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Leadership
Helpful Hints
78
Management
Professional
08/10/2008

Additional Management Flashcards

 


 

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Term
affirmative action
Definition
A hiring policy that requires employers to analyze the work force for under-representation of protected classes. It involves recruiting minorities and members of protected classes, changing management attitudes or prejudices towards them, removing discriminatory employment practices, and giving preferred treatment to protected classes.
Term
assessing
Definition
The process of conducting In Process Reviews (IPRs) and After Action Reviews (AARs). IPRs help to determine initial expectations, ascertain strengths and weakness of both employees and the organization, and identify key issues and organizations whose willing support is needed to accomplish the mission. AARs determine how well the goals are being accomplished, usually by identifying areas to sustain and improve.
Term
attributes
Definition
Characteristics or qualities or properties. Attributes of the leader fall into three categories: mental, physical, and emotional.
Term
authoritarian leadership
Definition
A style of leadership in which the leader tells the employees what needs to be done and how to perform it without getting their advice or ideas.
Term
beliefs
Definition
Assumptions and convictions that a person holds to be true regarding people, concepts, or things.
Term
benchmarking
Definition
The process of measuring the organization's products, services, cost, procedures, etc. against competitors or other organizations that display a "best in class" record.
Term
building
Definition
An activity focused on sustaining and renewing the organization. It involves actions that indicate commitment to the achievement of group or organizational goals: timely and effective discharge of operational and organizational duties and obligations; working effectively with others; compliance with and active support of organizational goals, rules, and policies.
Term
brainstorming
Definition
A technique for teams that is used to generate ideas on a subject. Each person on the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. After the writing session, the ideas are discussed by the team.
Term
capacity
Definition
The capability of a worker, system, or organization to produce output per time period. It can be classified as budgeted, dedicated, demonstrated, productive, protective, rated, safety, or theoretical
Term
character
Definition
The sum total of an individual's personality traits and the link between a person's values and her behavior.
Term
climate
Definition
The short-term phenomenon created by the current junior or senior leaders. Organizational climate is a system of the perception of people about the organization and its leaders, directly attributed to the leadership and management style of the leaders, based on the skills, knowledge and attitude and priorities of the leaders. The personality and behavior of the leaders creates a climate that influences everyone in the organization.
Term
communicating
Definition
Comprises the ability to express oneself effectively in individual and group situations, either orally or in writing. It involves a sender transmitting an idea to a receiver.
Term
conflict of interest
Definition
Any business activity, personal or company related, that interferes with the company's goals or that entails unethical or illegal actions.
Term
constraint
Definition
Any element or factor that prevents a person from reaching a higher lever of performance with respect to her goal.
Term
corporate culture
Definition
The set of important assumptions that members of the company share. It is a system of shared values about what is important and beliefs about how the company works. These common assumptions influence the ways the company operates.
Term
corrective action
Definition
The implementation of solutions resulting in the reduction or elimination of an identified problem.
Term
counseling
Definition
Talking with a person in a way that helps that person solve a problem or helps to create conditions that will cause the person to improve his behavior, character, or values. Providing basic, technical, and sometimes professional assistance to employees in order to help them with personal and work related problems.
Term
courage
Definition
The virtue that enables us to conquer fear, danger, or adversity, no matter what the context happens to be (physical or moral). Courage includes the notion of taking responsibility for decisions and actions. Additionally, the idea involves the ability to perform critical self-assessment, to confront new ideas, and to change.
Term
culture
Definition
The long-term complex phenomenon that can be affected by strategic leaders. Culture represents the shared expectations and self-image of the organization. The mature values that create "tradition", the play out of "climate" or "the feel of the organization" over time, and the deep, unwritten code that frames "how we do things around here" contribute to the culture. Organizational culture is a system of shared values, assumptions, beliefs, and norms that unite the members of the organization. Individual leaders cannot easily create or change culture.
Term
decision making
Definition
The process of reaching logical conclusions, solving problems, analyzing factual information, and taking appropriate actions based on the conclusions.
Term
decision matrix
Definition
A matrix used by teams to evaluate possible solutions to problems. Each solution is listed. Criteria are selected and listed on the top row to rate the possible solutions. Each possible solution is rated on a scale from 1 to 5 for each criterion and the rating recorded in the corresponding grid. The ratings of all the criteria for each possible solution are added to determine each solution's score. The scores are then used to help decide which solution deserves the most attention.
Term
deficiency
Definition
Failure to meet a set performance standard.
Term
delegative leadership
Definition
A style of leadership in which the leader entrusts decision making to an employee of a group of employees. The leader is still responsible for their decisions.
Term
Deming's 14 points
Definition
Management philosophy to help organizations increase their quality and productivity:
Term
developing
Definition
The art of developing the competence and confidence of subordinate leaders through role modeling and training and development activities related to their current or future duties.
Term
diversity
Definition
Committing to establish an environment where the full potential of all employees can be tapped by paying attention to, and taking into account their differences in work background, experience, age, gender, race, ethic origin, physical abilities, religious belief, sexual orientation, and other perceived differences.
Term
efficiency
Definition
A measure (as a percentage) of the actual output to the standard output expected. Efficiency measures how well someone is performing relative to expectations.
Term
empowerment
Definition
A condition whereby employees have the authority to make decisions and take action in their work areas, jobs, or tasks without prior approval. It allows the employees the responsibility normally associated with staffs. Examples are scheduling, quality, or purchasing decisions.
Term
environment
Definition
1. The political, strategic, or operational context within the organization. 2. The external environment is the environment outside the organization.
Term
esprit
Definition
The spirit, soul, and state of mind of an organization. It is the overall consciousness of the organization that a person identifies with and feels a part of.
Term
ethical climate
Definition
The "feel of the organization" about the activities that have ethical content or those aspects of the work environment that constitute ethical behavior. The ethical climate is the feel about whether we do things right; or the feel of whether we behave the way we ought to behave.
Term
evaluation
Definition
Judging the worth, quality, or significance of people, ideas, or things.
Term
executing
Definition
The ability to complete individual and organizational assigned tasks according to specified standards and within certain time criteria or event criteria.
Term
feedback
Definition
The flow of information back to the learner so that actual performance can be compared with planned performance.
Term
five why's
Definition
The practice of (Japanese) asking "why" five times when confronted with a problem. By the time the fifth why is answered, they believe they have found the ultimate cause of the problem.
Term
flexibility
Definition
The ability of a system to respond quickly, in terms of range and time, to external or internal changes.
Term
flextime
Definition
An arrangement in which employees are allowed to choose work hours as long as the standard number of work hours are met. Also, some flextime systems require that the hours fall within a certain range, e.g. 5:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
Term
follow-up
Definition
Monitoring of job, task, or project progress to see that operations are performed on schedule.
Term
honor
Definition
A state of being or state of character, that people possess by living up to the complex set of all the values that make up the public moral code. Honor includes: integrity, courage, loyalty, respect, selfless-service, and duty. Honor demands adherence to a public moral code, not protection of a reputation.
Term
human nature
Definition
The common qualities of all human beings.
Term
improving
Definition
A focus on sustaining and renewing the development of individuals and the organization (with a time horizon from months to decades) that requires a need for experimentation and innovation with results that are difficult to quantify. Usually it entails long-term, complex outcomes.
Term
influencing
Definition
The key feature of leadership, performed through communicating, decision making, and motivating.
Term
integrity
Definition
A moral virtue that encompasses the sum total of a person's set of values and moral code. A breach of any of these values will damage the integrity of the individual. Integrity, comes from the same Latin root (integritas) as the word "integer," refers to a notion of completeness, wholeness, and uniqueness. Integrity also entails the consistent adherence of action to one's personal moral beliefs.
Term
job enlargement
Definition
An increase in the number of tasks that an employee performs. It is associated with the design of jobs to reduce employee dissatisfaction.
Term
job enrichment
Definition
An increase in the number of tasks that an employee performs and an increase in the control over those tasks. It is associated with the design of jobs and is an extension of job enlargement.
Term
kaizen
Definition
The Japanese term for improvement. It involves both workers and managers.
Term
leadership
Definition
The process of influencing people while operating to meet organizational requirements and improving the organization through change.
Term
learning
Definition
An essential shift or progress of the mind where recreation is evident and enjoins activities such as re-engineering, envisioning, changing, adapting, moving into, and creating the future.
Term
learning curve
Definition
A curve reflecting the rate of improvement in performing a new task as a learner practices and uses her newly acquired skills.
Term
loyalty
Definition
The intangible bond based on a legitimate obligation; it entails the correct ordering of our obligations and commitments. Loyalty demands commitment to the organization and is a precondition for trust, cooperation, teamwork, and camaraderie..
Term
management by objectives (MBO)
Definition
A participative goal-setting process that enables the manager or supervisor to construct and communicate the goals of the department to each subordinate. At the same time, the subordinate is able to formulate personal goals and influence the department's goals.
Term
model
Definition
(1) A person that serves as a target subject for a learner to emulate. (2) A representation of a process or system that show the most important variables in the system in such a way that analysis of the model leads to insights into the system
Term
morale
Definition
The mental, emotional, and spiritual state of an individual.
Term
motivating
Definition
Using an individuals wants and needs to influence how the person thinks and what does. Motivating embodies using appropriate incentives and methods in reinforcing individuals or groups as they effectively work toward task accomplishment and resolution of conflicts / disagreements. Coupled with influence, motivating actively involves empowering junior leaders and workers to achieve organizational goals and properly rewarding their efforts as they achieve the goals.
Term
motivation
Definition
The combination of a person's desire and energy directed at achieving a goal. It is the cause of action.
Term
participative leadership
Definition
A style of leadership in which the leader involves one or more employees in determining what to do and how to do it. The leader maintains final decision making authority.
Term
performance efficiency
Definition
A ratio (percentage) of the actual output of a person as compared to the desired or planned output.
Term
performance rating
Definition
Observation of a person's performance to rate productivity in terms of the performance standard
Term
performance standard
Definition
criterion or benchmark against which actual performance is measured.
Term
planning
Definition
A course of action for oneself and others to accomplish goals; establishing priorities and planning appropriate allocation of time and resources and proper assignment of people to achieve feasible, acceptable, and suitable goals.
Term
plan-do-check-action (PDCA)
Definition
Sometimes referred to as the Shewhart Cycle, for the inventor - Walter A. Shewhart. A four step process for quality improvement:
Plan - A plan to effect improvement is developed
Do - The plan is carried out, first, on a small scale if possible
Check - The effects of the plan are observed
Action - The results are studied and observed to determine what was learned and what can be predicted
Term
process improvement
Definition
Activities designed to identify and eliminate causes of poor quality, process variation, and non-value added activities.
Term
productivity
Definition
An overall measure of the ability to produce a product or service. It is the actual output of production compared to the actual input of resources.
Term
quality
Definition
Conformance to the requirements of a stated product or service attribute.
Term
respect
Definition
The regard and recognition of the absolute dignity that every human being possesses. Respect is treating people as they should be treated. Specifically, respect is indicative of compassion and consideration of others, which includes a sensitivity to and regard for the feelings and needs of others and an awareness of the effect of one's own behavior on them. Respect also involves the notion of treating people justly.
Term
selfless service
Definition
the proper ordering of priorities. Think of it as service before self. The welfare of the organization come before the individual. This does not mean that the individual neglects to take care of family or self. Also, it does not preclude the leader from having a healthy ego or self esteem, nor does it preclude the leader from having a healthy sense of ambition. It does, however, preclude selfish careerism.
Term
self-directed work team
Definition
A small independent, self-organized, and self-controlling group in which members plan, organize, determine, and manage their duties and actions, as well as perform many other supportive functions.
Term
skills (competencies)
Definition
Those abilities that people develop and use with people, with ideas, and with things, hence, the division of interpersonal, cognitive, and technical skills.
Term
standard
Definition
An established norm against which measurements are compared. The time allowed to perform a task including the quality and quantity of work to be produced.
Term
standard time
Definition
The length of time that should be required to perform a task through one complete cycle. It assumes an average worker follows prescribed procedures and allows time for rest to overcome fatigue.
Term
stress
Definition
The real or perceived demand on the mind, emotions, spirit, or body. Too much stress puts an undo amount of pressure upon us and drives us into a state of tension. Controlled stress is good as it is what motivates us.
Term
supervising
Definition
The ability to establish procedures for monitoring and regulating processes, tasks, or activities of employees and one's own job, taking actions to monitor the results of delegated tasks or projects.
Term
theory of constraints (TOC)
Definition
A management philosophy developed by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt that is broken down into three interrelated areas - logistics, performance measurement, and logical thinking. Logistics include drum-buffer-rope scheduling, buffer management, and VAT analysis. Performance measurement includes throughput, inventory and operating expense, and the five focusing steps. Logical thinking includes identifying the root problem (current reality tree), identifying and expanding win-win solutions (evaporating cloud and future reality tree), and developing implementation plans (prerequisite tree and transition tree).
Term
total employee involvement
Definition
An empowerment technique where employees participate in actions and decision making that were traditionally reserved for management.
Term
total quality management (TQM)
Definition
Describes Japanese style management approaches to quality improvement. It includes the long term success of the organization through customer satisfaction and is based on participation of all members of the organization in improving process, products, service, culture, etc.
Term
trait
Definition
A distinguishing quality or characteristic of a person. For a trait to be developed in a person, that person must first believe in and value that trait.
Term
values
Definition
Ideas about the worth or importance of things, concepts, and people.
Term
worker efficiency
Definition
A measure (usually computed as a percentage) of worker performance that compares the standard time allowed to complete a task to the actual worker time to complete it.
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