the devote a large part of the book discussing the importance of candid dialogue required to hold individuals accountable. The key is getting the right people in the right jobs.

The Strategy Process:
“A good strategy planning process also requires the utmost attention to the hows of executing the strategy” The authors emphasis the importance of creating strategies that involve all parties and encourage robust debate, appropriate resources and regular strategic reviews throughout the year.
The Operations Process:
“The strategy process defines where a business wants to go, the people process defines who’s going to get it there. The operating plan provides the path for those people. It breaks long-term output into short-term targets.”
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Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP